AN UNWASHED THUMB IN THE EYE...


An Unwashed Thumb In The Eye Of The Entire Church—

Silver Spring SDA Church Ordains Woman

Fulcrum7 Staff

The Seventh-day Adventist Church has formally voted three times against the ordination of women (1990, 1995, and 2015). Last Fall, in Battle Creek Michigan, the General Conference Executive Committee voted to discipline churches, Conferences and Unions who intentionally violate the expressed will of the world wide Seventh-day Adventist Church. So what do some liberal churches, Conferences and Unions do? They choose to violate it anyway!

On June 29, the Silver Spring Seventh-day Adventist Church ordained a woman (Therezinha Barbalho) in spite of the Church’s position on ordaining women. This is—at best—an unwashed thumb in the eye, and at worst, an obscene hand gesture towards the General Conference headquarters—just 5.6 miles away.

  • You want to be part of of the worldwide Church? Great. Glad to have you.
  • You want to participate in voting on Church decisions? Great. Then you will abide by the decisions. If you won’t abide by them, them you forfeit any right to vote in them, going forward. Insubordination towards decisions that you participated in de-legitimizes not only your own vote but the votes of every other member. We won’t put up with that.
  • The Silver Spring SDA Church is in the Potomac Conference. The Potomac Conference President, Bill Miller, should forfeit his position on the GC Executive Committee, and any right he has to vote in GC Excomm or GC Sessions. Toast.
  • The Potomac Conference is in the Columbia Union. They should be disciplined by the Columbia Union for their overt rebellion. If the Columbia Union is not willing to discipline the Potomac Conference, the Columbia Union President, Dave Weigley, should forfeit his position on the GC Executive Committee, and any right he has to vote in GC Excomm or GC Sessions. It’s simple. The worldwide Church does not want or deserve people like him representing the Church in formal sessions. It wounds the soul of the Church, and invites endemic cynicism to spread among our 21 million members.
  • The Columbia Union is in the North American Division (NAD). They should be disciplined by the NAD for their complicity in insubordination. If the NAD is not willing to discipline the Columbia Union, the NAD President, Dan Jackson, should forfeit his position on the GC Executive Committee, and any right he has to vote in GC Excomm or GC Sessions. The worldwide Church does not want or deserve people like him representing our Church in formal sessions.
  • Jackson angrily told us (November 5, 2018) that he refuses to discipline any Union or Conference under him for violating the Church’s biblical decision regarding ordination. Very well. Then he should be fired. At a MINIMUM he should forfeit his vote on any future Excomm Committees, and at the upcoming 2020 GC Session in Indianapolis. If you (Dan) repent, and apologize for wounding the spirits of 21-million members of this Church, then we will welcome you with open arms. It will make a great story. If not—then we cannot reward your rebellion by allowing you to vote on decisions that you are helping to destroy.
  • Compliance Committees. All eyes are on you. Let’s follow through with voted discipline guidelines.

****

“But they rebelled against him and grieved his Holy Spirit. So He became their enemy and fought against them” (Isaiah 63:10).

“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity” (Matthew 7:21-23).

`