"Another day, another munitions dump"

I remember as a boy watching Hogan's Heroes on TV, and occasionally Colonel Hogan would utter something like the expression above. It was his way of saying just another day, all in a day's work.

Here it is the beginning of Spring, 2011, in Ohio. We have much to look forward to, and much to be about, as Seventh-day Adventists. For one thing, I and others are putting forth much effort and planning, so that the upcoming "Forward to Zion" camp meeting will be a meaningful, powerful experience for God's people (June 8-12). I pray that the Lord will continue to bless our efforts abundantly, and that He will help the Adventists of Ohio to be aware of this meeting, and the importance of it. Please spread the news about this meeting.

At a time like this, when it appears that the enemy of souls is having his way often in Ohio, we must pour our collective will and effort into furthering God's cause and God's truth. There is a heaven to gain, and a hell to shun, my friends. There are souls to bring into the safety of God's remnant church. At our camp meeting, Don Eckenroth will be teaching us how to turn our local churches into centers of evangelism, beacons of truth, and hubs of training.

There are also dangers along the path of righteousness. God's people must be able to steer safely through the deception of these last says. At our camp meeting, Samuel Pipim and Rick Howard will be teaching us how to prepare for the soon return of Jesus, and how to avoid being deceived along the way.

We also need to be rooted and grounded in the Word of God as disciples of Christ. At our camp meeting, Roy Gane and Alden Ho will establish us in the faith once delivered to the saints, including the sanctuary message. Our hearts will warm as we learn to appreciate the distinctive ways in which God has led the Seventh-day Adventist Church, and the distinctive mission He has for us as a people.

But as you know, our minds and our bodies must be preserved in the best possible condition, in order to fully comprehend Scriptural truth. At our camp meeting, Wes Youngberg will share with us the latest in cutting-edge health and wellness insight. He will give us practical information--practical and truthful principles that we can immediately put to work in our lives.

God loves our families. He loves our marriages. But Satan is trying to weaken and attack our families, because he knows that healthy and effective families promote healthy and effective churches. At our camp meeting, Gerry and Nancy Wagoner will share insights that will strengthen our marriages and families. They will also help us deal with resentment in a productive manner.

In short, this year's camp meeting will be a powerful, practical, meaningful event that will encourage you, strengthen you, challenge you, train you, comfort you, and ground you in the truth as it is in Jesus. Please don't miss out on this incredible event. If you have to change some plans in order to attend, then do so. You'll be glad you did.

There are still rooms, RV sites, and tent sites available. Please visit our camp meeting website, where you will find all the information you need, and you will find contact information for reservations, and for sending donations. Here is the website: http://www.campmeetingohio.webs.com 

Be of our good courage, my brother, my sister! The Lord is in His holy temple. Let all the earth keep silence before Him. God is leading us in a path of righteousness, for His name's sake. There is not a storm that slams His church that He has not prepared for. Let's trust Him to carry us safely through this period of time. And let's work for the saving of people into His remnant church. 

Another day, another triumph in Christ Jesus our Lord.

A Call to Vigilance

For the past decade or so, the Ohio membership has been somewhat passive and complacent, when it comes to checking the compromising influence in this Conference. There are exceptions, to be sure. The point is, at this time we must be vigilant and we must be willing to call out evil and compromise when they occur. We must do this for the sake of our children, our grandchildren, the unsaved in Ohio, and for the sake of the name and glory of Jesus our Redeemer. The following is an excerpt taken from a recent sermon I preached at Delaware entitled "The Word of God." The direct link to my sermon site is: http://www.daviddsullivan.com. Here is the excerpt that I'd like to draw your attention to:

“My husband then stated that he should understand that these words of our Lord [Matthew 18] had reference to cases of personal trespass, and could not be applied in the case of this sister. She had not trespassed against Sister White. But that which had been reproved publicly was public wrongs which threatened the prosperity of the church and the cause. Here, said my husband, is a text applicable to the case: 1 Timothy 5:20: ‘Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear.’"

                                  ~Testimonies for the Church, vol. 2, pages 14, 15 


"Matthew 18 relates to personal grievances.

Matters which affect the church and the cause of God are to be addressed publicly.

So, if you discover that your pastor has invited Samir Selmanovic (or other questionable speaker) to speak at your church, talk to him about it. Tell him you have major concerns about what Selmanovic teaches. Remind him that God cannot be found in other religions other than the Bible religion. Show him, in case he’s forgotten, what the Bible says about mixing truth with error, and having fellowship with darkness. Tell him the Word of God does not teach interspirituality. If your pastor does not change his plans, then tell the church about the matter. Call him out publicly, because the error is affecting the entire church family.

