The church has employed an elaborate strategy and public relations nightmare to obscure the real reasons behind why Pastor Ron Kelly was terminated from pastoring the Village Seventh-day Adventist Church. Many times, smokescreens divert attention from the true motivations. This is often done to avoid the backlash that will certainly come if the truth should come out. Tragically, the roundabout approach used to fire Pastor Kelly was intended to control the narrative, deflect criticism, and minimize scrutiny.
What happened to Pastor Kelly was not part of the plan. He became an unintended consequence. The real target was Pastor Conrad Vine, and Pastor Kelly became collateral damage for being his friend and for trying to give Pastor Vine a fair and just treatment. Kelly’s decision to align with Vine made him a secondary target.
The truth, if we are willing to accept it, is that the General Conference and the Michigan Conference have collaborated to implement one of the harshest forms of ostracism in modern history. The goal is not just to prevent Pastor Conrad Vine from speaking or participating within the Adventist community, but to cut off all of his support systems, isolate him, and undermine his sense of belonging to the church family.
This is exactly what Pastor Vine expressed during an exchange he had with Michigan Conference President Jim Micheff during the Sunday town hall meeting at the Village Seventh-day Adventist Church on Sunday, December 8, 2024.
Pastor Conrad Vine expressed the following:
• “The cancel culture in the church is behind the scenes; it’s quite on course; it’s knifing you in the back when you least expect it. On Friday afternoon, I received a call from the secretary of the Atlantic Union stating that until they made a vote, unless I paid financial restitution to the officers of the General Conference and apologized publicly, I was banned from all Adventist pulpits in the Atlantic Union. I asked them if that includes a private camp meeting. He said, ‘Yes.’ I said, does that include if I visit friends for Thanksgiving and give a Friday vespers in their home—is that an Adventist pulpit? He said, ‘We have counseled with the General Conference legal counsel, and they are saying any gathering of Adventists, formal or informal, is now an Adventist pulpit. I received a letter two months ago from the British Columbia President using the same language: ‘You are banned from meeting, from being in any formal or informal gathering of Seventh-day Adventists. So when we talk about formal pulpit, the General Conference legal counsel is defining it in my case; I cannot visit brother Bacchiocchi on Friday night and speak for 5 minutes. This is absurd beyond imagination. You talk about me causing people to lose trust in the world church? I served on the front lines. I lost hearing in my left ear because bullets were fired by my head to intimidate me by the Taliban. I’ve buried my friends in the mission field. I didn’t see you guys out there. You dwell in beautiful offices, but on the front lines, where it’s just you and the enemy, literally, I don’t see any of the beautiful people in the beautiful offices. When I came back from Afghanistan, I asked the division, ‘Why did you send me there?’ They said, ‘You’re young, single, and expendable.’ I bear the scars in my body and my love for Jesus Christ, and I love this church. And the church is engaging in cancel culture. They trample on our liberty of conscience. They issued a statement on January 30, 2022, affirming their right to make such statements, and they will not discuss this legitimate grievance on the part of the members. And until the church addresses this legitimate grievance on the part of the members, there will be a schism in our church. We do not accept the right of men in a distant office to unilaterally withdraw our right to act in harmony with the convictions of the Holy Spirit upon our conscience. And because I keep saying this fundamental truth, the church hierarchy is intent on destroying me. Your ban in Michigan is just one among many bans that are in place right now. And those bans include me not speaking to him in his home if he lives in New England. So your discussion about what the pulpit is and everybody knows what the pulpit is, you just said speaking from the front is not how the General Conference legal council is defining it right now” (Video).
This was a “Martin Luther moment” in Adventism. This was a bold, principled stand against injustice, corruption, and falsehoods, even at great personal risk. Such a moment involves confronting our leaders whenever needed with courage, integrity, and a deep commitment to truth, often in pursuit of reform or greater justice.
