October 3, 2016
Seminary Opposes Unity on Ordination Policy
October 3, 2016
Last week, we reported that, in preparation for the deliberations at Annual Council, the General Conference issued two documents relating to church unity and the need to follow policy agreed upon through normal processes of church government.
Now it appears that the seminary faculty are trying to insert themselves into the narrative. In a statement released on Friday, September 30, the faculty of the Seventh-day Adventist Seminary at Andrews University (or a majority thereof) call on the General Conference to re-examine the ecclesiology presented in the papers:
"We the faculty of the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary, affirm the biblical truth of church unity grounded in our worship of God, our common faith, our shared community, and our sense of mission. We have serious concerns about the recent document 'A Study of Church Governance and Unity' released by the General Conference and its portrayal of the nature and authority of the church. Further discussion by the church at large on this important ecclesiological issue is needed before such a document is adopted.” Voted September 30, 2016.
The statement does not say exactly what is wrong with the ecclesiology set out in the two papers, or what needs further discussion.
It is common knowledge, however, that a majority of the seminary faculty favor ordination of women. This statement appears to be a bid to impede the Annual Council from imposing any meaningful discipline on rebellious unions that continue to ordain women, despite multiple General Conference session votes confirming the present policy, which specifies that women are not to be ordained.
Mod •
It should be remembered that the seminary (a majority--not all) also tried to affect the outcome of the General Conference Session vote on women's ordination last year. We see how that worked out. Giving the pro-WO bias that exists in the seminary, I regard their protestations regarding the GC Secretariat documents as irrelevant.
The quickest way to Irrelevance? Go to Andrews and turn left.
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"Turn left" into Lake Michigan?
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So now the seminary profs are not only against the historical SDA ordination policy begun in the very first years of our church's existence but are now disputing the biblical authority of an organization to discipline it's own membership? Are these guys going mad? Does this new hermeneutic require the organization to destroy it's unity over a "non-salvational". church policy? Have none of them noticed what happened to all the other mainstream denominations who opened the doors for WO on the same basis? Do none of them recognize Christ's notation that a kingdom divided cannot stand? Do they simply want to shut the doors to all those other truth seekers (Muslims. Catholics, Evangelicals, Baptists, Mormons, JW's, ad infinitum) that still hold a male only pastoral belief? One of the most predominent evidences of the last days is lawlessness and not just regarding the Sabbath. For the GC to allow lawlessness to continue unabated in the name of unity is a death wish. What exactly is wrong with the church's approach to requiring world wide unity when a majority of it's members voted just that???
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The Adventist Seminary has been infiltrated by liberals/progressives and other secular influences for many decades, starting back in the 60's or earlier. This type of "going mad" is not surprising.
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Our church pastor is trying to lobby for women's ordination from the pulpit in our church. He also wants to ignore doctrine and "just focus on the gospel". This time I decided to investigate what the Bible has to say about it. Our doctrines and the teachings of the Bible that tell us who Jesus is. I found many references that showed that the gospel goes from Genesis to Revelation! I am encouraged that the church is taking steps to reign in these rebel conferences.
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Geni•
Maybe you should remind your pastor that "the gospel" is a doctrine. Doctrines are just teachings, and Jesus did a lot of teaching. John 3:16 is a doctrine.
The fact that he is fond of Leonard Sweet, along with some of the other things you mentioned, should be grounds to have him defrocked. Rather than focusing on the Gospel, he is working against it. Our marching orders are contained in the 3 angels' messages, which contain the "everlasting gospel." As is obvious from a careful reading of that passage in Revelation, the "everlasting gospel" encompasses a lot of doctrine (or teaching, if you will).
I hope you can find others of like mind as yourself, and press together for encouragement and strength. Resist the false teachings of your pastor in Christian love.
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Several of us have tried! He has become incredibly hateful toward us as a group and has become more defiant about his agenda. The Oregon Conference is aware of him but he so far seems to be able to spin things in his favor. 30 years ago he'd have been looking for other employment but not so much anymore. We all pray that he will return to the truth... There's a group of about 25 or so of us who are able to regularly fellowship together who are pretty much like minded. For awhile before the conference got involved we were banned from meeting for prayer meeting on church property!
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Geni•
Wow! The Conference is shirking its duty. He needs to be reigned in.
