Decades of SDA
Ecumenical Involvement Documented
by
Nilson Jones
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SEVENTH-DAY
ADVENTISM AND ECUMENISM Seventh-day Adventists have been entrusted
with the holy mission of giving to the world the first, second, and third
angel's messages of Revelation 14. They were called upon to proclaim the
coming of the hour of God's judgment, the fall of the nominal Christian
churches (that became Babylon), and a warning against the beast, the image of
the beast, and the mark of the beast. We cannot overlook the fact that within the
ranks of these nominal Christian churches are to be found many faithful souls
who are eventually to be called out. They are designated by God as "My
people." Although they have not been blessed with the knowledge of
present truth, they are living up to all the light that has come to them. We
should do all in our power to reach these precious souls still bound by the
chains of tradition and superstition. The very same problem, however, which
existed in the days of Israel exists today. "The leaders of this people
cause them to err." When there is an apostasy, a departure from God and
the truth, those who have proved themselves to be false shepherds carry
undoubtedly the greatest guilt. It would be the greatest of follies to think
that, by joining these leaders in their plans and programs, we would be
better able to reach the people with the truth. Since the Christian world has compromised with
the powers of darkness, Adventists are not to enter into any kind of
courtship with other denominations. Commenting on Isaiah 8:12, the Spirit of
Prophecy says: "Let the watchmen on the walls of Zion
not join with those who are making of none effect the truth as it is in
Christ. Let them not join the confederacy of infidelity, popery, and
Protestantism." 4BC 1141. It should be borne in mind that the faithful
remnant is described as not being defiled with women (Rev. 14:4). This means
that here is no ecumenical relationship or approach between them and the
fallen denominations. Adventists should stay away from churches and meetings
where the truth is denied; "for it is wrong to thus encourage them while
they teach error that is deadly poison to the soul and teach for doctrines
the commandments of men. The influence of such gatherings is not good. If God
has delivered us from such darkness and error, we should stand fast in the
liberty wherewith He has set us free and rejoice in the truth. God is
displeased with us when we go to listen to error without being obliged to go;
for unless He sends us to those meetings where error is forced home to the
people by the power of the will, He will not keep us." EW 124, 125. If we do not listen to the warnings that
have been given us concerning this trap of Satan, we are in danger of putting
darkness for light and light for darkness. The fallen churches are under direct control
of Satan; therefore, God tells His people to come out from among them (Rev.
18:4). What excuse can we present in the day of judgment, if we act contrary
to this command? "Today, as in the days of Elijah, the
line of demarcation between God's commandment-keeping people and the
worshipers of false gods is clearly drawn.... And the message for today is:
'Babylon the great if fallen, is fallen.... Come out of her, My
people."' PK 188, 189. In spite of the fact that Adventists have been
warned not to get involved in the confederacy of Satan, because "the
members of Satan's church have been constantly working to cast off the divine
law, and confuse the distinction between good and evil" (TM 16), there
has been a great deal of forbidden association and collaboration. It is not
our purpose to make accusations, but when we see a real danger we must lift
up our voice like a trumpet, and show the professed people of God their
transgressions and sins (Isa. 58:1). The Spirit of Prophecy explains this
scripture as follows: "Though they are called the people of
God, the house of Jacob, though they profess to be linked with God in
obedience and fellowship, they are far from Him. Wonderful privileges and
promises have been given to them, but they have betrayed their trust. With no
words of flattery must the message be given them. 'Show my people their
transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.' Show them where they are
making a mistake. Set their danger before them. Tell them of the sins they
are committing, while at the same time they pride themselves on their
righteousness." 4BC 1149. It is written that the sins of Babylon must be
laid open. "The fearful results of enforcing the observances of the
church by civil authority, the inroads of spiritualism, the stealthy but
rapid progress of the papal power, all will be unmasked." GC 606. As a
consequence of this work, Babylon will be "aroused and enraged" and
will finally take measures against us (EW 272).
Therefore, if we understand our mission, we will not be seeking friendship,
harmony, and cooperation with the fallen churches. One of the greatest evils to be unmasked is
the purpose of Satan in uniting the churches. "Satan determines to unite
them in one body and thus strengthen his cause by sweeping all into the ranks
of spiritualism." GC 588. Therefore, the professed people of God should
understand that, by cherishing the spirit of ecumenism, they are playing into
the hands of the enemy. Even if we did not have the Spirit of Prophecy
writings, the warnings contained in the Bible should be sufficient to keep us
clear of the embrace of the tentacles of this dangerous octopus, called
ecumenical movement. "The principles set forth in Deuteronomy
[chapter 28:64-67] for the instruction of Israel are to be followed by God's
people to the end of time. True prosperity is dependent on the conti nuance of our covenant relationship with God. Never
can we afford to compromise principle by entering into alliance with those who
do not fear Him.... Those who ... come with smooth words and fair speeches,
apparently seeking for friendly alliance with God's children, have greater
power to deceive. Against such every soul should be on the alert, lest some
carefully concealed and masterly snare take him unaware." PK 570, 571. "The wicked are being bound up in
bundles, bound up in trusts, in unions, in confederacies. Let us have nothing
to do with these organizations." 4BC 1142. "Satan has a large confederacy, his
church." TM 16. To associate with his family of popular churches is to
play into the hands of the enemy. "Satan is constantly seeking to
strength his power over the people of God by inducing them to enter into
alliance with his subjects.... But the Lord has in His word plainly
instructed His people not to unite themselves with those who have not His
love abiding in them." PP 563. I--EXAMPLES OF
FORBIDDEN ASSOCIATION The following examples of association,
collaboration, and close friendship will not be endorsed by genuine
Adventists who understand the message. The warm relations and close connections of
Adventists with Babylon did not develop overnight. Quotations from older publications have been
included here as evidence that the SDA Church started courting the fallen
denominations several decades ago and that she is getting closer and closer
to them. 1. Congregational Church, Adventist Pastor (Enterprise, USA)
From an SDA
church paper: "Pulling up in front of the Congregational
church as worshipers are still arriving for Sunday morning services, (Pastor
Barnes guns the engine, pulls a sharp U-turn in the icy intersection, parks
his car and enters the foyer.... He then announces that the Enterprise
Seventh-day Adventist and Congregational churches will be holding joint
Easter weekend services. 'On Friday night, we will be meeting here for a
joint communion service. On Saturday morning you are invited to attend the
services of the Adventist church. And on Sunday morning, we will be inviting
the Adventists to attend the Easter services here'... Congregational Pastor Emrys P. Thomas . . . told them that Barnes was a
personal friend of long standing and that even though he was an ordained
Seventh-day Adventist minister, he made a good substitute Congregational
pastor."-Gleaner [official organ of the North Pacific Union Conference],
April 21, 1975. 2. Interdenominational Easter Services in SDA Church (USA)
From The Review
and Herald: "I think that you are justified in granting
permission for the use of your church building for an Easter service to be
held by other religious bodies." RH May 22, 1958. 3. Community Thanksgiving Service (Vicksburg, USA)
"The Community Thanksgiving Service will
be held Thurs day morning at 10 o'clock at the Bowmar
Avenue Baptist Church. Dr. John G. McCall, pastor of the First Baptist Church
will be the guest speaker.... Father Michael Glynn, pastor of St. Paul's
Catholic Church will lead the responsive reading, the Rev. C. Anthony Russo,
pastor of the Seventh-day Adventist Church will offer the Thanksgiving
prayer, and the Rev. Harold Jordon, pastor of the Bowmar
Avenue Baptist Church will direct music." Vicksburg's Evening Post,
November 26, 1975. 4. Community Service (Cicero, USA)
From an SDA
church paper: "Those gathering together to praise the
Lord in song were from the following churches: Raymond Blackford,
Bethel Lutheran; Dr. William Early, Cicero Methodist; Rev. Stephen Bard,
Cicero Wesleyan; Father Duane Craycraft, Sacred
Heart Catholic Church; Rev. Don Paden, Cicero Christian; and Pastor Randal
Murphy, Cicero SDA Church." RH March 9, 1967. 5. Art Festival in Wayland (USA)
"Plan to attend the Art Festival at St.
