Editor’s note: The Accent was unable to find a contributor willing to write an opposing opinion piece on the topic of women’s ordination in the Adventist church. If you would like to contribute to the opinion section, contact the editor-in-chief, Megan Yoshioka, at myoshioka@southern.edu.
For some Seventh-day Adventists, July 8, 2015, has been known as the Second Great Disappointment because during the 60th General Conference Session (GC) it was decided to vote against women’s ordination.
When the news broke, women at the GC Session began hugging and weeping, according to Patricia Conroy in an academic journal called the Priscilla Papers. Adventists across the world posted photos of themselves dressed in black to spread awareness. For many Adventists, this was neither a shocking nor unsettling outcome. But for a young woman who is passionate about what she believes, the idea of women’s ordination is not progressive; it’s a necessary step toward equality in the church.
The difference between being an ordained pastor and a commissioned pastor lies in status. Both have the right to preach in church, yet only ordained ministers can rise in status and hold important titles like president.
Women’s ordination has been a common debate within the Adventist church, but, as stated by Conroy, the greatest irony lies in the fact that our church was co-founded by a woman: Ellen White. Even White herself believed that women must carry out the mission of the church alongside men.
In an article for The Journal of Applied Christian Leadership in 2017, Boubakar Sanou wrote that White believed “the cause of God would suffer great loss” without the labor of women, and that women teachers are just as greatly needed as men. We consider White to be a great prophetess of our denomination, yet we don’t allow for women in this age to have the ability to witness on the same level as men.
One Bible verse used by many against women’s ordination is 1 Corinthians 14:34-36, “Women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the law says. If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church” (NIV).
The main argument lies in this headship principle. Opposers of women’s ordination believe that men should rule as the spiritual leader in the household and should also lead in the church. However, if we based our beliefs on this principle, we would not have women teachers, doctors or pastors in the Adventist faith.
As I’ve studied these sentiments, I’ve realized that, for many, this belief is simply motivated by a fear of feminism. For example, as women gained more rights in society in the 1980s, Dr. Samuele Bacchiocchi of Andrews University sought out biblical evidence to overthrow the idea of women’s ordination, as stated by Conroy. Instead of searching for reasons why women should be ordained, Bacchiocchi dug up any evidence that could possibly be found to protect mens’ positions of leadership and power. This example shows that headship, in the terms of church, has never necessarily been a principle of tradition.
Opposers also argue that the church must be united and that not all conferences around the world are ready for women to be ordained or to even be pastors. Because of this belief, the GC refuses to add the name of Sandra Roberts, the first female president of the Southeastern California Conference, to the list of world conference presidents, as recorded by Conroy. In my opinion, this is a petty display that harms potential believers from joining the church. People want to feel welcomed and accepted at church, and the way that this issue has been handled will make it difficult for new members to feel that our denomination treats all people as equals.
Ordination is not about headship; it is a public recognition of a man’s or woman’s divine call by the Holy Spirit to function as a pastor. Any person who prevents others from using their spiritual gifts will be accountable in the eyes of God. Joel 2:28-29 says, “I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days” (NIV).
God wants each person to do His will and follow Him to the best of his or her abilities. So why should we hinder the advocates for our faith?
I can only imagine how much more we could witness if everyone was given an equal opportunity to succeed. Christians should give the world a clearer glimpse of the character of God. This starts with the ability to accept all — no matter age, race or gender — and invite everyone to worship together for His glory.
