BSC guidelines for Sanderson amendment
From contributed reports
(EDITOR'S NOTE - The approval of the amendment to exclude churches that affirm homosexual behavior will be implemented by the following guidelines, which were approved by the Executive Committee and the Board of Directors.)
The BSCNC believes that every church is autonomous and has the right to develop its own policies and guidelines regarding membership. Likewise, the BSCNC is free to establish policies and guidelines for churches wishing to cooperate with the Convention.
A cooperating church is defined in Article VI. 3. of the Articles of Incorporation as follows: "a cooperating church shall be one that financially supports any program, institution, or agency of the Convention, and which is in friendly cooperation with the Convention and sympathetic with its purposes and work."
During the 2006 annual session, the Convention amended this article to define a church in friendly cooperation with the BSCNC in regard to homosexuality. The following statements were added to Article VI. 3.
"Among churches not in friendly cooperation with the Convention are churches which knowingly act to affirm, approve, endorse, promote, support or bless homosexual behavior. The Board of Directors shall apply this provision. A church has a right to appeal any adverse action taken by the Board of Directors."
Further approved by the Board of Directors in 2006 were the following criteria for applying this provision.
Churches not in "friendly cooperation with the Convention" shall be those whose actions include:
1. Official public statements affirming, approving, endorsing, promoting, supporting or blessing homosexual behavior.
2. Ordination of those whom the church knows have not repented of their homosexual behavior.
3. Knowingly allowing a staff member to perform, or the church providing facilities for marriage or other ceremony, blessing, or union of persons of the same sex.
4. Knowingly affiliating with, contributing money to or maintaining membership in a group which affirms, approves, endorses, promotes, supports or blesses homosexual behavior.
5. Accepting as members those whom the church knows have refused to repent of the sin of homosexual behavior.
The BSCNC has developed policies and guidelines with the understanding that the Scripture passages dealing with homosexuality do not promote nor endorse this choice of lifestyle. No preconceived pattern of accountability will be imposed by the BSCNC on any church deemed to be a cooperating church. The BSCNC does not have and does not intend to have any type of surveillance effort to oversee an individual church's profile regarding whether or not a church is in compliance with the principles and convictions of the Convention.
Should an event come into question, every effort will be made to resolve the issue in question and keep a healthy relationship between the church, its association, and the BSCNC. The BSCNC desires to be redemptive in its approach and it is always with a great sense of grief and sorrow that the BSCNC would have to address an issue involving possible dissolution of a relationship with a church. The local church is the first place an identified issue should be resolved. Once identified, the membership of that church should seek to resolve the issue following biblical guidelines. If the local association has reason to believe the association may assist the church in dealing with the issue in question the association may contact the church and offer assistance.
Guidelines
If a resolution is not achieved at the church or association level and the church still maintains a position that places it not in friendly cooperation with the BSCNC as in the aforementioned criteria, the following guidelines will be used.
1. The officers of the Executive Committee of the BSCNC will verify the identified issue based on the Biblical mandate from Matthew 18:16 "by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established."
2. With fervent prayer and a spirit of Christian love the BSCNC Executive Committee officers will meet with the church leadership at the church's request. The church may or may not choose to include representatives of the association in this dialogue.
3. Only after attempts from the BSCNC Executive Committee Officers have failed to bring resolution will the issue be brought before the Executive Committee for consideration. The Officers of the Executive Committee will provide to the full Executive Committee a report from their meeting
4. If the position of the church is deemed by the BSCNC to not be in friendly cooperation with the BSCNC, and if the church chooses to remain steadfast in the issue deemed unfriendly, the church will then be removed from the BSCNC list of cooperating churches. As a result, from the date action is taken by this Convention, its Board of Directors, or its Executive Committee, no additional monies will be accepted from the local church for any Convention purposes as defined in the financial policies of the BSCNC, Inc.
5. A church that wishes to appeal the decision to the Board of Directors will notify, in writing, the Executive Committee indicating their intent. The Chairman of the Executive Committee, in consultation with the Executive Director-Treasurer, will schedule a time during an upcoming Executive Committee meeting, or a special called meeting for this purpose, in order for representatives from the church in question to make their appeal. The Executive Committee will hear the report from the local church and make recommendation to the Board of Directors as to whether the local church should be reinstated or not. The decision of the Board of Directors will be final unless the Convention in annual session votes to reconsider this matter.
6. Any initial question in regards to the status of a local church brought forth during the annual meeting of the BSCNC will be referred to the Executive Committee who will follow the procedures outlined above and bring any report to the Board of Directors. No final decision regarding the status of a local church will be made at the annual session until the steps described in the preceding paragraphs have been fulfilled.
It is the desire of the BSCNC to cooperate with churches that share in the vision of fulfilling both the Great Commandment and the Great Commission. While the ministries and activities of the local churches in fulfilling these Scriptural mandates will be numerous and various, each autonomous body shall be expected to follow their convictions in regards to the teaching of Scripture. If a break in fellowship occurs, each party covenants to pray continually for the effective ministry of the other.
