The largest Baptist Union in the United Kingdom, Baptists Together, voted by 49 votes to 27 that their Ministerial Recognition Rules concerning marriage and ministry “will remain unchanged”.

After “a period of prayerful and careful listening”, UK Baptists decided in the Baptist Union Council held 19-20 March, that an accredited minister should therefore not be in a same sex marriage.

That does not mean that sexual orientation is a bar to accreditation. Furthermore, local churches still have the liberty to appoint ministers in accordance with its governing documents, the Council said in a statement.

Grace and reconciliation

Baptists Together' general secretary Lynn Green pointed out in a video message that the decision “affects real people’s lives, these are our brothers and sisters in Christ”, so that she asked Baptists to show “grace and respect to those who hold differing views to our own” and “pastoral sensitivity to all those who requested this change or who are unable to be in accredited ministry”.

Green recognised that taking the decision was “a challenging time”, and “part of the birthing of the new thing the Lord wants to do in and through us….a polarising world needs a reconciling church”.

You can read the full Baptist Union Council statement here.