“God chooses men and women to do this work, and it will see the loss if the talents of both are not combined”
14 June 2023 | Watford, UK [Sharon Platt-McDonald]
“I don’t listen to women preachers, but I’m glad I stayed to hear you speak. You preached a wonderful sermon. It’s a pity you’re a woman!” That was the comment I received from a gentleman one Sabbath morning as the worshippers exited the church at the end of the service. I opened my mouth to answer with a counter comment, but promptly remembered that I was made in God’s image and chose to smile and pray for the man instead.
Gender-based mindsets and attitudes like these are harmful because they create adverse environments and isolate the people who come to our churches to seek acceptance, nurture, and love.
In an article captioned – ‘Not Neutral: How Gender Hierarchy Harms Women in the Church’, Gertrude Osei Tutu writes: “Aside from overt acts of sexism and misogyny, and the deprivation of certain rights, little things like insensitive comments and unfair expectations are enough to reinforce this kind of demeaning attitude that throughout church history took precedence over weightier issues like biblical truth, justice, and equity.”¹
What We Believe
Over the centuries, the role of women has been challenged and debated on diverse platforms. However, the following statement from the General Conference highlights what Seventh-day Adventists believe: “…that all people, male and female, are created equal, in the image of a loving God. We believe that both men and women are called to fill a significant role in accomplishing the primary mission of the Adventist Church: working together for the benefit of humanity. Yet we are painfully aware that throughout the world, in developing and developed nations, adverse societal conditions often inhibit women from fulfilling their God-given potential… Women are entitled to the God-given privileges and opportunities intended for every human being – the right to literacy, education, adequate health care, decision-making, and to freedom from mental, physical, or sexual abuse.“²
The Lived Experience
In an article published by Christian Today, commenting on a poll of 8,000 people, journalist Hannah Mudge writes: “…it could be said that in some churches, an outward commitment to equality isn’t necessarily reflected in appointments and attitudes – something that needs work if, as 68 per cent of women polled believe, that more needs to be done to bring about equality.”³
