This is an open letter that was recently sent to the Potomac Conference. We received it from an anonymous source.
“Elder Tapp,
I write to you not as an elder, church board member, or person in high authority but as a concerned lay person who has been a baptized member of the Roanoke SDA church for over 20 years.
I recently received the letter from you regarding the recent controversy between our local church and the Potomac Conference. This is the first time that you have been in correspondence with our church regarding this issue since its inception. Which is truly unfortunate as your first acton upon gettng involved is to threaten our church with expulsion should we not get in line with the Potomac Conferences’ orders.
“Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord” Isaiah 1:18
I would implore you to not just take the assessments and updates from your associates, but to actually read and review the correspondence between our church leaders and your conference representatives.
Our church went through all of the proper channels to get approval for pastor Bohr to come and speak to us. This includes church board approval AND approval by your conference employee at the time (our Pastor). Although pastor Bohr was booked almost 1 year prior to his coming, our church was willing to cancel Pastor Bohr if the Potomac Conference was able to give us ONE single substantiated reason why Pastor Bohr should be silenced. Our elders requested this multiple times. This was requested not only to justify canceling a pastor in good standing within the church, but also to understand the conferences’ position and criteria for bringing in future speakers. Without this justification, we are destined to repeat this vicious and unnecessary circle.
Several “reasons” were given to our elders as to why the conference wanted to silence this man. One accusation was that he sets dates for Christ’s second coming. This was proven false. Pastor Bohr has spoken out countless times against setting dates. No evidence was provided for this claim. Another accusation is that his sermons have led to the abuse of women. This is a highly offensive accusation that has no basis or foundation. In short, these accusations were quite simply, bogus. It became clear that the only possible reason that the conference does not approve of Pastor Bohr is that he is in support of the General Conference and is opposed to the ordination of Women.
While there should always be room for healthy discussion and disagreement, to silence a man of God and inhibit the spreading of the gospel simply because you disagree with him on his beliefs of women’s ordination is not only unwarranted, but dangerous. To flex your administrative muscles in order to silence those who disagree with you is appalling.
This should not be an us vs. you situation. We are a world church with a world movement. We work together as the body of Christ. However, in this case, the conference has taken the position that we are not partners but subjects and will be told what we will and will not do.
I have watched your “Listening with love” video and found it to be very ironic and frankly two-faced. Why is it ok to “listen with love” to those that are attempting to normalize sin and actively trying to bring apostasy into the church, and at the same time to “silence with hate” those that are spreading the gospel? Simply on the basis that you disagree with their position on an issue that has been voted on 3 times by the world church—which you are in active rebellion against?
When asked about what has been taking place at the Sligo church, Elder Labate said that the conference “didn’t know”. We obviously can’t prove whether you did or didn’t, but it’s highly unbelievable that the conference was aware that pastor Bohr was coming to a small church in southwest Virginia in which no advertising was done whatsoever, and yet was completely unaware of a highly advertised LGBTQ symposium in your own backyard. Not to mention, it was your previous church of which you were the head pastor. Your associate can claim that he did not know. But you did. You knew it and you did nothing. I wonder if the Sligo church received the same reprimand that the Roanoke church received. I’m sure not, as you sent out the video saying that it’s important that we listen to their heresy.
Even closer to home, the conference has continued to approve of and defend a pastor in the Lynchburg SDA church who daily wears gay pride pins everywhere he goes (including to church), and who signs his name with his “preferred pronouns”. I listened to a sermon of his a couple of years back where he mentioned President Trump then put his hands up and said “not my president!”
Why is this ok and Stephen Bohr is banned?
You said in your letter that the Roanoke church violated the church manual and conference policy. That is why the church is subject to disciplinary action. However, your conference representatives broke policy at least 3 times in the course of one meeting held at our church. These instances are undeniable and are well documented and have been transcribed word for word. I would be happy to share these violations with you if you desire.
As stated in an email from elder Labate, this relationship only works if both sides agree to abide by a set of rules. You cannot expect us to abide by these policies and turn around and break them in your dealings with us. That is just as serious, if not more serious, than our church continuing to host Pastor Bohr.
You cited PC Policy 820.00.
