Southern California Conference Votes to Ordain Women Pastors

by AT News Team

The executive committee of the Southern California Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church has voted to submit the names of two women employed as pastors for approval by the Pacific Union Conference for ordination. Myriam Salcedo-Gonzales and Janet L. White have both been credentialed as Commissioned Ministers for some time.
 
The committee arrived at this decision after a long process of Bible study, prayer and reflection. Surveys were conducted of the pastors and lay members of the Region committees to get the views of leadership in the conference. There was considerable discussion over several meetings and recognition of the strong views and opinions held by people on both sides of the topic, including the views of women.
 
After a union conference constituency meeting voted four to one to end gender discrimination in ordination, the conference executive committee took action along the same lines for its territory. This was voted on October 2.
 
The Southern California Conference includes about 45,000 members in nearly 150 congregations. The territory of the conference is the Los Angeles metropolitan area with a total population of 11.3 million. It is one of the largest and most diverse and urbanized local conferences in the denomination.