This is a moment that must lead to a turning point where conviction outweighs fear, leading to transformative action. This is not a time for apathy and silence. Pastor Vine is being selectively targeted in an apparent effort to cancel and erase him from Adventism, and Pastor Ron Kelly has been fired by the Michigan Conference for what appears to be unjust and politically motivated reasons, yet the Village Church has taken a bold stand and has shown its support by calling for his reinstatement as their senior pastor. [1]
Will we stand idly by in the face of injustice? Whenever Adventists fail to stand up for our fellow believers who are being oppressed, marginalized, or persecuted, they ultimately leave themselves vulnerable to the same fate. Injustice in the church threatens justice everywhere, even if it doesn’t directly affect us. Our silence enables this oppression to continue. Action—however small—can make a difference in protecting liberty of conscience.
The Seventh-day Adventist Church stands at a crossroads: will it uphold its Protestant heritage of defending religious liberty and liberty of conscience, or will it continue to engage in cancel culture, political maneuvering, and authoritarian tactics reminiscent of the papal methods it once opposed? This issue is not between the Michigan Conference and Pastor Vine. It encompasses even more than just religious liberty. We are talking about the identity and future of Adventism. Are we still Protestant Seventh-day Adventists, or will we transition to Roman Catholic Adventists?
Our historical identity is rooted in the principles of Protestantism, which is expressed in freedom and an unwavering commitment to truth, yet recent trends suggest a troubling shift. If Adventists allow themselves to be entangled in divisive politics and punitive social practices, they risk compromising their prophetic mission and alienating those they seek to serve. The choice is clear—either recommit to the values that once set the denomination apart as a champion of conscience and liberty or continue down a path towards Rome by engaging in oppressive measures, manipulation, and malice.
“That night I dreamed that I was in Battle Creek [former General Conference headquarters] looking out from the side glass at the door and saw a company marching up to the house, two and two. They looked stern and determined. I knew them well and turned to open the parlor door to receive them, but thought I would look again. The scene was changed. The company now presented the appearance of a Catholic procession. One bore in his hand a cross, another a reed. And as they approached, the one carrying a reed made a circle around the house, saying three times: ‘This house is proscribed. The goods must be confiscated. They have spoken against our holy order.’ Terror seized me, and I ran through the house, out of the north door, and found myself in the midst of a company, some of whom I knew, but I dared not speak a word to them for fear of being betrayed. I tried to seek a retired spot where I might weep and pray without meeting eager, inquisitive eyes wherever I turned. I repeated frequently: ‘If I could only understand this! If they will tell me what I have said or what I have done!’ … My husband, who was sleeping in a bed in the same room, heard me weeping aloud and awoke me. My pillow was wet with tears, and a sad depression of spirits was upon me. (Testimonies, Vol. 1, pp. 577-578).
Please contact Michigan Conference President Jim Micheff and ask him to stop the unjustifiable persecution of faithful Seventh-day Adventist pastors and to reinstate both Pastor Kelly and Pastor Vine to the positions they have faithfully served in the church. And after he has done so, ask him to do the right thing and step down for causing a scandal in the church and betraying the confidence that should be shared between laity and leaders. President Micheff can be reached at the following:
Email: jmicheff@misda.org
Phone: 517-316-1500
Sources
[1] https://villagesda.org/letter-to-the-mi-conference/
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A “king” without people has no power. Just go para-church or unite to Free 7th Day Adventist Church. Do not support in any way those bullies.
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Said Christ to His disciples, “Ye are the light of the world.” [Matthew 5:14.] God has a church. It is not the great cathedral, neither is it the national establishment, neither is it the various denominations; it is the people who love God and keep His commandments. “Where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them.” [Matthew 18:20.] Where Christ is even among the humble few, this is Christ’s church, for the presence of the high and holy One who inhabiteth eternity can alone constitute a church. Where two or three are present who love and obey the commandments of God, Jesus there presides; let it be in the desolate place of the earth, in the wilderness, in the city enclosed in prison walls.” 4LtMs Ltr 108, 1886, par 17
Free SDA church? They have their numerous midiocracy too.
Pray earnestly & Christ will spew out those who are lukewarm from leaders to the pew
These wolves will not spare the flock. It won’t stop here. The root goes too deep. However I have done my part to contact him. Just don’t expect the enemy to give up what he has now acquired. The Lord will permit the sins of the church to be fully manifested that we may realize the degradation of the church condition. The sins must be exposed and repented of. We must all individually repent of our own sins.
