Summary of comments in largest response yet
Brenton Stacey
Public relations officer
Cooranbong, New South Wales, Australia
Two articles about women’s ordination in the Seventh-day Adventist Church have generated the largest response yet from readers of Avondale College’s newsletter, Connections.
“The real thing”
“The real thing” (Connections Vol 23 No 25) reported Avondale College Seventh-day Adventist Church senior minister Dr Bruce Manners’ request to change his credentials from an ordained minister to a commissioned minister, the credential given to women serving as ministers in the Adventist Church. It also reported the convictions of a New Testament specialist, a director of a worship institute and a historian who spoke at a church and Sydney Adventist Forum-sponsored seminar during a women in church-themed Sabbath on the Lake Macquarie campus.
Both Richard Myers and Naomi Revelly wrote of being disappointed with the issue causing “division.” “If God calls a woman to do a man’s job, she should be given the same title as a man,” wrote Naomi. “But if the issue causes too much controversy, drop it. . . . We should all be happy with where God has placed us, and we should allow His will to take over.”
Building on Naomi’s reference to Deborah, William Moala showed how the Bible presents women as “full participants with men” in the religious and social life of the church. However, he notes women did not serve as priests in the Old Testament, nor did they serve in the leadership and teaching role of elder or minister in the New Testament. “Why would Jesus not have commissioned women to preach or teach publicly if this had been His intention?” he asks. William describes Jesus’ choice of 12 male apostles as “consistent with the Old Testament headship role man was called to fulfil at home and in the community of faith. The same role structure was respected in the life and order of the apostolic church.”
“Living witness key to reforming unjust policy”
Dr Wendy Jackson wrote “Living witness key to reforming unjust policy” (Connections Vol 23 No 25) as a reflection on the seminar. Her point: “It is not through debates and forums that reformation of the current policy will occur, but through the living witness of the gospel from the lips of men and women.”
Gabriel Ontanu thanked Wendy, a lecturer in the Faculty of Theology at Avondale, for her “patience with the saints.” “It’s good to hear common sense and sound biblical interpretation can coexist (just).” Kenton Johanson put his argument more bluntly, describing ordination in the Adventist Church as a “farce.” “Fancy expecting a human-appointed committee to divinely bless a God-ordained ministry.”
Read these comments in full and post yours online at wp.avondale.edu.au/news/tag/sydney-adventist-forum/.
Tags: Sydney Adventist Forum
Women preaching the gospel is not the issue. All men and women should preach the gospel. The exercising of spiritual gifts and talents is not the issue. Look at Seventh-day Adventist Church pioneer Ellen White. The issue is whether women can serve as leaders of congregations.
Paul’s council to Timothy is not a local issue. It’s Paul’s council regarding church governance. The context reveals it applies to all churches for all time.
Priscilla was well educated and a teacher of the gospel. She was never an elder. She was a member of the congregation in Ephesus when Paul wrote about not allowing women to serve as elders. Clearly, women serving as elders has nothing to do with ability, education or experience. It has to do with the order of creation—Adam first, Eve second.
Any discussion with a Jehovah’s Witness soon reveals they have texts that seem to support their point of view. For a real run in, try discussing the issue of grace with a thorough-going Calvinist. You’ll soon find Arminians do not have all the texts going their way.
The role of women in ministry is no exception. Texts can be and are marshalled on either side of the issue—the same used to be true re: the issue of slaves, with 1 Timothy 6:1 and Titus 2:9 being the favourites of those who argued in favour of slavery.
Let us at least rule out one argument. The role of priests in the Old Testament offers no parallel to the New Testament ministry; if it did, we would have to limit our clergy to one-clan groups (such as the Levites). Many terms were used for the minsters in the apostolic age, but “priest” was never one of them. The levitical priesthood ended with Christ (Hebrews 7:12; 8:13).
1 Timothy 2:12-14 is obviously dealing with a local church issue. Clearly, Adam and not simply Eve was a transgressor (Romans 5:15-18). No one seriously suggests childless women cannot be saved (1 Timothy 2:14). We must not universlise a text dealing with a specific issue.
Under certain circumstances both men and women are counselled to be silent in church (1 Corinthians 14:28, 30, 34—the first two verses refer to men). We would not universalise these texts, as they apply only where similar circumstances occur.
Interestingly, Paul concludes 2 Timothy with a greeting to Priscilla, one of his co-workers (Romans 16:3-5a).
So, the role of women in ministry is not properly dealt with by marshalling proof texts. One must ask the question whether it is true to Christ to discriminate as to who is to preach the gospel on the basis of gender. The gospel of course is opposed to such discrimination. Shouldn’t the preachers of it reflect the universalism of the gospel? All who receive the gospel are qualified to preach it, whether they be black or white, Asian or caucasian, Jew or Gentile, rich or poor, male or female.
And the decisions of the General Conference sessions of 1990 and 1995 did not forbid discussion of the role of women in ministry.
The apostle Paul makes it clear the only role in which a woman is prohibited to serve is of leader of a congregation. In letters to Timothy and Titus, Paul’s description of an elder is that they are to teach and to have authority over the church. Paul’s job description of an elder in 1 Timothy 2:12-13 prohibits women from serving as elders or ministers because “Adam was formed first, then Eve” (NIV). This has nothing to do with culture.
I understand the expression, “equality in ministry,” to mean that any person, whether they are male or female, who has the talent should aspire to serve in that ministry. This is clearly prohibited in Scripture. King Uzziah, who thought he could perform the function of a priest, was struck with leprosy for desiring a church office God had reserved only for the Levites. Korah, Dathan and Abiram are further examples of forcefully seeking a church office God has reserved only for another.
The Seventh-day Adventist Church’s General Conference session has twice (1990 in Indianapolis and 1995 in Utrecht) voted no to ordaining women as ministers. Ignoring these decisions is an act of rebellion against the church and against the authority of the Bible.