Joseph's School on January 5 and 6 with public viewing to take place on Sunday,
Jan. 6 from 1 to 3:30 p.m. This is sponsored by the Wayland Council of
Churches which includes Sacred Heart of Perkinsville,
St. Joseph's, United Methodist, United Church of Christ, and Seventh Day
Adventist.... The Festival will close with an Ecumenical Service in the
Church on Sunday afternoon...."The Valley News, January 2, 1974. 6. Eight-day Festival (Funchal,
Madeira, Portugal)
"Representatives of several Christian
denominations attended the 'Oitavario' [festival of
eight days] of Prayers in Behalf of Christian Unity, which will close today
[January 25, 1976] with an Ecumenical Service to be held at 11 a.m. in the
English Church (Anglican Church) on Quebra Costas
Street. (The photo shows) from left: Rev. Harper, chaplain of the English
Church at Funchal; Rev. Pedro Barbosa,
Pastor of the Presbyterian Church; Right Reverend Satterthwaite,
Bishop of Fulham and Gibraltar; Father Rafael Andrade, representative of the Funchal Diocese; and Rev. Paulo Falcao,
pastor of the Adventist Church."-Jornal da Madeira [Portuguese newspaper], January 25, 1976. 7. Religious Liberty Association of Colombia
From The Review
and Herald: "On October 29, 1966, a further step was
taken toward religious freedom in Colombia, with the foundation of the
Religious Liberty Association of Colombia.... A Seventh-day Adventist, Raimundo Pardo Suarez, was
chosen as president. The vice president is the Reverend Noel Olaya, a Catholic priest and a relative of several of
Colombia's past presidents. H. Niemann, pastor of
the central church of Bogota, was elected secretary, and Fernando Tapias, an Adventist businessman, treasurer. Dr. Carlos Didacio Alvarez, a Catholic lawyer and staunch defender
of religious liberty, was appointed auditor. The rest of the directorate was
chosen from among leaders of various religious persuasions." RH March 9,
1967. 8. Ecumenical Meetings (Spain)
"An important 'pre-theological'
ecumenical meeting took place under the sponsorship of John XXIII Center, of
the Pontifical University of Salamanca, May 24-25 [1966]. Besides the
professors of this University, there were Catholic specialists; Adventist,
Baptist, and Episcopalian ministers' as well as pastors of the Evangelical
Church, in attendance. The participants decided to continue having dialogues
of this kind on an annual basis."-LActualite Oecumenique [France], June 15, 1966. 9. SDA Jubilee in Hungary
From an SDA
church paper: "To celebrate her 75-year jubilee, our
church in Hungary conducted several religious services September 5 thru 8
[1973].... The meeting held on Thursday was attended also by representatives
of the Government and representatives of other churches and denominations."-Adventecho [German SDA paper], December 15, 1973. 10. Ministers Fraternal (Bunbury,
Australia)
"Seven Bunbury
church ministers . . . said that Bunbury had the
symptoms of a morally sick community. They were concerned that the town could
become like Sweden, where, they claim, complete sexual freedom was allowed.
The seven ministers are members of the Bunbury
Ministers Fraternal. They are from the Roman Catholic Church, Methodist
Church, Church of Christ, Congregational-Presbyterian Church, Baptist Church,
Seventh-day Adventist Church and Apostolic Brethren Church." -The West
[Australian newspaper], December 2, 1966 [emphasis sup plied]. 11. Ringwood Inter-Church Council (Ringwood, Australia)
"Ringwood's Inter-Church Council
comprises representatives of the Church of Christ, Church of England,
Lutheran, Methodist, Presbyterian, Roman Catholic, Salvation Army,
Seventh-day Adventist and the Ringwood East Baptist churches."-Eastern
Post Gazette [Australian newspaper], November 11, 1965. 12. Churches Merging in China
From an SDA
church paper: "Merger of Churches in China. Of late
more and more news have been coming in about churches joining one another and
merging together. What a unification on a local basis looks like, can be seen
from the guiding principles adopted for the merger between the Church of
Christ and the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Chinchow, Liaoning Province,
which we quote word by word from 'China Bulletin' published by the Far East
Office of the Foreign Missions Department of the National Council of Churches
in USA: 1. The denominational names heretofore adopted by both churches are abolished,
and from now on the church will be called 'Christian State Church of
Chinchow.' 2. The organization, the buildings, the properties, and the
personnel become one. Surplus property will be used for the socialistic upbuilding. 3. The Adventist tithe-paying custom is
revoked; let everyone give as much as he likes. 4. Previously adopted
patriotic resolutions will be adapted to the new conditions after the
unification. Provisions will be made for a reformation in the way of thinking
of the individual church members. In compliance with the appeal of the
Government for steel production, the church will install and run her own
factory, owned by the people." -Der Adventbote [German SDA paper], December 15, 1959. 13. Adventist Delegate at Seventh-day Baptist General
Conference
From an SDA
church paper: "As a delegate of the General Conference
of Seventh-day Adventists, I attended the annual session of the General
Conference of Seventh-day Baptists, which was opened August 12, in Milton,
Wisconsin, USA."-Adventecho [German SDA
paper], October 15, 1973. 14. New Look at the Heads of Leading Churches
a) Head of the
Church of England SDA's express their belief concerning the
leader of the Anglican Church. They write: "Particularly comforting is the discovery
that one of God's latter-day champions is none other than Archbishop Ramsey
himself, one hundredth occupant of the See of
Canterbury."-The Signs of the Times [SDA paper in USA], January 1968. b) Head of the Eastern Orthodox Christians Roland R. Hegstad, an
SDA leader writes: "A visit with Ecumenical Patriarch ATHENAGORAS.... I disengaged myself from his gray-black
whiskers and asked him jocularly, 'Did you give me the same kiss of peace you
gave Pope Paul on the Mount of Olives?' His large expressive brown eyes
twinkled. 'Yes,' he replied, 'the very same kiss. But with you it was not
necessary, for with you I have not been at war!"-Liberty [SDA paper in
USA], March-April 1967. II--CLOSER TO ROME
Many Advent believers are surprised at the
changed attitude of the SDA Church toward Roman Catholicism. The examples
below will speak for themselves. 1. New Look at the Papacy
An SDA church paper says: "When we as Protestant Christians
consider the term of office of Pius XII, we cannot refrain from showing due respect
to the pious and reverence-imposing personality of the deceased Pope. . . .
John XXIII, whose motto is 'Obedientia et Pax' (obedience and peace), is piloting the Catholic
Church thru a difficult time. I am convinced that the prayers of the Protestant
world in behalf of a good Pope, make sense. May his decisions stand before
One Who is greater than he is!"-Jugendleitstern
[German SDA paper], January 1959. 2. Adventist Choir in Catholic Church (Indonesia)
From an SDA
church paper: "The Catholic Saint Ignatius Church in Magelang (Indonesia) was crammed with 1700 people who
came to hear the 'Way Singers' of our Far Eastern Academy (Singapore)."-Adventecho [German SDA paper], October 1, 1973. 3. Inter-faith Concert (India)
"For the first time in India, Protestant
and Catholic choirs organized a joint concert in New Delhi to raise funds for
the Indian Red Cross. The Catholic Sacred Heart cathedral choir sang with
choirs of Anglican, Methodist, Seventh-day Adventist and other churches and
the Delhi Choir Society."Universe [England], January 4, 1963. 4. Maranatha Flights International
(Kodiak Island, Alaska)
From an SDA
church paper: "Not all those cooperating in the project
are Seventh-day Adventists. Father Sean O'Donoghue,
rector of the Kodiak Catholic church, offered the facilities of the St.