Ezekiel 9 on the stage.
Let’s stay faithfull it’s time for Acts of Apostles.
Here in Malawi President of SDA is doing earthly politics but noone is speaking about it.
If you want videos & images contact me
Amen.
A Final Appeal
by R.H. Pierson
This will be the last time that in my present role I shall stand before the world leaders of my church, your church, our church, and I have a few words to leave with you.
I take some of my thoughts from material that Pastor and Mrs. Ralph Neall have written describing how typically a sect evolves into a church. They say a sect is often begun by a charismatic leader with tremendous drive and commitment and that it arises as a protest against worldliness and formalism in a church. It is generally embraced by the poor. The rich would lose too much by joining it, since it is unpopular, despised, and persecuted by society in general. It has definite beliefs firmly held by zealous members. Each member makes a personal decision to join it and knows what he believes. There is little organization or property, and there are few buildings. The group has strict standards and controls on behavior. Preachers, often without education, arise by inner compulsion. There is little concern about public relations.
And then it passes on to the second generation. With growth there comes a need for organization and buildings. As a result of industry and frugality, members become prosperous. As prosperity in creases, persecution begins to wane. Children born into the movement do not have to make personal decisions to join it. They do not necessarily know what they believe. They do not need to hammer out their own positions. These have been worked out for them. Preachers arise more by selection and by apprenticeship to older workers than by direct inner compulsion.
In the third generation, organization develops and institutions are established. The need is seen for schools to pass on the faith of the fathers. Colleges are established. Members have to be exhorted to live up to the standards, while at the same time the standards of membership are being lowered. The group becomes lax about disfellowshiping nonpracticing members. Missionary zeal cools off. There is more concern over public relations. Leaders study methods of propagating their faith, sometimes employing extrinsic rewards as motivation for service by the members. Youth question why they are different from others, and intermarry with those not of their faith.
In the fourth generation there is much machinery; the number of administrators increases while the number of workers at the grass-roots level becomes proportionately less. Great church councils are held to define doctrine. More schools, universities, and seminaries are established. These go to the world for accreditation and tend to become secularized. There is a reexamination of positions and modernizing of methods. Attention is given to contemporary culture, with an interest in the arts: music, architecture, literature. The movement seeks to become “relevant” to contemporary society by becoming involved with popular causes. Services become formal. The group enjoys complete acceptance by the world. The sect has become a church!
Brethren and sisters, this must never happen to the Seventh-day Adventist Church! This will not happen to the Seventh-day Adventist Church. This is not just another church—it is God’s church!
But you are the men and women sitting in this sanctuary this morning on whom God is counting to assure that it does not happen.
Already, brethren and sisters, there are subtle forces that are beginning to stir. Regrettably there are a few in the church who belittle the inspiration of the total Bible, who question the first 11 chapters of Genesis, who challenge the Spirit of Prophecy’s short chronology of the Bible and who subtly and not so subtly attack the Spirit of Prophecy. There are some who point to the reformers and contemporary theologians as a source and a norm for Seventh-day Adventist doctrine. There are those who allegedly are tired of the hackneyed phrases of Adventism. There are those who wish to forget the standards of the church we love. There are those who covet and would court the favor of Christian bodies around them; those who would throw off the mantle of a peculiar people; and those who would go the way of the secular, materialistic world.
Fellow leaders, beloved brethren and sisters—don’t let it happen! I appeal to you as earnestly as I know how this morning don’t let it happen! I appeal to Andrews University, to the Seminary, to Loma Linda University—don’t let it happen! We are Seventh-day Adventists! Let us remain Seventh-day Adventists! This is God’s last church with God’s last message!
You are the men and women, the leaders, whom God is counting on to keep the Seventh-day Adventist Church God’s remnant church, the church God has destined to triumph!
