Originally published on Wednesday, 12 May, 2010, 9:47 am in German at www.letztercountdown.org
About ten minutes after I had published my last article, A Gift of Heaven, which is mainly about the Second Ecumenical Church Day in Munich from May 12 - 16, 2010, and the expected “unveiling of the heavenly message of Sunday” on Thursday May 13, I received an interesting post from the German Adventist Press Service, APD on my laptop:
Adventists participate in Church Day in Munich
Munich/Germany May 10, 2010/APD
Nearly 3000 events are included in the 720-page program of the Second Ecumenical Church Congress, which takes place in Munich, May 12-16, under the biblical theme “That you may have hope”. The Seventh-day Adventist Church will be present at the major event, where more than 100,000 permanent participants are expected. On Thursday, May 13, between 2:00 p.m. and 3:30 p.m., the conversation “What I like about you - presenting crossing denominations” takes place at the Exhibition Grounds in the workshop area of Hall B0. It will be attended by the Evangelical Reformed Church’s minister for deaconship and ecumenism, Dietmar Arends (Leer), Dr. John Hartlapp, lecturer in church history, philosophy, ecumenism, and religious history from the Friedensau Adventist Theological College near Magdeburg, and an associate professor of dogmatic and ecumenical theology from the Catholic Theological Faculty of the university of Tübingen, Dr. Anne Marie Mayer. The moderation will be done by Rev. Dr. Maria Stettner, Theological Advisor in the Office of Regional Bishops of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the church circle of Nuremberg.
In the “Agora” at the exhibition grounds, the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Bavaria provides information under the motto “Being Christian in everyday life” (Hall A5, Booth I33), and the Adventist Theological College Friedensau near Magdeburg on “Education and Health” (Hall B6, Booth J12). The Adventist Development and Relief Agency, ADRA, is also represented with a presentation booth (Hall B4, Booth D28). At the “media mile” the Adventist Media Center “Voice of Hope” shows its radio and television program, the “Hope Channel” (Hall B3, Booth M01).
The Seventh-day Adventist Church invites attendees to religious worship services on Saturday, May 14 from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. At the Adventist congregations of Munich-Nymphenburg, Tizian Road 18, and Munich-Pasing, Bodensee Road 61, the Lord’s Supper with foot washing takes place, and at the Adventist congregation of Munich-Isartal, Isartal Road 40, a baptismal service will be held.
In addition to the extensive thematic, liturgical and cultural program, the Second Ecumenical Church Congress in Munich provides also visitors with a profound range of psychological counseling, pastoral care and spiritual guidance by about 90 consultants from different denominations. Personal conflicts, life decisions, experiences of suffering or actual emergency situations can be addressed in individual or group discussions as well as by spiritual accompaniment. The consultants include the psychologists Matthias and Ulrike Dauenhauer from Reutlingen. He belongs to the Seventh-day Adventist Church, his wife to the Independent Evangelical-Lutheran Church.
The Protestant Seventh-day Adventist Church is represented at the national level by the German Bible Society, the Association of Evangelical Free Churches (VEF) and the Council of Christian Churches in Germany (ACK). In Switzerland, the Free Church is working in the cantonal associations of Christian churches in Aargau, Basel Land, Basel-Stadt, Schaffhausen and Zurich and is a member of the Swiss Bible Society.
What a “contrasting program” to those articles that I have written, which are so heavily attacked by this formerly “Adventist” church! It’s hard to believe that we are actually prompted by our Adventist Press Service to attend on May 13 , to show how ecumenical we are and that all of us may realize what the true gift of heaven is. Why should we as Adventists attend such events, which involve only matters of dishonoring and mocking our God and His day of rest, that will ultimately bring persecution to His people? Has the entire Adventist Church now become completely disloyal, or are these just the leaders? And why does the church not react if it’s like Walter Veith says on YouTube, that we have a bottom-up structure and only parts of the church would be a whore but never the whole church? Regardless, I lack the words to express my disagreement! Therefore, from now on I will mainly use the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy to comment on these evidences of terrible apostasy. This has to lead to a cleansing scandal really soon. I, at least, want to find an answer to the question: Who is the “ecumenical Adventist”?