Mary's Parish School for use by Maranatha.... The
fellowship is genuine. Father O'Donoghue delivers
one of the early morning worship talks and prays for the success of the
Adventist center. He and the Sisters of the Sacred Heart eat with the workers
and seem intently interested in a religion that would motivate people to
perform as Maranatha is doing. Father O'Donoghue is invited to participate in the opening
services lof the new SDA Church)."-GIeaner [official organ of the North Pacific Union
Conference], August 18, 1975. 5. Denominational Barriers Removed
(Asian Aid
Organization) From an SDA
church paper: 'What we like about this going concern is that
it has cut across denominational boundaries. At the recent election of
officers at the annual general meeting, a new committee was elected. It
consists of two Catholics, one Presbyterian, one Anglican, one Pentecostal,
and four Australian-Chinese Adventists (the four who saw the need and went
into action)."-Australasian Record [Australian SDA paper], September 3,
1973. 6. Adventist Choir at Catholic Mass (Brazil)
" 'For those who died in the Santa Luzia accident there is hope of resurrection.' With these
words of introduction, Dom Joao de Rezende Costa,
archbishop of Belo Horizonte, opened the ecumenical worship in honor of the
18 victims of the accident.... Mass was celebrated by the archbishop.... At
the end, a choir of the Seventh-day Adventist Church sang a few religious
hymns and popular songs."-Diario da Tarde [Brazilian newspaper],
September 1, 1976. 7. Joint Ceremony in a Catholic Church (Spain)
"Friday, May 13 (1967), at 8:00 p.m., the
crypt of the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Pompeii was crammed. An act of
meditation and prayer, organized by the Ecumenical Center of Barcelona, was
taking place. The ceremony was jointly conducted by the Archbishop of
Barcelona, Dr. Marcelo Gonzalez; Rev. Enrique Capo, pastor of the Spanish
Evangelical Church; Mr. Antonio Comavella, of the
Adventist Church; and Bro. Roberto Giscard, monk of the Protestant community
of Taize."-La Vanguardia
Espanola [Spanish newspaper], May 18, 1967. 8. Christian Family Project (Philippines)
"The nominations committee yesterday
[July 25, 1971] announced acceptance of the nomination of the family of a
Seventh-day Adventist minister (Pastor C. Banaag)
in search for the Christian Family of 1971.... Minister Banaag
has visited many countries in Asia and the United States. His last trip was
in 1968 when, as a member of the International Church-State Commission
composed of 34 religious liberty secretaries of various countries, he visited
the countries of Europe, the Middle East, Russia, Yugoslavia and
Czechoslovakia and was given a one-half hour audience by the Pope Paul VI at
St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. Pastor Banaag
also attended the ecumenical encounter with the Pope at the Apostolic Nunciature on Taft Avenue last year when the pontiff came
to Manila for a visit. This year's search is under the joint sponsorship of
the Christian Family Movement and the Philippines Herald, by appointment of
the papal nuncio, with the cooperation of the National Council of Churches in
the Philippines."-The Philippines Herald, July 26, 1971. 9. SDA's and the Vatican
From The Review
and Herald: "During the visit of the Church-State
Study Commission to Italy, the members joined in a general papal audience in
St. Peter's. Afterwards three members of the commission spoke briefly with
the Pope Pierre Lanares, religious liberty
secretary of the Southern European Division; Roland R. Hegstad,
editor, Liberty; and Leif Kr. Tobiassen of Andrews
University. The pope . . . (presented) . . . a souvenir medal to Dr. Tobiassen." RH May 30, 1968. 10. Papal Decoration for an Adventist
From an SDA church
paper: "Samuele Bacchiocchi, who studied at Andrews University and was
Bible teacher at the Adventist Junior College in Ethiopia, recently received
a gold medal from Pope Paul VI for taking the degree of licentiate in church
history with distinction (summa cum laude), at the Papal Gregorian University
in Rome."-Adventecho [German SDA paper], June
15, 1973. 11. Universal Fatima News
In the hands of the SDA Church the threefold
message has become so tame and voiceless (6T 60)
that all fear on the part of the fallen churches seems to be gone, so much so
that now even the Catholics advertise Adventist books. A Catholic paper, for
example, announces the coming of an Adventist colporteur: "J. W.
Proctor, The Great Lakes representative of the Bible Story, spends his time
in visiting and building good will among all churches. He will be in greater
Chicago after January 1st, visiting parochial and public schools, in the
interest of promoting good literature in the home."Universal Fatima News
[Catholic paper in USA], December 1966. 12. Catholic Leaders Now Invited to Speak in SDA Meetings
From an SDA
church paper: "The Jackson Church Men's Club held a
dinner meeting recently at a local restaurant. Following the dinner they
listened to an address given by Sister Mary Marita,
principal of Jackson St. Joseph School and teacher of the fifth grade. Sister
Mary Marita was invited by William Moors to speak
to the Men's Club."-Lake Union Herald [SDA paper in USA]. "Sister Bernice, a Roman Catholic nun who
is a graduate student in mathematics at Andrews University, recently spoke to
the ministerial club at Andrews."-Lake Union Herald [SDA paper in USA],
January 2, 1969. From The Journal:
"On Tuesday afternoon more than 400
persons attended the dedication of the new $80,000 library of the Washington
Missionary College. Included in the group were leading educators and
librarians from nearby schools and colleges.... Praising the project, Dr. Roy
J. Deferrari, general secretary of the Catholic
University of America, as principal speaker, said the 'library is worthy of
pride and admiration.'"-The Journal [USA], October 9, 1942. Further down, the article says that
"among the guests on the speakers' platform were the Rev. James R. Kortendick, reference librarian, Catholic University;
Professor Hurley, library science division, Catholic University, Victor
Schafer. oresarations department, Catholic
University." From a magazine in Argentina:
"For the first time in Argentina, a
dignitary of the Roman Catholic Church appeared in a church of another
religious confession to speak to the congregation. The final prayer, offered
in common, sealed symbolically the Papal aim to cement the union of the Christian
churches, that is, the separated brethren. This was an historic event, and
even an astonishing one, since the Catholic dignitary who came to the chapel
was a bishop. "The event took place in the chapel of
the Christian Adventist Church, whose leaders invited the diocesan bishop of
Goya (Corrientes), Monsignor Alberto Devoto. He was
a member of the Preparations Committee for Vatican Council II, correspondent
for the Press at the 4th session of the council, a member of the Liturgic Reforms Committee that introduced different
changes in Catholic worship, and he belongs to the line of dignitaries
renovating the Argentine Ecclesiastical hierarchy. "The news of Monsignor Devoto's visit to the Adventist Church had created great
interest and expectation. Pastor Victor Schulz, local leader of the Adventist
Church, received the high dignitary of the Catholic Church on his arrival.
