by Tom Strode

WASHINGTON (BP) — The Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission has resources available online to help Christians minister in light of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision legalizing same-sex marriage.

Equip — at erlc.com/equip — is a joint initiative with the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention (SBTC) to provide guidance in ministering to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. The online content features specialized videos on same-sex attraction from Sam Allberry, a British pastor and author of “Is God Anti-gay?” It also includes video from other pastors and leaders as well as articles and book recommendations.

More videos, articles and other resources are available at erlc.com/scotus.

Video also is available online of a special panel discussion on same-sex marriage conducted by SBC President Ronnie Floyd at the convention’s annual meeting June 16-17 in Columbus, Ohio. The panelists were Butterfield; Carter; Moore; R. Albert Mohler Jr., president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary; and Ryan Blackwell, pastor of First Baptist Church, San Francisco. Video of the conversation may be accessed at http://live.sbc.net.s3-website-us-east-1.amazonaws.com/ondemand.html.

The ERLC has produced a legal manual in collaboration with Alliance Defending Freedom to provide SBC and other evangelical churches and institutions with legal protection against sexual orientation and gender identity lawsuits. The booklet includes checklists to guide Christian institutions on maximizing their religious liberty protections under the law and maintaining their freedom to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus. It also provides sample documents — such as a membership agreement, facility use policy and article for a statement of faith — to assist churches and other ministries.

The legal guide may be accessed online without cost at erlc.com/store.

Also, the first issue of the ERLC’s revived Light magazine focuses on ministering in a culture in which same-sex marriage is legal. The issue, which was released earlier in June, includes articles by Butterfield, Goeke, Mohler, Moore and J.D. Greear, lead pastor of The Summit Church in Raleigh-Durham, N.C. A subscription to the biannual publication is $10. It is available online at http://erlc.com/light.

Tom Strode is the Washington bureau chief for Baptist Press.
Reprinted from Baptist Press (www.baptistpress.com).
Baptist Press (BP) is the official news service of the Southern Baptist Convention and provides news to the 42 state Baptist papers. BP reports on missions, ministry and witness advanced through the Cooperative Program and on news related to Southern Baptists’ concerns nationally and globally.

Other Resources

ERLC President Russell Moore Announces Evangelical Statement on Marriage

Elizabeth Bristow, ERLC

Russell Moore, president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, assembled a broad coalition of evangelical leaders to oppose the Supreme Court’s decision to legalize same-sex marriage in a joint statement.

Why the church should neither cave nor panic about the decision on gay marriage
Russell Moore, Washington Post

The Court now has disregarded thousands of years of definition of the most foundational unit of society, and the cultural changes here will be broad and deep. So how should the church respond?

We’ve Been Here Before: Lessons For The Marriage Debate From The Pro-life Movement 
Russell Moore , Moore to the Point

Four years ago, our current President said he personally opposed same-sex marriage. Today, the Supreme Court has found a Constitutional right to same-sex marriage, contra all recorded sociopolitical, religious, and human history.

A Note To Pastors In Light Of The Scotus Decision On Same-sex Marriage 
Russell Moore, Moore to the Point

How to preach on Sunday in light of the SCOTUS decision.

What Your Church Needs to Know—and Do—About the Court’s Marriage Ruling

Erik Stanley, ERLC

In the coming days, the threat from these non-discrimination laws will materialize in numerous ways as same-sex couples marry. But there are proactive steps your church can take to protect itself.

50 Key Quotes from the Supreme Court’s Same-Sex Marriage Ruling
Joe Carter, ERLC

In the ruling and four dissents—which total 103 pages—there are dozens of interesting and important quotes. Here are 50 key passages you should know about.

How the Supreme Court Found a Constitutional Right to Same-Sex Marriage
Joseph Williams, Canon & Culture

What exactly does the Fourteenth Amendment protect and how did 5 Supreme Court justices determine that it includes same-sex marriage?

The roots of marriage’s redefinition: How we got where we are today
Andrew Walker, ERLC

How did we reach a point where an institution older than recorded history could be redefined and altered by an idea unknown before the year 2000?

The Supreme Court and religious liberty: Reason for concern
Andrew Walker, ERLC

In the aftermath of today’s Supreme Court ruling, attention is turning to how the Court’s ruling will affect the religious liberty of those who disagree with the Supreme Court’s redefinition of marriage.

“Will I be fully accepted at your church as a gay man?”
David E. Prince, ERLC

Below is my response to an email I received that asked the following question: “I believe church should be for all of God’s children. No exceptions. I am a gay man. My question is, would I be fully accepted with no judgment and fully welcome and able to serve at Ashland Avenue Baptist Church?”

Out of a Far Country: A Gay Son’s Journey to God
Christopher Yuan, ERLC

I had a secret that I kept hidden through high school, college and even the Marine Corp Reserves. Then, when I entered graduate school, I no longer kept it a secret. I came out of the closet.

Talking to your children about sex, marriage and same-sex marriage
Various, ERLC

A roundtable discussion with Jani Ortlund, Stephanie Goeke, Krissie Inserra, Trillia Newbell and Jena Starke.

Same-Sex Marriage and Christian Higher Education
R. Albert Mohler, Jr., ERLC

We are living in the midst of an unprecedented sexual revolution, one that presents particular challenges to Christians and those committed to religious liberty.