On Wednesday and Thursday, February 13 and 14, the Lake Union Conference considered the question of Women’s Ordination. Presentations in favor or opposition were made by presenters including Darius Jankowitz, Clinton Wahlen, P. Gerard Damsteegt, and Richard M. Davidson. The first motion was to recommend that the General Conference permit Divisions and Unions to ordain without regard to gender. That motion lost 18 to 12. The final motion is as below:
Category: General Conference
The above short video was an urgent and humble appeal by General Conference President Ted N.C. Wilson to the Columbia Union Conference NOT to proceed to vote itself into opposition to the world church (which it did afterwards). Nevertheless, as the North Pacific Union Conference Executive Committee prepares to meet February 18-20, 2013, this is important food for thought for each and every member. The NPUC Supporting Pastors urgently desire that the NPUC avoid the disunity and shame of insubordination that would result from similar independent action. We are part of a world church. We respectfully request that the NPUC decision to hold a special constituency meeting be rescinded (ed. note: The NPUC executive committee has indicated that there will indeed be a similar special constituency meeting about February 2015).
The North Pacific Union Conference has issued a statement in response to NPUC Supporting Pastors. You will find it here: http://www.gleaneronline.org/2013/02/concerned-nw-pastors-speak-out-on-ordination/. The ranks of the Supporting Pastors have increased. Names listed here: List of OrdinationTruth.com NPUC Supporting Pastors.
The initial news release by the NPUC Supporting Pastors can be found here.
The North Pacific Union Conference will meet for its regularly scheduled Executive Committee meeting in eight days, February 18-20 at Ridgefield, Washington.
New article by Jim Reinking published, “Listening to God’s Voice.” Reinking briefly discusses unity, proper church order, and shows how Heaven is calling us to respect the voice of the General Conference. Find it here.
NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE TO ALL SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISTS
NPUC Supporting Pastors
PO Box 19424
Spokane, WA 99219
OrdinationTruth.com
contact@ordinationtruth.com
North Pacific Union Conference (NPUC), North American Division, February 4, 2013: Today the NPUC Supporting Pastors launched the OrdinationTruth.com website. At launch, twenty-eight ministers formally lent their support, choosing to be named and listed as Supporting Pastors. As more pastors learn of this encouragement toward unity, it is anticipated the list will speedily grow.
Those within the Union advocating in favor of Women’s Ordination are preparing for a special constituency meeting of the Union where NPUC could move ahead of the world church. The Supporting Pastors came together to respond to this emergency. They respectfully ask that the NPUC Executive Committee rescind its November 2012 decision and that no special constituency meeting to act on Women’s Ordination be held before the 2015 General Conference session.
In 2012, two of nine North American Division union constituencies voted to act independently of the world Seventh-day Adventist Church (SDA). Those two unions moved unilaterally to ordain women as pastors. The SDA Church rejected similar initatives in 1990 and 1995 General Conference sessions. In Adventist polity, an ordained minister carries authority to function across the world field. Union conferences do not have authority to determine whether women shall be ordained within their territories; this decision rests with the combined Church represented by the General Conference. A group within the NPUC also launched a union-wide initiative intended to lead to a special meeting. But such action at this time could align the North Pacific Union with other insubordinate unions.
OrdinationTruth.com is intended as a fresh venue where information can be shared highlighting Christian teachings about unity, order, and gender in the Church. The site also exists to help assure that the conversation about Women’s Ordination in the Union is balanced. The Union paper has carried only one side of the question. Immediately, and in weeks and months to come, OrdinationTruth.com will carry news, articles, and studies addressing questions of unity and Women’s Ordination, especially within the territory of the NPUC. There is also an e-mail list where interested persons can participate as the situation unfolds. For these materials, more detailed positions, and participation options, persons are directed to http://www.OrdinationTruth.com.
Initially published documents include an overview document as well as, “Ordination: God’s Purpose versus Satan’s Designs,” found in the FEATURES section of the site.
The NPUC Supporting Pastors seek to work in harmony with the NPUC and invite prayer for Union leadership and support for the world church in this difficult hour.