After a welcome had been given him, Monsignor Devoto
entered the church accompanied by the Adventist leaders. The distinguished
visitor was then introduced to the assembly by Pastor Schulz. He expressed
the pleasure of the Christian Adventist Church 'for having on its rostrum
such a learned priest of the Catholic Church,' and he said he was looking
forward with great interest to 'the subject of his address,' considering the
fact that he (Mon signor Devoto) had attended all
the meetings of the Council, thus being thoroughly informed concerning the
atmosphere of the eminent congress, and familiar with the historic transcendencies of the thoughts of its promoters, John
XXIII and Paul VI."-Asi [Argentine magazine],
October 1966. From a newspaper in Brazil:
"Adventists dedicate a chapel (in
Maringa, Parana, Brazil). The presence of diocesan bishop Jayme Luiz Coelho and other priests and pastors transformed the
dedication of the central chapel of the Seventh-day Adventist Church into an
authentic example of ecumenism.... During the dedication services, pastor
Jose Ira ja da Costa e
Silva, who handed the chapel over to the congrega tion; the diocesan bishop; and mayor Adriano Valente had the floor."-Folha
de Londrina [Brazilian newspaper], May 14, 1972. 13. Pulpit Exchange (Morganton, USA)
From an SDA
church paper: "Robert Hunter, pastor of the Morganton,
North Carolina (SDA), district, and a member of the local ministerial
association, joined in PULPIT EXCHANGE DAY, exchanging pulpits with (Father)
Thomas Burke of St. Charles Roman Catholic Church. The theme of the city-wide
program was 'Blest Be the Tie."' Southern Tidings [official organ of the
Southern Union], April 1975. 14. Official Visit to the Pope
"Seeking
the Objectives of Complete Unity "After the general audience of Wednesday,
the 18th inst., the Holy Father received the participants of the Conference
of Secretaries of World Confessional Families. The group was accompanied by
Bishop John Howe, General Secretary of the Anglican Consultative Council, and
Mr. B. B. Beach, General Secretary of the Seventh-day Adventists. This was
the first time that representatives of the Seventh-day Adventists met the
Pope. "To commemorate this significant moment,
they offered an artistic gold medal to the Holy Father. "The Holy Father directed the following
discourse to them: "Dear brethren in Christ: "We rejoice to be able to receive such an
important group today, and we welcome you to Peter's See. "In you we greet the representatives of a
considerable portion of the Christian people, and through you we send our
wishes of grace and peace in the Lord to your Confessional Families. "We are happy to express, in your
presence, our common faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the only Mediator
with the Father, the Saviour of the world. Yes, brethren, together with the
Apostle Peter, we proclaim that 'Neither is there salvation in any other: for
there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby ve must be saved.' Acts 4:12. "On her part, the Catholic Church is
solemnly engaged, through Vatican Council II, in an ecumenism based on
increased fidelity to Christ the Lord and on heart conversion (see Unitatis Redintegraho, 6-7). At
the same time, she is conscious that 'nothing is more alien to ecumenism than
that false irenicism that would harm the Catholic
doctrine and obscure its genuine and precise meaning (Ibid., p. 11). "Reinforced by the power of the word of
God, let us therefore pursue, despite all difficulties, the objective of full
unity in Christ and in the Church. "And, with humbleness and love, let us
direct our thoughts and our hopes to our Lord Jesus Christ. Glory be given to
Him, as well at to the Father and to the Holy
Spirit, for ever and ever."L'Osservatore
Romano [Catholic paper, Portuguese edition], May 29, 1977. "Adventist for the First Time With the
Pope "On Wednesday, May 18, Pope Paul VI
received in special audience the representatives of the Conference of
Secretaries of World Confessional Families. In the group there were, among
others, Bishop John Howe, First Secretary of the Anglican Advisory Council,
and Mr. B. B. Beach, First Secretary of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
This is the first time that a representative of this religious body has come
to meet the Pope. On that occasion, to commemorate their visit, they
presented the Pope with a gold medal.... "The Conference of Secretaries of World
Confessional Families was organized twenty years ago, and its founder was the
First Secretary of the Anglican Advisory Council, Bishop John Howe. The
present Secretary of the Conference and at the same time the First Secretary
of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, Mr. Beach, made a statement at the
Vatican Radio emphasizing the importance of this first meeting of Adventists
with the Pope. Word for word, this is what he said: 'It was a great honor for
me, as the Secretary of the Conference, to be present here in Rome, in
audience with the Holy Father. On this occasion I presented to the Pope a
book about the world-wide work of the Adventist church."' -Glas Koncila [Catholic paper in
Yugoslavia], June 5, 1977. As Seventh-day Adventists are coming closer
and closer not only to the Protestant denominations, but also to the Roman
Catholic Church, the following prophecy is becoming more and more
significant: "When the Saviour saw in the Jewish
people a nation divorced from God, He saw also a professed Christian Church
united to the world and the papacy." RH October 8, 1901. III--DANGEROUS COMPROMISE
Well known Protestant leaders had talks with
top Adventist leaders and finally declared: "We are delighted to do justice
to a much maligned group of sincere believers, and in our minds and hearts .
. . acknowledge them as redeemed brethren and members of the Body of
Christ." Time Magazine [USA], December 31, 1956. The SDA leadership, in turn, declared:
"We are one with our fellow Christian denominational groups in the great
fundamentals of the faith once delivered to the saints." Questions on
Doctrine [SDA book], p. 32. According to different publications, SDA
leaders have committed themselves to refrain from any thrusts against the
Catholic Church and to withdraw from public sale any writings offensive to
Catholics. The Spirit of Prophecy declarations, that this pseudo-religious
system should be abhorred and shunned (GC 572), and that her sins should be
laid open (GC 606), have apparently been forgotten. A Catholic paper in Australia informs:
"Public protest against Seventh Day
Adventist publications offensive to Catholics blew up in 1940 when a book,
This Mighty Hour, published by the Signs Publishing Company, another
subsidiary of the Adventists, caricatured the Pope as 'Antichrist' and as the
'Beast' of the Book of Revelation. "Following upon readers' letters, action
was taken by the Catholic Women's Social Guild which made a spirited public
protest. Many people, including proprietors of hotels and guest houses,
refused to purchase products of the Sanitarium Health Food Company, another
Adventist subsidiary. "The result was that officials of the
Sanitarium Health Food Company called at The Advocate office and expressed
regret for the publication of the offensive matter. The secretary for
Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania of the Sanitarium Health Food Company
said in a statement to The Advocate that the book in which the offensive
statements appeared 'was originally published in Europe and was republished
by the Signs Publishing Company here without their careful customary scrutiny
of its contents.' The passages complained of, it was said, 'do not represent
the views of the Signs Publishing Company's management and certainly not of
the Sanitarium Health Food Company.' "It was said, further, that the book had
not been in circulation for some considerable time, was not then being
circulated and was not likely to be reproduced by the Signs Publishing
Company. 'They greatly regret their part in having republished it and
doubtless will attempt by some suitable means to rectify some things so far
as lies in their power.' "Though other Adventists also called at
The Advocate office and repudiated the secretary's statement, we accepted the
assurance of the secretary, as an official. "Since later publications had not come to
our notice and it seemed that the above offensive type of publication was
disappearing in the better climate that has been developing in the intervening
years, The Advocate accepted recently in good faith the Sanitarium Health
Food Company's advertisement. "Following protests from some of our
readers we contacted the Seventh Day Adventist headquarters at Yarra St. Hawthorn, I and spoke to Pastor L. Jones. He
assured us that the book, This Mighty Hour, had been withdrawn early in the
forties and was not now in circulation. He said that the author had, in fact,
recently visited Australia and was asked about the book. According to Pastor
Jones, the author said that were he to write such a book today he would write
it differently. Pastor Jones added that a new climate now happily existed
between the religious denominations and that so far as he knew nothing of
this kind of literature, which might be deemed offensive, was now being
circulated by the Adventists." The Advocate [Catholic paper in
Australia], February 13, 1964. A Catholic paper in Germany says:
"Outsiders should not interfere in family
quarrels. Let Seventh-day Adventists settle their own disputes among
themselves. We do not want to get involved in the strife as to whether this
or that direction is a true representation of Adventism.... In 1914 two
percent of the members were disfellowshipped from the German Seventh-day
Adventist Church, because they declared that participation in war service,
and that on the Sabbath (Saturday), cannot be reconciled with the Adventist
doctrine. The disfellowshiped believers have
considered themselves as the true keepers and defenders of Adventism.... In
the spring of 1936, this 'Reform Movement' was dissolved and forbidden all
over the country, as 'under the cloak of religious activities they were
pursuing aims which were opposed to the world views of National Socialism.'
Penalties were applied in the form of imprisonment and confinement in
concentration camps.... The Adventist 'Reform Movement' in Germany is now
reproaching the originally incorporated and recognized Seventh-day Adventist
Church for the fact that they are seeking 'better relations to the powers of darkness,'
that they consider the Sabbath commandment as suspended in time of war, that
they adhered to the Nazi State, that they do not observe the meat-eating
prohibition, that they permit remarriage of divorced parties, and that they
extend the number of those saved beyond 144,000.... There is something else,
however, which is important to us. The original SDA Church assures us
emphatically that they will 'abstain from any instigation against
Catholicism.' "-Paulinus [Catholic paper
in Germany], March 8, 1953. IV--THE SDA CHURCH AND THE NATIONAL COUNCILS OP CHURCHES
It is unfortunate that, in spite of the
warnings contained in the Bible 12 Cor. 6:15-18; Rev. 14:4; 18:41 and in the
Spirit of Prophecy, the Adventist Church is taking part in National Councils
of Churches. The following examples will show what is going on: 1. Zambia
A pamphlet issued by the Christian Council of
Zambia, Africa, shows a membership of 22 churches, and the SDA Church is
listed as one of them. What is CCZ? [pamphlet
published by the Christian Council of Zambia]. 2. Zaire
From The Review and Herald: "When Adventist world leaders were
convinced that the church could carry on its work without any change in its
teachings or means of support, they yielded to government demands to align
with the Protestant organization.... Thus, with mixed feelings on both sides,
on March 24, 1972, Seventh-day Adventists became the forty-second communicant
in the Church of Christ in Zaire." RH Feb. 27, 1975. 3. China
The Dutch press informs about the Christian
Churches in China: "The Seventh-day Adventists were one of
the first denominations to become reformed and to join the Communist Church.
