Seventh-day Adventist Theology - Other Doctrinal Issues - Ministry and Worship - Ordination of Women

Ordination of Women

The Adventist Church world church does not officially, at this time, support the ordination of women to ministry within its standard procedures, instead women pastors in the denomination hold the title of "commissioned" rather than "ordained" which allows them to perform all pastoral functions their male colleagues perform but with a lesser title. The compromise was reached and voted on during the 1990s with disagreement primarily occurring on along cultural lines. In 2010, the North American Division of the church voted to allow commissioned pastors to lead a Conference or Mission, as well as ordained ones. In March 2012, several unions and conferences voted to support the ordination of women. These are, the Mid America Union, the Pacific Union Conference, the Southeastern California conference, the Columbia Union, and the Potomac Conference. In Europe, following the examples in the North American Division, the North German union conference voted in April 2012 to ordain women, and the Dutch union voted the same in November 2012.

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