How the Conference Came To Be
By Rick Bennett, Co-Director of the [Baptist] Conference on Sexuality and Covenat
The workshops committee each year is guided by CBF’s mission statement and the goal of providing resources for churches and individual Christians in addressing the myriad subjects that affect them and are of interest. Topics have included worship styles and trends, roles of women in the church, Baptist history, digging wells in Zambia…so many subjects one would have to consult the programs for each General Assembly to see the full range. The 2010 workshops committee discussed at length the possibility of initiating a new series of sessions to help congregations have constructive conversations about difficult issues. Most churches have little capacity for open discussion of controversial issues. Among the most difficult subjects are those which involve sexuality. Those topics were considered toxic, volatile and far too emotional.
The committee concluded that if such topics were to be included in the lineup of breakouts, the aim of the workshops would be not only to provide participants with information about an issue, but also to create a “less-anxious” model for churches wishing to deal with those issues constructively and safely. With such a goal, it was not surprising that the committee began to talk about human sexuality. The committee was determined to ground any workshop conversation well within CBF’s vision and mission; so the topic question for a workshop became, “How is God calling us to be the presence of Christ among persons of same-sex orientation?”
The workshop was well-planned, carefully constructed, and well-led and facilitated. CBF learned a lot about how any future gathering needed to be designed. More than 325 persons attended the breakout, a big number for a General Assembly breakout. The interest was high. We saw that many people were seeking a care-full, meaning-full, and safe space for dialogue around an issue which often challenges our relevancy – especially among emerging generations.
Therefore, the 2011 workshops committee explored possibilities for continuing this conversation at the next General Assembly in Tampa. That conversation led us to David Gushee, distinguished professor of Christian Ethics at Mercer University and director of Mercer’s Center for Theology and Public Life. He agreed to help us facilitate any further discussion.
David, the workshops committee chair, and I concluded the General Assembly workshop format was inadequate to the challenge of this important conversation. The schedule of the 2011 General Assembly was already crowded (it was CBF’s 20th anniversary) and we decided we could not deliver on our promises in a workshop format. As a result, we set out to create a more appropriate venue and approach to the conversation, an approach that would be unhurried and one that allowed for moments of worship, prayer, and meaningful dialogue among participants. Second, we decided that a hyper-focus on same-sex orientation was itself poor stewardship. Churches needed a larger conversation about sexuality. Finally, we decided on this approach to the conversation: “What is unique about Christian sexuality?”
On June 1, 2011, CBF and the Center for Theology and Public Policy at Mercer University announced their partnership in this special event to be held in 2012. Shortly thereafter, we created online registration and Facebook pages allowing folks greater access to information and dialogue about the event. Associated Baptist Press ran an article on the event, and it received full-page profile in the General Assembly resource guide. Subsequent issues of Fellowship! magazine added information on the event as plans developed.
After the news release, volunteer offers of expertise and services began to be made. David and I regularly received emails acknowledging the need for the conversation. Perhaps pleasantly, many of those emails expressed surprise that CBF had the courage to host such a “needed” conversation. Many churches and Christians seemed to be seeking a model for conversations about sexuality, credible information about sexuality, and the fellowship of other like-minded churches courageous enough to come to the table for such a conversation. Of course, there are those who felt the conference was either ill-timed or that sex was never a suitable topic of conversation among believers, though it is worth noting that I received directly only three calls of concern – I can name them today. But even the prospect for such a conference was concerning to some, we knew.
In October 2011, David and I gathered a group of potential plenary presenters for three days of prayerful efforts to assemble the best possible program for the conference. Three significant things happened. First, participants shared their personal narratives, as well as why they agreed to come to the table. The sharing of these profound stories revealed the resources available for such a significant endeavor. The second thing was the brainstorming around the many possible topics that could or should be a part of the conversation. Third, we gave each individual participant time in solitude and silence to build a potential conference program. We asked that each person present his or her ideas for a program, giving others the opportunity to ask clarifying questions while writing a private evaluation of each presentation.
Out of this effort seven potential conference scenarios emerged, each bathed in an assessment of available resources, checked motivations, and prayer. Later, David and I spent a day in retreat to create the final program.
Thus was born “A [Baptist] Conference on Sexuality and Covenant” to be held at First Baptist Church, Decatur, GA. The 48-hour conference spanned three days. We had six plenary sessions. We created covenant groups of 10-12 participants to process their experiences and insights after each plenary session. We recruited and trained facilitators for each small group. Rather than being issue-driven, the conference approached sexuality in general, from the mature sexuality of seniors to the emerging sexuality of adolescents, all with a view toward helping churches understand and explore the needs, struggles, and dilemmas inherent in human beings created as sexual. The conference dealt with human sexuality as a matter of discipleship while understanding that some sexual expressions often prevent Christians from sharing or embodying the Good News of Jesus Christ.
The only agenda for this event was to resource Christians and churches for meaningful and faithful formation and engagement regarding sexuality. That is not to say that none of the participants had agendas; but we treated each participant with humility as a community of prayer first. Our hopes for the conference never were that CBF (or anyone) come to any conclusion on any matter, rather, that folks have an opportunity to share their stories and hear those of others in an atmosphere of worshipful work and discernment.
We entered into the conference with some fear and trembling. Some people misunderstood the conference as an agenda-driven event to drive CBF into a new era of advocacy for gay rights. Others believed any conversation about sexuality should begin first with the premise of calling sinners to repentance. Some thought this conference would divide the churches more than assist them. A significant amount of misinformation about CBF was scattered abroad.
The event itself was a success. Feedback from the small groups was very positive and encouraging. Our method of presenting the subject was found to be a good model for addressing any issue of concern, and controversy in the church. All-in-all, the 500-plus persons who attended found the conference to be helpful, spiritual in nature, encouraging, and informative.
Now, we are happy to have the proceedings of the conference available to everyone. The papers in this journal are the ones presented at the conference, written by the presenters, and published with permission.
www.thefellowship.info/conference
http://www.facebook.com/#!/event. php?eid=213642758660533
