This open, bold letter for the whole world to read is from the second most powerful church leader in Adventism, after Ted Wilson. He is the North American Division President whose Division holds, to a large extent, the purse strings of Adventism. Much of the money to run the church, and GC HQ, has traditionally come from the NAD.
His letter to all female pastors in the NAD couldnât be clearer. Simply put, he is standing by every single one of Adventist female pastors in Canada and the USA and there is no way anything is going to change under his watch. He will not back down on their ordinations and appointments. He made sure a picture of him and Sandra Roberts, the one and only Female conference president in Adventism in his territory, appears in Spectrum to make his point. He has been known to support WO all along.
Now he is literally putting the GC and the whole Adventist world on notice. The NAD will not be moved despite this weekâs âUnityâ church governance vote that he opposed. He is clearly not accepting/supporting the San Antonioâs vote either. He finds himself, by default, thrust into the role of champion leader of first world (Western) Adventism that voted in their majority for WO in defiant opposition to Ted Wilson, most independent ministries and the 2nd and 3rd World Adventism, all well known for their opposition to WO.
Unless GC church leadership finds a Solomonic compromise within the next 12 months, first World Adventism will go its own way, possibly with Dan Jackson as its most likely Presidential nominee and Ted Wilson continuing as the President of 2nd and 3rd World Adventism, and role model for independent ministries.
In a sense, Biblical history will then repeat itself. Judah and Israel will go their separate ways with the hope that the divorce will not be too messy. If NAD and Unions in the Western World persist in doing their own thing and a compromise solution cannot be found (such as letâs not send more women to seminaries and letâs not ordain more women pastors), 2017 Annual council might vote to refer the matter to the next GC in 2020 to hopefully put the matter to rest, one way or another.
Whether we like it or not, and no matter how many smooth pronouncements we will be hearing from GC church leadership and others, the fact of the matter is that we have now entered what could arguably be considered as the choppiest and most turbulent phase of Adventist 153 year history, after Minneapolis (1888). Now itâs all about ecclesiastical authority, how is the church going to be governed, and how this will impact its world wide witness. Itâs not business as usual, as some might wish or think. Much prayer is needed by all parties concerned to truly discern what the Holy Spirit is saying to Godâs Remnant church at a critical time when earthâs history is more than likely about to close with the second coming of Christ.