Editor’s Note: In this two-part series for Spectrum, William C. DeMary examines the history and theological foundations of the headship doctrine. It summarized headship theology as it is understood by its supporters and discusses its origins, which can be traced to two 20th-century denominational conflicts over the issue of women's ordination. Read Part 1 here.
Both Part 1 and Part 2 of this article is jam packed with information, thanks! I particularly enjoyed the closing paragraphs.
Sometimes I wonder if it would help the entire WO topic if we would focus on the submission of men to God. Maybe we have to take WO conversations to a whole other stage. It seems to me the women submitting to men conversation is irrelevant.
It also seems to me that the proponents of anti-WO have made up this irrelevant conversation and to reply to it gives it dignity/kudos. So the stage, the conversation needs to shift. The proponents for WO need to be bringing the conversation into the realm of reality and not go chasing rabbits down rabbit holes.
I remember hearing about that Adventists Affirm publication and I’d forgotten all about it until now - the harm its done, oh dear!
What are these rabbit holes?
The rabbit holes are the claims that women are to submit to male headship.
Way too funny, so funny:joy:
It’s called “animal adequacy” I guess???
Isn’t Headship Theology an oxymoron?
Besides, such an absurdity was not known until a few years ago. I don’t remember hearing about it until maybe 15 years ago or so. It’s nothing but an attempt to keep women in Church under the males’ lid. Disgusting and tragic discrimination.
Maybe oxymoronic. Or, I prefer, just moronic for short.
Misogyny in its finest, clearest form:
Men telling women they’re not good enough for God, but we’re here to help them. Yea, right.
This seems fair and balanced: If we reject gender discrimination in every other arena, why do we accept it in religion?
It certainly is no “theology.”
It’s the Headship Heresy.
I always thought that his word is actually misspelled, don’t you think? 
Yes, it is an outrageous heresy. One thing that used to really frustrate me in Adventism was the fabrication of heresies. It no longer bothers me because I no longer subscribe to the Adventist system. But the development of heresies by that Denomination is baffling. This one, the “Headship Heresy,” is a true fallacy and one that is in itself worth of repudiation.
It appears that the “Headship Heresy” came to stay, and has indeed being infiltrated everywhere by those misogynists that manage/maneuver the Adventist Denomination. What a shame!
No, just a moron…
It’s risible that a religious Denomination preaches/practices such an absurd concept that belongs to the stone age. It’s a medieval concept, and a Church is imposing it in 2023 AD??? Do they really want to keep intelligent people enrolled in their membership? Seriously? Oh brother… 
I’m starting to think they don’t. SDA membership has been skewing more and more toward the underclass and the under-educated for decades. I’m rather sure the church’s leaders know this, and their silence on the topic suggests they like it just fine.
As we know, the SDA church is anchored to, yoked with, and inescapably tied to EGW. Nothing of any importance can, will, or shall ever change no matter how unbiblical or absolutely ridiculous the doctrines and writings from her are.
The upper class and highly educated haven’t caused any significant changes in the SDA church. It’s still the Church of Ellen.
In spite of the efforts of those promoting headship, it seems like a losing concept in many places. More and more of our churches in the U.S. and elsewhere (where it is socially acceptable) have women pastors. And that has become so common that I seriously doubt it can be “turned around”.
I found the comparison of diluting or denying ‘religious liberty’ inside the church to that of the expectation and promotion of ‘religious liberty’ outside the church to be particularly provocative. It succinctly removes the mask of the theological heresy of headship doctrine. You can’t have it both ways. Either you support religious liberty or you don’t.
I found both articles to be well worth the time to carefully read. Thank you to the author for the time and research put into them.
When over 40 years ago Des Ford finally totally debunked the Adventist HERESy of 1844/IJ, proving that not Ellen White but rather the Bible (especially in Hebrews) was right, I said that it would probably take 30 years for the Adventist Church to catch up and admit to the truth.
Well, about 43 years have elapsed, and no change happened, no surrendering to Biblical truth. The Adventist Church remains the same, actually it appears to be gradually radicalizing (ridiculizing??) under Ted Wilson.
I didn’t read the second article (mostly ‘cause I still hadn’t stopped vomiting from the first) but I did go through and 
almost every comment on this topic.
That SDA’s are still seriously considering this topic, much less allowing some church lady to lecture about her desire to submit to her man while simultaneously not upstaging her husband, is simply too funny for words.
Particularly when everyone learned back in the the 30’s something I didn’t find out until I tried to sell cars one summer:
Bruce,
My guess is that women appear less willing to (less needy) engage in rotten politics and more focused on getting things done for the people. At least this has been my observation - and I am kinda good as observing and evaluating human behavior. Like politicians, the male administrators have political interests in everything they do. They are working 24/7 toward their re-election. Principles and morality are not a major concern, but “headship” (sorry for misspelling it… ), aka male CONTROL is.
Those guys are just fearful all the time, afraid of being proven to be less effective on DOING things for the local churches and the members. It’s been observed that about a year prior to elections, the administrators engage significantly more in “visiting the field,” which sometimes translates into flying around the world.
I hope you are doing better with that “vomiting.” Careful not to get dehydrated!.. 
