By Mark Shipowick
Beginning on Friday, April 21, 2023, Elder Ted Wilson, President of the SDA Church, will be a featured speaker at Amazing Facts’ Holding the Line Summit, a two-day event hosted by Doug Bachelor and the Granite Bay SDA Church. When I first learned about Elder Wilson being on the list, I asked myself, “Where is the wisdom of inviting a leader with a history of not holding the line to instruct the church and public on how to do it?” As I grappled with that question, I thought perhaps Pastor Doug and James Rafferty (who will also be featured speakers) felt that between them, they may have enough influence to help the elder change his course. They might be justified in entertaining that hope if, in the past, Elder Wilson candidly acknowledged some aspect of his failings in handling issues that are fragmenting us, but if he has, I’m not aware of it.
On the contrary, Elder Wilson, at the 2022 General Conference Session, took to the floor and was instrumental in defeating a motion put forward by attorney Jonathan Zirkle to redress the issuing of an unauthorized policy statement on vaccines made by himself and certain leaders of the church during the Covid pandemic that supported vaccine mandates. Selecting him now as an example of how to hold the line is, therefore, a mistake and misleading. It portrays the man as a model of holding the line when he is not.
I’m hoping for the best possible outcome at the Summit, but realistically, I expect that, for Elders Bachelor and Rafferty, this will be a pivotal moment of irony and contradiction and set a negative precedent for them and their ministries. Let’s pray for all of them.
The timing here is significant, coming just after the Adventist church in northern Germany, the Hanse Conference, affirmed the credentials of a bisexual minister. This action has not been opposed by the next-level organization, the North German Union, although the level above that, the Inter-European Division, has signaled its disapproval. But, as we’ve seen in the years since the 2015 General Conference, there is a difference between merely voicing disapproval and taking action. The North German Union has been in rebellion against the General Conference on the issue of women’s ordination and under its verbal sanction since 2019, but three years later, the Inter-European Division has yet to take action.
Having said that, how did the Adventist Church and Elder Wilson go so far off the rails of Adventism and basic Christianity? Since his election, Elder Wilson has made numerous statements that accurately reflect the position of the church in general. But that is actually the problem—generalizations and no specific actions—so that we are now rapidly fragmenting.
We all know that it’s not easy being a leader. But if we want to be in harmony with the three angels’ messages, which are the final warning and gospel invitation under the power of the latter rain, we’ll have to be specific, starting with our own sins. We can’t hope to credibly enumerate the sins of Babylon and warn the world of her deceptions (the work of the second angel) while we gloss over our own and accept her standards as ours. And the list of our sins is long and egregious—from the abortions conducted in our allopathic health systems to the LGBTQ lifestyle embraced on our campuses to the trampling of conscience by the General Conference under Elder Wilson’s leadership during the COVID pandemic.
Yet we have little sense of our spiritual nakedness and peril. It’s like we’re on enchanted ground, bewitched into a deep carnal slumber. Christ says to us:
“Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” Revelation 3:17-20.
Lord, have mercy on us who have so little sense of our soul’s nakedness and our need of the righteousness of Christ.
“The world will be convinced, not by what the pulpit teaches, but by what the church lives. The minister in the desk announces the theory of the gospel; the practical piety of the church demonstrates its power” (Testimonies, Vol. 7, p. 16).
You can contact Mark Shipowick at the following email: mark.shipowick@gmail.com
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As far as i am concerned neither one of the speakers is “Holding the Line.”
“Holding the Line” is a military expression about standing your ground. This event should be called, “Folding Like a Cheap Lawn Chair.”
I sent an email to Amazing Facts in regards to Elder Wilson and Holding the Line. This Disney thing and Advent Health has gotten way, way out of line. We must really pray for our church and it’s leaders. We have prophecy being fulfilled right before our eyes.
Praise God that this is Jesus’ church and He will Guide the Ship safely into Port. Keep the faith my friends. ☝️🙏💒
Did you get a reply from them?
Amen brother you got it!
A falling away will happen in the church, but hopefully praying for them will help!!!!
https://www.youtube.com/live/YPhfHDpi8Ik?feature=share
I just finished watching this sermon by Doug Bachelor and was very disappointed but unfortunately not surprised that he pointed the finger at all the ’Babylon ’ churches but failed to recognize the SDA church as doing the same thing, having within, ’false prophets’ and wanting to look, smell and taste ecumenical. The corporation is very close to clasping hands at least with ecumenism and if the ship doesn’t ’meet it’ we will not be seen as any different than everyone else!
Sighing and crying!
Let’s wait and see what line they’re holding. Our only hope is Jesus. I have no expectations of these leaders anymore. Thank God for the real men of mettle like Andy Roman, Advent Messenger and other kindred self supporting ministries that i really see HOLDING THE LINE and are really contending for ‘the faith’. Don’t cringe, MEET IT!
Maybe Doug and Rafferty want to use Ted Wilson name and presence to hopefully reach His following with a straighter testimony.
From what I have seen so far tho, little can be done for those which are under the Charm of the Leadership, a similar phenomenon than that of the literal Hypnosis people undergo through mass media is at play Here.