Other denominations followed before long, but not all. These were the
Evangelical Church and the Chinese Orthodox Church, the former under the
leadership of Rev. Wang, and the latter under the leadership of Rev. Watchman
Nee."-Haagse Courant [Dutch newspaper],
January 27, 1962. Other publications add more information: "The Adventists were declared to have
gone through 'a new birth' as an organization. They were rewarded by being
officially classified as a 'Reformed Church,' the first in Communist
China." The Story of Maly Liu [book], by
Edward Hunter, p. 222. "Eleven seminaries in East China were
merged into the Nan king Theological Seminary, becoming the Ginling United Theological Seminary, like separate
faculties in a university. The whole range of Protestant faith was
indiscriminately brought together, including Seventh Day Adventist and the
Apostolic." The Black Book on Red China, by Edward Hunter, p. 66. 4. U.S.A.
A letter from the National Council of Churches
says: "The Seventh-day Adventist is an
associate of the National Council of Churches.... The Seventh-day Adventists
have been affiliated with a unit of the Council since its formation in
1950." -Letter From National Council of Churches [USA], March 21, 1960. 5. Poland and Czechoslovakia
The report on the committee meeting of the
Ecumenical Council of Christian Churches in Poland, held in Warsaw, February
23, 1967, says that the Seventh-day Adventist Church was the first to hand in
its declaration of accession, joining the Ecumenical Council. Hereunder we quote from several Polish papers:
"Adventists are working in close
cooperation with the Ecumenical Council." Tribuna
Ludu [Polish newspaper], December 15, 1967. "The churches of Czechoslovakia held an
ecumenical gathering January 18-19 [1967], in Bratislava, for the purpose of
discussing their participation in the Fourth Peace Conference of All
Christians, which will take place in Prague, in October. The following
churches sent their delegates to this gathering: Orthodox Church, Unitarian
Church, Methodist Church, Church of Evangelical Brethren, Church of the
Brethren, Seventh-day Adventist Church, Czechoslovakian Church, Reformed
Christian Slovakian Church, Lutheran Church in Slovakia, Silesian Church of
Evangelical Lutherans."-Rodzina [Polish
newspaper]. "Polish Ecumenical Council in Session . .
. "A Delegation of twelve representatives
has gone from Poland to the Fourth Peace Conference of All Christians to be
held in Prague. This Delegation comprises leaders of churches that are united
in the Polish Ecumenical Council, such as the Seventh-day Adventist Church,
the United Catholic 'Pax,' and the United Christian
Fellowship."-Rodzina [Polish newspaper]. "Pastor Dombrowski
and Pastor Lyko were honored with the badge which
was granted at the celebration of the 'One-thousand year-Christianization.' Furthermore,
they were on the Board of Directors at the Peace Conference of All
Christians."-BiwleWnach Infortnacynich
[Polish magazine], May 16, 1967. The two ministers mentioned in this report are
prominent SDA leaders in Poland. 6. Hungary
A Hungarian Baptist church paper reports that
the Adventist Church in Hungary belongs to the Council of Free Churches.
Another issue of the same paper tells of an official visit by a delegation
from the Hungarian Council to the Soviet Union. According to the report, this
delegation included Mr. Szakacs Jozsef,
then president of the Adventist Church and at the same time vice president of
the Council of Free Churches, in Hungary. The report includes the following: "The Power of Common Faith "Summarized report on the visit of the
Hungarian Church delegation to the Soviet Union. "The leaders of the Union of Evangelical
Baptist Churches in the Soviet Union invited an official visit from the
Hungarian Baptist Church as well as from the Council of Free Churches, for
July 13-28. The representatives were: Mr. Laczkovski
Janos, president of the national Baptist Church and vice-president of the
Baptist World Alliance; Mr. Szakacs Jozsef, president of the Adventist Denomination and
vice-president of the Council of Free Churches; and Nagy Jozsef,
Baptist theologian and dean, secretary of the Hungarian Council of
Churches.... "In every service we expressed the hearty
greetings of the Hungarian Baptist Church and of the brethren of the churches
which belong to the Council of Free Churches. The congregations and the
church leaders received the greetings with sincere love. "Our delegation had the opportunity of
having a sincere talk with Baptist and Adventist brethren, and we told them
how we work together and respect each other's principles of faith.... "Church leader Mr. Szakacs
Jozsef expressed his appreciation to the leaders of
the Baptist Church especially for the brotherly love which he enjoyed during
his visit as vice-president of the Council of Free Churches and president of the
Hungarian Adventist Church, and also for the timely help of the brethren,
which made it possible for him to meet the representatives and members of the
Adventist Church. All members of the delegation took part in the services in
the Adventist congregations. "We finished our visit with many rich
blessings and with the hope that we may mutually be enriched through the
common faith and testimony."-Bekehirnok
[Hungarian Baptist paper]. "Evangelist Billy Graham has accepted an
invitation to hold a crusade in Hungary. Graham's acceptance was announced
jointly by the evangelist and Sandor Palotoy, chairman of the Council of ' Free Churches in
Hungary. Palotoy extended the invitation to Graham
while in the United States for a General Council meeting of the Baptist World
Alliance. Himself a Seventh-day Adventist, Palotoy
represents the eight evangelical churches in Hungary." -Southern Tidings
[official organ of the Southern Union], September 1977. "Mr. Graham's visit . . . was sponsored
by the Council of Free Churches, an alliance of Baptist, Pentecostal,
Methodist, Seventh-day Adventist, and other denominations." Religious
News Service [USA], October 14, 1977. From a report filed early in 1984 by one who
was associated with the SDA Church in Hungary for twenty years, and published
in the bulletin, "Watchman, What of the Night?" vol. XVII, No. 9,
we quote these portions: "In 1957 the Seventh-day Adventist Church
in Hungary became a member of an organization called The Council of Free
Churches (Hungarian abbreviation: SZET), which
unites all smaller, that is, almost all small Protestant denominations in
Hungary.... "In 1965 the Council of Free Churches
joined the Ecumenical Church Council with all its member churches, most of
which had already been in the ecumeny, therefore
also the Adventists, even if only indirectly. As a rule, the current
president of the Council of Free Churches is also the vice-president of the
Ecumenical Church Council. After the sudden death of S. Palotoy,
Jozsef Szakacs succeeded
him, and he was at that time the president of the Hungarian Adventist Union
Conference. "Membership in the Council of Free
Churches means that all denominations make a financial contribution to it;
share one theological seminary and thus receive the same training at the
seminary; strictly obey the rules and regulations of the Council of Free
Churches (concerning elections!), proclamation of the Gospel, financial
matters, mission, etc., even if clear Biblical instructions are sacrificed or
violated. "The true Adventists saw where all this
was leading on the one hand, a looser, much freer life style, mixed marriages
(because permitted), divorces, worldliness; and on the other hand, the
gradual prohibition, discouragement or cunning paralyzation
of all possible projects for children and youth, the use of literature and
other means of evangelization.... "The situation got so bad that faithful
ministers, young and old, wept together, fasted and spent many nights in
prayer. They became convinced it was time to stop this degeneration. In 1965,
their determination was followed by action. They raised their voices in
protest. The result: 6 pastors were dismissed and 300 church members were
excommunicated.... "Although the leaders of the General
Conference of Seventh day Adventists had clearly been informed of these
conditions, . . . they granted recognition to that godless, wicked leadership
on January 26, 1984. WHAT COULD BE THE REASON BEHIND IT?" A leading daily in Budapest informs what was
done in the SDA Church in Hungary, in January 1984: "N. C. Wilson, the president of the world
organization of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, along with other
high-ranking church officials, stayed in our country at the invitation of the
Seventh-day Adventist Church in Hungary between January 18 and 30. They
discussed church related matters and visited local congregations. "N. C. Wilson and Denes
Zarka, the president of the church in Hungary and
their respective retinues visited Imre Miklos, the undersecretary of State and president of the
office for Church Affairs. At this meeting N. C. Wilson informed Mr. Miklos of the steps they were going to take concerning
the matter of the splinter group within the Hungarian Church. N. C. Wilson
stated that, as in other countries, the Seventh-day Adventist world
organization recognizes only one church organization, the one elected at the
electoral conference, and which also the State has recognized. "N. C. Wilson has expressed his
appreciation for the useful and beneficial attitude of the Hungarian State
toward the church, as well as for the high degree of religious liberty he had
experienced in Hungary."-Nepszabadsag
[Hungarian newspaper], January 31, 1984. And what happened to those honest Adventists
who were "sighing and crying" for the apostasy that they could see
in the church? They were disfellowshipped. The report from which we quoted
before says: "For eight years now, 1400 Hungarian
Adventists have been vehemently struggling to survive, that is, to be able to
remain within the church from which they have recently been excommunicated at
one stroke." 7. SDA's and the World Council of Churches
The New York
Times informs: "The World Council of Churches today
admitted nine Roman Catholic theologians to membership in its principal
theological body, the Commission on Faith and Order.... Also admitted to full
membership were six representatives of other nonmember
churches, including the Seventh Day Adventist Church...." - New York
Times [USA], July 12, 1968. An SDA church paper says:
"Since 1965 there have been yearly
dialogues between the World Council of Churches and the Seventh-day
Adventists.... Since 1968, the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
is acknowledged by other international churches as a 'World Confessional Family.'