The servant of the Lord says, “Fearful perils are before those who bear responsibilities in the Lord’s work—perils the thought of which makes me tremble.” —Selected Messages, book 2, p. 391. And in Ezekiel 22:30 we read, “I looked for a man among them who could build up a barricade, who could stand before me in the breach to defend the land from ruin” (N.E.B.).
I believe this morning, fellow leaders, that God is looking for men and women, intrepid leaders, men and women who love God’s church and God’s truth more than they love their lives, to see that this church under God goes through to the kingdom. The task ahead of us is not going to be easy. If I understand the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy aright this morning, ahead lies a time of trouble, a time of challenge such as this church and this world have never before known.
The servant of the Lord tells us, “The enemy of souls has sought to bring in the supposition that a great reformation was to take place among Seventh-day Adventists, and that this reformation would consist in giving up the doctrines which stand as the pillars of our faith, and engaging in a process of reorganization. Were this reformation to take place, what would result? The principles of truth that God in His wisdom has given to the remnant church, would be dis carded. Our religion would be changed. The fundamental principles that have sustained the work for the last fifty years would be accounted as error. A new organization would be established. Books of a new order would be written.
A system of intellectual philosophy would be introduced. The founders of this system would go into the cities, and do a wonderful work. The Sabbath, of course, would be lightly regarded, as also the God who created it. Nothing would be allowed to stand in the way of the new movement. The leaders would teach that virtue is better than vice, but God being removed, they would place their dependence on human power, which, without God, is worthless.” —Ibid., book 1, pp. 204, 205.
The Seventh-day Adventist Church had its alpha years ago. You and I are the leaders who may well face the omega that will be of the same subtle, devilish origin. Its effect will be more devastating than the alpha. Brethren, I beg of you, study, pray, be aware of what is ahead, then with God’s help prepare yourselves and your people to meet it!
“God calls for men who are prepared to meet emergencies, men who in a crisis will not be found standing on the wrong side.” —Ellen G. White, in Review and Herald, Nov. 5, 1903.
“We are pressing on to the final conflict, and this is no time to compromise. It is no time to hide your colors. When the battle wages sore, let no one turn traitor. It is no time to lay down or conceal our weapons, and give Satan the advantage in the warfare.” —Ibid., Dec. 6, 1892.
And then I call attention to a vision the Lord’s servant had, in which she saw a ship heading toward an iceberg. She said, “There, towering high above the ship, was a gigantic iceberg. An authoritative voice cried out, ‘Meet it!’ There was not a moment’s hesitation. It was a time for instant action. The engineer put on full steam, and the man at the wheel steered the ship straight into the iceberg. With a crash she struck the ice. There was a fearful shock, and the iceberg broke into many pieces, falling with a noise like thunder to the deck. The passengers were violently shaken by the force of the collision, but no lives were lost. The vessel was injured, but not beyond repair. She rebounded from the contact, trembling from stem to stern, like a living creature. Then she moved forward on her way.
“Well I knew the meaning of this representation. I had my orders. I had heard the words, like a voice from our Captain, ‘Meet it!’ I knew what my duty was, and that there was not a moment to lose. The time for decided action had come. I must without delay obey the command, ‘Meet it!’ ” —Selected Messages, book 1, pp. 205, 206.
Fellow leaders, it may be that in the not too distant future you will have to meet just such a challenge. I pray God’ will give you grace and courage and wisdom.
Finally, “what a wonderful thought it is that the great controversy is nearing its end! In the closing work we shall meet with perils that we know not how to deal with; but let us not forget that the three great powers of heaven are working, that a divine hand is on the wheel, and that God will bring His purposes to pass. He will gather from the world a people who will serve Him in righteousness.” —Ibid., book 2, p. 391.
What a wonderful assurance we have this morning, brethren and sisters, that you and I are in God’s work. This work is not dependent on any man; it is dependent on our relationship with Him. There is only one way for us to face the future, and that is at the foot of the cross. A church with its eyes upon the Man of Calvary will never walk into apostasy.
