Now Online: Sermons from the Symposium, "God's Character and the Final Generation" (March 22-23, 2019)

Now Online:

• “God at Risk”, Elder Dennis Priebe

• “Why Jesus Waits”, Dr. Norman McNulty

• “New Books, Old Error”, Pr. Larry Kirkpatrick

• “Living Without a Mediator”, Dr. Gerard Damsteegt

• “Humanity & Divinity Combined”, Pr. Larry Kirkpatrick

• “End-Time Soul Winners”, Dr. Norman McNulty

• “Panel Q&A”

La Sierra rejects gay, lesbian club

The Press Enterprise, a newspaper covering Riverside and San Bernardino counties in Calif., covered a story about a group of gay and lesbian students trying to become an officially recognized club at La Sierra University.

A group of gay and lesbian students at La Sierra University is trying again to gain official recognition for their club, six months after the university denied it because of Seventh-day Adventist Church teachings on homosexuality.

The club, Prism, reapplied for recognition last month, hoping that attitudes of members of the 2,400-student Adventist university's Student Life Committee have changed, said Prism president Rebecca Kern. "It's also a way for us to say out loud that we're not going away," said Kern, 23, a fourth-year student who is lesbian and Adventist. Prism members are holding their first public event Saturday, Nov. 17, but the mix of workshops and entertainment is taking place at UC Riverside because La Sierra doesn't permit non-sanctioned clubs to hold events on campus.

Non-approved clubs cannot promote their events on campus with leaflets or postings in university buildings, and they cannot reserve campus meeting rooms.

La Sierra spokesman Larry Becker said organizations viewed as violating Adventist beliefs cannot gain recognition.

"The committee felt that while the university values all students and is against harassment in all forms, this group's mission does not align with Seventh-day Adventist beliefs on sexuality," he said. "La Sierra is a Seventh-day Adventist university, so we support the values of the SDA Church. That is why they were turned down." (Read more)

Inclusive ministerial ordination: an appeal for understanding

The Columbia Union Conference issued the following statement Sept. 26, 2012:

We acknowledge the concerns and questions our recent special constituency vote raised among some of our church family and administrators and regret that some misunderstood our motives and intentions. We unwaveringly stand in solidarity with our worldwide church family in faith, belief, doctrine and mission and appeal for understanding.

We were compelled to act on our conscience and convictions because we believe it will and already is having a positive impact on our churches, ministries and mission; we believe it is morally and ethically right; we believe that God calls whom He chooses and our responsibility and privilege is to fully recognize His proven calls; we want to see new generations of members unabashedly engage in the mission of our church; and we want to do all we can to hasten the promised return of Christ.

We accept, respect and understand that practicing inclusive ministerial ordination would not work well in all parts of the world, and while we in no way wish to force others to take this step, we believe it is necessary in our field and in the context of the culture in which we minister.

We pray that our action will not close doors, but open the way for the Holy Spirit to continue moving mightily in our union and beyond. We pray that those who may not be ready to embrace this change in their church, conference, union or division will understand our need and the opportunity it provides us to grow God’s kingdom in our part of the vineyard. And we pray that we all will earnestly seek to navigate these uncharted waters in a way that brings glory to God, strengthens our church family and advances Christ’s mission.

In His Service,

Dave Weigley, Rob Vandeman, Seth Bardu Columbia Union Conference Officers Columbia Union Conference Executive Committee

Live blog: PUC special session at Woodland Hills, Calif.

The Pacific Union Conference's special session begins at 1 p.m. (PST). The event is being held at the Warner Center Marriott, Woodland Hills, 21850 Oxnard Street, Woodland Hills, California, 91367. ADvindicate will be covering this event via live blog, but the PUC will also be streaming the event live for those who want to watch it. According to PUC President Ricardo Graham, "This session is called to consider the following changes to the Pacific Union Bylaws. The proposed changes will enable the union to approve the ordination of ministers without regard to gender, when a local conference requests such approval."

There will be two discussions and two votes on today. The motion to amend the bylaws will require a 2/3 majority to pass. The proposed change will enable the union to ordain ministers without regard to gender and that will require 50 percent plus one. The agenda can be read online.

Watch the PUC's special session.

Watch Loma Linda's special session for constituents and delegates of the SECC

Loma Linda University Church hosted an informative session August 18 for constituents and delegates in the Southeastern California Conference. There were feature presentations by Brad Newton, Ivan Blazen, John Brunt, Gerald Winslow, Bert Haloviak and SECC pastors.

