Local Baptist churches have to say if they disagree that marriage is for men and women couples only

Baptists will be asked to disclose if a local church or pastor disagrees with a NSW/ACT Baptist Association “position statement” on marriage.

At a recent Baptist Assembly (their convention or synod) meeting, the NSW/ACT Baptists established a mechanism requiring local churches and ministers to disclose if they disagree with three “position statements,” one of which defines marriage as between a heterosexual couple.

“Marriage is a covenant relationship ordained by God as a lifelong faithful union of one man and one woman. Sexual intimacy outside such a marriage relationship is incompatible with God’s intention for us as his people,” the position statement says. It was adopted at a Baptist Assembly meeting in late 2022, but whether or how to enforce compliance with the statement has taken longer for the Baptists to decide.

Motions from the November 2022 meeting that would have required churches and accredited pastors to affirm the Position Statement on Marriage every five years were not brought forward to the 2023 Assembly meeting. At that stage, the Baptist leaders urged a delay: “It is not clear to Assembly Council what process is best employed to engage with already affiliated Churches and already accredited Pastors who cannot support our basic doctrines, objects, core values or Positions Statements. In this, the Council’s view is that we have not yet discerned the mind of Christ.” 

Instead, the new rules adopted this year require self-disclosure if a pastor or church does not support any or all of the position statements rather than regular affirmation of them.

The process was delayed to ensure wide consultation and feedback during its development. This careful exploration of the issues meant that the Baptist Assembly agreed to the new procedure and its resultant updated guidelines with greater than 80% support and the few changes to their constitution with greater than 90% support.

Baptists prioritize the autonomy of the local church. The adoption of the position statement and the debate over requiring churches and pastors to affirm it have led to a spirited debate within this most democratic denomination.

In response to the developments in the NSW/ACT Baptists, several churches joined an alternative Association known as the Open Baptists, along with interstate churches wanting to emphasise the Baptist distinctive of local church autonomy. The Other Cheek understands that simply joining the Open Baptists does not mean a church needs to leave the NSW/ACT Baptist Association.

In late 2023, The Other Cheek was told by Belinda Groves, a pastor and team leader at Canberra Baptist, “Our church (and Seaforth and Hamilton) have already been contacted directly and told that (once a process for disaffiliating churches and disaccrediting pastors has been developed) we will be disaffiliated.” The new process, as adopted by the Baptist Assembly, means that if these churches maintain their progressive stance and disclose they don’t support the position statement on marriage, they would have to leave the NSW/ACT Baptist Association.