Assemblies Retain Ordination Ban

Assemblies Retain Ordination Ban

The general council of the 1.4 million-member Assemblies of God, meeting in Indianapolis in August, defeated a proposal that would have changed the church’s bylaws to permit the ordination of divorced persons.

Delegates defeated the resolution by a 1,707-to-996 margin after two days of spirited debate. The Springfield, Missouri- based Pentecostal denomination has 18,932 ordained ministers.

Current bylaws deny ministerial credentials to persons who have been divorced, or to those whose spouses have been previously divorced. The defeated measure would have added the words “unless their divorce occurred prior to their conversion” in the bylaws.

“The idea that we can credential people who are divorced and remarried before conversion … is but a first step toward a total breakdown of biblical standards,” said Stanley Horton, a retired seminary professor. “All of our sins are cast into the depths of the deepest sea, but not the former wife and children. The question is not about forgiveness, but about qualifications for office.”

David Stocker of Miami said, “This resolution fails to be based in Scripture and is entirely emotion-driven.”

Supporters of the resolution argued that current practice excludes divorced people while allowing converted persons with criminal backgrounds to be ordained. “To make divorce an unpardonable sin by voting against this resolution is to say that the blood of Jesus was good for adultery, fornication, pornography, murder, homosexuality, lying, and so forth, but not for divorce,” said Zollie L. Smith, Jr., of Somerset, New Jersey. “The calling of God on a person’s life is not predicated upon their past, but upon their future as servants fit for the Master’s use.”

A resolution to deny ordination credentials to any person convicted of child sexual abuse was referred to an interim body for study. While without apparent opposition, delegates voted for referral after General Secretary George Wood, an attorney, warned of potential civil liability for the church in its current wording.

Copyright © 1997 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

Also in this issue

Missing God At Church? Learn why so many are rediscovering worship outside their own traditions in the latest issue of Christianity Today.

Cover Story

Are Evangelicals Missing God at Church? (Part 2 of 2)

Cover Story

Are Evangelicals Missing God at Church? (Part 1 of 2)

What's So Amazing About Grace? Part 2

Who Holds These Truths?

When Christians Fight Christians

When Christians Fight Christians Part 2

The War of the Scrolls, Part 1

The War of the Scrolls, Part 2

The War of the Scrolls, Part 3

A Call for Church Welfare Reform, Part 1

A Call for Church Welfare Reform, Part 2

What's So Amazing About Grace? Part 1

Sex Abuse: Sexual Abuse in Churches Not Limited to Clergy

Northern Ireland: For God or Ulster? Part 1

Northern Ireland: For God or Ulster? Part 2

Disney Boycott Gathers Steam

New Headquarters Under Construction

U.S. Lifts Travel Ban to Lebanon

Artists Achieve Secular Chart Success

Charges Against Jailed Pastor Dropped

Greeks Face Proselytism Court Test

CBN Inaugurates Satellite Broadcasts

Free Love Didn’t Come Cheap

The Price and Payback of Advertising

Editorial

Don’t Give Up on the Church

Editorial

Progress for the Persecuted

Fighting the Good Fight

Imagine There’s a Heaven

Lord, Teach Us to Pray

A Jesus and His Management Team

People of the Book

Rated BQ (for Big Questions)

The Changing Sound of Music

News

News Briefs: October 06, 1997

Classic & Contemporary Excerpts from October 06, 1997

Reconciliation: 'The Kids Are the Candles'

Theological Education: Fuller Integrates Theology, Technology

New Rules on Religion Shield Federal Workers

Lutherans: Role of Bishops Stalls Lutheran-Anglican Unity

Kenya: Church Leaders Mediate Reform Prior to Elections

Southern Baptists: Calvinism Resurging Among SBC's Young Elites

Second Bid Launched to Abolish NEA

A Name Is No Guarantee, Part 1

A Name Is No Guarantee, Part 2

View issue

Our Latest

Taylor Swift Makes Showgirls of Us All

Something compels us to perform our relationship with the pop star’s music. Maybe that’s her secret to success.

Public Theology Project

The Loss of One Forgotten Virtue Could Destroy the Country

We’ve all become numb to this unserious, trivializing age.

News

Amid Floods and Heat Waves, Indian Church Fights Climate Change

Christ Church in Kerala tends to its garden while helping its parishioners and neighbors live sustainably.

A Civil War of Words

Evangelical factions can increasingly be identified by our speech. We agree on big issues yet insult and talk past each other.

The Manosphere Gets Discipline Right and Dependence Wrong

Young men are right to want agency, clarity, and strength. But grit alone cannot carry them.

The Russell Moore Show

Benjamin Watson and Russell Moore on The Just Life

Christian justice, gospel-centered living, and faithful action

Is a Ban on Conversion Therapy Constitutional?

In her Supreme Court challenge, evangelical therapist Kaley Chiles calls the Colorado law a violation of her free speech.

Wire Story

Tony Evans Will No Longer Pastor Dallas Megachurch After Restoration

Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship announced that its pastor of 48 years won’t return to leadership. The church expects son Jonathan Evans to succeed him.

Apple PodcastsDown ArrowDown ArrowDown Arrowarrow_left_altLeft ArrowLeft ArrowRight ArrowRight ArrowRight Arrowarrow_up_altUp ArrowUp ArrowAvailable at Amazoncaret-downCloseCloseEmailEmailExpandExpandExternalExternalFacebookfacebook-squareGiftGiftGooglegoogleGoogle KeephamburgerInstagraminstagram-squareLinkLinklinkedin-squareListenListenListenChristianity TodayCT Creative Studio Logologo_orgMegaphoneMenuMenupausePinterestPlayPlayPocketPodcastRSSRSSSaveSaveSaveSearchSearchsearchSpotifyStitcherTelegramTable of ContentsTable of Contentstwitter-squareWhatsAppXYouTubeYouTube