On Sunday, August 23, the North Pacific Union Conference (NPUC) held its constituency meeting. Among many issues addressed was that of ordination. Taken to a vote, a solid majority of 62.6% of NPUC delegates voiced their support for a motion to allow local conferences to submit names for ordination without reference to whether the candidate is male or female. In short, this motion allows conferences to recommend both men and women for ordination.
“So, what does this action mean for our future here in the Oregon Conference?
In recent times, there have been two distinct viewpoints present among Seventh-day Adventist believers in the North Pacific Union Conference. Some, with deep convictions about how certain Bible passages should be read, have held that “ordination” should not include women. Others, with equally profound convictions, also based on how Bible passages should be read, have asserted that “ordination” should include women. The recent action ensures that local conferences are able to respect equally those who hold either of these two opinions. It allows local congregations, working with their local conference, to express their convictions through the policies and ceremonies of the church.
That is why some would argue that this action is a measure of peace and unity. A similar decision was once taken in regard to women serving as elders. Since 1975, congregations that believe it is appropriate for women to serve as elders have been able to select and ordain them to do so, while those congregations that believe that action to be inappropriate refrain from doing so. The recent action allows this same approach of peace and unity to be extended to the ordination of women for gospel ministry.
Since both views–--and those who hold them–--may find affirmation and respect within the context of their church, might this allow for more fruitful exchange rather than less?
As the Oregon Conference moves forward considering this change, there will certainly be questions about what’s next. Let us address a few here.
What does this decision change about how things work in the Oregon Conference?
This decision allows for the conference’s personnel and executive committees to forward names of women who have moved through the ordination track process to the North Pacific Union Conference for approval for ordination to gospel ministry. Up until this time, women who were candidates would have moved through a commissioning track.
What happens with women in our leadership that have already been commissioned?
Based on a 2015 Oregon Conference Executive Committee action, women who have been commissioned and hold the “commissioned” credential now become eligible to receive the “ordination” credential on the endorsement of the North Pacific Union Conference.
How far does ordination extend outside of the Oregon Conference?
Since this is an action of the North Pacific Union Conference, it applies only to the North Pacific Union Conference territory (Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington), though it is assumed that there will be reciprocity with the other three unions and other areas of the church who have already approved parallel measures (such as the Columbia Union Conference, Mid-America Union Conference, and Pacific Union Conference).
The Oregon Conference, as a sisterhood [should be brotherhood] of churches, has long wished for the privilege of fully acknowledging God's calling and work through the women serving as pastors and leaders in our midst. We express our deepest appreciation to the NPUC constituency delegates for our ability to do so, and to each of the women who have been following God's guidance in our territory all along.” LINK
Observations
Though trying to appear objective by acknowledging two schools of thought on ordination, the Oregon Conference leaders are solidly in favor of ordaining women. The rest is just lip service.
The Oregon Conference is part of a unified effort to defy the Seventh-day Adventist world church decisions regarding ordaining women. The Columbia Union, Pacific Union, Mid-America Union and the NPUC are systematically trying to get their way on this issue.
The General Conference 1975 committee guaranteed this would happen by compromising on female elders. They seriously lacked the discernment to see where allowing female elders would lead. Not finding much counsel against female elders in the SOP, they accepted that as permission, instead of going to the Bible to see what it was actually teaching.
It is worth noting that the Church allowed the appointment of female elders only if:
"The greatest discretion and caution be exercised in the ordaining of women to the office of local elder, counsel being sought in all cases by the local conference/mission from the union and division committees before proceeding" (The 1975 Spring Meeting, April 3).
It was also stated that if the appointment of a female elder was controversial or divisive in the local church, then it should not be done (page 60).
No one has paid attention to these conditions, instead choosing to follow the world and its culture of feminism. Our (SDA) church is permeated with feminist ideology.
Commissioning women pastors was part of a long-range plan to sneak WO into the church. These liberal conferences and unions only wanted commissioned women as a stepping stone to their ultimate goal: ordination without regard to gender. Now they believe they have acheived this.
Why is WO so important to these ideologically captured liberals in the church? Two reasons, One, it is important to the enemy in his efforts to undermine God’s creational distinctions. Secondly, these people want a liberal church—to match their own worldview. The data is clear, women are way more left-wing on important social issues. Placing them in positions of authority over men is a fast track to make the church more liberal (less biblical). Feminism is a concentrated blend of liberalism.
People who elevate the SOP above, or on par, with the Bible, are at risk of adopting a feminist or matriarchal worldview. This is one Adventist elephant in the room, first observed at TOSC 2014. A solution is in the official position of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, which is that the Bible is the "greater light" and Ellen White’s writings are a "lesser light" designed to lead people back to the greater light of Scripture. Adventists maintain that fundamental beliefs were derived from direct Bible study, while Ellen White’s prophetic ministry served to confirm, explain, and apply those biblical truths rather than originate them. Ellen White herself repeatedly directed her readers to study the Bible as the ultimate standard.
Many individuals in the Church don't want to completely reject Adventist eschatology, for fear that it might be true. They retain membership in the church while importing all manner of cultural "wisdom" to make themselves more comfortable. James calls this a "double-mindedness" (James 1:6-8). Two things happen when they embrace WO. 1) They eventually become editors of the Word of God, carving it up to conform to their worldview--instead of letting it define their worldview. 2) A victimhood mentality arises, wherein the church is wrong (or immoral) and they believe they need to help correct it. They see other supporters of WO as more moral than the church and a unique kind of trust develops between them (predominantly among church administrators, institutional faculty, and left-leaning secular Adventists). This feeling of false security encourages them to reinterpret the Bible and feel moral for doing so.
Erton Kohler—in our opinion—will not stand against these maneuvers to force WO in the church.
What could the church have done differently in the past to protect it from these onslaughts? They should have made a fundamental belief on male and female role distinctions, affirming that the Bible recommends male leadership in the home and the church. They could also have amended the belief on the ministry of Ellen White to acknowledge that her role does not undermine creational role distinctions. Her gift and calling was unique; it does not mean that now all women everywhere can be shepherds of the flock. To say that, demeans her unique gift, and elevates all other women—who lack that calling—to a position they aren’t designed for.
Stay in the Word of God, pray daily, and commit yourself to the Lord and His creational distinctions, including His distinct complementary roles for men and women.
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“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will direct your paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6).