The Adventist participation in the yearly conference of the 'world
confessional families' has brought good results.... Conscientious cooperation
is necessary, as long as there is no compromise regarding firmly established
beliefs and religious aims."-Adventecho
[German SDA paper], February 15, 1973. The examples quoted in this writing should
enable the reader to catch a glimpse of the snare in which the church is
getting entangled. Not everything that is happening in this field is
published, and not all that is made known in this connection ever comes to
our notice. But the limited number of instances mentioned reveal the
existence of a dangerous situation.
Many sighing and crying Adventists who can see
the apostasy wonder what will be the final end of this forbidden courtship.
Under these circumstances the following warning of the Spirit of Prophecy
becomes very significant: "Instead of leading the world to render
obedience to God's law, the church is uniting more and more closely with the
world in transgression. Daily the church is becoming converted to the
world." 8T 119. "When those who are uniting with the
world, yet claiming great purity, plead for union with those who have ever
been the opposers of the cause of truth, we should fear and shun them as
decidedly as did Nehemiah." PK 660. A SERIOUS DANGER IN THE SDA CHURCH
A few years ago, many SDA's were shocked when
they heard that their brethren not only laymen, but also medical men and
leading ministers-were getting involved with the Full Gospel Businessmen's
Fellowship International, a Pentecostal group who is working to unite all
Protestant bodies in the fellowship of Spiritualism. In the "Full Gospel
Men's Voice" of September 1962, these Pentecostal believers gave the
following report about their tenth annual convention held in Seattle,
Washington, July, 1962: "The Holy Spirit came down upon the
people.... Scores received the precious baptism with the Holy Ghost and spoke
in tongues.... There were representatives of many faiths assembled for a
common purpose: Presbyterians, Episcopalians, Dutch Reformed laymen,
Methodists, Lutherans, Nazarenes, Baptists, Seventh Day Adventists - and
hosts of others- all meeting at the feet of Jesus." Some SDA's Are Worried
This sad and startling fact caused some
agitation and led scrupulous Adventists to raise their voice against this
involvement. We quote from "Newsletter" of February 1, 1963: "It would be far more pleasant to dismiss
the whole thing by saying, as some have vainly hoped, that our leading
brethren (who attended that Pentecostal convention) did nothing more than
present the third angel's message to the convention in Seattle, and that
VOICE has not accurately or fairly presented the case. But after examining
all the evidence available, interviewing the FGBMFI
representatives, listening to the actual tape recordings of the proceedings
at the convention, and examining certain cor respondence over this issue, it is very apparent that
VOICE has given as fair and as accurate a picture as could be expected. .: . "Elder R. A. [Roy Allan} Anderson began
his talk as follows: 'You know Christianity is a religion of joy. (Audience:
"Amen!") It's not a religion of restrictions! The only thing we
need to know is the power of the Spirit in our lives and He will lead us into
all truth.... The religion of Jesus is a religion that sets the soul on fire
with the joy of Jesus. (Audience: "Amen!") Jesus opened the prison
house of sin and brought His people out, and as I look out into your faces
today I'm seeing a group of people who by the grace of God have been brought
out of the strongholds of sin. Let us thank the Lord for that, it's a
reality! (Audience: "Amen!" Waves of applauses and cries of
"Praise God!").... I am happy for one thing as I see it today, and
that is the wonderful witness of you business men.... We need to set our
churches on fire! . . . It's been a great joy to be with you! . . . I trust
that this convention will set the people of God on fire! (Audience:
"Amen.") When a church is on fire with the Spirit of God the world
will take notice. May the Lord richly bless you and make this a great
convention for the extension of His kingdom in the hearts of men.' "We wish we could say that the foregoing
was only a sudden and unpremeditated lapse on the part of Elder Anderson, but
the clear evidence indicates that this is not the case.... In 1950, Elders
Wieland and Short sent an urgent warning to the General Conference. showing
and warning the brethren that there was grave danger in our ranks of
worshiping the false Christ . . .. declaring the end of this infatuation with
the false Christ would be the reception of Spiritualism. You yourselves know
that their message was totally rejected. Six years after this message came,
some of our leading men, among whom was R. A. Anderson, were conferring with
some of the Evangelical leaders. It was then that they seriously compromised
themselves on the great doctrines of the Atonement and the Incarnation of
Jesus.... The same year, Elder Anderson wrote to Elder R. A. Grieve, then
President of the North New Zealand Conference, telling him of his wonderful
fellowship with the Evangelical ministers, how they were men of God, etc., admitting
that our past teaching on the nature of Christ had been incorrect, and then
concluding these startling admissions with this astounding statement: 'We
have come to the time in our history and the history of the Evangelical
Church in general, that we are moving into the experience of the Pentecostal
outpouring of power.' (April 23, 1956.) "So, at least ever since 1956, Elder
Anderson has believed that the other churches (whom Mrs. White pronounces
'Babylon,' and declares that Satan has taken possession of them as a body,
Early Writings, 273), are in line for the Pentecostal baptism of power
together with the Adventists. Oh, terrible deception! . . . "Elder George Vandeman
was at the Fellowship Convention for a number of days, and from his own
testimony in different parts of North America, he bears witness to the
wonderful fellowship and workings of God at this modern seance
in Seattle. We reproduce here a letter to that effect. We personally checked
this evidence, by interviewing a number of people who attended a public
meeting in Vernon, B.C., and find that they all heard Elder Vandeman testify to the wonderful blessing he received
from the Seattle Convention. (A few days later came testimony from eastern
Canada that he was testifying to the same thing over there.) "'Dear friends: "'Almost from the outset of Elder Vandeman's very first meeting ... there was a strange
spirit.... "'In every meeting, with the exception of
the last one, I believe, Elder Vandeman spoke,
sometimes repeatedly, of a meeting in Seattle.... He spoke of the earnestness
of these wealthy men and the marvelous fellowship
there as he and Elder Richards, together with Billy Graham and Oral Roberts
and others spoke to and prayed with these men. It seemed that he had gained a
great deal of strength and inspiration from his fellowship there. He just
couldn't get over speaking about it.... "'In his second meeting Elder Vandeman made a call for all to stand who wished to reconsecrate their lives to God. The appeal was strong
and I would not find fault with it, although in the meetings generally there
was a strange spirit, and there were the references to the marvelous meetings and fellowship with the wealthy
business men. This was the Sabbath morning service. Everyone, or practically
everyone in that large auditorium stood for consecration. Then, just before
prayer, as we were standing, he said: "Now we're going to pray for
spiritual healing, and then tonight we'll pray for healing of the body."
