WHEREAS, The Bible declares that God created humans in His own image as distinctly male and female (Genesis 1:27; Matthew 19:4); and
WHEREAS, The Bible teaches that the differences between men and women are complementary, determined at conception, immutable, rooted in God’s design, and most clearly revealed in bodily differences (Genesis 1:28; Psalm 100:3), not in self-defined and ultimately false notions of “gender identity”; and
WHEREAS, The Baptist Faith and Message declares that “[t]he sacredness of human personality is evident in that God created man in His own image, and in that Christ died for man; therefore, every person of every race possesses full dignity and is worthy of respect and Christian love” and that God created “male and female as the crowning work of His creation.…The gift of gender is thus part of the goodness of God’s creation” (Article III); and
WHEREAS, God’s holy and good design for two distinct and complementary sexes is rooted in the created order, and it serves as the foundation for all societal cooperation and structures; and
WHEREAS, Scripture teaches that the body should be honored as the temple of the Holy Spirit and affirms the unity of body and soul (1 Corinthians 6:19); and
WHEREAS, Driven by cultural change, the promotion of gender ideology, and social pressures, unprecedented numbers of adolescents and young adults are experiencing identity or body-related distress or asserting an identity at odds with their birth sex; and
WHEREAS, The number of medical interventions for purposes of “gender transition” has also risen significantly, including the use of puberty blockers, unnaturally high doses of hormones, and surgical interventions; and
WHEREAS, These so-called medical interventions are not only spiritually destructive but also render otherwise healthy children sterile for life, impairing or destroying their fertility, reproductive organs, capacity for sexual pleasure, and at times causing lifelong medical dependency as well as unknown long-term consequences; and
WHEREAS, Vulnerable children and teens are targets for psychosocial messaging and claims from the medical community that induce and even coerce their participation in escalating, increasingly harmful “transition” interventions; and
WHEREAS, The Lord has ordained government for the purpose of executing justice, praising that which is good, and punishing those who do evil (Romans 13:1-7; 1 Peter 2:14); and
WHEREAS, Some state governments have taken action to prohibit the promotion of gender ideology and “transition” interventions for children; and
WHEREAS, Tragically, other governments and municipalities throughout the United States have taken egregious action to promote “gender transition” for children, enabling minors to bypass parental consent and obtain these life-altering procedures, often through so-called sanctuary cities that provide confidential services to out-of-state children; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana, June 13-14, 2023, condemn and oppose “gender-affirming care” and all forms of “gender transition” interventions; and be it further
RESOLVED, That we oppose “gender transition” interventions as a futile quest to change one’s sex and as a direct assault on God’s created order; and be it further
RESOLVED, That we condemn corporate medical services that promote harmful and often irreversible “gender transition” experiments on vulnerable minors and young adults, exploiting them for the sake of profit; and be it further
RESOLVED, That we call on legislatures to reverse any law or policy that supports “gender transition” interventions, undermines parental rights, or creates supposed sanctuary jurisdictions that facilitate these harmful interventions for minors; and be it further
RESOLVED, That we commend the legislatures who have undertaken just and praiseworthy action to protect children from “gender transition” interventions, have re-affirmed the rights of parents to direct the upbringing of their children, and have defended the free speech and conscience rights of religious believers from governmental efforts to coerce them into endorsing gender ideology; and be it further
RESOLVED, That Southern Baptists call on any members of the Southern Baptist Convention who are performing or actively supporting “gender transition” interventions to immediately repent and refrain; and be it finally
RESOLVED, That we extend the love of Christ, who can save anyone who would call on His name, as well as compassionate care and tender mercy to those experiencing identity or body-related distress and/or are currently undergoing or have undergone “gender transition” interventions.