North Carolina Baptists twice affirmed a decision to oust McGill Baptist Church in Concord from the state convention for baptizing two men presumed to be gay.
Messengers to the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina overwhelmingly voted down a motion Nov. 11 to reconsider the ouster. A day earlier the convention’s executive committee affirmed the earlier decision by Executive Director- Treasurer Jim Royston to remove the church.
The committee’s Nov. 10 vote followed a lengthy discussion and an interview with church representatives.
McGill’s baptism of the two men led to the church’s ouster from the Cabarrus Baptist Association last April.
Royston, after consultation with legal counsel and other officials, notified the convention’s business office not to accept further contributions from McGill, citing a 1992 general board policy that prohibits accepting funds from “any church which knowingly takes, or has taken, any official action which manifests public approval, promotion or blessing of homosexuality.”
When questioned by members of the executive committee, Pastor Steve Ayers of McGill Baptist said he had no problem with the policy itself, but insisted that the church should not be held in violation of the policy because it has not taken “any official action which manifests public approval, promotion or blessing of homosexuality.”
“We baptized two people who accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior,” he said.
Affirming or forgiving?
Some members asked if Ayers knew the men were practicing homosexuals before baptizing them. Ayers replied that, though the men shared a house and were widely presumed to be gay, he had no knowledge of what they practiced and did not ask. Nor does the church ask other new believers for details about their lifestyles, Ayers said.
“If someone looks me in the eye and says that he has received Jesus into his life and has turned his life toward Christ, I will baptize them,” Ayers said.
Fletcher Hartsell, a McGill member who also serves as a state senator, said the church considered itself a missions organization trying to reach a wider community. “We have an obligation to reach people where they are and lead them to Christ,” he said. Those who receive Christ become “a new creation,” he said — not perfect, but new and growing.
Ayers said he did not expect people to become perfect before they could be baptized into the church fellowship. “What better place to grow than in church?” he asked.
When questioned about the publicity surrounding the issue, Ayers said the church never sought publicity, and that the matter came into the public eye only after a neighboring pastor reported the issue to officials of the Cabarrus Association, leading the association to get involved.
Ayers said the church never called a news conference or sought publicity in any way, but courteously responded to questions.
After dismissing McGill’s representatives, the committee discussed the matter further and decided that baptizing someone presumed to be gay without insisting on a prior change in lifestyle meets the policy of affirming homosexuality. After discussion, the committee voted 12–6 to uphold the decision. (Associated Baptist Press)
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