People end up loving this person or hating that person not based on facts or the person character but solely because of the way their opinion have been carefully shaped by the medias they consume.
Some think Ted Wilson is amazing or even the Best GC president we ever had(I heard those things first hand)…a statement obviously completely disconnected from reality.
This kind of twisted perception can only be attained via heavy propaganda, probably through the Apostate Adventist Newspapers and other Adventist Medias that are Pro GC and Pro Leadership.
The phrase, “Holding the Line” implies withstanding a fierce and violent assault from an enemy. In one sense that title holds true in the Church’s experience, it is definitely under a fierce and determined assault, but from the leadership within it!
Why is Doug Bachelor letting Wilson speak at Amazing Facts? That’s his ministry. I’m going to send an email to AF and ask them about it. Ted Wilson is allowing too much of the world to cipher into our churches. Right down to the State Conferences and to the local church pastors as well. I live in Florida and our Conference is becoming very woke and allowing all kind of worldly influences to come into the church. People are beginning to not give their money to the conferences any longer because of it.
There were no lines when He was on the team that brought spiritual formation into are pastoral training curriculum back in sep 2001,
When He allowed the Great Controversy book to be heavily edited into the great hope book (helping Rome) and took monies under false pretenses from the elderly and widows never offering them a refund for the bait & switch,
When He got His qualifications from a Catholic University,
When Wahroonga church had a huge security detail for him on Sabbath spilling onto the road outside,
When He stated/published 3 times that TMOTB was any other day then the 7th Day Sabbath,
When He endorsed a psychiatrist at Gateway to help people at the GC get victory over the sexual sins,
When He uplifted Rosecrucian flower arrangements at one of the eccumenical events he’s gone to,
There was certainly a line when he refused to talk about vaccines even though people had lost their jobs and others their lives because of the thing$.
You can add to your list the parading of the papal flag (i.e. representative of Satan) across the stage at the last GC meeting.
Excellent point that flag had no business being flown there.
Thank goodness for perfect people like yourself or else the whole church would be nothing but Ted Wilsons!
We definitely need more criticizers. That will have the lost banging down the door to get inside the church.
Mark has written I think a very on point article of the ineptitude of GC bordering on high treason against God. The GC farce 22 was betrayal of sacred trusts.
holding the line is a lie with the premier speaker holding nothing but his hat in hand. He has held nothing. You break one you break them all abnd by allowing the Marxist within the church to dictate who they can appoint as pastors and elders over biblical counsel has broken the church into two camps. This is liken to the Golden calve popping out of the oven all on it own. Well brother I dont know how that golden calve popped out iof that oven. This is the same lies being done now by Eli Wilson’s church. Aaron was saved in the end. Eli was not.
Someone should inform all the guest speakers listed above about Ted Wilson being the Keynote Speaker at the Global Ramadan Prayer Day 2023 (on March 26) while on his travels to Africa, and ask him “How did that turn out?” Wilson should be grilled with questions that demand answers, especially on how many Muslims left Islam
to become Seventh-day Adventists. (The answer is none and he was not holding any line.) Are there any true protestants in the SDA Church? I believe millions are
just playing the game “follow the SDA General Conference and its leader”, and not Jesus. I have written SDA leaders in the past and they will not respond. This only
shows their unprofessionalism and arrogance. They don’t answer to me but they will to God. They have proven themselves to be modern-day Pharisees that play
church, engage in politics, and have an unquenchable thirst for money and power. (The SDA GC has sued little groups of independent SDAs; fired employed SDAs that
prove them wrong; did nothing to stop abortions for profit in SDA hospitals; and have swept large amounts of “dirt” under the rug that anyone can see from across
the room.) The SDA Church has become like the Roman Catholic Church in its behavior. So how can anyone intelligently support them & be a member now? Get out!
Vance Farrell (Harvestime Books) and Pastor Jan Marcussen (Author, “National Sunday Law”) both have excellent inexpensive books detailing how we are NOT robbing God when we choose to NOT return our tithe to corrupt Conferences, Unions and Divisions but instead supporting very dedicated and trustworthy Mission minded Organizations which are indeed accountable and doing our Lord’s work. Unlike our so called Leaders, when their work requires travel they don’t stay in 5 star Hotels.
Lomacang and Batchelor share the stage. Lomacang has openly admitted to being a member of the WEF. He did it with a smirk. When he was caught, he did a rebuttal, trying to play it off.
Batchelor had a pro vax Dr speak. Now he has invited Ted.
Ted and Finley were on the stage praying for money for the GC and instead put out the great hope. Both deny the vax issue is or has anything to do with liberty of conscience.
This list of events goes on and on, and it is widespread among our leadership.
I grew up watching Finley, and I love Doug. But these are fruits of character.
Can we afford to pretend it isn’t happening?
SOP states that our brightest lights will go out at the end, and the work will be finished by the laypeople. We are all guilty of allowing these insidious worldly views into our ranks.
We all fall short. My question? Even if that is true, how many of you actively seek deception to cover what you’ve done, and who you truly are?