At the Lakeland Seventh-day Adventist church business meeting on August 16, 2026, those present voted that only men may perform baptisms, communion, or baby dedications. I had hoped my brethren’s concerns about gender roles could be addressed by humbly examining scripture together. Because they preferred forcing a vote rather than studying with anyone who could challenge their position, I now have to take a public stand against their position to prevent others from being deceived.
I respect those who have sincere Biblical concerns about the role of women in the church. I do not want to believe my brethren would willingly be deceived. But their actions have severely shaken my confidence in them. Many advocated for this decision without regard for truth or respect for those who disagreed with them. They are responsible for the division they have caused.
What Was This About?
It’s a long story. The vote was forced by some who objected to seeing a woman serve communion.
Communion had been scheduled for April 18. Eiren, ordained as an elder in our local church but not currently elected to serve, was scheduled to preach that day. Our elder Robert confided that he was concerned that Eiren would expect to serve communion if she preached. To be clear, Eiren had not expected to serve communion. Robert never asked her about it.
Instead Robert called Eiren to ask if she wanted to switch to a different week. He used the pretext that communion would cut into her sermon time. But Eiren had already prepared a communion message.
Robert next went to the board to have communion rescheduled. Under the pretext that the deacons and deaconesses were not prepared to do communion on April 18, he asked the board to set a fixed schedule for communion. They chose the second Sabbath of each quarter, starting July 11. This happened to be when Judy was scheduled to preach. Judy was asked if she would like to switch to a different Sabbath, but she was happy to preach a communion message.
At the elders meeting before July 11, the four elected elders discussed arrangements for communion. Fred would be out of town. Clive was unable to handle communion dishes because of a hand tremor. That meant they had only two of the three elders needed. They offered the third spot to Judy because she is an ordained elder in our church and could tie the communion service into her message. Robert disagreed but said he would go along with their decision.
So in the providence of God, scheming to prevent a woman from preaching on a communion Sabbath resulted in a woman serving communion.
When some members started objecting that a woman had been allowed to serve communion, the other elders allowed the story to spread that Darren made the decision alone. Those who objected claimed that a woman serving communion violated male headship, male priesthood, the requirements for bishops and elders, the meaning of communion, gender boundaries, and General Conference decisions.
For those who have honest questions about gender roles in the church, here are the answers that those who forced the vote at the business meeting refused to study together.
Male Headship
Did male headship exist before sin?
- Genesis 2:21, 22. “And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. Then the rib which the Lord God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man.”
Yes. Adam was male and was created first. If Adam had not sinned, he would have lived forever and the human race would have a male head. Some choose to extend this to say that male authority always exceeds female authority, but the text does not require this interpretation.
Do mothers have authority over their sons?
- Exodus 20:12. “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you.”
Yes. A man’s duty to honor his parents includes his mother, not just his father.
Was dominion given only to males?
- Genesis 1:27, 28. “So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them, and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.’”
No. Dominion at creation was shared by both male and female.
Was Eve created to be subordinate to Adam?
- Genesis 2:18-20. “And the Lord God said, ‘It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.’ Out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them. And whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name. So Adam gave names to all cattle, to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper comparable to him.”
No. While some take the fact that Eve was created for Adam to indicate that she was subordinate to him, there were already plenty of creatures subordinate to Adam. What made Adam alone was not having an equal. “Eve was created from a rib taken from the side of Adam, signifying that she was not to control him as the head, nor to be trampled under his feet as an inferior, but to stand by his side as an equal, to be loved and protected by him.” Patriarchs and Prophets, page 46.
Do women have a duty to submit to their husbands?
- Genesis 3:16. “To the woman He said: ‘I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; in pain you shall bring forth children; your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you.’”
Yes, for as long as they are married. Because of sin it is not always possible for husbands and wives to agree. “In the creation God had made her the equal of Adam. Had they remained obedient to God—in harmony with His great law of love—they would ever have been in harmony with each other; but sin had brought discord, and now their union could be maintained and harmony preserved only by submission on the part of the one or the other.” Patriarchs and Prophets, page 58.
Wives can make some decisions independently, but marriage requires many decisions to be made together. If a couple cannot agree on such a decision, it is the husband’s duty to make the decision and the wife’s duty to submit. This means women should choose their husbands carefully, and may choose not to marry if they have no sexual needs and wish to devote themselves fully to ministry.
- I Corinthians 7:8, 9, 34. “But I say to the unmarried and to the widows: It is good for them if they remain even as I am; but if they cannot exercise self-control, let them marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion.… There is a difference between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman cares about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit. But she who is married cares about the things of the world—how she may please her husband.”
May husbands impose decisions on their wives without their consent?
- Ephesians 5:17, 21, 22, 25. “Be filled with the Spirit, … submitting to one another in the fear of God. Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord.… Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her.”
- I Peter 3:7. “Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.”
No. Commands to submit are addressed to wives. There is no command for husbands to make their wives submit. On the contrary, husbands are commanded to live in understanding with their wives, and are included in the command to submit to one another. Husbands are called to love their wives as Christ loves the church, and sacrificed Himself for it. While a husband may not abdicate final responsibility for shared decisions, he should seek to make decisions with the counsel and consent of his wife.
Does the submission of wives to their own husbands exclude women from exercising authority over other men?
- I Corinthians 14:34-37. “Let your women keep silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak; but they are to be submissive, as the law also says. And if they want to learn something, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is shameful for women to speak in church. Or did the word of God come originally from you? Or was it you only that it reached? If anyone thinks himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things which I write to you are the commandments of the Lord.”
- I Timothy 2:11-15. “Let a woman learn in silence with all submission. And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence. For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression. Nevertheless she will be saved in childbearing if they continue in faith, love, and holiness, with self-control.”
No. It is possible to interpret these texts as forbidding women from exercising authority over any man, but the texts do not require that interpretation. The word for both wife and woman is gunē in Greek. The word for both husband and man is anēr. It is up to the translator’s discretion which way to translate these words. When translated as wife and husband, the texts govern roles in the marriage relationship.
Notice that these texts do not establish a new rule, but appeal to the rule established in Genesis that a wife submit to her husband. Nothing requires this form of submission to extend to men outside the marriage relationship. What is clear from these texts is that a wife may not let participation in church conflict with submission to her husband. If she cannot imagine how to exercise authority while submitting to her husband, she shouldn’t accept authority. But if there isn’t a problem, don’t make a problem.
Examples of prominent wives in the Bible show that exercising authority while being married is possible for women: Deborah and Lapidoth in Judges, and Priscilla and Aquila in Acts. And every mother should learn to exercise authority in submission to her husband.
Is it possible to take the male headship argument too far?
- I Corinthians 11:11, 12. “Nevertheless, neither is man independent of woman, nor woman independent of man, in the Lord. For as woman came from man, even so man also comes through woman; but all things are from God.”
Yes. Using creation as a precedent for male headship in all situations is impossible because no man today would exist without a woman. It is the headship of Jesus that really matters. The important thing is for all of us to submit to His headship.
Male Priesthood
Is priesthood limited to men?
- Exodus 19:5, 6. “‘Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.”
No. God’s original plan was for the entire nation of Israel to be priests to the world.
- Hebrews 7:28. “For the law appoints as high priests men who have weakness, but the word of the oath, which came after the law, appoints the Son who has been perfected forever.”
A ritual and symbolic priesthood was restricted to Aaron and his male descendants. But this symbolic priesthood was temporary. Our true and permanent High Priest is Jesus.
- I Peter 2:9. “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”
Now all who believe in Jesus are part of the priesthood.
Requirements for Bishops and Elders
Does the requirement to be the husband of one wife limit the roles of elder or bishop to men?
- I Timothy 3:1-7. “This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the position of a bishop, he desires a good work. A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach; not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous; one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence (for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?); not a novice, lest being puffed up with pride he fall into the same condemnation as the devil. Moreover he must have a good testimony among those who are outside, lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.”
- Titus 1:5-9. “For this reason I left you in Crete, that you should set in order the things that are lacking, and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you— if a man is blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of dissipation or insubordination. For a bishop must be blameless, as a steward of God, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but hospitable, a lover of what is good, sober-minded, just, holy, self-controlled, holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict.”
No. In the Greek language, every noun has a gender. The requirement to be the husband of one wife is used with the masculine words for bishop (ĕpiskŏpŏn) and elder (prĕsbutĕrŏ). It only restricts which men may be elders or bishops. It does not restrict which women may be candidates for those positions.
It is also unclear whether Paul was stating a universal rule or giving instructions specifically to Timothy and Titus to help them quickly find leaders for a large number of new churches. Paul himself was single (I Corinthians 7:8). Timothy and Titus were young and may have been single as well, yet Paul left them in charge of organizing the churches.
Does the Bible speak of a female equivalent to male elders?
- I Timothy 5:1, 2. “Do not rebuke an older man, but exhort him as a father, younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, with all purity.”
- Titus 2:1-3. “But as for you, speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine: that the older men be sober, reverent, temperate, sound in faith, in love, in patience; the older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things.”
Yes. The Bible consistently uses the term prĕsbutĕrŏs to refer to the position of male elders and prĕsbutēs to refer to older men in general. The feminine equivalents are prĕsbutĕras and prĕsbutis. In I Timothy 5:1, 2, Paul uses both the masculine and feminine terms for the position of elder. In Titus 2:1-3, Paul uses the general terms for older men and women.
What is the difference between elder and bishop?
They are different ways of describing the same position. See Titus 1:5-9.
What is the role of an elder?
- I Peter 5:1-4. “The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed: Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock; and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away.”
Elders watch over the church and lead by example. Both men and women need examples. A woman can serve as an example for women better than a man can. That is one reason scripture does not limit the role of elder to men.
The Meaning of Communion
Is the person who serves communion playing the character of Jesus in a re-enactment of the last supper?
- “And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.’”
- I Corinthians 10:17. “For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread.”
No. Jesus instituted the communion service as a way for His disciples to remember Him when He was not physically present. In the communion service, Jesus is represented by the bread. All participants are disciples. No one is playing the character of Jesus. Although the last supper was limited to twelve of Jesus’s male disciples, the communion service represents the fellowship of all believers regardless of gender, occupation, age, or nationality.
Is communion the Christian version of Passover?
- I Corinthians 5:7. “Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us.”
No. While the Passover season continues to have significance for Christians, Jesus is our Passover.
- Corinthians 11:26. “For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.”
There is no restriction on when a communion service may be celebrated.
Does the Bible say that communion should be served by a man?
- Galatians 3:28. “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
No. Only elaborate chains of reasoning that contradict the teachings of scripture reach the conclusion that the gender of the person who serves communion matters.
Gender Boundaries
Is it right to have sexual relationships with people of the same gender?
- Leviticus 18:22. “You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination.”
- Romans 1:26, 27. “For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.”
- I Corinthians 6:9-10. “Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.”
No. Sexual relations between people of the same gender are among the practices which the Bible forbids.
Is it right to change genders?
- Deuteronomy 22:5. “A woman shall not wear anything that pertains to a man, nor shall a man put on a woman’s garment, for all who do so are an abomination to the Lord your God.”
No. Seeking to appear as another gender is forbidden for both men and women.
Is accepting female leaders is a step toward accepting homosexuality and gender changes?
No. Being female is not a sin. Accepting female leaders is not a rejection of Biblical gender boundaries.
General Conference Decisions
A full list of General Conference actions on ordination is available at https://www.adventistarchives.org/gc-session-actions. The General Conference sets rules for ordination. Those who advocated at the business meeting for restricting the functions of women elders claimed that having ordained women as elders violated decisions the General Conference voted on in 1990, 1995, and 2015.
Did the General Conference make a rule against ordaining women in 1990?
No. The General Conference voted to accept a report stating that most of the world was not ready to recognize ordained women as ministers and also wanted ordination to be recognized worldwide.
Did the General Conference make a rule against ordaining women in 1995?
No. The General Conference voted down a motion to turn the question of ordaining women as ministers over to the world divisions to be decided separately.
Did the General Conference make a rule against ordaining women in 2015?
No. The General Conference voted No when asked if the question of ordaining women as ministers should be decided separately by the world divisions.
Does the General Conference have a rule against ordaining women?
No. While those who campaigned to restrict women in ministry saw their victory in these decisions as endorsing their point of view, the decisions did not actually do so. The criteria for ordination set by the General Conference do not include a gender requirement. (The General Conference does not publish its working policy, so we cannot provide a link.) The practice of refusing to ordain women as ministers has been motivated by fear that some parts of the world might not recognize the ordination rather than by a desire to follow scripture. There is no similar concern about ordaining women as local church elders because ordination by a local church is not expected to be recognized by other churches.
Are unions that ordain women violating General Conference policy?
No. General Conference officials who seek to prevent unions from ordaining women are exceeding the authority the church has given them. Even those who accuse unions that ordain women of violating General Conference policy do not try to claim that a gender requirement exists, because it would be easy to show that it does not. Instead, they base their arguments on the pronouns used in the ordination criteria being masculine.
Has the Seventh-day Adventist Church ever had to change a decision that we previously agreed to?
- Testimonies for the Church, volume 1, page 116. “I saw that it is even so: ‘From even unto even, shall ye celebrate your Sabbath.’ Said the angel: ‘Take the word of God, read it, understand, and ye cannot err. Read carefully, and ye shall there find what even is, and when it is.’ I asked the angel if the frown of God had been upon His people for commencing the Sabbath as they had. I was directed back to the first rise of the Sabbath, and followed the people of God up to this time, but did not see that the Lord was displeased, or frowned upon them. I inquired why it had been thus, that at this late day we must change the time of commencing the Sabbath. Said the angel: ‘Ye shall understand, but not yet, not yet.’ Said the angel: ‘If light come, and that light is set aside or rejected, then comes condemnation and the frown of God; but before the light comes, there is no sin, for there is no light for them to reject.’ I saw that it was in the minds of some that the Lord had shown that the Sabbath commenced at six o’clock, when I had only seen that it commenced at ‘even,’ and it was inferred that even was at six. I saw that the servants of God must draw together, press together.”
Yes. When the church first accepted the seventh-day Sabbath, we decided that the Bible taught us to observe Sabbath from 6 PM Friday to 6 PM Saturday, equatorial time. This decision appeared to be supported by a miraculous sign. But by 1854, many people were starting to doubt this decision. After a year of Bible study, we became convinced that we had been wrong. Sabbath begins when the sun goes down on Friday and ends when the sun goes down on Saturday. In 1855 we voted to correct our teaching to reflect what we had learned from the Bible.
Origins of the Controversy
What is the origin of the idea that women are forbidden to hold authority over any man?
In the early years of the Reformation, Protestants suffered persecution from three powerful female rulers: Catherine de Medici in France, Mary of Guise in Scotland, and Mary Tudor in England. To the Scottish reformer John Knox, exiled in Geneva, it seemed that if he could prove that female authority was illegitimate, these women might be overthrown and the Reformation could progress unhindered. Although other reformers tried to show Knox that scripture contradicted his theories, the idea of overthrowing oppressive female rulers seemed so promising that Knox would not let it go. He put his theories in a book, The First Blast of the Trumpet Against the Monstruous Regiment of Women. Unlike his previous books, Knox did not counsel with his congregation before publishing it. Instead he published it secretly and anonymously, hoping to protect himself and his congregation.
His actions had consequences Knox did not foresee. By publishing anonymously he brought suspicion on all the Protestants in Geneva. In just a few months Mary Tudor died, and Elizabeth became queen of England. Protestants in England were now free under a female ruler. But Knox and his followers were not allowed to enjoy this freedom. His book condemning female authority made Elizabeth consider Knox and anyone he had associated with in Geneva to be threats to her government. Knox wrote to Elizabeth complaining that it was unfair for her to consider his book to be hostile to her “just government.” He promised that, by exercising authority on God’s behalf, she would be an exception to his condemnation of female authority. Elizabeth was not convinced. Protestantism was divided, and Knox’s theories continue to spread to this day.
Damages
The decision to restrict women from functioning fully as elders shows that hostility to the ministry of women has prevailed in our church. It shows that we will allow trivial issues to be treated seriously and refuse to address serious issues. It shows that we are unashamed to misrepresent God’s word and the decisions of the General Conference. Our members have been taught to distrust and accuse church leadership. The ministry of godly women has been undermined.
Remedies
Can we achieve peace by yielding to those who insist on having their way?
No. Those who are contentious seek controversy. People have started controversies over claims that we don’t sing hymns, that having time to greet each other in the sanctuary is irreverent, that decorating for Christmas is pagan, that celebrating Easter is pagan, that not reciting the fourth commandment every week is rejecting God’s law, that keeping Sabbath requires us to be dressed up the entire time, that women should not wear pants, that allowing meat to be served to visitors is a rejection of the health message, that men should wear their shirts tucked in. And this is not a comprehensive list. Contentious people find ways to elevate controversies based on traditions, opinions, preferences, or personal feelings to the level of Biblical issues like the Sabbath that must not be compromised.
How can we expose the hypocrisy of the Biblical interpretations used to justify limiting women in ministry?
At the next business meeting, a motion should be made to bring us into full harmony with the decision made at the last meeting. Those who voted for it said it was based on the Bible and not their own opinions. Consistency with their interpretation of the Bible requires adding at least the following restrictions:
- All female members must be removed from the church board.
- All female Sabbath School teachers must be removed.
- Women may not speak in any church gathering.
- Women must abstain from voting at business meetings.
- Women may only be taught by their husbands.
- Communion may only be served to men.
- Elders who are unmarried or have been divorced must be removed.
- Elders who are childless or have any children not in the church must be removed.
- Ellen White’s writings may not be cited.
If this motion does not pass, there should be a motion to apologize for the arbitrary and hypocritical decision made against women in ministry at the last business meeting.
How should we respond when the church rejects God-given leadership?
We have the example of Samuel. Israel blamed their problems on his leadership and asked him to make them a king. God told him, Do what they say, but warn them of the consequences. When they celebrated getting their way, Samuel reminded them that they had displeased God. Samuel led them to repent and re-commit to God’s leadership. He promised never to stop praying for them.
How can we undo the damage that has been done?
We cannot undo all the damage, but we can give ourselves a fresh start. At the next business meeting, a motion should be made to reset our rules to what is currently in the Church Manual. Not only would that nullify the decision to limit women in ministry, it would also clarify what the rules are. Many rules were voted on so long ago that only a few people remember them and no one can find the minutes of the meetings where they were made. Resetting the rules will make it easier for our next pastor to work with us.
How can we build unity?
- Be courageous.
- Take a stand for truth and defend those who are vulnerable.
- Practice humility.
- Make the word of God your starting point, not your own position.
- Recognize that you can be wrong. Welcome correction.
- Seek truth in God’s word with others, even if you don’t have the same understanding.
- Challenge your point of view. Allow it to be scrutinized. Truth will stand.
- Confess to others you have wronged and seek reconciliation.
- Do not give in to anger and lose our tempers when provoked. It is not a sin to be angry. It is a sin to be angry and then for it to cause us to sin.
- Show forgiveness and mercy just as Jesus did.
- Build positive relationships.
- Find things to appreciate about others and affirm them.
- Work with those you disagree with on things that are important to both of you.
- When conflicts arise, make statements about your own feelings rather than about the other person.
- Allow others to have different opinions. Find ways to share your opinions without raising conflict. Look for things you can agree with and share why.
- Leave evil no place to hide.
- Be honest about your faults. Seek God’s correction for your own heart before seeking to correct others and only do that because you truly love them.
- Follow Matthew 18 in the order of addressing other’s faults.
- Expose scheming that you become aware of and do not engage in gossip.