Texan special report on homosexuality:

The following links are stories included in the special report on homosexuality published in the Oct. 31, 2011 edition of the Southern Baptist Texan.

http://texanonline.net/news/sbc-gender-issues-expert-says-grace-diligence-key/

http://texanonline.net/news/christian-parents-must-fast-pray-love/

http://texanonline.net/news/a-biblical-response-to-i-was-born-this-way/

http://texanonline.net/news/can-the-homosexual-condition-be-prevented-author-says-yes-1/

http://texanonline.net/news/grounded-in-scripture-pastors-can-help-those-struggling-with-homosexuality-1/

http://texanonline.net/news/prof-jesus-redemptive-power-can-change-homosexuals/

http://texanonline.net/news/with-grace-speak-truth-ignore-intimidation/

FORT WORTH, Texas (BP) — The task force appointed to study the prospect of changing the Southern Baptist Convention’s name held its first meeting Oct. 26 at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas.

Convention President Bryant Wright announced the 20-member task force during the opening session of the SBC Executive Committee’s Sept. 19-20 meeting in Nashville, Tenn. The announcement prompted a lively debate across the convention about the pros and cons of making such a change.

The 16 task force members attending the Oct. 26 meeting spent “a great deal” of time in prayer, aware of the far-reaching implications a name change would have, task force chairman Jimmy Draper said in an Oct. 26 statement.

“We spent a great deal of time in prayer, believing that we need God’s guidance and divine wisdom as we seek to serve Southern Baptists in this consideration,” Draper said. “We received a review of the history of the SBC name issue and are aware of the weighty matters that have been brought to light by previous studies and considerations.”

The committee’s work centers on whether the Southern Baptist mission would be advanced by a name change, Draper added.

“We are driven by only one great question — how can Southern Baptists be most faithful in reaching people for Jesus. Our concern is not public relations, politics, positioning or personal agendas,” Draper said. “We must ask ourselves constantly if there is anything that would help us to reach more people, plant more churches, and penetrate lostness here in the United States and around the world as we seek to fulfill the Great Commission.”

Draper’s statement said he appreciated “the responsible quality” of the group’s first discussion and affirmed the need for input from both rank-and-file Southern Baptists and those in positions of leadership. He said he would be contacting leaders for their input and that others can interact with the task force through a website, www.pray4sbc.com. Name change suggestions can be entered in a box that accepts up to 50 characters, while the form for submitting comments has been expanded beyond the 140-character limit originally in place.

LifeWay Christian Resources also has been asked to research the potential impact of a name change among unchurched people, Draper said.

The task force understands its charge is limited to reporting back to Wright and that no one believed the word “Baptist” should be removed from the name, Draper added.

“We also want to let Southern Baptists know that we do understand our task. We are a body appointed by the SBC president, and to him we will submit our report. We are not authorized to change the name of the convention, nor are we certain that such a change is right. We do know that it is right to ask the question, and to consider our name in light of our mission,” Draper said. “We also want Southern Baptists to know that we, as a task force, are unified in affirming that we are and will ever remain Baptist — and that name is more than a label, it is a testimony. We cannot envision a name change that would not include ‘Baptist’ in the name.”

The full text of the task force statement follows:

STATEMENT FROM Jimmy Draper

CHAIRMAN, SBC TASK FORCE TO STUDY POSSIBILITY OF NAME CHANGE FOR OUR CONVENTION

October 26, 2011

The Task Force appointed by Southern Baptist Convention President Bryant Wright to study the possibility of changing the name of our convention met for our first meeting October 26, 2011 in Fort Worth, Texas.

Sixteen of the twenty members of the task force were in attendance, and the meeting was graciously hosted by Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

We spent a great deal of time in prayer, believing that we need God’s guidance and divine wisdom as we seek to serve Southern Baptists in this consideration. We spent time in prayer, together and in small groups, and then turned to the matters at hand.

We received a review of the history of the SBC name issue and are aware of the weighty matters that have been brought to light by previous studies and considerations.

We are driven by only one great question — how can Southern Baptists be most faithful in reaching people for Jesus. Our concern is not public relations, politics, positioning or personal agendas. We must ask ourselves constantly if there is anything that would help us to reach more people, plant more churches, and penetrate lostness here in the United States and around the world as we seek to fulfill the Great Commission.

I am thankful for the responsible quality of our first discussion. The committee is representative of the Southern Baptist Convention, ranging from pastors of some of our oldest churches to those who are planting new churches far outside of the southern states. The task force is diverse in composition, but united in our singular purpose to serve all Southern Baptists in this work.

We know that we need more information. I will be writing Southern Baptist leaders ranging from the heads of our entities to the leaders of our state conventions. We will be asking all Southern Baptists to let their concerns and convictions be known. We have asked LifeWay Research (a ministry of LifeWay Christian Resources) to research the issue of our name among the very people we are trying to reach — the unreached.

