Wyatt Ciesielka

Many people sincerely believe that, to honor God, they must pronounce His name in a certain way. But is that what Scripture really teaches? To answer this question, it is helpful to ask another question: Do we obey Jesus Christ, or do we follow the traditions of men?

The 60th General Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist church is set for San Antonio, Texas, July 2–11. A major agenda item is whether or not to allow women to be ordained into the ministry. How did the SDA church get to this point? And, more importantly, what is God’s word on women serving as priests, clergy and ministers?

Ordination of women in the Anglican and Episcopalian churches has become increasingly common over the last few decades. The Anglican Church has been ordaining women since the 1970s. And in 2006 the U.S. based Episcopalian Church appointed a woman as their 26th Presiding Bishop. Now, the Seventh Day Adventist church may be following suit.

War. Terrorism. Kidnappings and killings. Disease epidemics and even pandemics. Drug epidemics. Increasing atrocities around the world cause more and more people to ask, why suffering? Why would a loving God allow kidnapping, rape, torture, murder, and war? Why would He allow death and damage from earthquakes, tsunamis, and other weather disasters? Why the ravages of disease? How could He allow millions to starve? People have long struggled to explain the reasons for human suffering. But the Bible clearly explains both the origin and the future of suffering.