By KRWG News
Texas – The Southern Baptist Convention has passed a resolution advocating a path to legal status for illegal immigrants.
The resolution was passed on Wednesday at the annual meeting of the nation's largest protestant denomination in Phoenix. It also calls on Southern Baptists to reject bigotry and to minister to all people, regardless of immigration status.
Resolutions committee chairman Paul Jimenez said the fact that the meeting was in Arizona, which some groups have boycotted over its perceived hostility toward immigrants, only played a small role in the introduction of the resolution.
He said the main reason for the resolution was the desire to spread the gospel to immigrants.
The resolution only passed by a broad margin after language was added saying it should not be construed as an endorsement of amnesty.
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press.