THE FREE SDA MOVEMENT TODAY
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Free
Seventh-day Adventists find their roots in the formative years of the
Seventh-day Adventist Church. They started from very humble beginnings
in the early 1900s in a period when segregation and racism was widely
practiced in the United States of America and most of its members were
people of color and Hispanics or latinos. Since that time, much has
changed. Today, the Free Seventh-day Adventist movement is an
international body consisting of a multiracial network of Seventh-day
Adventist believers who desire to maintain and advance the original
beliefs of the Seventh-day Adventist faith.
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| Ellen G. White |
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In modern times,
this now interracial movement continues to forge forward with a much
greater zeal and determination to promote the original teachings of the
pioneers of the Seventh-day Adventist denomination, at a time when many
of the original beliefs, worship style, and practices are being
compromised by the established Seventh-day Adventist Church. Years
before this present condition of things had arisen, it was prophesied
in the writings of the Spirit of Prophecy. There the servant of God,
Ellen G. White, boldly declared, “Many will stand in our pulpits with
the torch of false prophecy in their hands, kindled from the hellish
torch of Satan.” 1
The unfortunate circumstances that initially
caused the Free Seventh-day Adventist movement to come into existence
in the first place are really not entirely different from what is
currently causing this body of believers to rapidly grow once again. At
its inception, those who joined this movement did so because of the
struggle against the erroneous beliefs and evil policies then
prevalent. As a result of unbiblical views and unChristlike practices
that were then being fostered and promoted by the leaders of God’s
remnant church, the Free Seventh-day Adventist movement was born.
Similarly, today the rapid growth and development of this movement
again arises from unbiblical views and unChristlike practices that are
advocated and practiced by church leaders. Also, like before, these
erroneous inroads into the Adventist faith is bringing unnecessary
persecution upon many who, both inside and outside the body, still love
the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy.
It has become evident to
some that God’s church today is being led in the wrong direction and
our peculiarity as a people is being lost sight of. The late Dr. Ralph
Larson, a notable Seventh-day Adventist scholar and lover of present
truth, wrote in his book The Real Issues some years ago, “The real
issue in our church is truth in conflict with untruth, unauthorized
changes in our church’s theology.” 2 In the magazine Landmarks, the
editor, Dr. John Grosboll wrote, “The fact that the SDA denomination
has strayed significantly from God’s plan for finishing His work is
well documented elsewhere.” 3 Also, the book Deceptions of The New
Theology, by Dr. Colin Standish and the late Russell Standish declared,
“Many Seventh-day Adventists believe that the new theology is a
phenomenon of the 1970s. But students of Adventist history have
discovered that it has its origins in the earliest days of the
Seventh-day Adventist Church.” 4
Today many more Seventh-day
Adventist leaders and lay members are recognizing the spirit of
compromise that is being manifested by the church. Leaders of the
established body are seen to be continually strengthening and
consolidating their relationships with those who differ greatly from
our faith. Members recognize that it is very dangerous to form these
close alliances with unbelievers and that the growing spirit of
compromise is changing the face of Adventism worldwide from what it
used to be. They are beginning to see and fear that these close ties
and confederacies between the established church and other
denominations are being pursued even at the expense of the church
losing sight of its peculiar faith and precious truths. On matters of
this nature the Scriptures ask the question, “Can two walk together,
except they be agreed?” Amos. 3:3. Furthermore, the Word of God
instructs us to not be “unequally yoked together with unbelievers” (2
Cor. 6:14).
However, in contrast to the spirit of compromise
that is now being manifested and encouraged by the established
Seventh-day Adventist body, from the very beginning, those who joined
the Free Seventh-day Adventist movement have always held a deep respect
for the writings of the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy. Therefore,
from its very inception, all who applied for membership in the
sisterhood of Free Seventh-day Adventists Churches in the early 1900s
were only accepted into the movement “after certifying [their] belief
in all the doctrines of truth taught by Seventh Day Adventists,
including the Testimonies written by Mrs. E. G. White.” 5
Therefore,
today, as in the past, we again see the spirit of compromise in the
church is causing a new surge in the growth of the Free Seventh-day
Adventist movement. Many present truth believers of all races and
ethnic backgrounds are seeing the need for unity and harmony to promote
God’s truths for these last days. Presently, however, this cry for
freedom emanates not from a sense of racial injustices, as in the past,
but instead from the need to keep our message pure. Furthermore, this
cry for freedom now stems from a strong desire to be “free” from the
control and restrictions of men, “free” to promote the wonderful
Three Angels' Messages given to us by the pioneers of the Seventh-day
Adventist faith, “free” from the kingly power that is being manifested
by those in responsible positions in God’s church today.
1.
Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, by Ellen G. White, Pacific
Press Publishing Association, Mountain View, California, 1962, page 409-410
2.
Issues: The Real Issues, the Side Issues and the Pseudo Issues, by
Ralph Larson, Steps to Life, Inc., Wichita, Kansas, 1992,
page 26
3. Historic Landmarks of Adventism (Landmarks magazine), Steps to Life, Inc., Wichita, Kansas, November 2008, page
9.
4. Deceptions of The New Theology, by Colin D. Standish and
Russell R. Standish, Hartland Publications, Rapidan, VA, 1989, page 19
5. Free Advent Banner, The Banner Publishing Association, Savannah, GA, Vol. 1, No. 1, November 1920, page 1
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