the sda church is holding a general conference session in st. louis right now. there are many things going on there... like voting in a 28th belief (voted in already but controversy over the wording so that may change).
two stories show me, dramatically, that there are different beliefs in the church that conflict with each other. dealing with conflicting ideas i think will tear the church apart eventually. people believe very strongly about some things and compromise is not an option, which can be a good thing and a bad thing.
• a black woman named Ella Simmons was elected to the position of vice-president of the world church. ('bout stinkin' time in my opinion, an old white guy (no offense to jan paulsen, president) doesn't represent the majority of the world sda church to my understanding...but it is hard to find demographics for the world church)
• the delegates voted to make the office of president of the world church open only to an ordained minister. women cannot be ordained and thus cannot hold the office of the presidency.
personally, i think the church should ordain women. but if i were a delegate i wouldn't make it a make or break issue. God will see that justice is done, not me. i don't think it is something that should break up the church, but it may end up doing that some day.
5 comments:
the 28th sounds suspiciously like salvation by works. ie as we are converted we are able to become more like Christ. doesn't really say Christ is in us and changing us.....or does it?
i think people can read the 28th any way they want....wouldn't want to have been on that committee... also the us would allow women ministers....but the world church which is a much, much, much larger membership will not allow it. but they drink wine and eat meat.... those items are not in Bible, but you can make a case against ....and for .... women ministers from the Bible....
so ordained women is a problem with north american division or the world church perspective? if the world church has a problem with it then how did a women get elected president of the world church?
I'm confused. Who doesn't want women?
I think the day is here if not very near that women will be on par with men both socially and spiritually in the church in the north american division. i'm not so sure about the world church. many cultures lag ours by hundreds of years.
the cultures in the world church.... think most of the members are in africa and south america...pretty sure..... do not allow women the rights that women in our country have... they have more votes i believe..... they will not allow women to be ordained. however, i would bet that in north america there are women pastors.... i do not know if they can baptize etc. but as far as i know, even though they are pastors, they are not ordained. 80% of membership is outside north america , but 80% of money is from north america.
the 28th belief is quite ambiguous in my opinion. definately can read multiple things into it.
i guess (don't quote me on this) the main parts that don't want women ordained are the africans, and i think possibly some south americans and asians, and the super conservative group in the us. so i think the committee that appointed the vice-president was dominated by people who are in favor of women having equal status, while the majority of the delegates at the conference are not in favor?
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