The developments of the past several years within our beloved church, and especially of the last couple months, have been startling to say the least.

As I have had time to reflect on the speakers within our church that are being banned, like Pastor Ron Kelly, Conrad Vine, Barbara O’Neill and others, the governance of the Roman Church has come to mind.

How did the Roman Church handle those they deemed as “heretics”???

When one reflects on the history of the dark ages, we remember many of God’s people being placed on trial and being given the opportunity to defend their faith. What followed was forceful demands for the reformer to recant. Often their demands for recantation carried no weight because the Roman Church could not adequately refute the teachings of the reformers from the Bible, for she (Rev. 17:1) held to the traditions of men.

Coming to the present day, I find it alarming that we, as a world church, are not even giving those we deem as potential threats to unity of the body of Christ the opportunity to defend their position—like the Church of Rome reluctantly did during the dark ages. That’s a mind-bender.

Jerome

Remember when Jerome was called back before his unjust judges to confirm his recantation,

“He renounced his former recantation and, as a dying man, solemnly required an opportunity to make his defense. Fearing the effect of his words, the prelates insisted that he should merely affirm or deny the truth of the charges brought against him. Jerome protested against such cruelty and injustice. “You have held me shut up three hundred and forty days in a frightful prison,” he said, “in the midst of filth, noisomeness, stench, and the utmost want of everything; you then bring me out before you, and lending an ear to my mortal enemies, you refuse to hear me.... If you be really wise men, and the lights of the world, take care not to sin against justice. As to me, I am only a feeble mortal; my life is but of little importance; and when I exhort you not to deliver an unjust sentence, I speak less for myself than for you.”—Ibid., vol. 2, pp. 146, 147.

His request was finally granted. In the presence of his judges, Jerome knelt down and prayed that the divine Spirit might control his thoughts and words, that he might speak nothing contrary to the truth or unworthy of his Master. To him that day was fulfilled the promise of God to the first disciples:

“Ye shall be brought before governors and kings for My sake.... But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.” Matthew 10:18-20.

The words of Jerome excited astonishment and admiration, even in his enemies. For a whole year he had been immured in a dungeon, unable to read or even to see, in great physical suffering and mental anxiety. Yet his arguments were presented with as much clearness and power as if he had had undisturbed opportunity for study. He pointed his hearers to the long line of holy men who had been condemned by unjust judges. In almost every generation have been those who, while seeking to elevate the people of their time, have been reproached and cast out, but who in later times have been shown to be deserving of honor. Christ Himself was condemned as a malefactor at an unrighteous tribunal” (The Great Controversy, p. 112).

Denied Due Process

Now obviously, none of the banned Adventist individuals previously mentioned officially or unofficially, have been subjected to the same cruelties as Jerome and the reformers were. However, we should not be okay with members in good standing being banned by any level of church leadership without being given the opportunity to make a defense of the position which they hold and to clarify any potential misunderstandings. There is something called due process, and it is clearly outlined in our church manual and no level of church leadership is exempt from following due process.

We are witnessing the overstepping of authority at all levels of church leadership within the Seventh-day Adventist Church. While our General Conference, and the subsequent levels of church organization, have been given delegated authority, they have not been granted the power to ban members in good standing at will without a just hearing. Their authority can also be taken away from them by a pro-active laity.

Now here is the insidiousness of the devil: he wants us to get bitter and frustrated at our leaders. But this is not the course God’s people should take. We must respectfully raise our voices in protest against the wrongs being committed within our beloved church and make our petitions known. Then we must pray earnestly, for now is the time for all God’s children who are called by His name to humble themselves, and pray, and seek His face, and turn from their wicked ways; then our God will hear from heaven, and will forgive our sins, and heal our Church.

For those who would like to respectfully show their support for Pastor Ron Kelly, we invite you to attend in person or tune in online to the Ardmore Seventh-day Adventist church’s live-stream starting this Friday, February 14, at 6:30PM as Pastor Ron Kelly returns to the pulpit for the first time since the Sabbath of November 30, 2024.