Two LGBTQ British Baptist Ministers
Ordained in Canada
October 27, 2024: Congratulations to Luke Dowding and Andrea King who were ordained at First Baptist Church Halifax this afternoon.
On September 15, 2024 the First Baptist Church Halifax congregation voted unanimously to ordain Luke Dowding and Andrea King--two Baptist Ministers from the United Kingdom who can not be ordained under the British Baptist Union.
They both have theological education from respected Baptist theological schools and have completed the baptist ministry formation process of the British Baptist Union of Great Britain but cannot be ordained because they are gay (an openly gay person can be ordained by the British Baptist Union only if they commit to celibacy). This was an existing regulation that was reaffirmed in April by the majority of churches and accredited ministers within the British Baptist Union of Great Britain.
Both Luke and Andrea have been serving the larger church in phenomenal ways, within their churches and through their leadership of OneBodyOneFaith.
Recent discussions identified the possibility of First Baptist Church Halifax ordaining Luke and Andrea and FBCH asked the CABF to establish an Ordination Examination Council to discern their sense of ministerial calling and readiness for ordination. The Ordination Council recommended both candidates to FBCH, with the resulting congregational decision on September 15th. The opening and closing statements to the Ordination Council by the Rev. Dr. Rusty Edwards, Senior Minister at FBCH are available at https://fbchalifax.ca/blog/statement-from-rusty/.
A copy of the Ordination Service Program (with photos) is available at https://fbchalifax.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Andrea-and-Luke-Ordination.pdf.
A video of the Ordination Service is available at Ordination of Andrea King and Luke Dowding.
(Originally published in Baptist News Global October 28, 2024)
A Canadian Baptist church and association ordained two ministers from the United Kingdom Oct. 27 because they could not be ordained in the Baptist Union of Great Britain.
First Baptist Church of Halifax, Nova Scotia, and the Canadian Association for Baptist Freedoms ordained Andrea King and Luke Dowding as ministers. The ordination was witnessed by family and friends and faith leaders from across North America and Europe.
King, a graduate of Regents College, Oxford, serves as director of safeguarding and strategy for OneBodyOneFaith. Dowding, a graduate of Spurgeon’s College, London, and King’s College London, serves as CEO of OneBodyOneFaith.
A copy of an article, as published in Baptist News Global, is available at Two LGBTQ British Baptist ministers ordained in Canada – Baptist News Global.
Rev. Arla Johnson Ordained at First Baptist Church Halifax
First Baptist Church Halifax, acting on the recommendation of a CABF Ordination Council, ordained Rev. Arla Johnson to Christian Ministry on Sunday, April 2nd. Arla is the Minister of Inclusive Community at First Baptist and one of the founders of Queer Spirit Church. We believe she is the first married lesbian woman to be ordained in a Baptist Church in Canada. You can watch a video of the service here. (Photo by Dr. Rob Fennell.)