On Thursday 3 July 2025, the then President of the General Conference of SDAs stood before the representatives of the church from around the globe and, with a furrowed brow, declared:
“My brothers and sisters, I would urge us not to be involved in conspiracy approaches even to the point I I I it’s it's almost unbelievable that somehow the general conference and the world church is receiving instructions and is under the thumb or the direction of the United Nations. We have no instructions from the United Nations. We have no directives. We have nothing. We are not in contact with the United Nations except we have a representative that works with other non-government organizations to help in humanitarian areas to help in health challenges to help in religious liberty aspects. So my brothers and sisters, I think the record needed to be shared and set straight.” (the stutter is in the original recording at the 3:28:23 time stamp of the General Conference in Session recording)
The first part of this portion of his dialogue was said with clear unease, indicating just how untrue what he was going to say next.
For the previous 6 months, I and others had felt burdened to call the church to repent from and sever this union with the United Nations (UN). We showed documented, verifiable evidence of the significant entanglement of the General Conference with the United Nations. Letters had been sent to the GC by various churches, but to no avail.
“We know its not right, but just don’t talk about it as you are making our church look bad,” I’ve heard from many a voice of rebuke. I have been sent emails, and messages about how I am being an instrument of the devil. This is like a doctor who diagnoses an illness being accused of causing it just because they made the diagnosis. If the church's entanglement looks bad, it is because it is bad, not because I or anyone else pointed it out. Just as a diagnosis aids in identifying treatment modalities, having our corporate sins revealed and explained to us aids in repentance. Is repentance a work that the devil wants, or is it the work that he wants to prevent?
Recently I listened to a prominent church-employed pastor give a rebuttal to speaking about the General Conference's relationship with the UN. He went to the great source of truth to get his sermon content word-for-word: ChatGPT. He didn’t hide that he had specifically asked ChatGPT for his answers to questions like: Is the Seventh-day Adventist church controlled by the United Nations. Nor was he embarrassed that he never went to ANY original documents. He used ChatGPT to analyse the book I had written, Captive Bride, which has over 1000 references to primary source documents. ChatGPT said that because I was against the Sustainable Development Goals, it falsely inferred a motive from me, saying I am also not into caring for the needy. When I suggested to this pastor in the comments section of his YouTube video that it was an insult for him to rebut all my research with ChatGPT and that he lost credibility with its use, he replied with…a ChatGPT drafted response!
Instead of intelligently reading the book I’d written and looking at all the source documents, this pastor had resorted to ARTIFICIAL intelligence. AI is a bit like an artificial flower that looks good, but lacks what makes it truly a flower, notably life; AI may sound good, but it also lacks the essentials of what can make anything truly intelligent. It’s time for us to apply our God-given, real intelligence to this situation. Spiritual things are spiritually discerned (1 Cor 2:14) and AI is not driven by God’s Spirit.
Might I remind my brethren just how much the UN does have an influence over the church at large? The role that the 2015 Immunization statement played in preventing church employees from officially defending religious liberty has been well covered. Here are some of the ways the UN influenced this statement.
The United Nations And the GC Vaccine Statement
In early 2010, an SDA church member was able to get a vaccine exemption in the US simply because she was an SDA who believed the health message. Then, later in 2010, the UN launched the Decade of Vaccines. WHO released the Sage Working Group on Vaccine Hesitancy Report that identified religious belief as the most cited reason for vaccine hesitancy. Subsequently, WHO released the SAGE Summary Report outlining strategies to address vaccine hesitancy, including recruiting religious leaders to promote vaccination, mandating vaccination, and imposing sanctions for non-vaccination. On April 6, 2015, Ted Wilson, the President of the GC, met with the Secretary General of the UN and spoke of “shared essential values.” On April 15, 2015, the GC issued the Immunization Statement. A coincidence? No.
This statement is listed under “What we believe” on the official church website: Adventist.org. In Chapter 11 of my book Captive Bride, I have a comprehensive analysis of all 59 statements and what UN document or event likely influenced their release and/or content. Below is a summarized version of that chapter. It demonstrates that 49 of the 59 statements have been clearly influenced, directly or indirectly, by the UN. (Full references to source documents are provided in Captive Bride).