We also want to let Southern Baptists know that we do understand our task. We are a body appointed by the SBC president, and to him we will submit our report. We are not authorized to change the name of the convention, nor are we certain that such a change is right. We do know that it is right to ask the question, and to consider our name in light of our mission.

We also want Southern Baptists to know that we, as a task force, are unified in affirming that we are and will ever remain Baptist — and that name is more than a label, it is a testimony. We cannot envision a name change that would not include “Baptist” in the name.

We will meet again to continue our conversation and we are eager to hear from Southern Baptists. We want to thank the hundreds of Southern Baptists who have sent us letters, emails, and other communications. Please communicate with us at pray4sbc.com.

We know that Southern Baptists are very interested in this conversation and passionate about our mission and identity. That is a sign of our health and vitality. We will report once the task force has met again.

Task Force members are:

— Michael Allen, senior pastor of Uptown Baptist Church in Chicago;

— Marshall Blalock, pastor of First Baptist Church in Charleston, S.C.;

— David Dockery, president of Union University in Jackson, Tenn.;

— Tom Elliff, president of the International Mission Board;

— Kevin Ezell, president of the North American Mission Board;

— Ken Fentress, senior pastor of Montrose Baptist Church in Rockville, Md.;

— Micah Fries, lead pastor of Frederick Boulevard Baptist Church in St. Joseph, Mo.;

— Aaron Harvie, lead pastor of Riverside Community Church in Horsham, Penn.;

— Susie Hawkins, speaker, Bible study teacher and missions volunteer from Dallas;

— Fred Hewett, executive director of the Montana Southern Baptist Convention;

— Cathy Horner, Bible teacher and pastor’s wife from Providence Baptist Church in Raleigh, N.C.;

— Benny Jo, pastor of HANA Korean Baptist Church in Las Vegas, Nev.;

— Albert Mohler Jr., president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky.;

— Paige Patterson, president of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas;

— Bobby Sena, retired director of Hispanic resource development and equipping in the North American Mission Board’s church planting group;

— Roger Spradlin, co-senior pastor of Valley Baptist Church in Bakersfield, Calif., and chairman of the SBC Executive Committee;

— John Sullivan, executive director-treasurer of the Florida Baptist Convention;

— Jay Wolf, senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Montgomery, Ala.

Jimmy Draper, Chairman

President Emeritus LifeWay

Compiled by Baptist Press assistant editor and senior writer Mark Kelly.

EDITOR'S NOTE: This column references an Oct. 17 op-ed in The New York Times, “The Evangelical Rejection of Reason,” by Karl W. Giberson and Randall J. Stephens.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (BP) — Evangelical Christians are not surprised to find themselves analyzed and criticized within the pages of the secular press. After all, the truth claims that characterize authentic evangelicalism are increasingly seen as unusual (and perhaps even dangerous) by the secular mind. Nevertheless, evangelical readers of The New York Times recently found themselves taken to task by writers presenting themselves as fellow evangelicals. Their essay reveals the central question that evangelicals musty now answer: Do we really believe that the Bible is the Word of God?

In their opinion essay, Karl W. Giberson and Randall J. Stephens accuse evangelicals of “simplistic theology, cultural isolation, and stubborn anti-intellectualism,” among other things. They point specifically to the rejection of evolution, which they call “the rejection of science,” and then refer to this as “textbook evidence of unyielding ignorance on the part of the religious.”

At times, the writers use the words “fundamentalist” and “evangelical” almost interchangeably. Following a line of argument popular among secular observers of conservative Protestantism, they explain that fundamentalism “appeals to evangelicals who have become convinced that their country has been overrun by a vast secular conspiracy.” In other words, they explain evangelical conviction in terms of psychology, not theology. Evangelicals, they argue, “have been scarred by the elimination of prayer in schools; the removal of nativity scenes from public places; the increasing legitimacy of abortion and homosexuality; the persistence of pornography and drug abuse; and acceptance of other religions and of atheism.”

In response to these developments, Giberson and Stephens argue that evangelicals created a “parallel culture” which includes everything from church programs to summer camps, colleges, publishing houses, media networks, and more. There is truth in the description of an evangelical subculture, of course, but these authors surely know that this “parallel culture” emerged early in the 20th century — long before prayer was removed from public schools or any of the other developments they list had taken place. But, then again, that honest admission would ruin the story they are trying to tell.

Giberson is well known as a leading proponent of evolution, and he has launched several lines of attack against evangelicals who reject evolution. A former professor of physics at Eastern Nazarene College, Giberson has argued that evangelical theology will simply have to give way to evolutionary theory, going so far as to admit: “I am happy to concede that science does indeed trump religious truth about the natural world.”

