SDA, founded by women.

[Sojourner]

I find it interesting that there is opposition to the idea of women being ordained ministers and that they must keep silent in the church. 

 

Was not the SDA founded largely by the efforts of two women that God raised up? - Rachel Oakes Preston and Ellen G White? Both of these women were anything but silent in their churches and taught males truths from Scripture. In Rachel Oakes Preston's case it was through her that the teaching of the Sabbath became accepted by the then Millerites who were willing to listen who later became the SDA. 

 

If God can not call a woman into ministry, why did He call these two women with such dramatic results in terms of millions of people having been born again via the fruit of their ministry? 

[Stan]

There were a lot of other folks involved.

 

 

We are all to be ministers.

[hch]

It is interesting that when EGW's clerk filled out her ministerial data sheet. she was not listed as ordained, but at the end of her ministry; she was listed among the Ordained ministerial staff in California.

[Gregory Matthews]

ROP is not considered to be a founder of the SDA Church.

 

EGW is considered to be a co-founder of the SDA Church.

[Gregory Matthews]

HCH, what documentation do you have as to who filled our EGWs data sheet and which data sheet do our reference?

 

IT should be noted that the EGW Estate has several of what HCH has probably called a data sheet.

[Sojourner]

ROP is not considered to be a founder of the SDA Church.

 

EGW is considered to be a co-founder of the SDA Church.

 

Yet if if were not for Rachel Oakes Preston, the SDA would likely not have split from the Advent Christian Church and would likely have remained that denomination and would still continue to worship each Sunday.. 

[Gregory Matthews]

Rachel Oakes Preston:  At the time she brought the Sabbath truth to Frederick Wheeler and William Farnsworth (these are actually the people who brought the Sabbath truth to the developing SDA Church.), ROP was actually a Seventh-day Baptist.

 

ROP, remained a Seventh-day Baptist until 1867, when she did join the SDA Church which formally organized in 1863.  In the basis that ROP was a Seventh-day Baptist until some years after the SDA Church I cannot call her a founder of the SDA Church.  Also to do so limits that actual role that Wheeler and Farnsworth played in the Sabbath doctrine. 

 

Yes, there was a split between the developing SDA Church and the developing Advent Christian Church.  Both groups were developing and perhaps it can be argued as to which split off from the other.  In another post I have commented on the manner in which the Advent Christian Church developed.  But, I will not repeat that here.

 

In any case, it is clear that the Sabbath doctrine was NOT the sole  factor that caused the split.  That split was additionally caused by SDA beliefs related to EGW and her role in the denomination, the 1,000 year millennium and the cleansing of the sanctuary.   IOW, if the Sabbath issue had not been a factor, those other doctrines would have been enough to have resulted in a split.

[Tom Wetmore]

But I think the point should not be lost that it was in fact a woman that brought the truth of the Sabbath to the early Advent believers, core belief significant enough that it is reflected in our name. She may not have technically been a founder, but without her one has to wonder where we would be without her timely message that she taught to those two men.

[Gregory Matthews]

ROP clearly played an important part in the development of the SDA Church and she should not be dismissed.  As to who should be considered a founder, that is a technical issue on which people will likely disagree.  I, sometimes, get hung up on technical points--well, they are important.   
 

[Sojourner]

But I think the point should not be lost that it was in fact a woman that brought the truth of the Sabbath to the early Advent believers, core belief significant enough that it is reflected in our name. She may not have technically been a founder, but without her one has to wonder where we would be without her timely message that she taught to those two men.

 

Snap! 

[HopefulOne]

Lets give credit where credit is really due;

 

Human power and human might did not establish the church of God, and neither can they destroy it. Not on the rock of human strength, but on Christ Jesus, the Rock of Ages, was the church founded, "and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.{PK 596.1}

 

Christ, the founder of our faith, endured reproach; his life was one of self-denial and self-sacrifice. And when you accept him, you accept the suffering part of religion; you consent to share in his reproach, his self-denial, and his self-sacrifice.  {YI, May 28, 1884 par. 1}