Deborah and the Ordination of Women
When Church Tradition Gets in the Way of God's Calling The Seventh-day Adventist Church has spent years debating the question of whether women should be ordained to the gospel ministry. It is a debate that has produced strong opinions on both sides. But perhaps we need to step back from the arguments, the policies, and the church politics and ask a much simpler question: What does the Bible tell us about the way God uses women? Before we get too caught up in the word ordination , we should remember what ordination actually is. Ordination does not give someone the Holy Spirit. It does not create spiritual gifts. It does not make a person capable of preaching the gospel. It does not make someone more valuable in God's eyes. And it certainly does not create God's calling. At its most basic level, ordination is the church's public recognition and setting apart of someone for ministry. The certificate is produced by people. The calling comes from God. That distinction matt...