Official Statement

An Appeal to the World Field Regarding the Ministry of Women in the Church

By the Editorial Board

The editorial board of Adventists Affirm has prepared this document with the contributions and counsel of other Adventist scholars and church leaders who share the same concern over the implications of the current women's ordination movement for the authority of Scripture and the integrity of the Seventh-day Adventist message and mission. As individual churches are asked to make decisions on this issue, and as the 1990 General Conference approaches, we urge our members and leaders to consider carefully the steps they will take.

CONCERNS

We are deeply concerned over the confusion and divisiveness created in our churches by the effort to ordain women as local elders and eventually as pastors. Many Adventists from various parts of the world have expressed their agony in seeing their congregations pressured to ordain women as local elders.

We are deeply concerned by the erosion of confidence in leadership to which the effort for women's ordination contributes. Many earnest Adventists are beginning to question whether the church will follow Biblical principles. Independent ministries have arisen as a reaction to the perceived trend of cultural conformity within the church. This is one cause of the weakening of the financial commitment to the church on the part of an increasing number of Adventists, many of whom see in the women's ordination movement another indication of compromise with the world. The church gets strong pressure from all sides; adherence to Bible principle is our only safe course.

We are deeply concerned that the Commission on the Role of Women, which met in July of 1989, did not base its recommendations on Biblical instruction regarding leadership and headship. It appealed instead to such social factors as "widespread lack of support risk of disunity, dissension, and diversion from the mission of the church".

We are deeply concerned over the contradiction apparent in the 1989 Annual Council's decision not to ordain women to the gospel ministry and yet to authorize them to "perform essentially the ministerial functions of an ordained minister". Advocates of ordination complain that the action makes gender the only factor for excluding women from serving as full-fledged pastors. Others find the decision unacceptable because it enables women to function in the headship role of a pastor. Further, letting people (male or female) perform the functions of an ordained minister without being ordained downgrades ministerial ordination, making it appear superfluous.

We are deeply concerned over claims that the Bible writers were heavily influenced by their culture ("culturally conditioned"), leading them to exclude women from the office of elder or pastor. Such reasoning tends to limit the authority and application of Scripture to cultures of long ago, instead of allowing the Bible to guide all cultures in all places with full authority. The same reasoning is used by other Christians to negate the Bible teachings regarding Sabbathkeeping, adornment, and footwashing, and could bring into question all the other distinctive beliefs of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

We are deeply concerned over the effect on the Adventist witness to the world of the unbiblical ordination of women. How can the Adventist Church effectively witness to the many evangelical Christians whose churches have taken a clear Biblical stand on the role distinctions between men and women? Shall we tell our evangelical friends that what the Bible teaches on this subject is less authoritative than what it teaches about the Sabbath, even though Scripture presents both of them as part of God's order of creation?

We are deeply concerned over increasing promotion of feminist interpretations which distort what the Bible says about the sacrificial headship role of a caring husband and the willing helper role of an intelligent, loving wife, labeling such Scriptures "patriarchal" and "chauvinistic". Such interpretations tend to destroy the Bible's authority and undermine the Creator's ideal for stable, nurturing homes. We believe this is one factor that has contributed to the unraveling of marriages. In some Adventist churches, broken marriages outnumber those which have not experienced divorce.

We are deeply concerned over what we consider the misinterpretation of the Jerusalem council's decision regarding circumcision (Acts 15) as a basis for having different ordination practices in different parts of the world. The Jerusalem council faced a situation quite different from ours. The issue before them was whether Gentiles could be saved without circumcision. The leaders came to "one accord" (Acts 15:25) as the Holy Spirit guided them, not in explaining away Scripture as influenced by culture, but rather in understanding what Scripture taught regarding the admission of the Gentiles into the church. The four prerequisites for the admission of the Gentiles were in fact based on the teaching of Moses (Lev 17-18), to whom church leaders appealed as their final authority: "For from early generations Moses has had in every city those who preach him, for he is read every sabbath in the synagogue" (Acts 15:21).

