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[Artiste]

By Courtney Ray:

"I received a letter from the GC appealing for the PUC constituency to wait to make a decision on ordination. They did a (mostly) fair job of outlining the historicity of this issue in the church (I take issue with some things they omitted).

Nevertheless, I was pleased to see that the last sentence admitted, "Decisions (1975, 1985, 1990, and 1995) to withhold ministerial ordination to women have been made on the basis of the perceived negative impact to unity rather than on the basis of compelling evidence from the Bible or the Spirit of Prophecy."

This communication was on the letter head of the Office of the General Conference President and signed "the General Conference Officers and Division Presidents"."

Who is Courtney Ray, and which GC president is this?

[Daryl Fawcett]

I googled Courtney Ray and discovered that he is "associate pastor of the Tamarind Avenue Seventh-day Adventist Church in Compton, California, United States."

I think Jan Paulsen was the GC President in 1995, but that wouldn't be hard to verify.

[Artiste]

I understood that Jan Paulsen was favorable towards WO, as is current NAD president, Dan Jackson.

[SDAminister]

I googled Courtney Ray and discovered that he is "associate pastor of the Tamarind Avenue Seventh-day Adventist Church in Compton, California, United States."

I think Jan Paulsen was the GC President in 1995, but that wouldn't be hard to verify.

Folkenburg was president from 90-99.

[Bob Pickle]

The letter referred to is probably the recent letter that was just sent out within the last few months.

[Artiste]

By Courtney Ray:

"I received a letter from the GC appealing for the PUC constituency to wait to make a decision on ordination. They did a (mostly) fair job of outlining the historicity of this issue in the church (I take issue with some things they omitted).

Nevertheless, I was pleased to see that the last sentence admitted, "Decisions (1975, 1985, 1990, and 1995) to withhold ministerial ordination to women have been made on the basis of the perceived negative impact to unity rather than on the basis of compelling evidence from the Bible or the Spirit of Prophecy."

This communication was on the letter head of the Office of the General Conference President and signed "the General Conference Officers and Division Presidents"."

Battle Creek--can you give us a little idea of why you posted this and for what reason the person is saying what he does?

[Artiste]

By Courtney Ray:

"I received a letter from the GC appealing for the PUC constituency to wait to make a decision on ordination. They did a (mostly) fair job of outlining the historicity of this issue in the church (I take issue with some things they omitted).

Nevertheless, I was pleased to see that the last sentence admitted, "Decisions (1975, 1985, 1990, and 1995) to withhold ministerial ordination to women have been made on the basis of the perceived negative impact to unity rather than on the basis of compelling evidence from the Bible or the Spirit of Prophecy."

This communication was on the letter head of the Office of the General Conference President and signed "the General Conference Officers and Division Presidents"."

Battle Creek--can you give us a little idea of why you posted this and for what reason the person is saying what he does?

Update:  Courtney Ray is a female associate pastor in Compton, California.  According to her bio, she attended Andrews University and was consistently involved on the staffs of the Black Student Christian Forum and the Black Student Association of the Seminary during her time at Andrews University.

Also, the note at the end of an article in Spectum by her titled "Gnosticism in the Church" states, "A graduate of Andrews University, Courtney Ray is a pastor at the Tamarind Ave. Church in Compton, California, and is studying Clinical Neuropsychology at Loma Linda University."

I am assuming that she is the one who posts under the screen name of "CGLRAY" in Spectrum.

[Murcielago]

By Courtney Ray:

"I received a letter from the GC appealing for the PUC constituency to wait to make a decision on ordination. They did a (mostly) fair job of outlining the historicity of this issue in the church (I take issue with some things they omitted).

Nevertheless, I was pleased to see that the last sentence admitted, "Decisions (1975, 1985, 1990, and 1995) to withhold ministerial ordination to women have been made on the basis of the perceived negative impact to unity rather than on the basis of compelling evidence from the Bible or the Spirit of Prophecy."

This communication was on the letter head of the Office of the General Conference President and signed "the General Conference Officers and Division Presidents"."

That certainly is an interesting statement. It seems to undercut the idea that the GC has been withholding its blessing on wo based on it being theologically unsound, and implies that it is based on cultural issues instead. Interesting indeed.

[Battle Creek]

By Courtney Ray:

"I received a letter from the GC appealing for the PUC constituency to wait to make a decision on ordination. They did a (mostly) fair job of outlining the historicity of this issue in the church (I take issue with some things they omitted).

Nevertheless, I was pleased to see that the last sentence admitted, "Decisions (1975, 1985, 1990, and 1995) to withhold ministerial ordination to women have been made on the basis of the perceived negative impact to unity rather than on the basis of compelling evidence from the Bible or the Spirit of Prophecy."

This communication was on the letter head of the Office of the General Conference President and signed "the General Conference Officers and Division Presidents"."

Battle Creek--can you give us a little idea of why you posted this and for what reason the person is saying what he does?

I am not a theologian, but I find what you are writing so strange and different from the wonderful message I get from my daily devotional readings by Ellen White and what she writes about women. You write so different about women than EGW does. I hope you read daily from Ellen White.

The letter from the General Conference tells me your words about the Bible and EGW are no more in harmony with the official SDA view than the people who are for WO, so both should have the same right to say their meaning here on AT.

[Bob Pickle]

The letter from the General Conference tells me your words about the Bible and EGW are no more in harmony with the official SDA view than the people who are for WO, so both should have the same right to say their meaning here on AT.

Can you quote the actual letter? I'm trying to find it and have not been able to.

By Courtney Ray:

"I received a letter from the GC appealing for the PUC constituency to wait to make a decision on ordination. They did a (mostly) fair job of outlining the historicity of this issue in the church (I take issue with some things they omitted).

Nevertheless, I was pleased to see that the last sentence admitted, "Decisions (1975, 1985, 1990, and 1995) to withhold ministerial ordination to women have been made on the basis of the perceived negative impact to unity rather than on the basis of compelling evidence from the Bible or the Spirit of Prophecy."

This communication was on the letter head of the Office of the General Conference President and signed "the General Conference Officers and Division Presidents"."

That certainly is an interesting statement. It seems to undercut the idea that the GC has been withholding its blessing on wo based on it being theologically unsound, and implies that it is based on cultural issues instead. Interesting indeed.

I cannot verify that the GC letter actually used those words. What I can verify is that the GC letter acknowledges, as the 1990 GC Session did too, that there are "sharply differing convictions with respect to ministerial ordination for women in our global family." It is easy to conclude that these convictions are based on what the individuals consider to be "compelling evidence from the Bible or SoP."

Somehow Courtney Ray must be assuming that no one in the entire world on either side of the debate, including those in the pro-WO camp, have compelling evidence from the Bible or SoP to support their sharply differing convictions. This is the only way I can see how Courtney could say what she said about the GC letter.

The GC release at http://christorculture.com/portfolio-view/world-church-leadership-calls-for-unity-in-respect-to-ministerial-ordination-practices/ quotes from the letter but does not provide the entire letter.

[Daryl Fawcett]

I would also be interested in an actual quote of the whole letter.