Project Violet commitments 'offer hope of systemic change' 

Baptist Union Council receives and affirms the commitments to action on women’s experience of ministry made from across Baptists Together in response to the findings of Project Violet 

Project Violet, the three and a half year research project investigating women’s experience of ministry, has concluded with commitments to act on the project’s findings from all parts of the Baptist community.

Responses have been made to all 57 of the Requests for Change published in the Findings in May 2024. This includes commitments from all thirteen regional associations, five Baptist colleges, the Ministries Team as well as the networks and forums that make up Baptist life.

These commitments were compiled and presented to Baptist Union Council this week, whose members subsequently voted to affirm them.

Responses from local churches include a recognition of the importance of role models in inspiring women to consider a call to ministry and a commitment to use resources that reflect the diversity of Baptist life.

Commitments made by Regional Associations include ensuring that Ministers’ Groups are constructive and inclusive spaces and inducting newly accredited ministers into the habit of connecting to other ministers.  Regional Ministers committed to proactively discuss terms and conditions with local churches as they appointed ministers.

The five colleges committed to ongoing review of reading lists to ensure they reflected women, Black and Brown and disabled theologians. They also said they would review their admissions processes to ensure that they better engaged with women, this will include a film about planning to train as a Baptist minister.

General Secretary Lynn Green said, ‘It is so encouraging to see this wide-ranging response from across Baptists Together. 

'Implementing these commitments to action will make a long-lasting impact on women’s experience of ministry and I hope encourage more women to come forward in response to God’s call. 

'I look forward to Baptist Union Council receiving an account of the progress made in October 2025.’

Project co-leader the Revd Jane Day said, ‘Project Violet has taken us beyond a pastoral response to the injustices reported in the findings of the research.

'These Commitments to Action offer real hope of systemic change that is rooted in an inter-sectional understanding of the reality of women ministers’ lives.’

Following Council, all parts of Baptist life are encouraged to move their conversations into concrete actions. Associations, churches, colleges, and other stakeholders are asked to keep their plans under regular review and keep Project Violet on all agendas.

Council members also agreed to receive an accountability Report in October 2025 reporting on progress towards the commitments to action.

All stakeholders who submitted a response for this report will be invited to submit a further response by 29 September 2025. 

The accountability report will be presented to Council on 21 October 2025, celebrating the progress made and asking what more remains to be done.

Council also resolved to hold the time between now and Assembly in May 2025 as a season of lament for all that the research has discovered (more to follow in the Council report). 

 
Project Violet has been undertaken by the Centre for Baptist Studies at Regent’s Park College, Oxford in partnership with Baptists Together and funded by the Mission Forum of Baptists Together and Baptist Trustees. 

See the Project website projectviolet.org.uk for the full Commitment to Action Report