Issues & Concerns Category > Womens Ordination & Related Issues

Executive Committee votes. . .

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Gregory:
As reported by Adventist Today:

"Official News Release of the Columbia Union Conference

By Celeste Ryan

Columbia Union Executive Committee Calls Special Constituency Meeting to
Authorize Ordinations Without Regard to Gender


At its May 17 meeting, the Columbia Union Conference Executive Committee received a
report from an ad hoc committee assigned to study how to affirm women in ministry.
 

After discussing the report (included below), the committee voted:


1. To recognize its responsibility to act morally and ethically by expressing unyielding commitment to ordain qualified persons to the gospel ministry without regard to gender, and

2. To call a special constituency meeting for the purpose of authorizing ordination to the gospel ministry without regard to gender, and

3. To set the meeting date for July 29, 2012, at 10 a.m., at a location to be determined in Maryland.

The committee approved the motion by a vote of 34-6, with one abstention.


“I believe this action represents our committee's desire to move the mission forward, and we are calling this special session to facilitate a wider conversation,” said DaveWeigley, union president, explaining the need for input from the larger constituency.


To help members understand the committee's perspective, leaders will publish a special July issue of the union paper, the Visitor. It will provide an in-depth review of biblical, historical and Spirit of Prophecy guidelines concerning the role of women in ministry.

 

#####


Report of the Columbia Union Ad Hoc Committee Affirming Women in Ministry


Women in Seventh-day Adventist ministry are being affirmed through appreciation, recognition and representation at many levels in the church. This needs to be continued and increased. The most significant confirmation, however, requires the action of the Columbia Union Conference Executive Committee.
 

The affirmation of women in ministry in the Adventist church has both a moral and ethical imperative based on Scripture, church history and our diversity in unity.
 

SCRIPTURE: As a global church that values the authority of Scripture, we acknowledge that:
 

A. Scripture is clear that the end-time church is blessed with the outpouring of the HolySpirit on all believers (Joel 2:28-29 and Acts 2:17-18), with the priesthood of all believers(1 Peter 2:9) and through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, both women and menpreach God's message (Fundamental Beliefs 14 and 17).

B. We are commanded to practice justice in our actions and relationships (Micah 6:8).

C. Everything contained in the Bible relates to the concepts represented in three words: Creation, Fall, and Redemption. This continuum provides the natural outline to the biblical story. In Eden, God created male and female as equals, both spiritually andrelationally, and both are necessary to fully reflect the image of God (2 Corinthians 5:1720).

D. Multiple times throughout Scripture God chose women to lead His people (Deborah, Esther, Hulda, Anna, four daughters of Philip, Phoebe, Junia etc.).

HISTORY: As a global church that values God's leading in its history we acknowledge the following significant hallmarks:
 

A. The Seventh-day Adventist Church was co-founded by a woman, Ellen G. White, whoremains an authoritative and guiding voice.

B. The General Conference Session on December 5, 1881, voted: “RESOLVED, That females possessing the necessary qualifications to fill that position, may, with perfectpropriety, be set apart by ordination to the work of the Christian ministry.” Reported in Review and Herald, Dec. 20, 1881. It appears there was no record of any action taken.

C. Ellen White wrote in the July 9, 1895, Review & Herald, of a ministry that women, whogave themselves to it, should be set apart to this work by prayer and laying on of hands.

D. Willie White ordained deaconesses on January 6, 1900, in Australia. In 1975 an actionwas taken to ordain deaconesses at GC Session. In 1985 the action was reaffirmed and in 2010 it was recorded in the Church Manual. Ordination of women elders was approved in 1975 and reaffirmed at Annual Council in 1984.
 

E. The General Conference voted to authorize women to serve as pastors (1990).

F. Sixteen female pastors have already been ordained in China. These women are playinga significant role in the rapid church growth in their country and the Northern Asia Pacific Division of Seventh-day Adventists recognizes their ordinations.

DIVERSITY IN UNITY: As a global church that values diversity in unity:


A. We affirm that diversity in unity is part of the divine order for creation, redemption, restoration and for the church (Ephesians 4, John 17, 1 Corinthians 12:12).

B. We affirm God's leading in utilizing the talents of women for the mission of the church. ”When a great and decisive work is to be done, God chooses men and women to do thiswork, and it will feel the loss if the talents of both are not combined” (Evangelism, p. 469).

C. We understand that “there must be room to recognize the need for a legitimacy of localadaptation of policies and procedures that facilitate mission while not diminishing theworldwide identity, harmony and unity of the Church” (GC Spring Council 2012 116-2G Report).

