'Gender' and predator issues on So. Baptist agenda (OneNewsNow.com)

'Gender' and predator issues on So. Baptist agenda

Allie Martin - OneNewsNow - 6/10/2008 8:00:00 AM

SBC logo Messengers to the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention will be presented with the results of a study dealing with efforts throughout the denomination to help those who want to leave the homosexual lifestyle.

The study, conducted by LifeWay Research of the SBC, finds that 26 percent of its pastors had some form of training when it comes to dealing with counseling those struggling with same-sex attractions. Only eight percent of laypeople had specialized training in that area.

Bob Stith is with the SBC's Gender Issues Office, known as "The Way Out." He says the survey shows that most SBC churches are not equipped to deal with the issue.

"I just want to encourage our people ... to really take this seriously," says Stith, who is the denomination's national strategist for gender issues. "There are people dying and a lot of people [who] are desperate for help and don't know where to go. I hear from people everyday in our churches who are afraid to talk to their pastors, afraid to talk to their leadership [about same-sex attraction] -- and we need to change that culture."

The Way Out will provide resources and training for pastors, church leaders, and laypeople.

Don't sweep it under the rug

Meanwhile, a top official in the Southern Baptist Convention has called on churches to be vigilant when it comes to weeding out sexual predators. And a prominent SBC pastor whose church was recently rocked by a sex scandal says the denomination must protect children from sexual predators.

Morris Chapman used most of his report at the denomination's meeting in Indianapolis to address the issue of child sexual abuse. Chapman, president of the SBC Executive Committee, told messengers that the problem is growing, and must be dealt with decisively. Churches, he said, must not sweep the issue under the rug.

"[Among] American prisoners, sexual predators are considered the worst of the worst," he shared. "We must determine that a sexual predator shall find no solace and no cover in our churches. We must never rid ourselves of the problem by pawning a sexual offender off upon an unsuspecting church where he will once again violate our children."

Last month, an associate pastor at Prestonwood Baptist Church in Dallas, was arrested as part of an online sex sting. The pastor was immediately fired, and was recently arrested again and faces similar charges. Dr. Jack Graham, senior pastor of Prestonwood and a former president of the SBC, says churches must act quickly when a staff member or volunteer breaks the law.

"As a church, your credibility in the community is vital to your outreach [and] to your ministry," Graham said during an interview in Indianapolis. "This is a hot-button issue for people -- and it should be, because these predators ... move into unsuspecting territory and they prey on people who are the most innocent, and sometimes that's churches."

In the "darkness ... and the despicable sin of our world," the pastor continued, "we have to be on-guard constantly. And as pastors, [we] have a personal responsibility ... to do our best to protect God's people."

The SBC Executive Committee has recommended that churches use the Department of Justice's national database to screen prospective volunteers and employees.

The final Page

The outgoing president of the Southern Baptist Convention is reflecting on his two years in office. Dr. Frank Page is serving his second consecutive term as SBC president.

Page was elected two years ago largely due to his church's strong support of the Cooperative Program, the funding mechanism for SBC entities. As he presides over his final annual meeting as president, Dr. Page says he wants to be remembered for one thing.

"I would hope that they would remember it as a time when there was a clear call for revival," he shares.

During the past two years, Page has visited numerous SBC churches nationwide. He believes the denomination is ready for a move of God. "I think there is an increased hunger for it; [but] we're not there yet," he says. "I've seen it, particularly among laypeople -- a strong desire for that, and an increased understanding of what that takes and what II Chronicles 7:14 calls for."

Dr. Page has also become known for his calls for civil debate among messengers during the annual meetings.