Women in Ministry. Biblical & Historical Perspectives

by a Special Committee of the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary. Editor: Nancy Vyhmeister

Published by the Andrews University Press, 213 Information Services Building, Berrien Springs, MI 49104-1700, USA. ISBN 1-883925-22-3. Total: 439 pages. List Price $ 11.99. Orders from (616) 471-6134 or fax (616) 471-6224. Or contact by email.

This is a very interesting and worthwhile book for everyone studying the ordination of women.

It contains valuable research papers, written by the members of a Special Committee on the Ordination of Women, brought together by the SDA Theological Seminary of St. Andrews University. It tries to address the questions that the leadership of the Seventh-day Adventist Churches is meeting all the time.

May a woman legitimately be ordained to pastoral ministry? If so, on what basis? If not, why not? What are the issues involved—hermeneutics? Bible and theology? custom and culture? history and tradition? pragmatism and missiological needs? And furthermore, how could all these facets of the issue be presented in a logical, coherent manner?

The authors who present their carefully researched documents in this book come to the overall conclusion that Scripture does not forbid the ordination of women pastors in our time.

John Wijngaards

Table of Contents

Prologue

PART ONE: MINTSTRY IN THE BIBLE

• Raoul Dederen, “The Priesthood of All Believers”
• Jacques B. Doukhan, “Women Priests in Israel: A Case for Their Absence”
• Robert M. Johnston, “Shapes of Ministry in the New Testament and Early Church»
• Keith Mattingly, «Laying on of Hands in Ordination: A Biblical Study»

PART TWO: ORDINATION IN EARLY CHRISTIANITY AND ADVENTISM

• Daniel A. Augsburger, «Clerical Authority and Ordination in the Early Christian Church»
• George R. Knight, “Early Seventh-day Adventists and Ordination, 1844-1863”
• J. H. Denis Fortin, «Ordination in the Writings of Ellen G. White»
• Russell L. Staples, “A Theological Understanding of Ordination”

PART THREE: WOMEN IN MINISTRY AND LEADERSHIP

• Jo Ann Davidson, “Women in Scripture: A Survey and Evaluation”
• Jerry Moon, «‘A Power That Exceeds That of Men’: Ellen G. White on Women in Ministry»
• Michael Bernoi, «Nineteenth-Century Women in Adventist Ministry Against the Backdrop of Their Times»
• Randal R. Wisbey, “SDA Women in Ministry, 1970-1998”

PART FOUR: PERCEIVED IMPEDIMENTS TO WOMEN IN MINISTRY

• Richard M. Davidson, «Headship, Submission, and Equality in Scripture»
• Peter M. van Bemmelen, «Equality, Headship, and Submission in the Writings of Ellen G. White»
• W. Larry Richards, “How Does a Woman Prophesy and Keep Silence at the Same Time? (1 Corinthians 11 and 14)»
• Nancy Jean Vyhmeister, «Proper Church Behavior in 1 Timothy 2:8-15»
• Alicia A. Worley, «Ellen White and Women’s Rights»

PART FIVE: OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

• Walter B. T. Douglas, «The Distance and the Difference: Reflections on Issues of Slavery and Women’s Ordination in Adventism»
• Roger L. Dudley, «The Ordination of Women in Light of the Character of God»
• Jon L. Dybdahl, «Culture and Biblical Understanding in a World Church»

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