The International Association of Free Seventh-Day Adventists

Questions and conversation about religious beliefs, Scripture, the Spirit of Prophecy, and Creation 7th Day Adventism
David Aguilar
Posts: 63
Joined: May 28th, 2012, 4:28 pm

The International Association of Free Seventh-Day Adventists

Postby David Aguilar » August 3rd, 2012, 11:08 am

Even before the interest that various individuals have taken in the CSDA Church due to the recent arrests of Pastor McGill and Brother Chartier, we have received advice from a number of well-intentioned people seeking to offer assistance. More than one have recommended that the Church, in order to avoid legal disputes, apply for membership in the International Association of Free Seventh-day Adventists.

Since so many seemed to be giving a consistent testimony, we decided to approach the matter as objectively as possible, to review this course of action and see if it was compatible with our convictions. Based upon an extensive and careful consideration of the factors involved, it was ultimately decided that we were unable to follow these suggestions, as we believe that the association cannot provide us with help in our work which, as a Church, involves teaching the Gospel of Christ to all who are willing, and vindicating the name and character of our Father in Heaven. The following few posts are taken (slightly modified) from a letter sent to one such individual offering this advice. This post includes the beginning of the letter and a summary of our findings. The next post includes information on the specific factors leading to that summary. The third and final post on this thread gives a Scriptural analysis that solidify the findings discussed in the section on specifics.

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Greetings in Christ,

I have had a chance to review the Certificate of Membership for the International Association of Free Seventh-Day Adventists, and also the application forms submitted to obtain this membership.

As someone who has known very little of this association aside from some mentions of it during our Camp meetings, I come to these documents with “fresh eyes,” having formed little prior opinion due to contact with members or institutions recognized as belonging to this association.

Having examined the documents sent to me, I do not believe that unity with the International Association of Free Seventh-day Adventists would be compatible with the divinely-inspired goals of any Church claiming the name “Seventh-day Adventist.” I provide a summary of my main findings immediately below, and then after that a more detailed examination of the reasons why.

SUMMARY

There are two sets of reasons why I believe the Free Association is not compatible with Adventism. The first are three “general” reasons, which look at the association, its goals and operating methods, as a whole:

1) Adventists believe that the final generation of believers will consist of a Church in perfect unity. Any effort to have Churches with distinct doctrinal positions “work together” rather than truly unite in spirit and doctrine amounts to nothing but a reconstruction of the Sunday-keeping Ecumenical Movement under the umbrella of Adventism.

2) God operates on the principle of the “Covenant.” He binds His people to Himself with bonds stronger and more solemn by far than that of a human marriage. This Bride is not to seek companions among other “women,” but her Covenant should be with the Almighty only, and she should be committed to teaching her understanding of the truth to the exclusion of anything (however seemingly minor) that is NOT the whole “truth as it is in Jesus.”

3) According to Ellen White’s writings, which most, if not all, Adventists accept as inspired, “God is leading out a people, not a few separate individuals here and there, one believing this thing, another that. Angels of God are doing the work committed to their trust. The third angel is leading out and purifying a people, and they should move with him unitedly.” [Testimonies for the Church Volume One, page 207]. This prophetic understanding is undermined by the idea of an “association” of different groups; while the statement speaks of “separate individuals” and not “separate groups,” the principles involved are precisely the same.

(continued below)

David Aguilar
Posts: 63
Joined: May 28th, 2012, 4:28 pm

Re: The International Association of Free Seventh-Day Advent

Postby David Aguilar » August 3rd, 2012, 11:09 am

SPECIFICS

Regarding the specifics of the certificate:

1) It states that “[Named Church] having met all the necessary requirements and conditions for membership in the International Association of Free Seventh-Day Adventists has membership in this worldwide body [start date] to [end date]… etc.” This amounts to one group having the authority to “license” and “permit” another to operate while not being a member of that sub-group itself.

