SNELLVILLE, Ga. — Georgia Baptists have voiced their support for Israel as well as their condemnation of Hamas for what they described in a resolution approved on Tuesday as an “abhorrent” attack that “defies human dignity.”
“We call upon our state and national leaders to remain steadfast in their support for Israel, which for 75 years has been one of our nation’s closest allies,” the state’s largest religious group, the Georgia Baptist Convention, said in the resolution.
Israel declared war after Hamas’ Oct. 7 surprise attack that killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians. The militants also took roughly 240 hostages into Gaza.
“We support the right of Israel to exist as a sovereign state and reject any activities that threaten that right,” the resolution said.
“We encourage and promote the principle that Jewish people here in the United States are not to be disrespected and/or mistreated because the nation of Israel is defending and protecting its citizens from further attacks from terrorist groups like Hamas," the resolution said.
Messengers to the Georgia Baptist Convention’s annual meeting also passed a resolution that calls on corporations to stop providing funding or other benefits to their employees in getting abortions, including for travel to facilities that perform the procedures.
That resolution requests instead that corporations provide funding and benefits to employees to assist with the cost of pregnancies, childbirth, foster care and adoption while also providing funding for pro-life, pro-adoption and pro-family charitable organizations.
What follows is the full text of the resolutions in the order they were presented on Tuesday:
Resolution of Appreciation
WHEREAS, the 201th Annual Session of the Georgia Baptist Convention met at Church on Main Snellville, Georgia on November 13-14, 2023 in which the messengers representing Georgia Baptist Churches were greeted with Christian grace and warm Southern hospitality; and
WHEREAS, the pastors of Church on Main, the church staff, church members and many volunteers have tirelessly served the needs of every messenger to the Georgia Baptist Convention in fellowship of the Lord: “Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13-14 CSB); and
WHEREAS, the musicians, choirs and worship leaders have provided thrilling praise and uplifting celebration in every convention session; and
WHEREAS, Steve Parr and the Gwinnett Metro Baptist Network, has demonstrated second-mile cooperation, service, and hospitality in preparation for and during the meeting; and
BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED, that we, the messengers of the 201st session of the Georgia Baptist Convention, offer sincere appreciation to the leaders and members of Church on Main for their hospitality and service; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we, the messengers of this session of the Georgia Baptist Convention, express our loving appreciation for and extend our heartfelt gratitude to Josh Saefkow, president of our beloved Convention; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we, the messengers of this session of the Georgia Baptist Convention, extend honor and thanksgiving to the officers and platform leaders for their guidance and service throughout this meeting; and we express gratitude to Mrs. Kelsie Saefkow and family for their loving support of our president and Convention during this past year; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we also express our sincere appreciation and gratitude to God for those who serve on the Georgia Baptist Executive Committee, as well as Georgia Baptist Mission Board staff who faithfully serve the causes of Christ here in Georgia and around the world; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we commend the Committee on Order of Business and Tim Jones, Chairman, for the preparation of this inspirational program; and
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that we, the messengers of this Convention, join our President Josh Saefkow and Executive Director, Thomas Hammond, in continuing to emphasize and practice the challenging theme, Calling out the Called Acts 20:24 “However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me-the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.”
Resolution on Corporations Funding Travel for Abortions
WHEREAS, Scripture reveals that all human life is created in the image of God, and therefore sacred to our Creator (Genesis 1:27; Genesis 9:6); and
WHEREAS, the Bible affirms that the unborn baby is a person bearing the image of God from the moment of conception (Psalm 139:13–16; Luke 1:44); and
WHEREAS, Scripture further commands the people of God to plead for protection for the innocent and justice for the fatherless (Psalm 72:12–14; Psalm 82:3; James 1:27); and
WHEREAS, the Georgia Baptist Convention has passed many resolutions reaffirming the importance of human life at all stages of development, and opposing all forms of abortion except to save the physical life of the mother; and
WHEREAS, the Supreme Court’s decision on June 24, 2022, in the case between
Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health overturned both Roe v. Wade (1973) and Planned Parenthood v. Casey (1992) returning to individual states the power to regulate any aspect of abortion not protected by federal law; and
WHEREAS, many publicly traded corporations began to offer to their employees funds to cover the cost to travel out of state for an abortion if abortions were not accessible in their state of residence;
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the messengers of the Georgia Baptist Convention at Church on Main in Snellville on November 13-14, 2023, request that all corporations, both public and private, cease to provide funds or any other benefits to its employees that aid or assist the ability to get an abortion; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we request all corporations, both public and private, offer funding or benefits to its employees to assist in the cost of pregnancy, childbirth, foster care, and adoption, and,
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that all public and private corporations and their related foundations and philanthropic endeavors also include pro-life, pro-adoption, and pro-family charitable organizations in the distribution of financial grants and other material support they provide to other charitable organizations.
GBC Resolution Supporting Israel
WHEREAS, on October 7, 2023, Hamas carried out an unprovoked attack from the Gaza Strip on the nation of Israel; and
WHEREAS, this attack and others since then not only gave no regard for civilians but in fact actually targeted civilians, taking many as hostages and killing many more; and
WHEREAS, such brutality defies human dignity and is abhorrent regardless of who the perpetrators or victims may be; and
WHEREAS, the nation of Israel, though constantly maligned and its very existence threatened, has the right to defend itself just as any other nation; and
WHEREAS, even in the United States, Jewish people and citizens are being harassed, mistreated, and protested against; and
WHEREAS, we share with the nation of Israel many values as the only democratic ally of the United States in the Middle East; and
WHEREAS, the Old Testament declares God’s promise to Abram, “I will make of thee a great nation...I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed” (Genesis 12:1–3); and
WHEREAS, Israel represents the descendants of Jacob as an ethnic, cultural, and national entity (Genesis 32:28); and
WHEREAS, the New Testament affirms that salvation is from the Jews and that God’s Word concerning Israel will be fulfilled (John 4:22; Romans 1:16; Romans 9–11); and
WHEREAS, we are to pray for the peace of Jerusalem and for the salvation of Israel (Psalm 122:6–7; Romans 10:1); and
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that we, the messengers of the Georgia Baptist Convention, meeting at Church on Main in Snellville, Georgia on November 13-14, 2023, condemn in the strongest terms possible, the atrocities conducted against Israel in this current conflict by Hamas, and any other nation or organization that may come against Israel; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we support the right of Israel to exist as a sovereign state and reject any activities that threaten that right; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we call upon our state and national leaders to remain steadfast in their support for Israel, which for 75 years has been one of our nation’s closest allies; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that at this critical time when dangerous forces have mounted up against the nation of Israel, we recommit ourselves to pray for God’s peace to rule in Jerusalem and for the salvation of Jews and Palestinians, for the gospel “is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth, for the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” (Romans 1:16); and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that though we recognize this conflict is on a national level, we must also pray for the well-being of individuals on both sides who know Jesus and are our brothers and sisters, and that their testimony of faith in Christ would be clear and strong in these trying times; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we encourage and promote the principle that Jewish people here in the United States are not to be disrespected and/or mistreated because the nation of Israel is defending and protecting its citizens from further attacks from terrorist groups like Hamas; and
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that we also pray for all individuals involved in this conflict who do not yet know Christ, knowing that our God can bring good out of evil and glorify Himself even in the midst of such tragedy, that they too would come to a saving faith in Jesus.
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