Sda changing

[Mrudolph84]

Hi, I just wanted some input and clarity about some concerns I have with the current sda movement. I grew up sda. Left the church, came back, left again. It's been a struggle to say the least. Over the last few years I've noticed a big change. I don't want to get political at all, but it seems like a left moving church. Unless I watch sermons online I don't get any real preaching from the pulpit. The congregations seem to be very different from traditional sda's. Church seems to be more of a weekly gathering than a weekly worship. The church I was attending now has a woman pastor and the churches around also have women pastors. They probably out number the men. I don't know where everyone stands with this, but I don't. A few YouTube sda pages I follow, its just continuous division, Its as of the Church is falling apart. I believe what sda's believe, but the church seems broken and doesn't not seem like a place to come to. I'm struggling with all this and I'm looking for clarity and direction. We all want to make the right choices and do good in eyes of the Lord. I'd appreciate some feedback. Thanks.

 

[BobRyan]

Hi, I just wanted some input and clarity about some concerns I have with the current sda movement. I grew up sda. Left the church, came back, left again. It's been a struggle to say the least. Over the last few years I've noticed a big change. I don't want to get political at all, but it seems like a left moving church. Unless I watch sermons online I don't get any real preaching from the pulpit. The congregations seem to be very different from traditional sda's. Church seems to be more of a weekly gathering than a weekly worship. The church I was attending now has a woman pastor and the churches around also have women pastors. They probably out number the men. I don't know where everyone stands with this, but I don't. A few YouTube sda pages I follow, its just continuous division, Its as of the Church is falling apart. I believe what sda's believe, but the church seems broken and doesn't not seem like a place to come to. I'm struggling with all this and I'm looking for clarity and direction. We all want to make the right choices and do good in eyes of the Lord. I'd appreciate some feedback. Thanks.

There are some women pastors in the U.S. but most pastors are men and the denomination has voted to not have women pastors as the rule. (although due to persecution in China there have been a lot of women pastors there for decades).

The churches I have gone to - always present solid Bible doctrine. But I have seen changes in some of them that happened shortly after I left. At the local level some congregations are seeing pastors put in that are more liberal. And of course in a group of almost 23 million, it is those outside-the-boundary pastors that get into the news. Usually that happens in cases were a strong liberal element rises up in the congregation and among the elders, that is held in check by conservative bible-based leaders but eventually a tipping point happens and a lib pastor gets assigned.

However the actual denomination doctrines can only change as part of a once-every-5-years assembly of representatives of all the conferences all over the world. And by far the denomination is still solidly conservative.

 

[SabbathBlessings]

Hi, I just wanted some input and clarity about some concerns I have with the current sda movement. I grew up sda. Left the church, came back, left again. It's been a struggle to say the least. Over the last few years I've noticed a big change. I don't want to get political at all, but it seems like a left moving church. Unless I watch sermons online I don't get any real preaching from the pulpit. The congregations seem to be very different from traditional sda's. Church seems to be more of a weekly gathering than a weekly worship. The church I was attending now has a woman pastor and the churches around also have women pastors. They probably out number the men. I don't know where everyone stands with this, but I don't. A few YouTube sda pages I follow, its just continuous division, Its as of the Church is falling apart. I believe what sda's believe, but the church seems broken and doesn't not seem like a place to come to. I'm struggling with all this and I'm looking for clarity and direction. We all want to make the right choices and do good in eyes of the Lord. I'd appreciate some feedback. Thanks.

Hi there,

I have to commend you for wanting to come back to your faith. I understand your concerns and I shared these same concerns 4 years ago when I moved from Pastor Doug Batchelor church who is very conservative to another State. I was exited to try out some of the. SDA churches in my new area and it was very disappointing as I felt like I was in a Sunday church, music and big band more prevalent than a solid message, one church didn't even know what the quarterly was. It took a good six months of trying different SDA churches before finding one that had a solid message, only to learn the pastor was moving and the incoming pastor was not anyone I could relate to, so back to that whole process again. Thankfully God led me to a biblical based church with super warm fellowship, so don’t be afraid to try a few churches before making one home.

Yes, there has been some progressive values coming into the SDA church. Sadly, the devil is in all churches and why we have to know our bibles over what someone is saying at the pulpit. As long as our fundamental beliefs don’t change I will continue as an SDA but very selective on the church I go to and what pastors I listen to. Some of my favorites online are Doug Batchelor , Walter Veith, James Rafferty Pastor Parvel Goia, Stephen Bohr and some of Ivor Meyers. Walter Veith often speaks about the changes in the church, don’t be discouraged, keep the faith and ask Jesus help to find the right church for you. Now is a good time to come back, Jesus is coming soon!

God bless!