While much of the world and church has been distracted by Covid fear, mandates, vaccines and liberty of conscience abuses, the pro-WO contingent in the Seventh-day Adventist Church (which is most of the NAD) is trying to use the distraction to further their non-biblical agenda.
Here are three fronts where liberals are pushing WO on a lethargic Church,
Australia
Few nations are more distracted by Covid than our brethren in Australia, suffering under the heavy hand of overly aggressive leaders.
The Australian Union Conference Executive Committee voted earlier this year to:
Seek for more women in leadership and appoint more female pastors. Ecclesiastical affirmative action right there, helping to tear down biblical distinctions between male and female.
Establish a scholarship program for female theology students at Avondale University College and Mamarapha College, and will appoint a female associate Ministerial Association secretary. Affirmative action.
Finally, the Union recommended to the General Conference, through the South Pacific Division that policy be amended to permit commissioned ministers to ordain elders and deacons. Affirmative action.
Columbia Union
The Columbia Union is already under a reprimand/warning from the GC Executive Committee for their rebellion in ordaining women.
Furthering their defiance of worldwide Seventh-day Adventist Session votes, the Columbia Union Conference Executive Committee elected Celeste Ryan Blyden on November 11 as the new executive secretary. This position has biblically been filled by men for 114 years, because male leadership is God’s will for the Church, as outlined in the Bible. There are other places for our sisters to serve.
The GC model Constitution (in harmony with three GC Session decisions) indicates that a conference or union president must be an ordained male.
The goal is to soften up Seventh-day Adventists in North America to the idea of female leadership at the Union level, and then leverage the woman into the position of Union President after a few years. It’s a back-door maneuver that has more in common with duplicitous politics than it does with biblical fidelity and obedience.
Pacific Union
The Pacific Union is already under a reprimand/warning from the GC Executive Committee for their rebellion in ordaining women.
In August of this year, the Pacific Union elected Sandra Roberts as secretary. Their unholy goal is to make her Union president through political maneuvering.
You may recall that Ricardo Graham’s legacy includes his rebellion against the world-wide Adventist Church by presiding over illegitimate ordinations throughout the Pacific Union. For these fragmentary actions, he has demonstrated no remorse, and no willingness to correct the problem. Graham also presided over the unauthorized placement of Sandra Roberts as the president of the Southeastern California Conference (SECC). The GC model Constitution (in harmony with three GC Session decisions) indicates that a conference president must be an ordained male. Failing to persuade the Seventh-day Adventist Church that ordaining women is biblical, several unions are now defying the world Church and doing it anyway.
The goal is to soften up Seventh-day Adventists in North America to the idea of female leadership at the Union level, and then leverage the woman into the position of Union President after a few years. It’s a back-door maneuver that has more in common with duplicitous politics than it does with biblical fidelity and obedience.
In our opinion, this Union and the PUC should be disbanded by the GC Executive Committee and either left disbanded, or reorganized with leaders who are faithful to the Scriptures.
Southern German Union
On December 6, the Executive Committee of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Southern Germany (South German Union/SDV) voted to ordain women in pastoral ministry. In doing this, they join the rebellion of the North German Union to defy the formal expression of will of the Seventh-day Adventist church in three major GC Sessions.
Commentary
Rebellion begets rebellion. As we stated in an 2018 article, the real issue is not Ted Wilson, it is a combination of the spirit of Korah among some Unions and the NAD and a GC Executive Committee who lacks the courage to swiftly and decisively address this rebellion in our midst. Their failure to deal with this problem in 2016 has brought us to where we are now.
Ted Wilson has a desire to put down this rebellion; we call on the GC Executive Committee to support him and bring meaningful consequences to bear on these trouble-makers in the church. When you do, you will strengthen the Advent Movement and Message for generations to come, if you don’t, your names will forever be aligned with Eli (1 Samuel 3:13-14).
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“In contrast with the story of Abraham's faithfulness, and the words of commendation spoken of him, is the record of Eli, who kept his sons in office while they were committing great iniquity. Here is a lesson for all parents [and leaders].... Evil, without restraint, was tolerated by Eli. The result was sin that would not be atoned for, by sacrifice or by offerings, forevermore.
While some err upon the side of undue severity, Eli went to the opposite extreme.... Their faults were overlooked in their childhood, and excused in their days of youth. The commands of the parents were disregarded, and the father did not enforce obedience.
The children saw that they could hold the lines of control, and they improved the opportunity. As the sons advanced in years, they lost all respect for their fainthearted father. They went on in sin without restraint.
The Lord Himself decreed that for the sins of Eli's sons no atonement should be made by sacrifice or offering forever. How great, how lamentable, was their fall,—men upon whom rested sacred responsibilities, proscribed, outlawed from mercy, by a just and holy God! (Conflict and Courage, page 143).