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Called By God
On September 2, 1904, about a month before the New York Conference proceedings
at which credentialing decisions would be determined and workers’ salaries audited,
John Wightman wrote to Elder S. H. Lane, the conference president. In the letter John
pointed out that Lulu’s work had been “considered by three or four former committees
as being that of an ordained minister unquestionably.” (From a letter by John S.
Wightman, Avon, N.Y., to Eld. S. H. Lane, Rome, N.Y., September 2, 1904. Emphasis in the
original. See appendix A 3.6)
He specifically referred to the 1901 New York Conference meeting in Oswego, at
which it had been determined to set Lulu’s salary “as near the `ordained’ rate as
possible.” At that meeting Elder Underwood and others held the view that the ordination of an effective woman minister would not be inappropriate. Elder Underwood’s
status was comparable to that of an immediate past union president. However, those
who objected to ordaining Lulu Wightman prevailed. In all the discussions, no question
appears to have been raised concerning Lulu’s ability to do the work of ministry.
John’s letter did not affect his wife’s credentialing. However, it documents the 1901
discussion concerning the possibility of ordaining Lulu Wightman to the ministry.
(Taken from Bert Haloviak, “Route to the Ordination of Women in the Seventh-day Adventist
Church: Two Paths,” March 18, 1985, unpublished paper.)
About the time that John Wightman wrote the letter supporting his wife’s fitness to be
ordained to the ministry, Elder T. E. Bowen prepared a chart summarizing the number of
sermons, Bible readings, families visited, baptisms, and other services or accomplishments
for each of the ministers and Bible workers in the New York Conference. (Chart made in
1904 by Elder T. E. Bowen of the New York Conference. Available in the General Conference
Archives.) Along one side are Elder Bowen’s handwritten comments, “Thirty-four of the
65 added [are] the result of two licensed Ministers and one Bible Worker leaving 26 as
the result of 10 workers for 1 year.” From what follows it is clear that the two licensed
ministers to whom he referred were the Wightmans.
Although there is a row of figures after each minister’s name, under the column for
“Added to Church” Elder Bowen has put a bracket and given one total for the two
Wightmans. That number is 27, and significantly, he puts it on Lulu Wightman’s line
and circles it. Elder Bowen appreciated the fruitfulness of the Wightmans’ work and
considered Lulu the leading evangelist on the team.
The Wightmans moved from New York State to Reno, Nevada, which formed part of
the California Conference. In the Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook for 1908, Lulu
Wightman is listed as an ordained minister of the California Conference, as is her
husband, John Wightman. Just as no official records are found today of the 1901 meeting
considering Lulu’s possible ordination—the only account occurring in her husband’s
letter—likewise no official records seem to exist of a discussion or action underlying this
listing. Nevertheless, given the background of the discussion of ordination for Mrs.
Wightman in the New York Conference, it seems possible that the California Conference
may have invited the Wightmans with the understanding that both would be ordained

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