"There are several independent ministries within the North American Division and indeed in other territories outside the Division. It is essential to understand that there are independent ministries that are "adversarial" and "controversial" against the values of Potomac Conference rather than "supportive." There may be instances when the leaders of independent ministries are invited to speak within the territory of Potomac Conference. Churches must use caution when considering invi:ng the leaders of these ministries to speak within the Potomac Conference."
We have not violated one word of this policy. Pastor Bohr states “Secrets Unsealed is a supporting ministry of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.” This policy also states that CHURCHES must use caution when inviting leaders of these ministries to speak. Our church thoroughly vets every single guest speaker that we bring in. So no violation here.
You also cited the Church Manual page 126-127
"Authorized Speakers - Only speakers worthy of confidence will be invited to the pulpit by the local church pastor, in harmony with guidelines given by the conference. The local elders or church board may also invite speakers in consulta:on with the pastor and in harmony with conference guidelines. Individuals who are no longer members or who are under discipline should not be given access to the pulpit. At times it is acceptable for government officials or civic leaders to address a congregation, but all others should be excluded from the pulpit unless permission is granted by the conference. Every pastor, elder, and conference president must enforce this rule.”
On this point, Pastor Bohr IS worthy of, and has our full confidence. Which is why he was invited. We are still waiting for official guidelines and criteria from the conference on who is and is not allowed to preach from the pulpit. As of now, all we have received is that you simply don’t like the man. Which makes picking speakers rather difficult. Again, no violation here either.
You are hiding behind policy to conceal the fact that the conference is trying to force the issue of women’s ordination into each and every church until you have squashed any opposition. Well sir, I for one will not join you in your rebellion against the world church.
I also received the letter from the church member that you referenced. Although the author’s language is strong and direct, it is in fact accurate. Let’s not forget that John the Baptist called the Pharisees a “brood of vipers”. Jesus and John never feared calling sin by its true name. The manner in which the Potomac conference is conducting itself is consistent with the Pharisees of old.
I also found it interesting that in your letter you said that the church member called the conference a liar and hence is unchristian. Two sentences later you called the author of the Fulcrum7 article a liar… is it still unchristian? Or just when a lay person says it? I’d also be very curious to know which of the facts in the article you believe are lies. Furthermore, that article was NOT written by an elder. Now YOU have failed in your journalistic duty to verify the information with the church and/or that elder and have now slandered them.
The hypocrisy coming out of the Potomac conference is astounding.
You stated in your letter that we are sowing divisiveness. In fact you are the ones doing that. If you had not overreached, and created this public spectacle, our church may not have been overflowing at pastor Bohr’s visit. So for that part we thank you. No division was needed, period. If you had stayed in your lane, and not let your personal opinions and pride affect your judgment, none of this would have happened.
We have a beautiful church. So many things are happening that God is blessing. We have several active ministries including one that has received national attention. We have worked in partnership with the conference for decades and it has been a mutually beneficial relationship. However, as of late, church leadership has taken a very concerning turn towards things of this world.
As the distance of accountability between leader and member increases, so also does the temptation for leaders to see themselves as owning authority to manage, control, and direct the body of the church rather than serve as stewards of the body. I would humbly ask that if you would rather take part in church politics, pushing agendas, and would like to stand on policy and the church manual rather than standing for truth & principle, and standing on the word of God, then you should reconsider your position as the leader of the Potomac conference.
We look forward to reconciliation with the Potomac Conference and hope to find a way forward from this. We have been, and continue to be brothers and sisters in Christ. Mistakes can and will be made by any of us. We are human. As a family, we will no doubt have spats from time to time. But make no mistake, we will never compromise on standing for truth and allowing Christ, through the Bible, to be our supreme authority. We will not inhibit the sharing of the gospel nor sharing the Three Angels Message.
Going forward, I hope the Potomac Conference can agree on that as well.
Sincerely,
Chad McLennan”
Update
According to the Secrets Unsealed Events Page, Stephen Bohr is currently speaking at the Community of Hope Hispanic Seventh-day Adventist Church in Silver Spring, Maryland.
He is also invited to speak at the Gaithersburg Hispanic SDA Church in Maryland on August 16. Will the Potomac Conference threaten these two Hispanic SDA Churches as well?
Of course they will.
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“But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe….Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you? (Matthew 18:28, 32-33).
