Utrecht, The Netherlands | Max Torkelsen II, Rick Kajiura, Ray Dabrowski

Utrecht, The Netherlands… Casting what is essentially a vote against the ordination of women for the Seventh-day Adventist Church, delegates to the 56th World Congress of the Seventh-day Adventist Church voted not to allow world divisions of the Church to ordain individuals without regard to gender.


Fewer than one-third of the delegates voted in favor of the request from the North American Division of the Church which asked that divisions, not the Church as a whole, be allowed to make the decision on ordination. Of the 2,154 votes cast, 1,481 voted against the request, 673 voted for. 


The discussion of this issue produced the most spirited debate thus far with those “against” the motion showing, at least superficially, more passion than those “for” the issue.


As the delegates assembled at 2 p.m. in expectation of the agenda item more than the average amount of time was spent in prayer.


In addition to the invocation there were prayers before each formal statement and a prayer by Robert S. Folkenberg, world president of the Church, immediately preceding the vote.  His prayer urged a spirit of “unity in Christ” regardless of the outcome.


The afternoon proceedings began with a short history of the women’s ordination issue in the Adventist Church presented by chairman Calvin Rock, a general vice president of the Church.


Rock revealed that the General Conference Session of 1881 voted that “females may with perfect propriety be set apart for ministry” by ordination, although that action was never implemented.


In more recent times the first request for women’s ordination came from Finland in 1968.


As recently as 1990 the Church in general session defeated the proposal by a more than two-thirds majority.


In a presentation before the discussion, Alfred C. McClure, president of the Church in North America, appealed to delegates to suspend the views they brought with them, and that they prayerfully seek ways to help address the dilemma that the North American Church faces. He said, “We believe that gender inclusive ordination, while perhaps not appropriate in some places will be helpful in North America. There is a generation of bright and devout young people coming on the scene tomorrow’s leaders, I would submit the majority of whom believe it is right, and who will be seriously disillusioned by a negative vote today from their Church.”


In the first of two presentations, Dr. P. Gerard Damsteegt, associate professor of theology, Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary, presented the theological case “against” the women’s ordination. While affirming women’s “equality of nature and worth before God” he suggested that women are “different in functional roles.”


He suggested that the Bible does not allow “spiritual headship” of women either in the family or in the Church.


Dr. Damsteegt suggested that those who are “for” female ordination are departing from the traditional Adventist method of Scriptural interpretation.


He explained that this proposal conflicts with three basic Bible doctrines, namely; the doctrine of the Church, the doctrine of Holy Scripture, and the doctrine of the unity of the Church.


Dr. Raoul Dederen, professor Emeritus of Biblical Theology from Andrews University Theological Seminary and former dean,


presented the case “for” the ordination of women.


He stated, “The Scripture does not speak to the issue of the ordination of women.”


He addressed several of the same biblical passages referred to by Damsteegt, but offered a different interpretation considering the cultural setting in which the counsel was given.


He pointed out that if an “elder” must be the “husband of one wife” and “rule his family after him” then single men, widowers, and married men with no children would not be eligible for ordination.  However, the Church does not apply the Scripture in this way, he said.


Minutes before the vote was taken by secret ballot, Robert S. Folkenberg, president of the world Church, appealed for the delegates to “submit our cherished opinions to the word of God and His spirit. Consider the pain of your brother and sister as more important than your own.”


As debate opened, there was a rush to the two microphones on the floor. One-hundred and twenty persons lined up to speak for or against the motion. Passionate speaches, mostly from the delegates representing Central and South America as well as Africa and Asia, appealed for the motion to be defeated. Statements for the right of gender inclusive ordination not to be defeated, came mostly from North American and European delegates.


Deborah Harris from the North American Division was the first woman to speak to the issue in the proceedings.


She suggested that “when God calls you he ordains you” and suggested that women do not need to “wait for the recognition.”  She said “we don’t ask for praise, but we ask for justice.


Fairness and equal opportunity is the issue.”


Delegate de Alomia, from the South American Division was the only female to speak “against” the issue.


She testified, “I have never felt enslaved” in my extensive work for the Church.


“I do not require a title, the prize I receive will be in heaven,” she said.


De Alomia continued, “I work gladly for God without any credit or license.


Why divide ourselves now merely for an earthly rite.”


Vicki Ballou of the North Pacific Union in North America reminded delegates that “defenders of the holocaust and slavery used the Bible to defend their positions.” She pointed out that many people in the United States question “whether the church can really reflect the character of Christ when it treats women unfairly.”


Ted N. C. Wilson, president of the Euro-Asia Division emphatically declared that this is a “potentially divisive issue” making “widespread factionalism possible.”


He urged delegates to prayerfully vote “no” on the issue.


Following the announcement of the results of the vote, McClure said: “We have done our best to present the proposal as we felt was right. We believe that it is something [ordination of women] that would be very helpful in North America. However, the world Church has spoken. And we believe in the unity of


the world Church. We must stay together, and we support the decision of the Church.”


The women’s ordination issue is not new to the Seventh-day Adventist Church. It has been addressed at the 1881 General Conference Session. In more recent times,


a study was initiated in 1971 and the 1975 General Conference Session in Vienna, Austria, discussed the issue. In l984, the Annual Council, the yearly business meeting of the Church, authorized the ordination of women elders, but at the 1990 General Conference Session in Indianapolis, United States, a motion to ordain women to ministry was not approved. The vote then was 1,173 in favor of the recommendation “not to approve ordination of women to the gospel ministry,” against 377 votes.


As a worldwide Christian Church, Seventh-day Adventists are present mostly outside North America. The 8.5 million-member denomination has less that 10 percent of membership in the United States and Canada.

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