The UN and ADCOM Statements
1980: “Peace Message to All Men of Goodwill” - Pope John Paul II addressed the UN in October 1979 declaring that the Catholic church and representatives of other churches, in union of all men of goodwill, pledged to declare a message of peace.
1985: "Drugs" - In 1985 UN passed Milan Plan of Action urging global cooperation in drug abuse control.
1985: "Racism” – In1984 the UN issued a resolution on racism and urges NGOs to participate in the observance to combat racism.
1985: "Peace” - UN declared 1986 as the International Year of Peace and invited all NGOs to co-operate with the International Year of Peace by ensuring the “widest possible dissemination of this Proclamation."
1987: “Sexual Behavior” - UN passes Resolution on AIDS in 1987 and requested coordinated response from NGOs including through printed materials.
1990: “Ban on Sales of Assault Weapons to Civilians” - No direct link to UN found.
1990: “Pornography“ - UN passed Resolution 44/25 Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1990 to emphasize “exploitative use of children in pornographic performances and materials.”
1990: “Homelessness & Poverty” - UN released the report on Human Development highlighting the need to address homelessness and poverty in 1990. Also launched in 1990 was UN Global Strategy for Shelter to the Year 2000 focused on homelessness — and UN Resolution 1990/14 on Human Rights & Extreme Poverty. UN required NGOs to give the necessary attention to this problem when they make known their views on these issues per Resolution 44/148.
1992: “Historic Stand for Temperance Principles and Acceptance of Donations Statement Impacts Social Change” - No direct link to UN found.
1992: “Caring for the Environment” – This was the landmark year for the Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit. It was here that Agenda 21 had its origins. In UN Resolution 44/228, the General Conference NGO and ADRA NGO were requested to contribute to the conference. Also, all UN NGOs need to foster cooperation and communication among themselves to reinforce their effectiveness as actors in the implementation of sustainable development.
1994: “Birth Control” – UN 1994 International Conference on Population & Development. Article 7.48 of the associated document calls NGOs to work with government agencies to educate parents on reproductive rights for their children. To achieve this, NGOs were recommended to publish print and electronic media.
1995: “Tolerance“ - UN proclaimed 1995 as the International Year of Tolerance.
1995: “Smoking & Tobacco” – UN’s WHO was working on the outlines of initiatives on Tobacco control in 1993 and 1995.
1995: “The Holy Scriptures” - No direct link to UN activity found.
1995: “Environment” - UN held the World Summit for Social Development in 1995; social justice and environmental health were key components of this summit which are reflected in the GC statement.
1995: “Religious Freedom” - UN held the World Summit for Social Development in 1995. The related document mentions the UN’s definition of religious freedom dozen of times. The GC statements says, “We recognize the need to champion freedom of conscience and religion as a fundamental human right, in harmony with the instruments of the United Nations”; notice it did not say, “in harmony with the Bible.”
1995: “Women’s Issues” - UN held The Fourth World Conference on Women in 1995. This was also the year that liberal Adventism made a huge push for ordaining women, culminating in the 1995 GC Session in Utrecht, Holland
1990 (released 1995): “Chemical Use, Abuse, and Dependency” – the UN passed resolutions and policy statements about drug abuse in 1985, 1987, 1988, and in 1990 proclaimed 1991 to 2000 as the United Nations Decade Against Drug Abuse.
1995: “Statement on Abuse & Family Violence” - UN Gender Quality & Empowerment of Women issued its Platform of Action in 1995 which includes family violence topic. GC issued two Statements on Family Violence - 1995 and 1996.
1995: “Literacy Statement” - UN Beijing Platform for Action issued in 1995 mandated Strategic Objective B to improve women’s education and literacy. GC Statement says, “Research indicates that six major challenges in the lives of all human beings – women in particular – are: literacy. . . “
1995: “Human Relations” - UN released the following in 1995: Implementation of the Program of Action for the Third Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination and, Measures to Combat Contemporary Forms of Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia, and Related Intolerance.