1. The union of churches—Ecumenism—is a Sign of the end of the world
And on the sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted thither. And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul. And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us. (Acts 16:13-15)
A sign that the end is near
By the decree enforcing the institution of the papacy in violation of the law of God, our nation will disconnect herself fully from righteousness. When Protestantism shall stretch her hand across the gulf to grasp the hand of the Roman power, when she shall reach over the abyss to clasp hands with spiritualism, when, under the influence of this threefold union, our country shall repudiate every principle of its Constitution as a Protestant and republican government, and shall make provision for the propagation of papal falsehoods and delusions, then we may know that the time has come for the marvelous working of Satan and that the end is near. {5T 451.1}
2. God forbids union with opponents of truth
When the LORD thy God shall bring thee into the land whither thou goest to possess it, and hath cast out many nations before thee, the Hittites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than thou; And when the LORD thy God shall deliver them before thee; thou shalt smite them, and utterly destroy them; thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor shew mercy unto them: Neither shalt thou make marriages with them; thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son. For they will turn away thy son from following me, that they may serve other gods: so will the anger of the LORD be kindled against you, and destroy thee suddenly. But thus shall ye deal with them; ye shall destroy their altars, and break down their images, and cut down their groves, and burn their graven images with fire. For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth. The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people: But because the LORD loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations; (Deuteronomy 7:1-9)
The graven images of their gods shall ye burn with fire: thou shalt not desire the silver or gold that is on them, nor take it unto thee, lest thou be snared therein: for it is an abomination to the LORD thy God. Neither shalt thou bring an abomination into thine house, lest thou be a cursed thing like it: but thou shalt utterly detest it, and thou shalt utterly abhor it; for it is a cursed thing. (Deuteronomy 7:25-26)
For from the top of the rocks I see him, and from the hills I behold him: lo, the people shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations. (Numbers 23:9)
That Sanballat and Geshem sent unto me, saying, Come, let us meet together in some one of the villages in the plain of Ono. But they thought to do me mischief. And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you? (Nehemia 6:2-3)
Say ye not, A confederacy [ecumenism], to all them to whom this people shall say, A confederacy [ecumenism]; neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid. (Isaiah 8:12)
These [the 144,000] are they which were not defiled with women [other ecumenical churches]; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb. (Revelation 14:4)
And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon [spiritism, New Age movement], and out of the mouth of the beast [papacy], and out of the mouth of the false prophet [Protestantism in apostasy, ecumenism]. For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. (Revelation 16:13-14)
3. The mission of the Advent people and ecumenism
And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters. And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. (Revelation 14:6-12)
God has called His church in this day, as He called ancient Israel, to stand as a light in the earth. By the mighty cleaver of truth, the messages of the first, second, and third angels, He has separated them from the churches and from the world to bring them into a sacred nearness to Himself. He has made them the depositaries of His law and has committed to them the great truths of prophecy for this time. Like the holy oracles committed to ancient Israel, these are a sacred trust to be communicated to the world. The three angels of Revelation 14 represent the people who accept the light of God’s messages and go forth as His agents to sound the warning throughout the length and breadth of the earth. {5T 455.2}
I was shown the necessity of those who believe that we are having the last message of mercy, being separate from those who are daily imbibing new errors. I saw that neither young nor old should attend their meetings; for it is wrong to thus encourage them while they teach error that is a deadly poison to the soul and teach for doctrines the commandments of men. The influence of such gatherings is not good. If God has delivered us from such darkness and error, we should stand fast in the liberty wherewith He has set us free and rejoice in the truth. God is displeased with us when we go to listen to error, without being obliged to go; for unless He sends us to those meetings where error is forced home to the people by the power of the will, He will not keep us. The angels cease their watchful care over us, and we are left to the buffetings of the enemy, to be darkened and weakened by him and the power of his evil angels; and the light around us becomes contaminated with the darkness. {EW 124.3}
As the ministration of Jesus closed in the holy place, and He passed into the holiest, and stood before the ark containing the law of God, He sent another mighty angel with a third message to the world. A parchment was placed in the angel’s hand, and as he descended to the earth in power and majesty, he proclaimed a fearful warning, with the most terrible threatening ever borne to man. This message was designed to put the children of God upon their guard, by showing them the hour of temptation and anguish that was before them. Said the angel, “They will be brought into close combat with the beast and his image. Their only hope of eternal life is to remain steadfast. Although their lives are at stake, they must hold fast the truth.” {EW 254.1}
In the above quote we see an astonishing statement from Ellen G. White that we would “be shown the hour of temptation and anguish”, which is nothing other than our time of persecution. Is this wording just a coincidence again?
