One Top Adventist Story of 2011 Concerns a New 3-Year Ordination Study

On January 1, 2012, Bonnie Dwyer published an enlightening piece on the Spectrum Blog entitled “Top Ten Adventist Stories in 2011.” Three of the ten stories relate to the issue that is central to ONE in Christ—the ordination of Adventist clergy without regard to gender. The numbers 1 and 2 stories respectively concern the North American Division’s (and the Trans European Division’s) positive action and the General Conference’s negative action regarding the authorization of persons who hold commissioned minister credentials, including women, to serve as local conference presidents. We noted these actions, especially the former, on our Objectives page. Once again, although we consider this to be commendable and significant, it is not sufficient

What really concerns ONE in Christ is the number 10 story that outlines the three or more year process announced by the General Conference for reviewing and studying the “theology of ordination.” We believe that the last thing the Adventist Church needs now is another study of the theology of ordination to last at least three years culminating in a “possible placement on the 2015 General Conference Session Agenda.” This is no longer an issue of theology or exegesis. It has been more than sufficiently studied, debated, and argued. Nothing new will come from this latest drawn out diversion under the guise of further study. This is now simply a political issue. It is also one that must be addressed locally, starting with one local conference and spreading to others

The power to deal with the current unjust and unbiblical situation that makes women clergy ineligible for ordination lies not with the General Conference, its divisions, or their biblical research committees. It resides with the people in the pews. ONE in Christ is a call for such people not only to voice their support for ordination without regard to gender but also to formally petition their local conference, starting with the Southeastern California Conference, to resolve this matter immediately.