Pastor Larry Kirkpatrick has investigated in particular the history of the past five years that have brought so much disunity to the world church. He tells the tragic backstory of these developments in “E-60 and the WO Endgame.”
First, download (the accompanying chart) that will help the reader understand the sequence of developments and print it out. Then FIND THE PDF VERSION HERE or the standard HTML/mobile version HERE.
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Annual Council Church governance Church Manual Columbia Union Conference (CUC) Congregationalism Council of Adventist Pastors (CAP) Culturally driven E-60 General Conference General Conference Working Policy Headship Insubordination Larry Kirkpatrick NAD Working Policy NAD Year-end Meeting North American Division (NAD) North Pacific Union Conference (NPUC) Ordination Without Regard to Gender OrdinationTruth.com Pacific Union Conference (PUC) Polity Sandra Roberts Sandy Roberts SECC SECC constituency meeting Seventh-day Adventist Church Southeastern California Conference Ted N.C. Wilson Unilateral Action Women's Ordination YEM
11 replies on “E-60 and the WO Endgame”
Thanks, Pastor Kirkpatrick, for this detailed summary of recent events.
Given the passion against WO by most on this site, I’m curious whether those of you who oppose WO believe that male headship should be elevated to the level of a Fundamental SDA Belief? If not, aren’t we merely arguing about policy?
Gerald,
I appreciate your question. But I don’t think there is really passion here for the anti-WO position. Rather, the position of myself and many others is that the church has much to accomplish and that the pro-WO advocates have not made anything approaching a biblical case for their idea. My passion is reserved for Jesus and those life-transforming biblical truths He has called us to live and give.
Also, this clarification: Few, if any of us oppose all ordination of women; many of us see no biblical prohibition to appointing women to serve in Scripturally appropriate positions when the congregation perceives that God has called them, or in signifying that call by the laying on of hands. Nor do we oppose women serving in paid ministry positions, or, where appropriate, their being reimbursed out of tithe funds. We do not oppose women receiving equivalent pay to men for equivalent work done. We do not oppose women serving in certain administrative roles where they are not leading a congregation nor providing directive spiritual leadership.
What many do oppose, is the ordination of women to a class of congregational and denominational leadership positions which we believe biblical principle reserves to males. In particular, these include the role of local church elder, the church pastor who in ordained capacity carries global authority, and the position of conference, union, division, or world church president. These positions are distinct headship positions which the Designer of humanity has reserved for called, spiritual persons of the male sex.
My concerns, and those of most SDAs I know who oppose WO are particular, and do not constitute across the board objection. There also seems to be a differentiation in the writings of EGEW between “ordination” (used of males) and “laying on of hands” (used of females). Unfortunately, it is sometimes difficult not to wonder whether some who favor Women’s Ordination do not do so with the very purpose of overturning any kind of creation order sex role specificity. The main issue then actually is not Women’s Ordination, but whether the Seventh-day Adventist Church will concur with its Creator in His making us to be equal and His giving us sex-specific role differentiation, or whether His order will be completely discarded.
In the SDA context, a fundamental belief supporting creation-order sex-roles (I really don’t like the blurry phrase “gender roles”) could be the right way to go. “Creation-order” captures the idea of God’s will, not ours. If we say a “male headship doctrine” it might imply to some an exclusion of women. The task ahead is great. Every Christian needs to be at their divinely-appointed station. If God is leading in this way, He will help the Church understand how to articulate this. I am open to it. I have not really fully processed that idea.
Thank you for the clarification and insight. I have been deeply saddened and distressed by the departure of my conference (SECC) from a unified position in such a rebellious manner. There has been no valid Biblical case presented! I have been searching for days, as so many in my home congregation are either elated by this departure from Biblical alignment, or indifferent. The best argument I have heard has been, “I realize what the Bible says but…”
Any thoughts of what to do? I feel conflicted about attending in this conference any longer, as the leadership has shown such incredible disdain for what the Word is saying. I hate to leave the SDA Church over it, and do not even know if that is what God would want. Any direction with regard to verses or thought would be appreciated.
Lorraine,
There are Daniels right there in your area. Remember, many in SECC voted NOT to go against the world church. I think that this situation is temporary. Possibly your conference and union may be disbanded and reorganized during the last half of 2015. Don’t worry about that. In such a case, ownership of the church properties will simply revert to the next level up. When the conference or union is reorganized, they will come back to the new conference.
