Dear Brothers and Sisters: Breaking news …

Comment on World Church moves to advance statements regarding creation by Kevin Paulson.

Dear Brothers and Sisters:

Breaking news from Atlanta:

All those desirous for dramatic revival and reformation in God’s church, and for greater clarity as found in Scripture and the writings of Ellen White regarding the issue of origins (not to mention countless others!), must praise God and offer the most ardent rejoicing at the news that Elder Ted N.C. Wilson has been nominated and elected president of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.

From a source inside the nominating committee, we have been told that the vote was overwhelming–on the very first ballot! The liberals have been terrified at the prospect of Ted Wilson’s election, and have said so in many of their blogs and magazines. For the striving faithful among us, this is as good as the news could be in the choice of the world church’s new leader.

Let us pray God gives Elder Wilson courage and a quadruple portion of His Spirit. He is going to need it. As the church surveys five decades of departure from doctrinal and moral integrity, it will be our new president’s task to reverse this tragedy and steer the denominational ship of state back toward the port of Zion.

Whoever “Bravus” is, I have news for him (or her, or whoever!). The ship that is sinking is not the Seventh-day Adventist Church, nor the Bible-Spirit of Prophecy stance on origins. Rather, the ship that is sinking, taking on water as I write this, is the pseudo-religion known as “progressive Adventism.”

May the church of God, and the truth it bears, triumph soon and gloriously!!

God bless!

Pastor Kevin Paulson

Kevin Paulson Also Commented

World Church moves to advance statements regarding creation
Dear Sean:

I agree fully that Fundamental Belief No. 6 needs to be re-worded so as to disallow the ambiguity some see there–though I still don’t see how even the current wording gives cover to theistic evolutionists in our midst when you actually listen to them explain their view. Just because certain ones may think that a clever choice of words gives them cover, doesn’t necessarily mean they have achieved their goal.

As I’ve said repeatedly, if you interpret the days of creation as long ages of time, what about the seventh day when God rested? Was that also some long age at some point? No theistic evolutionist, in Adventism or elsewhere, has offered any explanation that I have seen. In your own dialogue with Charles Scriven that I saw sometime ago, he insisted–as you may recall–that God in fact is still creating even now. (Theological liberals can’t possibly imagine a God who nails down anything as final!) So when, and for how long, was the seventh day of rest the Bible talks about? And how does one with such a belief explain the Biblical statement that “the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them” (Gen. 2:1)?

Regarding the GC statement in 2004, let us remember that it was never voted by the world body in session. Being voted by the GC Executive Committee is not at all the same. Even if the specific wording of Fundamental Belief No. 6 is not addressed in Atlanta, the affirmation which I understand will be brought to the floor will carry the weight of global authority within the church, at the highest level. I would certainly prefer for the rewording of No. 6 to take place as soon as possible. But even if that is postponed till the next session, the affirmation to be voted on this coming week will clarify the church’s position in the face of the ambiguity certain ones desire.

God bless!

Pastor Kevin Paulson

I agree with your points Kevin. I especially do not understand the ambiguity that some see in the current wording of FB#6. However, since there are those who are bringing this wording up as an excuse for their subversive behavior, I think that whatever ambiguity might be allowed by the current wording should be removed – hopefully at this current GC session…

Sean Pitman
www.DetectingDesign.com


World Church moves to advance statements regarding creation
Dear Larry:

I agree fully. The wording of Fundamental Belief No. 6 needs to be tightened considerably. But this proposed affirmation is a giant step in that direction, and will likely put the world church on record at its highest level in affirmation of six literal, consecutive, continguous, 24-hour days of creation, approximately 6,000 years ago. This is the wording that is needed. Even if Fundamental Belief No. 6 is not specifically changed in Atlanta, the means necessary for thwarting those who would advance theistic evolution in our ranks will be in place, and the means for further clarification set in motion.

May all of us on this forum unite in prayer for the General Conference session. The nominating committee will be chosen this evening, and will start its work tomorrow if not before. Let us pray that God brings to the church a leader in the mold of Josiah, Ezra, and Nehemiah.

God bless!

Pastor Kevin Paulson


World Church moves to advance statements regarding creation
Does this mean a statement affirming six literal, consecutive, contiguous, 24-hour days of creation is going to be voted on in Atlanta? I pray so! Let us all unite in prayer to this end, and that God will give the church a strong and decisive leader at this session.

God bless!

Pastor Kevin Paulson


Recent Comments by Kevin Paulson

NAD President, Education Director Dialog with La Sierra Campus Community
To all participants in the present discussion:

If we’re going to address the issue of how the origins debate should be handled in the public schools, I think we should recognize from the outset that this is most different from the basic question raised by this Web site, which of course is the question of whether theories of origins contrary to Scripture, the Spirit of Prophecy writings, and fundamental Adventist beliefs should be promoted in a Seventh-day Adventist classroom or pulpit.

As a strong Biblical conservative, I am constrained both to support the Genesis creation account as well as the separation of church and state. Seventh-day Adventists have historically supported both on strict Bible grounds. As strongly as I oppose within the church the teaching of ideas and practices which contradict God’s written counsel, I oppose with equal strength the efforts of certain Christian to impose Christian teachings and personal values through civil law.

With this in mind, I believe the best approach to origins in a public school classroom is a modified version of a proposal advanced by the late Stephen Jay Gould of Harvard, very much a devout evolutionist. Gould argued that the teaching of creationism did in fact belong in the teaching of science in public schools, but that it should be covered specifically when addressing the history of scientific thought. I would take this further than Gould and say evolution belongs in that section also.

