Evangelicals in the Baptist Union say voting “none of the above” in this year’s presidential elections for the denomination may be the best option.
They say the choice of candidates on offer does not reflect the Biblical truth they wish to stand for.
Those standing for election to head up the Baptist Union of Great Britain in 2027/28 are: Mark Elder, Minister of Tarporley Chapel in Cheshire; Mairi and Graham McBain (for joint presidency), from Headland Baptist Church; and Gale Richards, currently serving at Regent’s Park College at the University of Oxford.
One group, Evangelical Baptists, circulated an email to members of the union regarding the upcoming election.
“Sadly we do not believe that the candidate pool reflects the Biblical truth we are called to contend for,” the email said. “To vote for a candidate whose platform departs from these truths would be to compromise our core conviction.”
While the email did not detail which truths were in contention, comments on social media suggested that all the candidates are “affirming” or liberal in relation to same-sex relationships. en contacted the candidates to request clarity on their positions.
In the email, Evangelical Baptists reminded voters of the option to select the “none of the above” option when voting, noting that a sufficient number of votes for that option would result in another fallow year for the union, with no president. For the 2025-26 year, no nominations for president were received.
“This is a great opportunity to signal that there is an ‘evangelical confidence gap’ and serves as a prophetic call for a return to the Union’s Biblical foundations…” the email said.
“By not casting a vote for candidates who do not represent our theology, we preserve our integrity, signal our dissatisfaction with a liberal agenda and, if we gain sufficient votes, signal the disconnect between the liberal trajectory of the BU and the conservative middle ground of the majority of churches,” the email continued.
“In conclusion: If you are not happy to vote for any of the candidates our suggestion would be to vote ‘none of the above’.”
In a statement to en, issued on behalf of all the candidates by National Communications Manager Mike Lowe, the BUGB said: “The main role of the Baptist Union president is as a communicator and facilitator of our Baptists Together vision and mission. As an elected position, it carries a certain independence which at times allows for a prophetic voice to be heard both within and beyond Baptists Together. They travel around our union, engaging with local churches, regional associations and colleges by invitation. We use an electoral process to discern who God is calling to be the president and this involves a nominations process. Those nominated are put forward as a result of the discernment of others and their willingness to serve is then discerned by the wider Baptist family.
“As an officer of the Baptist Union of Great Britain, the president is fully supportive of our Declaration of Principle, which is the basis of our Union. Those nominated reflect the breadth of theological approach that is held within our Declaration of Principle. Overt canvassing at elections runs contrary to discerning the will of God in a way that is consistent with Baptist ecclesiology.”
The BU Declaration of Principle is a brief three-paragraph statement dating from 1873 which does not refer to LGBT issues.