Thank you, brethren and sisters, for giving me the privilege of serving you for the past 45 years, and may God bless every one of you.
https://www.ministrymagazine.org/archive/1978/12/from-the-editor
Good morning, greetings from Mexico, I want to ask a question, is President TED WILSON supporting this pastor of the MICHIGAN conference, Jim Micheff? Why does this affect the World Church? Why not ask for the DISMISSAL OF THE ENTIRE LEADERSHIP OF THE GENERAL CONFERENCE AS WELL, because I believe that is where the main mousetrap is, there is TED WILSON, GANOUNE DIOP, MARK FINLEY and the rest, who although they do not come out to speak much, I imagine are supporting all this, because their silence says it all, at least there in the United States we are seeing that many are defending Pastor CONRAD VINE AND KELLY and that is very good, here in Mexico they erase and the matter is worse because Ted Wilson is respected as if he were THE VOICE OF GOD, I believe that we are going through a terrible SHAKING, blessings to all.
buenos dias,saludos desde Mexico,,quiero hacer una pregunta el presidente TED WILSON esta apollando a este pastor de la conferencia de MICHIGAN Jim Micheff? Porque esto afecta ala Iglesia Mundial? porque no se pide la DESTITUCION DE TODO EL LIDERASGO DE LA CONFERENCIA GENERAL TAMBIEN porque creo que alli esta la ratonera principal, esta TED WILO, GANOUNE DIOP, MARK FINLEY y el resto que aunque no sale a hablar mucho me imagino estan apollando todo esto,pues su silencio dice todo, a lo menos alla en Estados unidos estamos viendo que muchos estan defendiendo al Pastor CONRAD VINE Y KELLY y eso esta muy bien, aca en Mexico borran y esta peor el asunto porque a Ted wilson lo respetan como si fuera LA VOZ DE DIOS,,creo que estamos pasando un ZARANDEO terrible,, ,bendiciones a todos.
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I have been so shocked by the treatment Pastors Conrad Vine and Ron Kelly are receiving. It breaks my heart to see our church doing such things. These two pastors are among my favorite speakers to listen too. What this dismissal is doing for me is: I want to hear what they have to say even more. And I believe that is the case for many of our church members. I do believe that soon, those responsible for this cancel culture business will be cancelled themselves. They may be praying about it all but it isn’t our God in heaven who is guiding them to do such business. Remember, there are two forces at war since Lucifer sinned. “By their fruits ye shall know them.”
Reading this filled me with so much discouragement for the Church. UNTIL, I read Maranatha July 14, page 203. So I would like to post this and encourage anyone else who might remotely feel the same feelings to please read that. The Holy Spirit will comfort your soul when you do.
God bless Pastor Kelly, Conrad Vine & His remnant church.
Let’s be wise and take the time to think what’s going here. We know that all of this was predicted by God. These leading men in these conference know that they have no right or authority to ban bro Conrad from speaking anywhere he’s invited or he himself choose to speak. All of this rhetoric and threats with legal teams and censoring are not threats to Bro Conrad alone, but they are threats to create fear to anyone – any member or church who decides to invite bro Conrad. Because, what can really do? They can’t stop Bro Conrad from speaking. This is possibly why Pastor Kelly was fired for his position on Conrad just as bro Andy stated in this article. They are trying to set an example through intimidating. So this maybe where they will look to put you out of the synagogues.