If your pastor teaches that we need to ease up on the Roman Catholic Church, and that this church is a lot different than it used to be, talk to him about it. Show him, in case he’s forgotten, what the Bible says about the Beast power, the image to the beast, and the mark of the beast. Tell him that the deadly wound of this church has been healed, and that the whole world stands in awe of this church, in direct fulfillment of Scripture. If your pastor does not change his ways or correct his statements, then tell your church about the matter. Call him out publicly, because the error is affecting the entire church family.

If your spiritual leader talks about displacing and rearranging some of our cherished practices and habits, and that we must decide what is expendable in our heritage, remind him that our belief system—our doctrines—are based on the eternal, unchangeable, unalterable Word of God, and that we therefore have no right to displace them. If he refuses to correct his statements and will not apologize for his misleading statement, then tell your church about the matter. Call him out publicly, because the error is affecting the entire church family.

If your pastor does not include in his presentation of the Gospel the empowering grace of God that transforms our lives, and the importance of obedience on the part of the believer in all areas of lifestyle, talk to him about it. Show him, in case he’s forgotten, what the Bible says about true conversion. Remind him that in Biblical conversion justification and sanctification are blended and are the work of the Holy Spirit--that we are under the control of the Holy Spirit, and are given a new nature*--we participate in the divine nature, and sin has no dominion over us (see MH 115 & AA 476). Tell him that we have no right to talk about the righteousness and perfection of Jesus Christ if we are knowingly disobeying the Lord in terms of lifestyle, and ignoring the inspired counsel God has given the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Tell him that the law of God is written on our hearts in the New Covenant, and that in the new birth experience we are brought back to harmony with the law of God (see GC 468). Rebuke your pastor if he says that Historic Adventists or any other kind of Adventists are "legalists" because they believe in perfection of Christian character through the power of the indwelling Christ. Tell him he should not speak negatively about members who believe that we have a part in revealing the character of God in this world, and that the servant of the Lord believed this and wrote about it freely.** Remind him that there is indeed a cleansing of the soul temple which corresponds with Christ's cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary.*** There are major distortions of the plan of salvation being taught in Ohio and elsewhere. If your pastor does not change his ways or correct his statements, then tell the church about the matter. Call him out publicly, because the error is affecting the entire church family.

If your pastor tries to bring in questionable forms of worship, Taize prayer with candles all over, contemplative prayer, breath prayers, lent celebration, or any other practice borrowed from Catholicism, talk to your pastor about it. Show him—show her, in case she’s forgotten, what the Bible says about praying with intelligence and with our minds fully intact. Remind him that the servant of the Lord a hundred years ago warned us that the Omega deception would be more dangerous than the Alpha was, in the time of Kellogg. Remind her that we are a distinct people of God, and that we have no business baptizing spiritualism or mysticism into God’s remnant church. If your pastor does not change his or her plans and practices, then tell the church about the matter. Call her out publicly, because the error is affecting the entire church family.

It is no laughing matter for a pastor or other spiritual leader to teach something that is not in accordance with Scripture. It would be better for nothing to be said at all than for falsehood to be uttered. We must call them out when this happens, because they are weakening and hurting the church of Christ.

Listen, if Jesus were here in Ohio, He would be overturning tables. He would not stand for the continuing distortion of His holy Word. If Mrs. White were alive today in Ohio, she would be calling out these men and women, and urging them to cease and desist.

My brother, my sister, do not be afraid to admonish and to exhort one another, and do not be afraid to admonish and to exhort your spiritual leaders. We must hold our leaders accountable.

Cling to the Word of God for dear life, and remain true to its teachings. Live by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord, and you will be safe and secure in Christ Jesus our Lord.

I commend to you the Word of God."

__________

* "Your greatest danger will be that you will not see the need of contemplating the character of Christ with a set purpose to imitate His life and conform your character to His character. You are to show a marked difference between your character and that of the world. 'For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power'" (Col. 2:9, 10). {Upward Look, 27.3}

     "The grand truths of the Bible are for us individually, to rule, to guide, to control our life, for this is the only way in which Christ can be properly represented to our world in grace and loveliness in the characters of all who profess to be His disciples. Nothing less than heart service will be acceptable with God. God requires the sanctification of the entire man, body, soul, and spirit. The Holy Spirit implants a new nature, and molds through the grace of Christ the human character, until the image of Christ is perfected. This is true holiness." {Upward Look, 27.4}
     "The work of overcoming is a great work. Shall we take hold of it with energy and perseverance? Unless we do, our 'filthy garments' will not be taken from us. We need never expect that these will be torn from us violently; we must first show a desire to rid ourselves of them. We must seek to separate sin from us, relying upon the merits of the blood of Christ; and then in the day of affliction, when the enemy presses us, we shall walk among the angels. They will be like a wall of fire about us; and we shall one day walk with them in the city of God." {Review & Herald, November 19, 1908 par. 20} [Notice that we rely on the merits of Christ in overcoming sin, just as we do in obtaining acceptance with the Father]
     "Christ was both the law and the gospel. The angel that proclaims the everlasting gospel proclaims the law of God; for the gospel of salvation brings men to obedience of the law, whereby their characters are formed after the divine similitude." {Manuscript Releases, Vol. 17, 7.4}
     "The message of the renewing power of God's grace will be carried to every country and clime, until the truth shall belt the world. Of the number of them that shall be sealed will be those who have come from every nation and kindred and tongue and people. From every country will be gathered men and women who will stand before the throne of God and before the Lamb, crying, 'Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.' Revelation 7:10. But before this work can be accomplished, we must experience here in our own country the work of the Holy Spirit upon our hearts." {Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, 532.1} [Notice that God's grace is not merely for forgiveness but for renewing/transforming as well]
     "Many will not receive the seal of God because they do not keep His commandments or bear the fruits of righteousness" (Letter 76, 1900). {7BC 970.5}

