“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” 2 Timothy 4:3, 4.
Adventist education is in the midst of monumental changes. The North American Division [NAD] of Seventh-day Adventists held its 2018 Teacher’s Convention on August 6-8, 2018 at the McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago, IL. [1] Around 5,500 Seventh-day Adventist teachers and educators from across North America attended different workshops, seminars, worship services and other lectures.
One of the special invitees that the NAD brought to speak to our Seventh-day Adventist educators was the non-Adventist LGBT+ advocate Bill Henson. Bill Henson is an Evangelical who works for a ministry called “Lead Them Home.” This ministry is dedicated to helping church leaders and churches experience what he calls a “posture shift” in LGBT+ attitudes. He provides training, consulting and seminars to help churches become “safe places” for LGBT+ people.
This is the same Bill Henson that the NAD contracted last year to help create a special version of his book called “Guiding families of the LGBT+ Loved Ones” for Seventh-day Adventists. This “Adventist” version which is now being printed and distributed by the NAD promotes the inclusion and acceptance of LGBT+ people into our churches without requiring any kind of change; because according to this book, LGBT+ people rarely ever change anyways. [2]
The 2018 North American Division Teacher’s Conference.
It turns out that the NAD invited Bill Henson to come teach his LGBT+ propaganda to our Seventh-day Adventist teachers during the 2018 Teacher’s Convention on August 6-8, 2018. Bill Henson’s LGBT+ seminar appears at the top of page 46 on the official program schedule for the NAD’s 2018 Teacher’s Convention. [3] Remarkably, Bill Henson brags on his own website that his LGBT+ seminar was one of the top 5 most recommended session by the North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists. Here is what he said in his own words:
“The 2018 Teacher’s Convention is designed for educators in the Seventh-Day Adventist (SDA) education system. Posture Shift is featured as one of the top 5 most-recommended sessions by the Teacher’s Convention!” [4]
Bill Henson also reveals that last year the North American Division conducted an internal study within the church on the LGBT+ issue. He claims that his seminars will be critical in helping to bring change to the SDA denomination:
“Celebrating Adventists Prioritizing LGBT+ Student Care – We are honored to serve Adventists teachers and administrators. Last year, the SDA conducted an internal study on the care of LGBT+ within their denomination. Posture Shift is a critical next step to enhance mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual care.” [5]
Bill Henson was happy to report that his seminars were received very positively and that he was able to see immediate changes among Seventh-day Adventist attitudes towards LGBT+ people:
“Approximately 500 teachers, principals, guidance counselors, administrators, and other school faculty attended Lead Them Home’s breakout session, entitled ‘Loving LGBT+ Youth in Our Christian Schools.’ The workshop was received positively, and many educators began to change their posture toward LGBT+ young people.” [6]
Bill Henson finally expressed his appreciation to the Seventh-day Adventist denomination for their willingness to change their views towards the LGBT+ community, especially young people:
“In addition to experiencing the workshop, all conference attendees walked away with a free copy of the Adventist Edition of Guiding Families of LGBT+ Loved Ones. We are so grateful and impressed with the generosity of this denomination as they seek to enhance care for LGBT+ youth in their care!” [7]
Top of page 46 from the official NAD’s program scheduled. Click here to see the entire schedule.
The plan is not just to “retrain” our teachers. This LGBT+ inclusive agenda is being pushed upon Seventh-day Adventist churches as well. [8] The NAD is heaping upon themselves teachers, with itching ears, who are leading our people astray. (2 Timothy 4:3, 4). They are bringing in non-Adventist LGBT+ advocates who are “retraining” our leaders by advocating that gays, lesbians, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queers are all people too and they should have equal opportunity to belonging, participating and leading out in God’s church.
Well, of course they are people, and yes God loves all people. God also loves thieves, murderers, hypocrites, back-stabbers, cheaters, fornicators, adulterers, drunkards and liars because they are all humans too. But the scriptures also teach us that if we continue living in any kind of sinful lifestyle we will not inherit the kingdom of God (Read 1 Corinthians 6:9-11).
What Bill Henson and the North American Division fail to point out is that there is a vast difference between allowing people to come and visit our church – and allowing people to form part of the church through membership. These are two completely separate issues.
