In the past two weeks I have shared the resolutions approved by the Wisconsin Fellowship of Baptist Churches at our annual meeting on September 17-18 in La Crosse, WI. The statements dealt with issues such as racial and gender equality, homosexuality and transgenderism, the legalization of marijuana, accusations against church leaders, the tone of public speech, and the call for social justice activism within the church. In reflecting on these statements, one might wonder why the WFBC makes them at all and what purpose they serve. You may also wonder why these particular issues were chosen. Another question might be whether statements such as these offer any benefit to us as a local church. I would like to address these questions today.
According to the by-laws of the WFBC, “A Resolution Committee shall be chosen by the president and the committee shall elect its own chairman.” Every year the president of the Fellowship, a pastor serving from among the constituent churches, appoints certain other pastors to form a resolution committee. It is the job of the committee to write resolutions to be submitted to the WFBC board at their annual meeting and then to be approved by the whole Fellowship. The by-laws explain the nature of these resolutions in this way: “Webster’s dictionary defines ‘resolution’ as ‘a formal statement of opinion or determination adopted by an assembly or other formal group.’” In other words, these resolutions are intended to reflect the current position of the Wisconsin Fellowship not determine new positions or set policy in any way. In this way, the 2018 resolutions serve to make clear where the churches of the WFBC stand on the issues they address. If you want to know where the Fellowship stands on the subject of female pastors, for instance, this year’s resolution on egalitarianism makes it clear that we stand on the biblical foundation of male pastoral leadership in the church. This is not a change in any way but reflects the same commitment to biblical authority that the WFBC has maintained throughout its 68 year history.
As to the question of why the committee chose to address these particular issues this year, the by-laws do not direct the committee on this subject. The issues addressed are often controversial or “hot button” types which are of concern to all those who love God and his word and desire to see churches strengthened and to hear a clear voice in favor of righteousness in society. The resolutions are not intended to be controversial in themselves, as the by-laws make clear: “The word ‘resolution’ derives from the word ‘resolve.’ Therefore, a resolution should be intended to resolve conflict rather than generating conflict.” They go on to say, “That does not mean that a resolution should avoid conflict that might result…” In other words, while we do not write these resolutions to “poke a stick” in anyone’s eye, we recognize that dealing with issues such as racism, sexuality, and the legalization of marijuana is important enough to risk disagreement in the hope of producing real unity based on our mutual affirmation of the truth.
Finally, what purpose do these resolutions serve for our local church? Well, I think they are helpful in defining issues that are certainly relevant here at EBC. Since it is the local church which must serve on the front line of gospel ministry, we must be convinced, not only of the Bible’s authority in every area of life but of its practicality in speaking to the issues of the day. As a pastor, I strongly affirmed these resolutions at the WFBC annual meeting, because I believed that they helped to express briefly yet clearly my own position on these subjects. And I believe that as a church we benefit from considering these statements and applying them to our own areas of ministry here in Elkhorn and central Walworth County. Knowing that there are other churches which share our values and receiving statements that help us to clarify our own thinking on current issues is a real benefit to a local church that must deal with these issues, not in an impersonal and formal way, but in the lives of real people. It is worth taking the time to think through these things and allow the principles of God’s word to affect how we think and act when these subjects arise in our own ministry context. I trust that these resolutions will challenge you to think about your own position on these issues and see if you are consistently applying God’s word in your own life.