WASHINGTON, D.C. (Special) — The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) in Nashville has joined with SBC and other Christian leaders in developing an Evangelical Statement in Support of Israel in response to the atrocities committed in recent days against the people of Israel by Palestinian terror group Hamas.
The latest death count from the ongoing hostilities is over 1,200 people in Israel, including at least 22 Americans, and 400 people in Gaza. It is believed U.S. citizens are among an unknown number of hostages captured and held in Hamas strongholds in Gaza.
U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan reported on the morning of October 11 that at least 20 Americans remain missing in the war zone.
The statement has garnered more than 60 signatories from SBC leaders and a broad group of evangelicals to support Israel and advocate for the vulnerable involved with this ongoing conflict. SBC-related signatories include:
— Bart Barber, SBC president and senior pastor of First Church, Farmersville, Texas.
— R. Albert Mohler, president of Southern Seminary, Louisville, Ky.
— Jason Allen, president of Midwestern Seminary, Kansas City, Mo.
— David Dockery, president of Southwestern Seminary, Ft. Worth, Texas.
— O.S. Hawkins, chancellor of Southwestern Seminary.
— Gregory Perkins, president of the SBC National African American Fellowship and
lead pastor of The View Church, Menifee, Ca.
— Jonathan Howe, interim president of the SBC Executive Committee, Nashville, Tenn.
— Bryant Wright, president of SEND Relief, the compassion ministry of Southern Baptists’ International Mission Board in Richmond, Va., and North American Mission Board in Alpharetta, Ga.
— Brent Leatherwood, ERLC president.
— Nine former SBC presidents.
“These repugnant atrocities by Hamas should shake us to our core,” Leatherwood said. “Hundreds of innocent Israeli lives have been struck down by a rampaging enemy. There should be no question that the Israeli government has the right to defend its citizens and sovereignty that have been so grossly violated.
“Our statement today, from leaders across denominational lines in evangelicalism and from various sectors of ministry, represents a significant show of solidarity with Israel as it responds to this evil,” he said.
“In the face of such wickedness, this is not the time for false equivalency or excuses by national leaders and policymakers, but clear-eyed moral leadership. Extremists and authoritarians are threatening lives across the globe, rendering countless individuals vulnerable.
“As we read in the 13th chapter of the Book of Romans, governments have a responsibility to thwart such evil — and that responsibility should translate to action. At the same time, we must pray without ceasing for the families who have and continue to suffer from this attack. We pray that no additional innocent life be taken as Israel rightfully defends itself from this horror,” Leatherwood said.
The statement also calls on Christians across the globe to pray for the salvation and peace of the people in Israel and Palestine.
Daniel Darling, another signatory and director of The Land Center for Cultural Engagement at Southwestern Seminary, served as a key drafter for the statement. “These despicable acts represent a second Holocaust against the Jewish people. As in every generation, Israel needs defenders.
“There can be no equivocation. This is the time for the church to speak clearly and with one voice that we not only condemn these barbarous acts of terrorism but that we support Israel’s right to defend itself. I’m grateful for the moral clarity of those who added their name to this document and pray for the peace of Jerusalem,” Darling said.
Send Relief, which has begun working with partners in the Middle East to render aid in the war zone, is also asking for prayers for peace and for needed resources such as food, water, and medicine to reach those impacted by the conflict. Financial gifts can be made through SendRelief.org here.
Messengers to the 2016 SBC annual meeting passed a resolution titled, “On Prayer and Support For Israel” supporting the right of Israel to exist as a sovereign state.
The full Evangelical Statement in Support of Israel can found here.
