The number of women serving as pastors in the Seventh-day Adventist Church in North America is increasing. Using several sample surveys it was determined that between 2000 and 2005, the number doubled from 1 percent to 2 percent of the local churches in the United States. There are about 3,000 Adventist pastors serving across the U.S., so the total number of women serving as solo or senior pastors increased from about 30 in 2000 to about 60 in 2005. Another way to look at it: there are about 5,000 local churches in the U.S., so the total number with a woman serving as the pastor went from about 50 in 2000 to about 100 in 2005.

This is actually a far smaller percentage than the proportion of women serving as Adventist pastors in some other countries such as Sweden, Finland, Italy and China.

The worldwide Seventh-day Adventist Church has implemented a compromise policy. They do not ordain women as ministers, but do grant them most of the authority given to ministers. They do allow ordination of women to the lower post of elder. Most Adventist women ministers serve as pastors of local congregations.