The 1985 General Conference Session in New Orleans voted “To take no definitive action at this time regarding ordination of women to the gospel ministry” and to continue studying. Further to its action, the 1987 Annual Council established a Commission on the Role of Women, composed of 79 members (62 men and 17 women). It met at the General Conference in Washington, D.C. on March 24-27, 1988. At the end: “The commission agreed that new studies should be prepared from a biblical standpoint on the ordination of women, and from these papers a special group of persons should develop a consensus paper.”

Of the 29 documents below, 24 papers were submitted in advance. The 79 Commission members were divided into six groups, which had papers assigned to them to analyze. Each group met separately for 5-6 hours prior to the main meeting of the Commission, discussing papers pertinent to their subject area. These intensive discussions then informed the rest of the meeting. The list of 24 papers as assigned to the six groups, and the members of each group, are found in the first document entitled “Participants and Discussion Questions” and the documents below are grouped accordingly.

The final five documents under “Other Presentations” consist of presentations to the Commission that were not included in the advance discussions, but were nevertheless delivered at the March meetings.

The Bible and Authority in Church Order

Biblical Authority, Hermeneutics, and the Role of Women

Gerhard F. HaselPDF (5.3MB)

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Doctrine, Text and Culture

Richard RicePDF (1.8MB)

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Ellen White and the Role of Women in the Church

William FagalPDF (2.4MB)

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Creation and the Concept of Divine Order

Divine Order of Headship and Church Order

Samuele BacchiocchiPDF (5.6MB)

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Ordination of Women in the Theology of Karl Barth

Jack J. BlancoPDF (1.3MB)

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The Doctrine of Ordination

Should Women BeOrdained as Gospel Ministers?

Bernard E. SetonPDF (2MB)

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Thoughts On a SDA Theology of Ordination

Miroslav M. KisPDF (3.8MB)

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Paul and Women in Ministry

An Interpretation of I Corinthians 14.33b-36

William RichardsonPDF (1MB)

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Ephesians Four and the Role of Women

Herbert KieslerPDF (1.3MB)

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Exegesis of Galatians 3.26-28

Herbert KieslerPDF (2.3MB)

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I Timothy 2:9-15 – A Case of Domestic Policy

George E. RicePDF (0.9MB)

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Some Notes on I Corinthians 14.34, 35

James J. C. CoxPDF (1.3MB)

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The New Testament Haustafeln Passages

John BruntPDF (3.3MB)

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Women in the Greco-Roman World

C. Mervyn MaxwellPDF (2.1MB)

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Priesthood of Believers and the Concept of Calling

Priesthood of All Believers

Joel AwoniyiPDF (1.3MB)

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Thoughts On a SDA Theology of Ordination

Miroslav M. KisPDF (3.8MB)

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The Experience of Other Churches

Other Presentations

EGW and C.C. Crisler letters

Robert W. OlsonPDF (0.2MB)

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Personal Account of My Ministry

Penny Sue ShellPDF (0.6MB)

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Presentation for the Commission On the Role of Women

Delores RobinsonPDF (0.5MB)

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Presentation to the Commission On Women's Roles

Laurice DurrantPDF (0.4MB)

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Women's Ministry Without Ordination

Rosalie Haffner LeePDF (0.7MB)

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