We are deeply concerned over the appeal to civil laws to justify the ordination of women as pastors. The claim that the Adventist Church in North America must ordain women as pastors because "our [American] civil laws prohibit us from making gender differences in the various professions, including ministry" is misleading in two respects: (1) America respects the right of churches to maintain theologically-based role distinctions in ecclesiastical matters; (2) If the laws of men conflict with the Word of God, "we must obey God rather than men" (Acts 5:29). When Sunday laws are passed, shall we not see the appeal to civil law pressed upon us again?

We are deeply concerned over efforts to make the ordination of women a "human rights issue". It is a Biblical issue.

We are deeply concerned over misinformation regarding support for women's ordination in the North American Adventist Church. Despite widespread publicity promoting women elders, for instance, recent figures show that over 80% of North American Adventist churches have not yet elected a woman elder. Surveys claiming to show support for ordaining women have not, we believe, reflected the feelings of the rank and file. In any event, our theology and practice are not determined by survey but by Scripture.

"Our theology and practice are not determined by survey but by Scripture."

AFFIRMATIONS

We affirm that men and women are equal before God. Both were created in the image of God (Gen 1:27), and both have been redeemed by Jesus Christ (Gal 3:28).

We affirm that Ellen White demonstrated divinely gifted leadership for the Seventh-day Adventist Church through her ministry as prophet, counselor, administrator and author.

We affirm that women have served and should continue to serve in every level of church leadership available to laypeople, as deaconesses, Sabbath School officers, and teachers. Women may serve as treasurers and clerks, and on various committees.

We affirm that women's ministry is vital to the mission of the church and has been so from Bible times to the present. Women constitute a large proportion of both church membership and active evangelistic workers.

The Lord has a work for women as well as for men.
— Testimonies for the Church, vol. 9, p. 128

The church must recognize the value of women's ministry, just as Jesus gave His blessing to the ministry of women (Luke 8:1-3; Matt 28:1-10; John 20:11-18).

We affirm that the Bible precludes ordaining women as priests in the Old Testament and as apostles/elders/pastors in the New Testament, because of Scriptural and theological rather than social and cultural reasons. The New Testament explicitly appeals to the order and method of creation of Adam and Eve to explain why women should not exercise a headship teaching function within the church. See 1 Tim 2:13; 1 Cor 11:8. In these texts the order and manner of Adam's and Eve's creation reveal God's design for man to function as the spiritual head of the home and church. (For more information, see the first issue of Affirm.)

We affirm that there exists a distinct correlation between the headship role of a father in the home and that of an elder/pastor in the church. "A bishop... must manage his own household well" (1 Tim 3:2-5). Ellen White upholds this correlation:

As the priest in the home, and as the ambassador of Christ in the church, he [the minister] should exemplify the character of Christ.... He who fails to be a faithful, discerning shepherd in the home, will surely fail of being a faithful shepherd to the flock of God in the church.
— Reflecting Christ, p. 179
The family of the one suggested for [the elder's] office should be considered. If he has no tact, wisdom, or power of godliness at home in managing his own family, it is safe to conclude that the same defects will be carried into the church.
— Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5, p. 618

We affirm that there exists a correlation between the role of an elder/pastor as spiritual father of the family of faith and the role of God as the Father of the human family. Though God transcends sexual role distinctions, He has chosen to reveal Himself as our Father, as Jesus attested repeatedly. Apparently the reason is that the role of a father in the home and of an elder (older father figure, 1 Tim 5:1) or pastor in the household of faith (1 Cor 4:15) best represent the role that God Himself sustains towards us, His children (Eph 3:14-15). The unique symbolic role which an elder or pastor is called to fulfill, as representative of the heavenly Father, Shepherd, and Head of the church, cannot legitimately be fulfilled by a woman as pastor, because her Scriptural role is that of mother rather than father (1 Tim 5:2). To appoint a woman to serve in the headship role of elder/pastor is an adulteration of the pastor's representation of God. Attempts to support women's ordination by blurring this distinction through such means as prayers addressed to God as "our Father and Mother in heaven" are reminiscent of the paganism the Bible writers so strongly opposed.

