Southeastern California Conference Executive Committee Votes to Ordain Women
Southeastern California Conference Interim Communicaiton Director Enno Mueller issued a release Thursday announcing that SECC will move ahead with the ordination of women. The statement issued by email and on the SECC website states that this action will immediately take effect. Southeastern California Conference becomes the fourth denominational entity to indicate within the month its intention to move ahead with ordination equality.
Mid-America Union Conference and Pacific Union Conference have signaled intent to ordain women alongside their male counterparts and the Columbia Union Conference reaffirmed a request to ordain women.
The SECC release follows.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 22, 2012 (Riverside, CA) – The Executive Committee of the Southeastern California Conference voted today “to remove the term ‘Ordained-Commissioned’ and replace it with the term ‘Ordained’ on all ministerial credentials, regardless of the gender of the credential holder.” This is effective immediately. Since 2000 the conference had issued “Ordained-Commissioned” ministerial credentials to men and women. The committee believes this step will enable all pastors to better fulfill the conference’s mission, which is the expansion of God’s kingdom through preaching, teaching, publishing and living of the everlasting gospel throughout the cross-cultural communities of its territory.