By submitting to its authority, individual Adventist Churches would be acknowledging an arbitrating body that is NOT Jesus Christ Himself. This amounts, verily, to another incarnation of a General Conference; and even if the aims are noble (i.e., to be what the Conference “should have been”), the original General Conference at least had the benefit of a (relatively) united set of congregations. Under these current circumstances, it is Christ alone who must have the authority that the Association adopts by the wording quoted here.

2) The Certificate includes a start-date and an end-date for membership, at the end of which members must re-apply, and potentially submit to an investigation of their teachings and practices before renewal is granted. Related to this, and as stated on the application form, “The Association reserves the right to investigate, accept, or reject any applicant” (emphasis added) during the application and re-application process. This is unlike the kind of “membership” that Heaven approves for members of the Kingdom of Heaven, which is to be everlasting, unless there is a decided “falling away.” Furthermore, the investigation of doctrine and practices is, as stated above, reserved for the Son of Man during the true “Investigative Judgment.”

3) The Certificate is registered with the United States Government, which is essentially receiving a “stamp of approval” to operate from the Second Beast of Revelation. While there may be some (limited) allowance for governmental acknowledgement in some countries, the same does not hold true in the United States, particularly in light of this country’s prophetic significance.

Regarding the application form itself:

1) The stated purpose of the organization on the application document is to “preserve the name, ‘Seventh-day Adventist,’ for the true Remnant who finally proclaim the Three Angels’ Messages in these last days.” The Association does not make any statements as to WHO that true Remnant actually is, and this should be one of the most powerful and open testimonies of any Adventist Organization.

2) According to the first page, all churches that are members of the association “must use the word ‘Free’ in front of ‘Seventh-day Adventist’ in their new name.” Adventists believe that God Himself gave the name “Seventh-day Adventist” to His people through prophetic revelation and according to His unique and divine prerogative. The Association does not (at least, does not openly) declare that the addition of the word “Free” is of similar divine inspiration, and therefore it cannot even be examined for validity under the same standards by which the original name was adopted.

3) The fourth requirement of the application states, “We agree to uphold the Fundamental Beliefs or Truths of the Seventh-day Adventist faith.” Which Fundamental Beliefs (note the capital letters) are those? If they are the ones lifted from the Conference, then this presents a problem. If they are newly-devised, or derived from the pioneer writings, these should be clearly stated, as not all Adventist Churches hold the same beliefs even over what others consider to be “fundamental.” Diverse understandings of fundamental doctrines are hardly a sound basis for Christian unity.

4) The fifth requirement states, “We agree to subdue private beliefs and personal convictions not endorsed by this Association.” This is a major problem. Personal convictions are NOT to be subdued under any circumstances, for they represent the very heart of our connection to the Most High. The language employed here is unworthy of Adventism, indeed, of any form of Protestant Christianity, and if this is the price of the kind of unity offered by the Association, the cost is far too dear!

5) The seventh states, “We agree to encourage and maintain unity and love between Association members at all times.” While on the surface this sounds very good, one of the principles of true love is that it exposes error, and reaches conclusions after reasoned dialogue. The ecumenical spirit adopted by the Free Association would have us sweep differences under the rug rather than truly resolve them. The cynical and world-weary may say, “That is just a waste of time, for we will never come to true agreement,” but such a statement betrays a lack of faith in the true power of the Gospel, and the work of the Holy Spirit to make us all ONE with the Father and Son (John 17). As Adventists, we have a work to do in finding the CAUSE of the divisions among us, and to unite “in spirit and in truth” not in mutual tolerance and cooperation, however prized those “virtues” may be in secular organizations. The Kingdom of Heaven operates on different principles than these.

(concluded below)

David Aguilar
Posts: 63
Joined: May 28th, 2012, 4:28 pm

Re: The International Association of Free Seventh-Day Advent

Postby David Aguilar » August 3rd, 2012, 11:10 am

ANALYSIS

The findings in the Summary above are expounded in detail here. As I have mentioned, the major conclusion is that the International Association of Free Seventh Day Adventists is NOT in the divine plan for the Adventist Church.
There are a few general reasons for this, and a few specific ones based upon the text and features of the documents. I will begin with the general ones:

1) Seventh-day Adventists believe that the final generation of believers will compose a single, purified Church in which the Apostle Paul’s exhortation will be fulfilled. He writes to the early believers, “Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and [that] there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.” (1Corinthians 1:10) This must happen in the last days (akin to the “upper room” experience of the Apostles in the Book of Acts) before the Latter Rain can bring the work to a glorious end.

