There are three major similarities between Samson and The Seventh-day Adventist Church.
We discover these similarities in Judges 13-16.
First, both had a secret (13:5)
Samson’s secret to success was his hair. If his hair was uncut and allowed to grow, he had such super human power that he could tear a lion in half and kill 1000 Philistine warriors with the jawbone of a donkey!
The Adventist church has a simple secret too.
We did not initially settle pastors over local churches or districts like other denominations.
Instead, our pastors were sent into geographic locations where through personal and public evangelism were able to raise up new congregations and appoint elders to lead them.
As a result, our work was moving forward and souls were being won to Jesus at unprecedented rates!
On October 1, 1886, Elder GB Star was holding evangelistic meetings in Wabash Indiana when a reporter from "The Plain Dealer" asked him a question. Here is their brief dialogue that reveals our secret as a church.
Reporter: "By what means have you carried forward the work so rapidly"
Elder Star: Well in the first place we have no settled pastors. Our churches are taught largely to take care of themselves, while nearly all of our. ministers work as evangelists in new fields."
Second, both got seduced (16:17, 25)
Samson because of his love for Delilah and because she nagged him incessantly, gave up his secret and lost his strength. After his hair was cut, he was easily subdued, enslaved and reduced to a mere entertainer.
The Seventh-day Adventist church also to a large degree, gave up its secret to growth. We became jealous of other denominations who had settled pastors over them.
Like Delilah we began to wear down our Conferences with demands that they provide our churches and districts with paid ministers.
Eventually we got what we wanted. In the 1930's our hair was cut when we officially changed the ministry description of our pastors from church planting evangelists to settled pastors, whose primarily responsibility was now to nurture and care for us.
As a result, the wings of the Three Angel's Messages got clipped and the speed of our global soul winning movement was dramatically reduced.
Also like Samson, many of our Adventist pastors feel like professional entertainers today.
Some have noticed that like entertainers, our paid pastors are now often judged by how well they are liked by the members or how dynamic they are in the pulpit!
Third, both got a second chance (16:22, 30)
Samson’s hair grew back and as a result his strength returned. In fact, the bible says he was more successful at killing Philistines at the end of his ministry then at the beginning!
The Adventist church is currently at a tipping point.
With a major shortage of pastors filling the ranks of those who are retiring and with current events threatening to curb free speech and religious liberty, the SDA church needs to urgently and fervently grow its proverbial hair back.
If we would simply empower and equip our local church elders to effectively pastor and start sending our ministers into unreached areas with God’s last message, we would also see greater results now than we did in our past.
But wait...
Here Are Some Popular Objections...
1). "Don’t we pay tithe so we can have a pastor caring for our spiritual needs?"
No, the tithe was originally designed to pay pastors who were sent directly into the harvest field. Jesus said it best, “the reaper draw wages.”
"Who will give spiritual nurture and care to our people if the pastors leave the ninety nine in search of the one lost sheep?”
The Elders will and they have always been the pastors of the local churches (1 Peter 5:1-4). It is their God given responsibility to give spiritual leadership.
In other words, God has specifically called them to mobilize God’s people to care for one another and to reach their local communities with the “everlasting gospel.”
Their function therefore is threefold: Leadership, Nurture and Evangelism.
2). "What if our elders are lacking in character, compassion and competency?"
This is a legit concern! However, paid ministers can also be lacking in one or more of these three areas. In fact, we are all growing and make mistakes in leadership.
There is a solution though.
Elders need regular training, coaching, encouragement and accountability. These four essentials are the responsibility of the local Conference administration to provide.
One way a church can protect itself from immature or even dictator like leaders, is to rotate who is serving as head elder every year or even every month.
3). "Isn’t this model simply replacing Pastorally dependent churches with Elder dependent churches?"
It could, unless the local elders understand that every member is a minister and has a vital part to play in the church’s nurture and evangelistic responsibilities.
Of course, it’s not enough for the Elders to understand the “priesthood of all believers,” they must work to “equip the saints for the work of the ministry” (Ephesians 4:11-12, 1 Peter 2:9).
In other words, an elders first work is to train the members and find ministries for them to do according to their gifts and passions. This will grow the local church as well as keep it from becoming elder dependent.
4). "Won’t we cause damage to churches if we try to pour this “new wine into old wineskins?”
First of all, this is not "new wine!"
We recommend that every Adventist read, Russell Burrill’s book “Revolution in the Church” and/or Wesley McDonald’s book “Let My Pastors Go,” so all might discover that this model is built not only into the history of our movement but also into the very fabric of the New Testament church.
So this is not just one model among many, its God’s model and there are no equivalences!
Having said that, we must be careful not to work ahead of the Holy Spirit. Many folks don’t know this information and “will be down on what they are not up on.”
Our people should be given the time, resources and opportunities they need to study and pray on it. We must be very patient with each another! What we don't want is for our enemy the Devil to turn people off to this and set the work back another 100 years!
Although not everyone will want to move in this direction, when there is a consensus between the local church and the local pastor, a plan should be forged and courageous steps taken to move the church more in line with this biblical strategy.
Yes, we are much like Samson!
And just like Samson, the Seventh-day Adventist Church has an even brighter future ahead (16:30).
So let's make haste, hear and obey what “the Spirit is saying to the churches!”
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That’s Gary, on the right!
Gary Blanchard is President of the Northern New England Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.
(1 Timothy 3:1–7 and Titus 1:6–9) The qualifications for an elder given by the Apostle Paul are as follows:
Blameless as a steward of God, above reproach.
Faithful husband to his wife.
Temperate, sober, vigilant.
Sober-minded, prudent.
Of good behaviour, orderly, respectable.
Given to hospitality.
Able to teach.
Not given to wine.
