In recent days, many of you have seen or heard about the decision of the Southern Baptist Convention regarding churches that affirm women serving as pastors or preaching in Sunday worship. Moments like these invite reflection—not only on what others decide, but on who we are and how we understand God’s calling among us.
At Huguenot Road Baptist Church, our identity has long been rooted in a deep and prayerful conviction: God calls and gifts both women and men for the work of ministry, and we are accountable for our obedience to His leadership. That belief is not a reaction to cultural trends, nor is it a recent development. It is woven into our understanding of Scripture, our shared life together, and our commitment to follow Christ faithfully.
From the beginning, Scripture teaches that every person is created in the image of God (Gen. 1:26-27). That truth shapes how we see one another and how we recognize the movement of God’s Spirit. We also believe that God shows no favoritism (Acts 10:34-35). When the Holy Spirit gives gifts for ministry, those gifts are given according to God’s grace—not human categories.
Over the years, I have often returned to a simple but profound conviction: God calls whom God calls. Our responsibility is not to limit that call but to discern it, affirm it, and encourage faithful obedience to it. As Ruth Haley Barton wrote in Sacred Rhythms, “God’s will, nothing more, nothing less, nothing else.” (Barton, p. 119)
When we look at the life and ministry of Jesus, we see again and again that He welcomed, taught, and entrusted women as participants in God’s work. Women were among His followers, His learners, and the first witnesses to His resurrection. In the early church, women served as leaders, teachers, prophets, and servants of the Gospel. Scripture consistently points us toward a God who calls people into service based on His purposes and grace.
This does not mean that all Christians everywhere will interpret every passage in the same way. Faithful believers have disagreed on these matters, and likely will continue to do so. But even in disagreement, we are called to something higher: unity in Christ, love for one another, and a shared commitment to the mission of the Gospel.
At HRBC, our North Star Guiding Statement reminds us to be “loving, understanding, and empathizing with our community . . . and the world.” This posture shapes how we respond—not with criticism or defensiveness, but with humility, clarity, and grace.
We also recognize something deeply practical and missional. If God has gifted individuals for ministry, why would we set those gifts aside? The work of the Gospel is too urgent, and the needs of the world too great, for us to hold back those whom God has called to serve. To do so would be, in many ways, like engaging the mission of Christ with only part of the body fully active.
Instead, we affirm and celebrate the ways God is already at work among us. We have seen women faithfully serve as pastors, teachers, deacons, missionaries, and ministry leaders. We have seen lives changed, people discipled, and communities touched because individuals—both women and men—have responded obediently to God’s call.
Our mission calls us to glorify God by being a loving Christian community that reaches out to all people. Our vision calls us toward worship that transforms, discipleship that deepens, fellowship that strengthens, outreach that connects, and missions that send. None of that happens fully unless every member of the body is encouraged to use the gifts God has given them. Perhaps there has been no more important time than now.
At the same time, we must remember that how we live together matters just as much as what we believe. Scripture warns us about division and calls us toward unity. We are not defined by a single issue, but by our shared life in Christ. We are called to speak the truth—but always in love.
So as we move forward, let us do so with clarity and conviction, but also with grace and humility. Let us continue to be a church that listens for God’s voice, affirms God’s calling in every life, and holds one another accountable to faithful obedience.
And above all, let us remember that love remains our highest calling. Love is what binds us together. Love is what compels us to serve. Love is what reflects the heart of Christ to the world. Jesus said, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 34 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35)
May we be faithful as God is faithful. As the choir reminded us in worship last Sunday, “May all who come behind us find us faithful.”
Thankyou,Pastor Bob, for a wonderful guide for all of us to follow Christ and his calling for each one of us.