ST. CHARLES – The messengers assembled at the 2022 Missouri Baptist Convention annual meeting passed eight resolutions on a variety of issues – declaring their opposition to recreational marijuana and gambling and re-affirming their support for the sanctity of life for pre-born children.
Most notably, these resolutions included a strong pro-life statement on the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade. Resolution 4 states that Missouri Baptists “will continue to contend for and defend the right to life of all pre-born persons,” will minister to pregnant mothers and pre-born children, and “commend the recent decision of the Supreme Court and the work of Missouri lawmakers regarding abortion.” They will continue to pray that Missouri lawmakers and the Supreme Court will “stand firm in this case of justice” and will “encourage other state and federal lawmakers to likewise outlaw elective abortion.”
Adam Cochrun, messenger from Redeemer Church in Springfield, proposed an amendment to Whereas #3 in the resolution. The resolution originally read, “Whereas, elective abortion is and has been a sinful blight upon our nation.” Cochrun proposed that the words, “elective, self-managed, perpetuated, and state,” be added so that the phrase would read “Whereas, elective, self-managed, and perpetuated abortion is and has been a blight on our state and nation.”
The motion received a second, but the Resolutions Committee proposed to leave the resolution as originally stated. With two minutes to defend his amendment, Cochrun stated, “I think we need to stand with one unified voice as Missouri Baptists to say that this is the blight that is on our state and nation.”
President Jon Nelson called the vote, and the amendment passed.
Curtis McLain, messenger from First Baptist Church of St. John, moved to re-insert the word “sinful,” to make the resolution read, “Whereas, elective, self-managed, and perpetuated abortion is and has been a sinful blight on our state and nation.” The amendment passed with unanimous consent.
With no further debate, messengers voted to confirm the resolution.
Resolution 6 opposes the spread of legalized gambling in Missouri. On the grounds of love of money (1 Timothy 6:9-11), greed, the disproportionate effect gambling has on poor families, and “acquiring material gain by chance and at our neighbor’s expense,” the messengers resolved to “oppose the growing legalization and promotion of gambling of all kinds, at all times, and in all places.” The resolution also encourages Missouri Baptist churches to teach their members about the dangers of gambling and to help those addicted to gambling. Additionally, the resolution challenges churches “to abstain from the use of raffles, lotteries, bingo, and all other games of chance for the purpose of gambling or fund-raising.”
Resolution 7 rejects the legalization of recreational marijuana in Missouri and urges Missouri residents to vote “No” on Amendment 3, which appears for consideration on the Missouri ballot, Nov. 8. The resolution cites Scripture and facts, such as how marijuana impairs cognitive functions and has increased dangerous driving in other states. The messengers resolved to “oppose any activity that would render our neighbors and ourselves enslaved to any chemical dependency,” to pray for and aid those trapped in substance abuse, and to proclaim “the gospel of Jesus Christ, who breaks every chain by the Spirit’s resurrection power.”
One resolution not recommended by the committee failed to be considered. This resolution, titled “Missouri Baptist Resolution on Equal Protection of the Laws for Preborn Children,” was presented by Adam Cochrun of Redeemer Church in Springfield. This resolution said that preborn children deserve the same legal protections as those outside the womb:
“Resolved, that equal protection requires the same legal prohibitions and available sanctions against homicide that exist to protect persons after birth to likewise protect persons before birth, thereby serving to deter all persons from willingly aiding with or procuring or performing prenatal homicide.”
The resolution adds that “such equal protection would require a case-by-case determination,” and “mothers would not be subject to criminal liability if under criminal duress, mistake of fact, or in a life-threatening medical emergency, or for an accidental or natural death, or for an act prior to the effective date of the law.”
The resolutions committee responded to Cochrun’s presentation of the resolution. Committee member Rev. L.P. Cook, of Union Hill Baptist Church, stated, “While there is broad agreement on the personhood of unborn children, we feel that the wording and the tone of this resolution will be perceived as angry. We felt this was not the thing to do at this time.”
Although a messenger called the question, the resolution did not receive the two thirds majority vote it needed to be considered.
Many messengers, not just the resolutions committee, found the wording and tone of the resolution was too harsh. Cochrun says that’s not the case. “How can we share the Gospel if it doesn’t tell people there’s a problem?”
Messengers passed five other resolutions. First was a “Courtesy Resolution to Express Appreciation,” thanking the hotel, convention center, and various committees for their involvement in putting on the annual meeting.
The second resolution honored The Pathway’s late founding editor Don Hinkle (1954-2022) for his 20 years of service to the Missouri Baptist Convention.
Resolution three, “On Loving Our Neighbor,” resolved to celebrate Missouri Good Neighbor Week, September 28 to October 4.
Resolution 5, “On Puberty Suppression and the Gift of Gender,” opposed the use of puberty blockers and the use of tax revenue to fund them, and resolved to “pray for and minister to families undergoing the profound challenges of raising children experiencing gender dysphoria and to show unconditional love for all children.”
Resolution 8, “On Proclaiming Biblical Morality,” resolved to call on pastors to live out godly morality in their own lives, to fight sin, to preach it from the pulpit, and called everyone as a whole to be salt and light in their communities and declare Jesus as the only hope for the world. ν