[Current policy) “The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship does not allow for the expenditure of funds for organizations or causes that condone, advocate or affirm homosexual practice. Neither does this CBF organizational value allow for the purposeful hiring of a staff person or the sending of a missionary who is a practicing homosexual.”

Editor’s Note: The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship (CBF) is a fellowship of Baptist churches formed in 1991 after they withdrew from the Southern Baptist Convension. They describe themselves as theologically moderate. The primary issues included philosophical and theological differences, such as the SBC prohibition of women serving as pastors.

After the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship completes a re-visioning process and selects a new executive coordinator, a first order of business should be revisiting a policy that prohibits the hiring of gays and lesbians, the organization’s top elected officer told leaders Feb. 24.

CBF Moderator Colleen Burroughs told Coordinating Council members that coming into office she really wanted to “have a conversation” about an organizational policy the council adopted in 2000 on “homosexual behavior” related to funding and personnel. More pressing concerns including balancing a budget deficit last year, the impending retirement of CBF Executive Coordinator Daniel Vestal and implementation of a 2012 Task Force, however, took precedent in her term, which ends June 23 at the close of the CBF General Assembly in Fort Worth, Texas.

Burroughs said the “fattest inbox” on her computer and thickest file folder in her office is correspondence from people saying they feel marginalized by the policy.

“I know it’s a prickly conversation,” said Burroughs, executive vice president of CBF-partner Passport, Inc. She said the reason for talking about it “is not to take a vote, not to change your mind on anything” and the issue is not whether everyone can agree on the issue of homosexuality.

Read More
HT-MP