Who Will Hold Our Leaders Accountable?

In January, Pastor Conrad Vine preached a sermon at the Village Adventist Church addressing the leadership of the Seventh-day Adventist church.

This sermon caused many to consider their paradigms of current events. It also caused me to consider how important the protection of Biblical church structure truly is.

During the dark ages, the laity was forbidden to read the Bible. They were told that only church priests could explain the Scriptures to them; it was this Catholic hierarchical church structure that Satan used to keep people in darkness and confusion. The Protestant Reformation helped church members understand that God has given to each person a mind that can read and understand the word of God and the Christian church was called to be a “priesthood of believers” able to “rightly divide the word of truth”. The devil is constantly at work, however, and even in the Seventh-day Adventist church, some have embraced a hierarchical church structure that has violated the church structure that God has given us to protect us from abuses. As Ellen White stated:

“Never place as president of a conference a man who supposes that such a position gives him the power to dictate and control the consciences of others. It is natural for man to have a large estimate of self; old habits wrestle for the supremacy; but the man who occupies a position of trust should not glorify himself.” – {9MR 175.1}

Whether it is one man or a small group of mostly men, leadership at the General Conference—beginning in 1995—has issued statements that claim to speak for the individual consciences of the church members. (See Referenced articles below). These statements have significantly impacted the lives and livelihoods of thousands of Adventists worldwide. Despite the growing concerns by large numbers of the world church, the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists has not been willing to address this violation of structure that was used to release such statements.

There are some who believe that the controversy we face is in regards to Vaccines vs No Vaccines, or Mandates vs No Mandates. The true controversy goes much deeper than this and asks much different questions, such as: Does Biblical church structure matter and why? What does it mean to be a priesthood of believers? Should church leadership be allowed to speak for the individual conscience of its membership? Especially when the church believes itself to be the most advanced denomination of the Protestant reformation?

These are questions that should and must be addressed by every Bible-believing Seventh-day Adventist. It is each one of our responsibilities to be a faithful watchman on the wall and it is dissonance and disastrous to our church when we do otherwise.

Today, as millions in the world ask for their governments to recognize their God-given right to liberty of conscience and personal sovereignty, I would ask you to consider the impact that the official position of the church will have on these individuals who are looking for a picture of God. As church leadership has taken a different route, I would ask church members to take responsibility to hold your leaders accountable for the message that is being broadcast to the world by world church leaders. There are very few who have had the courage or the interest to do this. Please support these few who do. Don’t let them stand up alone.

I personally appreciate my friends who hold me accountable. I believe I am a better person this way and I believe our church will be too. And as we each would want to be held accountable, I pray that our members would care enough to hold our leaders accountable. Our church depends on us. Our world depends on us. Be accountable. Be courageous. Be true.

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Dr. Joyce Choe, MD, MPH, is a board certified ophthalmologist who has been in practice for twenty years. She has a deep interest in the Adventist health message and is co-founder of MedMissionary.com, a ministry that was formed to help educate, encourage, and train Adventists for medical missionary work. Med Missionary Facebook Page. Joyce has also co-written the Autoimmune Plant Based Cookbook which can be purchased at wholenessmarket.com.