Theology and Ethics
University Baptist Church espouses a progressive brand of theology that understands that God’s communication with humanity did not cease when the last book of the Bible was written, but rather continues through the work of the Holy Spirit. In John 16:13, Jesus tells his disciples, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth.” We take this to mean that truth is not static but dynamic, and that God still has much to teach us.
As a result of this approach to theology, UBC has chosen to take stands that have proven controversial. Nearly a century ago we appointed women to positions of leadership when that was extremely rare in Baptist life. A half century ago we began ordaining women to the gospel ministry. We were one of the first churches in central Ohio to become racially integrated, and earlier this decade we made official our longstanding practice of welcoming and affirming LGBTQ persons, a decision that led to our being “disfellowshipped” by the Ohio Baptist Convention. We now belong to the American Baptist Churches of the Rochester-Genesee Region, a group of like-minded churches headquartered in Rochester, New York.
UBC uses no theological or political litmus tests to determine who can participate in our faith community. We do not demand conformity to a rigid set of doctrines. On the contrary, we welcome diversity of thought and opinion, and strive to create an atmosphere in which no question is off-limits and no person is marginalized.