The 3 - February 16, 2020

This week's edition of The 3, features the bold stance of a Virginia pastor who prayed in accordance with Scripture at one of the state's chief legislative bodies and was met with resistance.  Also, the remains of thousands of aborted babies were laid to rest recently in Indiana.  And, a new network of Southern Baptists calling the denomination to a renewed emphasis on evangelism and the teachings of Scripture has been launched.

Virginia lawmakers walk out on pastor's fiery prayer

Dr. Robert M. Grant Jr. is the pastor of The Father’s Way Church in Warrenton,VA, and recently was invited by a state representative, Michael Webert, to give the opening prayer of the state's House of Delegates, according to the Virginia Mercury.

The pastor included references to issues about which the Bible speaks plainly, and he was met with resistance, according to the website, which reported:

Democrats walked off the floor of the House of Delegates Tuesday morning as the pastor invited to give the opening prayer delivered stinging remarks condemning abortion and gay marriage and said God would bring his “wrath” against those who don’t follow biblical principles.

The article went on to say:

Speaking to reporters afterward, Grant stood by his remarks and called the Democratic response “unprofessional.”

“I think that the statehouse belongs to all the citizens. And all the citizens have a voice,” Grant said. “If it’s my turn to have a voice, and I am a pastor, what do you expect from me? If you don’t want to hear what a pastor has to say, then don’t invite one.”

According to LifeNews.com, Grant included these words in his prayer:

“I pray that you may understand that all life is precious and worthy of a chance to be born,” Grant said. “God is the giver of life and people have no right or authority to take life. The unborn have rights and those rights need to be protected. They should never be denied the right to exist, the right to develop or the right to have a family.”

Franklin Graham was impressed; the article said that he wrote on Facebook, "Here’s a guy who’s got guts for Jesus...They didn’t want to hear the truth. But what Pastor Grant said was truth. He’s right—these are crucial times. He urged lawmakers to honor God’s laws and be aware of His judgment.”

Star Parker, President of the Center for Urban Renewal and Education, or CURE, is quoted by the Christian News Journal as saying, “Liberal Delegates in the Virginia House of Delegates treated Rev. Grant with contempt. A black pastor had the courage to stand for he believes in a legislative body that supports abortion, infanticide, and the limiting of our God-given Constitutional liberties. Rev. Grant is correct that these are crucial times, and he is right to remind liberal Delegates about how far their extreme agenda has gone.”

Bodies of thousands of aborted babies memorialized in Indiana

The remains of over 2,400 aborted babies were buried in South Bend, Indiana this past week, and the following day, there was a moment of silence observed by the U.S. House of Representatives, according to LifeSiteNews.com.  The remains had been stored at the home of the late abortionist Ulrich Klopfer for "nearly two decades," according to the article.

Republican Congresswoman Walorski said. “Such callous disregard for human life should shake us to the core,” adding, “These children deserved justice and dignity. Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in observing a moment of silence for the thousands of innocent victims that were laid to rest yesterday.” Walorski added, according to the article, "To make sure this never happens again, the House must pass the Dignity for Aborted Children Act to build on Indiana’s law, upheld by the Supreme Court, that requires dignified treatment of aborted fetal remains..."

The Daily Caller reported that Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill spoke at the ceremony.  The article states:

The attorney general also said that in burying the “unborn children,” “we fulfill our obligation as a state pursuant to law and conscience to the unborn babies whose lives were terminated in clinics in Fort Wayne, Gary and South Bend.”

Conservative Southern Baptists announce new network

This past Friday, a new network of Southern Baptists rolled out.  It's called the Conservative Baptist Network, and according to a press release on its website:

A significant number of Southern Baptists are concerned about the apparent emphasis on social justice, Critical Race Theory, Intersectionality, and the redefining of biblical gender roles. Many fear that these issues have received more attention than evangelism and spiritual renewal – the emphases that helped to make Southern Baptists the largest evangelical denomination in the nation.

Two noted occurrences were mentioned in that press release:

One has to do with messengers who tried to have Vice-President Pence removed from speaking at the 2018 Southern Baptist Convention in Dallas.  After that effort failed, some messengers walked out on Pence.  The CBN says: "The insolence and disrespect demonstrated by those who walked out on the Vice President of the United States was foreign to what the Bible teaches about respecting those in authority in I Peter 2:11-17."

Another occurrence is the passage of Resolution 9 at the 2019 SBC in Birmingham. The press release says:

In defending the resolution, the chairman insisted that Critical Race Theory and Intersectionality are simply analytical tools. However, they are far more than just tools; they are ideologies that have their roots in Neo-Marxist, postmodern worldviews. While the committee may have meant well in presenting the resolution, many messengers left Birmingham confused about Critical Race Theory and Intersectionality, and others left feeling that they had been misled or deceived.

Brad Jurkovich, pastor of First Baptist Church in Bossier City, LA and the lead spokesman for the new movement, is quoted as saying, “We are concerned about the current road our Southern Baptist family is traveling. It is a road that is twisting what God’s Word is saying about things like human sexuality, biblical racial reconciliation and socialistic justice.” He also asked, "As Southern Baptists can we not love both Jesus and America? Is it no longer okay to be a pastor and a patriot?”

Baptist Press released a story on the formation of this network and included a quote from SBC Executive Committee President and CEO Ronnie Floyd, who said: "Since I arrived at the EC, I have worked diligently on moving us towards a clear, concise, and compelling unified Great Commission vision," adding, "The Southern Baptist Convention is at her best when churches are partnering together for mission and standing on the inerrant, infallible, sufficient Word of God. Regardless of our secondary affiliations or networks, we must continue to uphold the Baptist Faith and Message, cooperating with one another for the purpose of seeing every person reached for Jesus Christ in every town, every city, every state and every nation."

The article says that:

The network has the support of Chuck Kelley, president emeritus of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, and various leaders of Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary in Cordova, Tenn.

Over the weekend, the CBN's Twitter feed indicated over 2,000 had already joined the network.  A cursory look at social media indicates enthusiasm about the new movement, even though there are some that are questioning the need for it and some even resorting to harsh language to denigrate their brothers and sisters in the Lord.