Bishop Harry Jackson, senior pastor of Hope Christian Church, and the man who led the fight against same-sex marriage in Washington D.C, learned this week about the numerous pro-gay proponents on the Jim Wallis inspired document, the “Covenant for Civility.”
Noting he could not be “in covenant” with those who take such an anti-Biblical position, Jackson planned to call Assemblies of God leader George O. Wood, the civility covenant’s first prominent defector, to inform Dr. Wood that he too would be withdrawing his name.
Both men were introduced to the agreement through the National Association of Evangelicals, and never informed of the pro-homosexual, pro-abortion individuals who were added to the list.
Informed today his name still remains on the Covenant for Civility, Jackson planned to take appropriate steps to remedy the situation.
“He does not want to be on that list,” a staff person emphasized.
The agreement begins “As Christian pastors and leaders…” The civility covenant also refers to “…the unity we have in the Body of Christ.”
But Biblical Christians and the numerous “social gospel Christians” who are signatories have radically different understandings of Jesus Christ, why He came, and what He requires.
Thus the “unequal yoking” of men like Wood and Jackson with emergent leader Brian McLaren, for example, and Greg Rickel, Head of the Episcopal Church in Western Washington.
According to the Seattle Times, Rickel “has ordained, and says he will continue to ordain, gay and lesbian clergy. He cherishes the denomination’s embrace of a wide variety of viewpoints, and he decries the actions of conseratives who’ve left the church over disagreements about homosexuality and interpretation of Scripture.”
Had Jackson remained a signatory, future opposition to same-sex marriage and other issues could potentially have been neutralized.
(Note: Lighthouse Trails Research will soon publish an in-depth article on the serpentine saga of the Covenant for Civility…)
Tagged: assemblies of God, civility, covenant, covenant for civility, doctrine, gay marriage, harry jackson, lighthouse, same sex marriage
