General Conference Policy in Relation to the Ordination of Women – Gary Patterson
Date: November 2, 2013
Speaker: Dr. Gary Patterson
Position: Retired Field Secretary of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
Topic: General Conference Policy in Relation to the Ordination of Women”
Venue: Chan Shun Hall
Attendance: 130
Presentation: Based on his “Six Points on the Ordination of Women Issue” & “Policy, Practice, Precedent & Perception” papers, Patterson focused on church policies regarding the authority & roles of the local conference, union, & GC regarding ordination. He also reviewed past NAD & GC studies & actions concerning ordination of women from 1950 to 2013; read GC policies of non-discrimination (L45-05 & B60-10); showed how the 15 GC criteria for ordained ministers do not include gender; emphasized that women’s ordination need not bring disunity to the world church; and drew parallels between today and Peter’s use of Joel 2:28-29 in Acts. 11:17 regarding women’s roles in apostolic times.
Background Papers :
Womens Ordination – Six Points
Michiana Adventist Forum 