Analysis of Ty Gibson's Article on Women's Ordination
I appreciate the general tone and level of cognition of the Ty Gibson article, but I find in my reading thus far a few items that do not appear true enough.
TG: "A NO vote will make a universal rule forbidding women's ordination throughout the worldwide Seventh-day Adventist Church."
Actually, a NO vote will maintain, not make, a universal rule forbidding women's ordination throughout the world-wide SDA church. This is the third time we will have voted this issue—and if NO this time, it will be NO the third time.
TG: "The prominent voices in favor of a NO vote are telling us that the Bible clearly forbids the ordination of women to the gospel ministry"
To avoid understating the position of those favoring NO, it should be noted that not only are those against a NO vote claiming that the Bible forbids the ordination of women to the gospel ministry, but in the four thousand years of history in the Bible there is not found a single example of a woman offering a sacrifice, serving as priest, head of household, head of tribe, apostle, or bishop. So not only are those discouraging WO noticing that the Bible forbids it, but that there are no precedents or imperatives that begin to persuade with evidence held to the contrary.
TG: "A NO vote has the potential to split the Seventh-day Adventist Church on a denominational level, possibly leading to the separation of some Unions from the worldwide Seventh-day Adventist Church."
A NO vote has no such potential of causing a split or separation of some Unions. Rebellious persons, conferences or unions might choose to be using this as a fright tactic and might use it in the future to attempt to excuse apostasy, but the decision of the church in this regard, if NO, will be no cause for apostasy.
TG: "A YES vote will not produce a denominational split, but will likely cause some church members to feel obligated to sever ties with the Seventh-day Adventist Church, especially those who have decided that the issue is a matter of faithfulness versus unfaithfulness to God."
Bro. Gibson should produce a record of a single anti-wo individual, much less a group, that warrants inclusion of such a statement who has said that they will "sever ties with the SDA church" as a result of a YES vote.
TG: "Let us address ourselves, then, to the question at hand, beginning with some historical background."
The "historical" background starts in 1881. Isn't this too late? This is not historical background, although it sounds good. This skipped 4000 years of ecclesiastical history in which there is never a single example of a woman offering a sacrifice, a female priest, head of household, head of tribe, apostle, or bishop.
TG: "'Resolved, That females possessing the necessary qualifications to fill that position, may, with perfect propriety, be set apart by ordination to the work of the Christian ministry'" (Review and Herald, Dec. 20, 1881). Apparently, this is not a new topic for us as a people."
It's not a new topic, and it goes back further than 1881. In 1878, Signs of the Times, edited by James White, Uriah Smith, J. N. Andrews, and J. H. Waggoner appeared the following relevant paragraph:
"And this appears yet more evident from the explanatory declaration in his words to Timothy, 'But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.' 1 Tim. 2 :12. The divine arrangement, even from the beginning, is this, that the man is the head of the woman. Every relation is disregarded or abused in this lawless age. But the Scriptures always maintain this order in the family relation. 'For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church.' Eph. 6 : 23. Man is entitled to certain privileges which are not given to woman; and he is subjected to some duties, and burdens from which the woman is exempt. A woman may pray, prophesy, exhort, and comfort the church, but she cannot occupy the position of a pastor or a ruling elder. This would be looked upon as usurping authority over the man, which is here prohibited" (Elders, James White, Uriah Smith, J. N. Andrews, J. H. Waggoner, ST 12/19/1878).
TG: "[The recommendation to ordain women to the work of Christian ministry] was not the result of the feminist movement trying to invade the church. Nor was the recommendation prompted by the inroads of popular secular culture."
Elders White, Smith, Andrews, and Waggoner, just three earlier in 1878 differed greatly with Bro. Gibson's cavalier assessment that culture had nothing to do with change of relation between men and women. In December they asserted the following connection of disregarded relations of gender to "this lawless age."
"The divine arrangement, even from the beginning, is this, that the man is the head of the woman. Every relation is disregarded or abused in this lawless age . . . A woman may pray, prophesy, exhort, and comfort the church, but she cannot occupy the position of a pastor or a ruling elder. This would be looked upon as usurping authority over the man, which is here prohibited" (Elders, James White, Uriah Smith, J. N. Andrews, J. H. Waggoner, ST 12/19/1878).
