| Author | Message | ||
| Dennis Registered user Username: Dennis Post Number: 414 Registered: 4-2000  |
Matthew Bediako, secretary of the General Conference of SDA, has publicly confirmed that his church "loses nearly one-third of its existing members each year, an issue to be discussed at Session." (www.gcsession.org/news/2005_session_news_12.pdf) Truly, God is faithful in answering the prayers of his people. Information technology continues to be a significant factor in their alarming and unprecedented attrition rate. His grace still amazes me, Dennis J. Fischer | ||
| Heretic Registered user Username: Heretic Post Number: 119 Registered: 2-2005 |
From the "Here We Go Again" file: Didn't they JUST do this at the last GC Session in Toronto? (Not the books distribution part but the reaffirming of EGW part.) Does this mean they'll be GIVING the books away? And which ones? The desperation is revealed in their strategy. Thanks for that link, Dennis. Heretic (Message edited by Heretic on June 16, 2005) | ||
| Dennis Registered user Username: Dennis Post Number: 416 Registered: 4-2000 |
Heretic, My understanding is that they will have the Conferences subsidize the distribution of several EGW books (a newly-designed, reorganized set). I am not sure if they will actually give them away totally free. Yes, they find it necessary to reaffirm Ellen White at every Session these days. Without her "continuing authority" in their lives, the ship would sink quickly. This is akin to the authority that Mary Baker Eddy continues to have in the Christian Science community. Dennis Fischer | ||
| Riverfonz Registered user Username: Riverfonz Post Number: 426 Registered: 3-2005 |
Dennis and Heretic, The beat goes on. The cult of Ellen White will not die. But Praise the Lord for His sovereign grace to continue calling people out from that world of darkness. Stan | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 2143 Registered: 12-2003  |
Amen, Stan. Richard had a conversation with someone from LLU School of Health recently who works at some level with the Adventist Health Study. Part of the study is ammassing statistics including membership so they can obtain a representative sample of members and gather fairly accurate percentages, etc. I have no source for the following info except this person's anecdotal account, but here is the gist of what he said. The SDA church claims 1,000,000 members in the USA (I think--maybe North America). When the researchers contacted local conferences and churches to gather participants in the study, by the time they finished they could not get the churches to come up with more than a total 300,000 members in (the US or N. Amer, whichever it is). They church officials could not document the attendance and participation of more that 300,000 members. Many have suspected for a long time that the numbers are inflated and probably do not reflect reality; apparently they really do keep names on the records long after the people have moved out of the church unless one insists (and persists) in being sure their names are off. It's just so interesting. Praise God that we are members of His Body when we are in Him! Colleen | ||
| Riverfonz Registered user Username: Riverfonz Post Number: 428 Registered: 3-2005 |
Yes, Colleen! I am still an SDA according to the LLU church! Despite letters requesting my remova, Marti and I are still members! The SDA church is built on deception! In case anyone is noticing a more angry tone to my posts lately, it is because I have become even more convicted that we are dealing with true enemies of the gospel, and I think it's time to take the silk gloves off and start exposing false teaching--no matter who is teaching it! Stan | ||
| Jeremy Registered user Username: Jeremy Post Number: 758 Registered: 10-2004  |
Hehe, yes, Stan all the "!" are starting to look like my posts!  Colleen, I can't say that I'm too surprised--that is exactly what I have suspected, especially after that sermon that I posted audio clips from awhile back. (You all can click this link to see what I'm referring to: http://rtinker.powweb.com/discus/discus/messages/11/2658.html?1107405754 Here is the direct link to listen to the clip about the membership records.) They even keep dead people on their membership rolls!! Jeremy | ||
| Flyinglady Registered user Username: Flyinglady Post Number: 1621 Registered: 3-2004  |
My younger sister, who lives near me here in NV, used to live in CA and went to the church in which we grew up. When she moved from CA to NV she never had her membership transferred. I get mail at my address(I bought her old house)from that church. Hers and her x husband's name is still on their books, after 20+ years. Diana |
