Confused about ordination? Watch this video! Dr. George Knight, professor emeritus of church history at the SDA Theological Seminary, clears up the confusion. Dr. Knight is a leading Adventist historian, theologian, author, and educator. He is the best-selling Adventist author of the past 30 years and is one of the most influential voices in the denomination. Here is a brief summary of some of the fascinating facts explained by Dr. Knight in the video:

1. Ordination is not a biblical concept (it is a post-biblical Catholic concept).

2. The laying on of hands is a biblical concept, but they received their “commission from God Himself, and the ceremony of the laying on of hands added no new grace or virtual qualification.” It was simply a human recognition that God had called the person. (AA, p. 161)

3. After Bible times, the Catholic church started to associate “ordination” with Continue reading

Dr. William G. Johnsson was the Editor of the Adventist Review from 1982 to 2007. Based on his 40 years of study and observation on the ordination issue, he urges the Church to take the logical and biblical step of recognizing women’s ordination. In 1990 the General Conference recognized that God has given His stamp of approval to women as ministers; so who are we to withhold official recognition? Dr. Johnsson issued this statement before the 2015 GC Session, saying “We cannot go back, we must go forward.” Continue reading

Is women’s ordination a theological issue, or an organizational and ecclesiastical issue? We ran across a blog that explains the semantics behind the upcoming General Conference vote in San Antonio, and we found it very informative: Exposé: It’s Not Theology, It’s Politics. In 1990 the world church of the General Conference approved of commissioning women pastors. They have been serving the same role and performing the same functions as “ordained” ministers for the past 25 years. Why do they bear a different label? Why call males “ordained” and females “commissioned”? Why play a game of semantics? It’s a fascinating explanation by a former critic of WO. What did this opponent of women’s ordination discover, which changed her mind?

El Dr. George Knight, profesor emérito de historia de la Iglesia en el Seminario Teológico Adventista, es un importante historiador, escritor y educador. Él es considerado como el autor Adventista más vendido en los últimos 30 años y es una de las voces más influyentes en la denominación. El Dr. Knight explica lo siguiente: Continue reading