No Confederacy With Those Opposing the Truth.--Let the watchmen on the walls of Zion not join with those who are making of none effect the truth as it is in Christ. Let them not join the confederacy of infidelity, popery, and Protestantism in exalting tradition above Scripture, reason above revelation, and human talent above the divine influence and the vital power of godliness (RH March 24, 1896). {4BC 1141.7}
The question may be asked, Are we to have no union whatever with the world? The word of the Lord is to be our guide. Any connection with infidels and unbelievers that would identify us with them, is forbidden by the Word. We are to come out from among them, and be separate. In no case are we to link ourselves with them in their plans of work. {GW 394.1}
The Lord has singled us out and made us subjects of His marvelous mercy. Shall we be charmed with the pratings of the apostate? Shall we choose to take our stand with Satan and his host? Shall we join with the transgressors of God’s law? Rather let it be our prayer: “Lord, put enmity between me and the serpent.” {4T 595.5}
But light and darkness cannot harmonize. Between truth and error there is an irrepressible conflict. To uphold and defend the one is to attack and overthrow the other. Our Saviour Himself declared: “I came not to send peace, but a sword.” Matthew 10:34. {GC 126.3}
4. The fallen churches will unite
And in that day seven women [churches] shall take hold of one man [Ecumenism], saying, We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel: only let us be called by thy name, to take away our reproach. (Isaiah 4:1)
And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. (Revelation 16:13)
The sources from which these spirits issue, denote that they will work among three great religious divisions of mankind, represented by the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet, or paganism [spiritism, New Age], Roman Catholicism [papacy], and apostate Protestantism [ecumenism]. {Daniel and Revelation by Uriah Smith, p. 283}
Through the two great errors, the immortality of the soul and Sunday sacredness, Satan will bring the people under his deceptions. While the former lays the foundation of spiritualism, the latter creates a bond of sympathy with Rome. The Protestants of the United States will be foremost in stretching their hands across the gulf to grasp the hand of spiritualism; they will reach over the abyss to clasp hands with the Roman power; and under the influence of this threefold union, this country will follow in the steps of Rome in trampling on the rights of conscience. {GC 588.1}
The line of distinction between professed Christians and the ungodly is now hardly distinguishable. Church members love what the world loves and are ready to join with them, and Satan determines to unite them in one body and thus strengthen his cause by sweeping all into the ranks of spiritualism. Papists, who boast of miracles as a certain sign of the true church, will be readily deceived by this wonder-working power; and Protestants, having cast away the shield of truth, will also be deluded. Papists, Protestants, and worldlings will alike accept the form of godliness without the power, and they will see in this union a grand movement for the conversion of the world and the ushering in of the long-expected millennium. {GC 588.3}
And Satan unites with Protestants and Papists, acting in consort with them as the god of this world, dictating to men as if they were the subjects of his kingdom, to be handled and governed and controlled as he pleases. {Mar 191.2}
When Protestantism shall stretch her hand across the gulf to grasp the hand of the Roman power, when she shall reach over the abyss to clasp hands with spiritualism, when, under the influence of this threefold union, our country shall repudiate every principle of its Constitution as a Protestant and republican government, and shall make provision for the propagation of papal falsehoods and delusions, then we may know that the time has come for the marvelous working of Satan and that the end is near. {5T 451.1}
5. The union of the SDA church with the beast, the dragon, and the false prophet
How is the faithful city become an harlot! it was full of judgment; righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers. (Isaiah 1:21)
For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water. (Jeremiah 2:13)
