Launch of Project Violet  

The Centre for Baptist Studies, Regent’s Park College, Oxford is pleased to announce Project Violet, a three-year participatory research project that will examine the place of women in Baptist ministry.

The aim of the project is to understand more fully the theological, missional, and structural obstacles women ministers face in the Baptist community in Great Britain and identify ways forward.

The project is participatory in approach so participants will be engaged as co-researchers and supported in asking questions and researching answers. They will be accompanied through the project so that their own voice as advocates for change is developed. A participatory approach will enable women to set the questions the project will address. 

The project is being hosted by the Centre for Baptist Studies, Regent's Park College, Oxford but aims to engage all parts of the Baptist community. Funding for the project has been made available by the Baptist Trustees, the Mission Forum, and the Whitley Trust. The Centre for Baptist Studies is grateful to the Mission Forum for underwriting the project. 

The project will be co-led by Dr Helen Cameron, Research Fellow, Centre for Baptist Studies, Regent's Park College and the Revd Jane Day, Centenary Development Enabler, Baptists Together. 

Dr Christine Joynes, Director of the Centre for Baptist Studies said, ‘I am delighted that the Centre will be hosting this important project.  The Centre is fully committed to serving the needs of the Baptist Church and I see Project Violet as a way of contributing to the contemporary task of furthering women in ministry.’

The Revd Mary Taylor, Chair of the Baptists Together Gender Justice Group said, ‘It is clear there is further to go in achieving gender justice and we hope that this project will contribute to that journey.’

There will be an online launch event for Project Violet on Thursday 1 July at 7pm. Register your free place via this Eventbrite link.

To join the project mailing list email: projectviolet@baptist.org.uk

The project is named after Violet Hedger, the first woman to to enter a Baptist college to be trained for ministry