Pastor Invites Whole Community to Open Mic Q&A Following Uproar Over ‘Sign Biblical Sexuality Statement or Lose Membership’ Controversy

Staff Writer

First Baptist Church of Jacksonville, FL, held a Q & A night open to the whole community, opening themselves to questions, feedback and critique after coming under fire for insisting congregants sign a statement affirming biblical sexuality by March 19, 2023, or be removed from membership. 

Last year FBC Jax adopted the statement out of a growing concern with the impact of the ever-expanding sexual revolution, with Senior pastor Heath Lambert, a former professor at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary who took over the church in 2017, giving a stark warning of the threat it poses to the church.

Throughout the event, Lambert responded to support and criticism of the event, including several hostile speakers. One was a lesbian named Katie, who went on a tear, accusing the church of murdering people.

“The decision to have your members sign any form of contract to attend turns your church into an organization, a club. This church is no longer a religious place of worship. Welcome to all. These sexuality oaths are drawing a clear line in the sand, showing us who you truly welcome, which is by no means all.”

I was born and raised in the Baptist church, and as a queer person, that made life feel like a constant battle every day. If God loves me, why did she make me this way? Why is the pastor of my church, my Sunday school teacher, and even my own family telling me I’m going to hell for my choices, something I was raised and taught to believe was sinful?”

Choice is not actually a choice at all. Members of the LGBTQ plus community do not choose this way of life. In fact, it is your religion that is a choice. You’re not born Baptist. You chose it. In the words of Lady Gaga herself, we were all born this way, and God loves me just the way I am.

We choose to accept and love ourselves and not hide who we are. For decades, our queer community has felt ridicule, hate, bigotry, and discrimination for simply being who we are. Forcing your members to sign a contract, erasing our existence just adds to the mountains of resentment that LGBTQ plus people already have for the church at large. Is that what you want? To drive a larger wedge between God and queer people to sanitize the world of us or eliminate our existence? 

This oath is disgusting and not what God would want, nor what Christianity is about. Our country streets are already running red with the blood of LGBTQ plus people as a direct result from discriminatory acts just for being who we are, living our life.”

In response, Lambert offered that nothing in the statement singles out gay people, but rather, their sin indicts them. He also provides that they have a disagreement, and there has to be room for people to love each other and still disagree. He lastly notes that they have a dispute on who their source of authority is; theirs is the bible, and others their own heart.” I can’t as a minister of the gospel fail to communicate something that is killing members of our community.”

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