Transcript Document

Historical
Survey of the
Ordination of
Women in the
SDA Church
By Pastor Emmanuel Osei
Review and Herald Dec 20,
1881
 “Resolved,
That females possessing the
necessary qualifications to fill that
position, may, with perfect propriety, be
set apart by ordination to the work of the
Christian ministry.”
 GC
Session Dec 5, 1881

May 3,1950 GC officers discuss ordination based upon
EG White’s statement ‘some women should be set
apart for service in the church by “Prayer and laying
on of hands. RH JULY 9, 1895

April 8,1968 The Northern European Division requests
counsel on ordaining women. The question arose in
Finland.

September 30,1968 GC Officers appoint a committee
to study ordination. 1972 Josephine Benton. First
woman ordained as a local Elder, at the Brotherhood
Church, Washington D.C by Potomac Conference
and Columbian Union Conference Presidents.

June 21,1972. The Far Eastern Division requests counsel
about ordaining women

July 19, 1973 Study on the role of women begins with the
GC ad hoc Committee with the goal of studying
women’s ordination as well.

September 1, 1973 Josephine Benton becomes an
associate pastor at the Sligo Church, Maryland.
Margaret Hempe is also acknowledged as pastor in
Loma Linda.

September 1973 Ad hoc Committee convenes in Ohio
and recommends women to be ordained as local
church elders and those with theological training to be
hired as “Associates in Pastoral care.”

1976 Margaret Prange becomes pastor of 4 churches in
East Germany.

1977 The Annual Council votes for “Associates in
Pastoral care.”

Debate over Ordaining women Elders heat up
especially in Sligo Church where many GC
employees who oppose it are members.

Neal C. Wilson secures permission to produce 13
papers endorsed by the BRI in favor of ordaining
women as Elders.

January 1978 Sligo Church fails to endorse
ordination of women Elders. Although 60% voted in
favor, this was not a “clear majority” it needed
66% or two thirds.

In October 1979 Annual Council votes internship
for women pastors, Bible Instructors and Associates
in Pastoral care beginning in 1980. Also for unordained males to baptise in NAD.

March 1984 the Potomac Conference Committee
votes to permit 8 local Elders to baptize. 3 are
women in pastoral roles.

Potomac Conference is chastised for defying GC
authority and policy.

The entire Potomac Conference is summoned to
meet with the GC officers in August 1984 and asked
to rescind their action that permitted women pastors
to baptize (as local Elders).

In October 1984 the women Elders’ ordination is
reaffirmed. The vote was to “advise each division
that it is free to make provision as it may deem
necessary for the election and ordination of women
as local church Elders.” Thus the provision is
extended from NAD to the World field

July 1985 GC votes for more study on ordination of
women.

Women Elders are ordained throughout NAD but
rejected at Pioneer Memorial Church as Samuele
Bacchiocchi speaks out against it.

October 25, 1986 Newbold Church ordains its first
women Elders: Auliki Nahkola and Cynthia Benz.

Despite Samuele Bacchiocchi’s book which
strongly opposes women’s ordination, on 21st May,
1987 Pioneer Memorial Church vote to elect and
ordain women Elders by a 62% majority. Dwight
Nelson reverses his Prior stand against women
ordination.

NAD leaders call for an end to discriminatory
policies affecting women in ministry. This is backed in
May 1988 by the Potomac Conference.

May 1989 the SECC pass a resolution (279-179)
mandating that local qualified women pastors be
considered for ordination no sooner than August
1990.

The NAD Union presidents unanimously vote and
endorse women ordination to the gospel ministry in
June 1989.

October 1990 Annual Council GC President Robert
Folkenberg establishes an office of Women’s
ministries.
 The
Welcome Table: Setting a Table for
Ordained Women. This 408-page book was
published just before the 1995 GC session
in Utrecht
 Women
in Ministry: Biblical and Historical
Perspectives (1998) prepared by Ad Hoc
Committee Andrews University
THEOLOGY OF ORDINATION
STUDY COMMITTEE (TOSC)

TOSC is the result made from the floor by a
delegate at the 2010 GC Session.

The GC Administration took that request to the GC
admin committee for approval of the Theology of
Ordination study process on September 20, 2011.

Through strong prayer sessions, study of the bible,
study of the spirit of prophecy, the TOSC was
tasked to focus on solutions that would support the
message, mission & unity of SDA church.
TOSC

1.
2.
106 Adventist men and women of different
ages, ethnicities, and professions were tasked
with answering two primary questions:
What is the theology of ordination from a
biblical perspective?
What are the implications of this theology for
Adventist practice including the question of
women ordination?