     "The great mass of professing Christians will meet with bitter disappointment in the day of God. They have not upon their foreheads the seal of the living God. Lukewarm and halfhearted, they dishonor God far more than the avowed unbeliever. They grope in darkness, when they might be walking in the noonday light of the Word, under the guidance of One who never errs" (Letter 121, 1903). {7BC 970.6}
     "The class who do not feel grieved over their own spiritual declension, nor mourn over the sins of others, will be left without the seal of God." {Testimonies, vol. 5, pg. 211}
     "Not all who profess to keep the Sabbath will be sealed. There are many even among those who teach the truth to others who will not receive the seal of God in their foreheads. They had the light of truth, they knew their Master's will, they understood every point of our faith, but they had not corresponding works." {Testimonies, vol. 5, pg. 213, 214}
     "By His perfect obedience He has made it possible for every human being to obey God's commandments. When we submit ourselves to Christ, the heart is united with His heart, the will is merged in His will, the mind becomes one with His mind, the thoughts are brought into captivity to Him; we live His life. This is what it means to be clothed with the garment of His righteousness. Then as the Lord looks upon us He sees, not the fig-leaf garment, not the nakedness and deformity of sin, but His own robe of righteousness, which is perfect obedience to the law of Jehovah." {Christ's Object Lessons, 311.4}  

 
 ** "Pray, pray earnestly and without ceasing, but do not forget to praise. It becomes every child of God to vindicate His character. You can magnify the Lord; you can show the power of sustaining grace." {Testimonies, vol. 5, pg. 317}
     "God's servants will have today to meet the same difficulties that Paul met. This experience some have had who are now raising the banner of truth. It is such men who can stand in defense of the truth. If they continue to be learners, God can use them to vindicate His law." {Selected Messages, vol. 2, pg. 228}
     "Christ is seeking to reproduce Himself in the hearts of men; and He does this through those who believe in Him. The object of the Christian life is fruit bearing--the reproduction of Christ's character in the believer, that it may be reproduced in others." {Christ's Object Lessons, 67.1} 
     "Christ is waiting with longing desire for the manifestation of Himself in His church. When the character of Christ shall be perfectly reproduced in His people, then He will come to claim them as His own." {Christ's Object Lessons, 69.1}

     "It is the privilege of every Christian not only to look for but to hasten the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, (2 Peter 3:12, margin). Were all who profess His name bearing fruit to His glory, how quickly the whole world would be sown with the seed of the gospel. Quickly the last great harvest would be ripened, and Christ would come to gather the precious grain." {Christ's Object Lessons, 69.2}
     "Every one who names the name of Christ has pledged himself to represent his Master in character. He is under pledge to Christ to do his best; for provision has been made that divine grace shall so work that the characters of men and women may be moulded after the similitude of the character of Christ." {Signs of the Times, September 1, 1898 par. 4}
     "They are to improve in every habit and practise, thus showing that they realize constantly that to be a Christian means nothing less than conformity to the character of Christ." {Signs of the Times, September 1, 1898 par. 5} 
      "It is the darkness of misapprehension of God that is enshrouding the world. Men are losing their knowledge of His character. It has been misunderstood and misinterpreted. At this time a message from God is to be proclaimed, a message illuminating in its influence and saving in its power. His character is to be made known. Into the darkness of the world is to be shed the light of His glory, the light of His goodness, mercy, and truth." {Christ's Object Lessons, 415}
    "Those who wait for the Bridegroom's coming are to say to the people, 'Behold your God.' The last rays of merciful light, the last message of mercy to be given to the world, is a revelation of His character of love. The children of God are to manifest His glory. In their own life and character they are to reveal what the grace of God has done for them." {Christ's Object Lessons, 415, 416}
      "One interest prevailed; one subject of emulation swallowed up all others. The ambition of the believers was to reveal the likeness of Christ's character and to labor for the enlargement of His kingdom." {Acts of the Apostles, 48}
     "I appeal to the churches in every conference. Stand out separate and distinct from the world--in the world, but not of it, reflecting the bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness, being pure, holy, and undefiled, and in faith carrying light into all the highways and byways of the earth." {Testimonies, vol. 6, p. 437}

