The Amazing Hao Ya Jie Story – Pastor Hao Ya Jie, a woman, is the pastor of the Beiguan Seventh-day Adventist Church in Shenyang, China. It started as a small group of 10 people in her living room in 1985. Now it has a membership of more than 7,000 and is considered the largest Adventist Church in the world. Pastor Hao oversees the day-to-day operation of the church, its lay-training program, a feeding program for the needy, and morning worship that starts each day at 5:00 a.m. with hundreds of members in attendance. The Beiguan church has prompted the growth of more than 120 church-plants. Continue reading
Category Archives: Opportunity
Not Even an Issue
An editorial by Raj Attiken in Adventist Today points out the irony of the question that will be voted in San Antonio. “It is superfluous to ask General Conference Session delegates whether Continue reading
Why the Difference?
Would you be concerned, maybe shocked, to hear that a woman would be your new pastor? When that happened in 2008 in Chestnut Hill, Pennsylvania, many members were skeptical of the idea. They did not want Tara VinCross to come to their district. But they felt differently when they met her. What made the difference? Continue reading
Women’s Ordination Facts
Fascinating facts on Adventist women as spiritual leaders under the headship of Christ. In an attempt to cut through some of the confusing ideas surrounding the question of whether the Seventh-day Adventist Church should ordain women as pastors, here are some basic ideas and principles that should inform our Biblical understanding of the issue. From our friends at OrdinationFacts.com.
Why “Yes” Matters
Dr. Angel Rodriguez, a theologian for the General Conference Biblical Research Institute from 1987 to 2011 and its director from 2002 to 2011, explains that the vote in San Antonio is not intended to be a majority vote about whether the Bible allows ordination of women to the ministry. The Adventist Church does not define truth by majority vote. This is not a theological issue. It is simply a question of what is best for the Church. Dr. Rodriguez explains that a Yes vote is a vote for unity and a vote for doing all we can to follow Christ’s command to go and tell the Good News. Continue reading
Women in Leadership
Dr. Martin Weber, with four decades of experience in Adventist ministry, discusses women in leadership–a logical and theological mandate. His hope is that the church will quit being in a state of denial about women in ministry. Originally featured in Adventist Today, his prayer is that the delegates to the GC Session will resolve this issue both logically and theologically. Continue reading
Women and Ordination
Hot off the press, this new book from the Pacific Press of the Seventh-day Adventist Church explains the biblical basis for women in ministry, including ordination of women pastors. Get your copy of Women and Ordination today from the Adventist Book Center. Continue reading
Both Men and Women
God calls and ordains both men and women. God said on “both men and women, I will pour out My Spirit.” (Acts 2:18) The Holy Spirit “prepares workers, both men and women, to become pastors.” (Ellen White, Testimonies Vol. 6, p. 322) Continue reading
My Path to the Ministry
Esther Knott’s father was a Hindu. When he became a Christian and a Seventh-day Adventist, his life was turned around; his whole focus became telling others about what Jesus had done for him. So it was natural that Esther would want to “be about her father’s business” of sharing the Good News. Pastor Knott, of the Pioneer Memorial Church and an Associate Ministerial Director of the NAD of Seventh-day Adventists, discusses her path to pastoral ministry.
A Mighty Throng
Dr. Dwight Nelson, senior pastor of the Pioneer Memorial Church at Andrews University, takes a second look at “male headship.” You can follow along with the sermon outline. The title is based on Psalm 68:11 – “The Lord announces the word, and the women who proclaim it are a mighty throng.”