By contrast, the Association appears to be an Adventist version of the Sunday-keeping Ecumenical movement, which states that, “We may have differences in doctrine, but we can work together to preach the Three Angels’ Message to the world.” On the surface, this seems like an admirable endeavor; however, the Spirit of God has gone out into the world to gather the wheat into one Barn. The Son of God has but one Bride, and Her members are individual people, not individual groups with a multitude of names and doctrinal distinctions. The Father has chosen but one People, and the true Remnant will accurately claim to be THAT PEOPLE. Inspired writings have told us that the 144,000 will “soon” know who they are, and this without any shadow of doubt. An Adventist Church should know its identity in Christ with no question. To unite with an association of differently-minded individuals, however close they may be without being actually “of [them]” would be to acknowledge the validity of other faiths than the true, and dilute if not destroy the testimony of those who are to uniquely stand for Christ in this generation.

2) The proper Adventist understanding of agreements between individuals and organizations goes much deeper than the understandings of others churches. We believe that, spiritually, we are to be bound to God only; as He has said, “And ye shall be my people, and I will be your God.” (Jeremiah 30:22) He has said to us, as one of the conditions of that covenant, “Take heed to thyself, lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land whither thou goest, lest it be for a snare in the midst of thee; but ye shall destroy their altars, break their images, and cut down their groves, for thou shalt worship no other god, for the Lord whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God:” (Exodus 34:12-14)

This may seem like an extreme statement, for we are discussing fellow Adventists, not pagan religions or even Sunday-keeping Protestantism. Nevertheless, Adventist Churches ought to promote their understanding of the Gospel as being “correct,” not merely “acceptable as being close enough” to some institution to which they are bound in covenant. If an Adventist Church teaching one thing, it should be committed to it as THE truth from Heaven. Were that Church to unite with another Church (even one calling itself “Adventist”) that teaches another “truth,” this would be demonstrating unfaithfulness to its Head akin to Solomon’s many marriages. These are solemn times, and the judgment draws ever-nearer; it is not the time for compromise, but the time for bold testimonies that will win hearts to the pure, unadulterated, and uncompromised Gospel of Jesus Christ. Recall that the 144,000 perfectly follow the Lamb of God.

3) As mentioned above, according to Ellen White’s writings, which we accept as inspired, “God is leading out a people, not a few separate individuals here and there, one believing this thing, another that. Angels of God are doing the work committed to their trust. The third angel is leading out and purifying a people, and they should move with him unitedly.” [Testimonies for the Church Volume One, page 207]. While the groups involved in the association are not separate individuals, the principle is the same; one believes “this thing” and another “that.” The Third Angel, and the Holy Spirit, cannot be leading various people of diverse beliefs. The Spirit of God is the spirit of one-ness with the will and mind of the Father and Son. There is one Lord, one Faith, and one Baptism. There is a unity in Christianity, but it is a unity of faith, not of cooperation, and that is a very subtle, but very important, distinction.

Adventists should preach unity, but it must be unity without loss of identity, or without incorporation into any Body which could be perceived (by the world, if no one else) as a “grander scheme.” Our unity must be based on a common understanding, not merely of doctrines and practices, but of the very character of Christ, which I perceive to be significantly different among even the various groups that consider themselves to be Adventist in origin and essential teachings. The Third Angel is leading “a people,” and we encourage others to move with him, and therefore with us, unitedly.

Now, as I turn to the specifics of the agreement as set forth in the documents, there will be a lot that underscores or highlight the three major issues listed above. Indeed, those three have a fair amount of overlap among them. Ultimately, what this boils down to is that I find the Association, and the picture of the Church as represented in Scripture and prophecy, to be too different to be reconciled. The individual elements of the agreement highlight this.

