Huffington Post, Washington Post Cover Women’s Ordination in Adventism
The Huffington Post, via the Religion News Service, has waded into the sometimes troubled waters of Women’s Ordination in a Religion Blog précis entitled Seventh-Day Adventists Facing Pressure On Allowing Female Pastors. The article marks the second time within the past month that the Huffington Post Religion Blog has highlighted hot-button issues in Adventism. In August, the blog ran a story about the disinvitation of anti-bullying advocate Carrol Grady from the North American Division Teacher’s Convention because she ran a website dealing with homosexuality regarded as being out of line with denominational teaching on the issue.
The Washington Post also ran the story on their “On Faith” blog.
The piece notes that two church entities (the Columbia Union Conference and the Pacific Union Conference) have moved forward with women’s ordination, and note that denominational leaders were “disappointed” with the outcome of the two votes.
The article quotes two women who pastor in California–Andrea Trusty King, a pastor in Southeastern California Conference, and Courtney Ray, a pastor in the Southern California Conference.
“I see it as a move of God,” said King, 34. “The church is recognizing what he has been doing for a long time.”
Ray stated that she felt the disparity has gone on too long.
Pastor Courtney Ray, who serves as an associate pastor at a church in Compton, Calif., called the Pacific Union decision “long overdue.” She chose not to be “commissioned” and now looks forward to an ordination ceremony if an executive committee approves her for ordination.
The article also referenced pastor Stephen Bohr in the Central California Confererence, who has been strident in his opposition to allowing women ministers.
Pastor Stephen Bohr, an opponent of women’s ordination who leads an Adventist church in Fresno, Calif., said the Bible calls for women to have different roles from men. By his reading, women can be prophets — such as church co-founder Ellen White — and deaconesses, but only men can be pastors.
Perhaps as noteworthy as the article itself are the comments to the article, many of them from former Adventists (and a comment of clarification from this author on the HuffPo blog). Several comments express disaffection with the denomination for its failure to treat women equally to their male counterparts. Read the full article from Huffington Post here or Washington Post here.