Since the first Women's Rights Convention was held in July, 1848, in Seneca Falls, NY at a Methodist Church, followed by a Methodist preacher Luther Lee ordaining the first woman in 1853, which started a wave of ordinations by other churches, it is impossible to so easily dismiss the words of these men as Brother Gibson has attempted to do.
Ellen White's warning about the inroads of popular secular culture on the relations and rights of men and women mirrors the words of the forequoted pioneers:
"Those who feel called out to join the movement in favor of women's rights and the so-called dress reform might as well sever all connection with the third angel's message. The spirit which attends the one cannot be in harmony with the other. The Scriptures are plain upon the relations and rights of men and women" (Testimonies for the Church, vol. 1, p. 421).
TG: "'If there is one work more important than another, it is that of getting before the public our publications, which will lead men to search the Scriptures. Missionary work—introducing our publications into families, conversing, and praying with and for them—is a good work, and one which will educate men and women to do pastoral labor' (Review and Herald, April 4, 1882)."
In the same year, 1882, Ellen White wrote in gender definitive language of the purpose of our schools in training young men for ministers.
"The primary object of our College was to afford young men an opportunity to study for the ministry, and to prepare young persons of both sexes to become workers in the various branches of the cause . . . Young men moved upon by the Spirit of God to give themselves to the ministry, have come to the College for this purpose, and have been disappointed" (PH117 39.1).
TG: "Ellen White envisioned women in pastoral ministry."
Obviously pastoral labor is not constrained to the gospel minister. The term "pastor" appears in Ellen White's published works a total of 387 times in some form. Not once does the term "pastor" in any form appear in connection with the term "ordination" in her writings. Mrs. White understood, in the same year, 1882, that she mentioned women doing pastoral labor, that exclusively "young men" should find at our College "an opportunity to study for the ministry," and "young persons of both sexes to become workers in the various branches of the cause." Then, "workers in the various branches" "of both sexes" would prepare for this labor in various lines, and "young men" would "study for the ministry."
TG: "But then, apparently off topic and for no apparent reason—unless you know that the General Conference leadership was at that very time pondering the question of whether or not women may be ordained—she just throws in this brief comment stating that doing ministry in people's homes 'will educate men and women to do pastoral labor.'
"This statement indicates, at the very least, that Ellen was not opposed to the 1881 recommendation to ordain women."
This statement does not indicate that Ellen was not opposed to women's ordination. Not once is the term "pastor" connected to ordination in her writings in the 387 times it appears in her published works. "Pastoral labor" may be performed apart from the office of gospel minister. Her counsel in the same year, 1881, states that young men were to "study for the ministry" and young persons of both sexes to "become workers in the various branches of the cause." That is the purpose of our College.
TG: "it would have been reckless of her to make this comment [women educated to do pastoral labor] in the immediate context of a recommendation to ordain women to pastoral ministry."
There was no recommendation to ordain women to pastoral ministry at the GC in 1881. The motion was rather, "That females possessing the necessary qualifications . . . be set apart by ordination to the work of the Christian ministry." The terms "ministry" and "ordination" occur together in some form 325 times in the published writings of Mrs. White. This is a significant contrast since no form of the term "pastor" occurs once in connection with any form of the word "ordain" in her published writings. Thus, it would not have been reckless of her to speak of pastoral ministry for both genders in the context of recommendation to Christian ministry, which is treated very differently in her writings. The GC 1881 recommendation was not a motion to ordain women to pastoral ministry.
TG: "Furthermore, it is inconceivable that Ellen White would not have warned the General Conference brethren to refrain from passing the recommendation to ordain women if, in fact, doing so would constitute unfaithfulness to Scripture and rebellion against God. But she did not."
We do not know that she didn't warn the GC brethren, or if God knew the resolution would die in a committee and so didn't need to directly communicate.
TG: "In fact, she pointed in the opposite direction at the very time when the matter was under consideration."
She did not point in that direction. She stated in 1882 that pastoral labor may be engaged in by both sexes, and the purpose of our College is to train young men for the ministry (PH117 39.1).
