The Mobile Baptist Association expressed support for Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson after he dismissed two liaisons to the LGBTQ+ community appointed last year.
During its Oct. 1 annual meeting, the association adopted a resolution stating that Mobile Baptists “love the great city of Mobile, desire its peace and welfare and are instructed in Romans 13:1–7 and 1 Timothy 2:2 to honor, respect, be subject to and pray for ‘all those in authority.’” It furthermore cited the civic responsibility of Christians to be involved in the public sector, to speak truth in love and the Bible’s stance on sin and sexuality.
In February 2022, Stimpson appointed the uncompensated liaisons to “represent the city’s LGBTQ+ community in all matters related to city government” and to provide the “LGBTQ+ perspective on public policies and services,” according to the city’s website.
In August, several local Southern Baptist leaders met with the mayor to express their concerns about religious liberty. The group included Scott Griffith, pastor of Cypress Shores Baptist Church; Kevin Cobb, pastor of West Mobile Baptist Church; Mack Morris, retired pastor of Woodridge Baptist Church; Charlie York, pastor of Highpoint Baptist Church in Eight Mile; MBA executive director Thomas Wright; and David Roach, pastor of Shiloh Baptist Church in Saraland.
‘Created concerns’
In announcing the dismissal of the liaisons, Stimpson said “the appointment of liaisons created concern for many because I have no named liaisons for any other group or organization.
“Instead of an action of unity, it created a rift within the city as it unintentionally communicated privileged access to the mayor’s office when, in fact, no such special privilege exists with any group or organization.”
On behalf of its 114 congregations representing some 72,000 members, the Mobile Baptist Association statement affirmed Stimpson’s decision and urged “city, county and state officials to protect religious liberty by rejecting any attempts to compromise the longstanding Judeo-Christian and biblical convictions of the majority of our citizens” as well as to “preemptively pass a religious liberty ordinance that will affirm and protect the right to hold and live out biblical convictions regarding marriage and the family.”
The Association also pledged its “continuing prayers for Mayor Stimpson and our support of any actions he takes upholding biblical standards of right and wrong.”
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