“1 These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended. 2 They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service. 3 And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me. 4 But these things have I told you, that when the time shall come, ye may remember that I told you of them. And these things I said not unto you at the beginning, because I was with you. ”
John 16:1-4 KJV
This information must spread like wild fire to the world church as we go through the shaking. Please share, share, share, especially the goodbye speech made by RH Pearson as General Conference president, when he stepped down for health reasons. ( This is found in the shared comments)
I just wanted to state a few things in regards to the controversy regarding Ron Kelly and Conrad Vine. First of all, I was a regular follower of The Village SDA Church until Pastor Ron Kelly responded to the Conrad Vine issue. I had previously commented that this response was not one that stood steadfastly for Conrad Vine and freedom of conscious, but one that sought the middle ground; I believe that this was a miscalculation on Pastor Kelly’s part. Honestly, disappointed, I unsubscribed from the channel. However, I felt that Conrad Vine was supportive of his friend not wishing him to suffer the same loss as he. Then, this controversy arose and I immediately knew that Pastor Ron Kelly was forced to choose. I was glad to see that he indeed stood up for Pastor Vine and freedom of conscious. I was more than appalled at the treatment of Pastor Ron Kelly by the Michigan conference, but not all at surprised. I am more than grateful for the response of several of our leaders in support of Pastor Kelly as well as the supportive members of the Village church. However, we need to remember that this episode is is just symptom of the issue that has been percolating for years over the mandate issue. I hope that Pastor Kelly is indeed reinstated as he should be. It is important that this reinstatement come with no conditions; I can see the conference saying something like “ you can come back if you …”; this would be unacceptable and could put us back right where we started. If this reinstatement occurs, we need to press on and push for the reinstatement of Conrad Vine as well as the elimination of the ADCOM reaffirmation statement. Until we deal with the heart of the issue, we will continue to suffer collateral damage possibly in the cost of souls. Responsibility for this schism lies directly at the feet of Ted Wilson who refused to handle the matter with transparency and fidelity. Pastor Ted Wilson, it is time to right this wrong and steer this church into the direction of freedom of conscious seeing that the test of worship is right upon us. The church may have failed the first test but failing the second is not optional! May God have mercy on our souls. Maranatha!
It strikes me as no coincidence that Elder Vine is facing censorship given that he played an instrumental role in helping put together a practical SDA deliverance ministry manual in 2018 (www.setfreeinchrist.org) and speaks boldly on the subject. Few SDA pastors address this issue but it is very real and now we are witnessing attempts to cancel and discredit Elder Vine by our church leadership. The devil is very cunning and we must never forget who the real enemy is. Ephesians 6:12
Any fair-minded, impartial person cannot help but be moved by Dr. Vine’s account of the gross injustice that has been inflicted upon him by policy-minded church officials at local, union, division and General Conference levels with increasing intensity, in order to silence and break him. The manner in which this is being done — even seeking to deprive Dr. Vine, through General Conference legal counsel, of his God-given right to converse with a group of fellow believers in a private setting, claiming that is also a pulpit from which he cannot speak — represents ecclesiastical intimidation of a type that true Bible-believing Christians faced during the Dark Ages. The servant of the Lord was unsparing in her rebuke of this papal-like spirit:
“When men who profess to serve God ignore His parental character and depart from honour and righteousness in dealing with their fellowmen, Satan exults, for he has inspired them with his attributes. They are following in the track of Romanism.” Special Testimonies, Series A, Number 9, p. 19
“The great and holy and merciful God will never be in league with dishonest practices; not a single touch of injustice will He vindicate. Men have taken unfair advantage of those whom they supposed to be under their jurisdiction. They were determined to bring the individuals to their terms; they would rule or ruin. There will be no material change until a decided movement is made to bring in a different order of things.” Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, p. 360
Pastor Robert H. Pierson, General Conference President from June 1966 to January 1979, was absolutely right when he wrote that arbitrary rule within the denomination contributes to the spirit of insubordination afflicting both laity and leadership —
“Some of us as pastors, church officers, and administrators should prayerfully consider whether we are guilty of sowing seeds of insubordination in the hearts of fellow leaders or church members by conducting our work as dictators:
“‘The highhanded power that has been developed, as though position has made men gods, makes me afraid, and ought to cause fear. It is a curse wherever and by whomsoever it is exercised. This lording it over God’s heritage will create such a disgust of man’s jurisdiction that a state of insubordination will result’ (Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, p, 361).
“The Lord has placed us among His people as shepherds, never as dictators.” Review and Herald, December 13, 1973
There is enormous danger to the eternal salvation of those men who exercise such arbitrary power which God has not bestowed upon them:
“I write thus fully, because I have been shown that ministers and people are tempted more and more to trust in finite man for wisdom, and to make flesh their arm. To conference presidents, and men in responsible places, I bear this message: Break the bands and fetters that have been placed upon God’s people. To you the word is spoken, ‘Break every yoke.’ Unless you cease the work of making man amenable to man, unless you become humble in heart, and yourselves learn the way of the Lord as little children, the Lord will divorce you from His work. We are to treat one another as brethren, as fellow laborers, as men and women who are, with us, seeking for light and understanding of the way of the Lord, and who are jealous for His glory.