Stephens is an associate professor of history at Eastern Nazarene College. Together, Stephens and Giberson have also written a new book, “The Anointed; Evangelical Truth in a Secular Age.” The main thesis of the book is that evangelicals are following the wrong set of leaders, especially when it comes to intellectual matters. They level their attack on figures like James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family, and Kan Ham, founder of the Answers in Genesis ministry. Their main accusation is that these leaders, along with others, simply embarrass evangelicalism before the watching world by refusing to accept what Giberson and Stephens call “secular knowledge.”

Dobson, for example, is lambasted for arguing on behalf of reparative therapy for homosexuals seeking to change their sexual orientation. Giberson and Stephens simply reject reparative therapy because the American Psychological Association disavowed it in 2000. Dobson, they accuse, charged that the APA did so under pressure from homosexual activists. Giberson and Stephens fail to concede that the APA discussion was well known at the time to have indeed been driven by homosexual activists, who claimed the decision as a victory for their activism.

So far as they are concerned, rejecting a position statement of a group like the American Psychological Association is tantamount to an irrational rejection of “secular knowledge.” What they fail to see, evidently, is that their own intellectual posture represents a total capitulation to whatever any secular authority may demand.

Something deeper is going on here, of course. Appearing on the Oct. 20 edition of National Public Radio's “Talk of the Nation” program, Giberson argued that homosexuality should not be much of a concern at all. He revealed even more of his own approach to the Bible by asserting that “there's just a handful of proof text[s] scattered throughout the Bible about homosexuality,” adding: “Jesus said absolutely nothing about it.”

That hardly represents an honest or respectful approach to dealing with the Bible's comprehensive and consistent revelation concerning human sexuality in general and homosexuality in particular. Is Romans 1, for example, just a scattered proof text? Is not all of the Bible God's Word? Well, Giberson has already made his view of the Bible clear — it is simply “trumped” by science when describing the natural world.

Again and again, Giberson and Stephens point to the Bible as the issue. Evangelicals follow the wrong leaders, they assert, because they tend to trust those who “first and foremost have an unquestioning belief in the literal truth of the Bible.” Who would have known?

Giberson and Stephens reject those who believe the Bible's clear teachings on the sinfulness of homosexuality and prefer a figure like David Myers who “believes that Christians can be faithful to God, the Bible, and their tradition and still believe that homosexuality is morally acceptable.” On what authority? Once again, the norms of secular science trump everything else. Myers, they say, earned the Ph.D. from the University of Iowa. He has “won several prestigious National Science Foundation grants” and has edited respected scientific journals.

They use language intended to both impress and scare a secular readership. James Dobson, they sneer, believes in the use of corporal punishment by parents. This “defender of spanking children” is dismissed as an authority on rearing children, even though they have to admit that he also holds a Ph.D. from a respected institution (the University of Southern California), taught on its faculty of pediatrics, and has been published in respected scientific journals. They reject Dobson on homosexuality and prefer the approach of Evangelicals Concerned, an activist group which argues that God “does not judge men and women on the basis of race, gender, or sexual orientation.”

Oddly, Giberson and Stephens criticize evangelical leaders who, for example, “pepper their presentations with so many Bible verses that their messages appear to be straight out of Scripture.” Do they seriously believe that evangelical Christians should prefer leaders who would let the Bible be silent and base their arguments on some other authority? Clearly, this is exactly what they suggest.

In “The Anointed,” Giberson and Stephens reveal more of their understanding of the Bible. Consider this passage:

“Christians have long been called 'People of the Book.' The label is especially appropriate for evangelicals. But the Book is thousands of years old, written in obscure languages, from a mysterious and incomprehensible time and place.”

That just about says it all. In a very important paragraph in their essay for The New York Times, Giberson and Stephens write:

“Like other evangelicals, we accept the centrality of faith in Jesus Christ and look to the Bible as our sacred book, though we find it hard to recognize our religious tradition in the mainstream evangelical conversation. Evangelicalism at its best seeks a biblically grounded expression of Christianity that is intellectually engaged, humble and forward-looking. In contrast, fundamentalism is literalistic, overconfident and reactionary.”

We now know that when Giberson and Stephens speak of the Bible “as our sacred book,” they mean something far less than what evangelicals have historically believed — that the Bible is the very Word of God. The most honest part of that paragraph is found where the writers admit that they “find it hard to recognize our religious tradition in the mainstream evangelical conversation.”

That is a huge admission — and one that is especially telling. Giberson and Stephens are far outside of the evangelical mainstream, and they know it. Even on the issue of evolution, Giberson affirmed Talk of the Nation host Neal Conan's assertion that the rejection of evolutionary theory “is the mainstream of evangelical thought.”

