The Oregon Conference supported a Sunday-keeping SDA church called Bloom in Portland. They have since reversed course and instructed the Bloom Church to discontinue Sunday-morning services.
Seventh-day Christians should worship on the seventh-day. Yeah, that’s a no brainer. What is puzzling, is a possible misuse of Ellen White in the Oregon Conference article that discusses this issue.
In the article written by the Oregon Conference of SDA Communications Dept., “Questions and Answers about Bloom Church in Portland”, July 13, 2023, they state the below information:
“In April 2023, Bloom leadership communicated to Oregon Conference that they would answer these challenges by establishing a Sunday morning outreach service to connect with more urban families with children, in addition to their Sabbath practices. This was consistent with Ellen White’s counsel: “Whenever it is possible, let religious services be held on Sunday. Make these meetings intensely interesting. Sing genuine revival hymns and speak with power and assurance of the Saviour's love. Speak on temperance and on true religious experience.” (Testimonies for the Church 9:233)” (bolded for emphasis)
When I read the last part of the above paragraph, It seems they (Oregon Conference) used this quote out of context. If you look at Testimonies for the Church vol 9 and go to chapter 28, page 232, “Sunday Labor”, the chapter starts by Ellen White writing to a brother in the church,
“Dear Brother: I will try to answer your question as to what you should do in the case of Sunday laws being enforced.”
She goes on in the chapter to explain what we should do when the Sunday laws have already been enforced!
So, for the Oregon Conference Communication Dept to be assuming that she was encouraging us to have Sunday services prior to the Sunday laws being enforced, is completely and equivocally false. She NEVER stated that it is acceptable to have religious services on Sunday unless the Sunday laws are already enforced.
Also stated above,
“they would answer these challenges by establishing a Sunday morning outreach service to connect with more urban families with children, in addition to their Sabbath practices.”
Beginning April 9th (Sunday) Bloom Church started worshipping on Sunday. There was not a Sabbath service in addition to the Sunday service. Now they state on their website( https://www.achurchinportland.org/) that they are meeting for Sabbath Worship on Friday evenings at 7 pm in a Portland area park. However, I live in Oregon, and I can tell you it won’t be ‘Sabbath’ here in Portland at 7 pm until Wednesday, September 27.
I love my brothers and sisters in Christ at Bloom Church and the leadership of the Oregon Conf. I do not understand their decisions in relation to this church, however. I hope things can be turned around and this church once again will be a church who worships on Sabbath (Friday night sundown to Saturday night sundown).
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