RESOLUTION ON GENDER IDENTITY, SEXUAL INTIMACY, & MARRIAGE

(February 8, 2015)

WHEREAS, We live in a world and culture that have increasingly abandoned God’s good plans for gender identity, sexual intimacy and marriage.

RESOLVED, That God wonderfully and immutably creates each person as male or female.  These two distinct, complementary genders together reflect the image and nature of God.  (Genesis 1:26-27).  Rejection of one’s biological sex is a rejection of the image of God within that person.

RESOLVED, That condoning sexual desires and committing sexual activities outside the bounds of a biblical marriage are sin.  Heterosexual or homosexual feelings, inclinations, or attractions do not justify any sexual immorality. (1 Corinthians 6:12-20)

RESOLVED, That God’s plan for sexual intimacy is good, being reserved within the bounds of biblical marriage for procreation, pleasure, as a picture of God’s glory, and as an escape from temptation. (1 Cor 7) 

RESOLVED, That God’s plan for marriage is “the joining of one man and one woman with the promise of being faithful to one another for a lifetime” (Baptist Faith & Message, 2000).  Marriage is a spiritual, covenantal, and lifetime union of two souls by our Creator God. (Mark 10:1-12)

RESOLVED, That we affirm the Baptist Faith & Message’s description of “Man” and “The Family” is a biblical and helpful reminder of God’s plans for us in gender identification, sexual intimacy, marriage, and parenthood.  Likewise we affirm the Southern Baptist Convention’s Resolution On Same-Sex Marriage from June 2003.  Further, we affirm the Southern Baptist Convention’s Resolution on Transgender Identity from June, 2014.

RESOLVED, That South Fork Baptist Church’s beliefs, membership qualifications, and facility usage (weddings, funerals, bathrooms, etc.) will not justify, endorse, or support any measures designed to condone or support sin in the areas of gender identification, sexual intimacy, or marriage.

RESOLVED, That we call on South Fork Baptist Church members to boldly and lovingly speak God’s truths concerning gender, sexual intimacy and marriage.  We must proclaim the message of repentance from sin, belief in the death and resurrection of Jesus, while holding out God’s offer of forgiveness for all sin through the heart-transforming, life-giving, Satan-defeating power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. (Ezekiel 1:19-21; Luke 24:44-47; Romans 10:9-10; 1 Corinthians 15:1-11)