The following standing resolutions were approved at the 2020 90th Annual Meeting. Updated at the 2022 92nd Annual Meeting
STANDING RESOLUTIONS
RESOLUTION #1 – ON SHARING THE GOSPEL
Whereas most of the contemporary culture is living without the hope of eternal life;
Whereas the general population in Oklahoma and America is in opposition to traditional Christianity;
Whereas the Gospel of Christ clearly given in the Holy Scriptures is the only hope offered to lost and needy people; and
Whereas PLBA is encouraging its churches to participate in the presentation of the gospel and providing resources to assist in training church members; now, therefore be it
Resolved, the churches of Pottawatomie Lincoln Baptist Association (PLBA):
1. be charged to train their members in personal evangelism and the pastors also be encouraged to extend gospel invitations at public worship services; and
2. that the pastors and other church leaders be encouraged to faithfully set an example to their churches in helping to fulfill the Great Commission (Matthew 28).
RESOLUTION #2 – ON ASSOCIATIONAL MISSIONS AND COOPERATIVE PROGRAM
Whereas the ministries and missions of the 62 congregations of PLBA are most fully realized in cooperation with one another and many other Southern Baptists;
Whereas the particular purpose of the Pottawatomie-Lincoln Baptist Association is to assist and enable the churches to fulfill their unique missions and provide channels for cooperative ministry;
Whereas Pottawatomie-Lincoln Baptist Association is a cooperating body of local Southern Baptist churches existing for the purpose of glorifying God by enabling each church to fulfill its unique mission for Christ and by providing channels for cooperating ministry “together…building stronger churches…;” and
Whereas our Association, State Convention, and North American and International Missions depend on Cooperative Program giving; now, therefore be it
Resolved, the churches of Pottawatomie Lincoln Baptist Association (PLBA):
1. give their ardent and ongoing support and involvement in the future ministry and mission of Pottawatomie-Lincoln Baptist Association, Oklahoma Baptists, NAMB, and SBC ministries and mission;
2. encourage one another to pray faithfully for their sister churches, participate in the mutual work of the association and unite regularly in Christian Fellowship; and
3. faithfully support the work of the association and the denomination by pressing toward a goal to increase each church’s financial giving by 1%.
RESOLUTION #3 – FINANCIAL PRACTICE OF BIBLICAL STEWARDSHIP
Whereas God is the source of all blessings, material and spiritual;
Whereas Christians should contribute of their means cheerfully, regularly, systematically, proportionally, and liberally for the advancement of the gospel; and
Whereas financial indebtedness has enslaved God’s people, both personally and congregationally, from biblical giving; now, therefore be it
Resolved, the churches of Pottawatomie Lincoln Baptist Association (PLBA):
1. affirm the biblical principles of financial stewardship;
2. faithfully contribute through tithes and offerings to their local churches; and
3. responsibly manage both personal and church indebtedness enabling them to contribute more sacrificially to the Great Commission for the glory of God.
RESOLUTION #4 – ON BIBLICAL FAMILIES
Whereas God has ordained the family as the foundational institution of human society;
Whereas marriage is the uniting of one man and one woman in covenant commitment for a lifetime;
Whereas it is God’s unique gift to reveal the union between Christ and His church and to provide in marriage the framework for intimacy and sexual expression according to biblical standards; and
Whereas parents are to model for their children God’s pattern for marriage, teach them spiritual and moral values and how to make choices based on biblical truth; now, therefore be it
Resolved, the churches of Pottawatomie Lincoln Baptist Association (PLBA):
1. go on record reaffirming the biblical standard for the family as reflected in Ephesians 5-6; and
2. be encouraged to preach, instruct, and live out God’s biblical standard for the family.
RESOLUTION #5 – ON THE SANCTITY OF HUMAN LIFE
Whereas in the beginning, the Triune God chose to create humanity in His image and according to His likeness, such that “God created man in His own image; He created Him in the image of God; He created them male and female” (Genesis 1:26–27);
Whereas God judged His creation of humanity to be very good indeed (Genesis 1:31), crowned humanity with honor and glory, making them rulers over the works of His hands (Psalm 8:5–6) and put eternity in all human hearts so we might seek after Him (Ecclesiastes 3:11);
Whereas God’s precious likeness and image was passed down from Adam to his posterity, the human race, through generations (Genesis 5:3);
Whereas God sent His own perfect image, Jesus Christ, into the world (Colossians 1:15; Hebrews 1:3), intending through the sufferings of Christ (Hebrews 2:10) for human beings to become conformed, renewed, and transformed into the same image of Christ (Romans 8:29; 2 Corinthians 3:18; Colossians 3:9–10);
Whereas God intends to bless human beings to “bear the image of the man of heaven,” Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:49; cf. 1 John 3:2) and “wants everyone to be saved” through hearing and believing His gospel (1 Timothy 2:4; cf. Ezekiel 18:23; Matthew 23:37; 2 Peter 3:9);
Whereas significant challenges threaten the dignity and worthiness of human beings who do not possess power or advantage, including but not limited to the heinous murder of the unborn child in the womb, the enforced withdrawal of life-sustaining medical care from the ill or infirm, the prejudices and discriminations of racism and ethnocentrism, various abuses of other human persons, the denigration of opposing political groups and persecutions of religious minorities; and
Whereas Article III of The Baptist Faith and Message clearly affirms that human dignity is an inviolable status, stating, “The 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;” now, therefore, be it
Resolved, the churches of Pottawatomie Lincoln Baptist Association (PLBA):
1. reaffirm the sacredness and full dignity and worthiness of respect and Christian love for every single human being, without any reservation whatsoever;
2. affirm the full dignity of every unborn child and denounce every act of abortion except to save the mother’s physical life;
3. affirm the full dignity of every human being, whether or not any political, legal, or medical authority considers a human being possessive of “viable” life regardless of cognitive or physical disability, and denounce every act that would wrongly limit the life of any human at any stage or state of life; and
4. affirm the full dignity of every human being and commit to model God’s saving love by sharing the eternal hope found in the gospel, to call all people to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:19–20; 2 Corinthians 5:11; 1 Peter 3:14–17) and to love our neighbors as ourselves (Matthew 22:39; Romans 12:10,15; Philippians 2:4–7).
