Statement by religious leaders on Boy Scouts

By Touchstonemag

We strongly support the Boy Scouts of America current prohibition on open homosexuality and retaining it without revision.  Nearly 70 percent of BSA troops are hosted by churches and religious institutions.  Upholding traditional morality is vital for sustaining this partnership, for protecting Scout members, and for ensuring BSA has a strong future.  A proposal from the BSA board to prohibit “discrimination” based on “sexual orientation or preference” for BSA members potentially would open the Scouts to a wide range of open sexual expressions.  In our current culture, it is more important than ever for our churches to protect and provide moral nurture for young people and for the Scouts.  We implore members of the upcoming BSA Council to affirm the BSA’s present policy, which the U.S. Supreme Court has affirmed, and which has served BSA well.

(Titles are for identification only.)

Bishop David C. Anderson, Sr.
President, American Anglican Council

Sara L. Anderson
Executive Vice President
Bristol House, Ltd. (United Methodist)

Randy Alcorn,
Director of Eternal Perspective Ministries

The Rev. Canon Phil Ashey
Chief Operating & Development Officer
American Anglican Council

Dr. Robert D. Benne (Lutheran)
Jordan Trexler Professor Emeritus
and Research Associate
Religion and Philosophy, Roanoke College

David K. Bernard
General Superintendent
United Pentecostal Church International

Dr. Robert H. Blackburn
Past Chairman, National Association of Covenanting Congregations

The Rev. John Bradosky, Bishop
The North American Lutheran Church

Rev. Dr. Gemechis Desta Buba
Assistant to the Bishop for Missions,
North American Lutheran Church

Pastor Mark C. Chavez
General Secretary, North American Lutheran Church

Nancy Clark
President, Evangelical Women Leaders of the National Association of Evangelicals

The Rev. Sue Cyre
Executive Director of Presbyterians for Faith, Family and Ministry (PFFM)

The Most Reverend Robert Duncan,
Archbishop, The Anglican Church in North America

Dr. Anthony Esolen, Providence College

Dr. Jim Garlow
Senior Pastor; Chairman, Renewing American Leadership

Pastor Matthew Harrison
President, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod

Doug Harvey, Executive Director
Disciple Heritage Fellowship

Rev. Charles Huckaby,
Dean, Western Classis of the Calvin Synod Conference United Church of Christ Term 2010 – 2013

Clyde M. Hughes
Bishop/General Overseer
International Pentecostal Church of Christ

Bishop Harry R. Jackson
Presiding of the International Communion of Evangelical Churches.

Dr. Jeffrey Jeremiah
Stated Clerk
Evangelical Presbyterian Church

Bishop David Kendall
The Free Methodist Church – USA

James M. Kushiner
Executive Director, The Fellowship of St. James

Dr. Richard Land
President
Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission

John Lomperis
Director, United Methodist Action

Alex McFarland
Director for Christian Worldview and Apologetics
Senator Patricia Miller
Executive Director, Confessing Movement (United Methodist)

R. Albert Mohler, Jr., President
The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

Bob Morrison
Secretary, REVIVE! (Iowa United Methodist renewal)

Rev. Dr. Mary Holder Naegeli
Minister-at-Large, San Francisco Presbytery; Moderator of the Presbyterian Coalition

Thomas C. Oden
United Methodist theologian
Director, Center for Early African Christianity
Eastern University

Rev. William Owens Sr.
President, Coalition of African American Pastors

Dr. Eric Patterson
Dean, Robertson School of Government, Regent University

Dr. Bob Phillips
Senior Pastor;
Encourager Church, Houston
Co-Founder, Kairos Journal

Leon J. Podles
President
Crossland Foundation

Dr. Steve Riggle
Senior Pastor; Grace Church, Houston
President, Grace International

Dr. Mark E. Roberts
Publisher, Word & Spirit Press (Pentecostal/Charismatic) 

Bishop David Roller
The Free Methodist Church – USA

Rev. Kevin C. Rudolph
National Covenant Association of Churches
Windwood Presbyterian Church

Dr. Rick Scarborough
Founder and President, Vision America Action

The Rev. Dr. Frederick J. Schumacher
Executive Director, American Lutheran Publicity Bureau

Charles G. Scot
General Bishop of the Pentecostal Church of God

The Rev. W. Stevens Shipman
Director, Lutheran Coalition for Renewal

The Rev. Paul Stallsworth
President, Taskforce of United Methodists on Abortion and Sexuality

David M. Stanley
Director, Institute on Religion and Democracy
Chairman, United Methodist Action Steering Committee
Co-Chair, REVIVE! (Iowa United Methodist renewal)

John Stonestreet
Speaker and Author for Breakpoint and Summit Ministries

Bishop Ray Sutton
Ecumenical Officer, Anglican Church in North America

Eric Teetsel
Executive Director, Manhattan Declaration

Mark Tooley
President, Institute on Religion & Democracy

Bishop Matthew Thomas
The Free Methodist Church – USA 

The Rev. Dr. David Wendel
Assistant to the Bishop for Ministry and Ecumenism
The North American Lutheran Church

Dr. Luder Whitlock, Jr.
Interim President of Knox Theological Seminary.

Mark Williams
General Overseer, Church of God, Cleveland, Tennessee

Bishop Ronald Wilson
General Superintendent
Congregational Holiness Church

Dr. George O. Wood
General Superintendent
General Council of the Assemblies of God