When the Saviour saw in the Jewish people a nation divorced from God, he saw also a professed Christian Church united to the world and the papacy. And as He stood on Olivet, weeping over Jerusalem till the sun sank behind the western hills, so He is weeping over and pleading with sinners in this last moments of time. Soon He will say to the angels who are holding the four winds, “Let the plagues loose; let darkness, destruction, and death come upon the transgressors of my law.” Will He be obliged to say to those who have had great light and knowledge, as He said to the Jews, “If thou hadst known, even thou at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes”? {Ellen G. White in Review and Herald, Oct. 8, 1901, par. 15}
Those who will not practice the lessons of Christ, but keep themselves in hand to mold themselves, find in antichrist the center of their union. {SpTA09 55.2}
And now perhaps the most significant but little-known quote of Ellen G. White that the nominal Adventists will go against the remnant and even betray them. Note that it says at the beginning: “I saw”. This means that she saw in a vision, which came directly from God, what will happen at the end of time.
I saw the nominal church and nominal Adventists, like Judas, would betray us to the Catholics to obtain their influence to come against the truth. The saints then will be an obscure people, little known to the Catholics; but the churches and nominal Adventists who know of our faith and customs (for they hated us on account of the Sabbath, for they could not refute it) will betray the saints and report them to the Catholics as those who disregard the institutions of the people; that is, that they keep the Sabbath and disregard Sunday. {Spalding and Magan Collection 1.5}
We will now hear voices from the Catholic Church itself about our church and also the difference between the original SDA church and the reformation movements in regard to ecumenism. I do not think that the Reform Movement is right that the SDA church has already become Babylon, but I think it is a whore, or at least large parts of it. The Reform Movement, on the other hand, can be charged that it rejects new light the same as the “big church”. I will address this issue in another article. In the following quote, the Catholic Church emphasizes an interesting contrast in its German weekly magazine “Paulinus” of March 8, 1953:
Adventists against Adventists
Third persons may not interfere in disputes within the community. The Adventists settle their disputes among themselves. We would not engage in finding out whether the question of which one or the other denominations is an original representation of Adventism.... In 1914, two percent of the members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church were excluded in Germany because they declared that participation in military service, especially on the Sabbath, is incompatible with Adventist doctrine. The excluded members considered themselves the true guardians and defenders of Adventism....
In spring 1936 the Reform Movement was dissolved and banned in the whole country because they tried “under the cloak of religious activities to achieve goals that were opposed to the global vision of National Socialism”. Sanctions such as imprisonment and forced detention in concentration camps were imposed.
Today, this Seventh Day Adventist Reform Movement, as they call themselves, is again able to act without limitation, that is independently, and this movement is working with full devotion. So, they continue with the old Adventist incitement against the Catholic Church and the papacy. Paulinus previously presented evidence of publications of the Adventist Reform Movement in Germany in which they criticize the originally founded Seventh-day Adventist Church because it wanted to “seek better relations with the powers of darkness”, considered the Sabbath commandment abolished during times of war, allied with the Nazi regime, does not comply with the prohibition against meat-eating, allows remarriage of divorcees, and teaches that more than 144,000 could be saved....
Nevertheless, there is something more, which is interesting for us. The original community of the Seventh-day Adventist Church explicitly assures us that they refrain from any incitement against Catholicism like they had done before 1945 and how it is done today by the independent Reform Movement Church, and that they would constrain themselves to presenting their beliefs without the spirit of discord and in an objective manner. We are pleased to accept this message and hereby share it with the readers of Paulinus.
