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A new association of Baptist churches, the Open Baptists, has announced itself.
The Open Baptists Association has emerged in response to a decision by the NSW & ACT Association of Baptist Churches to disaffiliate churches and remove the accreditation of pastors that do not support the Association’s position statement on marriage. In view of the impending split in the NSW & ACT Association and holding grief in our hearts that it now seems unavoidable, Baptists from NSW, ACT & Victoria gathered in Canberra on the last weekend in October to explore our hopes and dreams for what a new Baptist Association may be.
The Canberra gathering was an opportunity for discussion, suggestion and dreaming. It did not involve any formal decision making, but was an important forming event. A number of themes emerged:
An orientation to welcome and justice. A number of discussion groups touched on how Open Baptists might foster an Associational culture in which people who have historically been unfairly marginalised and/or excluded from our churches and Associations are welcomed, valued and heard. These discussions revealed a sense that: 1) Open Baptists should cultivate a culture in which women’s leadership and voices are valued and a norm of our practice; 2) Open Baptists should address the historic exclusion from church life of people of diverse sexualities and genders, while recognising that our member churches will have varied understandings of sexuality and gender; 3) Open Baptists would need to engage ethnically diverse communities and First Nations communities.
The possibilities of confessionalism. There were many discussions around questions such as “Are there any things the Open Baptists are closed to?” A number of these found energy around a “confessional” approach in which Open Baptists: 1) identify, affirm and celebrate those things we collectively value; 2) make space for ongoing review and revision of any collective statements we make; and 3) see, hear and value members of Open Baptists who see things differently. Alongside this there was exploration of Open Baptists as a covenantal Association, that is to make the forming of the Open Baptists Association an opportunity for making commitments to one another.
A desire to foster healthy and open relationships with Baptist Associations in Australia and internationally. A number of discussions touched on Open Baptists relationship to other Baptists, with hope expressed that churches who wish to join the Open Baptists might also continue as members of their State Associations and that Open Baptists would have a friendly and collaborative engagement with the State Associations. There was also a strong desire to continue support for the agencies and ministries of Australian Baptists, such as Baptist Mission Australia and Baptist World Aid Australia, and to contribute positively to the Baptist presence in Australia and globally.
Our gathering closed with every participant able to share what they were taking away. For many it was a sense that we were at the beginning of something new and that they wanted to take this journey together. There remains much to do. Open Baptists is still in the process of determining its shape and approach to many matters. We welcome any who would like to know more or to be part of the Open Baptists to get in touch.