This statement from the Oregon Conference would have more substance and meaning if my friends, Pastor Kara Dale Johnson and Pastor Shirley Allen, were ordained instead of commissioned…
The First United Methodist church in Portland Oregon has a senior woman pastor, Donna Pritchard who has been ordained for years
The Methodist Conference President for the Portland region is a female as is their Methodist Bishop (equivalent to Union Conference President).
This statement, regrettably is neither cogent, convincing nor compelling, because their is no substance behind it.
Stop “sitting on the fence” Oregon SDA Conference and emulate the local Methodists who model egalitarianism for you!
Here’s what happens when girls are told they can’t be a pastor. They leave. This is a picture of my cousin, Crys, who was raised an Adventist and wanted to be a pastor, but her teacher told her that would be inappropriate. She’s now in children’s ministry for the Anglican church.
Sarcasm. At least this conference said something, my conference president didn’t even know about the AC meeting, nor did the rest of the staff. When someone asked about what was voted on, he said that one union was leaving the Adventist family. So, the reality is, this world is not perfect, and this Adventist family also reflects that. Also, you have female pastors, here women can’t even preach.
“…while we remain in compliance with the policy of _________ (insert any injustice here…I’ll use slavery as an example) that we protest, we continue working to promote Biblical freedom for everyone in the twenty-first century…”
Can someone define for me the concept of “cognitive dissonance”?
Do we really wonder why our youth throw up their hands, shake their heads, and walk away?
Justice is to walk toward and ideal - not talk about it.
We must ask ourselves…does Jesus teach us to say one thing but do another?
While it is imperative that we do not recognize a male/female bifurcation in the serving ministry, I am concerned that some conferences might be ordaining women while still cherishing a faulty understanding of what the act of ordination must be (when used in the Christian church). The Christian church has probably compromised itself by employing the term, “ordination” which implies hierarchy.
Whatever we do, it must be with the understanding that ordination is not - for us Adventists - the placing of one in authority over another. That would be a worldly practice in opposition to Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 20. Until we refine our understanding, it may be best to ordain no one - male or female. That would be a true protest! May the Spirit of God guide us to always “do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly”.
During Pentecost the tongues of fire “came to rest on each of them.” Among the 120 there were women present, including the mother of Jesus. This is the highest ordination that can be given. The Spirit showed no difference between male and female. To ordain woman, in a modern sense, is the follow the lead of the Spirit. Perhaps not to so–could be seen as opposing the Spirit’s leadership.
Let me just say that this statement is a big step in the right direction. We had members of the executive committee who said their constituent members would never agree to our statements…
Unfortunately there are still congregations in our outlying Oregon Conference areas that feel the GC is the highest authority of the church on earth.
— I know— I’m aghast as well!! Fortunately our Conference Leadership is willing to confront that type of hierarchical belief and uphold the truth of us all being equal at the foot of the cross.
Furthermore, it is the NPUC that has the power to determine ordination, not the specific conferences. Our constituent members of the NPUC include Idaho, Montana and Alaska where We don’t find majority agreement for women’s ordination or opposing the GC. It would take a 2/3rds majority vote of the NPUC constituent members to approve women’s ordination and we don’t have that backing currently.
I chose to try and be part of the solution through exercising the power of lovingly representing my beliefs and understanding of the Gospel. I voted for affirming the statement the Oregon Conference Executive Committee worked hard to construct. I am encouraged that the Oregon Conference Leadership has taken a stand to voice support for the Priesthood and Equality of ALL Believers.
I choose to continue to be part of our “Adventist Family” and struggle through love and relationship to find our way forward.
