25th October 2022
Gender Roles and Sexuality in the Church
In 2023, the BUV is hosting an event on the topic of Gender Roles and Sexuality in the Church.
The BUV is an egalitarian association that has been ordaining women to pastoral positions since 1978. Today, one in four of our pastoral leaders (including associate pastors) are women. The BUV’s position is that we want to affirm and encourage women leaders in their gifts and calling and empower them in their leadership capacity.
The issue of gender roles and sexuality in the religious arena been highlighted again with the sacking of Andrew Thorburn from Essendon Football Club due to his role as Chairman of Anglican church, City on Hill and their assumed values clash. The Change or Suppression (Conversion) Practices Prohibition Act 2021 came into operation in the State of Victoria on February 17, 2022 and also impacts the way churches navigate sexuality.
We look forward to welcoming Guest Speaker, Dr Christa McKirland, PhD, ThM, MA, BA (Hons), and Lecturer in Systematic Theology from Carey Baptist Theological College in New Zealand, who will speak on 3 main themes as detailed below:
Session 1 – Unburied Talents – Why God is For Women in Ministry – unpacking 1 Timothy 2
Session 2 – Mutual Submission – Women in the home – exploring Ephesians 5
Session 3 – Hangers and Hearts – LGBTIQA+ Christians and the Church – How are we engaging LGBTIQA+ Christians and can we be communities sitting in tension for the sake of the other?
This event is open to all church leaders and congregation members and has been approved as a Professional Standards Workshop for Pastors counting towards BUV Pastoral accreditation.
Date: Thursday 16th February, 2023
Time: 9:00am – 3:30pm (registration and coffee from 8:30am)
Venue: Syndal Baptist Church – 588 High St Rd, Glen Waverley VIC 3151
Cost*:
- Early Bird Registration $25 (Register before December 31st, 2022)
- Standard Registration $35 (Register between 1 Jan – 13th Feb 2023)
- Optional Lunchbox $20 (Register before 13th Feb, 2023)
*A booking fee will be charged per registration by the ticketing company. Profits are donated to charity. Check out the impact your booking fee has at https://www.humanitix.com/au/our-impact
About our Guest Speaker: Dr Christa McKirland
Christa started with Carey Baptist College in 2020 and teaches both undergraduate and postgraduate students about the grandeur of the gospel by thinking with theologians from the Christian tradition and what that means for us today. In addition to teaching, she also researches, writes, and speaks on theological doctrines for the sake of the academy and church.
Christa has always had a passion for teaching, ever since being little, and bringing her love for teaching into Carey’s various learning platforms has been a natural fit. Her pursuit and completion of degrees in philosophy, bible exposition, and systematic theology has helped equip Christa to be an engaging and informative teacher. Further, as someone who did not see women leading or teaching in churches or Christian schools, she also wanted to do something about this. That something was founding Logia International, an organisation whose express aim is to encourage women to pursue postgraduate divinity education for the sake of the academy and church. Consequently, Christa is thrilled to support women in this academic journey, as well as helping men to know how to come alongside their sisters in this journey.
Some of Christa’s relevant publications include:
- Christa L. McKirland. “Imago Dei and Divine Presence: A Critique of Gender Essentialism,” in Discovering Biblical Equality, Revised and Expanded edition, eds. Ronald Pierce and Cynthia Westfall, InterVarsity Press, Downers Grove, IL, 2021.
- Christa L. McKirland. Review, “Singleness and the Church: A New Theology of the Single Life,” Journal of Biblical and Theological Studies, July 2018.
- Christa L. McKirland. “Era of Kings: Huldah: Malfunction with the Wardrobe-Keeper’s Wife,” in Vindicating the Vixens: Men and Women Revisiting Gendered Bible Stories, edited by Sandra Glahn. Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 2017.
- Christa L. McKirland. Review, “Sexual Difference in Christian Theology: Male, Female and Intersex in the Image of God.” Journal of Psychology and Theology (Spring 2016).
- Christa L. McKirland. Review, “Dignity and Destiny: Humanity in the Image of God.” Priscilla Papers, Vol. 29, No. 4 (Autumn, 2015), 27-29.v
If you need any assistance please do not hesitate to contact us on: 9880 6154 or email us at events@buv.com.au