TG: "But the objective reader will notice that her actual point was that door-to-door literature work provides an education for transitioning into pastoral ministry."
"Pastoral ministry" is a term that is completely absent from Mrs. White's published writings. It doesn't exist. "Pastoral labor," not "pastoral ministry" is rather the term used in RH 4-4-82, and pastoral labor is never connected with ordination in her writings. Pastoral labor in Ellen White's writings, may be engaged in by both sexes, does not necessitate ordination, and is never referred to in connection with it, contrasted with terms, "ministry" and "minister," which are found together with ordination hundreds of times.
TG: "No, the 1882 statement does not constitute a direct appeal on Ellen White's part to ordain women to the gospel ministry."
Indeed.
TG: "It could be argued that she was fine with women doing pastoral labor as long as it did not involve ordination. Fair enough".
Indeed.
TG: "This would be a good point at which to pause and ask ourselves if we really want to know what the Bible and Ellen White actually say on this topic, and to ask the Lord to flood our souls with objectivity and honesty."
Correct.
TG: "'All who desire an opportunity for true ministry, and who will give themselves unreservedly to God, will find in the canvassing work, opportunities to speak upon many things pertaining to the future, immortal life. It is the accompaniment of the Holy Spirit of God that prepares workers, both men and women, to become pastors to the flock of God' (Testimonies for the Church, vol. 6, p. 322).
". . . Clearly, then, Ellen White envisioned both men and women occupying the pastoral role to local congregations."
Ellen White did not confuse the pastoral work with the office of the gospel minister, or envision women as ordained gospel ministers. In 1898 she wrote of women, wives of ministers, working together with their husbands as shepherds and guardians of the flock with them but distinctly separate from their office of gospel minister. She wrote that these women, shepherds and guardians, "can enter families to which ministers could find no access" (Ms 43a, 1898). No clearer distinction do we need than this, to realize that Ellen White clearly understood pastoral labor as separate from the office of gospel minister, nor should we ourselves be confused in this matter. In the corpus of her writings, she consistently reserved the office of gospel minister to men, although women are seen doing distinct work of equal value. Here is the delineation:
"This is the grand and noble work that the minister and his wife may qualify themselves to do as faithful shepherds and guardians of the flock. . . . But the wives of our ministers, who can themselves act a part in the work of educating others, should in the love of God be co-laborers with Christ. . . . Those women who labor to teach souls to seek for the new birth in Christ Jesus, are doing a precious work. They consecrate themselves to God, and they are just as verily laborers for God as are their husbands. They can enter families to which ministers could find no access. They can listen to the sorrows of the depressed and oppressed. They can shed rays of light into discouraged souls. They can pray with them. They can open the Scriptures, and enlighten them from a "Thus saith the Lord" (Ms 43a, 1898).
The wife of the minister is just as verily a laborer for God, but she does not occupy the same role as he, insomuch that she may do a work where he cannot.
TG: "She plainly says that the canvassing work may serve as a preparation for both men and woman to "become pastors to the flock of God." The first category of labor is a preparation for entering into the second category."
She calls canvassing "true ministry" and says that the Holy Spirit, not canvassing, prepares them for it. She does not say that canvassing "may serve as preparation for both men and women to become pastors to the flock of God." She says that the Holy Spirit prepares them for this in the context the "true ministry" of canvassing.
"All who desire an opportunity for true ministry, and who will give themselves unreservedly to God, will find in the canvassing work, opportunities to speak upon many things pertaining to the future, immortal life. It is the accompaniment of the Holy Spirit of God that prepares workers, both men and women, to become pastors to the flock of God" (Testimonies for the Church, vol. 6, p. 322).
TG: "After stating that the canvassing work may serve as a preparation for both men and women to 'become pastors to the flock of God,' she expressed a caution. Certain ministers were telling some who were doing canvassing work that they should enter, instead, into pulpit ministry and become preachers."
In T6 322 Ellen White didn't state that canvassing work may serve as a preparation, but that, "It is the accompaniment of the Holy Spirit of God that prepares workers." She called the work of canvassers "true ministry" in which may be found opportunity to "give themselves unreservedly to God."
