Dear Sean, Why do people leave the church? When you …

Comment on A big reason why so many people are leaving the church by Hubert F. Sturges.

Dear Sean,

Why do people leave the church? When you speak of relational – it is not just whether or not people have found friends and peers in the church, though this may be the most common reason. There is also disappointment on the part of some regarding the administration of the church. Once a person has left for those reasons, they will quickly find doctrinal reasons for their leaving, which are more acceptable. It is easier to claim that they left because the church was “wrong” doctrinally, than to leave for disagreements or lack of friends.

These doctrinal reasons quickly find a life of their own. People who have left will soon actually believe what was at first just an excuse. At this stage it is almost impossible to convince them that the doctrine of the church is reasonable and correct.

But, again, why do people leave the church? I will come back to the relational factor – but it is not human relations, but a living relation with Christ. We live in a time when every person is battered with hundreds, even thousands of impressions every day. It takes a real determined intentional effort to make time for prayer and Bible study. One has to clear away so much of the trash in which we all live.

Lacking this, a person becomes jaded, Biblically illiterate, and is pulled to the materialistic culture of the day. On this, I agree with Ted Wilson, our greatest need is for revival and reformation. We need to study the first of the Ten Commandments, and clear away all and everything that interferes with our own personal relation with Christ.

This also leads to the path a person must tread to come back to the church. His love and his commitment to Christ must be revived and strengthened. When a person is re-converted and spends real time in Bible study and prayer, he will find true doctrine and true friends too.

Hubert F. Sturges

Hubert F. Sturges Also Commented

A big reason why so many people are leaving the church
Sean,
About that “Social club” mentality … What if you called it “fellowship” would that affect your thinking? They say that if a new convert does not make real friends within the first six months, he will leave. Maybe that “social club” is a good idea?

I believe that doctrine is important — very important. I also suspect that people who don’t “believe” the doctrines of the church are more likely “ignorant” of what they are.

Evangelists and pastors over and over again will say that a relationship with Jesus Christ is primary. In this area, a young person will likely adopt the attitude and interests that his parents or mentors are excited about. What we need in this church is more “holy excitement!”

Doctrines? I believe that a person must have an understanding of the Bible and its doctrines that matches his level of education. If a PhD has a fourth grade understanding of the Bible, he is vulnerable to questions he cannot answer. With a PhD understanding of the Bible he will be ready with the answers he needs.


Recent Comments by Hubert F. Sturges

Northern California Conference Votes to Act Independent of the General Conference
Hi, Jody,
I checked and found that the correct spelling for the website is www.evangelicalbible.com
There is no “s” in it. Hope this works. If not try putting it in Google. If you still have a problem, send me an email, hfsturges@gmail.com


Northern California Conference Votes to Act Independent of the General Conference
Brother Hills,
To your quote from Testimonies vol 6, I say a loud AMEN. When I was in college at PUC, 30 – 40 ministerial students spent the summers canvassing. It was a wonderful experience for them. I guess is not done that way any more. When it comes to women’s ordination, I think the problem is not just women’s ordination, it extends to men’s ordination too. I believe that men also need to have the experience of winning souls before they are ready for ministry. Those women who have the ability and experience of winning souls from the community would have a place and make a real contribution to the ministry.