     "Let the churches awake before it is everlastingly too late. Let every member take up his individual work and vindicate the name of the Lord by which he is called. Let sound faith and earnest piety take the place of slothfulness and unbelief. When faith lays hold upon Christ, the truth will bring delight to the soul, and the services of religion will not be dull and uninteresting. Your social meetings, now tame and spiritless, will be vitalized by the Holy Spirit; daily you will have a rich experience as you practice the Christianity you profess. Sinners will be converted. They will be touched by the word of truth and will say, as did some who listened to Christ's teaching: 'We have seen and heard wonderful things today.'" {Testimonies, vol. 6, p. 437}

*** "Christ is cleansing the heavenly sanctuary from the sins of the people, and it is the work of all who are laborers together with God to be cleansing the sanctuary of the soul from everything that is offensive to Him." {Ms. 15, 1886, pp. 2, 3}

     "Christ is cleansing the temple in heaven from the sins of the people, and we must work in harmony with him upon the earth, cleansing the soul temple from its moral defilement. If we will work thus, we shall find that the sweet influence of God's Spirit will be wrought into our life." {Review & Herald, February 11, 1890 par. 4}
     "We are in the day of atonement, and we are to work in harmony with Christ's work of cleansing the sanctuary from the sins of the people. Let no man who desires to be found with the wedding garment on, resist our Lord in his office work. As he is, so will his followers be in this world. We must now set before the people the work which by faith we see our great High-priest accomplishing in the heavenly sanctuary. Those who do not sympathize with Jesus in his work in the heavenly courts, who do not cleanse the soul temple of every defilement, but who engage in some enterprise not in harmony with this work, are joining with the enemy of God and man in leading minds away from the truth and work for this time." {Review & Herald, January 21, 1890 par. 4}
     "Their robes must be spotless, their characters must be purified from sin by the blood of sprinkling. Through the grace of God and their own diligent effort they must be conquerors in the battle with evil. While the investigative judgment is going forward in heaven, while the sins of penitent believers are being removed from the sanctuary, there is to be a special work of purification, of putting away of sin, among God's people upon earth. This work is more clearly presented in the messages of Revelation 14.

     When this work shall have been accomplished, the followers of Christ will be ready for His appearing." {Great Controversy, 425}
     "It is God's purpose to manifest through His people the principles of His kingdom. That in life and character they may reveal these principles, He desires to separate them from the customs, habits, and practices of the world. He seeks to bring them nearer to Himself, that He may make known to them His will. His purpose for His people today is the same that He had for Israel when He brought them forth from Egypt. By beholding the goodness, the mercy, the justice, and the love of God revealed in His church, the world is to have a representation of His character. And when the law of God is thus exemplified in the life, even the world will recognize the superiority of those who love and fear and serve God above every other people in the world." {Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, 321.1}
     "Wonderful scenes are opening before us; and at this time a living testimony is to be borne in the lives of God's professed people, so that the world may see that in this age, when evil reigns on every side, there is yet a people who are laying aside their will and are seeking to do God's will--a people in whose hearts and lives God's law is written." {Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, 322}
     "God expects those who bear the name of Christ to represent Him. Their thoughts are to be pure, their words noble and uplifting. The religion of Christ is to be interwoven with all that they do and say. They are to be a sanctified, purified, holy people, communicating light to all with whom they come in contact. It is His purpose that by exemplifying the truth in their lives they shall be a praise in the earth. The grace of Christ is sufficient to bring this about." {Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, 322} [Clearly we are to manifest the character of God to our world, and again, it is the grace of our Lord that brings about this empowered holy living]

 

7 Reasonable Recommendations

To Our Ohio Leaders:

First some inspired counsel, then the recommendations follow:

The leaders are responsible not only for their own unsanctified mistakes, but for the mistakes of those who follow their example. When reproved for bringing in wrong principles they manifest a perverse spirit, a spirit that will not be corrected or humbled. "Shall I not judge for these things, saith the Lord of hosts?" Their own wisdom and their own judgment they hold fast as a precious possession, and sullenly pursue their own ways. This is the reason that the Holy Spirit of God is not manifest in our churches. {18MR 38.1}

     If those who have had the blessings of being corrected would humble themselves before God, and gladly take the Lord's way, reforming their own ways, Jesus Christ would bestow upon them rich gifts and grant answers to humble, contrite prayers. {18MR 38.2}

     By walking in the light given, they would better understand their own individual character. Those who think they can improve upon God's plan, that some other course would be better than that which Christ has laid down in His Word, savor not the things that be of God, but those that be of men. They harden their hearts and close their eyes in regard to the ways of the Lord, and prefer their own ways. Unless these are transformed in every respect--in thought, in word, and in deed--they will be requested to take the lowest seat. {18MR 38.3}

