Category: Equality

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A gender agenda, part 1


Mike Lambert, pastor of the Stateline, Oregon, Seventh-day Adventist Church, delivers the first of six presentations—all of which we shall post online over the next few weeks, from his series titled “A gender agenda.” In the series, Pr. Lambert addresses the cluster of texts and arguments favoring and opposing women’s ordination, with associated issues. In this first part, Elder Lambert begins to address Galatians 3:28 but also provides a quick but careful walk through the historic developments of the issue in the Seventh-day Adventist church from its beginning right up to the present. Stateline Church is located immediately south of Walla Walla/College Place, WA.

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1 Peter 1 Timothy CAP authors Congregationalism Council of Adventist Pastors (CAP) Equality Exodus Genesis Headship Hebrews Louis R Torres Numbers OrdinationTruth.com Priesthood of all believers Women in Ministry Women's Ordination

Priesthood of Believers

Louis R. Torres takes a look at a phrase commonly used (“Priesthood of all believers”, but probes a bit deeper in this short article. FIND IT HERE.

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Distinct roles Equality

Equal in rank, distinct in their roles

Utensils

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Ellen G. White Equality Genesis Headship John Witcombe Male-sex specific roles OrdinationTruth.com Seventh-day Adventist Church Women in Ministry Women's Ordination

The Curse That Redeems

What does Ellen White tell us about the the designed relation between Adam and Eve and the effect of the Fall upon that relationship? Pastor John Witcombe takes a brief look in “The Curse That Redeems.” FIND IT HERE

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Equality General Conference Insubordination Netherlands Union Seventh-day Adventist Church Unilateral Action

Netherlands Union Renews Rebellion Against General Conference

On May 30, 2013 the Netherlands Union Executive Committee voted to ordain female pastors, but kept this decision secret until July 5, 2013. They claim they felt their action necessary to make a point of recognizing women as equal to men. Consider this part of their statement:

In the end, this decision was the result of weighing the principle of unity against the principle of equality. Other possibilities were also discussed, including the option of not ordaining any pastors until the world church recognises equality, and the option of waiting until the upcoming session of the General Conference of the world church to reach a decision. Ultimately it was decided that from June 1st, 2013 all ordained and commissioned pastors, regardless of gender, will be considered ordained in the Netherlands” (http://www.adventist.nl/2013/07/06/netherlands-union-conference-votes-to-ordain-female-pastors/, accessed 2013-07-07).

In the Seventh-day Adventist Church, ordination grants the individual an authority in the church that is global in nature, not merely local. The world church—not local unions—looks to the Scriptures to determination qualifications for ordination. Because of the biblical counsel concerning spiritual leadership, one of the requirements for ordination is that an individual be male.
For 2,000 years the church has discerned that men and women are equal, yet called to different roles. No union has the authority to redefine “equality” for the world church. In addition, there is cause for concerned over any “principle of equality” that is seen to be of greater authority than the “principle of unity.” The Netherlands Union offered no explanation for the basis of their superior “principle of equality.”
Unions are entrusted to discern which male candidates meet the qualifications which the world church has set forth for those who shall be ordained. In exceeding its authority, the Netherlands Union stands in defiance of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. It has acted unilaterally and in disregard to previous world church actions (1990, 1995 GC sessions) refusing to grant unions the right to ordain whomever they wished. The present, high-handed action of the Netherlands Union, constitutes a current example set before church members and before the world, of disunity, rebellion and apostasy.