Statement Voted Nov 17, 2019
Due to the official “warning” that was given to the Columbia Union Conference at the 2019 General Conference Annual Council as a result of following the action voted by the 2012 Columbia Union constituency to allow for “inclusive ministerial ordination” in the Columbia Union, and in light of the discussions on this issue that continue to take place in the Seventh-day Adventist Church, VOTED:
That the Columbia Union Conference Executive Committee affirms and expresses its unwavering support for:
The primacy of the Word of God, and its clarion call to fulfill the gospel commission;
The mission and fundamental beliefs of the Seventh-day Adventist Church and its prophetic role in proclaiming the Three Angels’ Messages;
The belief in the Prophet Joel’s prophecy and in the Apostle Paul’s proclamation that in the last days, men and women, filled with the Holy Spirit, will prophesy in Christ’s name;
The women pastors who, despite all odds, have accepted God’s call, and who, by policy, serve the Seventh-day Adventist Church as pastors, elders and leaders;
The courageous and commendable leadership of the Columbia Union Conference leadership team.
Our Response:
Why wouldn’t the Columbia Union executive committee rather say something like this?:
We acknowledge that we have caused disruption throughout the entire 21-million membership of the world Seventh-day Adventist Church. We apologize for our pride and ask the forgiveness of the world SDA Church. We will make a public apology at GC2020, and ask the Church for a renewed emphasis on the Three Angels’ Messages, to which we pledge our support. Thank you for hearing us, and we love each one of you.
They can’t make a statement like this, friends.
I’ve asked myself over the years, why is WO a hill worth dying on for this self pronounced progressive wing of the Church? Why don’t they—as did Paul in 2 Corinthians—say (paraphrased) “three times I pressed this question upon the entire Church, and I received the same answer all three times, “No.” I got the message now.”
I believe the answer is that there are tremendous destructive forces massed against the Judeo–Christian identity of the SDA Church, determined to bring it down. It is basically a revolutionary ideology which believes it can make all things new apart from the confirming witness of Scripture.
As with all revolutions, the old (conservative) order of the Adventist Church has to be brought to its knees before the new order can take control. That is why WO is such coveted turf by liberals in the Church, it symbolizes the conquest of this new order over the old order. The spoils of this conquest are the rich Adventist storehouses of our heritage, health message, and mission. The new order gets to redefine Adventism for those that are left.
By yielding to feminism and its resultant demolition of biblical dualism, these people will discover too late that they did change the Church—they destroyed it’s biblical foundation. The broken fragments of truth will rise up in the Judgment and condemn them.
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