Andrew Francis|August 13, 2026
As much of the US spent the evening of Saturday, July 4 outside, celebrating the nation’s independence with barbecues and fireworks, I too was outdoors, though I was not thinking about America’s 250th birthday. Instead, I was at the hot and humid Camp Victory Lake in Hyde Park, New York, for the Northeastern Conference’s second week of camp meeting, which included its annual ordination service. What occurred during that special service helped illustrate the denominational progress Adventism has made, while also highlighting what has been described as its “hypocritical” nature.
Four ordinands stood on stage alongside top conference administrators and General Conference (GC) Vice President Pierre Omeler, who gave the program’s homily. All four ordinands had been serving as pastors and leading churches in the Northeastern Conference for at least four years. All four were vetted by a conference ordination committee to determine their “spiritual stability,” “social maturity,” and other character qualifications. All four went through the same ceremonial procedures during the July 4th ordination program. Yet, only three pastors were ordained.
What Even is the Difference?
Petrice Wideman holds her certificate after being commissioned as a pastor at the Northeastern Conference camp meeting. Photo courtesy of Petrice Wideman
The fourth pastor was Petrice Wideman, lead pastor of the Stuyvesant Heights Church, one of the few women pastors in the conference. She is also Omeler’s daughter. Despite being listed as an “ordinand” in the camp meeting bulletin, Wideman was granted the distinction of being commissioned by the conference, an alternative to ordination that is used almost exclusively for women pastors. While both require nearly identical qualifications and expectations of the candidates, ordination is superior to being commissioned, as it grants the pastor the ability to plant churches and hold administrative positions. Many maintain that different distinctions are just a tool to limit a woman’s pastoral capacities.
“It’s a semantic thing where one word is used for women, but one word is used for men,” Wideman explained. “But the thing is, words are very impactful. So on the one hand, it’s not much of a difference, but then on the other hand, the small distinction is everything, where for many people it will always justify the subordination or devaluing of women leaders.”
The Atlantic Union, which the Northeastern Conference is a part of, currently permits the hiring and commissioning of female pastors. A few other North American Division (NAD) unions permit women’s ordination, in direct opposition to the GC’s mandate based on a vote during the 2015 GC Session to not allow women’s ordination. This distinction, however, seems to be lost on many church members, as seen during Wideman’s commissioning.
The fourth pastor was Petrice Wideman, lead pastor of the Stuyvesant Heights Church, one of the few women pastors in the conference. She is also Omeler’s daughter. Despite being listed as an “ordinand” in the camp meeting bulletin, Wideman was granted the distinction of being commissioned by the conference, an alternative to ordination that is used almost exclusively for women pastors. While both require nearly identical qualifications and expectations of the candidates, ordination is superior to being commissioned, as it grants the pastor the ability to plant churches and hold administrative positions. Many maintain that different distinctions are just a tool to limit a woman’s pastoral capacities.
“It’s a semantic thing where one word is used for women, but one word is used for men,” Wideman explained. “But the thing is, words are very impactful. So on the one hand, it’s not much of a difference, but then on the other hand, the small distinction is everything, where for many people it will always justify the subordination or devaluing of women leaders.”
The Atlantic Union, which the Northeastern Conference is a part of, currently permits the hiring and commissioning of female pastors. A few other North American Division (NAD) unions permit women’s ordination, in direct opposition to the GC’s mandate based on a vote during the 2015 GC Session to not allow women’s ordination. This distinction, however, seems to be lost on many church members, as seen during Wideman’s commissioning.
