The Termination of Pastor Ryan Bell

[Stan]

Quote:

An open letter to friends and church family

Eight years ago my family and I moved to Hollywood to begin what has become the most rewarding and inspiring chapter of our lives. Our family has thrived in this urban, spiritual community commited to peace, love and justice.

Sadly, this phase of this experiment is coming to an end. This Sabbath will be my last Sabbath as the Pastor of the Hollywood Adventist Church. Hours and hours of conversations have led to this point but here is the short version.

Some of the leadership decisions I have made have led the Southern California Conference administration to the conclusion that they cannot trust me to lead this church as a Seventh-day Adventist Church. They have graciously acknowledged my creativity and passion for the community we serve. They have acknowledged that the church is known in the community for its good work whereas before it was less known. But they feel that my leadership has led our church outside the accepted framework of Seventh-day Adventism. We have not been able come to an understanding about these things and so my denominational employment will end on or about April 1, 2013.

This turn of events breaks my heart. I have served the Seventh-day Adventist Church imperfectly for 19 years. It is the only thing I have done since graduating with my Bachelors Degree from Weimar College when I was 22 years old. But sometimes people grow in ways that are incompatible with the institutions they have been a part of.

I am beyond grateful to have served the Hollywood Adventist Church for the past 8 years. We have built an authentic community which is diverse in every way: young and older...and now children!, multi-ethnic, poor and middle-class, gay and straight, artists, business people, teachers and civic servants.

While I will be leaving paid pastoral ministry, I am not angry with the Seventh-day Adventist Church. This denomination has given me my whole career and most of my education. I have been able to do the things I have done because the church has supported me. For that I remain grateful. I wish her only the best and I believe that there are many signs of hope within the denomination including the advances in Women's Ordination. At the same time there are signs of calcification and retrenching that cause me deep concern.

My future is not yet clear, but I am hopeful and confident in God's leadership. Please keep my family and me in your prayers as we make this difficult transition. We have no plans to move at this point, so we will be in Los Angeles for the foreseeable future.

Do not lose faith. And when you do, cling to hope. And when hope fades, resort to love.

Now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. —1 Cor 13:13

I think when most people think of Ryan Bell, they think of someone who is the voice of the marginalized and the broken, someone who is an advocate for those who are not able to stand up for themselves. I pray that this unwanted move will be a HUGE step in expanding this ministry to the weak wounded and the weary. I read of a man who took this action 2000 years ago, did not end well for him, but provided salvation for the rest of us.

Press Forward

[olger]

So we are comparing Ryan Bell getting fired for aberrant teachings, with the sacrifice of Jesus the Christ?

[Gordon1]

So we are comparing Ryan Bell getting fired for aberrant teachings, with the sacrifice of Jesus the Christ?

But Jesus spoke the truth.

Ryan Bell's Catholic liturgy cannot save the wounded and the weary, even with good intentions.

Should Adventism revert to Catholic monasticism? (monkhood)

[Gordon1]

One part of the controversy:

How to get fired: a guide for the Adventist pastor:

(text and video)

http://advindicate.com/?p=3029

[Gordon1]

The only thing Adventists need to help the wounded & weary, is to help the wounded & weary.

There is no reason to introduce false religion.

[Guest]

The only thing Adventists need to help the wounded & weary, is to help the wounded & weary.

There is no reason to introduce false religion.

I agree.

[Guest]

I must say Stan, you praying that this ministry will expand is a head scratcher for me.

[olger]

Yeah, me too Richard.

How you been?

[Guest]

I've been good, hope you have. )

[olger]

Scouts honor !!

[Guest]

________________________

________________________

[Kevin H]

One part of the controversy:

How to get fired: a guide for the Adventist pastor:

(text and video)

http://advindicate.com/?p=3029

Now I don't know anything about Pastor Bell nor that La Serria professor and there are trends in the church that consern me (such as all the Evangelical, Fundamentalism, and either wanting to throw away the Investigative Judgment, or interpet it through the eyes of people like Washburn and Wilkersen rather than honest study of the Bible and Mrs. White) However even if they are wrong, the writer could have done a much better job in presenting his consern. Talk about editoralizing, jumping to conclusions without looking at the evidence and eisegesis, and having a faith based on assumptions about the Bible rather than the Bible itself.

For example, I am not a fan of lent. But there is room to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of following the liturgical calendar. However his argument against lent is that it is pagan in orgin. While this may be, he obviously has not studied the Baal and ancient near eastern religion. The feasts of the land were related to the agricultural system of that piece of property and was celebrated in very similar ways by the worshipers of Baal. It is hard to argue that they came from Noah (as is the cop out answer when someond does discover this) since it is so tied to that particular piece of Geography. However while for the Canaanites it was a season of righteousness by works trying to help the gods of life gain victory over the gods of death, and thus including orgies to unite the life forces. For the Hebrews the same holydays was a time for family, worship with out the uniting of the life forces, but instead just resting and trusting in Yahweh. However if you want to use for your main argument that something was pagan in orgin then you will have to throw out the feasts of the land and other parts of the Bible.

[Guest]

Quote:

Talk about editoralizing, jumping to conclusions without looking at the evidence and eisegesis, and having a faith based on assumptions about the Bible rather than the Bible itself.

