ADVENTISTS
WELCOMED BY CHURCHES TOGETHER IN WALES
from
James
Franks
Click to go to our Home Page
According to
the British Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, BUC News - 24,
October, 2008, in a News Article entitled: ADVENTISTS WELCOMED BY CHURCHES
TOGETHER IN WALES [(article by) John Surridge,
Welsh Mission President] In what [in
my opinion] seems to be a "proud" and "joyful"
declaration, the Article states: The
Seventh-day Adventist Church in Wales was welcomed into Category B
Membership of Cytûn (Churches Together in
Wales) at their annual general meeting in Aberystwyth on Tuesday 14 October.
Although the Adventist church has for many years had a good relationship with
Cytûn this formal step was necessary
following a change in their legal status to a Company Limited by Guarantee. -- Underlining
emphasis mine--(James Franks). Cytun: (http://www.cytun.org.uk/)
--
Churches Together in Wales - was established in 1990 as a successor to the Welsh
Council of Churches; and is a full member of CTBI (Churches Together
in Britain and Ireland). CTBI was formed on September 1, 1990 as the
successor to the British Council of Churches. The new body, unlike its
predecessor, includes the Catholic Church as full members. CTBI is a member
of the World Council of Churches – http://www.oikoumene.org/en/member-churches/regions/europe/united-kingdom.html Interestingly
enough, at the Cytun Website (http://www.cytun.org.uk/), the
Seventh-day Adventist Church is listed under the heading: Associates - rather
than: Member-denominations. But as we have just read from the Official News
Agency of the BUC-SDA, the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Wales was on
Tuesday 14 October, welcomed into SOME TYPE OF what? MEMBERSHIP. The BUC News
Article then goes on to state: Welsh Mission
President Pastor John Surridge represented the
Seventh-day Adventist Church at Cytûn meetings for
a number of years back in the 1990s and then went on to represent the
wider church at the national ecumenical body, Churches Together in
Britain and Ireland. (CTBI). Having returned to Wales as Mission
President he is glad to meet up again with former friends from the other
churches. Speaking after the meeting he said, "I was surprised to see so
many people I knew from before at the AGM. Most of them were already familiar
with the Seventh-day Adventist Church and a couple of people there even had
Adventist relatives." The Seventh-day
Adventist position on ecumenical relations is that where possible we should
have observer-consultant status. When this is not available we should apply
for the closest alternative. In the case of Cytûn
this is Category B Membership, which allows representatives to attend and
speak at meetings, but does not give them voting rights. Regardless of
"Voting Rights", the Seventh-day Adventist Church pays
annual "Membership Dues" to Cytun
(Churches Together in Wales). Cytun, in
turn, pays annual "Membership Dues" to CTBI (Churches
Together in Britain and Ireland). CTBI, in turn, pays annual "Membership
Dues" to the WCC (World Council of Churches). These
Membership Dues are paid using YOUR TITHE DOLLARS (assuming you pay tithes to
the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Great Britian
or Ireland). In 1844, the
mainstream Protestant churches fell for rejecting the light of
the Midnight Cry and the first and second angels' messages. Thus, the
principle of rejecting light causes a church to become a sister to
fallen Babylon. Here is very clear evidence of this fact: "As the
churches refused to receive the first angel's message, they REJECTED THE
LIGHT FROM HEAVEN AND FELL FROM THE FAVOR OF GOD. They trusted to their own
strength, and by opposing the first message placed themselves where they
could not see the light of the second angel's message. But the beloved of
God, who were oppressed, accepted the message, 'Babylon is fallen,' and LEFT
THE CHURCHES." (E.G. White, Early Writings, 237). "Babylon of
Revelation 18 [Revelation 18:1-8 quoted].--The whole chapter shows that
Babylon that has fallen is the churches (plural) who will not receive the messages of warning the Lord has given
in the first, second, and third angel's messages. They refused the
truth and accepted a lie. They refused the messages of truth. See 2
Thessalonians 2:1-12." (E.G. White Manuscript Releases Volume One, p. 361). Did you know
that the SDA church has, in essence, declared herself
to be part of Babylon the Great, and told all her members to separate
from her! Please read
very closely to what the SDA church herself has stated: "The
capstone of the ecumenical effort came with the creation of the World
Council of Churches .... "On the basis of
Bible prophecy and the writings of Ellen G. White, SDA's anticipate the
eventual success of the ecumenical movement both in eliminating the divisions
of Protestantism and in reuniting Christendom by bridging the gulf that
separates non-Catholic communions from Rome. The ecumenical movement will
then become a concerted effort to unite the world and to secure universal
peace and security by enlisting the power of the civil government in a
universal religio-political crusade to eliminate
all dissent. SDA's envision this crusade as the great apostasy to which
John the revelator refers as `Babylon the great.' They understand,
also, that God's last message of mercy to the world prior to the return of
Christ in power and glory will consist of a warning against this great
apostate movement, and a call to all who choose to remain loyal to Him to leave the
churches connected with it." SDA Encyclopedia, vol 10 of the Bible Commentary Reference Series,
p 410-411. What did the
SDA church just state to all her membership? That ANY
church connected with the Ecumenical Movement and united with the WCC becomes
part of Babylon the Great, and all who choose to serve God and remain loyal
to Him must separate themselves from that church. --------------------------- BUC News is a
weekly news bulletin produced by the British Union Conference of the
Seventh-day Adventist Church, and edited by the Communication Department.
Victor Hulbert, director; Mary Kapon, secretary.
... You are free to re-print any portion of this bulletin without the need
for special permission. However, we kindly request that you identify BUC News
or other sources whenever you publish these materials. Back issues and an RSS
feed including photographs are available on our website at www.adventist.org.uk |
|
Thanks James, Ron |