So, what are we to make of their essay in The New York Times? Did Giberson and Stephens hope to shift the evangelical mainstream by means of their essay? Not likely. They have made their preference for “secular knowledge” and secular affirmation clear enough. They could rest assured that the readership of The New York Times would overwhelmingly agree with their worldview and with their assessment of evangelical Christianity. That, we must assume, is their reward.

They have, however, set the central issue before us. Evangelical Christians will either stand upon the authority and total truthfulness of the Bible, or we will inevitably capitulate to the secular worldview. Giberson and Stephens force us to see, and to acknowledge, the consequences of the evangelical surrender of truth.
–30–
R. Albert Mohler Jr. is president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky. This article first appeared on Mohler's blog, albertmohler.com.

By Kate Taylor | TEXAN Correspondent

“Mom, I’m gay.”

These three words can unleash a firestorm in the heart of a parent and the life of a family, shaking foundations to their core. Parents expect to guide their children through many stages of growth and change, hoping to instill basic Christian principles. But when a child adopts a homosexual life, parents are often unprepared emotionally and spiritually.

Although many people might assume that homosexuality only occurs outside the church, it happens in Christian families and can bring shame, embarrassment and frustration to Christian parents who desire a God-honoring life for their children.

However, there is hope for parents and families of those in homosexuality, according to Susan Holt and her daughter, Patricia, who lived through Patricia’s 15-year battle with lesbianism, despite the fact that Patricia’s parents are in the ministry and raised her in a Christian home in Texas.

Patricia first got involved in homosexuality when she was 20, but she said her choices began years earlier. “I will tell you, flat out, that I do believe that it was part of the wiles and schemes of the enemy,” she said. “I believe that when I was very young, he began to set me up for this particular sin.”

Looking back, Patricia realizes the struggle her life had become during this time.  

“God allowed me to go through 15 years of literal hell,” Patricia recounted. “Back and forth, back and forth. In the lifestyle, out of the lifestyle. It was very difficult for my family and me.”

That difficulty drove Patricia’s mother to her knees and taught her that even in such a challenging situation, the Lord is still at work—in the life of the parents and the child.
After learning that her daughter was living a lesbian life, Susan found herself in the stages of grief. The first stage she faced was denial.

“We absolutely refused to believe it.” Then Susan said she made a mistake and read her daughter’s journal. “There I saw in black and white what I had been denying. I had to face the reality of what I had been denying.”

Second, Susan moved into the anger phase.

“I was angry at Patricia that she could do such a thing—that she could embarrass us in this way. It was the kind of thing that is shame. You don’t want to share it with anybody else.”

But Susan began to believe that her anger was misplaced and she advises parents to remember where homosexuality originates.

“Turn that anger toward the one who deserves it and that is Satan, your enemy, and don’t turn that anger toward your child,” she said. “I was angry with Patricia. I wasn’t turning my anger toward the devil though he was the one who had brought all of this into her life. So the Lord had to deal in my heart and in my husband’s heart to get rid of that anger toward our precious child so that we would be able to deal with the whole situation.”

Susan said parents often enter the guilt phase next.

“If you’ve been a parent one day, you have made a mistake,” Susan said. “Face it. There is not a perfect parent. The enemy is going to come to you immediately and bring up everything that you have done wrong. If he can’t bring up something specific, he will just bring this cloud of guilt over you to where you feel like it is your fault that your child has made poor choices. Turn your anger toward the enemy who is putting this guilt on you and do not receive it.”

Parents experience grief when a child makes poor choices. “There is a grieving that takes place in your life,” Susan emphasized. “It is not a thing that we need to stuff down. We need to go on and grieve and let God come in and bring healing in that grieving.”

Finally, acceptance of the situation begins to be a part of life.

“Do not accept the sin,” Susan said. “Accept the fact that this is reality and you’re going to have to learn to deal with it. I would encourage you to seek from the Lord—what he wants to teach you in this situation.”

Once the initial shock and grief begin to subside, Susan suggests parents take a few practical steps toward helping their child break the chains of homosexuality:

1) Learn and practice the discipline of fasting, as described in Isaiah 58. “Set aside a day, a week, or a meal,” she noted. “Fast for this child who is out in the world.”   

2) Find a prayer partner to come alongside them in this difficult struggle. “You don’t have to announce that your child is out in the world,” she said. “People in this situation are embarrassed and ashamed. You need to have some people that will pray for you. If your child is not walking with God, there are going to be difficult days for you and you are going to need somebody you can call on to pray for you.”

3) Learn how to pray for your wayward child. First, pray for the salvation of your child and for the Lord to deliver him from bondage.

