There was a fear in 1991 that these private organizations represented a serious challenge to the authority of the SDA church and would replace the General Conference of Seventh Day Adventists. By 1991 they represented a serious threat to the General Conference and Neil Wilson was seen as the "anti-Christ" and Lord knows he earned the title. In 1995 we know that he was set aside and Robert Folkenburg replaced him, despite the "Re-coronation" having already prepped for the presses at the Review and Herald. His heirarchal instincts simply gained more enemies than friends over time. He was best described as a political animal and reveled with his son, "Ted", in the direct confrontation with Folkenburg over his "vatican bank" ties. In the political world, what comes around, goes around!!! Ted now faces hi Waterloo.
By 1991 many independent ministries were largely calling for revival and reformation in their various ways. They organized many separate and independent meetings including "camp meetings" and spent much time exposing the erroneous ways of Wilson Sr, a man I had little respect for as he used litigation and subscribed openly to Heirarchal Authority. Many independents certainly went the route of separationism, including many Home Churches, even organized Congregational groups purported to believe SDA beliefs. There were instances where some separationists actually attempted to Hi-Jack organized SDA churches and congregations.
However, at a critical point in the movement, late spring of 1992 I believe, a clear challenge to the organized church leadership, largely viewed as apostate and corrupt, was launched by three very specific ministries (John Osborne, John Grossball and Danny Viera) as they joined together and declared the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists and the Divisions, Unions and Conferences "BABYLON" and was clearly the turning point in the struggle and viewed as the apogee of independence movement.
Our Firm Foundation and Hartland Institute did not participate in the Babylonian allegations and in fact preached against it, but the Leadership could not stand the scrutiny and call for revival and reformation and the two were lumped into the five major rebellion leaders in a Book written largely by Liberal Theologians at Andrews and titled "Issues...Certain Independent Ministries" a book that Dr Ralph and Dr Jeanne Larsen responded to quite elegantly. Revivalists, whether loyal to the church or not, were seen as dissidents and I proudly counted myself amongst them. However, we did fight vigorously against separationism and encouraged the various groups in our territory to stay with the church and seek revival and reformation within the church. We did manage to take over one ministry and kept in the straight and narrow and included retired pastors, elders and a variety of others formed into a 30 person board. We did hold a meeting based on revival and reformation one week-end each month and utilized elders on a "Platform Committee" that vetted all speakers. And we worked vigilantly to keep other independent ministries from separating from the church.
We also worked hard to replace heirarchal authority with develop the impossible responsive conference and Union leadership, but the cardinals have their advantages. He did blunt and even "overthrow" leaders on occasion, only to be followed by worse than we started with. C'est la vie!!!
I will also admit to challenging church entities directly on open and notorious wrongdoing and thus the creation of what became the Atlantic Union Reporter (at one point it was spoofed as the Atlantic Union Cleaner -Our Union paper was the Atlantic Union Gleaner).
Over time, we began to deal with issues extra-territorially, including issues at Hartland Institute and or course 3ABN.
Point is: Well, it took many years of vigorous confrontation but after doing a comprehensive read of EG White, including the Unpublished Testimonies, etc, I came to understand that human conniving and cunning is not the answer and that she made it clear the history we have seen was to be...and she made it clear that at some point the Lord will manifest His Power within the church, revival and reformation will result and the Loud Cry Message will be given. BUT, we are to stand firm on principle, to pull together, to uphold the Pioneer Biblical Standards, to share our Faith and Message and to stay the course he has laid out for us.
WE ARE NOT TO STRAY FROM THE BIBLE AS THE STANDARD OF FAITH.
Gailon Arthur Joy
AUReporter
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I understand Johann's position, but, the World Church has spoken clearly and concisely and private opinion MUST BE SET ASIDE to nurture the unity of Faith essential to a unity in the Spirit. In the alternative, the Lord will manifest His Power within the church and there will be a massive falling away as the crisis grows. The true REMNANT will be ALL that is left once that Power has been fully manifested and it most certainly will occur with or without our cooperation.
I implore EVERYONE to carefully consider the implications of this open rebellion and recognize it may well be the beginning of the false reformation, the sifting and a part of the Omega of Apostasy. YOU DO NOT WANT TO BE ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THIS BIBLICAL STANDARD!!! NOR DO YOU WANT TO BE IN REBELLION TO THE SPIRIT OF THE GODHEAD!!!
Gailon Arthur Joy
AUReporter
Somehow this reminds me of my personal meeting with Ted Wilson's father 20-30 years ago when he seemed clearly to classify the Heartland and Our Firm Foundation people as open rebels, and he saw to it that they were not classified as Adventists with whom the Church was willing to cooperate with. We, as Adventist workers, received a number of warnings from the GC not to cooperate with those rebels and heretics.
In spite of those warnings, I attended some of their meetings and I read all of the reading material I found scattered around in our churches - from them.
Somehow the SDA church survived the crisis. Is the Lord somewhere else these days?
You asked me to provide some text from Scripture or EGW which supported the ordination of women. I did. You never responded. Why?
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Topic: A call for the DISBANDING of a rebellious Columbia Union Conference (Read 18888 times)
