Calvary Baptist Church in Northwest Washington DC, the U.S. capitol has hired a married lesbian couple as co-pastors. Sally Sarratt and Maria Swearingen were presented to the congregation and approved on January 8, 2017 during morning worship.
“We have found it so easy to fall in love with Calvary and its longstanding commitment to be a voice of justice and compassion for those who perpetually find the wholeness of their humanity disregarded and maligned,” the pastors said in a press release issued by the church. The two women come from Greenville, SC where they were both serving as chaplains for two different organizations, Sarratt for Greenville Health System and Swearingen for Furman University.
The progressive church had been connected to the Southern Baptist Convention, but severed its ties over the denomination’s opposition to same-sex marriage and ordination of gay and lesbian clergy, among other things, in 2012. It is now an affiliate of the American Baptist Churches USA, the more liberal denomination.
Carol Blythe, chair of Calvary’s Ministerial Selection Committee, said Calvary was impressed with the couple’s vision for the church during the hiring process. “As we met and talked with Sally and Maria about their vision for pastoral leadership at Calvary,” said Carol Blythe, “we were struck by their deep faith and commitment to being part of a gospel community.”
Apparently, gay friendly, progressive churches have given up on the Bible’s authority and historical conditions for pastoral leadership. As the nations become more like Sodom and Gomorrah, many religiously inclined liberals are enthusiastic about their churches following in the same track. This is one more sign that the second coming of Christ is near.
“Likewise also, as it was in the days of Lot…” Luke 17:28.