When they get to New Orleans in June, Southern Baptists will either re-elect incumbent President Bart Barber (pictured above) or vote for his challenger, Pastor Mike Stone, to take over.
The two may have differing views on various topics, but when it comes to Guidepost Solutions, they seem to be in 100% agreement that the denomination should not be using a pro-homosexual business to manage its sex abuse database.
"It is absolutely biblically and logically inconsistent that we would partner with a corporation that supports sexual perversion, according to scriptural principles, to come alongside and help us evaluate accusations of sexual perversion and sexual sin," Pastor Stone reasons.
AFN reported earlier this year when the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) was in talks with Guidepost to run its Ministry Check database. Guidepost set up a "faith-based division" to manage the project, assigned "people of faith in Christ" to work on the project, and hired a Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary grad to run the new division. But shortly after the report came out, so did Guidepost.
Barber says he and the Abuse Reform Implementation Task Force (ARITF) have been hearing from Southern Baptists.
"I and the ARITF want to do what Southern Baptists want done in a way that helps," says President Barber. "We've been very nimble and responsive to public feedback about that. I do not expect that we'll be using Guidepost Solutions for our Ministry Check website or for the other things that the ARITF is promising."
The convention will hold a vote on the matter, but according to Barber, it is a formality.
Editor's note: This article is the third in a series leading up to the Southern Baptist Convention's annual meeting, being held this year in New Orleans, June 11-14.
