Skip to content

Affirmation — My Experience with Women’s Ordination

halcyon_wilson2_0

In this series, Adventist female pastors recently approved for ordination reflect on what women’s ordination means to them. Spectrum includes video interviews as well as their written thoughts on this affirmation by their local church conference.

On December 2, 1995, I was ordained by my church family, not the conference or union administrators, but by my colleagues, families, children, my family, people I had counseled, baptized, married, dedicated; those who sat with me in church, who supported and helped me learn how to do ministry.

I was ordained by my senior pastor, Dan Smith. He had led the church family in the discussions sermons, and committees. He did it with the support of the church pastoral team, and university faculty because he believed it was God’s plan and was the fair and correct thing to do.

On that date, I knelt before God and my church family, with my husband by my side and felt the pressure of a thousand hands on me – hands that belonged to women and men, old and young, all colors, my teachers and pastors from my conference and union. I was blessed and affirmed for that which I had been for the last sixteen years. It was a glorious and humbling time. God Presence was in our sanctuary that day – in the music, the flowers, the banners, in the words both written and spoken, in the air and in our hearts. It was truly a divine worship service.

On August 19, 2012, the Pacific Union affirmed that ordination. Thank you.

Halcyon Westphal Wilson is the pastor for diverse ministries at the La Sierra University Church. As a retired/part-time pastor for the LSU Church, which she has served for 32 years, she enjoys helping where needed. Besides being part of the pastoral team and attending staff meetings and other such meetings as is helpful, Wilson is the pastoral liaison for the visitation team for the homebound members, deaconesses, Adult Sabbath School, Seniors in Action and the church’s liturgical service. She takes her turn in doing funerals, visitation, counseling and other functions as needed.

 

 

Subscribe to our newsletter
Spectrum Newsletter: The latest Adventist news at your fingertips.
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.