Introduction
Thank you. I want to thank our constitution and bylaw committee, Chris Hughes, James Covington, Jimmy Partin, Joe Penna, and Jack Sinz. I also want to thank Dr. Frank Harber, who consulted with us on the final wording of this recommendation. Dr. Harber is a minister, attorney, and the president and chief legal counsel for the Defending The Faith Alliance.
Plan
We plan to review our church constitution and bylaws one section at a time. I do not foresee any dramatic changes.
Goals
Increase legal protections, update language, increase clarity, and adjust procedures to better fit our current church structure, direction, and size. All changes will go through a deliberate process involving the constitution committee, deacons, and church presentation and consideration.
Our Process
The recommendations you see tonight include a number of meetings of our constitution committee and a unanimous recommendation, unanimous deacon approval on November 14, 2024, tonight’s presentation, and a church vote on this recommendation during the Celebration and Summit services on December 15, 2024.
This first round focuses on Article 8.
Article 8 Revisions
Current: Article 8: Marital Relationships
Recommended: Article 8: Marital Relationships and Human Sexuality
The purpose of this recommended change is to update language and increase legal protections.
Let me address our legal jeopardy to prevent unnecessary panic. No church in America has ever been forced to conduct a homosexual wedding or allow their facilities to be used for one without approval. While bakers and photographers have faced issues, churches have not. When this does happen, the first church will not be in Nacogdoches, TX.
No church in America has been successfully sued for refusing to conduct or host a homosexual wedding. No minister has ever been forced by the government to conduct a homosexual wedding or been successfully sued for not doing so.
Many legal scholars note that having the proposed language in a church constitution will not necessarily exempt any church from being sued. This is important, but it is not an emergency, nor is it a guarantee against future persecution for holding to historic Christian and Scriptural views.
Tonight’s Focus
First, I will explain the recommended changes. Second, I will briefly discuss what it means to be a gospel church in a culture where something like this is necessary.
Article 8: Marital Relationships and Human Sexuality
Section 1: Marital Relationships
We believe that the term “marriage” has only one meaning: marriage sanctioned by God, which joins one man and one woman in a single, exclusive union, as delineated in Scripture. Divorce, with the exception outlined in Matthew 5:31–32 and Matthew 19:9, is contrary to God’s plan for marriage as a lifetime commitment.
Marriage is the uniting of one man and one woman in covenant commitment for a lifetime. It is God’s unique gift to reveal the union between Christ and His church, provide intimate companionship, channel sexual expression according to biblical standards, and enable procreation.
The replacement paragraph is a concise yet thorough theological definition of marriage copied from the Baptist Faith and Message, 2000. The previous version addressed some Scriptural exceptions for divorce while ignoring others and could be read in ways inconsistent with how our church traditionally determines which weddings it hosts.
We believe that, because God ordained marriage and defined it as the covenant relationship between a biological man, a biological woman, and Himself, the wedding ceremony is an act of worship. Therefore, First Baptist Church of Nacogdoches, Texas will only recognize marriages between a biological man and a biological woman. The pastors and ministers of First Baptist Church shall only participate in weddings and solemnize marriages between one biological man and one biological woman. Facilities and property will only host wedding worship ceremonies consistent with this belief.
This is a simple update of language to better reflect what is customary for church constitutions and bylaws.
We believe God intends sexual intimacy to occur only between a man and a woman married to each other and that no intimate sexual activity should occur outside of that marriage.
We believe that any form of sexual immorality—including adultery, fornication, homosexuality, bisexual conduct, bestiality, incest, pornography, pedophilia, attempts to change one’s sex, or disagreement with one’s biological sex—is sinful and offensive to God.
We believe God offers redemption and restoration to all who confess and forsake their sin, seeking His mercy and forgiveness through Jesus Christ.
We believe every person must be afforded compassion, love, kindness, respect, and dignity. Hateful or harassing behavior directed toward any individual is to be repudiated and is not in accord with Scripture or the doctrines of the church.
To preserve the integrity of the church and to provide a biblical role model, all members are encouraged to abide by this statement.
Section 2: Sexual Identity
God created mankind in His image, exclusively as male and female. These categories are fixed in human biology and not a function of individual choice. All individuals should affirm their biological sex and refrain from attempts to alter or disagree with it.
Matthew 19:4–5 shows Jesus viewed Genesis 1–3 as normative for marriage, gender, and sexuality. As confusion about gender increases, we want to clarify our beliefs.
Section 3: Ministry, Sexual Identity, and Sexual Preference
While the church welcomes all people to participate in worship services, it will not participate or cooperate in deception regarding an individual’s biological sex. We welcome all, treat them with respect, and show love while refusing to affirm deception.
The church reserves the right to inform members and parents of any attempts to deceive others regarding biological sex. It also reserves the right to limit participation in events, trips, or activities as necessary for the protection of others.
Section 4: Restrooms
Individuals are required to use restrooms designated for their biological sex or single-person restrooms where available.
How To Be A Gospel Church Today
Why are these updates important?
We are unashamedly a biblical church. We will not bend to culture where God’s Word speaks clearly. This must be clear to the world and future generations of FBC.
Potential Dangers
- Treating homosexuality and gender-deception differently than sins like adultery, fornication, and unbiblical divorce.
- Believing those who don’t struggle with these sins are better than those who do. Romans 3:23 reminds us all have sinned and fall short of God’s glory.
- Doubting God’s ability to fully save people struggling with these sins. 1 Corinthians 6:11 says, “And some of you used to be like this. But you were washed, sanctified, and justified in the name of Jesus Christ.”
- Avoiding these individuals and failing to show Christ’s love.
These issues present an opportunity to love and minister to people more effectively.
Guided Prayer
Pray for:
- God to protect our church from legal issues, distractions, or compromise.
- FBC to remain a gospel church and a safe place for people to find Christ.
- Opportunities to show Christ’s love to those struggling with issues of sexuality and gender identity.
