| Author | Message | ||
| Goldenbear Registered user Username: Goldenbear Post Number: 136 Registered: 12-2004 |
I was going through my books, looking to dump the SDA stuff - I came across a book by Fred Cornforth called Ten Who Left. (People Who Have Left the Church and Why) This book actually recognized the fact that people may not return to the church because of doctrine. It still is saying people only leave because of trauma in their lives... Has anyone read this? It was published by PP in 1995 | ||
| Belvalew Registered user Username: Belvalew Post Number: 864 Registered: 7-2004 |
This may be off topic, but it is loosely tied to the subject matter. I have a cousin who, along with several other members of her local Adventist church, received a one sentence letter from their local church board. The one line merely stated to each individual that their names were being removed from the church rolls. This occurred a little over 20 years ago. The Sabbath prior to receiving that letter in the mail my cousin had taught the youth Sabbath School. She was having difficulty getting through to the kids who usually plodded into their class, and slouched in their chairs. She had been teaching them about how Jesus had paid the price for human sins, but they were having a difficult time comprehending what that really should have meant to them. She asked them to finish this phrase: "Lift up the trumpet and loud let it ring..." No answer. She called on one of the boys and he grudgingly responded, Jesus is coming again." She asked him why he wasn't excited about that and he told her that he was afraid he had not recited all of his sins in prayer, and now he may have forgotten them all, so he wouldn't be able to be saved. My cousin told her class that Jesus had died for all of our sins, not just the ones we had confessed to in prayer, and that that should be a reason for celebration at the prospect of seeing Jesus come again. She went on and finished teaching her class, dismissed the kids, and after the last one had departed she was called on the carpet for having told the kids what she had. She showed her protagonist the Biblical backup, and then the woman hurumphed away. Then, of course, by the following Thursday she (my cousin) had received her expulsion letter. On that one vote of the church board they expelled roughly a third of the membership of that congregation. My cousin is now able to teach kids in a Sunday school, and share the wonder of Grace through faith in Jesus Christ. This whole event coincided roughly with the Glacier View fiasco, or happened shortly thereafter. Have any of the rest of you experienced or seen such a purge? | ||
| Lisa_boyldavis Registered user Username: Lisa_boyldavis Post Number: 142 Registered: 3-2005 |
Goldenbear, I know who Fred Cornforth is. He's kind of a big name in the Nampa Valley (Boise Area)... kind of an up beat positive guy. I was told the exact same thing by a pastor I highly regard inside the SDA church. What I think they don't get is that there's nothing under the sun that would have dragged me away from my church except the compelling request of my Lord. I still have more friends inside the church that outside. I HAVE NO HARD FEELINGS ABOUT PEOPLE INSIED THE CHURCH, ONLY BAD FEELINGS OF THE DENOMINATION FOR LYING SO CONSISTANTLY. The church I attended taught that our sins were paid for completely on the cross and seemed to apologize for EGW off and on, or crack jokes about her or her theology off and on. The adult SS was full of hardliners, both the teacher and the students, but the rest of the church seemed evangelical... except for the misunderstanding on the Sabbath issue, and a clear inability to see Christ as their Rest, and a REFUSAL to show EGW as a FALSE PROPHET. If SDA's really believe what the denomination clams they believe, their churches should have been kicking people out long ago that taught both Christian and Cultic teaching out of both sides of their mouths. Praise God she rescued that wonderful teacher and gives her a chance to tell the truth every week. PLAIN TEACHING AGRESS WITH MOST EVERYONE!! lISA | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 3207 Registered: 12-2003  |
Belva, thanks for sharing your cousin's story. Wow! I'm sure there are others with similar experiences, but I'm not persoanlly acquainted with them. Among the theologians and professors, of course, there were many who were fired. Lisa, I so agree with your statement: "What I think they don't get is that there's nothing under the sun that would have dragged me away from my church except the compelling request of my Lord." Colleen | ||
| Gmatt Registered user Username: Gmatt Post Number: 21 Registered: 3-2005 |
Goldenbear, To answer your question about 'Ten Who Left', I have the book and, like you, was surprised that Fred Cornforth and Tim Lale included interviews (chapters 7 & 8) with a couple who left the SDA church as a result of their growing relationship with Christ. Tim Lale also co-authored a related book, called 'Ten Who Came Back'. Naturally, I much preferred the former. |