“God declares, ‘I will be glorified in My people;’ but the self-confident management of men has resulted in putting God aside, and accepting the devisings of men. If you allow this to continue, your faith will soon become extinct. God is in every place, beholding the conduct of the people who profess to represent the principles of His word. He asks that a change be made. He wants His people to be moulded and fashioned, not after man’s ideas, but after the similitude of God. I entreat of you to search the Scriptures as you have never yet searched them that you may know the way and will of God. Oh, that every soul might be impressed with this message, and put away the wrong!” Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, pp. 480, 481
The Seventh-day Adventist Church has seen exhibitions of “cancel culture” flung against faithful men of God for many years before the term was even invented:
— against M.L. Andreasen, who bravely endured the wrath of General Conference leadership in the late 1950s when he, in his “Letters to the Churches,” raised legitimate concerns regarding several major doctrinal errors which were printed by the Review and Herald Publishing Association in “Questions on Doctrine” (following the Barnhouse-Martin Evangelical Conferences)
— against Colin and Russell Standish, who wrote and preached extensively pertaining to the dangers of compromise and apostasy within the denomination from the 1970s till their deaths, receiving much opposition from church leadership in Australia, the United States and western Europe who were greatly sympathetic to the New Theology teachings of Dr. Desmond Ford, Jack Sequira, and other like-minded ministers
— against Ron Spear, who unfailingly called for revival and reformation in his sermons, articles, books and that flagship magazine, “Our Firm Foundation”, irking church leaders who disapproved and detested his straight testimonies;
— against Austin Cooke, the New Zealander who unsparingly urged members to reject the New Theology, who was unjustly brought before church discipline in 1989 at the Avondale Memorial Church in Cooranbong, New South Wales, Australia, resulting in the loss of his membership in that congregation and subsequently his ministerial credentials. The enormous strain and stress of that church trial led to his first wife suffering a heart attack from which she died.
We could add the names of Danny Vierra, Terry Ross, John Osborne, the Shady Point Seventh-day Adventist Church in Oregon in 1991, the Zambesi Conference in Zimbabwe which refused to accept the theological apostasy of the denomination and the hierarchy’s arbitrary control (that ultimately led to its dissolution by the General Conference Annual Council in 1992), and many others that endured “cancel culture” for the truth’s sake. But Jesus gave us ample notice that this is to be expected of those who will act according to man-made policy and not according to the truth of God’s honest principles (see Testimonies for the Church, volume 5, p. 96):
“Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues; and ye shall be brought before governors and kings for My sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles. But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.” Matthew 10:16-20
Our battle is not against flesh and blood, but it is a spiritual warfare between Christ and His angels and Satan and his angels. This is reflected in the unceasing contest between truth and error, right and wrong, righteousness and sin, honesty and policy, principle and compromise, integrity and expediency, freedom and coercion, liberty of conscience and persecution.
May we pray for Dr. Conrad Vine and his family; Pastor Ron Kelly and his family; for the Berrien Springs Valley Seventh-day Adventist Church; for the Michigan Conference and the worldwide church; Pastor Cody Francis, who was once taught by Pastor Colin Standish and was his colleague at Hartland Institute, who knew firsthand the mistreatment inflicted upon Pastor Standish for his unwavering stance for the truth — and who is now party to the same misconduct against Dr. Vine and Pastor Kelly; and for all of God’s people around this world in this crisis hour of the Omega of Apostasy.
Let there be no waning of Christian love and courtesy, no stirring of hatred and animosity, but neither let there be no compromise of principle:
“God calls for men of decided fidelity. He has no use in an emergency for two-sided men. He wants men who will lay their hand upon a wrong work and say, ‘This is not according to the will of God.'” Selected Messages, book 2, p. 153 (Letter 19a, 1897)