Tomorrow there will be many wonderful female pastors and leaders exercising their God-given gifts across Australian Baptist churches. I’m deeply grateful for their leadership, inspiration, influence, wisdom, example and courage.

As a Baptist male leader, I cheer these women on loudly, while recognising there is still more to do. Too many female leaders in our movement still face barriers that I never have, nor will, as a male pastor.

I find it very sad that in seeking to permanently ban women pastors, the Southern Baptist Convention resolution is known as the “Truth and Unity” amendment. Uniformity and squashing the beauty of diversity in the body never brings unity.

I’m speaking in a church in Adelaide tomorrow with some great female pastors on their leadership team. They, like all women pastors across our Australian Baptist movement, make us so much the better – as they lead, preach, teach, pastor, guide, strategise and envision.

Thank you for your courage and resilience!