They have pledges. They have merit badges. And they may go camping.
But they’re not the Boy Scouts.
Across the country, there are decades-old religious alternatives with names like Royal Ambassadors (Southern Baptist), Pathfinders (Seventh-day Adventist) and Royal Rangers (Assemblies of God).
And as the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) considers whether to change its membership policy to admit gay members (but continue its ban on gay leaders), some of these groups are fielding inquiries from people concerned about the action the BSA may take.
The Assemblies of God offices in Springfield, Mo., have received many calls in the last few months about the Royal Rangers program. “The inquiries come in waves, increasing each time a new report on the topic releases,” the denomination said.
Dick Broene, executive director of the Calvinist Cadet Corps (CCC), said his evangelical organization heard from Scout leaders who had considered leaving the BSA when it appeared the group might approve including gay leaders. The CCC includes Bible lessons in weekly meetings and connects merit badges to Scripture.
“We are very similar in many ways, with the merit badges and rank advancement, uniforms and emphasis on camping,” said Broene, whose organization drew 1,200 participants to a 2011 triennial camporee in Michigan. “The difference is we have Christ at the heart of everything we do.”
For Southern Baptists, the Royal Ambassadors (RAs) missions-focused program for elementary school boys is hosted in about 3,000 churches. Some Southern Baptist churches also have Boy Scout troops.
Steve Heartsill, managing editor of the RA curriculum, said there has been “some uptick in phone calls” as the BSA policy vote approached (set to take place during the group’s annual meeting May 22–24).
Founded in 1908 and operated by the national Woman’s Missionary Union (WMU), RAs espouse “many of the same virtues and character-building activities that are found in Boy Scouts but with the added benefit … that our primary goal is developing boys into men who understand the mission of God and carry the gospel with them into the world,” said Richard Bodenhamer, a WMU marketing specialist.
The RA pledge is this: “As a Royal Ambassador I will do my best to become a well-informed, responsible follower of Christ; to have a Christlike concern for all people; to learn how to carry the message of Christ around the world; to work with others in sharing Christ; and to keep myself clean and healthy in mind and body.”
Boys in RAs participate in fun activities that are appropriate for boys their age, said Wanda Lee, WMU executive director, noting the curriculum helps nurture their mental, social, physical and spiritual development.
“At a young age, boys learn that life isn’t all about them as they develop a biblical worldview by actively serving others and learning how God is at work through missions efforts around the world,” Lee said. “WMU believes in a man’s calling to influence and lead boys in missions education. More than ever, boys desperately need male Christian role models who live out the gospel.”
Based on subscriptions to RA Leader magazine, WMU estimates there are 6,300 RA leaders, and 31,000 subscriptions to RA World, the magazine for RA members, indicate there are at least that many boys involved in RAs.
The RA membership number may grow if Scout-affiliated church groups pull out of the BSA, as discussed on OnMyHonor.net, a new organization spearheading efforts to oppose the BSA policy change.
“That relationship is at risk, as is the future of one of the last nonreligious institutions that has not yielded to political correctness,” said a narrator of a May 5 simulcast on the topic, which was hosted by the Family Research Council. Religious groups charter 70 percent of the Scout-sponsoring organizations.
Boy Scouts officials are aware of the potential effect of a gay-related policy change on their local religious units. According to an executive summary on the BSA website, a change in the youth membership policy “would be consistent with the religious beliefs of the BSA’s major chartered organizations.” A policy change about both leaders and members could cause “membership losses in a range from 100,000 to 350,000.”
R. Chip Turner, national chairman of the BSA’s Religious Relationships Task Force, said he’s grateful the Scouts delayed the process about a potential policy change. Now it’s a matter of prayer, he said. “I have asked several task force members from various faith groups to lead us in a season of prayer for divine guidance in the voting process.”
(RNS, BP)
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Available Resources
For churches considering Royal Ambassadors, extensive resources are available on the RA website, wmu.com/ra. A 30-page PDF document called the Royal Ambassadors Quick Start Guide offers information on how to start an RA chapter, including a sample first meeting.
Condensed RA resources in Spanish are available without charge on the WMU website at wmu.com/espanol. New materials are posted each month.
(BP)
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