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62 pages

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The topic of "Women in Ministry" has received increased attention within the Seventh-day Adventist Church from the perspective of whether women should be ordained as pastors. The church has debated the topic of women's ordination at its highest level of church organization and authority, the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventist in sessions that meet every five years. This book is designed to guide biblical reflection on a critical church debate that has far reaching implications for women, in particular and members, in general, who embrace beliefs and practices of the Seventh-day Adventist Church (see the official website of the GC, www.adventist.orgon church beliefs, organization, structure, practices, etc.). This study is limited from varied perspectives. It is introductory in nature and is based on selected New Testament reflections. It does not attempt to survey research on ordination and women in ministry, although it cites relevant works, or justifies its conclusions by citing authorities secondary to the Bible, although selected citations are made. Systematic theologians and other scholars would provide more in-depth analysis and extensive coverage of related issues to ordination then would be addressed in this work. Yet, even in the absence of exegeses of relevant texts, this study is designed to lead thinking "toward a theology of ordination that significantly impacts issues related to women in ministry for the Seventh-day Adventist Church." It will introduce discussion on the following sub-topics:1. The place of ordination in the prioritization of New Testament theologies2. The place of women in ministry within the prioritization of being a Disciple of Christ3. Women in ministry within the Seventh-day Adventist Church4. Revisiting the biblical principle of headship5. Review of selected perspectives on headship in the writings of Ellen G. White6. The A.M.O.U.R. perspective on headship in Scripture7. Ordination Gender and the Seventh-day Adventist Church

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Publié par	Spirit Reign Communication
Date de parution	01 mai 2014
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9781940002569
Langue	English

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0374€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

Extrait

Biblical Perspectives on Ordination Revisited
Dr. Sydney C. Gibbons
ORDAINED PASTOR: WIFE of One Husband? by Dr. Sydney C. Gibbons 2013

A CALIBRE PUBLICATION P.O. Box 302, Hamilton HM, Bermuda, HMBX 2013 All rights reserved.

Designed by CherryDezign Publishing, Lee Cherry, Creative Director
PRINTED IN THE U.S.A.
Cover Design by David Anderson for Spirit Reign Publishing

ISBN: 978-1-927750-21-6 (PB)

ISBN: 978-1-940002-56-9 (ePUB)

