Sponsored by the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC), a national conference titled “The Gospel, Homosexuality and the Future of Marriage” will be held Oct. 27–29 in Nashville.
ERLC President Russell D. Moore said the conference reflects “my primary mission [for] preparing the next generation of evangelical leaders to live in the culture as faithful Christians who are holding to the ancient truths of Christianity, including a bold presentation of the Christian sexual ethic.”
That sexual ethic found in the Bible and taught by the church of Christ for nearly 2,000 years now stands increasingly in disfavor. Americans are more supportive of homosexual rights than ever. Same-sex “marriage” is making rapid gains in federal courts and state legislatures as well as in public opinion. The movement for transgender rights continues to advance.
The conference, to be held at the Opryland Hotel in Nashville, will bring together “leading thinkers and pastors on these issues to help equip a new generation to stand for marriage in tough times, to prepare us to be faithful people of the gospel — with a message of both truth and grace,” Moore said.
The conference will address such questions as:
How can the Church minister effectively to those who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender?
How does a Christian with same-sex attraction live in sexual faithfulness?
Why did God design marriage for the common good?
How should a pastor counsel a same-sex couple who want to join his church?
How has the divorce culture affected marriage in churches and communities?
In addition to Moore, speakers at the conference will include Rosaria Butterfield, author of “The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert,” which describes her journey from a lesbian lifestyle to Christ; R. Albert Mohler Jr., president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky.; Sherif Girgis, co-author of “What Is Marriage? Man and Woman: A Defense”; J.D. Greear, lead pastor of The Summit Church, Raleigh-Durham, N.C.; David Platt, newly elected president of the International Mission Board; Dennis Rainey, president of FamilyLife; Sam Allberry, British pastor and author of “Is God Anti-Gay?”; Jennifer Marshall, director of domestic policy studies at the Heritage Foundation; and many others.
(BP, TAB)
For more information about the conference and the full schedule, visit erlc.com/conference.
To register for the conference online, visit erlc.com/conference/registration/. A special 10 percent discount is now available through Sept. 30 using promo code “ALB14.”
Share with others: