A Baptist church in Kansas City has rebranded itself to declare both its adherence to denominational roots and its identity as an open and affirming congregation.
Holmeswood Baptist Church is now Holmeswood Church with a prominent tagline: “Baptist Roots, Inclusive Branches,” together creating a name reflective of its religious heritage and inclusivity toward all comers regardless of gender, sexual, racial or ethnic identity, Senior Pastor David McDaniel said.
The decade or so it took the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship partner church to work out who it is and what to call itself created a renewed sense of cohesion and purpose in the congregation, he explained.
David McDaniel
“We lost some folks along the way — about 10% that did not support this and didn’t come back. But this is the healthiest Holmeswood has been in the 15 years I have been here, and we are all rowing in the same direction,” said McDaniel, who served as the minister to young adults before becoming senior pastor.
The new title and evolution of culture at Holmeswood began with a 2016 strategic plan that included dropping its previous tagline, “A Different Kind of Baptist.” The project was in part inspired by the widespread legalization of same-sex marriage and some LGBTQ people raised in the church asking if they could be married there.
“It broke my heart to have to say, ‘I don’t know; this is part of the conversation we as a church were going to have to have,’” McDaniel said. “In 2016, we were not yet open and affirming. That didn’t happen until the end of 2020.”
The church also had to figure out what to do with the term “Baptist” and whether it should be included at all due to its common association with religious and political controversy in modern culture. Church leaders polled the wider community on the issue for input in addition to holding congregational listening sessions.
“Because of that, we decided as a congregation to move ‘Baptist’ from our main church name and move it to our tagline so we can more distinctly and thankfully and positively describe who we are,” the pastor said.
And who they are, he said, is people who hold to the all-but-forgotten values of Baptist founders, including belief in the priesthood of all believers and the importance of separation of church and state.
“We decided as a congregation to move ‘Baptist’ from our main church name and move it to our tagline.”
“We firmly believe each individual has full access to God and to the divine, that individuals can read and interpret the Scriptures for themselves, that they don’t have to go through some intermediary (for salvation), and that decisions are made by the local church.”
Holmeswood continues to decide for itself which associations and partnerships it deems appropriate and lets new members know upfront that the polity and structure of the congregation is Baptist, he said. “We don’t want there to be a bait-and-switch about who we are. We are not running from the fact that we are Baptist. But we are also trying to provocatively and paradoxically connect that word to the welcoming aspect. That’s where we came up with the ‘Inclusive Branches’ part of our tagline.”
It’s intended to convey the message that human sexuality and gender identity are not obstacles to full membership, worship, service or ministry at Holmeswood.
“We have had (LGBTQ) deacons and chairs of deacons, chairs of finance and personnel, and we have one of our pastors on staff right now is openly queer. We could not have done that six years ago,” McDaniel said.
Meanwhile, word is spreading throughout the city about a Baptist congregation that welcomes LGBTQ people, he said. “Since we became open and affirming, we’ve had an LGBTQ choir using Holmeswood as their home base and as their rehearsal space, and when they have their choir performances, have hold them in our sanctuary.”
Some members of that ensemble are now singing in the church choir, he added. “Because of the stances we have taken collectively as a congregation, Holmeswood is becoming more known as this is a place for people, queer or straight, and as a place where you’re embraced and welcomed.”
Inclusivity at Holmeswood also crosses gender lines, McDaniel explained. “We’ve had women deacons since the 1970s and so women in leadership has been part of the ethos for a good number of years. But part of this (rebranding) is also about how can we tell that story more succinctly.”
The church offers an inclusive welcome regardless of racial or political identity, he added. “We have people from India who are now engaging at the church, we have people who are Black, who are old and who are straight all engaged in the church. The golden thread is that we are a place where you can bring your questions, your uncertainties, your frustrations.
“On top of all of that, we are looking to provide a third way of sorts because we have both Republicans and Democrats in the church. Our goal is not to promote any political party, but to promote the kingdom of God.”
And it seems to be working. McDaniel said the church has seen a 9.2% increase in worship attendance over the past year. “There are no second-class people at Holmeswood. Once you are here, you are fully embraced over who you are — and that really is what being Baptist is all about.”