     If men only knew that their own wisdom exercised without Christ is a dangerous element that will mislead! If those who occupy positions of trust would be benefited by the intercession of Christ, and receive the rich blessings of His commendation, if they would be owned of God in the judgment, they must hear His counsels and be governed by His will; they must hold their confidence firm unto the end, never deviating from a plain "thus saith the Lord." Prevarication, even in the slightest shadow, must not be seen; every jot and tittle of this must be put away, because no falsehood can honor God. {18MR 38.4}

Good and evil never harmonize.  Between light and darkness there can be no compromise. Truth is light revealed; error is darkness. Light has no fellowship with darkness, righteousness no fellowship with unrighteousness. {In Heavenly Places, 260.3}

I wish I had the power with pen or voice to present before the teachers of our youth and all who preach the truth to others what they have lost by trusting in human wisdom. It has led them to close the door of their hearts to the bright and morning Star. I wish I could teach those who feel superior in their own wisdom, those who are self-sufficient, that in order to be wise they must step down from their loftiness and become fools in their own estimation, that they must become learners if they would drink in wisdom. {20MR 179.3}

     Those who think themselves full of wisdom and knowledge do not hunger and thirst after righteousness. They look with a sort of pity and disgust upon those who are earnestly seeking to know the way of the Lord more perfectly. They feel so well supplied by their human understanding that there is no room in their vessels for a supply of heavenly grace. These will awake from their slumbers to find their lamps going out. With all their knowledge and wisdom they have neglected the one thing that would give them an entrance to the marriage supper of the Lamb. {20MR 179.4}

I sincerely ask the leaders of this Conference to submit all their plans, teachings, and actions to the Lord Jesus and His Word. There is still time to change course, and to do an about-face in terms of theology and practice. Please return to the sure foundation of the eternal Word of God. Show the earnestness of your change in direction by:

1. Presenting only a complete Gospel, which includes the power of God for the reproduction of the character of Christ in us, and the importance of obedience on the part of the believer;

2. Ceasing to invite unbiblical speakers to your meetings;

3. Stopping at once your communications with unbiblical speakers, including those who are involved in the Emergent Church movement, in spiritualism, in mysticism, in spiritual formation, and in interspirituality (this would include refraining from reading the books and blogs of these false teachers as well);

4. Speaking only positive words about health reform, dress reform, Sabbath reform, and entertainment reform, whenever you speak about diet, ornamentation, and doing business on Sabbath (i.e. avoid derogatory statements about that which God enjoins);

5. Embracing the distinctive doctrines of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, and training your pastors to teach them to their members and to their communities (thereby giving the people exactly what they need for such a time, and hastening the Second Advent of our Lord);

6. Refraining from speaking about abandoning, sorting through, restructuring, revising, or deciding what to retain from our cherished beliefs and practices—God’s people get very nervous when you talk like that, because they happen to believe that the Adventist heritage is a Godly heritage that need not be altered;

7. Holding a general meeting with the membership of Ohio, so that you can listen to their questions, and you can assure them that the changes they request that are in harmony with Scripture and Spirit Prophecy will indeed be implemented.

Much prayer is being offered on your behalf by thousands of Advent believers at this time. Please do not dismiss mine or others’ concerns and requests. Please know that we all want the blessing of the Lord to be upon this Conference and upon our churches. We will be watching what you do and teach, and what the pastors do and teach. No longer will we remain silent when the Lord calls us to cry aloud and spare not. We will be watchmen on the walls of God’s remnant in Ohio, from this day forward.

Open Letter to Ohio Conference

March 11, 2011

Ohio Conference of Seventh-day Adventists

2 Fairgrounds Road

Mt. Vernon, OH 43050

Dear leaders,

I post this letter in such a public fashion because you have not taken my concerns nor the concerns of others seriously. You continue to move in a direction that is not in accordance with the will of God. Before I get to the specifics, let me draw your attention to volume 2 of the Testimonies, pages 14 and 15. In these pages, Mrs. White relates an experience in which she publicly addressed the wrongs of a certain person. Both James and Ellen White indicated that since the wrongs committed affected the entire church, it was completely proper to address the issues at hand publicly. The wrongs committed had not been aimed at James or Ellen personally, but rather they had impacted the church at large. Mrs. White indicates that this placed the situation in a different category than that which Jesus addressed in Matthew 18, which involves personal grievances.

Therefore, I do not believe that it is wrong to address what I consider to be departures from the will of God, because these departures have impacted the Ohio membership in general. These are very much public issues, and they deserve to be addressed in a public fashion.

Last year I presented an appeal paper to you entitled "Synopsis and Appeal." In that paper I laid out my concerns, dealing with areas such as The Gospel of Jesus Christ, The Christian Lifestyle (including Sabbath observance issues), The Right Arm of Our Message, and The New Spirituality/Emergent Church (Conference on Innovation). You have not addressed the serious issues raised in that paper. Nor have you listened to others who have shared with you their heartfelt convictions.