Do not forsake the assembling of yourselves together (Hebrews 10:24, 25). You may be able to locate another SDA church if needful where the people are more committed to working together with the world church. We are not let off the hook because there are problems. We must live and give the Third Angel’s Message even now. Reread the first pages of _Acts of the Apostles_. God will see us all through this.
Thank you for your response! Your verse was exactly in line with what I was reading in my devotion this morning. I really appreciate the Scripture you provided, and your guidance as well. Have a blessed evening.
I’d like to know why you feel so threatened by it? The male ego is fragile. Trust me! I know. Prejudices and fears manifest themselves deep in our psyche to the point were they rule our thinking.
As you can see from the NAD report, if you bothered to read it, that there is substantial support for women in leadership in Scripture and and all other evidence. The troubling passages warrant some attention, but we are now seeing what they likely mean. Headship is not one of our doctrines so that is a nonstarter.
I think you’ll find that all this fear and blather is for not. God is moving rapidly and decisively. Satan hates this because it does mean that God’s people are maturing and rising up to meet the challenges.
This post will be vilified That is expected, but I hope you’ll honest look at this again and look at why you fear and hate this so much.
@Felix. I would like to review the Scriptures in support of the steps that are being taken. As I mentioned, I have been studying a lot, and didn’t find any, so it would be appreciated. Thanks!
Felix could you please post the Scriptures which support women in Church leadership… I have also been searching for them. Many denominations base the keeping of Sunday and state of the dead on “Scriptures” also. A text out of context is a pretext….
Felix,
I’m not sure who you are addressing this to. It seems strange to suggest that people are threatened by the ordination of women because opposers of this idea have weak egos. How would you know? How would we know? Unbiased self-analysis is not very doable.
I am presently reading through the NAD-TOSC Report. I have spent many hours so far. The result is not promising. I have found no new evidence from the Scriptures supporting WO at all. As the many hundreds of pages I have before read through by Adventists (e.g. The Welcome Table, Women in Ministry, etc.), authentic Bible arguments are very hard to come by. However, if you read some of the articles on this site, you will find that the consistent Christian witness of almost 2,000 years has been in support of God’s creation order (e.g., what some call “male headship”), while it is only in the past half-century that a different kind of interpretation has been offered and given any serious consideration.
I would be interested if you could point out any actual incidents of fear or hate. If such exist I would hope to have them shown me that I might repent of them.
Not sure if my copy of the Fundamental Beliefs is the same as others, but interestingly, under the Doctrine of the Church (qualifications of an elder) the language clearly makes the point that such a role should be filled by a man (using terms like: husband, father, his children). Yet so many in the world church can’t figure it out.
Thoughts from the messenger of the Lord in relation WO Endgame:
False theories will be mingled with every phase of experience and advocated with satanic earnestness in order to captivate the mind of every soul who is not rooted and grounded in a full knowledge of the sacred principles of the Word. In the very midst of us will arise false teachers, giving heed to seducing spirits whose doctrines are of satanic origin. These teachers will draw away disciples after themselves. Creeping in unawares, they will use flattering words and make skillful misrepresentations with seductive tact. . . . {11MR 205.1}
The Lord is guarding His people against a repetition of the errors and mistakes of the past. There have always abounded false teachers who, advocating erroneous doctrines and unholy practices, and working upon false principles in most specious, covered, deceptive manner, have endeavored to deceive, if possible, the very elect. They bind themselves up in their own fallacies. If they do not succeed, because their way becomes hedged by warnings from God, they will change somewhat the features of their work, and the representations they have made, and bring out their plans again under a false showing. They refuse to confess, repent, and believe. Confessions may be made, but no real reformation takes place, and erroneous theories bring ruin upon unsuspecting souls, because these souls believe and rely upon the men advocating these theories.–Ms. 94, 1903, pp. 10, 12. (Lessons From the Past,” Aug. 27, 1903.)
White Estate Washington, D. C. October 6, 1981 {11MR 205.2}
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I am confident in God’s leading!
The leaven of godliness has not entirely lost its power. At the time when the danger and depression of the church are greatest, the little company who are standing in the light will be sighing and crying for the abominations that are done in the land. But more especially will their prayers arise in behalf of the church because its members are doing after the manner of the world. {5T 209.3}