Join Us Next Week for the Melanie Duguid-May Christian Faith and LGBTQ+ Experience Lecture Featuring Rev. Dr. Brian Henderson
Rochester, NY: Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School (CRCDS) invites the community to gather next week
for the annual Melanie Duguid-May Christian Faith and LGBTQ+ Experience Lecture. This signature event
continues the school’s proud tradition of engaging pressing issues of peace, service, and justice in our time.
On Tuesday, September 16, 2025, at 7:00 PM (Eastern), we welcome Rev. Dr. Brian Henderson, Executive
Director of the Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists (AWAB), to deliver this year’s lecture: “Baptist
Freedoms and LGBTQ+ Inclusion: Moving Beyond Clobber Texts Toward Courageous Affirmation.”
If we truly honor Baptist freedoms, then exclusion is no longer a faithful option. The “clobber texts” lose their
power when read in context and when they aren't given a legitimacy they never were intended to have. Our
calling, especially in this particular moment in time, is not to be timid with tolerance, but joyful with affirmation
of LGBTQ+ persons as full image-bearers of God, as full human beings as we are.
Dr. Henderson’s ministry spans more than 25 years of pastoral leadership and denominational service within
the American Baptist Churches, USA. His work has consistently embodied courageous inclusion and
compassionate leadership, from serving local congregations to guiding national conversations on faith and
justice. His message next week promises to be both prophetic and practical, equipping attendees with tools for
deeper theological reflection and bold affirmation.
The lecture will take place at 20 East Avenue, Rochester, NY 14604, with both in-person and online attendance
Options.
Don’t miss this opportunity to engage in a timely conversation at the intersection of faith and LGBTQ+
experience. Reserve your place today at www.crcds.edu/lectures.
This lecture is organized and made possible by Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School together with the
support of dedicated partner congregations across the Rochester, NY area, including Third Presbyterian Church,
Downtown United Presbyterian Church, Lake Avenue Baptist Church, and Mountain Rise United Church of Christ
in Fairport.
About Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School (CRCDS):
Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School, a 207-year-old institution, is the only theologically
progressive seminary in the region. At Colgate Rochester Crozer, we emphasize academic excellence and a
faithful expression of a deep commitment to caring for others. Colgate Rochester Crozer offers degrees in
Master of Arts, Master of Divinity, and Doctor of Ministry. In addition, the institution also offers Graduate
Certificates in Anglican Studies; Gender, Sexuality, & Racial Justice; and Foundations for Theological
Education.
For additional information or media inquiries, please contact The Office for Institutional Advancement at
advancement@crcds.edu.