Comment on Northern California Conference Votes to Act Independent of the General Conference by Marilyn Bauer.
Sean, I commend you for your report on the NCC’s actions and your personal reaction toward it. Educate Truth has done a powerful service to the church and to individual readers in its pursuit of faithfully reporting issues regarding a fundamental doctrine of the church–Creationism. Whether or not the teaching of evolution as a true science in harmony with scripture is removed from our institutions, you have done your part in informing your readers. You are not responsible or have the power to transform your readers.
The same is true regarding the issue of church governance and how we should relate to the issue of GC authority in the cases you have stated. We may or may not agree, but it is not within our authority as individual members or as individual conferences to defy that authority.
Thank you for your sincere and careful presentation in this article. I plan to forward it to dozens on my mailing list. I am of the persuasion that we are leading into extremely difficult times within the church. And the enemy of souls is clapping and cheering that he can bring about a breaking away of one of the great conferences of the Church. NCC has had important role to play. I think of the work of Amazing facts within that area and God’s blessing of its wide ministry. To have our world work disrupted, to have the sense of brotherhood diminished, and to have a spirit of dissension among the remnant church means success to only once source. The great controversy between Christ and Satan is raging. Sadly, it has entered the hearts and thinking within the church and NCC is opening the door for others to follow.
Blessings to you, Sean, for your determination to stay “within the ship” as EGW as counselled. I am with you. I pray that there will yet be a rethinking of the NCC action and an eventual change in that determination.