“Pray for their eyes to be opened. The enemy blinds our eyes to the truth. Even if your child is a Christian, their eyes can be blinded to the truth of who they are and what their situation is,” Patricia said. “The enemy convinced me that I was a lesbian. Even after God delivered me, two or three years after that, the Lord showed me God didn’t make me ‘not a lesbian any more.’ I never was a lesbian. The devil told me I was and I believed that I was, but I never was. It was all a lie. You need to pray and ask God to open your child’s eyes to the truth.”

Parents should also pray for brokenness and healing in the life of their child.  

“Don’t ever pray for brokenness without praying for healing. You don’t ever want your loved one to be broken without God coming through immediately with healing. It has to be a twofold thing.”

Patricia warned that when parents pray for brokenness, they might be tempted to rescue their child from the situations that bring brokenness, thus interfering with the Lord’s plan.  “If you are praying for brokenness and healing, before you rescue, go to the Lord,” Patricia said. “If we run in and rescue and God doesn’t want us to, then God has to bring other situations about to bring that person to the point of brokenness.”

In addition to praying for brokenness, parents should also ask the Lord to change the child’s heart toward himself, as well as praying that the Lord will bring people into the child’s life and Scripture into his mind that will remind him of God. Patricia cited several examples during her struggle when the Lord placed people and situations into her life to remind her of him. These were powerful reminders of his continued presence in her life, despite her rejection of him.

After praying all these things on their child’s behalf, Patricia encourages parents to begin to thank the Lord for what he is going to do. “Hold on to the promises of Scripture,” Patricia urged. “God is always at work in your child’s life even when it looks like he isn’t.”

Also, Patricia suggests parents begin to seek what the Lord might want them to learn through their child’s situation. “God allows things to happen for all sorts of reasons,” she added. “There’s never just one little thing. He has this huge big picture plan. If we will seek him during those times when we are being so hurt and confused, you are going to find him in a way you’ve never found him before.”

Citing the examples of the crossing of the Red Sea and Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, Patricia noted that God worked in these situations in ways that were probably surprising to those involved. “God knew what he was doing.”

Expressing unconditional love is another challenge parents face in dealing with a homosexual child.

“This is very difficult, especially during periods of anger,” Patricia said. “To love them unconditionally does not mean you have to accept who they are. Stand true to the Word of God. If you think that if you compromise the Word of God it will keep a relationship with your child so maybe you can minister truth to them—that’s a lie. Once you compromise the Word of God, and when you try to go back and tell them the truth, it’s not going to fly. You might be the only Christian who loves your child that he or she sees.”

Patricia also contends that while parents do not have to accept the lifestyle their children are living, they do have to let their children know that they love them, no matter what. “They have to know that no matter what they do, no matter where they go, no matter who finds out and how embarrassed you may get, they’re yours. You’re never letting go of them and you’re going to love them forever.  They have to know that. When you love your child unconditionally, they know that when they come back, you will be there. They need to know that when they come back you are ready to welcome them in.”

She also challenges parents to correct their children with humility and without being judgmental. “Respond to them in love like Jesus would.”

Susan also encourages parents to hold the line with their homosexual children in their homes. “Am I saying this is easy? Heavens no,” Susan said. “Anytime there is a hurting child, there is a hurting parent and vice versa. You have the right in your home to set the boundaries.”

As parents continue to fast, pray, and love their children unconditionally, Susan challenges them to continue to move on in their own faith journey. “Rely on the Word of God. Get into God’s Word and find your own personal ‘rhema’ that he will speak to your heart so you can go back and claim those promises.”

No matter how the situation ultimately turns out, trusting the Lord is also essential. “If Patricia had never come back to the Lord, God is still faithful. It does not always end happy, I hate to tell you, but that is reality. God gave us grace through those years to wait and trust and believe him.”

When and if a child comes out of homosexuality, the battle is not over. “Staying away is harder than taking the first step,” Patricia admitted. “Pray more, pray harder, be more specific. Stand against the enemy. Pray a hedge of protection around your child.”

Despite the 15-year battle the Holt family waged, Susan and Patricia both see how the Lord used their struggle not only to change them, but also as a way to minister to others.  “Tenderizing comes through situations like this, like nothing I know of,” Susan said. God comforts us so we can comfort others.”

Susan said parents must stay focused on the Lord during the trial.

“Delight yourself in the Lord, despite what is going on. He is always worthy of our praise, no matter what’s happening in life.”

The names of the individuals interviewed have been changed due to the circumstances of their current work. To contact Patricia or Susan, email sbtexas@sbtexas.com.

Can early intervention help a young person who has homosexual inclinations, thoughts, or curiosities, even those who have begun to experiment sexually?

