On Sunday, July 29, the Columbia Union Conference overwhelmingly voted in favor of authorizing ordination without regard to gender. Before delegates discussed the motion to ordain equally, several leaders made presentations. Among them was the following from Ohio Conference President Raj Attiken, who spoke as a representative of CUC's Ad Hoc Taskforce that considered in depth the objections made to moving forward with ordaining women.

“Please come to China and meet my people,” requested the Seventh-day Adventist pastor as my wife, Chandra, and I enjoyed table fellowship with her at our home last October. Little did I realize that six months later I would have lunch with Pastor Rebekah Liu at a restaurant in her homeland.