We affirm that no new teaching or practice should be introduced into the Seventh-day Adventist Church unless we have a clear mandate from Scripture. On this matter Ellen White's counsel is unmistakable:

The Bible must be our standard for every doctrine and practice.... It is the word of the living God that is to decide all controversies.
— The Ellen G. White 1888 Materials, pp. 44-45
God will have a people upon the earth to maintain the Bible, and the Bible only, as the standard of all doctrines and the basis of all reforms. The opinions of learned men, the deductions of science, the creeds or decisions of ecclesiastical councils, as numerous and discordant as are the churches which they represent, the voice of the majority—not one nor all of these should be regarded as evidence for or against any point of religious faith. Before accepting any doctrine or precept, we should demand a plain 'Thus saith the Lord' in its support.
— The Great Controversy, p. 595

APPEAL

The church is called to be faithful to the Word, taking the Bible as our standard for every doctrine and practice. Because we believe it would place women in the authority role that the Bible forbids, we urge the Church not to yield to calls to ordain women, even if only in select parts of the world field. We need a church unified in fidelity to Scripture.

Because we believe that allowing women pastors to perform essentially all the functions of an ordained minister places them in the role that the Bible disallows, and also diminishes the meaning of ordination, we believe that this is more than a matter of policy, to be dealt with at the lower levels of church administration. It is a step that is filled with theological significance. By placing women in the pastoral authority role, it would direct us contrary to Scripture, even though it stops short of ordaining women to the pastoral ministry. Therefore this action of the 1989 Annual Council needs to be considered by the 1990 General Conference session, though the Annual Council's action did not place it on the agenda. Since the existing provisions of the Church Manual make no allowance for women to perform the functions of an ordained minister, we believe it is essential that the world church consider the matter and act on it. Only the world church in General Conference session can modify the Church Manual.

We have been distressed over the strife and division this issue has brought to the church. We believe that ordination of women to the role of elder has fostered an ongoing problem. Though it is always difficult to retrace our steps, we believe that we must be prepared to do so if our practice is out of harmony with Scripture. We appeal to our churches to consider the matter Biblically and bring an end to the ordination of women as local elders. We further appeal to the church leadership to give earnest consideration to rescinding the 1975 and 1984 actions permitting ordination of women as elders, actions that have brought us to the straits we are in now.

Some have been legitimately concerned about the apparent inequities between the way North America treats its unordained male and female pastors. For more than a decade the unordained male pastors have been able to perform the essential functions of an ordained minister; the recent Annual Council action extends this privilege to the female pastors. But this is not the only solution to the problem. The United States tax code problem which prompted the 1977 action no longer exists. Would it not be simpler to rescind our action and return to the practice the church had long maintained, and which it still follows in most of the world? This would provide one policy for the unity of the world church, remove the unequal treatment of unordained men and women serving in their various pastoral roles, and restore something of the significance of ordination in North America.

They can come close to the hearts of those whom men cannot reach. Their labor is needed.
— Testimonies for the Church, vol. 6, pp. 117-118

Both Scripture and Ellen White attest that women are vital to the work of God on earth. We believe the church should give serious consideration to the development of programs at the college and seminary level designed to prepare women to serve in such functions as counseling, personal evangelism, Bible Instructors, personal ministry in the home, health educators, and outreach coordinators. Women so prepared should be employed in the work of the church. Conferences need to budget for a larger number of women to provide professional services to our congregations. The evangelistic challenge, as well as the increasing number of broken homes, single parents and emotionally abused children, demand more than ever the special services of women who have been trained in theological and counseling skills.

A Call to Action

What can delegates to the 1990 General Conference session do? They can give serious study to the issue prior to the session, and be prepared to speak and act with conviction to address the matter at Indianapolis.

What can church members do? They can become informed on the issue themselves and encourage their churches to give study to the matter when the question comes up regarding their local church officers. They can also express their convictions to their conference, union, division and General Conference leaders, who will represent them in the councils of the church and at the 1990 General Conference session. This is both their right and duty. We believe our leaders have been hearing mainly from a small but vocal group on one side of this issue, and they need to know that there are many who will support them when they take their stand on the teaching of the Word, to restore a biblical gospel order in the church. And we should all pray that God will lead us to follow Scripture and be true to Him.