Recommendation for Conference Constituency

January 21, 2015 highwayadmin

(Response to survey question from Potomac Conference by its representative at a local church Board meeting of Jan. 18, 2015.)Question: What would you like to recommend as an agenda item for the upcoming Conference Constituency meeting?Pastor Dan Shafer’s response:A book was published in early 1990’s called “Issues, the SDA Church and certain Private Ministries”. This book had no specific author and was authorized by NAD division officers and union presidents. This book was distributed to the world field, and its purpose was to condemn and demean the work of faithful SDA members who operate self supporting ministries.On pg. 19 of the book these self supporting ministries are called a “Cancer” that “must be gotten rid of…and if possible, have it cut out”.I ask you, Is this any way for a Christian to refer to any human being of any persuasion, and most definitely a faithful, concerned member of the SDA Church?On pg. 14 it is stated that “the standard of Adventism must be a decision of the united Church in General Conference session.” (This is interesting in light of the “Ordination” issue in which this conference has seen fit to leave this “united Church” standard.)On pg. 90 it is stated that “Paul wrote most earnestly about the need for unity. He urged that “there should be no division in the body” (1 Cor 12:25) Almost all of 1 Cor 12 and the first half of Ephesians 4 are about unity to the body of Christ. “Press together! Press together!” Again and again this message came to the church through Ellen White. In the context of one statement, she said: “God wants His people to counsel together, to be a united Church, in Christ a perfect whole…No one company is to form a confederacy, and say, ‘We are going to take this work, and carry it on in the our own way.” (2SM374)Therefore, I would recommend to the upcoming Constituency session that the Potomac Conference take seriously the above statement and discontinue carrying on the work in your own way and consider a return to World Church policy in regard to the “Ordination, regardless of Gender” issue, which has already been settled on by the world body 20 years ago. As it stands now, the Potomac Conference is moving ahead as an “Independent” ministry, ignoring the above solid counsel that was given to us by our prophetess and published in the “Issues” book, as referred to above.I love my church and it breaks my heart to witness its methodical (spiritualistic) dismantlement by many within leadership who cannot possibly say that these things are of God. I want you to know that I pray for those people. I also hope and pray that you will not consider this a personal attack on anyone; however, I must speak up when our beloved church is under severe attack.Pastor Dan Shafer