Lela Lewis, M.D., M.P.H., Chris Lewis, M.D., Luke Skelton, MS, and Susan Skelton have begun circulating the following petition supporting the World Church as it contends with rebellion in the North American Division over the issue of ordaining women.
The Seventh-day Adventist Church was established by God 149 years ago, for the sole purpose of representing His character to the world. As a church body, both within our organization and as individuals, we have been given the great opportunity and commission to spread the beautiful message, that God‘s character, government and law are based upon love for “every nation, kindred tongue and people”. We have been counseled that when His character is fully revealed within His people, and for that matter within His church, Jesus will return in the “Great Advent”, hence fulfilling the meaning of our long looked for hope in our organization’s name “Adventist”.
When the character of Christ shall be perfectly reproduced in His people, then He will come to claim them as His own. (Christ’s Object Lessons, 69).
Resembling God’s character is no easy task, and in fact cannot be performed unless it is the through the working of the Holy Spirit in the lives of each church member, church leader, and organization. Some have questioned the importance of representing God through formal bodies, but one aspect of God’s government and therefore his character, is order, “let all things be done decently and in order…” (1 Corinthians 14:40) It is this law and order that Lucifer defied in heaven through his rebellion, and it is this law of love and order that God wishes to restore in man. (Great Controversy, 494.2)
In light of the recent decisions made by the Pacific Union Conference on August 19, 2012, this letter is being written on behalf of concerned individual members of the Seventh-day Adventist church and specifically the Pacific Union Conference. The intent of this letter is not to discuss the Biblical basis for or against the specific issue of women’s ordination. Instead, this letter’s intent is to implore God’s people to come together in the spirit of love through the power of the Holy Spirit.
As our intent is to regain the unity of love within the Seventh-day Adventist church world-wide, we the undersigned do not support Pacific Union Conference’s recent decision to go against the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists’ council in respect to women’s ordination. We believe that to do so ultimately mars the image of God in His church and His people by creating disharmony and confusion as noted in the following examples.
1). As Seventh-day Adventist Christians, we believe that as a church and as individuals we are to each represent God. We also believe that we are to provide a unified voice to the Christian and non-Christian world of God’s final message of mercy as given in the Three Angel’s Messages of Revelation 14. But, how are we to do this if we are portraying to the world a disunified front? When other churches have undergone divisive decisions it has attracted the media, and the world has watched often confused as to what Christians who purport the unity of believers really believe. Some of us have personally heard young people denounce Christians during such chaos. Thus, as God’s representatives on earth we need to present a unified body.
2). Although for many, the issue of women’s ordination is of high importance, we question as to the magnitude, that this controversy has diverted the attention of Seventh-day Adventists from perhaps the more important foundational principles of spreading the Good News of Jesus second coming, the importance of God’s law as a manifestation of His character of love, the beauty in the belief that those who have died with a faith in Jesus are merely sleeping awaiting His soon return, and Jesus’ method of salvation as depicted in the Sanctuary of heaven. If we, as Seventh-day Adventists, instead of expending our energy, time and resources from God’s storehouse in divisive controversy, would rather individually study the issue of women’s ordination in the scripture and the Spirit of Prophecy and then patiently await the consensus by the World Church at its next General Counsel, we would, without fail, have more time to share with the world the above pillar truths that glorify God’s character. And who can know, but perhaps Jesus would return before the final decision is made by the General Conference. But, even if He does not return by then, how many more people will we have been able to participate in saving for God’s kingdom?
3). To question the correctness of a certain principle or belief in the spirit of love, using the Bible as the sole authority, is healthy and good, and is how the apostles approached controversy within the early church (Acts 17:11, Acts 15). However, to exemplify disorderly conduct through angry raised voices, cheering, jesting, criticizing leadership, and other such methods does not represent the character of God, nor is it the way the Holy Spirit leads. If such methods are employed, it leads the observer to question what spirit is leading the movement. Although it is true, that emotions are very deep concerning this topic as well as others, emotions cannot and should not be exemplified in this manner, but rather be subdued by the working of the Holy Spirit, if the character of God is to be revealed by His people to the world.