. . . He cited a few instances of marvelous
physical healings that had taken place at such meetings.... "'In the last meeting of the series . . .
Elder Vandeman seemed more like himself than he had
at any of the previous meetings. The hypnotic influence was not in evidence,
at least not to the extent that it had been.... Alice M. Rogers, Winfield,
B.C., Canada.' ... "Elder Richards from the Voice of
Prophecy was also in attendance.... Elder Richards spoke on the coming of
Christ, and only said such things as would suit the hearers who were preparing
to welcome the false Christ. His remarks sounded very much like the setting
up of the glorious temporal millennium on this earth such as E. G. White said
in The Great Controversy, p. 589 and it is certain that is what his hearers
gathered from the talk. "Besides these three leading brethren,
quite a number of other Adventist ministers were in attendance. To the credit
of some, they saw what was going on at the convention, did not like what they
saw, and left with grave apprehensions as to the effect on the other
Adventist laymen in the audience, including some of our medical men. With our
brethren taking such a prominent part in this grand spiritualistic carnival,
they no doubt thought it was a good place to be, especially when such a
renowned leader as R. A. Anderson placed his blessing upon the whole
thing." Some are Deceived
Gaining ground rapidly, the neo-Pentecostal
movement, also known as charismatic movement, has already penetrated
"all denominations the Protestant churches first, and then also the
Catholic Church," and is now spreading like wildfire, so that no church,
not even the SDA Church, is free from the influence of this movement, informs
Jean Zurcher. We have been told by some Adventists that what
they have witnessed in certain SDA circles is Pentecostalism. In an effort to
obtain additional information, some time ago the writer of this article put a
pertinent question to a well-informed brother who had been in the SDA
ministry for a long time. His answer was: "Just one example: In the Adventist
church at . . ., the pastor asked an Adventist lady who had been a
Pentecostal believer some time ago: 'When you were fellowshiped
into the Adventist church, did you stop receiving the charismatic gift? She
said: 'Oh, no! I have never stopped speaking in tongues.' And there was a
chorus of 'Amens."' In his book Rattling the Gates, published by
the Review and Herald Publishing Association, Roland R. Hegstad
tells about an Adventist brother who said to him: "I've been speaking in
tongues now for almost six years. Got the gift at a Pentecostal meeting in
Indianapolis. I'm still an Adventist, however, and I believe the time has
come to bring the gift to the Seventh-day Adventist Church." Surely that
brother is not the only one showing a pro Pentecostalist
tendency in the SDA Church. A "Spirit-filled SDA" dentist tells
his experience as follows: "I attended a small church in Redlands.
There were several speakers, but one especially spoke with such power that I
said, 'Lord, the power with which he speaks is what I want in my own life.' .
. . Then a lady spoke to me. She said, 'I was praying today and the Lord told
me someone was coming to my church tonight looking for the Holy Spirit, but I
don't know who it is.' I said simply, 'I'm looking for the Holy Spirit.' She
suggested that we kneel and pray. They told me to lift my hands and praise
the Lord, which I did. All of a sudden there came a deep peace within my
heart and I knew the Lord had done something for me. I could hear the people
around me say, 'He's being filled right now.' . . . Suddenly I began to sing
in a language I had never learned! Since that time I have not only sung but
also prayed in that language . . . The people in my Sabbath school class
noticed a difference in me. That following Saturday I put down my notes and
the Lord spoke through me in such a way that many in the class began to weep.
Afterward they told me, 'That was the most wonderful lesson we ever had.' . .
. I told my wife about it, we all knelt together and prayed, and my wife received
the baptism in the Holy Spirit right in our home.... I am now able to go to
Full Gospel meetings, and there as well as in our prayer groups, pray with
all kinds of people-Catholics, Nazarenes, Church of Christ, Baptists,
Presbyterians, Lutherans, Roman Catholics, Methodists and others-with such a
spirit of love and fellowship as I never before knew.... I also discussed my
experience fully with one of our leaders, the former head of the ministerial
department of our church, and he said, 'God has been leading you every step
of the way.' In my office I keep a goodly stock of VOICE magazines, and
almost every patient who leaves the office receives one.... One evening I was
asked to give my testimony.... My brother, who is a practicing dentist in
Riverside, was there. After hearing my testimony the Spirit of the Lord moved
in his heart.... A few weeks later, at an inter-faith renewal program, he
received the baptism in the Holy Spirit.... It was a new suit that led me to
personally meet my Lord as the Great Physician. Always I have had the right
sleeve of my coats shortened one inch because my right arm was that much
shorter. When the suit came, they had forgotten to alter that sleeve. My wife
suggested I take the coat to the tailor and have the sleeve shortened. I
decided to go to God and ask Him to lengthen my arm. That night in the
Evangel Temple in Redlands, as Pastor Lawrence and others prayed for me, I
felt a strange sensation in my right shoulder and down that arm and it grew
out a whole inch right in front of our eyes! When I went home, my suit fitted
perfectly. But I faced a new problem, for now all my other right sleeves are
too short!" VOICE (Full Gospel Businessmen's church paper), January,
1973. Further examples may not be needed, since SDA
leaders admit that the pro-Pentecostalist tendency
among SDA's is growing rapidly. An SDA church paper says: "There is a
movement today that threatens the eternal life of many people. Seventh-day
Adventists-both ministers and lay members-should beware. It is growing at an
alarming rate. It is spreading like an uncontrolled fire in a wheat field....
It is known by several names.... Some people call it the charismatic renewal
or the charismatic movement. Others know it as neo-Pentecostalism....
Although many Baptists, Presbyterians, Lutherans, Anglicans, Episcopalians,
Methodists, Roman Catholics, Pentecostals and others, including some
Seventh-day Adventists, have participated in the experience, it is not a
church. These people remain in their own churches, yet they often fellowship
together, frequently in private homes, where they sing and pray in tongues,
prophesy, and read the Bible in an atmosphere of great emotional fervor."-Australasian Record, January 28, 1974. In the first of a series of articles on the charismatic
movement, published in O Ministerio [The Ministry],
(March-April, 1975, Brazilian edition), Jean Zurcher,
secretary of the Euro-African Division (1975), says: "What are we to
think of this movement? In our churches, the youngsters, the adults, and even
the pastors are asking themselves: Why should the Adventist Movement miss
these charismatic experiences? After all, wouldn't this really be the Holy
Spirit? Didn't the apostle Paul write to the Corinthians: 'I would have you
all speaking in tongues' (1 Corinthians 14:5) Did not he thank God for
speaking more languages than all others (Verse 18)? And what should we say
about the gift of healing?--As can be seen, this subject deserves a deep
study." There is, chiefly in the United States, a
strong propensity in the SDA Church towards assimilation to the other
Evangelical churches, in which the charismatic phenomenon is breaking out all
over. This trend can be seen especially among the SDA youth. Elder Nelson,
from the General Conference Youth Department, deplored this fact saying
(1974): "Satan is now preparing the minds of
Adventists.... I hear today, as I go from coast to coast, a cry among the
youth: Don't talk about the law. All we want is Jesus. We just want to hear
about His love. Bless your hearts, I love to talk about Jesus, and His love,
but this kind of a feeling, this kind of a movement, is preparing Adventist
youth for a great disappointment. What is happening? . . . There are
thousands of youth today within the church, yea, tens of thousands, that know
nothing of the 2300-day prophecy. They couldn't explain Daniel 7 if they had
to. When you talk about the three angels' message, they think it's something
that is outmoded. It is something to forget about. It has nothing to do
today.... And then they make the statement, 'Our church is no different than
any other church.' I know what I talk about. They are preparing to be fooled.
Consider the rapture theory for a moment, that's now capturing the world . .
