Consent, Our Missional Gateway

Guest post by Liam Conway, Associate Pastor at Riverlands, Longford.

Consent is the act of giving a free willed Yes to another’s proposal or desire. Often consent is discussed within the context of sex, and rightly so – it makes all the difference between something loving and assault. But for us Baptists, consent is key to life and mission.

Our movement was sparked out of our consent being violated. Mandates were put upon the early Baptists around baptism, governance, and worship. This led to early Baptists being exiled and developing in Amsterdam before returning to England and advocating for the freedom of local congregations.

We Do Baptism Differently
The vitality of consent is shown in our decision not to baptize infants, nor force baptism upon others. We do not violate the free choice of individuals, as it is impossible to coerce faith. Jesus stands at the door of our lives and knocks ^{Rev 3:20} – he doesn’t kick it in. People must give informed and explicit consent – which is why the obvious questions are asked and answered immediately before each baptism. And so our movement is filled with individuals who want to be a part of God’s mission.

Consent in Evangelism
This understanding of church flows through to our outreach. We can and should be pro-active with warm invitation, but it must be without pressure, coercion or manipulation. We share the reasons we have for faith – but always with gentleness and respect.^{1 Pe 3:15} (What wonderful words in any conversation about consent.)

This is the power of holding the door open and welcoming people to meet God rather than demanding conformity. Even during the process of evangelism, it is both wise and a witness (in itself) to share a little and then ask whether our hearer/s would like to know more – rather than cramming as much in as we can until they make their escape.

Consent in Leadership
If we’re leading ministries, we need the same gentleness in inviting others to give of themselves wholeheartedly without manipulating them, granting them freedom to accept or refuse as they need. If we’re under leadership, it’s important to be able to state clearly what we’re willing and unwilling to do, for the good of both the ministry and ourselves as God’s image bearers.

It reflects the character of God when those with power give care and dignity to those weaker. Gentleness and patience open spaces for genuine response. Let’s keep working to respect and protect those with less power, ensuring they have space to advocate for their own desires, opportunities to speak their minds, and the chance to express their needs. 

What remarkable good news that the all-powerful God is so humble, gentle and patient. In all we do – and in the way we do it – may we point people to Him and the freedom of his kingdom – in contrast to our world that is so full of manipulation and control.