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Gender and Sexuality News Roundup (2/19/19)

February 19, 2019
By CBMW
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One mission of CBMW is to help Christians think through secular and ecclesial trends on gender and sexuality. Through this work, we pore over a lot of different news reports and articles as we attempt to wade through the ceaseless flow of information on the web. In our weekly Gender and Sexuality News Roundups, we aim to distill some of the more pertinent information for you.

The articles below are from a wide variety of sectors and publications, organized generally into three categories. They are presented in aggregate, not necessarily endorsed.

If you see an article that you think should be featured in future CBMW News Roundups, you can send it to [email protected] with the subject “News Roundup.”

 

Ecclesial Trends on Gender and Sexuality

Offend, then repeat, Houston Chronicle (Lise Olsen, Robert Downen, and John Tedesco)

“The SBC has rejected efforts to establish a registry to track sexual abuse cases and prevent churches from hiring predatory pastors. In some cases, churches knew of a pastor’s past and allowed him to work anyway. In others, the SBC’s inaction might have allowed offenders to move from community to community, ruining lives as they slipped through background checks and found jobs at unsuspecting churches.”

Preying on teens, Houston Chronicle (Lise Olsen, Robert Downen, and John Tedesco)

“Southern Baptist churches are the nation’s largest Protestant group, but they lack common hiring protocols or standard pastor training programs. They do not have uniform policies for sharing information about pastors fired or convicted of inappropriate sexual behavior, sexual abuse or assault — the kind of transparency that could protect churches and their congregants from sexual predators such as Foster.”

Southern Baptist president to call for repentance, training videos amid sexual abuse crisis, Houston Chronicle (Robert Downen)

“His office provided a preview of three of ten reforms that Greear is expected to unveil while speaking to the SBC’s Executive Committee in Nashville.”

Statement from R. Albert Mohler Jr. on Sovereign Grace Churches, SBTS News (Albert Mohler)

“As many are aware, I have recently apologized and asked forgiveness for serious errors I made in how I responded to concerns that were raised about Sovereign Grace Churches and CJ Mahaney.”

Strained voices? Events in St. Louis raise concern about the PCA, World Magazine (Jamie Dean)

“A canceled event at South City Church (PCA) in St. Louis, Mo., brought renewed attention to ongoing friction among Presbyterians in the city also home to Covenant Theological Seminary—the denominational seminary of the Presbyterian Church in America.”

Same-sex spouses not invited to next year’s Lambeth Conference of bishops, Episcopal News Service (Mary Frances Schjonberg)

“Archbishop of Canterbury bases decision on 20-year-old resolution from previous gathering”

Hillsong Church Loves ALL People, Hillsong Church

“Hillsong Church was founded in 1983 by our Senior Pastors, Brian and Bobbie Houston and in all those years Pastor Brian has been a vocal opponent of gay conversion therapy and has made it clear to our pastors that we do not support that approach.”

United Methodist Church delegates will debate, vote on church’s stance on homosexuality, WBRC (Catherine Patterson)

“The United Methodist Church is bracing itself for a conference that will take on years of issues surrounding homosexuality. This could potentially split the second largest denomination in the country.”

 

Secular Trends on Gender and Sexuality

#BelieveWomen Is in a State of Legal Collapse, National Review (David French)

“Oddly enough, it’s progressive California judges who are dealing the movement its worst blows.”

LGBTQ families are on the cusp of dramatic growth, and millennials lead the way, USA Today (Susan Miller)

“One of the key findings from the survey by the Family Equality Council shows that 63 percent of LGBTQ millennials, those 18-35, are considering expanding their families by becoming first-time parents or by having more children.”

Push for statewide ban on conversion therapy in AZ, AZ Family (Nicole Crites)

“It’s a highly controversial topic in our heavily conservative state. It pits medical and mental health experts who’ve condemned the practice as ineffective, harmful and unethical against family and faith advocates who say this is about freedom of religion and speech, and a parent’s right to choose for their child.”

How a Trans Soldier Took On the Jail That Denied Her Medication, and Won, The New York Times (John Leland)

“She began her transition during a tour of Iraq. When jail doctors on Long Island denied her hormone therapy, her body turned on her. Now they owe her $355,000.”

Airlines to give customers ‘nonbinary’ choice under gender, AP (David Koenig)

“Major U.S. airlines say they will soon change their ticketing process to give passengers the option of identifying themselves as other than male or female. The gender option on airline sites will soon include choices such “undisclosed” or “unspecified.” There could also be the optional title of ‘Mx.'”

 

Gender and Sexuality Miscellany

Sexual Abuse by Teachers is on the Rise, The Aquila Report

Just under 500 educators were arrested on the incidences of sexual abuse in schools nationwide in 2015 according to statistics.

The Dating Games: An Online War Against True Love, Desiring God (Marshall Segal)

Online dating may have wed its thousands, but it’s wounded its tens of thousands. If you’re wandering out into the crossfire in your own search for marriage, are you awake to the pitfalls?

Can You Be Content with Singleness Today?, Desiring God (Rachel Jones)

When I consider my singleness on only today’s terms, it feels a lot less frightening. I have a God who knows me, hears me, and loves me. I have his promises to enjoy and speak back to him. And I have handfuls of gifts from his hand: a church family, friends, a home, a job. I’m okay.

How to get help if you are a victim of sexual abuse, ERLC (Brad Hambrick and J.D. Greear)

We, the church, have failed you, but we do not want you to forgo care or counsel. To that end, here are some options to consider:

Pastor, Preach like Hurt Women are Listening, The Gospel Coalition (Kendra Dahl)

In this day of unrelenting headlines and social-media commentary, the need is acute. But when these things are done well, women with trauma can feel loved by their pastors and, ultimately, by Christ himself.

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