20 Mar 2026, 10:00Dr Kirk Thomas, South England Conference PresidentWatford, Hertfordshire, England, United Kingdom
Women in Ministry: Honouring Their Calling and Contribution
Pastoral Letter, 20 March 2026
Dear Church Family,
Greetings in the wonderful name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour. The month of March Celebrates Women, and so I will be writing a three-part series on the importance of women in pastoral ministry within the Seventh-day Adventist Church. The truth be told, our female Pastors have not been treated well by many congregations, leaders and even colleagues, which is why I am taking this opportunity to highlight the importance of our sisters in Ministry.
Since the 1990s, the role of women in pastoral ministry within the Seventh-day Adventist Church has undergone a significant transition, and this transition has dramatically impacted not only the church itself but also the women involved in pastoral work. For centuries, women have been viewed within societal and even religious parameters that have generally reflected traditional and assumed roles for women. The Adventist Church with its mission to fulfil the world mission through the mandate of Matthew 28:19, 20 is striving towards the goal of an equal and inclusive church and thus a looking back at the role of women in the Adventist church today and their contributions to the pastoral work reflects that women are not only involved in the pastoral work, but they are also a means of fulfilling God’s mission in the world today and hence becoming a bridgehead for evangelism and world mission, by enabling spiritual growth and involvement of the communities in which they serve.
Studying the biblical texts that mention women is crucial to forming an understanding of the role of women in pastoral ministry. Women are depicted in the biblical text as being very important in the early church, and they had many roles of great spiritual responsibility. In the New Testament women like Phoebe are called deacon (Romans 16:1) and the women with their husbands, Aquila and Priscilla, are the ones who instructed the man Apollos in “the ways of the Lord,” and “explained to him with great care the prophets and their messages” (Acts 18:26). These accounts indicate an awareness in Scripture of women’s roles in the church as leaders, teachers, and caregivers. These accounts serve to affirm women’s roles in these extremely important aspects of ministry.
Ellen G. White’s writings make a significant contribution to the discussion of the role of women in the pastoral ministry. A co-founder of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, her writings reveal a far more progressive attitude to women’s ministry than was common in her day. She maintains that women are “gifted with the divine Spirit” and therefore are “qualified to do a large work in the preaching of the gospel.” Often urging women to engage in evangelism, teaching, and pastoral work, she recognises women as being “fully capable of making valuable contributions to the work of the Master.” Thus, Ellen G. White breaks new ground for her time, demonstrating that the church cannot be fully utilised in its missionary and service tasks unless women are allowed to make their full contribution.
Since the Bible and history attest to the participation of women in pastoral ministry, questions have inevitably arisen as to how they have succeeded despite the obstacles that have stood in their way. The issues of resistance to change from various quarters, biased attitudes toward women, and a host of stereotypes that have hindered women from being recognised as bona fide Ministers and leaders within the church all continue to make discussion of women’s ordination and their possible role in church government a contentious matter in the church. Yet countless women have consistently overcome these barriers while at the same time serving a genuine function within the church.
Women's contribution to the work of pastoral ministry is not limited to their official responsibilities. Their involvement is a reflection of their flexibility, care and sensitive approach to people in the community. Their nurturing approach to their work with people results in a strong focus on building relationships, which has a direct impact on the growth of the church. Men and women in ministry have been able to bring their different perspectives on family, young people and the community to create a truly holistic approach to building the church. This will continue next week.
In other news, please remember that on Wednesday, 25th March, from 1-2 PM via Zoom, all Ministers and staff are invited to meet for prayer. This meeting is called to support several of our workers and members who have suffered recent bereavement.
GO SEC! BE INSPIRED FOR MISSION!
Dear Church Family,
Greetings in the wonderful name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour. The month of March Celebrates Women, and so I will be writing a three-part series on the importance of women in pastoral ministry within the Seventh-day Adventist Church. The truth be told, our female Pastors have not been treated well by many congregations, leaders and even colleagues, which is why I am taking this opportunity to highlight the importance of our sisters in Ministry.
Since the 1990s, the role of women in pastoral ministry within the Seventh-day Adventist Church has undergone a significant transition, and this transition has dramatically impacted not only the church itself but also the women involved in pastoral work. For centuries, women have been viewed within societal and even religious parameters that have generally reflected traditional and assumed roles for women. The Adventist Church with its mission to fulfil the world mission through the mandate of Matthew 28:19, 20 is striving towards the goal of an equal and inclusive church and thus a looking back at the role of women in the Adventist church today and their contributions to the pastoral work reflects that women are not only involved in the pastoral work, but they are also a means of fulfilling God’s mission in the world today and hence becoming a bridgehead for evangelism and world mission, by enabling spiritual growth and involvement of the communities in which they serve.
Studying the biblical texts that mention women is crucial to forming an understanding of the role of women in pastoral ministry. Women are depicted in the biblical text as being very important in the early church, and they had many roles of great spiritual responsibility. In the New Testament women like Phoebe are called deacon (Romans 16:1) and the women with their husbands, Aquila and Priscilla, are the ones who instructed the man Apollos in “the ways of the Lord,” and “explained to him with great care the prophets and their messages” (Acts 18:26). These accounts indicate an awareness in Scripture of women’s roles in the church as leaders, teachers, and caregivers. These accounts serve to affirm women’s roles in these extremely important aspects of ministry.
Ellen G. White’s writings make a significant contribution to the discussion of the role of women in the pastoral ministry. A co-founder of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, her writings reveal a far more progressive attitude to women’s ministry than was common in her day. She maintains that women are “gifted with the divine Spirit” and therefore are “qualified to do a large work in the preaching of the gospel.” Often urging women to engage in evangelism, teaching, and pastoral work, she recognises women as being “fully capable of making valuable contributions to the work of the Master.” Thus, Ellen G. White breaks new ground for her time, demonstrating that the church cannot be fully utilised in its missionary and service tasks unless women are allowed to make their full contribution.
Since the Bible and history attest to the participation of women in pastoral ministry, questions have inevitably arisen as to how they have succeeded despite the obstacles that have stood in their way. The issues of resistance to change from various quarters, biased attitudes toward women, and a host of stereotypes that have hindered women from being recognised as bona fide Ministers and leaders within the church all continue to make discussion of women’s ordination and their possible role in church government a contentious matter in the church. Yet countless women have consistently overcome these barriers while at the same time serving a genuine function within the church.
Women's contribution to the work of pastoral ministry is not limited to their official responsibilities. Their involvement is a reflection of their flexibility, care and sensitive approach to people in the community. Their nurturing approach to their work with people results in a strong focus on building relationships, which has a direct impact on the growth of the church. Men and women in ministry have been able to bring their different perspectives on family, young people and the community to create a truly holistic approach to building the church. This will continue next week.
In other news, please remember that on Wednesday, 25th March, from 1-2 PM via Zoom, all Ministers and staff are invited to meet for prayer. This meeting is called to support several of our workers and members who have suffered recent bereavement.
GO SEC! BE INSPIRED FOR MISSION!