1995: “The Dangers of Climate Change” - GC Statement credits the UN by saying, “The world membership of the Seventh-day Adventist Church requests that the governments concerned take steps necessary to avert the danger: 1. By fulfilling the agreement reached in Rio de Janeiro (1992 UN Convention on Climate Change) to stabilize carbon dioxide emissions by the year 2000 at 1990 levels . . .
1996: “Marriage” - UN declared 1994 as the International Year of the Family per Resolution 44/82. There was also a push in the U.S. to redefine marriage which led to the 1996 U.S. Defense of Marriage Act.
1996: “Spiritual Renewal Impacts Social Change” - UN General Assembly adopted Resolution 50/161 to implement the 1995 Copenhagen Declaration on Social Development and Programme of Action.
1996: “Smoking & Ethics” - World Health Assembly (WHA) adopted the International Framework Convention for Tobacco Control in 1996.
1996: “Family Violence” - UN General Assembly adopted Resolution A/RES/50/166, The Role of the United Nations Development Fund for Women in Eliminating Violence Against Women which includes family violence topic. GC issued two Statements on Family Violence - 1995 and 1996.
1996: “Stewardship of the Environment” - No direct UN connection BUT General Conference Annual Council was held in Costa Rica in 1996. Church’s leaders were meeting in a country that had just enacted some of the world’s most innovative environmental laws to meet UN goals: The Organic Environmental Law, The Forestry Law had been enacted six months earlier, President Figueres was publicly promoting “development in harmony with nature.”
1997: “Child Sexual Abuse” - UN Declaration & Agenda for Action of the World Congress Against Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (A/51/385) was released 1996. ECOSOC (of which GC NGO is a member) released in February 1997 the Report of Special Rapporteur on the sale of children, child prostitution, and child pornography. UN General Assembly adopted Resolution on Girl Child also in February 1997.
1997: “How Seventh-day Adventists View Roman Catholicism” - UN held Multi-faith Dialogue Meetings in 1995 and 1997, and passed the Roads of Faith Malta Declaration which said, “. . . we have decided to base our action on our common faith in the Transcendence that gives life a meaning, and the world a purpose. In doing so, we have resolved to turn our backs on everything that may have set us one against another in the past, and march together, united…” Participants of these meeting were required to distribute publications to make teachings of their faith’s mutual respect better known.
1997: “Theological and Academic Freedom and Accountability” - No direct link with UN activity found.
1998: “Meeting the Challenges of Sexually Transmitted Diseases” - UN had many resolutions and policies in 1990s, through the World Health Organization) about STDs and AIDS. This GC Statement gives credit to the UN in this statement.
1998: “Ethical Considerations Regarding Human Cloning” - UN World Health Assembly issued resolution on Ethical, Scientific, and Social Implications of Cloning in Human Health.
1998: “Activities With Elements of Competition” - No direct link with UN activity found.
1998: “50th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights” – a commemoration by the GC of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, ratified in 1948.
1999: “Religious Minorities and Religious Freedom”- this statements specifically gives recognition to the UN International Bill of Human Rights is made up of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and its two Optional Protocols. These instruments restricted the free expression of a person’s religion and were used during the Pandemic.
2000: “Well-being and Value of Children” - UN passed Resolution in 2000 - Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict.
2000: “Religious Liberty, Evangelism, and Proselytism” - UN Millennium World Peace Summit of Religious, Spiritual Leaders was held in 2000. UN General Secretary told UN members and entities,““Dialogue within and between religions requires not just tolerance but deep respect for the other in his or her authentic relationship with the Holy.”
2000: “Gambling” - No direct link with UN activity found.
2002: “Call for Peace” – The UN is praised in the GC’s Statement which says: “While both the United Nations and various religious bodies have proclaimed the first decade of the 21st century as a decade for the promotion of peace and security in the place of violence in its various forms, a new and insidious dimension of violence has emerged: organized international terrorism. Terrorism itself is not new, but worldwide terrorist networks are.” This statement seems to be a reiteration of the Millennium of World Peace ideology promulgated by the UN .