1. You continue to present an incomplete Gospel in your meetings. Even in the December pastors’ retreat, the grace of God was portrayed as a justification-only work of Christ. I have never heard you teach that the grace of God includes also the power of God for a changed life. Never have I heard you teach that it is imperative that we cooperate with Christ in our daily lives, so that He can reproduce His character in us. This incomplete presenting of the Gospel of our Lord is the most serious of my concerns.

2. For six years in a row you have continued to invite unbiblical teachers to address our people and our pastors at your Annual National Conference on Innovation. Even though there were members expressing their concerns with you all during this time, you continued to plow straight ahead with your plans, which are clearly outside the will of God in Scripture, and the Spirit of Prophecy. We have been given a wealth of information and guidance regarding our ministry to a secular world. We have no business asking a fallen system to instruct us or guide us in our methodology. We do not need to drink from broken cisterns when God has given us contemporary guidance that we do not even follow. We were warned about the dangers of mysticism and spiritualism. Through the pen of inspiration, God has seen fit to guide us away from the modern manifestations of Satanic deception. But you have not listened to the voices of reason that have attempted to draw you back to the safety of God’s will. You have run roughshod over these attempts. You have even turned a deaf ear to our world church leader in this regard.

3. And now you have decided to completely dismantle the bivocational pastor program in this Conference. You have claimed that there is no other way to be compliant with the Department of Labor than the discontinuance of your program. This is not at all necessary however.  You do not need to discontinue your program; you merely need to pay your bivocational pastors the minimum wage for a small stated number of hours per week. This is the issue that the Department of Labor is concerned with. Why don’t you show us the evidence from the Department of Labor that indicates that they are actually concerned about part-time and full-time pastors taking the same number of hours to prepare a sermon, for instance? Where is that evidence? And why do you not share the entire letter that Elder Bryant sent you? Why do you share just the portion that seems to strengthen your position?

The people of Ohio deserve a full disclosure from you. They deserve the opportunity to meet with you in a general meeting so that they can share their concerns. You may think that the three elders’ meetings will suffice. But this is not enough. We want complete openness and full disclosure concerning your decision to discontinue the bivocational program. In the business world, there are protocols in place that promote such openness. Should not the church of Jesus Christ be completely transparent in its dealings?

4. You have borne false witness against our hometown camp meeting, “Forward to Zion.” Elder Hallett, you wrote two separate letters to Elder Artur Stele, concerning this camp meeting. We were trying to follow basic protocol in asking you for a letter of approval, so that Elder Stele could speak during the Sabbath worship hour at our camp meeting. The first letter of December 2, 2010 was a positive invitation. Here is an excerpt:

“The Ohio Conference has encouraged local congregations to hold local area Camp Meetings the past couple of years.  We have received a note from one of our bi-vocational pastors, David Sullivan, that he has requested your presence at their local camp meeting in 2011.  He has told me they will be renting the Allegheny West camp grounds due to the fact that several of our Ohio Conference pastors will be holding a camp meeting geared to youth at Mount Vernon Academy, our traditional location for camp meeting in Ohio, on the same dates.

You are more than welcome, and we invite you, to join with this local congregation in their local camp meeting gathering in June of 2011.”

Then, on December 6, you wrote these words to Elder Stele:

“Elder Stele,

        

I sent you a letter dated December 2, 2010 concerning a local camp meeting being held

June 8-12 in Ohio.  It is a local event being held at the Allegheny West Conference camp grounds.  David Sullivan is the bi-vocational pastor who is organizing it.

        

At our staff meeting at the Conference Office this morning, new and more complete information was shared which changes the picture a bit.  I must now inform you of these changes.  First, we had understood it was to be an event focused on the congregations supporting it.  Attached is a copy of the website they have created which makes it a meeting for “all” Ohio church members.  This was brought to our attention by one of the full time pastors who was concerned about the drawing away of his members when he is sponsoring a home town camp meeting in Columbus, Ohio at the same time.  Our goal with these home town camp meetings was to have more people participate, more local involvement and more invitations to the communities where the event is being held.  Thus, a larger sharing of the Gospel and evangelism in the community.

        

Second, over the weekend I learned of reservations from two of the churches being listed as sponsoring congregations as they have learned more about what is to happen.  One was considering withdrawal of their support.

        

Third, given the above information as well as other information which is too much to write here, it was clear that this is not a camp meeting being supported, approved, voted, nor endorsed by the Ohio Conference.”