D. We celebrate our diversity of culture, gender and ethnicity.

E. We recognize that “The distribution of authority and responsibility in the church, alongwith the recognition that .authority rests in membership,'presents significant challengesin finding a balance between centralized authority (actions of the global church) and the more localized authority (actions of the constituency) in churches, conferences andunions. “At the same time, the church has worked to preserve unity, the effect of churchgrowth has enlarged the understanding of diversity and its rightful place in a worldwidecommunity. To expect that every entity in the world church will look and function exactlylike every other entity of its type may in itself become an impediment to mission. Thedevelopment of structural designs in the history of the church indicates that unity mustbe built on a stronger foundation than uniformity” (GC Spring Council 2012 116-12GReport).
 

F. We acknowledge that “different elements of organizational authority are distributedamong the various levels of denominational organization … decisions regarding the ordination of ministers are entrusted to the union conference/mission …” (NAD WorkingPolicy B 05, 6).

G. We recognize that ordination is for the world church (NAD Working Policy L 40 and L 4505). We further recognize that ordained ministers may not function outside the territory of the organization issuing their credential, unless invited to do so.

Note: All scriptural references are from the New King James Version (NKJV)."

Bob Pickle:
I am informed that the error of stating that the 1881 GC Session voted to ordain women will be corrected.

tinka:

--- Quote from: Gregory on May 18, 2012, 01:40:42 PM ---As reported by Adventist Today:

"Official News Release of the Columbia Union Conference

By Celeste Ryan

Columbia Union Executive Committee Calls Special Constituency Meeting to
Authorize Ordinations Without Regard to Gender


At its May 17 meeting, the Columbia Union Conference Executive Committee received a
report from an ad hoc committee assigned to study how to affirm women in ministry.
 

After discussing the report (included below), the committee voted:


1. To recognize its responsibility to act morally and ethically by expressing unyielding commitment to ordain qualified persons to the gospel ministry without regard to gender, and

2. To call a special constituency meeting for the purpose of authorizing ordination to the gospel ministry without regard to gender, and

3. To set the meeting date for July 29, 2012, at 10 a.m., at a location to be determined in Maryland.

The committee approved the motion by a vote of 34-6, with one abstention.


“I believe this action represents our committee's desire to move the mission forward, and we are calling this special session to facilitate a wider conversation,” said DaveWeigley, union president, explaining the need for input from the larger constituency.


To help members understand the committee's perspective, leaders will publish a special July issue of the union paper, the Visitor. It will provide an in-depth review of biblical, historical and Spirit of Prophecy guidelines concerning the role of women in ministry.

 

#####


Report of the Columbia Union Ad Hoc Committee Affirming Women in Ministry


Women in Seventh-day Adventist ministry are being affirmed through appreciation, recognition and representation at many levels in the church. This needs to be continued and increased. The most significant confirmation, however, requires the action of the Columbia Union Conference Executive Committee.
 

The affirmation of women in ministry in the Adventist church has both a moral and ethical imperative based on Scripture, church history and our diversity in unity.
 

SCRIPTURE: As a global church that values the authority of Scripture, we acknowledge that:
 

A. Scripture is clear that the end-time church is blessed with the outpouring of the HolySpirit on all believers (Joel 2:28-29 and Acts 2:17-18), with the priesthood of all believers(1 Peter 2:9) and through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, both women and menpreach God's message (Fundamental Beliefs 14 and 17).

B. We are commanded to practice justice in our actions and relationships (Micah 6:8).

C. Everything contained in the Bible relates to the concepts represented in three words: Creation, Fall, and Redemption. This continuum provides the natural outline to the biblical story. In Eden, God created male and female as equals, both spiritually andrelationally, and both are necessary to fully reflect the image of God (2 Corinthians 5:1720).

D. Multiple times throughout Scripture God chose women to lead His people (Deborah, Esther, Hulda, Anna, four daughters of Philip, Phoebe, Junia etc.).

HISTORY: As a global church that values God's leading in its history we acknowledge the following significant hallmarks:
 

A. The Seventh-day Adventist Church was co-founded by a woman, Ellen G. White, whoremains an authoritative and guiding voice.

B. The General Conference Session on December 5, 1881, voted: “RESOLVED, That females possessing the necessary qualifications to fill that position, may, with perfectpropriety, be set apart by ordination to the work of the Christian ministry.” Reported in Review and Herald, Dec. 20, 1881. It appears there was no record of any action taken.

