The Netherlands Union Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church is seeking a full-time pastor for Dutch-speaking churches, according to a job listing posted today on the union's website. The listing, posted by NUC Executive Secretary Tom dr Bruin, calls for female and male candidates to apply.
The Trans-European Division, the parent organization of the Netherlands Union Conference, has been among the leading entities in the Seventh-day Adventist denomination moving forward on the issue of women's ordination. The division's website notes that the matter of women’s ordination for ministry has been under discussion in the TED at least since 1968. The website's Statement on Women's Ordination to the Pastoral Ministry states that after considering the recommendations of regular councils for female pastoral workers, "salaries, employment conditions, titles, and job descriptions for male and female pastoral workers have been made more and more equal in many unions."
The Netherlands Union Conference has made moves to include more women in pastoral ministry, and the current job listing provides another opportunity for a female candidate to apply. The listing includes the following stipulations:
Open to: Any Adventist pastor (female or male) with an MA in Theology from a European Adventist University, preferably Newbold College. Position: Pastor for Dutch-speaking churches, coach for Dutch-speaking church plants Closing Date: Friday, January 16th, 2015 Work Hours: Full-time Salary: Per the denominational salary scale As per: March 1st, 2015
Applicants must have the required work and/or residency permits to be eligible for consideration.
POSITION
1-year contract with the prospect of a permanent position Responsible for leading existing Dutch-speaking churches and/or groups. Responsible for setting up new Dutch-speaking church plants.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
All applicants must clearly address each selection criterion detailed below with specific and comprehensive information supporting each item. Applications with incomplete information will be deemed unqualified.
Applicant must be a member of the SDA Church. Applicant must be a citizen of an EU-28 country, Norway or Switzerland. Education: MA Theology at a European Adventist University, preferably Newbold College. Experience in leading churches or church planting is an asset. Ordination is preferred but not required. Young pastors (under 40) are preferred. Female applicants will have our preference over male applicants in case of equal competence. Language requirements: C1 in English, B2 in Dutch (or should be able to achieve this level within one year). Job Knowledge: general knowledge of the Dutch culture and customs. Skills and Abilities: A valid European driving license is required. Good computer skills are desirable. Must have basic Microsoft Office knowledge and be familiar with report writing and spreadsheets. Must be able to work independently and adapt to changing circumstances. Must have strong organizational and social skills. Must be able to deliver spiritual leadership from an Adventist perspective. Must be able to work in intercultural settings and build bridges between cultures.
SELECTION PROCESS
Qualified European citizens receive preference in hiring. It is essential that the candidates address the required qualifications above in the application. Candidates who are eligible for invitation will take part in an in-house assessment, including five peer assessments using a personality survey to be supplied. Candidates will also submit five letters of reference about their functioning in church situations.
HOW TO APPLY
Interested applicants for this position must submit the following in English or Dutch (no Google translation) to jdenhollander@adventist.nl:
Why only accept candidates with a degree from a European Adventist university? Why not Andrews for example? Why discriminate?
This is also discrimination.
So is this.
It reminds me so much of the discriminatory job ads in the Philippines - must be a female under 28 years of age, must be good looking and have a pleasant personality.
The requirements should also state: “believes in all 28 fundamentals as written, believes and can defend the investigative judgment, the prophetic ministry of Ellen White, a recent 6-day creation, and standards of sexuality as promoted by the Bible”. There’s more that can be said, however, being Europe and particularly the Netherlands, I’d suggest that firm believers in traditional Adventism need not apply. (Unless you can get in there, and then start preaching the solid truth once you’ve got the job.)
@Tongkam Without getting drawn in to a huge debate, some background. At the moment the Netherlands Union Conference employs 30 staff in pastoral positions. The ratio is about 25:5 (male:female). About 55% of our members are female. (There is a similar age ratio, with most being 50+).
The Union Board made it their policy to attempt to create a less skew ratio. In their 5-year plan included the plan to sponsor 6 female theology students to 2 male students. Similarly they have voted to prefer young female hires in an attempt to solve this discrepancy.