You mischaracterized our camp meeting greatly. Your negativity caused Elder Stele to change his mind about coming to speak for us. The fact is, our camp meeting is indeed a hometown camp meeting, sponsored by several local churches. We have marketed the meeting in a similar fashion as the other hometown camp meetings. They also have been marketed all over Ohio. But we realize that we will get mainly attendees from central Ohio. You have maligned our meeting in such a way as to cast it in a negative, disloyal, light. You have intimated that our meeting is somehow not what it purports to be. You have twisted the facts concerning the sponsoring churches and their plans. And you have indicated to a high-ranking Adventist leader that the Ohio Conference does not support or approve of our hometown camp meeting. You have singled us out, and you have spoken out of both sides of your mouth. First you approve, then you malign. This duplicity is dreadfully wrong.

Please understand that when you attack our camp meeting you are attacking a good number of people in Ohio. When you malign our meeting you are hurting many honest-hearted members who love the Lord dearly. If you do not like our choice of conservative speakers, just say so. If you do not appreciate the traditional nature of our camp meeting, just say so. But please do not continue to malign a perfectly noble meeting that will uplift Jesus Christ, and equip God’s people for service.

I highly recommend that you call a general meeting, and invite the entire membership of Ohio to attend. Set the ground rules and inform people that all will be done in decency and in order. Give God’s people a voice. Hear what they have to say. Answer their questions fully and completely. And if there are areas in which you need to adjust, do so willingly and humbly. But to continue to give the impression that you are closed to full communication will not be productive at all. This is 2011. People do not just sit on their hands when they have concerns. They speak with their feet, their wallets, and their fingers.

Whatever you decide to do, you can be certain that God will take note of it all. There is a limit to what He allows in His remnant church. He is jealous for His church, and He will easily override plans that are not in accordance with His will. As for me, I would much rather be ridiculed for standing for the right, than praised for promoting evil.

My prayer is that you would give the people a voice, and that you would be open to the conviction of the Holy Spirit. There is a bright future for all those who truly submit to the Lord’s leading.

In truth,

Pastor David Sullivan

Delaware Seventh-day Adventist Church

Open Letter to Executive Committee

Several attempts have been made to procure the current contact list for Executive Committee members. But the Ohio Conference has not been forthcoming with the names and addresses of these important committee members. This committee represents us--the members of God's remnant church in Ohio. The decisions they make affect every one of us. It should not be difficult to obtain the current contact information for the Executive Committee. This information should be posted on the conference website. Therefore, under the circumstances, I present the following letter to the members of the Executive Committee for their prayerful consideration:

February 25, 2011

Executive Committee

Ohio Conference of Seventh-day Adventists

2 Fairgrounds Road

Mt. Vernon, OH 43050

Dear Members of the Executive Committee,

            I write this letter in Christian love, and with sincerity of heart. I humbly ask that you reconsider and reverse your prior decision to discontinue the bivocational pastor program in Ohio. I do so not out of self-serving motives, but rather for the two following reasons:

1. The decision is not in the best interest of the sisterhood of churches in Ohio

2. The decision is not at all necessary, in order to be compliant with the FLSA

            Firstly, there are many small churches in Ohio who, as of April 1, will find themselves to be a part of a district scenario, with a pastor whom they did not choose. In all fairness, a decision of this magnitude should be made with the engagement of the people of this Conference, and not merely by a committee. I highly recommend that you call a general meeting and invite the members of Ohio to attend. Give them a voice. Allow them to express their concerns and to share their suggestions. We have a lot of talented and devoted people in our Conference. Please give them a voice, and engage them in meaningful discussion. A meeting of this kind could be carried out in a tactful, courteous manner, and it would be very rewarding and fruitful. To be sure, there are probably other issues about which members have concerns. But that is all right. We have nothing to fear from frank and open dialogue. The current structural changes would be the principal issue at hand. The people would deeply appreciate such an opportunity to share, and a meeting of this sort would do much to mitigate against the notion that they are being cut off from expressing themselves.

            It is not prudent to make sweeping changes of this sort, without giving the churches involved any say whatsoever. This gives the appearance that the Conference does not want the input of its members, and I know that this was not your intention.

            Secondly, on February 17 I talked with Elder G. Alexander Bryant, Secretary of the North American Division. I figured that he would know the facts better than anyone else, since he was right at the center of the policy-making, regarding bivocational pastors. Here is a summary of what Elder Bryant shared with me:

1. He said it is true that bivocational pastors are “non-exempt”, and must be paid by the hour, according to the minimum-pay law of their state.

2. He said that originally they (the NAD) had two options for the conferences: they could start paying all the pastors a full salary, full-time and part-time alike. This, he said, would be out of the question in most cases. He said the second option would be to discontinue the bivocational program entirely.

3. Then Elder Bryant continued, saying that he knows the value of bivocational pastors, because he used to be the president of a small conference, and they used bivocational pastors in that conference successfully. He said that God was gracious, in that He showed his team at the NAD a third option, regarding bivocational pastors. He was very pleased with this third option, and he said he praised the Lord for revealing this to them.