2003: “War in Iraq” - The United States, United Kingdom and coalition forces invaded Iraq on March 20, 2003, without UN Security Council authorization.
2004: “Affirmation of Creation” - 2003 Resolution 58/128 Promotion of Religious and Cultural Understanding, Harmony, and Cooperation, and 2004 Resolution 59/23 Promotion of Inter Religious Dialogue. Also, UN urged Religious NGOs to protect “our common home.” and religious NGOs submitted reports with the topic - “caring for creation.”
2008: “War in Congo” - GC emphasized the call for peace in the Congo, and denounced a General Nkunda, a professed SDA pastor. The UN had called for General Nkunda’s arrest.
2009: “Commitment to Health and Healing” - UN’s specialized agency, the World Health Organization (WHO) had the joint Conference on Health & Lifestyle with SDA health representatives . This statement was written in conjunction with WHO.
2010: “Ending Violence Against Women and Girls” - UN Human Rights Council issued Resolution 14/12, Accelerating efforts to eliminate all forms of violence against women.
2010: “Nurture and Protection of Children” - UN Human Rights Council Resolution 14/12 requested NGO participation to “eliminate all forms of violence against women, and protection.”
2010: “Global Poverty” - UN Millennium Development Goals of 2000 were affirmed in this Statement.
2010: “Freedom of Speech and Defamation of Religion” - UN Human Rights Council passed Resolution 13/16 Combating Defamation of Religions.
2010: “Creation: The Bible’s Worldview” - No direct link to UN activities found.
2012: “Statement of Tithe and Its Destination” - UN released the document, The Future We Want calling for NGOs to be in full involvement (not just endorsement) with civil society as “partners” in Sustainable Development Goals — including the financing of Goals. Representatives of the SDA Church in 2018 went on to co-organize a meeting called “Financing for Sustainable Development.”
2012: “Homosexuality” - UN published a report in 2012 by the High Commissioner called Born Free & Equal.
2013: “Consensus on Care for the Dying” - World Health Organization officially issues UN-system Resolution Strengthening of palliative care as a component of comprehensive care throughout the life course.
2014: Consensus Statement on a Seventh-day Adventist Theology of Ordination - No direct link to UN found.
2015: “Immunization” – Already covered the details regarding Immunization in introduction to this article.
2015: “Statement of Confidence in the Writings of Ellen G. White” - No direct link to UN found.
2017: “Statement on Transgenderism” - UN adopted Resolution Protection Against Violence and Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity.
2018 “Mission Statement of the Seventh-day Adventist Church” - No direct link to UN found.
2019: “ Statement on the Biblical View of Unborn Life and Its Implications for Abortion” - UN Security Council Resolution 2467 in 2019 on Prevention and Response to Conflict-Related Sexual Violence refers to abortion as part of sexual and reproductive rights. UN declared September 28, 2019 as International Safe Abortion Day.
2020: “One Humanity: A Human Relations Statement Addressing Racism, Casteism, Tribalism, and Ethnocentrism” - UN started the Decade of Action in 2020 and released a video titled Working Stronger Together to Achieve Sustainable Development Goals. The UN Alliance of Civilizations issued A Joint Call for Solidarity, Compassion, and Unity.
Is the General Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist church under the “direction of the United Nations”?
Considering that these statements are under “What we believe” on the official website, as ‘members’ of this official organization, are you and I officially (on paper at least) under the “direction of the United Nations”? None of us gave our consent to be in consultative status with the UN. I will leave that for your real intelligence to determine.
In Jesus’s day, the church leaders chose Caesar over Jesus Christ. Are we seeing a repeat of that, and is the vast majority of the church laity following their lead either through active consent or passive disengagement?
If this article brings you to the realization that you need to openly and publicly disavow yourself of any obligation to the United Nations and its principles, then I encourage you to sign the petition at https://faithfuladventist.org/petition/ and have your voice of protest heard by all who would hear.
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