Great Disappointment 2015: The Struggle of Adventist Women to Achieve Equality in Ministry Patricia Conroy For many Seventh-day Adventists (SDA), July 8, 2015, will go study. One of these was Rachel Oakes, a Seventh-day Baptist, who down in history as the Second Great Disappointment. For those introduced the observation of the seventh-day Sabbath. Other not familiar with Seventh-day Adventist history, the first Great members of the movement, who became the founders of the SDA Disappointment occurred on October 22, 1844, when Jesus did Church in 1863, were James White, Ellen Harmon White, and not return, as some had predicted he would. This time, the issue William Bates.3 was not the return of Jesus, but the culmination of a long, hard- Discussion about whether women may be ordained to gospel fought campaign for equal treatment of women in the ministries ministry in the SDA Church began in the press before the church of the denomination. was even formally organized. In 1849, the early Adventists began The vote was held in San Antonio, Texas, at the business to publish. The first publication was known asPresent Truth, and meeting of the worldwide General Conference.1 While several subsequently as The Adventist Review and Herald (now Adventist issues were discussed, the issue of women in ministry was the most Review). Adherents to the movement were encouraged to use publicized and hardest fought. The vote followed two years of study this journal as a newsletter. On the history page of its website, by a committee appointed by the SDA General Conference known Adventist Review describes the function of its early journal as as the Theology of Ordination Study Committee (TOSC), which similar to present-day Facebook.4 Between 1857 and 1861, The produced voluminous reports. There was vigorous campaigning Adventist Review and Herald ran eight articles, authored by those by both those in favor and against—in pulpits, in print media, and who would become the earliest leaders of the SDA Church: James on the Internet. The motion was not about whether women can White, David Hewitt, B. F. Robbins, S. C. Welcome, J. A. Mowatt, be ordained, but whether the decision to do so should be vested and one anonymous author.5 These articles strongly encouraged in the divisions of the World Church. The debate leading up to women to participate in ministry and to use their spiritual gifts. the vote, however, was all about the role of women in the church. No corresponding articles or letters advocated restrictions on Probably the greatest irony in the controversy surrounding the women’s preaching or public speaking.6 ordination of SDA women is that it was co-founded by a woman, Women were fully engaged in the preaching, teaching, Ellen Gould Harmon White. A document titled, “The Twenty- and educational mission of the Advent Movement. In a paper Eight Fundamental Beliefs of Seventh-day Adventists” includes an presented at the 2012 meeting of the Pacific Union Conference, affirmation of the prophetic gift of Ellen White. While her works called to consider the issue ordination of women, Beverly Beem are not considered to have the same authority as scripture, they are and Ginger Hanks-Harwood summarized the position of early relied upon for “comfort, guidance, instruction, and correction.”2 leadership as follows: It is unlikely that anyone would dispute that White was Movement leadership took a strong stand on the a centrally influential leader in the denomination, from its inclusive nature of spiritual gifts and the Christian founding in 1863 until her death in 1915. There is, however, much obligation to exercise them in public assemblies and disagreement regarding White’s status as a minister and her religious meetings. This was not a rhetorical discussion: opinion regarding the role women should play in gospel ministry. women were involved in the preaching ministry of the There is also a wide spectrum of opinion on the interpretation of church. Women traveled to evangelize, spoke in the scripture as it relates to the ordination of women. churches and gatherings of believers, wrote theological, This is not the first time the SDA Church has confronted the devotional, and scriptural articles, exhorted the believers, issue of women in ministry. It is remarkable, however, that 150 and exercised spiritual leadership.7 years after the church was founded, and 130 years after the church began studying the issue, the church still cannot decide whether The early Seventh-day Adventist Church God calls women to be pastors. The denomination was formally organized in 1863, with women A brief history of the pre-Seventh-day Adventist era continuing to play active roles in ministry. Women were, for example, among the first evangelists. In 1868, Sarah A. Hallock The SDA Church was born in the United States. It arose out