ISBN: 978-1-940002-57-6 (ePDF)
DEDICATION
My wife Katherina is my greatest supporter in ministry. She is an independent thinker and charts a course in life that gives her personal satisfaction and spiritual fulfillment. We are best of friends and parents who are committed to family life. I dedicate this book to my wife - the love of my life for 35 years and my love in marriage for 30 years.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I would like to acknowledge colleagues and friends for their valued feedback on the content and layout of this book. Special thanks is expressed to those who permitted me to include their written affirmations in this publication. These include Dr. Jeffrey Brown, Sheila Holder and Rodney Smith. I also acknowledge Dr. Larita Alford for her invaluable editorial assistance and Lee Cherry for his creative design work.
CONTENTS
FOREWORD
INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER ONE
THE PLACE OF ORDINATION IN THE PRIORITIZATION OF NEW TESTAMENT THEOLOGIES
1) OVERVIEW
2) CHRISTOLOGY
3) SOTERIOLOGY
4) ESCHATOLOGY
5) ECCLESIOLOGY
CHAPTER TWO
THE PLACE OF WOMEN IN MINISTRY WITHIN THE PRIORITIZATION OF BEING A DISCIPLE OF CHRIST
1) CHRISTIAN DISCIPLESHIP
2) ESSENTIALS OF NEW TESTAMENT CHRISTIANITY: CHRISTIAN DISCIPLESHIP
3) CHRISTIAN DISCIPLESHIP IS GENDER INCLUSIVE
CHAPTER THREE
WOMEN IN MINISTRY WITHIN THE SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH - J. BROWN
1) OVERVIEW
2) BIBLICAL PRONOUNCEMENTS
3) ECCLESIASTICAL PRACTICE
4) ETHICAL PRINCIPLES
5) A CRITIQUE
CHAPTER FOUR
REVISITING THE BIBLICAL PRINCIPLE OF HEADSHIP
1) OVERVIEW
2) REVIEW OF SELECTED PERSPECTIVES ON HEADSHIP
I. WHO S IN CHARGE OF THE FAMILY? A LOOK AT HEADSHIP IN SCRIPTURE - S. PRINZ-MCMILLAN
II. HEADSHIP, SUBMISSION, AND EQUALITY IN SCRIPTURE - R. M. DAVIDSON
III. HEADSHIP, SUBMISSION, AND EQUALITY IN SCRIPTURE - S. BACCHIOCCHI
CHAPTER FIVE
REVIEW OF SELECTED PERSPECTIVES ON HEADSHIP IN THE WRITINGS OF ELLEN G. WHITE
1). EQUALITY, HEADSHIP, AND SUBMISSION IN THE WRITINGS OF ELLEN G. WHITE - P. M. V. BEMMELEN
2). ELLEN G. WHITE AND WOMEN IN MINISTRY - W. FAGAL.
CHAPTER SIX
THE A.M.O.U.R. PERSPECTIVE ON HEADSHIP IN SCRIPTURE - S. GIBBONS
1) A - AUTHORITY
2) M - MISSION
3) O - ORDER
4) U - UNIVERSALITY
5) R - RESPECT
6) APPLICATION - 1 TIM. 2:11-15
CHAPTER SEVEN
ORDINATION GENDER AND THE SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH
1) OVERVIEW
2) ORDINATION TO THE MINISTRY - A SETTING APART FOR MINISTRY FOR LIFE
3) HEADSHIP OF MAN - LEADERSHIP OF WOMAN
I. THE TRINITY MODEL OF HEADSHIP
II. GOD S EXPRESSIVE AND PERMISSIVE WILL
III. DOES THE NEW TESTAMENT PROHIBIT WOMEN FROM BEING ORDAINED AS PASTORS?
4) QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS RELATED TO ORDAINING WOMEN AS PASTORS
I. IS IT A HUMAN RIGHT OR SPIRITUAL PRIVILEGE FOR A PERSON TO BE SET APART FOR MINISTRY THROUGH ORDINATION BY THE CHURCH?
II. WHY WOULD IT BE PERMISSIBLE TO ORDAIN WOMEN AS DEACONESS (GC SESSION, 2010), AS ELDER (ANNUAL COUNCIL, 1975 1984), BUT NOT AS PASTOR?
III. THE 21ST CENTURY CONTEXT OF GLOBALIZATION AND CHANGE - SHOULD THE CHURCH BE OPEN TO CULTURALLY RELEVANT APPROACHES TO ACCOMPLISH ITS UNCHANGING MISSION? IS THE ORDINATION OF WOMEN AS PASTORS A BIBLICAL OPTION?
CONCLUSION
END NOTES
APPENDICES
WORKS CITED
ABSTRACT WORKS BY THE AUTHOR
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
FOREWORD
S hould women be ordained as Seventh-day Adventist pastors?
This question and related questions were discussed during a four-part lecture series (May-June, 2012) held at the Southampton Seventh-day Adventist Church, 1 Bermuda on the theme of Women in Ministry. The series was prompted by dialogue on the subject that began at the level of the Executive Committee of the Bermuda Conference in February 2012. The dialogue in the Bermuda Conference is engaged with awareness of the ongoing debate within the Seventh-day Adventist Church concerning women in ministry and whether women should be ordained as pastors. 2
One paper was written and presented during the series at the Southampton Church under the title, Toward a Theology of Ordination for the Seventh-day Adventist Church: Impacting Issues Related to Women in Ministry (Sydney Gibbons, 3 June 5, 2012). A summary version of the paper was prepared as a journal article under the title of the presentation. The content of the paper now appears in book format under the title, Ordained Pastor: Wife of One Husband? Biblical Perspectives on Ordination Revisited . It is the intent of the author that the arguments of this book 1) stimulate thought and study on ordination across the spectrum of church scholars, church administrators, church pastors, church employees and members of the Seventh-day Adventist church; 2) motivate believers to accomplish church mission; and 3) foster church unity on the issue of ordination.
The Seventh-day Adventist world Church has engaged a study across its thirteen divisions to establish a theology of ordination. It is anticipated that collective ownership of its theology would resolve historical and current conflicts within the church on issues of ordination, particularly concerning whether permission should be given to ordain women as pastors. This study revisits biblical reflection on ordination and its relevance to women in ministry. It concludes that Seventh-day Adventists must invest their greatest efforts addressing higher level theologies and that lower level theologies should serve the mandate of message and mission expressed by the higher level theologies. The study identifies theologies of a higher level than that of ordination.
The study also asserts that the priority of New Testament ordination is Christian discipleship which is gender inclusive. It suggests while pragmatic factors help inform New Testament ordination, spiritual leadership qualities and church mission are primary determinants of who is ordained. The study raises the question, does the New Testament teach that only males should hold office as deacons, elders and pastors; or does the New Testament teach that males who give evidence of exemplary spiritual leadership qualities could be ordained? It questions further, if the latter be the intent of New Testament teaching, would not the same message be relevant for women who are set apart by ordination for ministry in like offices of spiritual charge?
The study admits its limitations on several fronts. But it asserts that selected biblical reflections toward a theology of ordination appear to support the ordination of Christians for ministry. Ministry roles could include pastoral assignments open to women. Conditions of ordination would include factors such as spiritual leadership qualities and norms operative in a contextual setting. Other factors could consider gender on pragmatic grounds that can be supported by a theology of ordination. The study appeals for unity in the Seventh-day Adventist Church as the church affirms ministry for all believers.
It must be noted that the biblical position developed in this book is that of the author. It is not the official position of the Southampton Seventh-day Adventist Church, nor is it the position of the Bermuda Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. Endorsements that appear reflect the opinions of the endorsees rather than an official position from the posts they hold in employment and in church leadership. The presentations made at the Southampton Church reflected varied and opposing perspectives on whether the Bible permits or prohibits the ordination of women as pastors.
All Bible references cited are from the King James Version unless otherwise stated.
INTRODUCTION
T he topic of Women in Ministry has received increased attention within the Seventh-day Adventist Church from the perspective of whether women should be ordained as pastors. The church has debated the topic of women s ordination at its highest level of church organization and authority, the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventist in sessions that meet every five years. At the 1995 session of the General Conference (GC), a North American Division request that each division be given the right to ordain women as pastors within their respective territories was denied by a significant majority of the delegates. Tension exists within the church across the spectrum of views held on ordination by church academics, administrators, pastors, leaders and members and at all levels from the General Conference and its thirteen world divisions to the level of the local church.
In 2011 the church directed each of its world division leaders to study and recommend a theology of ordination for the church, to be reviewed by various church entities over the period 2011-2015, leading to the 2015 session of the church. It is anticipated that collective input from the world church would conclude with the ownership of a theology of ordination at its session in 2015, a theology that would inform all church actions with regard to ordination including decisions relating to ordination and gender. While the study is in progress, Unions within the North American Division, in 2012, voted statements for and against the ordination of women as pastors. It can be interpreted that some statements voted by Executive Committees defy the 1995 GC action discussed earlier. These current actions intensify the debate on whether the church should permit women to be ordained as pastors, and beg for a clear theology of ordination that would inform all relevant church actions. (See appendix 2 ).
A theology of ordination would guide the church in united acti