Northern California Conference Votes to Act Independent of the General Conference
Hello Bill,
Thanks for your reply. As for “Ten reasons that men should not be ordained” — it was simply humor, and intended to lighten up the conversation.
Seriously, we as a church desperately need to become more knowledgeable on the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy, When I hear a sermon, it is clear to me as to whether the Spirit of Prophecy has been consulted. Ellen White has given us information and warnings that we all need. It is sad to see the blatant rebellion in the church over women’s ordination. It is also sad to see some churches still hanging onto “New Theology” (all of grace and none of keeping the law, salvation even for those who continue in sin.) Possibly even worse is to see “church growth” coming hand in hand with eastern forms of meditation, etc. But enough of that.
I consider myself to be a literate SDA. I have read much in the Spirit of Prophecy. I have the EGW CDROM on my computer. Which makes it easy to find answers in the SOP without having to read the context. I have all my life used the Bible as a reference book — looking up texts, reading portions here and there. Our Sabbath School Lessons promote this approach. About five years ago, I decided to read the Bible through cover to cover. It was an eye opener! It brought to mind many important messages I needed to know. Each year I choose a different Bible to read. — The King James Bible is my standard, The Andrews Study Bible (NKJV), Everett Fox’s translation of parts of the Bible – translating the Bible to be read aloud, The Reese Chronological Bible, etc.
I strongly recommend that every SDA read the Bible through cover to cover. Even if using just your own favorite translation. I like to mark my Bible, using four different colors to emphasize certain points.
One other thing, it is impossible to find a Bible in a bookstore of such quality that your highlighter does not bleed through to the next page. I would recommend looking at www.evangelicalbibles.com This is a source of really good Bibles. Such will cost from $150 – $220. But if you are going to spend many hours reading it through, it is worthwhile to have a high quality Bible. It makes it a joy to hold it and read it.
Pray while you read the Bible. It will strengthen your prayer life. Get up an hour early each morning to read and pray. It will brighten up the whole day


Northern California Conference Votes to Act Independent of the General Conference
Brother Henry,
So far I have not become involved in the issue of Women’s ordination. I will make a comment on the ordination off Ellen White. She was in a special way the “messenger of the Lord.” Because of her position, her work, and her relationship to the Lord she was ordained.
However, we have no evidence that she was a pastor of a church, and did not, so far as I know, get into the politics of the church, except to present messages from God as she received them. A good example is the 1888 issue. Even in the heat of politics, she did not take sides — until she received a message from the Lord, which she passed on to others.
In our present situation, to be ordained to the ministry is closely tied to being the pastor of a church. I believe that this is not necessarily the plan of God. We have a number of ministries in the Adventist church. Most of them are not a matter of ordination, but instead leaders are “commissioned.”
I served a term in Ethiopia. When I became head of the hospital in Gimbie, I was commissioned. It never occurred to me to seek ordination. In our present situation, we still have the problem of the close tie between ordination and being pastor of a church. I am not sure that this is necessary. When women are called to ministry, they have special talents that fit them for a number of areas in the church. Wouldn’t it be good to ordain them for these special ministries, for which they are best suited?


Northern California Conference Votes to Act Independent of the General Conference
@Bill Sorensen:
Someone posted this on Facebook: Ten Reasons a Man Should Not Be Ordained

10. A man’s place is in the army.

9. The pastoral duties of men who have children might distract them from the responsibility of being a parent.

8. The physique of men indicates that they are more suited to such tasks as chopping down trees and wrestling mountain lions. It would be “unnatural” for them to do ministerial tasks.

7. Man was created before woman, obviously as a prototype. Thus, they represent an experiment rather than the crowning achievement of creation.

6. Men are too emotional to be priests or pastors. Their conduct at football and basketball games demonstrates this.

5. Some men are handsome, and this will distract women worshipers.

4. Pastors need to nurture their congregations. But this is not a traditional male role. Throughout history, women have been recognized as not only more skilled than men at nurturing, but also more fervently attracted to it. This makes them the obvious choice for ordination.

3. Men are prone to violence. No really masculine man wants to settle disputes except by fighting about them. Thus they would be poor role models as well as dangerously unstable in positions of leadership.

2. The New Testament tells us that Jesus was betrayed by a man. His lack of faith and ensuing punishment remind us of the subordinated position that all men should take.

1. Men can still be involved in church activities, even without being ordained. They can sweep sidewalks, repair the church roof, and perhaps even lead the song service on Father’s Day. By confining themselves to such traditional male roles, they can still be vitally important in the life of the church.

~ Dr. David M. Scholer, a former professor at Fuller Theological Seminary.