Here are the rest of the 2018 resolutions from the Wisconsin Fellowship of Baptist Churches:
Legalized use of marijuana
WHEREAS the majority of states now allow legal marijuana use in some form;
AND WHEREAS the culture seems to be moving toward the full legalization of marijuana for medicinal and recreational use;
AND WHEREAS the dangers of recreational marijuana use are well known and significant;
BE IT RESOLVED that the churches of the WFBC stand against legalizing the recreational use of marijuana.
Preventing accusations of impropriety
WHEREAS moral failures within church leadership seem to be common and public;
AND WHEREAS accusations against church leaders are easy to make and hard to defend against;
AND WHEREAS the Bible commands spiritual leaders to avoid all appearances of evil and to maintain high personal standards of godly character and behavior, lest they bring reproach on the name of Christ and on the reputation of the church;
BE IT RESOLVED that the WFBC encourages its fellowship pastors to maintain high moral standards of language and behavior at all times, especially when counseling and/or ministering to people regarding personal/private issues.
Public discourse/speech
WHEREAS the tone and practice of public discourse has become more coarse, vulgar, hateful, and aggressive of late, with parties commonly shouting down all opposition;
AND WHEREAS toleration for the Christian viewpoint is becoming less and less acceptable in the public arena, with some expressions of Christian morality being labeled as hateful, bigoted, and racist;
AND WHEREAS various authorities seem willing to reduce free speech rights and/or to compel Christians to speak against their consciences in some cases;
BE IT RESOLVED that the churches of the WFBC maintain a commitment to civil discourse in the public square and to using our rights while we still have them to proclaim the Christian message and to expose and rebuke the evils of our age.
Social justice/action
WHEREAS evangelical churches are increasingly engaging in social justice/social action activities instead of in clear biblical proclamation;
AND WHEREAS WFBC churches recognize the importance of doing good unto all people and serving “the least of these my brethren,” especially destitute widows and orphans;
AND WHEREAS WFBC churches hold that the primary responsibility of the church is not reforming society but fulfilling the Great Commission;
BE IT RESOLVED that WFBC churches will not allow social action to usurp the preeminence of clear Gospel proclamation and exhortation to faithful Christian living.
These statements reflect the intention of the churches of the WFBC to think biblically about the issues that are confronting our society, something that we at Emmanuel Baptist Church wholeheartedly seek as well. While God’s word is not exhaustive – it does not speak about every possible situation or concern – we believe that it is sufficient to inform our thinking about any and every issue that may arise. Our faith in the word of God is directly tied to our confidence in the God who breathed it out according to 2 Timothy 3:16. Since the Lord himself certainly knew about the issues we face in the United States in the 21st century, we believe his word is able to direct us to come to right conclusions about even these difficult issues, though they may not be directly addressed in Scripture. Next week, I hope to offer a few thoughts as the purpose and benefit of these resolutions for the WFBC and for Emmanuel Baptist Church.