In the 1970s, the Seventh-day Adventist Church started “diplomatic” relations with the Vatican:
Glas Koncila (Catholic magazine from Yugoslavia) 06/05/1977 - On Thursday, May 18, Pope Paul VI received the representatives of the Conference of General Secretaries of the World Churches in a special audience. In the group were, among others: The Bishop John Howe, General Secretary of the Anglican Council, and Mr. Bert Beach, General Secretary of the Seventh-day Adventists. It is the first time that a representative of this faith community participates in meeting with the pope. By the way, and as a reminder of his visit, they presented the pope with a golden medallion. ...
The Conference of World Churches organized 20 years ago, and its founder was the General Secretary of the Anglican Council, Bishop John Howe. The current secretary of the current conference, who is at the same time General Secretary of the Seventh-day Adventists, Mr. Beach, made a statement to Radio Vaticana, in which he emphasized the importance of this first meeting with the Pope. This is what he said: “It was a great honor for me as the secretary of this conference to be present here in Rome in the audience of the Holy Father. On this occasion, I gave the pope a book about the worldwide work of the Adventist Church.”
Following are examples of ecumenical events and worship services in which the Adventist church participated or even operated in leading position. For those who believe that only Germany is in apostasy, these snippets will be interesting:
Diario da Tarde (Brazil), 09/01/1976 - “For those who died in the accident at Santa Lucia abides the hope of the resurrection.” With these introductory words, the Archbishop of Belo Horizonte, Don Juan de Resende Costa, opened the ecumenical church service in memory of the 18 victims of the accident.... The mass was celebrated by the Archbishop.... In the end, a choral group of the Seventh-day Adventist Church sang religious hymns and popular songs.
Fohla de Londrina (Brazil), 05/14/1972 - Adventists inaugurate a temple in Maringá, Paraná. The presence of the diocesan bishop, Jayme Luiz Coelho, and other fathers and pastors, transformed the inauguration of the central temple of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in an authentic example of ecumenism.... In the consecration service of the temple, pastor Iraja da Costa e Silva delivered the church to the congregation. The diocesan bishop and the prefect Adriano Valente were also on the podium.
Revista Adventista (Journal of the SDA church, Brazil), January 1965, page 13: The meeting began. We try to present a little of each of those who were with us on the podium. After the young Paulo de Oliveira of the Adventist Church began with a greeting, he led the opening prayer. Then Father Edmundo of the Catholic Church announced a change. Then your servant [Father Edmundo] shared an appropriate message, which consisted of a sermon, which lasted only 20 minutes but had the purpose of presenting Christ to an audience of 150 people who represented five different churches. Mayor Peixoto announced a hymn from the Adventist songbook and Pastor Joaquim Alves from the Methodist Church led the final prayer.
As you can see in the photo, many churches pray together for a better country. This meeting, free of philosophical doctrines yet full of Christ’s teachings, seemed to say to everyone that we are Christians and therefore brothers. From now on, the Adventist Church has to be seen in a different light. The guests were so happy that the Father even said in his sermon: “I like the Adventist Church.”
Folha da Tarde, San Pablo, Thursday, 4/15/1982, page 13: There are two functioning ecumenical communities at the level of assistance to the needy and the integral promotion of human nature: One is the CESE, based in Bahia [a Brazilian state] with the General Secretary Enilson Rocha Souza. The “Ecumenical Service Coordination” combines the following churches: Pentecostal, Brazil for Christ, Methodist, Anglican and Catholic Church and another, whose head office is in Avenida Churchill 129, conj. 802 in Rio de Janeiro and the Deacon Area has two Calvinist branches (Presbyterians of Brazil and Independent Presbyterians), Church of Christ (Lutheran), Decisive Christianity, Protestant Christianity, Episcopal Church, Methodists, the Congregational, and furthermore a community that is neither Protestant nor Catholic: The Seventh-day Adventist Church.