Watch PUC special constituency session live

You can watch the Pacific Union Conference's special constituency session live August 19 at 1 p.m. (Pacific Time). A list of the delegates has been published in the July edition of the PUC Recorder. Below is the special constituency session announcement:

Notice of Pacific Union Conference Special Constituency Session

A Special Session of the Pacific Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists will be held at the Warner Center Marriott, Woodland Hills, 21850 Oxnard Street, Woodland Hills, California, 91367 on August 19, 2012. Registration will begin at 10 a.m., with the meeting beginning at 1 p.m., August 19.

This session is called to consider the following changes to the Pacific Union Bylaws. The proposed changes will enable the union to approve the ordination of ministers without regard to gender, when a local conference requests such approval. [Words highlighted in gray to be deleted; underlined words to be added]

"All In general, the policies, purposes and procedures of this Union shall will be in harmony with the working policies and procedures of the North American Division and the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists."

The Pacific Union bylaws entitle each local conference to one delegate without regard to the membership count of the conference. Additional delegates are based on a proportional basis, on the count of the membership of the conferences, made at the end of the calendar year immediately preceding the date of the regularly scheduled session.

Ricardo Graham, President

Bradford Newton, Executive Secretary

Elder Ted Wilson's Appeal for Unity

The following video is of Elder Ted Wilson on Sunday, July 29th, at the Columbia Union Conference's 2012 Special Constituency Meeting. The special meeting was called in regards to the motion of authorizing ordinations without regard to gender. Elder Wilson addressed the meeting before the vote. He appealed for unity and encouraged the delegates to wait for the new church study on this issue, which is scheduled to be completed in 2014. Using secret ballots, delegates passed the motion with 209 in favor, 51 opposed, and 9 abstentions.

For the Columbia Union's statements, video recording of the full session, and more, visit the official 2012 Special Constituency Meeting page.

Columbia Union votes ordination without regard to gender

A special July 29 constituency meeting called by the Columbia Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists voted a resolution: “That the Columbia Union Conference authorize ordination to the gospel ministry without regard to gender.” Using secret ballots, delegates from the eight conferences of the union’s mid-Atlantic United States territory voted 209 in favor and 51 opposed, with nine abstentions. The Columbia Union says it has 135,000 members in more than 700 congregations.

According to a statement issued by the Columbia Union Conference late Sunday, the union executive committee will no longer deny requests from conferences to ordain proven female ministers to the gospel ministry, but their calling will be fully recognized on par with their male counterparts.

“This is not an easy time for the church, but it is the time for the church,” said Dave Weigley, Columbia Union president, following the vote. “We are part of the worldwide church, and we are united in the mission of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.”

Dan Jackson, North American Division president, cautioned, “What we are doing here today not only will impact us personally and as a union but will also impact our world church. I want to say that our primary accountability is to God.”

In extended remarks, Adventist world church President Ted N. C. Wilson appealed to delegates not to move forward with the motion but to wait for the results of a worldwide study of ordination approved last October by the church’s Executive Committee, and expected in 2014.

“I come to you today because I care about matters of conscience,” he said. “I come to you because I care about the unity of the church at large.”

Lowell Cooper, a general vice president of the world church, challenged the premise that union conferences are authorized to make the kind of change envisioned under current denominational polity.  “The idea that the authority and responsibility of one type of organization in the world family can be exercised autonomously and unilaterally is a concept alien to the ethos and practices of the [Seventh-day Adventist] Church,” he told the delegates.

Bill Miller, president of the Potomac Conference and chair of the ad hoc committee tasked with studying this issue, started his presentation of the committee’s report by reiterating that he was a “loyal member of God’s remnant church.” He then recounted the church’s history of discussions and decisions on the issue of ordaining women to gospel ministry.

Shortly after noon, Weigley, who chaired the special session, opened the floor for constituent input. Delegates quickly formed three long lines at the microphones. Many voiced their belief  that all whom the Holy Spirit has clearly called to ministry should be ordained without regard to gender, though several admitted to being conflicted.

Larry Boggess, president of the Mountain View Conference, whose executive committee released a statement opposing the motion, said, “Lest it be misunderstood, I love you, too, even though I disagree with you. If we say we are the body of Christ, then we would act in unity. What we do today will not generate thousands of new members.”

Following the vote, Rick Remmers, president of the Chesapeake Conference, commented, “I appreciated greatly the spiritual tone set today and sensed the love and loyalty for our church.”

“I am so proud to be part of a historic day in the Columbia Union,” said Deborah Hill, a member of the Allegheny West Conference. “We voted on the right side of history and will work very hard to unify not only our union but to work more closely with the General Conference.”

Source: Adventist News Network