The first week of August, the Texas Conference hosted a pastor’s retreat. This retreat was concurrent with the ASI Convention.
The speaker at the retreat was Karl Haffner from Loma Linda (he used to be pastor at the Kettering SDA Church in Dayton Ohio). There were several troubling things at the retreat, which are outlined in this courageous sermon by Pastor Damon Snead:
The music at the retreat was similar to a honky tonk with low lighting and a throbbing bass beat. This is liberal Adventism at its finest.
According to the above video, the speaker (Haffner) said that what makes Adventism great is community, not our health message or biblical truth or divine calling in the Three Angels’ Messages. He drew this conclusion from a Ted Talk, according to the aforementioned sermon.
We are told that Pastor Damon Snead is experiencing significant backlash from the Texas Conference for his courageous sermon. Apparently, there was a conference representative in the audience during the above sermon and he told the Texas conference about Snead’s sermon. This is what we are told,
Yes, he [Pastor Damon Snead] was called to the conference for a meeting with the president. He was placed on probation and told that he could not speak about these type of things anymore. Essentially he was threatened with termination.
Other sources inform us that the Texas Conference is turning into a liberal conference, similar to a west coast. Some parents are choosing to withdraw their children from Pathfinder events due to the conference bringing in ‘Christian rock bands’ from outside the church and a diminished spiritual environment at these events.
The weird communion rap episode occurred in Texas, too.
A quote from the above sermon @ 23:30:
“I remember a time when pastors were charged with our message at workers meetings not diversity and inclusion and racism and wokism.
I remember when the conference got together in the camp meetings, when we were charged with our distinctive message to the world. The proclamation of the first, second, and third Angel's message in context of the Heavenly sanctuary, that was our message to give to the world. The signs of the times, the nearness of Christ’s Return in Revelation 13. The righteousness of Christ that united together law and grace, all of those beautiful, wonderful themes that made it worth it to me as a Seventh-Day Adventist.
As beat down and as tired as we get I couldn’t wait to get up and go back to work tomorrow. That's what we used to hear. Listen to this,
In a special sense Seventh-day Adventists have been set in the world as watchmen and light bearers. To them has been entrusted the last warning for a perishing world. On them is shining wonderful light from the word of God. They have been given a work of the most solemn import—the proclamation of the first, second, and third angels’ messages. There is no other work of so great importance. They are to allow nothing else to absorb their attention. 9T 19.1
The most solemn truths ever entrusted to mortals have been given us to proclaim to the world. The proclamation of these truths is to be our work.
Where is that? Where is it anymore?”
Pray for this man, and thank God for his courage. And pray that Texas gets back on track!
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