Left to right: Catholic Priest César Valdivia Romero, Lutheran Pastor Juan Leyva Cabezudo, and Seventh-day Adventist Pastor Víctor Figueroa Villarreal.
When God’s people continually engage in interfaith dialog and cooperation, we gradually start to concentrate less on the distinctive testing truths of our faith and more on the common points shared by the ecumenical movement. True Christians will always seek to live in peace and harmony with other people, but never at the expense of biblical truth.
On September 4, 2023, Cayetano Heredia University in Lima, Peru, held an ecumenical event to honor its graduates and staff who had passed away the year before. Clergy from the Adventist, Lutheran, and Catholic churches led the interfaith service for the dead. The following was released by the university:
• “On Monday, September 4, our university held the Ecumenical Act Ceremony in the SUM auditorium of the Central Campus San Martín de Porres, where the Heredians (alumni) who left from October 2022 to the present were remembered.” [1]
• “This ceremony, which takes place every year in the month of our anniversary, also seeks to respect the freedom of belief of our community and the different religious confessions that coexist in our country.” [1]
• “Ecumenism is the trend or movement that seeks the restoration of Christian unity, that is, the unity of the different ‘historical’ Christian religious confessions, separated since the great schisms.” [1]
• “In the auditorium we were accompanied by Father César Valdivia Romero representing the Catholic religion; Pastor Juan Leyva Cabezudo for the Lutheran church; and Pastor Víctor Figueroa Villarreal for the Adventist church.” [1]
Given that Catholics and Lutherans hold the belief that the soul is immortal and can exist eternally in either heaven or hell, how can Seventh-day Adventists take part in an ecumenical ceremony for the dead? Adventists have differing views with the other denominations when it comes to the state of the dead. How can Seventh-day Adventist pastors tolerate this heresy and participate in it? The university also claims that these types of ecumenical services are intended to end the divisions among the various religious groups. Why would we endorse this kind of mission?
By participating, we openly endorse the worldwide interfaith agenda. We cannot say that we oppose the ecumenical movements’ attempts to unite the churches when we actively stand shoulder to shoulder and support Rome’s agents during these occasions.
God did not send His Son to this world to engage in interfaith dialogue. Nor was Jesus sent by the Father merely to observe and listen to the heresies of others. Jesus never tolerated erasing any of the distinctive beliefs of the faith in order to create a false unity. Jesus came to oppose error and preach the truth.
“Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken … And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.” Luke 24:25, 27
“Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God.” Matthew 22:29
“Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.” Matthew 15:14
Jesus also did not establish a useless clergy that merely listens and does nothing to address the popular errors of the day. Instead, He has commissioned us to preach the clear teachings of God’s word. We have a duty to warn people about the dangers of the ecumenical movement that seeks to unite all the churches into one body. Tragically, the Three Angels’ Message is suppressed, deadly heresies are accepted, biblical truth is compromised, and agreements are made to focus on a new common witness that is devoid of the present truth.
“I saw that we have no time to throw away in listening to fables. Our minds should not be thus diverted, but should be occupied with the present truth, and seeking wisdom that we may obtain a more thorough knowledge of our position, that with meekness we may be able to give a reason of our hope from the Scriptures. While false doctrines and dangerous errors are pressed upon the mind, it cannot be dwelling upon the truth which is to fit and prepare the house of Israel to stand in the day of the Lord” (Early Writings, p. 125).
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They get away with this by pretending it’s not Ecumenicism,
It’s “friendship with other denominations”
Galatians 6:7 “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.”
Come out of her my people. We have no business there.
The wheat with the tares. Remain strong in your faith and beliefs.
What’s wrong with the third angels’ message? Isn’t that supposed to be our work?
“Let nothing lessen the force of the truth for this time. The present truth is to be our burden. The third angel’s message must do its work of separating from the churches a people who will take their stand on the platform of eternal truth.” —Testimonies For The Church 6:61 (1900). – {Ev 229.4}
Pastor is not endorsing or compromising, he is being a light and mingling with people where they are. Trust the process. Have faith in the Pastor that he is able to reveal the truth to these prominent ministers and that the Holy Spirit will convict them and their numerous congregations to the truth.
Did Jesus not eat with Tax collectors? Was he endorsing them? Let’s talk about Mary Magdalene.
We are the remnant Church and God is coming for a united church that is led by the Spirit. Pray for our Pastor to be used in this mighty way rather than be critical of his strategy. It is easy to do. If he is walking with God then we should have nothing to fear.