This is going to be a much thicker post than usual, but bear with me, because this is important. I wrote a few years ago about the CBF’s hiring policy and how it relates to the Baptist commitment to autonomy and soul freedom. This post came after the General Assembly in which the Illumination Project was first announced. Now, with rumblings of a new policy (which seems to have found a way to upset everyone, which is an achievement in and of itself) and a vote on Feb. 8, I wanted to share a paper I wrote on the subject last spring.

Whatever the new language says, I think the members of CBF have a responsibility to make it clear that the conversation is not yet over for those of us who want to see genuine change in CBF’s attitudes toward LGBTQ individuals. We need to make it clear that this is not just about a hiring policy. This is about the real risk CBF faces of losing my entire generation. And I know there seems to be a tendency to think that’s not truly the case, but I’m not exagerrating. At the moment, CBF stands to not only lose these people, but also risks giving the appearance that they won’t even miss them when they’re gone.

I have been a part of CBF my whole life. My better theological fit is the Alliance of Baptists, which has also been a home to me, but I have never felt ready to give up on CBF. My parents were there for the ripples that grew into the CBF. My sister and I spent our childhood thinking that General Assembly and summer vacations were the same thing. However flawed it may be, this organization is a home to me. Because of that, I want to continue pushing to help it become what I truly think it can be, as frustrating as that continues to be. We can be both cooperative and affirming, I truly believe that.

You’ll find my paper attached below. I know it’s a long read, but I would appreciate you taking the time to read it and think about what I’m saying. Circulate it around if you like. Whatever others might say, this is not about politics, this is a genuinely theological issue.

The Challenge of Being Cooperative: The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship’s Organizational Policy on Homosexual Behavior Related to Personnel and Funding as it Pertains to Soul Freedom

(Tldr: The hiring policy doesn’t mesh with soul freedom)