Central States Conference Calls for “Christian Deportment” Over Women’s Ordination
- Kimberly Bulgin set to be ordained this Sabbath, Oct. 23, 2021.
- Internet outrage over her ordination was so great that the Central States Conference issued a statement.
- Roger Bernard, president of the Central States Conference, said he fully supports Bulgin.
21 October 2021 | After news came out that the Mid-America Union would be ordaining its first female pastor, Kimberly Bulgin, senior pastor of Wichita, Kansas-based New Beginnings Church, dissenting and disparaging comments soon followed.
“This decision is unbiblical … This is not a good example to small organised churches in the mission field…This is disunity at best,” commented Jeffery Wilfred Masoerangi on a Facebook post about this topic.
Apparently, the discord over Bulgin’s ordination was so great the Central States Conference of Seventh-day Adventist released a statement, as seen on the Facebook page of Cryston Josiah, executive secretary of the Central States Conference.
“Of late there have been many discussions, debates, arguments, even fights taking place on the internet over a prayerfully made decision by our Conference to treat our male and female pastors equitably, as it pertains to ordination,” read the statement. “[During this] chaotic discord, a wonderful woman of God has been attacked, misquoted, and taken out of context. In addition to this, her character has been slandered invariably by people who have never even given her the courtesy of speaking with her personally.
“How did we become so mean? No matter on which side of the debate you stand, is it possible to be kind to each other, even if we disagree? When we don’t see eye to eye, can we still display Christian deportment?”
The statement went on to say that it fully supported Bulgin and was signed by Roger A. Bernard, president of the Central States Conference.
As of this date, this post on Josiah’s Facebook page has received more than 200 comments for and against women’s ordination and 115 shares.
Bulgin’s ordination service will be this Saturday, Oct. 23, 2021, at the G. Alexander Bryant Youth Center in Kansas City, Kansas, USA. The service starts at 11 a.m. and will be streamed live.
In 2015, delegates at the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists session voted against allowing regions to decide whether or not to ordain women in their regions. The result of this vote was the continuation of church policy that restricted ordination to men only. Typically, senior leadership positions in the church require ordination credentials, which meant that women were effectively barred from holding those positions.
Conferences and unions that have ordained female pastors are seen as “out of compliance” with denominational policy and risk facing official disciplinary action.
Photo: The ordination of Pastor Kimberly Bulgin has sparked such an outcry that the Central States Conference issued a statement supporting Bulgin and calling for “Christian deportment.” Photo via Facebook page of Kimberly Bulgin.)