But what does our community of faith say about itself and how it relates to ecumenism?
Revista Adventista (Journal of SDA church), October 1975, page 26: Adventist Church and Ecumenism
Is it true that the Seventh-Day-Adventist Church is member of the famous World Council of Churches, the main ecumenical factor of our time?
No. It is not true that SDA church is member of the World Council of Churches and would be united with it, like other liberal Protestant denominations with an ecumenical trend. This would be absolutely impossible because of our historical and prophetic destiny as a church and our different religious pillars (including the sanctuary doctrine, the Sabbath, the final destruction of the earth). It would be an abandonment of our position as the remnant church.
What actually happens is that we maintain a relationship with some areas of the World Council of Churches by participating as “counselors” there. This relationship, which is not an ideological connection, is limited to the areas that we consider helpful for us. We maintain contacts that allow us to progress with our work in various countries around the world. It must be stressed again and again that we are not a member of the World Council of Churches, but only advisers without any voting rights in the Council’s decisions, not to be involved in the areas that would commit us to anything.
Finally, we would like to ask: What are the benefits that the Seventh-day Adventist Church can sustain through the World Council of Churches?
Many! We could mention the possibility of immediate receipt of visas for missionaries abroad in countries that are subject to certain governments or under adverse political conditions. Another area of the World Council of Churches that has helped us is the committee for radio and film. This has already avoided these communication media becoming exclusive or monopolistic in some countries. Evangelism through these media has been a point of major importance for us. In addition, our technicians are regularly informed about circumstances, prices, and possibilities that result in very economical consequences for the budgets of our church. These contacts have been very advantageous for the expansion of our work abroad.
Another advantage we had through the relationship with the technical departments of the World Council of Churches (without the slightest idea that we would stick to the organization), has to do with aid for disasters. The department is called the Agency for International Development. Representatives of Adventist Social Assistance are part of the committee of this division of support. Through this, we not only gained a large sum of money, but also more importantly our church got access to some areas of this support work that would otherwise have remained closed to us.
Another area of the World Council of Churches that has served to benefit us is “freedom of religion”. We in no way give up our faith or our principles or our freedom through such participation. We get a lot of valuable information for a negligible price, which allows us to use the knowledge available to us to a maximum.
Some subdivisions of our world work are part of the hospital associations, through which we gain valuable ideas for the management of our hospitals. Some of these organizations are members of religious associations, some not.The World Council of Churches knows that anti-ecumenism is a principle for us. It is our unshakeable position because it is a vital part of our doctrine.
If others have beneficial information or services that are at our disposal, whether it be in the area of facilitating travel of our missionaries, the financial sector, social assistance, broadcasting of radio programs, hospital administration, or in any other activity parallel to ours, we should strive to obtain these. On the other side, if we can make a valuable contribution, then we also must not omit it.There is—and always will be—an unbridgeable theological gulf that separates us from the denominations associated with the World Council of Churches. And in reference to the World Council of Churches itself, there is an unbridgeable ecumenical gulf. We are not a member of it, and never could be.
(Excerpts from a work of Pastor Walter R. Bech, Secretary of the General Conference)
Please compare the statements of Walter Bech with the letter from the Adventist Press Service about the Second Ecumenical Church Day that I started this article with. What discrepancy! Where have we come as a church?
So, who is this ominous “ecumenical Adventist” who has quietly crept into our ranks and whose disease has spread like an epidemic among us, to the point that today the forums are almost exclusively filled with Adventists who have this deadly illness? According to Walter Bech, such an one is absolutely no Adventist, but a disciple of Satan from the other side of the “unbridgeable gulf”. Yes, friends. This happens if you “maintain valuable contacts and relationships” with the enemy. One who goes to bed with a whore is a fornicator himself, and if the prostitute has a disease, then the fornicator himself gets infected with the disease too.
What’s missing is the final stage of the apostasy: association with spiritualism and the New Age movement. Or did this already happen too, and most of us still believe... that nothing happened?