According to author Don Schmierer, the answer is a convictional yes. In fact, Schmierer’s 2003 book “An Ounce of Prevention: Preventing the Homosexual Condition in Today’s Youth” (Promise Publishing Co., 227 pages), is a plea for action to parents and influential others who know young people in danger of stumbling headfirst into what Schmierer says is sexual identity deception wrought by “a constellation of causes.”  

Schmierer, a minister and counselor who has worked in military and campus settings, wrote the book with help from writer Lela Gilbert and his friend “Cody,” an ex-homosexual who became a Christian and founded one of the pioneer AIDS hospices in Northern California.

Schmierer traces a progression of events, beginning with same-sex attraction leading to what he terms a “homosexual condition” and potentially a “homosexual lifestyle” where one embraces that identity and behavior.

The contributing factors for homosexuality, Schmierer writes, often begin with feelings of being outside the larger peer group. Add to that a toxic mix of such things as exposure to pornography, sexual and/or emotional abuse, alcohol and drugs, domineering or permissive parenting, name-calling, sensitivity or physical differences in boys or perceived “butch” behavior in girls—the list is manifold.

For many youngsters at risk for eventually identifying with homosexuality, increasing social acceptance, even encouragement of it from school counselors or respected peers, makes the task of helping disoriented young people more daunting.

“The proclivities that lead to various high-risk behaviors—alcohol and drug abuse, anorexia and bulimia, sexual addictions and aberrations—can be identified early and addressed before their self-destructive habit patterns have severely marred or destroyed the lives of those at risk,” Schmierer writes. “The same is clearly true of same-sex attraction. The sooner it is identified and addressed, the more likely a preventative approach is to be successful.”

More than behavioral modification, Schmierer writes, the end game for Christian believers is to see people transformed inwardly by the saving and sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit. The church must provide supportive, loving environments for all kinds of broken people—recovering homosexuals included, he argues.

Schmierer recounts the category change of homosexuality as a deviant behavior and psychological disorder in the first six decades of the last century to an affirmed and applauded behavior.

Helpful real-life anecdotes throughout the book help paint a picture of the pathology of experiences leading to same-sex attraction and/or gender confusion. Also, five major studies that sought but failed to show biological cause for homosexuality are examined.

The book includes endorsements from Ken Canfield of the National Center for Fathering and Jim Burns, president of YouthBuilders.

For parents of children who have physical or emotional struggles or are at risk for being ostracized by peers, this book would be a vital resource alongside the biblical command to “get wisdom” (Proverbs 4:7).

The book is available by online booksellers or by visiting Schmierer’s ministry website—hisservants.net—where $8.50 covers the book and shipping.

Widely applied no-bullying rules in public schools coupled with advocacy from gay and lesbian organizations have made some public schools a hostile environment for those who criticize homosexuality, even in a non-threatening manner.

One example in Texas: In September, a Fort Worth high school student stated in German class that his Christian convictions led him to believe homosexuality was wrong. The teacher chided him for his comment and sent him to the office, where he was given three days in-school suspension by an assistant principal. The school principal later overturned the suspension, but the case brought media attention and questions about the First Amendment rights of students.

Whether by direct intimidation by peers or school districts or the desire of students to get along, Christian students may shy away from discussing the issue. To complicate matters, some Christian teens and young adults do not have a firm conviction on the issue, which youth pastor Harlie Raethel of Houston’s First Baptist Church said amounts to tacit approval.

“They are scared. They don’t want to be politically incorrect,” said Michael Newman, founder and director of Christian Coalition for Reconciliation in Houston, a ministry created to help individuals leave the homosexual life through the power of Jesus Christ.

Newman, who lived as a homosexual until God intervened, said there is intense pressure on young people to affirm homosexuality. Those born since 1990 have been told through many outlets that homosexuals “are born that way” despite the lack of empirical evidence for such a claim. They have seen the entertainment industry portray homosexuality as normal and prevalent. For this generation homosexuality is not a moral but a civil rights issue.

Claiming homosexuality as a matter of civil rights shifts the responsibility from the individual to society, said Elizabeth Svetlik, an Exodus International representative for a Houston-area church. And students who would proclaim biblical truth about homosexuality are hard pressed to do so without being accused of promoting “hate speech.”

Svetlik, 36, struggled with same-sex attraction from her teenage years through her mid-20s and understands the turmoil students face—some as young as intermediate school age. But she also knows there is a message of redemption those students need to hear and the Christians on campus can make or break the relationships in which the message is proclaimed.

What made Svetlik’s personal experience especially untenable was the fact that she was a Christian raised in a Christian home.

She said, “Part of what messed me up…. I knew this was not right. I knew.”

No one had to tell her that homosexuality was wrong. But what she wanted to hear was that all humans—not just homosexuals—are fallen and in need of redemption.