RESOLUTION #6 – ON CELEBRATING THE ADVANCEMENT OF PRO-LIFE LEGISLATION IN OKLAHOMA
Whereas scripture reveals that all human life is created in the image of God and therefore sacred to our Creator (Genesis 1:27; 9:6);
Whereas the Bible affirms that the unborn child is a person, bearing the image of God, from the moment of conception (Psalm 139:13– 16; Luke 1:44);
Whereas Southern Baptists have historically upheld the sanctity of life in the womb and repeatedly reaffirmed opposition to legalized abortion;
Whereas the United States Supreme Court has overturned Roe v. Wade on June 24th, 2022; now, therefore, be it
Resolved, the churches of Pottawatomie Lincoln Baptist Association (PLBA):
1. reaffirm the sanctity of life in the womb;
2. stand in support of both the Heartbeat Bill and the “Do No Harm” measure attached to Senate Bill 1552, now reemerged as House Bill 1182;
3. support and pray for the Oklahoma Baptist Pro-Life Task Force and our convention president as they fight for these policy efforts on our behalf; and
4. urge the Supreme Court of the United States to overturn Roe v. Wade so more states can be empowered to protect by law the human dignity of the most vulnerable.
RESOLUTION #7 – ON FOSTER PARENTING and ADOPTION
Whereas approximately 9,000 children are in Oklahoma DHS custody in need of foster homes1;
Whereas there are more than 500 children on any given day in Oklahoma who are legally free and waiting for adoptive families2;
Whereas approximately 400 children in tribal custody are in need of tribal foster homes3;
Whereas more than 1,000 children in state custody have a goal of adoption3; and
Whereas the Bible clearly teaches us, as Christians, that we have been adopted into the family of God (Ephesians 1:5, Romans 8:15); now, therefore be it
Resolved, the churches of Pottawatomie Lincoln Baptist Association (PLBA):
1. encourage families in our churches to prayerfully consider the options available to them for foster parenting or the adoption of these children; and
2. that the churches with members who are fostering children or have adopted children be graciously and generously supported with financial and other resources.
RESOLUTION #8 – ON SEXUALITY AND PERSONAL IDENTITY
Whereas all persons are made in God’s image and should seek to glorify Him in every arena of their lives, including their self-understanding and identity (Genesis 1:26–27; Psalm 100:3; 1 Corinthians 10:31);
Whereas the Lord calls His people to pursue lives of holiness as a reflection of His holy character (Leviticus 20:7; 1 Peter 1:16);
Whereas Christians are instructed to acknowledge, honor, and live according to God’s design for sexual relations solely within the covenantal union of marriage between one man and one woman for life (Genesis 1:26–28; 2:18–24; Matthew 19:4–6; 1 Corinthians 6:12–20; Ephesians 5:22–33);
Whereas many in our culture assume the satisfaction of sexual desire is indispensable to human wholeness and flourishing, which leads some to affirm fallen sexual desires as a defining mark of personal identity;
Whereas some brothers and sisters in Christ have tried to affirm God’s design for sexuality while embracing a personal identity as a “gay Christian” or a “sexual minority;”
Whereas this self-understanding and self-expression is open to misinterpretation, affirms a sinful desire as a marker of personal identity, and may imply that one’s sanctification would preclude the possibility of deliverance from same-sex sexual desire; and
Whereas the Bible does not label a Christian’s identity based on past actions or present temptations but on present justification and future glorification (Romans 8:1–11; 1 Corinthians 6:9–11); now, therefore, be it
Resolved, that the churches of Pottawatomie Lincoln Baptist Association (PLBA):
1. urge that Christians refrain from describing themselves or embracing a self-identity in ways that suggest affirmation of sinful desires or unbiblical social constructs; (Matthew 5:27-30)
2. Galatians 5:19; Ephesians 5:3; 1 Thessalonians 4:3–5);
3. call on all Christians who struggle against same-sex attraction to forsake any self-conception or personal identity that is contrary to God’s good and holy purposes in creation and redemption;
4. commend the faithful witness of Christians who experience same-sex attraction, who remain chaste out of faithfulness to Christ, and whose costly obedience Jesus promises to reward (Matthew 16:24–26; 19:29);
5. affirm that God’s grace provides both pardon and power so that a follower of Jesus Christ can mortify sinful desires and walk in a manner worthy of the gospel (1 Corinthians 10:13); and
6. call on our Associational churches to call sinners to repentance while ministering, encouraging, fostering hospitality, and extending Christlike love toward those brothers and sisters who experience same-sex attraction.
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1 www.oklahomafostors.com/statistics
2 Ibid.
3 Ibid
