Pacific Union
Pacific Union Embraces Mission, Moves Forward with Ministry
B
y now, most Seventh-day Adventists have read countless stories and watched reports detailing and analyzing every moment of the 60th General Conference Session in San Antonio, Texas, July 2-11. The quinquennial world church business session, which drew as many as 65,000 visitors on weekends, was the largest and longest convention the City of San Antonio has ever hosted. The vote left current policy unchanged and did not address whether women can function as credentialed church pastors or ordained elders and deaconesses (those roles are already allowed by policy). Because it views the full participation and recognition of women pastors as crucial to the The Big Question success of ministry and mission in its territory, On Wednesday, July 8, delegates wrestled the Pacific Union, which covers the Pacific with the issue of whether or not to allow the Southwest region of the United States and is 13 geographical divisions of the international part of the North American Division, held a church to decide for themselves if they will per- special constituency session on Aug. 19, 2012, mit women pastors to be ordained to the gospel where its delegates voted (79 percent to 21 ministry within their territories. Delegates said percent) to “approve ordinations to the gospel no with a vote of 1,381 to 977. ministry without regard to gender.” Several of
the seven local conferences within the Union have been ordaining women pastors since then, and there are 22 ordained female pastors currently serving in the union (Northern California Conference – 4; Southeastern California Conference – 10; Southern California Conference – 4; La Sierra University – 3; Pacific Union College – 1). The July 2015 vote did not impact the mission or ministry of the church in the Pacific Union. “We will continue to deploy all the gifts God has given our members, with appropriate recognition,” says Ricardo Graham, president of the Pacific Union.
Brad Newton, executive secretary for the Pacific Union, encourages delegates to vote Y-E-S for Youth, Evangelism and Submission in love.
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pacificunionrecorder.com
Delegates, guests and staff stopped in the prayer room to bring special requests before God each day.
TOR TJERANSEN
KENN DIXON
Delegates, 2,566 of them on the official roster, voted scores of times on actions, both mundane (such as changing the word “tithes” to “tithe” in official documents) and controversial (including those related to creation and women’s ordination).