I suppose you could see it as discrimination. But, that seems to be part of hiring strategies. If you have a large minority group in your conference, and you have no pastor from that minority, surely you’d prefer a pastor from that minority.
@pagophilus Have you ever been to the church in the Netherlands? You should come sometime. I’m sure you’d be pleasantly surprised to see variance in pastors and the mutual respect that there is among the believers there. If you ever are, give me a call, I’d be glad to show you around!
What is wrong that you don’t get it? They have basically only males, and in order to reach balance in numbers and equal opportunity, what do you think they have to do, uh?
Oh, my, no, Togkam; it’s merely “affirmative action.” Talk about disingenuous. After all this hoopla about the alleged discrimination against women, now they plan to discriminate against men to even the score? Something is missing from this equation. As the former Congressman used to say, "Beam me up . . . "
This particular discussion seems to center more on hypocrisy, although control is never out of the picture entirely. There are too many who wish to exert an illegitimate power over someone else. The opposite ditch, of course, has people rebelling against the powers that God has ordained.
The only thing missing in this equation is that the church is composed of over 60% of females but this majority has by far NO equitative representation. Look at the "delegates"who go to vote everywhere. And among pastors, what is the female percentage again?
Now, mentioning affirmative action in this context is gross!
I wonder how many females were in the population when Jesus picked zero of them to be among his 12 ordained disciples. My guess is women were more than 50% of the population then too.
Well, Jesus didn’t drive a car, much less a motorcycle. You should abstain from doing things he didn’t…
You know, just for the sake of…, … consistency!..
Wow. Hypocrisy again. You’re using a computer! Do you intend to practice what you preach?
I’ve never tried to say that people should only do what Jesus did. If we carried your “expert psychology” to its logical conclusion, the church would perish, because we would all remain celibate…or maybe find a cross upon which to be crucified.
Of course I am using a computer! I never defended ANY idea of staying stuck in some time 2K or 4K years ago, so why are you applying the term “hypocrisy” to me? I am not riding any motorcycle and at the same time trying to keep women under the lid in church!
You just threw the wrong argument toward the wrong target. Missing it all!
Now get off that computer and get the old typewriter from the closet. Good luck with the Internet.
Merry Christmas!
[NOTE TO ALL: This post in its entirety represents my own opinions. It may not represent the opinions of Spectrum.]
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Rohan,
Multiple things will happen. It is a very complex situation, as I’m sure you’re aware. None of us being God, we cannot reliably predict a future outcome. However, my analysis would see some of the following happening, in addition to some of the things others may have already brought up here, in no special order.
In some places, life would carry on as usual with no significant difference. Either the women would have already been ordained, or they would have no chance of being ordained for cultural reasons in their locality (they might not desire ordination). Consider Matthew 28:37-39 which describes the ordinary lives people will be leading before Jesus comes.
In some places, churches would split over the philosophical divide. Some might choose to jump ship, thinking that the Adventist church had surely apostatized.
In some places, women would become pastors where they had not been before. Church growth would not be positively affected (and I don’t limit this to numbers, though it could certainly affect those as well). God values quality over quantity, which is something our church has often forgotten. Anytime we rebel and do things our own way, God is dishonored and cannot bless as much as He could while we walked in obedience to Him.
Mostly, I think the general slide in morality within the church would take a steeper descent. Families, not just churches, would be split up over it. Many outside of the Adventist church would see nothing worth joining over, as we would have become the more similar to the world and would have lost a significant part of our distinct message based on present truth.
Again, I have faith that these things will not happen. Therefore, I haven’t put considerable time into all of the “what-ifs.” The major question facing the church at this time is: will we follow the Bible? or will we follow society? That is the choice. As George so well puts it:
Many feel that the Bible teaches antiquated concepts that cannot properly be applied today. To me, its truths are enduring and timeless. May God keep His people safe in the coming storm. Apostasy must come. We are indeed living in the end times. We can expect apostasy. The Bible and Ellen White teach that those who are on God’s side will be sighing and crying for the abominations in the church. I believe we are entering those times now. When women are put into the leadership positions of our church (already beginning to happen), then the following verse will be more directly fulfilled.
As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths. (Isaiah 3:12)
