Ted Wilson Responds # 2

[Gregory Matthews]

As reported by Spectrum, during a question and answer period, recently at Andrews University, President Ted Wilson was asked the following question and he responded as I have quoted:

I have a major issue with his response, which I have quoted in full as I do not want to take him out of context.

In his response, he seems to me to be stating the in SDA life and polity the majority rules.  If the majority votes, all must comply.

As I understand him, his position is in violation of the basic norms that we live by in the United States.  The view established by the U.S. Constitution is that there are basic norms that must be upheld for all people and cannot be violated by either majority vote and/or statute.  

I will suggest that the Biblical position is that there are basic Biblical norms that must not be violated by a majority vote of this denomination.  This denomination has many rules that are not addressed by the Bible.  While there may be some disagreement as to whether this is true for an individual policy, we will agree that it is true for some policies.  

But, we will agree that there are some denominational rules that are addressed by the Bible.  On these, we can not say that the majority rules.  Such, a position violates our Protestant heritage.  It  violates the Biblical teachings.

Contrary to what some may say as to the position of Ellen White, it violates her position.  It must be remembered that  she once said that the General Conference did not speak for God, in a specific situation.  If this was the position that she once held, it stands to reason that she would believe that   it   could occur again.

In brief, the position of Ellen White was that votes of the General Conference meeting in session were subject to the authority of the Bible.  Any vote in opposition to a Biblical teaching must be rejected.  This should be our position today.

I do not believe that the response given by President Ted Wilson, if accurate, in that meeting at Andrews University properly reflected that Biblical teaching as to the Bible being the supreme authority over either a majority vote of the General Conference in any of its votes, or of any other organization of this denomination.

Perhaps President Ted Wilson will say that I have misunderstood him and he does not hold the position that I believe he has stated.  Well, if this is true:

*  He was not clear and gave a poorly worded response.

*  If he tells me that I am wrong I will post his response to me, in this forum, as he has written it.

It should be noted that while I have a major disagreement with what I believe what he has said, I also believe that he, even if wrong, he does and says what he believes God wants.  In addition, I do not believe that he is either a Jesuit or in league with the Bishop of Rome.

I also hope that in his leadership of this denomination, that he will come in greater compliance with the will of God as to the direction that he should give to this Church. But, that is in prevue of the Holy Spirit and is outside of our hands.

Quote

Q:  Unity and uniformity.  How do we decide which one?  The Church has taken structural actions.  We have doctrinal issues.  How do we decide if this issue is unity – or do we allow diversity?  Are we being forced into uniformity?

 TW:  The only way to achieve unity on something is a majority of the church agreeing we are going to allow it or not.  If a majority doesn’t  allow it – the rest of the group needs to recognize that.  The real mark of Christianity is humility.  I am going to stay with this because I believe in the corpus of what the Bible presents.  There is diversity – but it must not be in contrast with what was voted.  The Methodist Church recently voted on various proposals regarding LGBT.  They voted down to allow gay marriage and gay ordination.  The vote was not a huge majority, but it passed.  Wherever you go – there are regulations — and you need to abide by those rules.  Here is a SOP passage that is special to me,

“Servants of God, with their faces lighted up and shining with holy consecration, will hasten from place to place to proclaim the message from heaven. By thousands of voices, all over the earth, the warning will be given. Miracles will be wrought, the sick will be healed, and signs and wonders will follow the believers. Satan also works, with lying wonders, even bringing down fire from heaven in the sight of men. Revelation 13:13. Thus the inhabitants of the earth will be brought to take their stand {GC 612}. “

It is unbelievable how some individuals will accuse people without having information or knowing them.  If some people don’t like someone in the Church they call them a Jesuit.  Even internally I have been compared to the Pope.  And Hitler.  Preposterous.  Every so often a rumor goes around that the Pope called the President and said were going to have Sunday law.  Then the President called me (Ted Wilson) and said we are going to have Sunday law. People.  It may come someday but let’s not imagine things!  Be humble and work together.  Let us not exchange the patience of the saints for the panic of the saints.

 

 

 

 

[Gregory Matthews]

For more on this, see the following:

https://spectrummagazine.org/views/2019/unacknowledged-protest-ted-wilsons-qa