Starting with the certificate itself:

1) It states that “[Named Church] having met all the necessary requirements and conditions for membership in the International Association of Free Seventh-Day Adventists has membership in this worldwide body [start date] to [end date]… etc.”

It is clear from this statement that the Association considers itself to be an, if not the, arbitrating “body” of Conference-free Adventism, with the authority to state necessary requirements and conditions for membership. By submitting itself to this authority, individual Churches would be acknowledging that some other organization has the authority – in fact, the ability – to make judgments regarding the accuracy and validity our faith and teachings.

For the true Adventist, the only “Head” with such authority is Christ Himself, and this authority is made manifest through the members of the Church. It is my understanding that in Colossians 2, Paul’s statement (without the English translators’ added words and punctuation) reads, “Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the Sabbath, which are a shadow of things to come, but the Body of Christ.” (Col 2:16, 17)

It is the “Body of Christ” that determines whether or not the believers’ adherence to the dietary instructions of the Scriptures, and the observance of the various appointed times (to give the two stated examples) meet with the approval of the Almighty. Were one group to say to another, “Evaluate our beliefs and see if we are acceptable to join with you,” they would be verily making the statement that the Association (in a more manifest way than the petitioning group) IS that “Body of Christ.” Again, to some groups this may seem a relatively trivial thing – to “join a group” for mutual support and aid; but as stated above, the Adventist Church ought to take the concept of the “Covenant” very seriously, as does our Father in Heaven.

2) While Adventists are hardly believers in the application of the “once saved, always saved” theology to any spiritual concept, the idea of having to renew one’s membership in the association every two years strikes me as completely antithetical to the Gospel of Christ. It is one thing to submit one’s self to the judgment of the association once, but the idea of an ongoing revision and review (as innocent as that may sound on paper) is unpalatable, and seems almost like a human version of an investigative judgment. In fact, near the end of page 2 of the application form it specifically states, “The Association reserves the right to investigate, accept, or reject any applicant.” (emphasis added)

The Free Association may consider itself to be The Body, or perhaps the “Body of Bodies,” and it is their privilege to do so; however, the Scriptures teach that membership in The Body of Christ is intended to be permanent, eternal, and can only be revoked by a decided and dramatic “falling away” from the faith, not by some default inactivity.

3) At the very bottom of the certificate the registration information, and registration number, is provided. Apart from some very specific circumstances in which it is required by the law of the land to register as a ministry before doing the work of the Gospel – it is neither necessary nor wise to request the government’s acknowledgment of the Body as an organization subject to its jurisdiction.

As Adventists, we believe that our names are “registered in Heaven.” We accept, fundamentally, the acceptance of the Book of Life and the Book of Remembrance that contain our names and our works, respectively. We should therefore actively reject the idea of requesting permission to peach in the name of Christ, and prefer to seek the aid of the Father and Son in defending our cause, relying solely on Them and Their authority when faced with matters of controversy and legal dispute.

There are also a few things that come up in the application; these are:

1) The stated purpose of the organization on the application document is to “preserve the name, ‘Seventh-day Adventist,’ for the true Remnant who finally proclaim the Three Angels’ Messages in these last days.” But who is that “true Remnant?” The association document does not make it clear who they believe that true Remnant to be, whether it is the collective Free Association itself, one of its member-churches, or the (eventual) merging of the various members into one cohesive body.