Svetlik knew 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, “…homosexuals will not inherit the kingdom of God,” she recited. But in all of her years of struggles she does not recall anyone continuing through verse 11.

“Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.”
Svetlik pointed out, “God has been healing homosexuals forever.”

And it is her hope to be a part of that process. Svetlik is married and teaches grade school music. She will receive her master of arts in professional counseling from Liberty University upon completion of her practicum and internship.

She said Christians get too caught up in trying to win an argument instead of letting the Holy Spirit’s power work in the lives of others. She said, “What I’ve come up with is that the Holy Spirit does a better job of convicting than we do.”

When students are asked what they think about homosexuality, Svetlik suggested they respond with truth and grace by saying, “I do not believe that is God’s best. I want to strive for what is best for me.”

But organizations dedicated to the affirmation and promotion of homosexuality are being established on intermediate and high school campuses across the country. In these student clubs teenagers struggling to come to terms with their sexual identities are being encouraged to embrace homosexuality.

Svetlik said that if she had been told to accept “the fact” that she was a lesbian she would have been devastated.

Students who identify themselves as homosexual and those who champion their cause need to know there is another option. Most students who have same-sex attractions have deep-rooted issues that also need to be addressed. They need to know that giving up and giving in is not the answer.

But these students, like all teenagers, want desperately to belong, to be accepted. If the only voice they hear is the one affirming a perceived bent toward homosexuality, then often that is the direction they turn.

In too many cases, said one pastor, the students are not only running toward the voices of acceptance, but from voices of condemnation.

George Jacobus, college minister at Central Baptist Church in College Station, said, “I think so often, especially with evangelicals, we are quick to call out a sin and then shun them. It isn’t what God would have us do.”

Being a friend to those struggling is the simplest way to share the truth about redemption. Students should not be ashamed to associate with homosexuals as they seek opportunities to witness to them, he said, recalling that Jesus was not embarrassed to be seen speaking to the Samaritan woman at the well.

He emphasized that the goal must remain to offer God’s restoration to homosexuals and others questioning their sexual identity.

Christian students will avoid the monikers of “hater” and “bully” as they live out the love of Christ in the lives of others. Svetlik urged students to understand that same-sex attraction is not a choice. It is a very real feeling. The sin is not in the temptation but in the choice to act upon the temptation, she said. And instead of striving to make their homosexual peers heterosexual, students can emulate the goal of Exodus International by striving to help those with same-sex urges walk holy before God.

Newman said Christian students can befriend their homosexual peers on campus without condoning their actions. He said students can walk through their struggles with them.
“God can use that to touch their hearts,” he said.

He urged Christian students to be bold in their faith and not be intimidated by those who would call them “bullies.”

“Don’t be in fear. Fear doesn’t come from God,” he said.

FORT WORTH—A new Ph.D. in world Christian studies is being developed at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, after trustees approved it in their Oct. 18-19 meeting. Contingent on accreditors approving it, the innovative program is likely to attract the interest of international missionaries who would be able to remain on the field while completing requirements.

Acting provost Jason Duesing described the 44-hour degree as the school’s first modified residency format offered in their Ph.D. program.

Students come to the Fort Worth campus for several weeks each year, completing the remainder of their work through mentored seminars via online resources.

In addition to attracting missionaries, Duesing said the program would also provide an opportunity to train professors in other seminaries around the world who lack accredited faculty. “They are able to enhance their own schools, but it also allows us to extend our influence by training a generation of faculty who will train generations of pastors and churches all around the world.”

The thesis-driven degree is expected to be more challenging than the traditional Ph.D. that is earned while studying on campus, he added. Through anticipated partnerships with two global seminaries, students will teach classes monitored by a Southwestern mentor and local professor.

“Whether it’s the prospect of a missionary from the IMB or another evangelical group, an aspiring scholar who wants to teach at a seminary overseas or a national pastor, what this does is enhance Southwestern’s ability to extend our conservative theology and evangelical perspective on Scripture all over the world from right here in Fort Worth,” added Anthony George of Orlando, Fla., chairman of the academic administration committee.

In what was the shortest plenary session in memory, the board spent just over an hour hearing reports and also voted to allow access to $3.8 million of the $8.3 million in excess operating reserves to fund completion of the chapel. While donations have covered the full expense of construction, an equal amount given in the form of stock is not available until it is sold. When that occurs, $3.8 million will be repaid to the reserve fund.

The board also approved graduates for fall 2011 commencement, elected recipients for the 2012 B.H. Carroll and L.R. Scarborough awards, accepted audited financial statements for the past year and recommended Russell Freeman of Allen to serve on the board of the Southwestern Seminary Foundation.

Trustee Chairman Hance Dilbeck of Edmond, Okla., reminded the chapel audience of the need to cultivate, articulate and celebrate a call to ministry. Preaching from Ephesians 3:1-7, Dilbeck said Paul’s description of “a calling to be a minister of the gospel” provides needed focus.

