IS the SDA Church a Member of the WORLD
COUNCIL OF CHURCHES?
The
following item appeared recently on an SDA Internet chat group. Has the SDA
church been a MEMBER of the World Council of Churches since 1968, as the New
York Times stated? Has the church lied to its members for decades on this
serious issue?
Re:
IS S.D.A. part of the WORLD COUNCIL OF CHURCHES?
Interestingly, an article in the New
York Times dated July 11, 1968 (must buy to
access "Theological Unit Gets 9 Catholics" by Edward B Fiske states
that the WCC
admitted 9 catholic theologians on that date "to membership in its
principal
theological body, the Commission on Faith and Order." Several paragraphs
later
it adds, "Also admitted to full
membership were six representatives of other
nonmember shurches,
including the Seventh-day Adventist Church . . ."
http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F3061FFC3854157493C0A8178CD85F4C\
8685F9&scp=1&sq=theological+unit+gets+9+catholics&st=p
Information about Faith and Order is here from the WCC site
http://archives.oikoumene.org/Query/detail.aspx?ID=40906
Be sure to read the Administrative/Biographical
History. More info is here
http://www.oikoumene.org/en/who-are-we/organization-structure/consultative-bodie\
s/faith-and-order.html
Plenary Commission Members at the following link includes this on page 2
"Rev.
Prof. Gerald A. Klingbeil (Seventh-day Adventist
Church)"
http://www.oikoumene.org/fileadmin/files/wcc-main/2009pdfs/FO_commission_member_\
list.pdf Search on his name to find info about him; writings by him.
So , , , .
--- In adventism_prophecy@yahoogroups.com,
Lantano <lantanonab@...
wrote:
When they say that the sda church is not a member of wcc,
yet they are listed as number 20 in the membership list, so, which one is true?
Are we, or are we not???? If our church has nothing to do with wcc, what is the affiliation for? Why do we appear in this
list then?
If for any reason, our church does
contribute in this affiliation, or for any reason do give any contribution to
this section of the beast, are we not
contribution to a force that is against God,?
Lantano Nabaala,
This
link http://www.sdarm.org/pub_data/gws/gws_10.html
has a good historical record of SDA relations
with the Ecumenical Movement. The following statement is from the link. Only the foolish virgins will
deny and/or rationalize SDA membership liaison with the World Council of
Churches and its National Councils, as well as its local Ministerial Associatios. Not one covert to Adventism has ever been made
by the church’s membership in Babylon’s councils. And this is proof of God’s
Word—that such membership is FORBIDDEN, Isaiah 8:9-12, and all who are so
allied will be broken in pieces—the only option stated! The first SDA
representative to the Ecumenical arena, Dr. Earle Hilgert, from Andrews
University, converted to become a Babylon (Presbyterian) preacher. So we see “who
gets who!”
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.
Is every member of
the SDA corporately responsible for the church’s membership in Babylon’s
Council’s of Churches?
Corporate responsibility
"The plain straight testimony must live
in the church, or the curse of God will rest upon His people as surely as it did
upon ancient Israel because of their sins. God holds His people, as a body
[corporately], responsible for the sins existing in individuals among
them." Testimonies, vol. 3, p.
269.
"Christ has plainly taught that those who persist in open sin must
be separated from the church..." E. G. White, Christ's Object Lessons, 71.
"The names of those who sin and refuse
to repent should not be retained on the church books, lest the saints be
held accountable for their evil deeds. Those who pursue a course of transgression
should be visited and labored with, and if they then refuse to repent, they
should be separated from church fellowship, in accordance with the rules laid
down in the Word of God." {11MR 208.3}
"The Captain of our salvation died for
the human race that men might be made one with Him and with each other. As
members of the human family we are individual parts of one mighty whole. No soul can be made independent of the
rest. There is to be no party strife in the family of God; for the
well-being of each is the happiness of the whole. No partition walls are to be
built up between man and man. Christ as the great center must unite all in
one." {FE 479.1}
“The children were not condemned for the sins
of the parents; but when, with a knowledge of all the
light given to their parents, the children rejected the additional light
granted to themselves, they became partakers of the parents' sins, and filled
up the measure of their iniquity.” The
Great Controversy, p. 28.
Mat 23:35 That upon
you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the
earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.
"The
headquarters of our church, affect the whole body of believers. If the physical
heart is healthy, the blood that is sent from it through the system is also
healthy; but if this fountain is impure, the whole organism becomes diseased by
the poison of the vital fluid. So it is with us. If the heart of the work
becomes corrupt, the whole church, in its various branches and interests,
scattered abroad over the face of the earth, suffers in consequence." Testimonies,
vol. 4, p. 210.
“In our largest churches the greatest
evils exist, because these have had the greatest light. They have not a
true knowledge of God, and of Jesus Christ whom he has sent. The leaven of
unbelief is working, and unless these evils which bring the displeasure of God
are corrected in its members, the whole
church stands accountable for them. The deep movings
of the Spirit of God are not with them; the glorious presence of the King of
saints, and his power to cleanse from all moral defilement, are not manifest
among them. Many come to the assembly as worshipers, like the door upon its
hinges. They understand not the true application of the Scriptures, nor the
power of God. They have eyes, but they see not; ears have they, but they hear
not; they continue in their evil ways, yet regard themselves as the privileged,
obedient people who are doers of the word. A carnal security and ease in Zion
prevail. Peace, peace, is sounded in her borders, when God has not spoken
peace. They have forfeited the terms of peace; there is reason for an alarm to
be sounded in all "my holy mountain." The
sinners in Zion should be afraid, in a time when they do not expect it, sudden destruction will surely come upon all who are at
ease.” {RH, December 23, 1890 par. 10}