A leading figure in America’s largest Protestant denomination abruptly resigned from his job this week over what he calls a “morally inappropriate relationship in the recent past.”
Frank Page is, er, was the president and chief executive of the Southern Baptist Convention, which consists of more than 47,000 independently operating Baptist churches, with a total membership of more than 16 million people, and an annual budget of nearly $200 million.
The Southern Baptist Convention opposes same-sex marriage, prohibits congregations from blessing same-sex unions or ordaining gay and lesbian clergy, opposes gay-straight alliances in schools, and is against legislation banning discrimination against LGBTQ in the workplace.
Related: Southern Baptists Officially Declare “War” On Gay Marriage
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On Monday, Page announced his retirement, which took many by surprise. Then on Tuesday, he issued a statement clarifying why he was stepping down, saying it was because of a “personal failing” that has “embarrassed my family, my Lord, myself, and the Kingdom.”
The statement continued:
Out of a desire to protect my family and those I have hurt, I initially announced my retirement earlier today without a complete explanation. However, after further wrestling with my personal indiscretion, it became apparent to me that this situation must be acknowledged in a more forthright manner.
But it’s not just Page’s “personal failing” that has people talking. It’s the shroud of mystery that seems to surround it. It’s not clear who the other party in the “morally inappropriate relationship” was, whether they were female… or male.
Naturally, this has a lot of people speculating.
What are the odds Frank Page was “dating” a gay porn star? https://t.co/MreIB4bxB7
— Mr Texas (@RGVCritic) March 28, 2018
Frank S Page The Pope and CEO of 48,000 Southern Baptist Churches in the USA. WHO HAS dragged the United States people around by its nose on which Republican ONLY to vote for or your not christian. Has resigned due to Homosexual sins he's committed. Gay Man in the Church closet
— Mark Anthony (@AlleyGatorGunge) March 29, 2018
Stephen Rummage, the SBC’s executive committee’s current chairman, issued a statement over the matter that was also incredibly vague.
Rummage simply said his “heart is broken” for Page, saying he was “personally counting on the prayers of Southern Baptists” to help Page and his family with “the spiritual and emotional support they need in the coming days.”
Related: The 100 largest churches in America are all antigay and almost all run by white dudes
DCguy
He looks a lot like Jeff Sessions…….so of course he was sleeping with rent boys.
crowebobby
If I had that kind of money, I’d be sleeping with rent boys, too. And ordering a baker’s dozen a day. (Of course I wouldn’t be discouraging anyone else from doing likewise.)
Mick406
SAM: If that picture of you is when you were young, you sure were a mighty nice looking young man.
Lacuevaman
what? you’re a fool. I’ll wait for more news rather then sh*t from folks like you.
Kangol
All that hate and oppression this man promoted through his sect and preaching, probably because he could not deal with being trapped in his own closet.
There’s a reason we have counselors, psychologists and psychiatrists, and people like this horrible man should avail themselves of them, instead of subjecting their violent self-hatred, self-loathing, and inability to deal with their desires, upon the rest of us. They do so much damage to so many.
CastleSF
He is a deeply religious man and he has admitted that his conducts betrayed his belief. Sure he is not gay friendly but neither are many other people in this country. If he does repent, hopefully he can reconcile with his family.
charlietex
How about hopefully he can realize how wrong his religion is, and that if he is a gay or bisexual man then there is nothing wrong with that?
dwes09
Are you REALLY that dull? Are you actually that naive!?
This is a man whose actions have caused pain and even death in many lgbt people while he smugly preaches heaven for those whose hearts are full of hate.
He is NOT a deeply religious man but one deluded by hatred. You may be certain his cryptic “confession” only came when his “sinful” actions (whatever they were) came to light. Hopefully his family will do to him what he has so, so often preached the families of others should do to them. Hopefully his humiliation will be deep and complete and he will never recover from it.
PLEASE get help with your problems so you can reconnect with reality.
Troyfight
^….thinking when it’s abrupt, then he’s trying to beat someone else from first exposing him….which seems to follow anyway in these cases.
Mick406
I’m thinking the same thing. His abrupt resignation tells me he is trying to head trouble off at the pass. There is either a female out there who was getting ready to blackmail him, or there was a gay event that put him in this situation. Did he solicit sex in a bathroom stall and end up getting threat notes from some underage kid? Was he seen in public at a gay bar? Did he have a secret lover on the side and that person threatened to expose him? I bet within 2 weeks we’ll know the answer.
thomphelps
With trump leading evangelicals into hell what difference does it make for the baptist pope to be morally bankrupt as well?
Trekbike
I used to have a friend and neighbor who’s name was Tom Phelps. Now I’m curious!! Hmmm
mossolbtraf
My father was a Southern Baptist pastor. We were chilled out compared to the hardliners. However, I was still petrified that my sexuality would cost me my family relationships, and my soul.
Now that I am comfortable in my own skin, I can’t understand why any gays WANT to be accepted by any imaginary god and the indoctrination all religions impose in their children.
Also, anyone who believes the bible is pro-gay either hasn’t read it, or is trying to sell something.
I’m not bitter and twisted. I still have a great relationship with my family, and will be joining them for their Easter celebrations. But I no longer need to cling to something else to justify my self-worth.
chris33133
Nicely said.
chris33133
I see what you did there. Nice homage.
Invader7
Possibly caught in a bath house, a book store , a no tell motel, a massage parlor, or was/is a client of a gay escort service. Watch the butt hole says the devil made him do it. Yeah and he’s sin free !! Typical republithug HYPOCRITE !!!
robert_moore
Fuck him and his church. Southern Baptists are to Christianity as radical mullahs are to Islam. I’ve had to live with them nearly my entire life. While most Christians, indeed most religious, are hypocrites to varying degrees, Southern Baptists take it to a whole different level of spite and self-righteous arrogance.