“You’ll have any number of different titles. You might be called a pastor, a minister of youth, a minister of children, a missionary or a professor, but no matter what title you’re given, it’s important that day by day in Christian ministry you understand yourself to be primarily a minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ.”

As they gain more knowledge and experience, Dilbeck told students people will begin to expect more of them.

“If you’re not careful, you’ll spend your days giving people everything except what they really need—the gospel of Jesus Christ.”

Trustee wives participated in a luncheon meeting of the Women’s Auxiliary, hearing testimonies of students who participated in preaching revivals and ministering in churches across the nation during their spring break. The Revive This Nation effort reported over 14,000 people coming to know Christ.

Several students enrolled in women’s programs described their effort in “boldly voicing his wisdom for her world” through their involvement in launching a new website at biblicalwoman.com.

Seminary first lady Dorothy Patterson challenged the women present to follow the example of Jehosheba, “a godly woman who decided it was her time to step up to the plate.” Patterson was citing the story from 2 Kings 11 of hiding the young prince Joash from Queen Athaliah’s effort to destroy all of the royal heirs to the throne, including her own grandsons.

“This woman was so committed to God’s purposes that she put it all at risk, hid that baby and then when he was age 7 this young prince was put on the throne.” Though not all of his reign was commendable, Patterson said he revived the nation for a time after being guided by Jehosheba’s husband, Jehoiada the priest.

After hearing testimonies from two students who participated in the Revive the Nation effort, Patterson asked participants to consider their own roles in reviving the nation.

“Sometimes it’s from your own home, sometimes it’s going out to do some special task for which God has anointed you, sometimes it’s giving of your energy or resources, sometimes it’s giving time on your knees to intercede and pray and ask God to bring revival,” she said.

“We all have our various responsibilities, but make it a point to get on your face before the Lord and ask, ‘What can I do? How can I undergird the kingdom?’”

In my last column I encouraged you to put Tuesday night, Nov. 15 on your calendar for the “Praying & Going Around the World” celebration. You will want to be present to experience the effort to embrace the unengaged. With so many demands on your time, I know you have a limited number of events you can attend.

If you can possibly make the three days of the SBTC Bible Conference and Annual Meeting, you will be blessed during all of it. Let me say a word about the Bible Conference.

Bible Conference President Terry Turner set the theme of “Impacting the Next Generation.” There is no topic closer to my heart than the home. I have shared with you many times about my family. It is crucial that we have Christian homes, not just homes with Christians as family members.

My wife June and I prayed and read Scripture on our honeymoon night. With only about a half dozen exceptions we have never pillowed our heads at night without having a time of worship in these 38 years. When the Bible says, “Don’t let the sun go down on your wrath,” I believe it could very well be addressing the marital relationship. It is extremely difficult to stay upset with your spouse if you are praying and reading Scripture daily.

When June and I receive a wedding invitation we often send a family Bible to the couple. It may be more symbolic than practical. However, we pray it will be a reminder to keep the Word of God and prayer in the center of the home. The one constant that should be found in the home of Christians is a worship altar. I want to challenge everyone reading this article to find a time where you can have family worship daily. It does not have to be long. Whether it is with squirming preschoolers or as empty-nesters, every home should have a daily worship time. It could be in the morning at breakfast or in the evening just before bedtime. The family altar is no magic bullet or panacea but it does provide an avenue for God to work in the hearts of all the family members.

People point to prayer and Bible reading being removed from schools as the beginning of the decline of our American Christian culture. Some want prayer in the school house but don’t have it in their house. Some people campaign for godly leaders in the White House but fail to provide godly leadership in their houses. Discipleship begins at home. If we want to see our culture changed, it will be one family at a time.

The SBTC Bible Conference could be a life changer for you. It begins Sunday night, Nov. 13, at 6 p.m. with Kurt Bruner from Lake Pointe Church teaching and Pastor John Meador of FBC Euless bringing the message. Mesquite Friendship Baptist Church and FBC Euless will provide worship music. Monday morning, Nov. 14, Pastor Steve Stroope from Lake Pointe Church provides the teaching and I will bring the message. Bryant Jones from MacArthur Boulevard will lead music worship.

The Monday afternoon session begins at 1:15. Pastor H.B. Charles from Jacksonville, Fla., is teaching and Alistair Begg from Ohio is preaching. Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary provides music. There is a Ministry Café during the lunch hour featuring John Trent and Gina Cooper. You need tickets for the Café.

It is worth your time investment to enrich your home for Jesus by attending the SBTC Bible Conference. You will be blessed. Plan to attend and pray for God to move mightily in the hearts of his leaders.