Albert Mohler, Jr., president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, says he is “concerned” about a July conference that will discuss LGBT Christians.
In an episode of “The Briefing” podcast released last week, Mohler said the event, called the Revoice Conference, seems to accept that sexual identity is “a defining issue that isn't changed by the Gospel and isn't transformed by sanctification."
“I did not say that coming to saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ results in any kind of immediate transformation of sexual desire," he said.
The conference is schedule for July 26-July 28 at Memorial Presbyterian Church in St. Louis, Missouri.
Revoice says the mission of the conference is to discuss “supporting, encouraging, and empowering gay, lesbian, same-sex-attracted, and other LGBT Christians so they can flourish while observing the historic, Christian doctrine of marriage and sexuality."
But Mohler says Revoice is implying that LGBT identity “has something morally and theologically positive and profitable to add to Christianity.”
Mohler isn’t the only one criticizing the Revoice conference. Stephen Black, executive director of First Stone Ministries, said the conference is trying “to manipulate the Church to embrace LGBT+ people as a victimized minority group instead of a group of Christians only.”
“A true Christian identity is man and woman, male and female, and found in Christ alone, not in an unclean term of sexual brokenness,” he said.
Others, however, are supporting the multi-day conference.
Greg Johnson, lead pastor of the host church for the conference, said the conference does identify homosexuality as a sin.
"I think the big pushback has come from people who confuse the orientation and the action. Someone can experience homosexual attraction or orientation without engaging in homosexual behaviors,” he said.
According to the conference’s website, “Revoice” means updating or refurbishing with a new voice.
“Few conversations taking place today need to be revoiced more than Christian discussions about LGBT people and the way they experience their gender and sexuality,” the site says.
Photo courtesy: Wikipedia
Publication date: June 25, 2018