NO VOTE ON GAY UNION BLESSINGS

The Boulevard Baptist Church membership last month voted down a proposal from its pastor, Reverend Devon Dick, to add to the agenda of a business meeting a discussion and vote on whether same-sex unions could receive “blessings” at the church.

Speaking during a service held on Sunday, November 9, he notified members that they should be prepared to vote on the matter at the end of that week.

“At the members’ meeting, we also need to vote,” he said while making general announcements at the close of the service. “What are we to vote on? You should know that there is some split within the Anglican Church on the issue of homosexuality and the Roman Catholic Church has said that their priests can bless homosexual [couples] in a ceremony. We need to do a vote [on] what is our position, allowing, say, if two males want to get married or want to be blessed, if it can be done in this sanctuary. So I ask you to come out and vote on Saturday. It will be a secret ballot, so nobody will know how you vote. You just vote yes or no ... ,” he said.

However, The Sunday Gleaner was told that the meeting needed a quorum of 40 – 10 per cent of members – to get under way. Sixty-nine members turned out. The church members acted before the proposal could even reach the agenda, voting instead to ensure it was never formally tabled.

Speaking with The Sunday Gleaner, Dick confirmed that a majority who cast ballots voted in a preliminary motion “not to vote on the question”.

“The vote was not to vote on the issue,” the long-standing Baptist clergyman sought to explain.

“The number of people who voted against doing the vote was about 15. The majority was abstention. Naturally, the majority carried,” he said, noting that he did not have the exact figures on hand.

When The Sunday Gleaner asked him to expound, he said: “Well, it means some … probably some lack of comfort with the issue. You know, churches ... churches are conservative. But that’s it. But that was an interpretation, you know.”

Asked for the context behind raising the matter at all, he again paused before responding: “You are aware that the Roman Catholic Church earlier this year – not for marriage, same-sex marriage – but they are allowed to bless couples in same-sex relationships. You’re aware of that? That was the context. I think I mentioned that.”

NON-LITURGICAL BLESSINGS

In December 2023, Pope Francis approved a Vatican document (Fiducia Supplicans) allowing priests to offer non-liturgical blessings to same-sex couples and individuals in “irregular situations”, emphasising these are blessings for persons – not the union itself – and must avoid any impression of marriage or ritualisation, distinguishing them from sacramental marriage. The declaration stressed compassion, welcoming all to God’s mercy, but maintained traditional doctrine that marriage is between a man and a woman, meaning no formal church marriage for same-sex couples.

Pope Francis, who became the head of the Roman Catholic Church in 2013, died earlier this year. His successor, Pope Leo, said it was “highly unlikely, certainly in the near future,” that Church doctrine on sexuality or marriage would change.

“Any issue dealing with the LGBTQ questions is highly polarising,” he said in a September interview with a US journalist, adding: “I’m trying not to continue to polarise or promote polarisation in the Church.”

He stressed support for “the traditional family”, which “is father, mother, and children.”

“I, at the moment, don’t have an intention of changing the teaching of the Church on the topic,” Leo said, but noted that he was “certainly willing to continue to listen to people”.

Asked if the matter was being discussed within the Jamaica Baptist Union (JBU), which is the national umbrella organisation for thousands of Baptists in Jamaica, Dick responded in the negative.

The pastor said he was also not prepared to bless same-sex unions personally.

“Not at this time,” he told The Sunday Gleaner after a long pause, explaining he could find no scriptural basis to shift his view.

In follow-up text messages, he added: “Also not at this time does not mean that I am considering a change or there will be a change shortly … . I disagree with the argument used by the Roman Catholics. They do not bless couples who are in common-law relationships. It is inconsistent, I believe. So my present conviction is against the blessing of same-sex couples. [I] cannot find any biblical warrant for it.”

Still, Dick did not clearly explain why he sought to introduce the matter as an agenda item. He instead outlined the Baptist tradition of congregational democracy, contrasting it with denominations where bishops make central decisions.

He said the JBU does not interfere at the local level and that it was “like a federation”.

Separately, a 2020 report by the Arcus Foundation, a private grant-making organisation that advocates globally for LGBTQ rights, had named Reverend Dick as one of four “faith-based advocates and allies” in Jamaica. Others listed included Reverend Canon Garth Minnott and the Reverend Sean Major-Campbell of the Anglican Church, and the Reverend Marvia Lawes of Sligoville Baptist.

WRITINGS WELL KNOWN

“My writings are well known on the matter. I did an article years ago, which is in my book, which stated that bisexuality is greed. Perhaps I am seen as friendly because I am for decriminalisation of [sexual activities among homosexuals, once it is] between consenting adults. In addition, I welcome anyone to attend our worship services. I have had discussions with a group of LGBTQ in my office. Interestingly, one of them is against same-sex marriage … . That had nothing to do with [the] call for the vote,” Dick told The Sunday Gleaner.

NO UNITED STATES PRESSURE

He dismissed any suggestion that he was being pressured by the United States to hold the vote.

“Couple people said [it[ is the USA pressuring me and [that] I want to migrate to USA, so I called for an indicative vote. That, too, is not true. No plans to migrate. Last one to jump ship. No one has ever filed for me,” he stated.

The Arcus report also listed Jamaican religious institutions it works with to advance LGBTQ interests, including the Jamaica Council of Churches and the Jamaica Theological Seminary.

At the same time, it named the Lawyers’ Christian Fellowship and the Jamaica Coalition for a Healthy Society as organisations it considered barriers to sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) advancement.

The report details plans to influence religious leadership through “capacity-development sessions for faith leaders”, describing a strategy of “strategically selecting faith leaders who are already allies and grooming them to deliver messages of SOGI rights”. One respondent suggested training “converted religious fundamentalists” who could “expose the dangers of fundamentalism”, while the broader recommendation was to invest in clergy already willing to work with LGBTQ communities.

The Arcus document was based on a 2018 assessment by Initiatives for Human Rights (‘Synergía’), noting that HIV-related work had long served as an entry point for advancing SOGI issues in the region but warning that organisations receiving funding were weak in human rights capacity. The stated aim of the report was “to map faith work in the Caribbean that supports the advancement of sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) human rights” and to document “faith-based initiatives that address the advancement of SOGI rights”.

NOT ON ANY AGENDA

Meanwhile, Reverend Karl Johnson, chairman of the Global Council of the Baptist World Alliance and former general secretary of the JBU, said the issue is not on the agenda of any Baptist body.

“It is not a matter on the denomination’s agenda locally. It is not a matter on the Baptist World Alliance agenda. I know of no JBU congregation that has this on its agenda,” he said in response to Sunday Gleaner questions.

“In the Baptist Church, the members’ meeting is the highest decision-making body, so the vote to remove it from the agenda is saying that it is a matter they are not prepared to discuss,” he added.

Johnson said because of the autonomy of the local congregation, the world body could do nothing about decisions taken at that level.

“As a world body, we couldn’t do anything. When you think about the Baptist Church, probably you need to know this: ... we believe in what you call the autonomy of the local church,” he stressed.

Johnson also said he has not yet held discussions with Dick on the issue, but again reiterated that neither his nor Dick’s personal positions would be of any moment if the church had voted yes.

“Even if the world body were to take a position. Any, any individual country or church can disagree,” he stated.

erica.virtue@gleanerjm.com