Thank you. I’ve always thought the same thing. As though the Holy Spirit could Only come upon those the church ordains or commissions. Come on now.
Besides there are plenty of people who have no leadership positions in church and evangelize to others and bring them into the church.
I would say, Jesus had just called her. Who are we not to recognize her call, just because she was a woman?
Her call was recognized by the people since they did come to Jesus, which was the whole point.
The call of our chinese female pastors is obviously also recognized, so why don’t we do the same as a church?
That’s not the point I’m making but I do see your point. Perhaps the church isn’t ready to do so for whatever reason.
I thank God, that if a person wants to evangelize they don’t have to wait to be ordained to do so or to receive the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, which is the only point I was making.
The only reason for this continued discrimination of women is because the Church has been, still is, and will continue to be in the hands of men who are too afraid to share leadership. I bet part of it is because women can exert good leadership. And what if women end up showing a more refined aptitude than men? Imagine the men’ egos flying out of the windows and being smashed as rotten tomatoes that someone stepped on?
The current fear is that women may become the “terminators” of the “discriminators”…
Pretty strong imagery there. I can clearly see their egos being bruised but I can also understand that they may feel threatened. Because by default, if women become ordained, now there are less jobs for male pastors since there are only so many churches, unless they put one male and one female pastor in each church and therefore make it equal and fair… ???
If women eventually end up being ordained, I think both men and women, need to make sure they can work together. After all, their purpose is to lead others to Christ, is it not?
Bingo!. This is especially an issue in places in the world where being a pastor is a good gig. Pay is not bad and pastors have a respected position just for being a pastor. I think that there are men who are threatened by women.
There are many reasons. The Biblical ones are simply justifications for a tragic bias that is so ingrained and universal that we now justify it with illogical and indefensible hermaneutics.
It’s a normal reaction but it shouldn’t cloud their judgement. We’ll see what’s going to happen as time passes on. I can only hope, if they do get ordained that they’ll be able to work together and not againist each other.
I admire Stephen Bohr’s position on many things, but understanding has evaded him on this subject. Many equally equipped scholars have called him to task. I join them in calling our people to higher ground on this issue:
Sadly, you cannot be led back to Egypt, if you never left. God bless.
Carolyn and Sandy P –
Adventism itself is a woman’s movement. It takes its inspiration from a woman, it is composed mainly of women [more women than men] and espouses “feminine” values – no self-assertion, no violence, no intemperance, no combative sports, limited sexuality.
Adventist Men have therefore concentrated their energies on the few channels left open to them— notably the creation and perpetuation of bureaucratic and institutional structures.
If women were permitted to participate FULLY in these areas, men might find that there was almost NO scope for them to PLAY stereotypically Masculine Roles within the Adventist context."
— “Seeking a Sanctuary”, Bull and Lockhart, pg. 271.
THIS is the ONLY REASON the men of the SDA church FIGHT the Holy Spirit in acknowledging the CALL of the Holy Spirit to Women.
EGO! EGO! EGO! Fear of having to change behaviors in their bureaucratic positions. And become “more feminine”.
It also seems awfully limiting to God and how He can use others. Reminds me of when Peter refused to eat the unclean foods in the dream. Just repeat back the rules and rinse and repeat.
What’s wrong with being righteous and holy? Is this the work of satan convincing us that we cannot be holy and righteous? Stiff neck? So because people show reverence in Gods church then it’s stiff neck? Are we to follow the wordly church’s standards? We must get down get loose and make everyone around us feel good?
It is not Stephen Bohr who wants it; it is the God of order and perfection. He got it right. God is still in control.
God is in control. And God chose a woman to guide and teach the Adventist church. That’s a problem for people who refuse to let God be in control.
^^^^^^ Actually, God chose men 1st and when they refused, God chose a woman. And the men confirmed that she was legit so to speak, by saying he had had the same message.
Stephen Bohr is a Male Headship Broker. He is the biblical tradition of preserving traditions became an over-medicated tradition. He swayed more by fear than by reverence.
