Walla Walla University School of Theology Issues Statement on General Conference Unity Document

The faculty of the Walla Walla University School of Theology have issued a statement concerning the General Conference's "unity" document. The statement echoes statements issued by the faculty of the Adventist Theological Seminary at Andrews University and the faculty of the Loma Linda University School of Religion.

We the faculty of the School of Theology at Walla Walla University strongly affirm the biblical concept of the unity of the church grounded in our worship of God, in our common faith, our shared community life, and in our shared sense of mission. At the same time, we have very serious concerns about the recent document titled “A Study of Church Governance and Unity” recently released by the General Conference and its portrayal of the nature and authority of the church. We share the concern voiced by other theologians and scholars that there needs to be a significant amount of further discussion on this very important ecclesiological issue before it is adopted in a general and binding way. We further register our concerns over the concept of ordination that is laid out in the document, a concept that seems to borrow a lot more from tradition than from biblical evidence. It is our sincere hope that more discussion and deliberation will take place before the elements of this document become church policy.”

If you respond to this article, please: 

Make sure your comments are germane to the topic; be concise in your reply; demonstrate respect for people and ideas whether you agree or disagree with them; and limit yourself to one comment per article, unless the author of the article directly engages you in further conversation. Comments that meet these criteria are welcome on the Spectrum Website. Comments that fail to meet these criteria will be removed.