The First Baptist Church of Jacksonville was spotlighted on Sunday after local media reports caught wind on the church’s "biblical sexuality" statement set to take effect in March.
The "First Baptist Statement on Biblical Sexuality" detailing the church’s support for binary gender roles as well as the belief that marriage is only between a man and a woman was originally approved in October.
"As a member of First Baptist Church, I believe that God creates people in his image as either male or female, and that this creation is a fixed matter of human biology, not individual choice. I believe marriage is instituted by God, not government, is between one man and one woman, and is the only context for sexual desire and expression," the statement read.
According to the church, all members of the congregation are required to sign the statement and return it by March 19 in order to maintain their membership.
Backlash grew against the statement in the previous week, leading up to an open mic event at the church to listen to and discuss concerns from audience members. One included a queer woman named Katie who opposed ...
The following is a quote from Rev. Dave Welch in response to the above article:
"What backlash? This is classic 'Mountain out of Molehill' that could only point to one 'queer' woman versus a credible, historic, community-active church that has not changed its beliefs or doctrines...a church by the way which involves thousands of people every week. Stand strong Pastor Lambert and know that you, your church and the thousands of pastors like you all over America are standing for God's truth in love and grace. Our sermons were subpoenaed by a radical LGBTQIAP+ mayor for standing for God's design of male, female, marriage and family, yet this is one assault by the godless Left we cannot back down on." (Rev. Dave Welch, Texas Pastor Council)