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Welcome to the Left Coast!
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Guess I live in a bubble here. Good pastor, no heresies preached from our pulpit (although one does not have to travel too far to encounter them). When I departed from the Left Coast 35 years ago, it was not like that. Ford's heresies had not yet done widespread damage. If I didn't believe that God was still in control of His church, it would be discouraging.
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God still has islands of truth out here. Sac Central and Granite Bay are just two of them.
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Don't know but I think there may be conference officials who are in agreement with his agenda and so support him. Or maybe he hasn't totally crossed the line. Difficult to tell.
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Geni•
What "line" does he have to cross to get any discipline? Kiss the Pope's ring? Start having church on Sunday? Using fermented wine for Communion?
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Crossing the line in my thinking would be to put himself totally beyond restoration by God. I believe that God strives long and hard to save those who have set themselves on such a path. Maybe He is still trying to work with him.
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Geni•
Nope. 1 Corinthians 5:5 To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.
The purpose of church discipline, even disfellowshipping, is restorative - to bring those who God can still save back to him, before it's too late.
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Geni•
So the conference guys should wait until someone is "totally beyond restoration by God" to discipline a pastor? Sounds like that would be WAY TOO late! Isn't that what the SCC did in the Ryan Bell fiasco?
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Mod Geni •
There are a lot of pastors like yours in our church these days. Where are they coming from? The seminary.
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Ours has been a SDA pastor for 35 years. Somewhere along the way he has been corrupted...
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Geni•
We have a young associate pastor who attended a "One Project" seminar in Boulder, Co. He has NOT been the same since he came back. Always seems to be talking about "Pavlov's bell" or something like that.
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One Project is a spawn of George Fox University theology - Leonard Sweet indoctrination. Sweet is an invited guest lecturer at One Project events. Without apology, Sweet states that he is part of a “New Light movement” and he describes those he especially admires as “New Light leaders.” Sweet advances his “church renewal” theory emphasizing the importance of rereading scriptures within the context of current culture.
One project co-founder, Tim Gillespie’s disturbing definition of Present Truth, expressed at a recent gathering, is “perpetuating changing theology. He further stated the persuit of present truth requires following insights:
"To remain fresh we must be fed from many streams."
"Streams must flow both ways."
“Others must feed our truth."
"We must go beyond our denomination. (continuing sarcastically) “Anybody tired of talking to themselves?"
He has an earned Doctor of Ministry in Semiotics and Future Studies from George Fox U. Semiotics and Future Studies Doctor of Ministry (DMin) track of the Leadership in the Emerging Culture DMin program with Lead Mentor, Dr. Leonard (Len) Sweet.
2 Timothy 4:3, 4. "For the time is coming when people will not put up with sound doctrine, but having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own desires, (v4) and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander away to myths."
Even though we were once "The people of the Book", in the Laodicean condition even we are susceptible to deception. Subtleties that may deceive even the very elect?
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Geni•
35 years ago was about 1981? Plenty of liberals at Andrews in those days.
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Mod Ron Stone M.D. •
Gerhard Hasel did a good job of reforming the Seminary. May God raise up another one like him.
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Does anyone know how this statement was produced? Maybe someone from the Seminary?
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Walla Walla
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Geni•
WW is probably the worst "Adventist" college in America right now, with La Sierra right behind, PUC next, and then Andrews.
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Many of our recent leaders are coming from George Fox University. Mentored by Leonard Sweet. Either directly or through his writings where he Teaches Spiritual Formation and the birth of a "New Spirituality". Some SDA pastors and church leaders agree with these teachings.
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They are out there in those "large parts" mention in a previous post.
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Aren't some coming from La Sierra? Guys like Jared Wright?
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Geni•
Is this guy's gospel, "Jesus. All?"
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Doctrines are irrelevant; "the gospel" is all that matters... He is fond of authors as Dallas Willard, Leonard Sweet, etc. and has tried to introduce our congregation to the Eucharist as well. He is on the wrong side of the old Ford controversy as well. He baptizes people in the river near us but not into our church. and on and on...
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Mod Geni •
your pastor is a mystic. The men you list--Dallas Willard, Leonard Sweet--are mystics and leaders in the emerging church movement, which is Satan's vehicle to bring heresies like one-ism and universalism into the church, and make the Scriptures of none effect.