G. C. Policy

[Gregory Matthews]

The following article suggests that denominational policy may be more complex than is commonly understood:

https://spectrummagazine.org/article/2017/09/29/general-conference-working-policy-challenge-enforcement-and-opportunity-developme

NOTE:  It should be noted that this article goes beyond the issues of the ordination of women.

The assumptions upon which the article are based include:

Several assumptions, that need to be exposed, lurk in the background of this presentation. These include:

1. Further theological study on the question of ordination will not result in consensus regarding ordination. The Church will have to live with widely divergent views. This does not need to threaten unity since the Church already recognizes diverse practices in other matters and has agreed to varying practices regarding the election and ordination of women as local church elders.
2. The Gospel message is meant for the whole world and every culture. In its mission to reach every culture with the Gospel, the Church will need to engage increasingly with questions of unity and diversity. The process by which such questions are addressed will be as important as any decision that is reached.
3. Unity and diversity are not necessarily conflicting concepts, they can co-exist in meaningful partnership. Diversity of sound in a choir or orchestra does not ruin the music. Any organization with the size and global presence of the Seventh-day Adventist Church must make room for differing practices even while rigorously protecting its unity.
4. Policy development is as important as policy enforcement, perhaps more so, in maintaining a sense of organizational unity and relevance in a rapidly changing world with its very diverse social environments.