by Denis Fortin  |  1 March 2020  |

Read part ane here.

We Adventists have a fundamental conventionalities on the topic of Christian unity, and in 2017 we had a Sabbath School Bible study guide on unity in Christ. Which makes all the more surprising the reaction to Giovanni Caccamo, the Italian pastor who signed an ecumenical charter as a representative of his local Seventh-day Adventist church building. Some church leaders quickly sought to distance themselves from him, and implied that Adventists should not belong to ecumenical organizations—even though, equally I said in part 1 of this article, those same organizations have themselves participated in ecumenical dialogues.

The reaction by church building leaders and members makes me wonder if Adventists actually believe in Christian unity, equally our 14th Fundamental Belief states: "The church is ane body with many members, called from every nation, kindred, natural language, and people … We are all equal in Christ, who past one Spirit has bonded us into i fellowship with Him and with one another."

Our Ecumenical Roots

It didn't used to be this style. Adventists take a long history, going back to our pioneers, of interchurch ecumenical cooperation. In those days we didn't employ the discussion "ecumenical," simply in the 19th century nosotros frequently made common cause with other Christians on a number of issues.

The very origin of our motion is ecumenical. In the 1840s, when William Miller began to preach that Jesus would return shortly, his message quickly turned into an ecumenical system of thousands of Christians of many denominations. Together they pooled their resource and talents to preach the skilful news of the soon render of Christ.

As our little movement grew into a Sabbatarian Adventist denomination, we entertained adept relationships with the Seventh Day Baptists. Nosotros sent a delegate to their almanac convention and we received 1 from them at our sessions of the General Conference.

Many of our pioneers were anti-slavery advocates, joining with other Christians to abolish that groovy evil at the centre of the new nation. Many Adventists even used their homes every bit stations for the underground railway. The anti-slavery motility was an inter-denominational move that brought together sincere Christians of many churches for a common crusade, a crusade established on some of the same biblical passages that today undergird the ecumenical move (Galatians 3:26-28; Ephesians 2:eleven-16; Colossians 3:11).

Past the 1870s, many of our pioneers were defended temperance advocates, some serving as presidents of local chapters with Ellen White'south approval—who herself spoke at these events. The temperance movement was a strong ecumenical move focusing on a social consequence, very much like the Earth Council of Churches does today when it speaks about issues of social justice.

Yet, as expert as these examples may be, another reveals fifty-fifty more how we engaged positively in inter-denominational activities a hundred years ago: the missionary motility. In 1910, our church sent iii official delegates (W. A. Spicer, secretary of the General Conference, L. R. Conradi, president of the European Division, and Due west. J. Fitzgerald, president of the British Spousal relationship) to the International Missionary Conference in Edinburgh, Scotland. Seventh-day Adventist representatives felt the conference had a positive influence, and was a fulfillment of a sign of the end of time: to preach the gospel to all the earth before Jesus' second coming (Matthew 24:14).

Spicer saw the Protestant missionary move of the nineteenth century equally a continuation of the Protestant Reformation. He believed that the Protestant denominations all over the earth were together preaching the gospel of Jesus to cultures that had no knowledge of the biblical God. 7th-twenty-four hour period Adventists in 1910 knew that they were not able to fulfill by themselves the prediction of Matthew 24:14, and that God was using all Christians in all denominational missionary societies to do this.

Sadly, in many sectors of Adventism today, we no longer think like this. Some evangelists and preachers, in order to convince others to bring together the church and to convince church members to give money to their ministries, claim that only Adventists teach the biblical gospel and that other churches do not, or that version of the gospel is and so decadent that it can no longer salvage people. This is overly sectarian and misguided, and damages our identity as a Christian customs, and indirectly denies the piece of work of the Holy Spirit among other Christians. Nosotros cannot honestly endorse this kind of thinking. Ellen White asked, "Where are the greater function of the followers of Christ now to be institute? Without doubt, in the various churches professing the Protestant faith." [1]

Biblical Unity in Christ

Seventh-day Adventists are, before annihilation else, Christians, who claim the same promises of salvation by grace through organized religion in Jesus' death as other Christians exercise (Acts 15:eleven). Our pioneers believed this, and our unique message did non forestall them from affirming our common heritage with other believers. Adventists say with Paul that "whoever volition phone call on the name of the Lord will exist saved" (Romans ten:13). One does not have to become a 7th-mean solar day Adventist to be saved.

