Military Chaplain Who Failed to Condemn Gay Marriage Hounded from Job

Tech. Sgt. Erwynn Umali and Will Behrens at Service Attended by Wagoner

The far right's war against anyone who recognizes the humanity of gays and who understands that our relationships have worth continues.  Earlier in the month I wrote about the civil union service conducted at the McGuire Air Force Base chapel and noted that Col. Timothy Wagoner,an Air Force chaplain affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention for 20 years, had been present at the service.  Wagoner had been quoted as saying:

"I don't feel I'm compromising my beliefs ... I'm supporting the community."  .   .   .   "We have to respect the faith requirements of the chaplain and we have to take care of the needs of the airman."  .   .   .  "As a Southern Baptist, why was I here? I was here to lend support," Wagoner said. "I was here supporting Airman Umali. I've worked with him. He's a comrade in arms."   "I'm also supporting Chaplain Reeb," he said. "She gave a beautiful ceremony."

In the fear and hate based world of the Southern Baptist Convention ("SBC"), Wagoner was apparently guilty of heresy and the North American Mission Board of the  SBC has announced that Wagoner is abruptly leaving the SBC.  Yep, the bitter modern day Pharisees simply could not tolerate anyone who doesn't view gays as sick, diseased sinners.  Here are highlights from the announcement:

The Air Force chaplain who attended a same-sex civil union that took place in June has notified chaplaincy leaders at the North American Mission Board (NAMB) that he is leaving the Southern Baptist Convention.

“Southern Baptists love and pray for our chaplains. That being said, we only want to endorse chaplains who can support Baptist doctrine and belief without reservation,” said Kevin Ezell, NAMB’s president. “When it comes to what our chaplains believe and practice, we do ask and we do expect them to tell.”

NAMB chaplaincy leaders contacted Air Force Chaplain (Col.) Timothy Wagoner after an Associated Press article appeared in early July describing him as “watching supportively” during the civil union. At the time, Wagoner indicated to NAMB he did not support the ceremony. He also gave assurances of his support for Baptist Faith and Message 2000 and for the biblical definition of one man, one woman marriage.

“If an SBC chaplain concludes he cannot conduct his ministry in harmony with SBC beliefs and doctrine, then it is best to part ways,” Ezell said.

  

Wagoner sounds like he's a decent man and one can only hope that should he desire to continue his work as a chaplain that he can become associated with a less hateful and backward thinking denomination.  We need more people like Wagoner and far, far few like those on the North American Mission Board.  And based on the soaring number of "nones," the SBC along with similar denominations best known for hate and intolerance seems to be slowly killing the Christian brand.  In my view, the SBC version of Christianity can't vanish from the planet soon enough.  So many lives are harmed by such ignorant and bigoted beliefs.