Each of the 13 Divisions BRC’s were to look
prayerfully & carefully at this topic and submit
papers to the TOSC.
The TOSC were to meet 4 times concluding its work
in June 2014

The TOSC would submit its findings to the GC
administration in June 2014.

The complete report would then go to the GC
Executive committee for review and discussed at
the 2014 Annual Council.

The 2014 Annual Council will then decide on Items
to be referred to the 2015 GC Session.
THE FINAL VOTE

In the final vote (being termed a “Survey”)which
ended the TOSC four meetings over the 2 years

40 committee members voted for WO with the caveat
that no area would be forced to adopt the new policy

32 members voted against the Ordination of women in
all cases.

22 voted for this new third option which was a
willingness for women to be ordained, although they
still had concerns that God’s “Pattern” is male
headship. Basically these believe that God works with
“second best” so we should ordain women.

So in practice, 62 or two thirds of the committee
members were willing to adopt a new policy for
ordaining if the constituents favor it.
ECD- THE EAST CENTRAL
AFRICA DIVISION

Scripture is silent on female ordination.

Scripture presents headship/ leadership as a male
domain. They conclude, that until there is
complete clarity, women should not be ordained.
SID- THE SOUTHERN AFRICAINDIAN DIVISION

Both male and female created in God’s image
are equal. However roles differentiation began
and continues after sin.

SID recommends women should not be ordained
and also recommends they should no longer serve
as elders.
SPD- THE SOUTH PACIFIC
DIVISION

The church should employ “sanctified wisdom” to
come to a conclusion on female ordination. The
BRC of the SPD does not see any Scriptural
principle which would be an impediment to
women being ordained.
IAD- THE INTER-AMERICAN
DIVISION

The IAD was too closely divided to fairly issue a
majority report. They are “willing to accept the
ecclesiastical decision taken by the SDA church in
plenary session.”
NSD- THE NORTHERN ASIAPACIFIC DIVISION

The NSD believes that both Scripture and Ellen
White “Support women in ministry and leadership.”

The NSD recommend both men and women for
ordination but the implementation of this decision
should be “determined by each division.”
NAD- THE NORTH
AMERICAN DIVISION

The NAD denies there is a leadership principle in
Scripture. They argue there is no sex role
differentiation before the fall or after.

They argue in favor of female ordination.
SAD-THE SOUTH AMERICAN
DIVISION

Man and woman were created equal but with
different roles.

The SAD recommends that women should not be
ordained to pastoral ministry, but that the church
should investigate the possibility of ordaining
women to other ministries.
ESD- THE EURO ASIA
DIVISION

Man and Woman created equal. The fall
disturbed the original harmony resulting in the
husband becoming dominant and the wife
subordinate.

As there are no examples of female ordination,
the ESD discourages the practice of ordination of
women to pastoral ministry.
EUD- THE INTER EUROPEAN
DIVISION

Ordination should be considered an administrative
issue, not a doctrinal or biblical one.

The EUD recommends ordination of women for
pastoral ministry.
SSD- THE SOUTHERN ASIA
PACIFIC DIVISION

The majority felt that the bible does not support
the ordination of women to the gospel ministry.

Yet they stated that they would “follow the voice
of the Spirit and the world church upon its voted
decision in July 2015 at the GC Session”
TED-THE TRANS EUROPEAN
DIVISION

Recommends we focus on mission, remove
distance between clergy and laity.

Adopt a gender-inclusive ministry.

Allow female ordination to be decided at Union
level.
SUD- THE SOUTHERN ASIA
DIVISION

The scholars saw no problem with ordaining
women, but the administrators disagreed and felt
it would be poorly received in their division.

It stated that it would accept the decision of the
GC in session.
WAD- THE WEST CENTRAL
AFRICA DIVISION

They affirm the male leadership principle

The WAD recommends not ordaining women to
Pastoral Ministry.
SDA CHURCH IN CRISIS

Columbia Union Conference – 19 ordained female
pastors

Pacific Union Conference – 25 to 30 ordained
female pastors
In a Recent Article
 On
Sunday October 27th 2013, delegates
voted (72%-28%) to elect Sandra Roberts
as President of the Southeastern California
Conference of Seventh- Day Adventists.
Female Pastors in the
sec