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[Gregory]

An Open Letter To:
Pres. Ted N. C. Wilson
General Conference of SDA
12501 Old Columbia Pike
Silver Spring, MD 20904-1600

Dear Pastor Ted:

Please read thoughtfully in the book of Acts, chapters 2, 10-11, and 15. In our day the Holy Spirit is leading our Church to take advanced steps as He did at the Council of Acts 15.

In Western societies we can no longer tolerate the Church’s gender discrimination. Such prejudices as that and racism should be overcome at conversion if the converts could be taught by people who have overcome them, themselves. The Holy Spirit is now saying to the Adventist Church in North America, Europe and Australia to stop dilly-dallying and proceed to ordain the called, trained, effective women pastors and stop this unchristian discrimination. Otherwise we will lose the whole next generation and the Latter Rain cannot come.

The subject has been well studied for years.—The Welcome Table (1995) and the Seminary’s Women in Ministry (1998) contained well-researched, top-quality chapters years ago. The Western Churches that are ready to follow the Holy Spirit’s leading will show the way to the other countries’ Churches; they will not split the Church—but if you try to stop what the Holy Spirit is leading to be accomplished, you will split the Church!

Peter and Paul had to break down the wall between Jews and Gentiles in their day (Gal 3:28). In our day we must break down the walls of racism and gender discrimination. As I told you months ago, I pray every day that God will help you be a shepherd and not a dictator. I hope that prayer will be answered.

With warm regards,

your Hebrew teacher,
nearly 96,
Leona G. Running
Professor emerita of
Biblical Languages, Ph.D. DHL
Seminary, Andrews University

[Artiste]

An "almost female", Gregory??!!

[Gregory]

Almost 96.        

[Artiste]

Oh, thanks for your explanation.  I was about to say, since there has been a lot of talk throughout the blogosphere about gender, are you perhaps referring to a currently transgendering individual?

[Daryl Fawcett]

I understood it to mean almost 96.

It's interesting though the type of things, such as this, that are surfacing on the pro WO side.

[Dedication]

Leona G. Running was a well respected Greek and Hebrew  language professor at Andrews University for many, many years.

She has taught MANY pastors, and ministers from all over the world,  why she even taught  the current GC president, how to read the Hebrew (and probably the Greek) Bible!

[Artiste]

She has a long history of distiguished service.

It's too bad that she has lost her way to the point of showing her disagreement with the GC president on this issue.

[Gregory]

She was respected in the academic world for more than her knowledge of Greek and Hebrew. She ws fluent in more than a dozen modern and ancient languages. 

She came along at at time when females were discriminated against in a number of ways by the denomination.  They did not recieve the same pay as did males.  She simply sucked it up and faithfuly fulfilled the role that the denomination gave her.  Her committment to the SDA Church was unwavering.  Her academic credentials were flawless.  She clearly could have taught at other institutions with greater status and higher pay. She chose to remain with the Denomination and to teach at the Seminary.

She stands along with Dr. Horn in giving the Seminary the recognition that it recieved.

To say that she has lost her way:  Are gong to say that everyone who publicly differs with the President of the General Conference has lost their way?  I personally do not think that President Wilson would agree with that.  One of my perceptions of him is that he does not want to exercise what EGW called "Kingly Power."  As such, I do not believe that he would want to say that every person who publicly disagrees with hms has lost their way.

[Artiste]

I am saying she lost her way in putting her influence behind unions that are in rebellion against the GC.

[Murcielago]

I woilx guess that Dr. Running has always held this view. I suppose it's all in the perception, and in the personal views and experience. With equal conviction, it is mourned by much of the church that Ted Wilson has lost his way.

[Bob Pickle]

Please read thoughtfully in the book of Acts, chapters 2, 10-11, and 15. In our day the Holy Spirit is leading our Church to take advanced steps as He did at the Council of Acts 15.

And yet following Acts 15 mandates that no conference, union, or local church go contrary to the 1990 and 1995 GC Session votes (unless there is a clear mandate in inspiration to do so). There is nothing in Acts 15 that can be used to justify going contrary to GC Session votes.

Here was a dispute over a contentious issue that threatened to divide the church. What did the church at Antioch do? Decide the matter on their own? No. All the churches sent delegates to a GC Session of sorts. After considerable debate, Peter gave a convincing speech, everyone quieted down and listened to Paul and Barnabas, and decided, apparently unanimously, not to require Gentiles to be circumcised.

"Not all, however, were pleased with the decision; there was a faction of ambitious and self-confident brethren who disagreed with it. These men assumed to engage in the work on their own responsibility. They indulged in much murmuring and faultfinding, proposing new plans and seeking to pull down the work of the men whom God had ordained to teach the gospel message. From the first the church has had such obstacles to meet and ever will have till the close of time" (AA 196).

In my opinion, for the letter to cite Acts 15 undermines the whole purpose of that letter.

The Western Churches that are ready to follow the Holy Spirit’s leading will show the way to the other countries’ Churches; they will not split the Church—but if you try to stop what the Holy Spirit is leading to be accomplished, you will split the Church!

Where is the evidence of the Holy Spirit's leading? Where is it? Would the Holy Spirit lead a union to violate the principle of Acts 15?

The Welcome Table (1995) and the Seminary’s Women in Ministry (1998) contained well-researched, top-quality chapters years ago.

It was neither "well researched" nor "top-quality" for Women in Ministry to claim that the 1881 GC Session adopted a resolution to ordain women.

[Johann]

Back in 1956 we packed all of our belongings at Berrien Springs in the back of our Chevy, placed our baby on top, and drove to Tacoma Park, where the Seminary was at that time. A friend who had gone the same way a year earlier, told me I should forget about having taken Greek and Hebrew in College and rather discover those languages anew through the teaching of a young lady, Leona Running. I will never regret that I followed his advise.

With her letter of concern, Leona, with her knowledge of Scripture studied in the original languages, where her knowledge seems second to none, regrets that her former student, who is now the president of a church claiming Scripture as their authority for teachings and doctrine, finds it politically essential to support a section of that church whose teaching she feels is not in harmony with her understanding of the Divine message.

In her letter she makes it clear that she has already spoken to Ted Wilson about her concern.

[Johann]

As I recall Leona was never unwilling to answer questions from her students. From her remarks I gathered that she was working on her doctorate at the John Hopkins University in Baltimore, rubbing shoulders with the best known Biblical Archaeologists at that time. With her linguistic knowledge she was able to help them interpret inscriptions they discovered in their digs, as far as I remember.

[Gregory]

Just be be clear:  Bob's citations (Bob posted at 10:25 PM, yesterday) that may appear to be from me were actually from a letter written by Dr. Runnilng which I posted.
 

[Bob Pickle]

With her letter of concern, Leona, with her knowledge of Scripture studied in the original languages, where her knowledge seems second to none, regrets that her former student, who is now the president of a church claiming Scripture as their authority for teachings and doctrine, finds it politically essential to support a section of that church whose teaching she feels is not in harmony with her understanding of the Divine message.

Johann, I think you have misinterpreted her letter. She nowhere cites any Scripture in support of WO. Instead she cites as authority the alleged leading of the Holy Spirit, not the Scriptures. She did cite Acts, but not in support of WO.

Since her knowledge of Greek and Hebrew is so renowned, her failure to cite any Scriptural mandate in favor of WO is all the more profound.

We should not be criticizing our church leaders simply because we have a different understanding, a different opinion. There has to be something more than mere opinion. There ought to be some sort of clear cut contradiction with the divine message that doesn't rely upon mere opinion.