NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – The president of the nation’s largest Protestant denomination on Tuesday exhorted members to stand united against same-sex marriage and vowed never to officiate at a same-sex union.
Pastor Ronnie Floyd was speaking to delegates at the Southern Baptist Convention’s annual meeting in Columbus, Ohio. But he said his message was also for the U.S. Supreme Court – which is expected to rule within days on whether same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marry – and for all of America.
Floyd said he has compassion for people whom he described as struggling with same-sex attraction, but he said it would be wrong to remain silent on the issue.
“America: We stand believing that marriage is the uniting of one man and one woman in a covenant commitment for a lifetime,” Floyd said to a standing ovation from the 5,000 people in attendance. “We do not need to redefine what God himself has defined already.”
The theme of Floyd’s address was “now is the time to lead,” a refrain he repeated several times. In addition to marriage, Floyd also asked Southern Baptists to lead opposition to abortion, saying, “Even though reports state that abortion rates are down some, we do not need to become content in or callous to this deplorable issue,” he said.