Did you stop reading as soon as you saw the thing about Lent? Read on, there's more. That was only one point.

Will you now defend the idea that thinking heterosexuality to be normal, is a sin? Will you also come out against patriarchy?

[hch]

A quote comes to mind, "Ask not for whom the bell tolls..."

As it is with Bell so it will be with others.

Guess the powers that be thought it was time to divide the wheat and tares.

But the shaking is a coming and there will be some big changes.

[BobRyan]

One of the details worth noting closely is that the requirements for being the shepherd of a local congregation - a pastor - is not at all the minimal standard for a new Christian joining the Church.

The idea comes from 2John and 3 John and Jude 1 and 1John 4 and Acts 20:17 and a zillion other places where the shepherds are expected to be leaders in truth -- as if they actually accepted the Bible as the Word of God.

By contrast the low-bar for entry into the church is simply to have the basic understanding about Christ as our Savior and the summary reading of the 28 Fundamental beliefs. At that low-bar entry - even acceptance of the prophetic ministry of Ellen White is optional.

The SCC did not disfellowship Bell - so apparently they do not feel that he falls below the low-bar standard for entry into SDA membership.

But clearly they did discover that he is not to be held up before the congregation as their pastor, as the shepherd of a local congregation.

Paul warns the shepherds in Acts 20:17 that wolves will arise "from among your own selves" teaching bad doctrine and seeking to draw away disciples after themselves.

in Christ,

Bob

[Kevin H]

Quote:

Talk about editoralizing, jumping to conclusions without looking at the evidence and eisegesis, and having a faith based on assumptions about the Bible rather than the Bible itself.

Did you stop reading as soon as you saw the thing about Lent? Read on, there's more. That was only one point.

Will you now defend the idea that thinking heterosexuality to be normal, is a sin? Will you also come out against patriarchy?

No, I read the whole article, the point on lent was just an illustration that I found the whole article full of.

I have not yet listened to the video and don't know the context of the accusations. I may well be as equally against what was said as the writer of the article is. Just because I see fault with his way of barking does not mean that I think he's barking up the wrong tree.

[Johann]

Why Ryan Bell and not Samuelle Bacchiocchi?

[olger]

[OzarkWoman]

By contrast the low-bar for entry into the church is simply to have the basic understanding about Christ as our Savior and the summary reading of the 28 Fundamental beliefs. At that low-bar entry - even acceptance of the prophetic ministry of Ellen White is optional.

You think that is a low-bar entry? hmmmmm Number one, in my opinion, those that are so stuck on Ellen White are those that have lowered the bar for themselves. My bar is the Bible and Jesus and not some person that mmany love. Accepting of the prophetic ministry of EGW should be optional. If you think not then mayne you should start an Ellen White prophetic church. I can tell you and everyone else that if the pastor, and the church, had pushed that I had to conform to being an EGW fanatic then I would never have joined the church or been baptized. Thankfully for me, the pastor that brought me into the church didn't worry about EGW, saying that it might come in time, but that the BIBLE was most important, along with Jesus Christ. Statements like the one above you made is exactly one of the things that is driving many away from the church and causing others to not even look at the church. Ellen White has some wonderful things to say but, she is nothing when it comes to the church or to Jesus or God or the Bible. I don't hold any reverance for her whatsoever. Does that make me a bad SDA? Probably in your eyes and those that hold firmly to the fact that one must worship EGW.

Now when it comes to the 28 beliefs, one is not going to eat or not eat their way into Heaven. Many of the things that the more fundamental SDAs believe are not bad but they are works and not going to be the deciding the factor of getting to Heaven.

Sorry I wrote so much, but respectively, I think you need to look at your beliefs and try to understand why it is that you hold so much importance to "WORKS", as opposed to allowing Jesus to work through someone to show grace and love.

[LifeHiscost]

Quote:

she is nothing when it comes to the church or to Jesus or God or the Bible

"Surely the Lord God does nothing Unless He reveals His secret counsel To His servants the prophets."Amos 3:7 NASB

I'm assuming then you do not believe God has any secrets or prophets in these last days to whom He would favor His children.

Considering this,

"And you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord: “If you will not listen to Me, to walk in My law which I have set before you, to heed the words of My servants the prophets whom I sent to you, both rising up early and sending them (but you have not heeded), then I will make this house like Shiloh, and will make this city a curse to all the nations of the earth.”Jeremiah 26:4-6 NKJV parenthesis their's LHC

___I would suggest you could be right, for the pure Word is just as unacceptable here as it has been any time in the past. Those who find the Word distasteful here and now, will give welcome to Him when He comes in the same manner. At that time these Words will apply.

"And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’"

Matthew 7:23 NASB

God cares!

[OzarkWoman]

I didn't say any such thing. How come you and so many others want to read things that are not there.

What I said is that EGW is not to be revered over the Bible and that is what I see with many SDA people.

BTW, just because YOU, or anyone else, not God or Jesus, says EGW is a prophet does not make it so.

[olger]

I don't.

Straw man.

G

[phkrause]

Yeah exactly olger, I couldn't agree more!

[OzarkWoman]

What does anyone expect from organized religion? From everything I have seen and read, SDA is no different with it's actions and such than any other denomination, lots of talk like do as I say and not as I do stuff.

[olger]

We do well when our actions agree with our profession. I agree.