AWAB Calls on the SBC to Recant Anti-Transgender Resolution

"I'm thankful that my own American Baptist faith is not hateful, unlike the fear expressed in the SBC's misguided resolution.  For me, it's an issue of "What would Jesus do?"  I believe Jesus would love and accept ALL His sheep, regardless of whether their sex-assignment at birth matches the gender identity of their soul."

Robin Knauerhase, AWAB Board member

June 13, 2014


The Board and Staff of the Association of Welcoming & Affirming Baptists (AWAB) are  angered by the Southern Baptist Convention's resolution condemning the transgender community as particularly "fallen" and, if not repentant of their very nature, outside the fellowship of the church and communion with God. We are gravely concerned about the message this sends to transgender persons, a message that says "if you pray and give your life over to Christ you will be healed.”  

This is the same message that has been told to gay and lesbian people for decades.  This practice has spawned the “Ex-Gay” ministry movement as well as the pseudo-psychology of reparative therapy.  These practices have caused significant harm to individuals, their families and the churches that they are and have been a part of. The resolution on transgender people passed at the 2014 annual meeting of the SBC will surely spawn the same kinds of ministries and practices aimed at the Transgender Community.  
 
AWAB supports churches and communities of faith who welcome and affirm All of God's children regardless of sexual or gender identity. We seek to be a place where God's love is revealed in and through us, and where the command to "love your neighbor as yourself" includes all humanity, even those whom we do not understand or disagree with.   Therefore, we call upon the Southern Baptist Convention to recant this resolution and to allow God's healing grace to be present in the life of the SBC.

Rev. David Weasley, Chair
Rev. Ann-Louise Haak, Vice Chair
Rev. Cody Sanders, Acting Secretary and Program Chair
Teri Walker, Treasurer
Rev. Dr. Randle Mixon, Membership Chair
Madison McClendon, Development Chair
Robin Knauerhase, Communications Chair
Bishop Allyson Abrams

Rev. Robin Lunn, Executive Director
Jodi Robinson, Administrative and Communications Coordinator
Jennifer Hawkins, Web Developer

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I join AWAB and call on the SBC to Recant the Anti-Transgender Resolution!

Tasha Wilson, Rochester, NY, American Baptist

Rev. Bill Taber, Rochester, NY, American Baptist

Dorothy Whiston, Iowa City, IA, ABC-USA

Ken Williamson, Arlington, VA, Baptist

Kevin Rose, Indianapolis, IN, Alliance of Baptists/ABCUSA

Stephen Stacks, Durham, NC, Baptist

Paula Womack, Raleigh, NC, Alliance of Baptists

Sandi John, Chico, Ca, Alliance of Baptists

Derek Bowen, Mississippi, MS, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship

Michael Crane, Niantic, CT, American Baptist Churches, USA

Lucas Wright, Pasadena, CA 

Millie Donnell, Pottstown, PA, American Baptist

Rev. Gerald Palmer, Raytown, MO, Baptist

Rev. Jill McCrory, Rockville, MD, Baptist

Douglas Cruger, Old Orchard, ME, Baptist

Susan Maybeck, Pittsford, NY, American Baptist

Mark Ferrin, Keene, NH, American Baptist

Gary Harris, Davenport, FL, American Baptist

Peggy Young, Reno, NV, Christian

Peg Rivers, Piscataway, NJ, American Baptist

Aubin Petersen, Arlington, TX, Baptist

Roy Larson, Austin, TX, Baptist

Lawrence Taylor, Milford, OH, American Baptist

Ronald Green, Rock Hill, SC, Baptist

Ann Mechling, Cambridge, MA, American Baptist

Kathy Maskell, Lowell, MA, American Baptist

Millard Eiland, Houston, TX, Alliance of Baptist

Janet Davies, Cranston, RI, American Baptist

Virginia Greene, Cambridge, MA, American Baptist

Sarah Lee, Cambridge, MA, Buddhist

Faith Davis, Baltimore, MD       

Karen Holmes, Silver Spring, MD, Baptist Christian

Rev. Jim Hinds, Gardner, MA, American Baptist

Mindi Welton-Mitchell, Burien, WA, American Baptist

Shiela Estelle Record-Stanley, Brookline, MA, American Baptist

Marcia Tolman, Albany, NY, United Church of Christ

Keith Church, Snyder, TX, Alliance of Baptists (former SBC)

Sarah Lockard, Oberlin, OH

Martha Collins, Cambridge, MA, Baptist

Dr. Michael Adee, Santa Fe, NM, PC(USA)

Devon Davidson, Cambridge, MA, Baptist

Jeff Cheifitz, Alameda, CA, PC(USA)

Harry Knox, Silver Springs, MD, MCC

Sarah Carleton, Hammondsport, NY 

Brian Greene, Cambridge, MA, American Baptist 

Kenneth King, Washington , DC, Baptist and United Church of Christ

Dawn Hallman, Garland, TX, Baptist

Kathleen Stayton, Northumberland, PA, Alliance of Baptists

Danielle Severson, Modesto, CA, pastor

Henry Hinnant, Simpsonville, SC, Christian

Ssam WINTER, Hong Kong, Baptist

Zenobia Gray, Guttenberg, NJ, The Riverside Church NY

Leandra Vicci, Siler City, NC, agnostic

Deborah Vaughn, North Potomac, MD, American Baptist/Alliance of Baptists

Deidre Druk, Saint Paul, MN, Baptist

Mary Hammond, Oberlin, OH, American Baptist

Virginia Douglas, Elyria, OH 

Prof. Stephen Whittle, OBE, PhD, Stockport, Cheshire, England, Methodist

Cinthia Byron-Dixon, Oberlin, OH 

Jeff Witmer, Oberlin, OH, Christian

Rev. Lauren Efird, Cary, NC, Baptist

Kathryn Ray, Chicago, IL, American Baptist

Robert Interlante, Hackettstown, NJ, Christian

Jessica Fox, Burlington, VT, agnostic

Sara Capozzi, Silver Spring, MD, MCC

Carlos Stouffer, Los Angeles, CA

Judy Riggle, Oberlin, OH, American Baptist

Charlotte Lanier, Boise, ID, American Baptist

Danette Kong, Kahului, HI, Southern Baptist

Ginger Burkhead, Greensboro, NC, American Baptist

Elizabeth Lott, New Orleans, LA, Alliance of Baptists/CBF

Jason O'Neill, Sarasota, FL, MCC

Bill Loftis, Denver, CO, American Baptist

Mary Passage, Corning, NY, American Baptist

Ellen Tatreau, Vineyard Haven, MA, American Baptist

Bruce Chittick, Seattle, WA, American Baptist

Tim Dean, Ithaca, NY, Baptist

Rev. Betsy Sowers, Weymouth, MA, American Baptist

Robert Turner, Pennington, NJ, American Baptist

Steve Hammond, Oberlin, OH, Baptist

Elizabeth Hocking, Cambridge, MA, Baptist

James Fraser, Rochester, MA, American Baptist/United Church of Christ

Amanda J, Short Hills, NJ        

Nicole Warren, Silver Spring, MD, Baptist

Kyle Sexton, Portland, OR, Baptist

Kathie Carpenter, Needham, MA, United Church of Christ

Stevie Neal, Rockville, MD, Baptist