The appointment of Karine Jean-Pierre as the first Black White House press secretary creates a dilemma for many Christians. Being born in Martinique in 1979 to Haitian parents is a cause for celebration. Notwithstanding, the moral dilemma remains. The question is, “How do we celebrate the appointment of the first Black press secretary of Haitian descent and yet not be viewed as supporting an unrepentant lifestyle that is clearly contrary to biblical teaching and Christian morality?” Karine Jean-Pierre is openly gay and lives with her lesbian partner, CNN national correspondent, Suzanne Malveaux, and their 7-year-old daughter.
We address this to make our position clear. It must also be addressed because so much is problematic and runs contrary to the clear teaching of the Scriptures. The Bible is abundantly clear concerning its stance on homosexuality. Homosexuality is sin (Leviticus 18:22, 20:13; Romans 1:24-32; I Corinthians. 6:9; 1 Timothy 1:10). This is true, despite some people’s attempt to use scholarly skullduggery and heretical hermeneutics to explain away the plain meaning of Scripture. It is also problematic because Karine Jean-Pierre has aligned herself with the movement to normalize homosexuality and to redefine marriage. Again, the Bible’s teaching is clear. Marriage is to be a life-long holy covenant between a man (male) and woman (female). This is our congregation’s long-standing biblical position, and it has been enshrined officially, by congregational action, in our Church Constitution! In fact, this has been our doctrinal position since the inception of the congregation, prior to any socio-cultural shifts.
The selection of Jean-Pierre was not only a statement in support of her as a journalist. It was also a declaration about the White House’s support of the LGBTQ agenda. Consequently, Jean-Pierre’s race, journalism, homosexuality, and support for the LGBTQ were linked together! Therefore, it required us as a Church to speak clearly concerning this appointment. We do not speak because we single out homosexuality or the same-sex movement as the only sin. We speak because there are forces in society and in the culture that attempt daily to promote what God and the Scriptures clearly oppose!
We are saying, again, that the Scriptures make it emphatically clear that homosexuality is sin! The Bible also reveals that marriage is to be between a man (male) and a woman (female). Furthermore, the separation of sex from gender does not exist, and men cannot become women and women cannot become men. Therefore, the modern attempts by the proponents of this movement to redefine marriage, gender, and sexuality are not supported by the Word of God and are to be rejected by Christians!
As a Church congregation, we do not stand alone in this position. Both Associations of which we are affiliated, the Gulf Stream Baptist Association and the Atlantic Coast Baptist Association, hold these doctrinal and theological positions. Also, both State Conventions, the Florida Baptist Convention and the Florida General Baptist Convention hold these biblical positions. Moreover, the two national and international conventions in which we are affiliated (National Baptist U.S.A. Incorporated and the Southern Baptist Convention) also hold these biblical and convictional positions. These national and international Christian bodies are the two largest Baptist Conventions in the United States. Collectively, they consist of approximately twenty-five million members. These members are multi-national, multi-racial, multi-ethnic, multi-lingual, politically diverse, and of both historically Black and White backgrounds. Yet, they share the same common theological conclusions and convictions concerning homosexuality, marriage, and gender. I say again, we do not stand alone!
Yet, most importantly, we stand with God and His Word, the Holy Bible! God’s Kingdom will never be shaken (Hebrews 12:28). His Word will never pass away (Matthew 24:35). God’s Word is forever settled in the heavens, the Psalmist declares (Psalms 119:89). Jesus assures us that “the gates of hell will never stand against His Church” (Matthew 16:18). So, we stand on a solid foundation (Matthew 7:24-29). As one scholar puts it, the challenge for us is not the continued existence of Christ’s church or the Kingdom of God. The challenge for us is and will be biblical faithfulness.
“[Our] hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. [We] dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus’ name! On Christ, the Solid Rock, [we] stand. All other ground is sinking sand! All other ground is sinking sand!”