TG: "She cautioned against luring canvassers into the pastoral ministry, explaining that some who were doing the canvassing work should, in fact, remain in the canvassing work because their gifts were suited to it."
Pastoral work and the work of the ministry is again here conflated. Canvassers doing pastoral work for families in their homes, enabled by the Spirit, were being lured away to the ministry by ministers. Pastoral labor is here consistently separate from the office of the minister. Rather than support Brother Gibson's argument, this quotation contrasts the pastoral labor of canvassing, visiting families at their homes, to the ministry.
"Thus they are influenced to get a license to preach, and the very ones who might have been trained to make good missionaries to visit families at their homes, to talk and pray with them, are turned away from a work for which they are fitted, to make poor ministers, and the field where so much labor is needed and where so much good might be accomplished is neglected" (6T 323.1).
TG: "Also in 1901, Ellen White made a passionate appeal for workers, and in the course of her appeal she stated that both 'men and women…brothers and sisters' are called to be 'Priests of the Lord' and 'Ministers of our God.'"
Ellen White was speaking of every true believer and not of ordained ministers. She was not appealing for all true believers to be ordained to the office of gospel ministry. That she is speaking of the true Christian, not about ordained ministers is made clear by her sentence immediately preceding her comment quoted by Bro. Gibson. She writes, “The life of the true Christian is radiant with the bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness” (RH, October 15, 1901 par. 9). All true Christians are not called to the office of an ordained gospel minister.
Mrs. White’s comments about true Christians being “priests of the Lord” and “Ministers of our God” were not a “progression of her thought” as we are told. These words are quotations of God’s Word that have been in existence for thousands of years. In the Old Testament, when each man was the head of his household, all-male elders led the tribes, and an all-male priesthood officiated the sanctuary, God through Moses said to Israel, “And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation” (Ex. 19:6). The fact that they were a kingdom of priests and a holy nation did not mean that God made a mistake in ordaining all-male spiritual leadership both in the church of the home, and the wider church. In the New Testament, when the men were leaders of homes and the church with an all-male apostolate and bishoprick, Peter repeated this theme to the church, saying “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people” (1 Pet. 2:9). This timeless truth did not mean in Peter's day, as it didn't in Moses' day, that God needed to adjust the order of male spiritual leadership distinctly carried over from the Old Testament. Ellen White's statements thousands of years later were not her ideas, but God's. The ideas of the church being a nation of priests and ministers have never remotely meant—in either testament—that all true Christians are qualified to be ordained to the offices of spiritual leadership in the church, or the home regardless of gender, and neither do they now.
TG: "within the entire corpus of her 25 million written words, Ellen White never made a single statement saying that women should or should not be ordained to pastoral ministry."
She clearly wrote, "The primary object of our College was to afford young **men** an opportunity to study for the ministry, and to prepare young persons of **both sexes** to become workers in the various branches of the cause . . . Young men moved upon by the Spirit of God to give themselves to the ministry, have come to the College for this purpose, and have been disappointed” (PH117 39.1).
TG: "The case against women occupying the ordained pastoral role largely hinges on two main arguments"
As previously noted, the position against WO is grossly understated. Not only are those against a NO vote claiming that the Bible forbids the ordination of women to the gospel ministry, but in the four thousand years of history in the Bible there is not found a single example of a woman offering a sacrifice, serving as priest, head of household, head of tribe, apostle, or bishop. So not only are those discouraging WO noticing that the Bible forbids it, but that there are no precedents or imperatives that begin to persuade with evidence held to the contrary.
TG: "When asked to provide the most direct and explicit biblical statement against women’s ordination, advocates of the position point to Paul’s statement in 1 Timothy 3:2: “A bishop (episkope) then must be blameless, the husband of one wife….”
The most direct and explicit Biblical statement against women's ordination that is often pointed to is a connected section of Scripture, nine verses (1 Tim. 2:12-3:5), and not just one verse. Not only is it an entire section before the small part briefly quoted, but one supported by the entire Bible from beginning to end. Directly and explicitly, Paul in his letter to Timothy states, "But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression. Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety. This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach; Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous; One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)" (1 Tim. 2:12-3:5)
(Continued . . .)