More than 60 ministers and pastors commissioned at Baptist Assembly  

Ministers who have transferred to the fully accredited list, nationally recognised pastors and recognised local ministers were commissioned and prayed for at the 2025 Baptist Assembly

The session also saw the In Memoriam, where Assembly remembered ministers and mission personnel who had died in the previous year 

This is always 'one of the most joyous parts of Assembly’, said host Steve Tinning.

‘It is a real joy to be able to take part in this moment. And I know many of you will have come in support of some of those that are going to walk across this stage.’

Each Association was represented and the names of those being recognised were announced in Association order. Each went up to the stage to be greeted by a representative of their Association – a regional minister or team leader – and General Secretary Lynn Green.



Lynn then led delegates - the congregation - in making a series of commitments in supporting the ministers and pastors,  before inviting the ministers and pastors to make their own series of commitments. These commitments are based on our values.

Lynn next prayed for the women and men being commissioned. ‘We want them to feel they have God's anointing, and God's blessing on them,’ she said.  

‘We want them to know that we are supporting them today and into the future as those who are set aside for ministry amongst us.'



In Lynn’s 'gracious growth' address following the commissioning, she asked those who had just been commissioned to be ‘influencers’ in our movement.  

‘I want all you newly commissioned ministers and everyone here and all those who watch online to be the influencers in our movement, who tell the story of gracious growth and have such a deep sense of partnership in the Gospel that enables us to step into a new era with confident faith and hope that God is at work and one day His Kingdom WILL come!’
 
Access the individual commissioning photos on our Flickr Baptist Assembly 2025 album, created in the week following Assembly.

A video of the commissioning service can be accessed below:

 

 


In Memoriam

Ministers and mission personnel who have died in the last year were remembered in this session. Their names were read by Shayla Waugh and Rupert Lazar, and displayed on the screen via the video below: 

The following prayer was then shared:

Loving God,
you have given us life
with all its possibilities for growth
and all its opportunities for service.
 
You have made us
in your own image
as women and men
responsible and creative,
open to great visions,
and capable of great imagination.
 
In Jesus Christ you have shown us
what we might be.
When you raised him to life
you showed us that death is not the end
for those who put their trust in you.
Thank you for this new life in Christ
and for the hope of its future fullness.
 
Today we thank you for these our friends who have gone before.
We remember with gratitude lives lived in service.
We thank you for their faith in you.
As we remember,
help us to commit ourselves anew to your service,
so that our thanksgiving for them
might show itself
in a readiness to be faithful to your will.
This we pray
in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen