Andrews President Shares Position on Women in Ministry
10 June 2023 |
After some rumored controversy surrounding the issue, a statement was released on the Andrews University website from incoming president John Wesley Taylor V, delineating his position on women in ministry. It accompanies a number of other statements released on a page called “From the Heart,” where Taylor plans to post “a series of messages and statements that describe different aspects of my vision for, and passionate commitment to, Andrews University.”
The statement begins with six paragraphs affirming the value of women generally, and what they bring to ministry, specifically, using Bible verses to support each point along the way. The seventh paragraph then states that,
At Andrews University, we share in a commitment to equipping and mentoring women for ministry, including pastoral ministry, within the Church and in the world at large. At the same time, in the spirit of unity and as an integral part of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, we respect the decision of the world church at the 2015 General Conference session which does not provide for the ordination of women to the gospel ministry. We acknowledge that there are different views on the matter of the ordination of women to gospel ministry, and as an academic and scholarly institution we will encourage thought and reflection in this area, and seek to provide scholarly insight to these continuing conversations within the Church on this topic, as we pursue a united focus on mission.
The statement ends by re-affirming the indispensability of women to “God’s redemptive work,” and praises the “intrinsic worth and contributions of women.” To read the full statement, click here.
Other statements on the site discuss topics such as cultural diversity, human sexuality, Adventist education, and the core values and mission of Andrews University.