of the Lindsey and Ellen S. Edmonds Lane, along with their husbands, Millerite-Advent Movement of the early 1840s. Its adherents came became evangelists. In 1872, Lindsey was licensed as a minister primarily from American protestant churches, particularly Baptist, and “recognized for her effective evangelism.” Two other women Methodist, and Christian Connection. Their common belief was were licensed as ministers in 1878 and 1879.8 the expectation that Jesus would return soon, and that the date of Leaders of the early SDA Church apparently saw no biblical his return could be predicted based on prophecies in Daniel and reason women should not work alongside men to carry out the Revelation. When Jesus did not return on October 22, 1844, as had mission of the church. John Nevins Andrews, for whom the been predicted, many followers left the Advent Movement and flagship SDA university and seminary is named, published an returned to their former churches. Some remained, continuing to Priscilla Papers ◆ Vol. 29, No. 4 ◆ Autumn 2015 • 7 exegesis of 1 Cor 14:31-36 and 1 Tim 2:12 in the Review and Herald Concerning whether White exercised authority over men, it can in January, 1879. He explained that these texts were “not to be be argued that she not only exercised such authority during her taken as directions to all Christian women in other churches and lifetime, but that she still does so today. In a sermon given to the other times. .”9 Annual Council on October 11, 2014, General Conference President In 1881, at a General Conference Session a motion was Ted N. C. Wilson cited the writings of White almost twice as many brought to ordain women: “Resolved, That females possessing times as he did the Bible!17 the necessary qualifications to fill that position, may, with perfect Throughout her lifetime, White encouraged women to engage propriety, be set apart by ordination to the work of the Christian in ministry. Her writings indicate that she believed that all church ministry.”10 The motion was referred to a committee, but never workers should serve as they were gifted by the Holy Spirit.“It is the voted upon. White was absent from this 1881 General Conference accompaniment of the Holy Spirit of God that prepares workers, meeting; some have pointed to her absence as an indication of both men and women, to become pastors to the flock of God.”18 her disapproval, but others as her approval. She never commented White not only strongly encouraged women to participate in on it in print. She had left the state, following the death of her ministry, she insisted that they be paid. In an 1889 letter concerning husband on August 6, 1881, and it seems inappropriate to attach married women gospel workers in Australia, she stated that she significance to her absence. White’s words and conduct, both would not allow these women to go without pay, and that she before and after the 1881 General Conference, make her position would withhold money from her tithe to establish a fund to pay clear. these workers.19 In 1895, White called for an ordination service for Ellen White, ordination, and women in ministry women. In 1900, Adventists began ordaining deaconesses.20 The 1884Second SDA Yearbook lists several female licensed Going on without Ellen ministers. White is listed among those given ordination With the death of White in 1915, the church lost a strong advocate credentials.11 The Ellen G. White Estate has published at least six for inclusion of women. The appointment of women to positions of different ordination certificates for her.12 Opponents of women’s responsibility within the church slowed. Cultural factors began to ordination have argued that, despite the issuance of ministerial have greater influence over the roles women played in the church. credentials by the church, White was never officially ordained by The Great Depression of the 1930s brought new economic church officials and never pastored a congregation or performed a challenges. The church attempted to apportion church resources marriage or baptism. equitably by deciding that only one member of any family could In 1911, the Review and Herald published a letter in which be paid a full wage. Church institutions were thus reluctant to hire White stated, “In the city of Portland the Lord ordained me as husbands and wives. Where circumstances required that they hire his messenger, and here my first labors were given to the cause of both, the policy was to pay the husband a full salary and the wife a present truth.”13 Whether or not she had an ordination ceremony much lower salary. This policy remained in place until challenged conducted by denomination officials, the church validated White’s in the courts in the 1970s.21 claim to be ordained by issuing her ministerial credentials, During World War II, many jobs were available for women.