Back on August 16-19 year, the Gaithersburg Seventh-day Adventist Church invited Stephen Bohr to come and preach a series on End-time events.
In the lead up to the event, the Gaithersburg pastor tried to cancel the event, and was outvoted unanimously by the church board, congregation, and elders. The Potomac Conference made it plain that they did not approve of Pastor Bohr and the Gaithersburg congregation was forbidden to invite / host him.
Threats were made that the church members would be disfellowshipped, the Gaithersburg SDA Church would be disbanded. etc. It came to a head one Sabbath when the pastor demanded that the congregation cancel the Bohr series or leave the church building. 99% Of the congregation walked out, leaving the pastor alone in the rented church building. They met for worship in a local park the next sabbath (August 5).
While they were worshiping at the park, the pastor gained entry into the building from the Church of the Brethren landlord and took away the church’s sound equipment, computers and video cameras.
Several days later, the Gaithersburg Church bank account was taken from them, along with $180,000 in the account (money that the members had presumably supplied/donated).
The Potomac Conference released a vague statement on August 14 which said,
We have acted as responsible stewards by ensuring that any congregational resources are managed per customary church policy and process.
Resources is a reference to the equipment and $180k that was taken from the Gaithersburg members. Since then, the Gaithersburg congregation (most of whom are immigrants) have asked the Potomac Conference where their money and equipment is and when it will be returned. They have received no response, according to a member of the congregation.
We reached out two times to the Potomac Conference for a statement on what was happening with the Gaithersburg SDA. They did not respond.
The Bohr meetings were a great success and they had to rent a second church building in order to accommodate the large crowd.
The gaithersburg Church has been pressed down but they are not destroyed (2 Corinthians 4:8-10). In fact they are an inspiration to the rest of us as they continue to support one another and share the Three Angels’ Messages with those around them. They are spiritual refugees, and our brothers and sisters in the Lord.
Here is a useful Timeline of the Gaithersburg / Potomac saga. LINK
Yesterday, the Gaithersburg congregation Iglesia Adventista del Septimo Dia Gaithersburg Renacer created a GoFundMe page.
Here is the introduction:
“Dear family and friends. In a challenging time, our church faces a loss of $200,000, which includes bank funds and essential items such as the sound system, computer, and pulpit among other things. This has affected us deeply, but with trust in God, we seek to rebuild what has been taken from us. We have established a fundraising goal of $50,000 to recover the essentials and thus help us as a church to continue forward with all the evangelistic plans of our church until Christ comes. Each contribution, no matter how small, brings us closer to the goal and will greatly help us to continue bringing the gospel of Salvation to many people. We greatly appreciate any support you can provide. Your generosity will make a difference and contribute to the restoration of our church. Share this campaign with friends, family, and social networks to extend the reach of our cause. Together with the help of God and your generosity, we can overcome this challenge. Thank you very much in advance for your support. God bless you greatly.
Spanish version: Querida familia y amigos. En un momento desafiante, nuestra iglesia enfrenta la pérdida de $200,000, que incluye fondos bancarios y elementos esenciales como el sistema de sonido, computadora, pulpito entre otras cosas. Esto nos ha afectado profundamente, pero con la confianza en Dios buscamos reconstruir lo que se nos ha quitado. Hemos establecido una meta de recaudación de $50,000 para recuperar lo esencial y asi ayudarnos como iglesia a seguir adelante con todos los planes evangelisticos de nuestra iglesia hasta que Cristo venga. Cada contribución, por pequeña que sea, nos acerca a la meta y nos ayudara grandemente para continuar llevando el evangelio de Salvacion a muchas personas. Apreciamos enormemente cualquier apoyo que puedas brindar. Tu generosidad marcará la diferencia y contribuirá a la restauracion de nuestra iglesia. Comparte esta campaña con amigos, familiares y redes sociales para extender el alcance de nuestra causa. Juntos con la ayuda de Dios y tu generocidad, podemos superar este desafío. De antemano muchas gracias por tu apoyo. Dios te bendiga grandemente.
During the dust up between the Potomac Conference and the Gaithersburg Congregation, many people were asking if they could help the Gaithersburg Church financially. Now you can.
****
