At the 2019 Annual Council at the General Conference, it was originally recommended towards the Pacific Union and Columbia Union Presidents to be reprimanded for their leading out in non-compliance as it relates to Women’s Ordination. They have allowed several of their Conferences to continue to ordain women contrary to the 1990, 1995, and 2015 GC Session votes.
Due to a proposed amendment by a constituent [during the Compliance portion of Annual Council on Tuesday], the majority of the delegates voted to change the motion from a reprimand to a warning. When the vote was taken, the vote was 161 Yes in favor of the warning versus 91 no’s — which now means that the Unions in question will be warned and not reprimanded. With this now in motion—the question that needs to be asked is “What if the Unions in question do not change?”
What next?
From reading the proposed document that was brought to the floor, even if the vote passed for a reprimand, the language of the document doesn’t really come with any punitive measures—measures which in the business world would demand an immediate firing of the leaders who are in non-compliance.
It appears that this document has no real teeth in it which would put in check the rebellion due to non-compliance.
What’s next is what this article is recommending—that the General Conference Working Policy Section B-95 be implemented because this warning appears to be nothing more than a slap on the hand, which will further embolden the non-compliant unions, and allow even more women to be ordained. This will jeopardize the authority & unity of the world church and lessen the respect for church authority and governance.
As I am writing this article, I am looking at a website entitled “Non-Compliant”, which on the home page plainly states, “We are a movement focused on bringing equality and justice to women in ministry.” Friends, the rebellion is deeper than we realize!
What happened to heeding what the servant of the Lord stated when she said,
“…when the judgement of the General Conference, which is the highest authority that God has upon the earth, is exercised private independence and private judgement must not be maintained, but surrendered” (Testimonies, vol. 3, p. 492).
With a movement now at hand influencing the masses in our beloved church to defy a vote of the General Conference—like the above mentioned website—it is evidence that if drastic measures are not taken by the leadership of the General Conference, they will be in danger of losing all authority in the Remnant. We will fail to carry out our duties in upholding the standards of God’s church and the policies that are derived from biblical principles.
Even God Himself—as outlined in Scripture—had to deal with the rebellion of Satan by expelling him and his sympathizers out of heaven (see Revelation 12:9). The rebellion of the Golden Calf; Korah, Dathan and Abiram, and examples in Scripture demonstrate that drastic measure ordained by God had to be executed in order to keep the church together.
Regardless of the reasons why this hasn’t been proposed with the Unions in question, it’s not the question here—but rather it is evident at least for me and many others that the nuclear option (Section B95 of the General Conference working policy) needs to be implemented.
It needs to happen, regardless of those who claim that the church would fragment and/or members—especially the youth—will leave the Adventist Church.
What Does B95 in The GC Working Policy Say?
B 95 05 Discontinuation of Conferences, Missions, Regions, Field Stations, Unions, and Unions of Churches by Dissolution and/or Expulsion. If a situation arises where it is determined by the higher organization that the majority of members of a Conference, a mission, a region, a field station, a Union, or a Union of churches are in apostasy, or that the organization refuses to operate in harmony with denominational policies and constitutional requirements, and is in rebellion, the higher organization has a responsibility to act for the protection of its loyal members, and the good name of the Church. Every effort should be made to avert the need for dissolution by counseling with the leadership and members, seeking to bring healing and reconciliation, and to preserve the organization as a witness for God and His saving truth. If conciliatory efforts fail and discontinuation appears to be the only solution, the higher organization shall have authority to act as set out under B 95 10 and B 95 15.
B 95 15 Dissolution and/or Expulsion of Unions/Unions of Churches—If, in the opinion of a Division administration, a Union/union of churches appears to be in apostasy or rebellion, and the procedures outlined in B 95 05 have been followed, but have proved unsuccessful, the following steps shall be taken:
1. The matter shall be considered by the division executive committee at a duly called meeting of the committee, at which time all the relevant data shall be shared. The division executive committee shall then determine whether or not the union/union of churches is in apostasy or rebellion.
