2008-05-12 03:57Z

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: GC VP Ella Simmons Issues Statement Regarding Women in Ministry

Highland, California, September 10, 2007 (2007-09-10 21:31Z): It has come to the attention of GreatControversy.org that in a video produced by the Adventist Media Network known as the South Pacific Adventist News, Freshman General Conference Vice-President Ella Simmon has stated that

I think that the church really is ready for women, at all levels, and in all roles, to fully accept God’s call on their lives, and to function in those roles, officially sanctioned by the Church.

The bare text is capable of interpretation in either of two ways. However, anyone listening to the report and paying attention to vocal inflection cannot miss what she is saying. Listen to the video. Right before the Simmons visuals there is a clip showing a woman preaching and the announcer states that Ms. Simmons said that “while women have held leadership roles in the past, there now exists a need for women to be leading local congregations as well.” To serve as the head pastor of a congregation is a role reserved by the world church for ordained ministers (males). It is immediately after this that Ms. Simmons speaks of women serving in “all roles.” Her point is that women should be able to serve in any role, all roles, and they should be able to do so with the official sanction of the church.

The statement is found on YouTube here:

Ms. Simmons in the video clip offered no indication on what basis the Church, which has decisively rejected the idea of Women’s Ordination in repeated General Conference Sessions, has suddenly become ready to officially recognise the legitimacy of women serving in all roles. Ms. Simmons was shown with her full official title and with the official logo of the Seventh-day Adventist Church filling the right portion of the screen.

In the video, Ms. Simmons is shown speaking at first against a white background displaying the Seventh-day Adventist logo. But when she is shown making the troubling statement, she is seen directly in front of a blue background with the SDA logo very prominently displayed. That is, the Adventist Media Network which produced this video report went out of its way to deploy as much “officialness” with the statement as possible.

Seventh-day Adventists who respect the decisions of the World Church made in General Conference Session should be troubled, and should consider, in kind but resolute language, contacting persons at the General Conference and insisting that the church issue a correction to Ms. Simmons apparently defiant statement.

The General Conference may be contacted by telephone here (You may want to phone and ask for email addresses of appropriate persons to which you can send your personal reaction, or even ask to speak directly with available General Conference authorities):

http://www.adventist.org/world_headquarters/index.html.en.

God still has His hand on His church. If this is a trial balloon for Women’s Ordination, then let it be shot down.

[UPDATE 1: A text version of the interview of Ms. Simmons is found here:

http://adventist.org.au/newsevents/southpacificnews/news_articles/interview_with_dr_ella_simmons. A review of the punctuation provided in this published text version sustains the interpretation of her words as Spectrum, GCO, and others have understood them. We await a statement from the Seventh-day Adventist Church correcting Ms. Simmons remarks.]

[UPDATE 2. 2007-09-13 19:26Z: We have been in communication with Ms. Simmons. She sent out an initial statement which led to further dialogue and she has prepared another statement which we anticipate publishing on Monday or Tuesday. Her communications with us have been gracious and we hope to share it with you with her permission.]

[UPDATE 3: 2007-09-28 21:55Z: We have received and published Ella Simmon’s reply in another link.] GCO

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