4. The third option was for conferences to pay bivocational pastors the minimum hourly wage for a small stated number of hours per week, adding mileage reimbursement on top of it. He said that pastors would have to keep track of their hours and the conferences would have some added paperwork on their part, but that this option would definitely work.

5. He said that this third option is actually what they (the NAD) recommended to the conferences in November; this was the ideal way to go. They did not recommend that conferences completely discontinue their bivocational programs. I gave Elder Bryant a hypothetical scenario which involves bivocational pastors streamlining their work in such a way that they were only reporting a given number of hours per week, and the Conference would be paying them the minimum wage for those hours. Elder Bryant said that this would certainly work, and no one would ever give the Conference any trouble legally. He said that this is exactly the kind of scenario that they (the NAD) envisioned for the conferences, so that they could retain the services of their bivocational pastors.

            I then checked with two individuals at the Department of Labor, on both the federal level and the state level. The first person I talked with is Bob Duffy, who works for the federal Department of Labor office in Cleveland. His number is 614-469-5678. Here is what he said: "Churches and other non-profit organizations are exempt from the FLSA. We have no jurisdiction over part-time or full-time church employees. The FLSA does not apply to churches, regarding its ministers." He then told me, to be safe, I should talk with someone at the state DOL office. So this is what I proceeded to do.

The second person with whom I talked was Jackie Clark, who works for the state Department of Labor, in Columbus. Her number is 614-728-5019. Here is what she said: "Even though the FLSA does not have any federal jurisdiction regarding churches, from the state perspective, the FLSA does have jurisdiction. Part-time pastors who make under $455 per week would have to be paid the $7.40 per hour wage for the hours they work." Then I further asked "If a pastor who works only 15 hours per week was paid the minimum wage for those specific hours, would this be legal in the eyes of the state of Ohio?" She said that yes indeed that would be legal. She said they do not get involved with how many hours a part-time employee works; that this is a matter for an employer to decide. She said the overtime rule would only come into effect if the pastor worked more than 40 hours in one week.

I asked Ms. Clark also about "professional" issues, such as degrees, experience, etc. She said it did not matter what degrees a part-time pastor has or doesn’t have, and that they do not involve themselves with comparisons between full-time and part-time pastors. She said this is not an issue. They only look at the $455 per week test. Anything under that is considered "non-exempt" and the minimum wage law applies. In other words, it does not matter to the Department of Labor how many hours a bivocational pastor works, or how many hours a full-time pastor works, or how similar or dissimilar their work habits are.

If the Ohio Conference paid its bivocational pastors the minimum wage of $7.40 per hour for 15 hours per week—they would be paying the workers LESS than what they currently pay them. In this scenario, the hourly pay ($444) plus $350 or so for mileage, brings us to about $794 per month. This is a little less than what we currently receive per month. This would actually represent a savings for the Ohio Conference. In addition, under this scenario, the Conference would be “legal” in the eyes of the Department of Labor. This is what Ms. Clark confirmed, and this is also what Elder Bryant indicated in our conversation of February 17.

It is true that bivocational pastors, in the above suggested format, would have to keep track of their hours, as would the Conference. It is also true that these pastors would need to adjust as they go—each week would be slightly different in terms of how they utilized and allocated their hours. For instance, if a funeral or hospital visit becomes necessary, the pastor would follow through with this unforeseen need, and take away that time expenditure from some other area of ministry that week. This is quite doable, and not at all infeasible. We all make quick adjustments in our lives all the time. This would be no different.

Bivocational pastors are not identical to full-time pastors. They typically are more efficient with their time, just for the sake of survival. It is not fair or even necessary to say that bivocational pastors need to take the exact same time to prepare a sermon as a full-time pastor, for instance. This a non-issue to the Department of Labor. In addition, bivocational pastors cannot be expected to do everything that a full-time pastor does, in terms of ministry. They are by definition part-time employees, and as such they will not put the same amount of time into their ministries as their full-time counterparts. But this is not to say that their ministries are less meaningful or less important than those of the full-time workers. The small churches of this state who are currently served by bivocational pastors would tell you that they deeply appreciate the personal attention and focus they get from their pastors.

            Therefore, in summary, I sincerely recommend the following:

1. Reverse your recent decision to discontinue the bivocational program, because it is not necessary.

2. Implement a new hourly pay system for the current bivocational pastors, paying $7.40 per hour for 15 hours weekly. This is in keeping with the advice of Elder Bryant, and it ensures that the Conference is compliant with the FLSA.

3. Invite the members of this Conference to come to a general meeting with the leadership, for people who are not heard do not have a voice; and this breeds discontent. Harness the creativity and convictions of the people.

            Thank you for your prayerful consideration of these matters. I am very grateful for your attention and time. I think that my fellow bivocational colleagues would also be grateful. God bless you richly with His grace and wisdom.

Yours in Christ,

Pastor David Sullivan

Delaware Seventh-day Adventist Church