Kohima, 12 March (MTNews): The Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC) today addressed the church’s position on the LGBTQ+ community, emphasizing the need for clarity and compassion.
“We may have failed in our ministry to the LGBTQ+, but the time has come for us to make our position lovingly and compassionately clear: the LGBTQ+ lifestyle is unacceptable,” stated Dr Zelhou Keyhou, the general secretary of NBCC.
He underscored the belief that the LGBTQ+ lifestyle contradicts God’s design for marriage as between male and female, as well as the teachings of the Bible and the Christian faith. However, Dr Keyhou emphasized the church’s responsibility to reach out with love and compassion, refraining from making discriminatory judgments.
“We are not against the people who struggle with an LGBTQ+ lifestyle. Love the person but hate the sin should always be our approach. We also cannot criminalize and stigmatize them,” Dr Keyhou asserted.
The general secretary emphasized that while the church acknowledges the struggles individuals may face, it cannot endorse or encourage behavior that goes against its faith and teachings; rather, the church seeks to encourage redemptive transformation through understanding and support.
“The church’s position is simply to state that our lifestyle is against the teachings of our faith and practice. As much as we try to be good citizens of this world, Christians must also stand their ground on issues that impinge on our faith and morality because we have a higher calling to stay faithful to the teachings of the Bible,” Dr Keyhou reiterated.
Dr Keyhou further implored members of the LGBTQ+ community to seek redemptive transformation, while affirming the church’s commitment to approaching the issue with love, understanding, and fidelity to its beliefs.