2. a. In the case of a union mission/union of churches with mission status: If the division executive committee determines that a union mission/union of churches with mission status is in apostasy or rebellion and should be dissolved, it shall take an action to dissolve the organization, and shall recommend to the General Conference Executive Committee the expulsion of the unit from the world sisterhood of unions.
b. In the case of a union conference/union of churches with conference status: If the division executive committee determines that a union conference/union of churches with conference status is in apostasy or rebellion and should be expelled from the world sisterhood of unions, the division shall refer the matter to the General Conference Executive Committee with the recommendation for expulsion from the world sisterhood of unions and the reasons for it.
3. The General Conference Executive Committee, in consultation with the division, shall use its discretion to decide whether another union conference constituency meeting should be called and, if so, at what point in the procedure.
4. The General Conference Executive Committee shall consider the recommendation of the division executive committee at its Spring Meeting or Annual Council. If it approves the proposal for expulsion, the General Conference Executive Committee shall refer the recommendation to the next regular or specially called General Conference Session for consideration.
5. If a General Conference Session concurs with a recommendation to expel and votes to expel a union from the world sisterhood of unions, the division shall exercise direct responsibility for the conferences and/or missions/regions/field stations affected by the expulsion and shall, through its executive committee, take an action to attach them directly to the division until a new organization can be established or a rearrangement of territorial boundaries effected. Disloyal conferences/missions/regions/field stations shall be dealt with in harmony with the principles set out under B 75 10. In the event that a union of churches is expelled from the sisterhood of unions, the division executive committee shall vote to take into the care of the division all churches of the union of churches until reorganization or a redistribution of boundaries can be arranged. The division executive committee, functioning in place of the expelled union of churches constituency, shall have authority to disband any local churches which prove to be disloyal and to redistribute remaining churches by territorial adjustment and/or reorganization.
6. In the event of the dissolution of a union mission/union of churches with mission status and/or the expulsion of a union/union of churches with conference status from the sisterhood of unions, audits of the financial records of the union conference/union mission shall be conducted. All assets remaining after all claims have been satisfied shall be transferred to a legal entity authorized by the division, or dealt with as specified in the expelled entity’s constitution and bylaws or operating policy.
7. If, with the passage of time and efforts toward healing and restoration, it seems desirable for the nurture of the members and for the mission of the Church to reorganize the union/union of churches, the process outlined under the relevant section of B 65 shall be followed.
These are already in place to be used if necessary. The circumstances that we are now facing as a world church have placed before us, a rebellion that needs to be put in check. The Division which these Union(s) are under has a part of play in this. And we understand that the Columbia and Pacific Union Conferences are under the North American Division which Dan Jackson—an open supporter of WO and an apparent sympathizer with the non-complaint unions—is the current President, makes this policy difficult to implement. The fact that Sandra Roberts is President of an NAD Conference (since 2013 with no discipline from Elder Jackson) which is out of harmony not only with the Bible, but with church policy that a Conference president must be an ordained minister, already gives an idea that the current NAD president isn’t going to do anything about this clear violation of church policy. It also reveals the need of a new NAD president who will comply with the current GC standards on Women’s Ordination.
Though this method of dealing with this issue maybe easier said than done, I believe the Lord in His wisdom has given His church wise policies based on inspiration to deal with these problems, because there is no problem that God cannot solve.
Ellen White stated,
“If matters need adjusting at the head of the work God will attend to that, and work to right every wrong” (Last Day Events, p. 52).
If our leaders’ hands are so tied by the apparently insurmountable obstacles that prevent righting this wrong, let us pray that God will take care of it and when He does He will do it well. He is in total control, regardless of how things look. Nevertheless, the church has a responsibility to deal with issues of rebellion and non-compliance.
My appeal to the leaders of our beloved church that we love so much is to use this God given way to deal with this issue because the methods that are being proposed isn’t going to put this problem in check. In the business world, nothing of this nature would be allowed to go on for so long with these apparently weak measures.
Let’s pray for our leaders that they will have wisdom and courage to stand for the right though the heavens fall!
Mr. Koi
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