On November 4, 2013, the North American Division’s biblical research committee brought its completed study on women’s ordination to its Year-end Meeting. The document was approved by 182 of 216 NAD delegates. Astonishingly, the study (we refer to the “Majority Report”) proposed a new method of biblical interpretation. They claimed it to be in harmony with longstanding Seventh-day Adventist use of the Historical-grammatical method. Most Seventh-day Adventists are unaware of this officially proposed NAD approach to the Bible. The Council of Adventist Pastors (CAP) has produced video interviews discussing the NAD’s “Principle-based Historical-cultural” method (PBHC). In three segments, Pr Jim Brackett interviews Pr Larry Kirkpatrick to unpack the implications.
CONTINUES IN PART 2 POSTED ABOVE…
Categories
1 Corinthians 1 Timothy Biblical Interpretation CAP authors Council of Adventist Pastors (CAP) Culturally driven Distinct roles Doctrine of the Church Doctrine of Unity Ephesians Gender General Conference General Conference Session 2015 San Antonio Headship Hermeneutic of Suspicion Historical-Critical Method Historical-grammatical method Jim Brackett Krister Stendahl Larry Kirkpatrick Male-sex specific roles Methods of Bible Study 1986 NAD TOSC Minority Report NAD TOSC Report NAD Year-end Meeting North American Division (NAD) Ordination Without Regard to Gender OrdinationTruth.com Postmodernism Principle-based Historical-cultural Method Rio Document 1986 Seventh-day Adventist Church Submission The Welcome Table Theology of Ordination Study Committee (TOSC) Women in Ministry Women's Ordination YEM
6 replies on “New NAD WO hermeneutic, pt. 1”
We will have no scriptural foundation to defend our fundamental beliefs if we begin to interpret scripture differently based on culture. We can do away with the Sabbath and tithing, the health message, the sanctuary service and the rest. Now that the NAD has undermined the first Fundamental belief, the rest of the 27 Fundamentals will collapse. I pray that the Lord intervenes and brings this rebellion to an end.
The issue of women’s ordination, when it comes to the root, is actually about how we interpret the Scripture, in other words, it depends on presupposition of different views – Principle-based Historical-cultural method vs. Historical-grammatical method.
I disagree with Pr Brackett in that I don’t believe that everyone in this issue is being honest and sincere. It’s very diplomatic to say and assume the best in everybody. But from the past two years, we’ve seen probably nothing BUT deception and insincerity from many of the pro-WO camp.
I believe that the conniving came to its head when we saw the extreme politicking and less-than-true fealty to the world church when the NAD leadership in effect said, “Okay, the church is against the E-60 policy. But never mind that, how can we finagle around and circumvent the church and get this thing rammed through anyway?”
I believe that it was a straight up falsehood by Elder Jackson when he claimed that he didn’t know that the NAD couldn’t have its own policies out of harmony with the world church. And this set the stage for other entities to start playing fast and loose with the respect due to God’s appointed authority on earth, the General Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in session.
Jackson wrote:
“In discussions held following the 2011 North American Division Year-end Meeting it was brought to the NAD Administration’s attention that Divisions do not have Constituencies, in that they are all (that is, the Divisions) parts of the same General Conference “whole” therefore they must act in harmony with the policies of the world church. In other words, Divisions do not have the independent right to develop policies which are out of harmony with the General Conference Model Constitution or voted General Conference Working Policy. While all Divisions have the authority to develop and implement policies related to their field, they may not act independently when it comes to voted General Conference policies.” Dan Jackson Letter to NAD ADCOM Jan 31. 2012
I agree completely. There has been misuses of EGW quotes, misuse of Scriptures, and wanting it both ways, such as it was a “bigoted” culture in the first century, thus Paul developed his criteria for an elder based on that, and yet Junia somehow was an elder, in that same bigoted culture. I like this one. A woman was cited in the book supporting Women in Ministry as having been a pastor in a church I now pastor myself. Her family came to me and told me not only was she not a pastor, but a bible worker, but would have totally disagreed with the idea of any woman ever serving as a pastor, and would have resented people misusing her name and story as they are. This is not only dishonest and unethical, but shows that people are not really studying and searching to ensure they are accurate.
An excellent and insightful interview. Two small mistakes should be noted, however. While the North German Union did in fact vote to ordain women, it subsequently rescinded this action and declared it would not proceed with such ordinations until permission was granted by the General Conference in session. The third Union to commence the unauthorized ordination of female pastors—after Columbia and Pacific—as been the Netherlands Union, which voted to do this a number of months ago.
If that proposal was adopted by the church, Satan would be elated. He would have won a major battle and the Seventh-day Adventist church would have given away its influence in the world as having a last day message. It would be a catastrophy beyond words.