. (Elder Nelson explains it) . . . A bunch of nonsense. How could Seventh-day
Adventists believe this kind of junk? But it's being heard from Adventist
pulpits, it's being presented by Adventist youth witnessing groups, it's for
sale in Adventist book stores, and I saw it prominently displayed right down
here just yesterday.... Our young people are singing songs, 'We are one in
the spirit . . .' In what spirit? That s a Pentecostal holiness
tongue-movement song, in which they shout and sing, 'We are one in the
spirit.' Who jumps, and shouts, and hollers? What's happening today? Some thing is creeping in among us, silently and
steadily, preparing us to be fooled. We are being attacked within and without
the church. Thousands are readily accepting the Evangelical teachings of
Babylon today...." (From a tape.) The charismatic influence of the
neo-Pentecostal movement is evidently becoming a serious problem in the SDA
Church. Adventist publications admit it. An article published in The Review
and Herald (May 24, 19731 says: "The neo Pentecostal movement will prove
to be a far more subtle danger to the Seventh-day Adventist Church than
theological liberalism or evolutionary humanism." In January 1973, SDA
leaders held a meeting to study the neo-Pentecostalist
problem, and the German SDA paper Adventecho No.
13, of July 1, 1973, made the following comment: "Twenty-three leaders of the
Church--ministers, professors and authors--met at Camp Cumby-Gay, Georgia,
USA, from January 4 through 9, to study the different aspects of, and the
position of the Church toward, the 'charismatic movement.' . . . "For some time Seventh-day Adventists had
been observers of this phenomenon in other churches, with the feeling that
they themselves had nothing to do with it. Although it shouldn't be said that
this is now an acute problem of the church, the occasion demanded a
reconsideration of the matter. This short cut to a victorious life is making
a strong impression upon the young people, and also upon some of the students
in our colleges.... "When things come into the church causing
disunity and division in her midst, and these things and their
representatives are simply condemned, then the matter is only slighted off.
The church, which is attentive and vigilant, must be prepared, all the time,
for a serious rendering of account. Her own shortcomings may have caused that
which she is now fighting against. "The fact that three participants had
been invited from outside the United States . . . shows that the whole
problem has worldwide significance." Very significant is also the fact that the
article from which we just quoted these short portions was published under
the title: "Are SDA's going to speak in unknown tongues?" Half a century ago it would have been
considered anathema to offer the Adventist pulpit to a Pentecostal minister.
But now no more. Well-known faith healer Oral Roberts was invited to speak to
the Adventists in the university church (Loma Linda, California), at 11 a.m.,
March 8, 1983. We quote from a newspaper: "When Roberts took the floor in front of
about 1,800 listeners, he received but polite applause. "However, he left to warm, sustained
hand-clapping. Not all skepticism had been laid to
rest, but the LLU graduates seemed willing to
accept Roberts' good works on their own merits.... "The doubts about Roberts' credibility as
a speaker at an Adventist conference stem from his origins as a Pentecostal
faith healer.... "'I was in the desert not 70 miles from
here when He [Jesus] came to me and began to speak to me. I was devastated
but I saw what must be done,' he said.... "Conservative Adventists continue to view
Roberts with alarm. Nine protesters passed out handbills in front of the
church prior to the lecture. The fliers connected Roberts to 'the false
prophet . . . deceptive theories . . . spiritualism . . . and the enemy.' Few
attending the lecture took time to talk with the protesters...."The Sun
[published in San Bernardino, California], March 9, 1983. To be more correct, the news editor should
have said that what conservative Adventists are viewing with alarm is the
mistaken idea that even a Pentecostal faith healer may be invited to occupy
an Adventist pulpit. Pentecostalism is creeping in among the Advent people,
and not too many seem to be alarmed at the existing danger. The danger is increased by the false teaching
that the latter rain is falling and that the church is actually experiencing
a revival. We quote from SDA publications: "And today He is adding His power
according to plan. He is giving, we believe, the 'latter rain' experience.
According to His promise, He is pouring out His Spirit 'upon all flesh' (Joel
2:28). There can be no mistaking this. We may not discern it or experience
it, but thousands are." RH Jan. 28, 1965. "The latter rain for which we have been
praying and that has been experienced in such meetings of our leaders and
evangelists as the recent one at Camp Berkshire, New York, fell in a marked
way on our regular student literature evangelists at Waunita
Hot Springs, June 30-July 3."-Central Union Reaper [SDA paper in USA],
Sept. 17, 1968. "The latter rain is falling. The Holy
Spirit is being richly poured out all about us.... Why not read all about it
in the Review and Herald." (Circular letter by R. G. Campbel
to subscribers of Review and Herald, 1968.) "There are evidences around over the
world of early showers of the latter rain." (Letter to the field, by W.
J. Hackett, president of North Pacific Union Conference, October 1968.) Together with concerned Adventists we must
say, in conclusion, that "it is vitally important for our church members
to scrupulously differentiate between the true Holy Spirit and Satan's
counterfeit," and to raise our voice "in warning against the
insidious danger creeping into the SDA Church." In the Snare of Spiritualism
According to one of their leaders, the
neo-Pentecostal movement "is spearheading the greatest religious revival
the world has ever known." (Clifford Ford, VOICE magazine, September,
1962.) The "spirit" gave them a prophecy--this was reported by one
of their spokesmen--that every denomination would join them in a mighty
religious revival that would sweep in the pre millennial reign on earth. The
mushrooming growth of this movement, today, is a hint that the prophecy may
come true. And no wonder, for Satan is making his final preparations to
deceive the world with the masterpiece of all deceptions--Spiritualism. Now
mark the fearful result: "Except those who are kept by the power of God,
through faith in His word, the whole world will be swept into the ranks of
this delusion." GC 562. The servant of the Lord still adds: "I saw
the rapidity with which this delusion was spreading. A train of cars was
shown me, going with the speed of lightning.... It seemed that the whole
world was on board. Then he showed me the conductor.... He said, 'It is
Satan. . . . He has taken the world captive . . . and they are all going with
lightning speed to perdition.' I asked the angel if there were none left. He bade me look in the opposite direction, and I saw a
little company traveling a narrow pathway. All seemed to be firmly united by
the truth." EW 263. These last two statements from the Spirit of
Prophecy (GC 562 and EW 263) make it plain that the
whole world will be caught in the snare of the Spiritualism, with only one
exception-a small remnant of faithful believers in the truth. This small
remnant will then be clearly distinguished from the church. Sister White
writes: "In the hour of the church's greatest danger most fervent prayer
will be offered in her behalf by the faithful remnant." 5T 524. "At the time when the danger and depression
of the church are greatest, the little company who are standing in the light
will be sighing and crying... especially . . . in behalf of the church
because its members are doing after the manner of the world." 5T 209, 210. It is a fearful thought that, according to
prophetic evidences, not even the SDA Church will escape. This is one of the
reasons why some honest souls are sighing and crying "for all the
abominations that be done in the church" l3T
2671. The servant of the Lord warns:
"Many things intended to deceive us will
come, bearing some of the marks of truth. Just as soon as these shall be set
forth as the great power of God, Satan is all ready to weave in that which he
has prepared to lead souls from the truth for this time."3SM
404. "The Word of God . . . is to be our defense when Satan works with such lying wonders that, if
it were possible, he would deceive the very elect. It is then that those who
have not stood firmly for the truth will unite with the unbelieving, who love
and make a lie. When these wonders are performed, when the sick are healed
and other marvels are wrought, they will be deceived." 3SM 407, 408. "The cause of Christ will be betrayed.
Those who have had the light of truth, and have enjoyed its blessings, but
who have turned away from it, will fight down the Spirit of God. Inspired
with a spirit from beneath, they will tear down that which they once built
up, and show to all reasonable, God-fearing souls that they cannot be
trusted. They may lay claim to truth and righteousness, but their spirit and
works will testify that they are betrayers of their Lord. The attributes of
Satan they call the movings of the Holy
Spirit." RH May 24, 1898. "Go to God for yourselves; pray for
divine enlightenment, that you may know that you do know what is truth, that
when the wonderful miracle-working power shall be displayed, and the enemy
shall come as an angel of light, you may distinguish between the genuine work
of God and the imitative work [of] the powers of darkness." 3SM 389. Page developed by Nilson
Jones. All rights reserved to SDARM. Copyright
2001. |