If that is the essential good news, and if Adventists are not the sole proprietors of this good news, we are then obligated to see our neighbour who attends a church service in another denomination'southward building equally a true brother or sis in Christ. Our common faith creates a bail of spiritual unity in Jesus Christ. Delight empathize: we already have unity in Jesus; we don't take to create it. This is what Paul affirmed in Romans x but also in 1 Corinthians ane, Ephesians 2 and Colossians 3.

All who merits Jesus every bit their Lord and Savior are already experiencing a spiritual oneness in Christ, however imperfectly information technology may be lived in reality. "For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For all of yous who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, at that place is neither slave nor gratuitous, there is neither male nor female, for yous are all i in Christ Jesus" (Galatians two:26-28). Whatsoever our denominational names, whether Lutheran, Baptist, Mennonite, Pentecostal or Seventh-day Adventist, our common relationship to Christ is more important than all denominational and doctrinal limitations, and we are one in Christ.

This is not downplaying the crucial truths we believe and the identity markers that shape our end-time mission, merely it must frame our agreement of other Christian believers and guide our oral communication about them. The most disarming proof of the dazzler of the gospel is dearest and tolerance expressed toward all those who believe in Jesus (John xiii:34-35). I often cry over our evangelistic efforts and how they sow seeds of divisions by what is said about other Christians.

Unity was a matter of great importance to Jesus. In his last prayer in John 17 he prayed for unity among his own disciples, and among those who would subsequently believe in him. That was his concluding wish—his final desire. If unity was and so ardently on Jesus' mind at that crucial moment of his life, should it too be function of our consciousness?

Adventists believe in the unity of all God's people, and it is a gift we already have in Jesus. So any associations we take with other Christians should be seen as a heaven-sent blessing to teach usa about God and his providence in the lives of others of his children. Information technology is also an obvious opportunity for us to share how God has blessed our lives. I am grateful for Pastor Caccamo and many others all over the world who are involved in such Christ-centered witness and sharing.

That concept of unity in Christ must guide our conversation about other Christians and guide our human relationship with them. As well long accept we encouraged an unbridled bigotry toward other Christians, with the excuse that nosotros accept an finish-time message they must accept. We can preach all we desire, but we must non denigrate the image of God in the middle of other Christians. To do and then is irreverence and a negation of the gospel we say we believe in.

What About Ellen White?

While Ellen White said that we should beware of false teachings, and that at the end of time there would be dandy deceptions, [two] she however always encouraged pastors and members to accept cordial relationships with Christians of other denominations. She exemplified that in her own life and ministry, and never showed bigotry or intolerance toward others.

Past the time she died in 1915 Ellen White'southward personal library included hundreds of books by various Protestant authors. She had read many of these books, and used them when writing her ain books. She knew that Christian authors had good insights into the word of God that she could rely upon. Comparisons of her own writings with books in her library have demonstrated how much she valued their contributions, and fifty-fifty at times depended on them quite heavily.

Adventists practice not take a monopoly on truth, or on how to understand God's providence and guidance in the life of all his people. As Ellen White demonstrated in the production of her books, we tin learn from others and be enriched by them in our Christian journey.

Ellen White was known for speaking at temperance rallies, which were inter-denominational social reform societies, and received invitations to speak in churches and camp meetings of other denominations. Her Methodist heritage gave her a window into the minds of other Christians, and how to approach them with courtesy and 18-carat concern.

Even Roman Catholics touched her in her ain life journeying. Ellen White struggled for decades to become a full vegetarian. She had advocated a vegetarian diet from about 1865, simply she personally continued to eat meat on and off for three more than decades, until she had an unusual conversation with a Roman Catholic lady. A Mrs. O'Kavanagh met with her during a campsite meeting near Melbourne, Commonwealth of australia, in 1896. This lady wanted to know more about Adventist lifestyle, vegetarianism, and abstinence from tobacco and alcohol. But Mrs. O'Kavanagh became perturbed when she realized Adventists were not totally abstaining from eating meat, and notwithstanding claimed to be vegetarians. She explained to Ellen White how horrible were the living weather condition of these animals and how they were cruelly butchered to so appear on their tables. That did information technology! Ellen White determined to never again eat a slice of meat. God used a Roman Cosmic to finally convince Ellen White to fully follow what she had been preaching for 30 years! [3]