C. Ellen White wrote in the July 9, 1895, Review & Herald, of a ministry that women, whogave themselves to it, should be set apart to this work by prayer and laying on of hands.

D. Willie White ordained deaconesses on January 6, 1900, in Australia. In 1975 an actionwas taken to ordain deaconesses at GC Session. In 1985 the action was reaffirmed and in 2010 it was recorded in the Church Manual. Ordination of women elders was approved in 1975 and reaffirmed at Annual Council in 1984.
 

E. The General Conference voted to authorize women to serve as pastors (1990).

F. Sixteen female pastors have already been ordained in China. These women are playinga significant role in the rapid church growth in their country and the Northern Asia Pacific Division of Seventh-day Adventists recognizes their ordinations.

DIVERSITY IN UNITY: As a global church that values diversity in unity:


A. We affirm that diversity in unity is part of the divine order for creation, redemption, restoration and for the church (Ephesians 4, John 17, 1 Corinthians 12:12).

B. We affirm God's leading in utilizing the talents of women for the mission of the church. ”When a great and decisive work is to be done, God chooses men and women to do thiswork, and it will feel the loss if the talents of both are not combined” (Evangelism, p. 469).

C. We understand that “there must be room to recognize the need for a legitimacy of localadaptation of policies and procedures that facilitate mission while not diminishing theworldwide identity, harmony and unity of the Church” (GC Spring Council 2012 116-2G Report).

D. We celebrate our diversity of culture, gender and ethnicity.

E. We recognize that “The distribution of authority and responsibility in the church, alongwith the recognition that .authority rests in membership,'presents significant challengesin finding a balance between centralized authority (actions of the global church) and the more localized authority (actions of the constituency) in churches, conferences andunions. “At the same time, the church has worked to preserve unity, the effect of churchgrowth has enlarged the understanding of diversity and its rightful place in a worldwidecommunity. To expect that every entity in the world church will look and function exactlylike every other entity of its type may in itself become an impediment to mission. Thedevelopment of structural designs in the history of the church indicates that unity mustbe built on a stronger foundation than uniformity” (GC Spring Council 2012 116-12GReport).
 

F. We acknowledge that “different elements of organizational authority are distributedamong the various levels of denominational organization … decisions regarding the ordination of ministers are entrusted to the union conference/mission …” (NAD WorkingPolicy B 05, 6).

G. We recognize that ordination is for the world church (NAD Working Policy L 40 and L 4505). We further recognize that ordained ministers may not function outside the territory of the organization issuing their credential, unless invited to do so.

Note: All scriptural references are from the New King James Version (NKJV)."

--- End quote ---

Now this post lets me understand the list. Was not far off of what I thought.  So is this what Johann stands behind - the group that superseeds SP?   and he talks about the Catholics infiltrated.  :ROFL: :ROFL:  What is this???

princessdi:
Tinka, they used Bible text as their support.  Are you saying that Sis White ws in conflict to the Bible in this area?  Or that EGW supercedes the Bible? 

That said, I am glad to see the progress.

Bob Pickle:

--- Quote from: princessdi on May 22, 2012, 12:32:25 PM ---Tinka, they used Bible text as their support.
--- End quote ---

Yes, but did they rightly divide the Word in so doing?

They cited 1 Pet. 2:9 and the priesthood of all believers, as if that was a NT concept only, when in fact Peter was quoting from Ex. 19:6. Now since in ancient Israel every believer was to be a priest, and yet only male Aaronic Levites of a certain age could minister as priests at the sanctuary, and only male Aaronic Levites could be ordained as priests, it therefore follows that the priesthood of all believers cannot be used to justify ordaining anyone to the gospel ministry.

To some extent they are playing games. Note how they quoted from the NAD Working Policy but not the GC Working Policy. Why? Where my copy of the GC Working Policy says "man" regarding ordination, the NAD Working Policy says "individual." (But both speak of the ordination candidate's wife as if the ordination candidate is always a man.)

More importantly: I have been informed that the "centralized authority" wording in the CUC statement comes from a document that was just voted this spring at annual council. That document explains the authority of a division, and suggests to me that it was intended to explain why the NAD vote last fall was improper, and to prevent recurrences of such.

But if you peruse that voted document, you discover that while it speaks of the GC and the GC Executive Committee, it says nothing about a GC Session. And the authority of a GC Session is a principal issue in the present goings on that apparently the women's ordination crowd want to ignore to a greater or less degree. The CUC document says nothing about the authority of a GC Session or about the 1990 and 1995 GC Session votes against women's ordination.

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