Ellen White did not provide any statement encouraging the "formal and official ordination of women to the gospel ministry" (
DG 255.2), though she specifically recommended that women engaged in deaconess-type work "should be set apart to this work by prayer and laying on of hands" (
DG 249.2). Ellen White was notably "very careful about expressing herself in any wise as to the advisability of ordaining women as gospel ministers" (
DG 255.2). She expressed concern regarding the "perils that such general practice would expose the church to by a gainsaying world" (
DG 255.2).
However, she did advocate for a form of ordination for women in specific service roles.
In 1895, she wrote that women who dedicate time to visiting the sick, caring for the young, and ministering to the poor "should be set apart to this work by prayer and laying on of hands" (
DG 249.2). This was put into practice during her ministry in Australia, where records indicate that deaconesses were "set apart" alongside elders and deacons "by prayer and the laying on of hands" (
DG 249.3). Regarding the nature of ordination itself, Ellen White taught that the rite "added no new grace or virtual qualification" (
8Red 7.1).
She warned against the "unwarrantable importance" attached to the act as if it "immediately qualified" someone for ministerial work (
GW 442.3). Instead, she described it as a public recognition of their divine appointmentand a way of "setting the seal of the church upon the work of God" (
GW 441.3,
8Red 6.3). For practical application, her writings emphasize that the primary focus should be on the spiritual fitness of the individual and the recognition of a calling already given by God. She cautioned that "hands are laid upon men to ordain them for the ministry before they are thoroughly examined as to their qualifications" (
PaM 42.2).
She urged the church to follow the biblical rule to lay hands suddenly on no man,warning that premature ordination of leaders could bring "grievous trouble" upon the church (
5T 617.2). In summary, while Ellen White supported the ordination of women for specific roles of service and ministry to the needy, she remained cautious and did not provide written encouragement for ordaining women to the general gospel ministry or roles typically expected of an ordained pastor. --- 💡 **You might also want to explore:**
• What did Ellen White say about the specific duties and ministry of women in the church?
• How did she describe the spiritual qualifications necessary for any church leader or elder?
• What was her view on the purpose and meaning of the laying on of hands?
Ellen Chat