Robert H. Pierson
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The following message was presented in 1978
by Elder Robert H. Pierson to hundreds of people-Including the entire church
leadership attending the Annual Council, the General Conference staff, and
the employees of the Review. He saw that our denomination was rapidly moving
toward liberal and new theology errors, and, in this retirement speech, he
pled with the church's leaders not to let It happen. That was nearly two
decades ago. The terrible fruits that he predicted, we now live with. vf By ROBERT H. PIERSON This will be the last time that in my
present role I shall stand before the world leaders of my church, your
church, our church, and I have a few words to leave with you. I take my thoughts from something that
Elder and Mrs. Ralph Neall have
written describing how typically a sect evolves into a church. They say a
sect is often begun by a charismatic leader with tremendous drive and
commitment and that it arises as a protest against worldliness and formalism
in a church. It is generally embraced by the poor. The rich would lose too
much by joining it, since it is unpopular, despised, and persecuted by
society in general. It has definite beliefs firmly held by zealous members.
Each member makes a personal decision to join it and knows what he believes.
There is little organization or property, and there are few buildings. The group has strict standards and controls
on behavior. Preachers, often without education, arise by inner compulsion.
There is little concern about public relations. And then it passes on to the second
generation. With growth there comes a need for organization and buildings. As
a result of industry and frugality, members become prosperous. As prosperity
increases, persecution begins to wane. Children born into the movement do not
have to make personal decisions to join it. They do not necessarily know what
they believe. They do not need to hammer out their own positions. These have
been worked out for them. Preachers arise more by selection and by
apprenticeship to older workers than by direct inner compulsion. In the third generation, organization
develops and institutions are established. The need is seen for schools to
pass on the faith of the fathers. Colleges are established. Members have to be exhorted to live up to
the standards, while at the same time the standards of membership are being
lowered. The group becomes lax about disfellowshiping
nonpracticing members. Missionary zeal cools off.
There is more concern over public relations. Leaders study methods of
propagating their faith, sometimes employing extrinsic rewards as motivation
for service by the members. Youth question why they are different from
others, and intermarry with those not of their faith. In the fourth generation there is much
machinery; the number of administrators increases
while the number of workers at the grass-roots level becomes proportionately
less. Great church councils are held to define doctrine. More schools,
universities, and seminaries are established. These go to the world for
accreditation and tend to become secularized. There is a reexamination of
positions and modernizing of methods. Attention is given to contemporary
culture, with an interest in the arts: music, architecture, literature. The
movement seeks to become 'relevant" to contemporary society by becoming
involved with popular causes. Services become formal. The group enjoys completeacceptance by the world. The sect has become a
church! Brethren and sisters, this must never
happen to the But you are the men and women sitting in
this sanctuary this morning on whom God is counting
to assure that it does not happen. Already, brethren and sisters, there are
subtle forces that are beginning to stir. Regrettably there are those in the
church who belittle the inspiration of the total Bible, who scorn the first
11 chapters of Genesis, who question the Spirit of Prophecy's short chronology
of the age of the earth, and who subtly and not so subtly attack the Spirit
of Prophecy. There are some who point to the reformers and contemporary
theologians as a source and the norm for Seventh-day Adventist doctrine.
There are those who allegedly are tired of the hackneyed phrases of
Adventism. There are those who wish to forget the standards of the church we
love. There are those who covet and would court the favor of the
evangelicals; those who would throw off the mantle of a peculiar people; and
those who would go the way of the secular, materialistic world. Fellow leaders, beloved brethren and
sisters-don't let it happen! I appeal to you as earnestly as I know how this
morning-don't let it happen! I appeal to You are the men and women, the leaders,
whom God is counting on to keep the The servant of the Lord says, "Fearful
perils are before those who bear responsibilities in the Lord's work-perils
the thought of which makes me tremble."-Selected Messages, book
2, p. 391. And in Ezekiel 22:30 we read, '1 looked for a man among them who
could build up a barricade, who could stand before me in the breach to defend
the land from ruin" (N.E.B.). I believe this morning, fellow leaders, that God is looking for men and women, intrepid
leaders, men and women who love God's church and God's truth more than they
love their lives, to see that this church under God goes through to the
kingdom. The task ahead of us is not going to be easy. If I understand the
Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy aright this morning, ahead lies a time of
trouble, a time of challenge such as this church and this world have never
before known. The servant of the Lord tells us, 'The
enemy of souls has sought to bring in the supposition that a great
reformation was to take place among Seventh-day Adventists,and
that this reformation would consist in giving up the doctrines which stand as
the pillars of our faith, and engaging in a process of reorganization. Were this reformation to take place, what would result?
The principles of truth that God in His wisdom has given to the remnant church, would be discarded. Our religion would be changed.
The fundamental principles that have sustained the work for the last fifty
years would be ac counted as error. A new organization would be established.
Books of a new order would be written. A system of intellectual philosophy
would be introduced. The founders of this system would go into the cities,
and do a wonderful work. The Sabbath, of course, would be lightly regarded,
as also the God who created it. Nothing would be allowed to stand in the way
of the new movement. The leaders would teach that virtue is better than vice,
but God being removed, they would place their dependence on human power,
which, without God, is worthless."-Ibid., book 1, pp. 204, 205. The "God calls for men who are prepared to
meet emergencies, men who in a crisis will not be found standing on the wrong
side."-Ellen G. White, in Review and Herald, Nov. 5, 1903. "We are pressing on to the final
conflict, and this is no time to compromise. It is no time to hide your
colors. When the battle wages sore, Let no one turn traitor. It is no time to
lay down or conceal our weapons, and give Satan the
advantage in the warfare. "-Ibid.,
Dec. 6, 1892. And then I call attention to a vision the
Lord's servant had, in which she saw a ship heading toward an iceberg. She
said, "There, towering high above the ship, was
a gigantic iceberg. An authoritative voice cried out, 'Meet it!' There was
not a moment's hesitation. It was a time for instant action. The engineer put
on full steam, and the man at the wheel steered the ship straight into the
iceberg. With a crash she struck the ice. There was a fearful shock, and the
iceberg broke into many pieces, falling with a noise like thunder to the
deck. The passengers were violently shaken by the force of the collision, but
no lives were lost. The vessel was injured, but not beyond repair. She
rebounded from the contact, trembling from stem to stern, like a living
creature. Then she moved forward on her way. "Well I knew the meaning of this
representation. I had my orders. I had heard the words, like a voice from our
Captain, 'Meet it!' I knew what my duty was, and that there was not a moment
to lose. The time for decided action had come. I must without delay obey the
command, 'Meet it!' "-Selected Messages, book 1, pp. 205, 206. Fellow leaders, it may be that in the not
too distant future you will have to meet it. I pray God will give you grace
and courage and wisdom. Finally, "what a wonderful thought it
is that the great controversy is nearing its end! In the closing work we
shall meet with perils that we know not how to deal with; but let us not
forget that the three great powers of heaven are working, that a divine hand
is on the wheel, and that God will bring His purposes to pass. He will gather
from the world a people who will serve Him in righteous ness."-Ibid.,
book 2, p. 391. What a wonderful assurance we have this
morning, brethren and sisters, that you and I are in
God's work. This work is not dependent on any man; it is dependent on our
relationship with Him. There is only one way for us to face the future, and
that is at the foot of the cross. A church with its eyes upon the Man of
Calvary will never walk into apostasy. Thank you, brethren and sisters, for giving
me the privilege of serving you for the past 45 years, and may God bless
every one of you. Robert H. Pierson Review and Herald, October 26, 1978 |