No wonder Ellen White was slap-up to say that our pastors should not get out of their way to attack Christians of other denominations, including Catholics! [4] She rebuked a few pastors for their discrimination toward others, and for unnecessarily creating prejudices in the minds of others. [5] "Our laborers should be very careful not to give the impression that they are wolves stealing in to become the sheep, simply should allow the ministers understand their position and the object of their mission—to phone call the attention of the people to the truths of God'south Word. There are many of these which are dear to all Christians. Here is mutual ground, upon which we can encounter people of other denominations; and in becoming acquainted with them we should dwell mostly upon topics in which all feel an interest, and which will not atomic number 82 direct and pointedly to the subjects of disagreement." [6] Ellen White was ecumenical way before it became popular, and when pastors received invitations to speak in other churches, she encouraged them to speak on topics of mutual involvement, not on doctrines that would create barriers. [7]

Ellen White understood the limits of what the Seventh-twenty-four hour period Adventist church could accomplish alone, and knew other groups of Christians were guided by God in their work just equally nosotros are. She encouraged young people to attend the inter-denominational "meetings of the Immature Men's Christian Association, non for the sake of contention, just to search the Scriptures with them and suggest helpful questions." [8] And she supported the work of the Conservancy Army, urging pastors non to "condemn them and speak harsh words confronting them. There are precious, cocky-sacrificing souls in the Salvation Army … [who] are trying to save the neglected, downtrodden ones. Discourage them not." [9]

To make these comments well-nigh other denominations Ellen White had to accept an understanding of conservancy, grace, and God's leading in their lives that include them in the divine plan of God for the salvation of humankind. She was non of the opinion that her understanding of the Bible was the only valid one, or that a Christian had to hold with her in order to be saved. Pastors of other denominations were genuine shepherds of the flock of God's people and needed to be respected as such. [10] 1 has to assume that she had an understanding of the people of God and of the meaning of faith that get beyond the boundaries of her small denomination, that all Christians have an interdependent relationship in Christ, and are in fact part of the same family unit in Christ.

We would exist remiss to forget this. Which is why I'm grateful for Pastor Caccamo and others for showing the fashion and being the kind of example Ellen White encouraged usa to exist.

  1. The Great Controversy, 383. ↑
  2. The Great Controversy, 593-602. ↑
  3. "O'Kavanagh, One thousand. J. J.," in Denis Fortin and Jerry Moon, eds., The Ellen G. White Encyclopedia (Hagerstown, Medico: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 2013), 481. ↑
  4. Manuscript 14, 1887, in Evangelism, 574-575; Testimonies for the Church, vol. nine, 244. In the starting time statement in Manuscript 14, 1887, she stated "We should not create a prejudice in their [Catholics] minds unnecessarily, by making a raid upon them. … From that which God has shown me, a great number will exist saved from among the Catholics." And in the other statement in Testimonies, vol. 9, she said "Among the Catholics there are many who are most conscientious Christians, and who walk in all the light that shines upon them, and God will work in their behalf." One has to presume from these two statements, that if Catholics will exist saved co-ordinate to the light they take, this light must include sufficient elements and truth of the grace of the gospel to give them salvation, in spite of the other beliefs, that Protestants notice objectionable. And recall, this was written over a hundred years ago. So, Catholics do believe in the gospel of salvation and this gospel saves them as well as it saves Protestants. Of course, Protestants and Catholics have been debating for centuries the contours of the gospel of salvation. But information technology seems Ellen White agreed that some Catholics in her time did sympathise the gospel. ↑
  5. Review and Herald, June 13, 1912, in Evangelism, 143-144. ↑
  6. Review and Herald, June 13, 1912, in Evangelism, 143-144. ↑
  7. Manuscript vi, 1902, in Evangelism, 564. ↑
  8. Testimonies for the Church building, vol. 6, 74-75. ↑
  9. Testimonies for the Church building, vol. 8, 184. ↑
  10. Testimonies for the Church, vol. half dozen, 77-78. ↑

Denis Fortin (Ph.D.) is professor of historical theology and sometime dean of the Seminary at Andrews Academy and has studied the ecumenical motility for 25 years. He was the chief correspondent of the adult Bible study guide Oneness in Christ in 2017.

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