Advent Talk

Issues & Concerns Category => Womens Ordination & Related Issues => Topic started by: Bob Pickle on August 06, 2012, 06:14:57 AM

Title: Ellen White in RH 07-09-95 supports the idea of only men being "ministers"
Post by: Bob Pickle on August 06, 2012, 06:14:57 AM
Quote from: Ellen White in RH 07-09-95
Women who are willing to consecrate some of their time to the service of the Lord should be appointed to visit the sick, look after the young, and minister to the necessities of the poor. They should be set apart to this work by prayer and laying on of hands. In some cases they will need to counsel with the church officers or the minister; but if they are devoted women, maintaining a vital connection with God, they will be a power for good in the church.

It is interesting to note that Ellen White states that these women, ordained to do the work of deaconesses, will sometimes need to counsel with the minister. That being so, she can't be talking about these women being ministers.

The use of this quote to support WO is like using Acts 20:7 to support Sunday sacredness. In reality, Paul waited until after the Sabbath to resume his journey on Sunday morning. The very text used to support Sunday actually supports the Sabbath. Similarly, the above quote, rather than showing that women can serve as ministers, instead excludes that possibility from the discussion of the quote.
Title: Re: Ellen White in RH 07-09-95 supports the idea of only men being "ministers"
Post by: Johann on August 06, 2012, 07:11:03 AM
Quote from: Ellen White in RH 07-09-95
Women who are willing to consecrate some of their time to the service of the Lord should be appointed to visit the sick, look after the young, and minister to the necessities of the poor. They should be set apart to this work by prayer and laying on of hands. In some cases they will need to counsel with the church officers or the minister; but if they are devoted women, maintaining a vital connection with God, they will be a power for good in the church.


It is interesting to note that Ellen White states that these women, ordained to do the work of deaconesses, will sometimes need to counsel with the minister. That being so, she can't be talking about these women being ministers.

The use of this quote to support WO is like using Acts 20:7 to support Sunday sacredness. In reality, Paul waited until after the Sabbath to resume his journey on Sunday morning. The very text used to support Sunday actually supports the Sabbath. Similarly, the above quote, rather than showing that women can serve as ministers, instead excludes that possibility from the discussion of the quote.

1. It is also interesting that several of the duties listed for these women apply just as much to ministers.

2. Why should they be ordained?

3. Although I had a MA from the SDA Theological Seminary when I entered the ministry, and although I had been a teacher for a couple of years, I still had to consult frequently with church officers and ministers who had never been to college, but who  had experience. I  had to follow the counsel given by EGW in that quotation, even though I was a male.
Title: Re: Ellen White in RH 07-09-95 supports the idea of only men being "ministers"
Post by: Artiste on August 06, 2012, 09:09:16 AM
Quote from: Ellen White in RH 07-09-95
Women who are willing to consecrate some of their time to the service of the Lord should be appointed to visit the sick, look after the young, and minister to the necessities of the poor.

These duties that Ellen White says women should fulfill play well to the nurturing strengths of women.

In demanding to have the "full ecclesiastical authority" granted to ordained ministers, women try to take upon themselves roles that men are more suited to handling. 
Title: Re: Ellen White in RH 07-09-95 supports the idea of only men being "ministers"
Post by: Artiste on August 06, 2012, 10:45:28 AM
On the "Adventist Today" forum, Jean Corbeau came up with an appropriate turn of phrase in responding to the question of whether GC President Ted Wilson should speak at the PUC vote for women's ordination: 

Quote
Of course he should go and make an appeal to the PUC.  Doing so will illustrate (as it did at CUC's "Rebellion of Korah" revival meeting) how far out of harmony with the rest of the church these people are.
Title: Re: Ellen White in RH 07-09-95 supports the idea of only men being "ministers"
Post by: Johann on August 06, 2012, 11:15:44 AM
Quote from: Ellen White in RH 07-09-95
Women who are willing to consecrate some of their time to the service of the Lord should be appointed to visit the sick, look after the young, and minister to the necessities of the poor.

These duties that Ellen White says women should fulfill play well to the nurturing strengths of women.

In demanding to have the "full ecclesiastical authority" granted to ordained ministers, women try to take upon themselves roles that men are more suited to handling. 

It is also claimed men are much more suited to handling surgery than women, according to a report I read recently.
Title: Re: Ellen White in RH 07-09-95 supports the idea of only men being "ministers"
Post by: Artiste on August 06, 2012, 12:42:08 PM
Quote from: Ellen White in RH 07-09-95
Women who are willing to consecrate some of their time to the service of the Lord should be appointed to visit the sick, look after the young, and minister to the necessities of the poor.

These duties that Ellen White says women should fulfill play well to the nurturing strengths of women.

In demanding to have the "full ecclesiastical authority" granted to ordained ministers, women try to take upon themselves roles that men are more suited to handling. 

It is also claimed men are much more suited to handling surgery than women, according to a report I read recently.

Can you post the report here?
Title: Re: Ellen White in RH 07-09-95 supports the idea of only men being "ministers"
Post by: Artiste on August 06, 2012, 12:51:58 PM
Quote from: Ellen White in RH 07-09-95
Women who are willing to consecrate some of their time to the service of the Lord should be appointed to visit the sick, look after the young, and minister to the necessities of the poor.

These duties that Ellen White says women should fulfill play well to the nurturing strengths of women.

In demanding to have the "full ecclesiastical authority" granted to ordained ministers, women try to take upon themselves roles that men are more suited to handling. 

It is also claimed men are much more suited to handling surgery than women, according to a report I read recently.

Can you post the report here?

(Sometimes the things we see in our mind seem very real indeed...)
Title: Re: Ellen White in RH 07-09-95 supports the idea of only men being "ministers"
Post by: Johann on August 06, 2012, 02:13:09 PM
Quote from: Ellen White in RH 07-09-95
Women who are willing to consecrate some of their time to the service of the Lord should be appointed to visit the sick, look after the young, and minister to the necessities of the poor.

These duties that Ellen White says women should fulfill play well to the nurturing strengths of women.

In demanding to have the "full ecclesiastical authority" granted to ordained ministers, women try to take upon themselves roles that men are more suited to handling. 

It is also claimed men are much more suited to handling surgery than women, according to a report I read recently.

Can you post the report here?

Would you take it to heart if I did?