Interestingly, the Christian Post picked up the Ron Kelly Story yesterday in an article by Leonardo Blair. LINK. A reader sent us the link this morning.
In the article, they reference Atoday’s hit piece on Ron Kelly, and also linked to Fulcrum7’s publication of Ron Kelly’s letter to the Village Church.
Corporate loving Adventism will say that we should keep things like Michigan’s marginalization of Conrad Vine and Ron Kelly private so church members or the world won’t know about it.
On the other hand, there is a biblical principle of transparency in matters of high significance (Hebrews 4:13; 2 Timothy 4:1-22; 2 Corinthians 1:12-23; 1 Timothy 5:20; Proverbs 11:3; Ephesians 4:15; 4:29; Galatians 6:2). As a corporate church becomes more insular and bureaucratic, transparency is usually the first casualty. Corporate leaders tend to work behind the scenes, marginalizing some people and promoting others who align with their agenda. All of this is done behind a facade of righteousness, a veil if you will.
One of our tasks at Fulcrum7 is to pull the veil aside occasionally and expose what’s back there, giving conscientious members the opportunity know what is happening in their church. We let daylight into the dark corners of Adventism, where the abuse of power thrives. We would much rather that the corporate machine recognizes it’s own weaknesses and self corrects. This, after all, is the burden of each one of us, who will give an account to God on That Day.
The world is watching what is happening in Adventism today. Let us humble ourselves, renounce kingly power, and press together in truth and freedom of conscience. And let us call leaders who abuse their authority, to repent or resign, lest they bring reproach on the church..
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“When Ahab saw Elijah, he said to him, “Is that you, O troubler of Israel?” I have not troubled Israel,” Elijah replied, “but you and your father’s house have” (1 Kings 18:17-18).