Any faithful and committed Adventist Church should claim to BE that true Remnant, and should already be proclaiming “the Three Angels’ Messages in these last days” while using the name Seventh-day Adventist. Thus, from our perspective the association literally has no function in this regard. And were any group to seek the Association’s membership as protection from the General Conference, what would this say about its testimony that it is God’s Church to defend and protect? It is the Lord’s work to protect His name (meaning both the name He claims for Himself and the name He assigns to His people). The Conference, in fact, made a similar error in adopting the belief that their hands were to be the ones to steady the Ark on its journey. (1Chronicles 13:9, 10)

2) According to the first page, all churches that are members of the association “must use the word ‘Free’ in front of ‘Seventh-day Adventist’ in their new name.” For this reason alone, faithful Adventists should never consent to joining this Association. It is the privilege of God alone to assign names – this is the very heart of the legal dispute between the General Conference Corporation of Seventh-day Adventists and Adventist Churches that stand apart from that corporation. It is the Son of God who will give to His people, collectively and individually, their “new name.” (Isa 62:2, Rev 2:17, Rev 3:12) Simply put, the Seventh-day Adventist Church, as the Bride of Christ, is already using the name that Yahweh has given, and were a Church to submit to another group or body instructing them regarding what name to use, the ability to keep “Seventh-day Adventist” as a part of that name is actually only superficially better than what the General Conference is demanding. And again, to submit themselves for membership in the Free Association would be to acknowledge that the Association has authority from Heaven to operate as they now are. This is something that should be seriously considered by any Church already a member, or contemplating membership.

3) The fourth requirement of the application form is potentially problematic. It states, “We agree to uphold the Fundamental Beliefs or Truths of the Seventh-day Adventist faith.” Which Fundamental Beliefs (capitalized letters in the original) are these? Counsels to writers and Editors, cited there, does include the phrase “fundamental truths,” (small letters) but this does not refer to a codified document, rather “the things that Adventists believe and teach” in a general sense. The only Fundamental Beliefs that I know of in Adventism are the 28 or 29 Fundamentals of the Conference Church, and there are a number of these with which a number of independent Adventist Churches strongly disagree, such as the teachings on the Godhead. I note that the Free Association was formed in 1916, which is fairly early on, and I would therefore be curious as to what these Fundamental Beliefs are held to be.

4) The fifth requirement presents a major problem. “We agree to subdue private beliefs and personal convictions not endorsed by this Association.” Personal convictions are NOT to be subdued under any circumstances, for they represent the very heart of our connection to the Most High. A violation of one’s personal convictions is verily a denial of the faith that we have accepted, and to subdue them is nothing but the hiding of that faith. Any organization that considers itself to be Protestant ought never to use language such as this.

It is written, “And they overcame [the Beast and his Image] by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.” (Rev 12:11) This is decidedly not a picture of those who subdue their private beliefs and personal convictions.

5) The seventh states, “We agree to encourage and maintain unity and love between Association members at all times.” Of course, this sounds wonderful. The Adventist faith is based upon Agape, that perfect, divine love for all of the Almighty’s creatures, and especially our fellow man. However, we cannot submit to “unity” with groups that teach diverse doctrines from our own. Again, this is the Adventist version of the Ecumenical movement, as I stated near the very beginning of this document. We need to realize that “agreeing to disagree” is one of the most deadly weapons that Satan has forged against the preservation of the purity of the Gospel. Some may look at that statement as a confession of stubbornness, even elitism, but we as Adventists can only follow the example of our Master, who would allow no compromise of His convictions, and what He knew to be true of the Father who had sent Him. He did not agree to promote unity with the Scribes who, while ostensibly of the “same religion” as He, nevertheless taught an incomplete truth, and ultimately betrayed themselves and others into the Enemy’s hands.

Our Father does not say, “Let us cooperate to get this work done,” He says something else: “‘Come now, and let us reason together,’ saith the Lord. ‘Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.’” (Isa 1:18) It should be apparent that any division is the result, somewhere along the line, of sin. Sedition (division) is listed as a work of the flesh in Galatians 5:20, and therefore the only way to truly have unity in Christ is for all sin, and all consequences of past sin, to be confessed and forsaken, not merely swept under the metaphorical rug.

The above constitutes my assessment of the International Association of Free Seventh-Day Adventists, including both the application documents and the certificate that is issued upon being accepted. It is my conclusion that the Association, while its administration may be well-intentioned and sincere, is not compatible with the Bible’s description of the last remnant of believers who will be taken through the Time of Trouble and on into the Heavenly Inheritance by the guiding hand of Yahweh.

David P. Aguilar


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