During a panel discussion, a segment of Dr. Mario Veloso explains the history behind women elders. The question has never been directly voted at a General Conference session and has been carried forward in outside of common church procedure. NOTE: View especially at time stamp 46.56 – 52:16.
This presentation offers those details, which most Seventh-day Adventist church members have never heard.
One reply on “Women Elders? How the Error was Accomplished”
The Washington conference, which is only western Washington, is up to the same activities as the Pacific Union and Columbia Union Conferences. You can check it out here. The policy document on that link was mentioned on a post on this website about a month ago but for some reason it was taken down. What they are doing is giving commissioned pastors the same responsibilities as ordained pastors, and that somehow helps sanctify their action.
I have been waiting for at least seven years to find a video with this kind of information on church governance. Even longer to find the history of the Women’s Elder issue as I’ve always wondered how that could have possibly been allowed. I was pleased to finally hear a clear explanation.
It is interesting to me how thoroughly these people state the rules regarding church governance. That to me is a good sign as to their character in keeping God’s commandments. In a similar way, an individuals behavior towards the laws of the land can suggest how they will act towards the laws of God. In another similar way, how a friend behaves towards those who have upset them is how that friend will someday behave towards you if you become indebted to them.
This usurpation of authority by unions and conferences necessarily results in congregationalism and individualism. In my area congregationalism appears to be the result I’m seeing in every church in my area, and many members including elders don’t even realize we have a Church Manual, and among those who do they haven’t read it or can’t recall any of it. That document has no bearing on their decisions or actions and no pressure from the conference is placed upon them, so they see no point in reading it. The result of congregationalism is that many open sins are being allowed, which leads into my most troubling concern. If I can’t trust that the people I meet at church and become friends with to be held accountable, then why open myself up to them. I believe that this leads to a lot of superficial relationships at church that can’t possibly be fulfilling God’s love in us. That leads people to be tempted by sin and then to be tempted to justify practice of sin.