The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) has barred its military
chaplains from performing, attending or supporting weddings for gay
and lesbian couples.
The North American Mission Board (NAMB), an arm of the SBC,
released the guidelines last week in response to the Department of
Defense's recent decision to recognize such marriages and extend
benefits to the spouses of gay servicemembers, the
AP reported.
Chaplains are also prohibited from offering “any kind of
relationship training or retreat, on or off of a military
installation, that would give the appearance of accepting the
homosexual lifestyle or sexual wrongdoing.”
The Tennessee-based SBC provides the largest share of active-duty
military chaplains.
Doug Carver, a retired Army major general and executive director
of NAMB's Evangelism Group, said in an accompanying statement that
SBC chaplains “want to uphold the authority and relevancy of
Scripture while continuing to serve in a very diverse setting.”
Chaplains are also not to “lead or participate in a worship
service” with a chaplain, volunteer or contractor who “personally
practices or affirms a homosexual lifestyle or such conduct.”
(Related: Texas
National Guard won't process benefits for gay servicemembers.)