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Kentucky Baptists resolve to protect the unborn
December 1, 2008
By Kristie Randolph and Garrett E. Wishall
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Russell Moore, chairman of the KBC Committee on Resolutions, presented five resolutions for approval by messengers attending the 171st annual meeting of the Kentucky Baptist Convention. All five resolutions passed at the Nov. 11 meeting. Photo by Juan Maclean
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Kentucky Baptists reaffirmed their desire to protect the lives of the unborn and committed to support the Southern Baptist Convention's Crossover Louisville event through resolutions passed during the 171st annual meeting of the Kentucky Baptist Convention Nov. 11 in Lexington, Ky.
Five resolutions were presented by Russell D. Moore, chairman of the KBC Committee on Resolutions and senior vice president of academic administration at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and approved by messengers during the Tuesday morning session of the Nov. 11 annual meeting at Immanuel Baptist Church.
Southern Seminary professors Bill Henard, outgoing president of the KBC, and Kevin Smith, KBC first vice-president in 2007, both spoke at the annual meeting.
Henard, assistant professor of evangelism and church growth at Southern, gave an address Tuesday morning; Smith, assistant professor of church history at Southern, presented the convention sermon.
The approved resolution for protecting unborn human life was put forth to reiterate the conviction of Kentucky Baptist churches "that the 1973 Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision was an act of injustice against innocent unborn children, as well as vulnerable women in crisis pregnancy situations."
The resolution calls on KBC churches to "remain vigilant in the protection of human life" and also calls on government officials to "take action to protect the lives of women and children."
"The resolution on the sanctity of human life reasserts Kentucky Baptist opposition to legalized abortion and other threats on human life in the Obama administration," said Moore, who also serves as dean of Southern's School of Theology.
"The abortion resolution is significant because while the Southern Baptist Convention has spoken to this issue many times, very infrequently has the KBC spoken on the issue. I think this is a clear signal as to the KBC's commitment to the sanctity of human life. The abortion concern is not over among Kentucky Baptists."
The resolution on Crossover Louisville called for KBC churches to support and participate in the evangelistic effort, to be held in advance of the SBC's annual meeting in Louisville, June 23-24, 2009.
Crossover is a joint effort of the Kentucky Baptist Convention, Long Run Baptist Association, the Southern Baptist Convention's North American Mission Board, Kentucky's Woman's Missionary Union and Southern Seminary.
Another resolution passed called for Kentucky Baptist churches to maintain strong Christian stewardship during challenging economic hardship and to care for the poor while discipling believers in wise financial stewardship.
Moore said he hopes pastors of local KBC churches think seriously about how to respond to this resolution in their congregations.
"What I am hoping is that pastors and church leaders gathered at the convention will begin to reflect upon ways their congregations can minister to those who are hurting and to encourage those people to not give up on tithes and offerings because they are being pinched financially," Moore said.
Messengers also approved a resolution on the development of young leaders, challenging experienced ministers "to help train young leaders through participation in training events, personal challenges and mentoring of young leaders." Moore said the resolution seeks to highlight the importance of communication between older and younger church leaders in Kentucky.
"We need to have older pastors who are sharing counsel with younger pastors so that we don't have an abrupt break from the older generation to the younger generation (in our churches)," he said. "We are wanting to make sure that we speak well to one another and equip one another well for the task from generation to generation."
A resolution calling for the appreciation of Immanuel Baptist Church as annual meeting host also passed.
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