The church has always allowed sinners to come in and hear the gospel. The church has always allowed peoples’ lives to be transformed by the life-changing power of God’s word. But the church is also composed of people who have renounced their sins and turned to God in faith through repentance (Read Acts 3:19; Ephesians 4:22-27). So yes, the church should be open so that sinners can come and hear the word of God and have an opportunity to become genuine Christians – by forsaking sin and becoming “born again” into God’s image.
North American Division President Dan Jackson addressing the convention.
But we cannot allow clear, unrepentant, non-contrite, sexual immorality to take place among our ranks, and worse yet, to justify and encouraged it. Sexual immorality, in any of its manifestations [premarital, extramarital or even same-sex relationships] is NOT to be tolerated in the churches. End of story. Like Jesus, we are to work to restore and redeem broken lives (Read John 4:15-23; John 8:10, 11). Sexual immorality is not to be promoted, endorsed, excused, celebrated or championed with the flattering of the tongue:
“He that rebuketh a man afterwards shall find more favour than he that flattereth with the tongue.” Proverbs 28:23.
Yet this is exactly what the leaders of the NAD are doing with the sin of homosexuality.
- Will the NAD also welcome with open arms those who unrepentantly engage in insist?
- Will the NAD also welcome with open arms those who unrepentantly engage in pedophilia?
- Will the NAD welcome with open arms those who are living in a loving consenting, polyamorous relationship? (an intimate relationship consisting of 3 or more persons).
- Will the NAD welcome with open arms those who advocate other strange sexual conditions?
How inclusive are we going to be, and when do we begin to scale back our inclusivity? Or is there no limit? And most importantly, at which point do we actually begin to teach people what God says about all these things?
Seventh-day Adventists are welcoming, and we want to welcome all people. We want to welcome them into heaven. We want to welcome them to become part of the body of Christ and part of the “commandment-keeping” church. (Read Revelation 12:17; Revelation 14:12, Revelation 22:14). But we will never welcome people into hell with a false, inclusive gospel that is so fixated on ignoring the moral teachings found in God’s word.
The church is not a nightclub where you can’t even tell who is who. The church is a fellowship of visitors and members. And there are clear distinctions between members and non-members with rules, structure, compliance and conditions. This is the gospel order we see instituted on the day of Pentecost when the Christian church was born:
- Repentance: “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost” Acts 2:38.
- Baptism: “Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.” Acts 2:41.
- Doctrine: “And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.” Acts 2:42.
- Fellowship: “And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart.” Acts 2:46.
- Growth: “Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.” Acts 2:47.
God was adding members to the church daily. Why? Because the gospel message of repentance was preached with power and boldness. The listeners who accepted were baptized. They were instructed in the “doctrine” or teachings of God’s word. They took good care of one another. God was blessing them and more people were becoming redeemed and restored by the power of God.
The early church didn’t affirm sin or coddle sinners. That is not love. True love will call others away from the path of sin. The early church spoke “truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15). Nothing is more cruel than to speak lies to sinners and withhold from them the life-changing power of the gospel. It’s not cool, hip or even loving to leave people enslaved in their sins.
“The one who practices sin is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the very start. This is why the Son of God was revealed, to destroy the works of the devil.” 1 John 3:8.
Satan is laughing at us all. He rejoices because he now has certain “leaders” in the church doing his work. The gay agenda is not only taking over the world, it is threatening God’s very own people. Whose side are we going to be on?
“Toward those who fall into sin, the church has a duty, to warn, to instruct, and if possible to restore. ‘Reprove, rebuke, exhort,’ the Lord says, ‘with all long-suffering and doctrine.’ 2 Timothy 4:2. Deal faithfully with wrongdoing. Warn every soul that is in danger. Leave none to deceive themselves. Call sin by its right name. Declare what God has said in regard to lying, Sabbathbreaking, stealing, idolatry, and every other evil. ‘They which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.’ Galatians 5:21. If they persist in sin, the judgment you have declared from God’s word is pronounced upon them in heaven. In choosing to sin, they disown Christ; the church must show that she does not sanction their deeds, or she herself dishonors her Lord. She must say about sin what God says about it. She must deal with it as God directs, and her action is ratified in heaven. He who despises the authority of the church despises the authority of Christ Himself.” (Desire of Ages, 805).
Sources
[2] http://adventmessenger.org/on-the-road-to-a-rainbow-theology/
[3] http://www.2018teachersconvention.com/assets/2018_teachers_convention_program.pdf
[8] http://adventmessenger.org/when-the-church-becomes-too-inclusive/
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