This letter is written by Pastor Michael G. Coleman from Washingtonville, New York. It addresses the rush to judgment from Regional Conference presidents regarding Elder Wilson’s October 13 Sabbath Sermon in Battle Creek.
In that sermon, elder Wilson warned the SDA Church against replacing sacred music with secular music in worship. The warning is appropriate. He also warned our Church—as did Paul in Galatians 1:6-8—against replacing the Everlasting Gospel with another gospel—namely social justice ideology. Here are Elder’s Wilson’s statements:
“Don’t succumb to worldly and charismatic influences that seem to be infiltrating our church services by filling people’s minds with music that glorifies self rather than God. Let’s encourage our spiritual lives by keeping a song of praise to God in our hearts and singing strong hymns and other appropriate songs that lift us to heaven. Help fellow travelers on the narrow way to resist the urge to fasten faith onto the shifting sands of emotional confusion which lead away from solid, Bible truth. Instead, encourage church members to build a foundation upon the solid rock of God’s Word and establish ourselves on a clear “thus saith the Lord” and to “hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering.”
“There may be those who overemphasize social issues while downplaying or neglecting biblical truth and its relevance for today’s society. Yes, there are appropriate social issues we need to address, but always within the context of God’s last-day warning and never at the expense of the larger mission of proclaiming the three angels’ messages and Christ’s righteousness. Do not allow anything to overshadow God’s last-day message we have been commanded to proclaim.”
It appears that many of our black leaders reacted strongly to Elder Wilson’s appropo warnings regarding secular music and social justice ideology.
These corybantic accusations from Edmonds and Regional Conference Presidents prompted an open letter from Pastor Michael G. Coleman. Here is Pastor Coleman’s letter in its entirety:
Pastor Michael G. Coleman
“But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved” (Matthew 24:13).
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