Two openly gay Baptist leaders, who were denied ordination by the UK Baptist church are to be ordained in Canada on 27th October.
Andrea King and Luke Dowding will be ordained at the First Baptist Church Halifax (FBC) which is credentialed by the Canadian Association for Baptist Freedoms (CABF).
Both King and Dowding, previously accepted for ministry training in the UK, were denied ordination under the Baptist Union of Great Britain’s rules, which restrict ordination for openly gay individuals unless they commit to celibacy.
Luke Dowding and his husband were the first same-sex couple to marry in a Baptist church in Britain (Bloomsbury Central, London) in 2016.
The service marks CABF’s first international ordination and credentialing of openly LGBTQ+ ministers.
King and Dowding will not relocate to Canada but will continue their ministries in the UK, while maintaining ties with the CABF.
In a statement, chair of the credentialing committee, Rev Dr Rusty Edwards said: “I feel great confidence that October 27 is going to be a day of celebration within the global Baptist family and more importantly within the Kingdom of God.”
The FBC congregation voted unanimously to ordain the two ministers.
This comes amid wider discussions about LGBTQ+ inclusion within the global Baptist community.
The Baptist Union council provided Premier Christian News with this statement:
"Council maintains that the basis of our Union is the Declaration of Principle and, “that our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, God manifest in the flesh, is the sole and absolute authority in all matters pertaining to faith and practice, as revealed in the Holy Scriptures.
"Council has concluded that our Ministerial Recognition Rules concerning marriage and ministry will remain unchanged. Therefore, an accredited minister should not themselves be in a same-sex marriage.
"Nonetheless Council reiterates that sexual orientation is no bar to accreditation. Furthermore, Council upholds the liberty of the local church to appoint ministry according to their governing document."
