Rev. Russell Moore, president of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention has urged pastors to stand firm on their belief against same sex marriages even if they are pressured to perform these ceremonies.
Speaking at the first conference on The Church and Sexuality in Montgomery, Alabama, an event attended by 500 participants, Moore said that pastors should not agree to preside over the weddings even if the parents of these individuals are long time members of the church, reported Al.com.
"You cannot marry anyone except believers and people under the authority of Jesus Christ," Moore said. "Unbelievers, you cannot hold accountable to their vows."
He added that his interpretation of Christian sexual ethic does not rely on man but is rooted in the Bible's teaching. As such, it should be upheld as the mandate of the Lord.
"If we are a gospel people, that means our interpretation of a Christian sexual ethic is not a matter of our choosing. It's a mandate that he has given to us. If we are able to discard a Christian sexual ethic, then that means we invented it, which means we should not only discard the sexual ethic, we should discard the Christianity," Moore said.
Also discussed at the conference was the issue of marriage, adultery, sexuality and culture. The conference delved into how to engage culture and still remain faithful to the gospel.
For her part, Kathy Litton, national director of ministry to pastors' wives for the North American Mission Board, said that there was a need for Christians and Christian leaders to be more transparent and real to be able to relate to those whom they are discipling, BP News reported.
"We need to love our neighbor as ourselves. You can love someone better when you understand them more ... and we've got to show grace and we've got to be informed," she said.