4). A decision to go against the General Conference, and for that matter, the Pacific Union Conference’s own bylaws could lead any conference or even any church or ultimately any individual to go against the established beliefs and principles of the General Conference of Seventh day-Adventists while still maintaining and worshiping under the name Seventh-day Adventist. Although the gravity of women’s ordination is not a pillar belief, what is to stop the precedence where a conference can decide for itself how it differs from the world church? For the sake of argument, let us just suppose for a moment that one conference wished to support the principle of spiritualism, in the form of mysticism, opposing the Biblical principle of the non-immortality of the soul, or a church decided to oppose the belief in a literal second coming, and is it possible that some could even argue that Sabbath worship on Saturday morning is too difficult for some in the congregation and Saturday night service or Sunday morning services would be easier? Although these are extreme examples of conference, church or individual deviances, once precedence has been made that non-unity in the world-wide church is acceptable, there is no end to the disunity and fragmentation of the church. The Seventh-day Adventist General Conference as a body helps to establish guidelines as to what we, as a worldwide people believe, and the only way to maintain order amongst our organization is to continue functioning as one body, by decisions made under the direction of God by the General Conference in session. We have been counseled that this body, the General Conference in session, with representatives from around the world, speaks as the voice of God on earth. As we wish to exemplify the character of God, who are we not to listen to this voice?
“When, in a General Conference, the judgment of the brethren assembled from all parts of the field, is exercised, private independence and private judgment must not be stubbornly maintained, but surrendered. Never should a laborer regard as a virtue the persistent maintenance of his position of independence, contrary to the decision of the general body... God has ordained that the representatives of His church from all parts of the earth, when assembled in a General Conference, shall have authority. The error that some are in danger of committing, is in giving to the mind and judgment of one man, or of a small group of men, the full measure of authority and influence that God has vested in His church, in the judgment and voice of the General Conference assembled to plan for the prosperity and advancement of His work.”—Testimonies for the Church 9:260, 261.
5). Since pastors are ordained into the world-wide General Conference of Seventh-Day Adventists and not into a local division, conference, or church, what will be the result of a woman ordained in the Pacific Union Conference who then transfers to another conference or division that does not practice women’s ordination? In what role will she function in her new conference, and what kind of confusion will be the result within her new local conference and church? As we have already established, God’s government is based on love and order, and he implores us as His ambassadors to represent this love and order in the church and in our own personal lives as noted in 1 Corinthians 14:40. How can God’s character of love and order be exemplified if there is confusion as to the role and function of God’s ordained ministers of the gospel?
6). From the beginning of time, God has offered free will to all, to choose for themselves whether to love Him or not. Although God wills that all be saved, His principles and plans do not force people or organizations to abide. Of course, we know that although God allows us to have freedom to choose right or wrong, if wrong is chosen, there are ramifications. But, even with the ramification of death for sin, God provides a way out through Jesus Christ: “the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23). By insisting on the ordination of women, despite what the world church has previously decided, we are, in essence, saying, “this is what we are doing, like it or not.” In our opinion, this does not reflect God’s methods of dealing with humanity, in that, regardless of where we as believers stand on women’s ordination, how does forcing the world-church to coincide with women’s ordination regardless of the ramifications of potentially splitting the church, fit with God’s loving, long suffering character?
In conclusion, we believe that the decision by the Pacific Union Conference to ordain women, despite the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists’ current recommendation to the contrary mars the image of God’s character within His people. We, the undersigned, therefore, implore each conference executive committee within the Pacific Union Conference to prayerfully consider not supporting the action taken by the Pacific Union Conference and instead, choose to follow the current position as held by the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists and as noted in the bylaws of the Pacific Union Conference and each local conference until a final recommendation on women’s ordination is made at the next General Conference in session. Such an action on behalf of the various executive committees to stand with the General Conference would be accordance with recent actions taken by other conferences, such as the Pennsylvania and Mountain View Conferences in relation to the Columbia Union Conference.
We believe that by standing with our world-wide church and the organizational structure that was established by God, we will more fully represent His character to our own church members and to the world. By so doing, instead of being viewed as fostering a spirit of disunity within the ranks, wouldn't it be so much more beautiful to be known as a Christian body that, although we have disagreements, our foremost concern is love for God exemplified in our love for our fellow believers, through respect and agreeability, regardless of personal beliefs. When this happens, we believe that God’s character will be vindicated and Satan’s plans to divide God’s church thwarted.Sign Petition