Technically, as I see this discussion, neither creation nor evolution constitutes strict science, as science requires both observation and experimentation, and no one was present when the natural world came into existence. Science can be summoned to support both theories, but at the bottom line, both concepts invariably lead away from science into the realm of philosophy and faith.

As with other issues of theology and morality which at times enter the public square, it has long been my conviction that the objective evidence supporting the Biblical worldview is sufficiently decisive that the spurs of civil coercion need not be used to promote it to the larger society. The Christian community has sufficient resources and a massive popular presence in our culture, and these should be utilized to set before the public the evidence supporting the claims of the Bible and the Christian faith. Most of all, Christians need to focus less on impacting society through politics and more on impacting their neighbors and society in general through the power of a godly Christian example. From my experience, even the most secular minds have trouble gainsaying the power of the latter.

Finally, I think Phil Brantley needs to define a bit more carefully what he means by “mainstream,” when he says creationism is not a “mainstream” view. Does he mean mainstream in terms of accepted scientific thought, or does he refer to popular opinion? If the latter is considered, it might help to note that every poll I have seen indicates a large percentage (often a majority) of the American public at least, holds to a view of origins closer to Genesis than to Darwin.

God bless!

Pastor Kevin Paulson


NAD President, Education Director Dialog with La Sierra Campus Community
Perhaps it helps to remember that while Aaron was a facilitator, Moses was a watchman. The latter are the sort of leaders God seeks in a time of crisis such as this.

God bless!

Pastor Kevin Paulson


Former LSU student letter reveals professor’s agenda
Dear “Professor Kent”:

You seem to forget, once again, that neither Christ, His love, His forgiveness, nor His cross would be necessary if Darwinian macro-evolution is the story of humanity’s origins.

And once again you give evidence of your embrace of the false dichotomy so popular in modern and postmodern Adventism between “Christ” and the “doctrines.” You insist that correct doctrine will save no one. And you are wrong. Over and over again, in Holy Scripture, truth is declared to be the means of salvation (Hosea 4:6; Matt. 4:4; John 8:31; II Thess. 2:13; I Tim. 4:16). Such truth must be internalized within the heart, to be sure, but it is still the means by which God saves men and women.

You cannot separate Jesus from a literal understanding of the early chapters of Genesis, since repeatedly He made clear in His teachings that He took these events literally. The same holds true for the other New Testament authors. You cannot have the Gospel and evolution too. You cannot embrace Jesus and relegate the Genesis Flood to mythic or mere literary status. It is impossible.

The longer this discussion proceeds, the clearer it will be that you and all others who think as you do are in the wrong church. It is tragic you insist on putting yourself through the needless pain and agony of living a lie.

God bless!

Pastor Kevin Paulson


Former LSU student letter reveals professor’s agenda
Though I had briefly reviewed the letter from Jason and Janelle Shives some days ago, tonight was the first time I actually sat down to read the entire document. It is a masterful though tragic account of a most disturbing situation.

I have known Jason Shives for some time, and have admired him for his courage in standing for truth. He and I share a common experience in having both served as president of the Loma Linda University student body.

What is needed is a grassroots movement of godly students like Jason and Janelle, who will not sit and listen quietly to the perversion of truth in Adventist classrooms. Leaders with the courage to act are needed, most assuredly, but when a groundswell of concern from the young becomes evident, they can act with the awareness that the rising generaiton does not, after all, wish to see the church’s teachings trashed, as the liberals devoutly believe.

If the Bible means anything at all, revival and reformation involve drastic changes in the faith and practice of a community which for a time has departed from the written counsel of God. In the Bible story, this has generally meant the removal of unfaithful personnel from positions of influence and leadership. Most assuredly this must happen in contemporary Adventism. If it means closing departments or even institutions until we can staff them with faithful teachers, we must be prepared to do this.

Let us keep in particular our new General Conference President in our prayers, as the task of guiding the denominational ship of state rests to a large degree in his hands.

God bless!

Pastor Kevin Paulson


An apology to PUC
Dear Karl:

I truly appreciate your clarity and your speaking from the heart as you have. PUC is my alma mater also. And the things you have described I have heard described by a number of credible eyewitnesses. This climate of doctrinal indifference and postmodern spirituality, in which any and all viewpoints are given equal value (except of course those actually challenging the undergirding mindset of these folks), is a scandal of unapralleled proportions.

You are so right about constituents and school administrators turning a blind eye. I can only hope this is now starting to change, with the agitation of those like the organizers of this Web site, and the tone set by our new General Conference President.

I truly believe, however, that the real root of this tragedy is not so much postmodernism as those popular theories of salvation in modern Adventism which have devalued the necessity of correct doctrine and practical holiness. Once salvation is seen to be secure apart from correct belief and a godly life, once we accept the lie that error and sin are the unavoidable companions of even the sanctified believer, it became inevitable that erroneous worldviews and sinful practices would become less and less offensive in the church.

We need a thorough revival and a thorough reformation, and a consequently thorough cleansing of the ranks. I have been studying lately the Bible stories of revival and reformation in the faith community. Believe me, the process was never a feel-good, everybody-come-together-unconditionally type of event. False worship was destroyed. Wrong practices were condemned and expelled from the camp. Apart from such real-life consequences, these cherished words become just another empty slogan.

Thanks again, Karl, for your candor.

God bless!

Pastor Kevin Paulson