LinkingLinking withwith thethe LutheransLutherans Part One of Two I received a telephone call from sented at the conference of secretar- “children of Luther” theme, the be- a friend in a distant city. “Read the ies of Christian World Communions. ginning step has been successfully latest issue of the Review. It’s by More recently, the SDAC has been taken to draw the two denominations Johnsson. He has carefully dis- represented at the annual conference into a close fellowship. In the eyes of closed, for the first time, that our of U.S. church leaders. Christian some, a great achievement is in the church leaders are entering into a se- World Communions and various making. ries of dialogues with the Lutherans. churches have responded to the SDA Only one name of those in atten- Read it, the latest issue.” invitation and sent observers to the dance at the reapproachment meet- The article itself is very carefully quinquennial General Conference ings was disclosed in the article. That written. According to Johnsson, it is Sessions.”—Bert B. Beach, article in man was the chairman of the Adven- merely a friendly get-together. Dictionary of the Ecumenical Move- tist delegation. Yes, you guessed it; it Yet, as we revealed three years ment, 1991 edition, Geneva. was Bert Beverly Beach, head of the ago in our in-depth study, A Hundred As clearly stated above by B.B. General Conference Religious Liberty Years of Ecumenism—Part 1-6 Beach, Adventist participation in Department—the same Adventist [WM—358-364],our church is under- WWC activities has continued un- leader who, on May 18, 1977, gave a taking, with the Lutherans, the ex- abated for nearly thirty years. Beach gold medal to Pope Paul VI. (See The act procedure the World Council of is generally chairman of the WWC Gold Medel to the Pope [MB-54], now Churches and its subsidiary national and CWC committees he serves on. in our Catholicism/New Age Tract- councils have been using for decades It was during a 1977 Christian World book.) to compromise doctrines and unite Communions meeting, in Rome, that (Because Beach can speak half a denominations! Meetings are held, Beach gave that gold medal to the dozen languages fluently, he has been agreements are reached, and finally pope, “as a token of appreciation” extremely influential at the General organic union occurs. from the Seventh-day Adventist Conference, since the early 1960s, Read that six-part tract set and Church. in all matters relating to Europe and you will understand. (It is now avail- Our General Conference leaders the papacy.) able in our Ecumenism/Hungary well-know that church members are We are told that the nine men Tractbook.) Although not “officially” upset when they bring Catholic bish- representing the Adventist denomi- a member denomination, our church ops, Orthodox priests, and Protes- nation at the Adventist-Lutheran has maintained essentially the same tant leaders to “bless” the delegates meetings were “scholars” from close ties and objectives by provid- attending our General Conference Andrews University, Biblical Re- ing voting members to WWC and Sessions each five years, but they search Institute, Adventist Review, other ecumenical councils in various keep bringing them back. Why are Europe, and Africa. The article men- parts of the world. they more anxious to keep in good tions that the meetings were held at “Though the SDAC [Seventh-day favor with the other churches than our Adventist seminary in Darm- Adventist Church] is not a member with our own people? stadt, Germany, not far from the of the organized ecumenical move- This new article, written by Will- headquarters of the Lutheran World ment, it recognizes those church iam G. Johnsson, editor in chief of Federation in Geneva, Switzerland. agencies that lift up Christ as a part the Adventist Review (although very (Geneva was selected for the LWF of the divine plan for the evangeliza- carefully written) is quite revealing. headquarters because, being an ecu- tion of the world and holds in high Significantly enough, it is entitled menical organization, it wanted to be esteem fellow Christians in other “Children of Luther.” The surface close to the WWC, which is also head- communions who are engaged in theme is that we are all—both quartered there.) winning souls for Christ. The SDAC Lutherans and Adventists—children Reading Johnsson’s article (re- is regularly represented through ob- of Martin Luther. I would like to in- printed on page three), the gather- servers or advisors at WCC and other form William Johnsson that, in faith ing sounded like a great evangelistic church meetings. For many years, a and practice, we are children of the opportunity for the Adventists! But SDA has been a member of the WWC Bible and Spirit of Prophecy; not of not so. As mentioned earlier, such Faith and Order Commission in a Martin Luther. There were few beliefs meetings are regularly held by de- personal capacity. The SDAC has which Luther held dear, which we nominations affiliated with the World participated in dialogues with the today accept. Council of Churches. Sometimes it WCC and various religious bodies, takes five or ten years of such meet- and, since 1968, has been repre- But, working on the basis of this ings, before churches enter upon 2 Waymarks major concessions. Occasionally or- Read it on the next page. The entire of Prophecy was always firm in teach- ganic union is the result. But there first session of top-level ecumenical ing that none should ever be taught are rewards along the way—which meetings was portrayed as just won- that they have already been saved. are actually far more dangerous than derful. That is the impression con- Salvation and perdition do not come corporate unity: (1) Compromises veyed. One might think, “What harm till the close of one’s probation, are made which change worship ser- could come from such meetings? which, in most cases, occurs at vices, so they will closely mirror one Surely, they could only result in great death. another. (2) Doctrinal modifications good.” Johnsson and his fellow “schol- are quietly made “to bring us to- At the end of the article, Johns- ars” are now able to relate well to the gether.” (3) Regional ecumenical son gently informs our people around Lutherans, because of the Adventist meetings are planned, where mem- the world that, after a brief pause, changeover in the 1980s. Their foun- bers of both denominations gather further Adventist-Lutheran meetings dational beliefs are now very much for joint worship services. (4) Agree- will probably begin in earnest. That alike. ments are formed, regarding restric- was exactly why the article was writ- tions on proselyting in one another’s ten: to get us used to the idea, and Johnsson’s article about our territories. soften us up for what is coming. drawing near to the Lutherans was As for the church members, who Before concluding our comments published in the first week of 1995 are footing the bill for all these meet- on Johnsson’s article, we should no- in the Adventist Review. ings, they must be led along gingerly. tice the urgent significance of what But if you read Catholic periodi- Get the people used to it. Under-re- he said in the middle! And it was said cals, you will discover that a differ- port on the progress. Do it all in such loud and clear: Adventists and ent major breakthrough in Lutheran a way as to not alarm anyone. Keep Lutherans can now meet in harmony, reapproachment meetings was an- moving closer. Continue holding because, at last, they are in agree- nounced in the second week of 1995. high-level exploratory meetings. En- ment on law and grace! As Johnsson It was reported in the National courage local and regional worship phrased it: “Salvation by grace Catholic Register (see page six). gatherings and social service ven- alone.” “Salvation comes freely as The implication of that article is tures. a divine gift, without any human that, as the result of repeated re- Keep in mind that our church has works added on.” “Not by faith plus approachment committee meetings, been involved in WWC meetings for . anything else.” “Our good works Lutherans have been brought to the twenty-seven years. The continued result from salvation; they do not point of catagorically declaring that quiet progress on reapproachment contribute to it. Martin Luther was in error in de- talks with other denominations is There is a world of difference be- nouncing Catholic teachings. That is taking its toll. Remarkable changes tween “grace enabling us to obey” astounding! How can this be? have occurred in Adventism over the and “salvation enabling us to obey.” The answer is simple enough: It past twenty years—even though, be- That is because obedience by grace is the result of many, many recon- cause of the blanket of silence, the is a process of many decades lead- ciliation meetings, such as the Ad- lowly church members may not un- ing to salvation. ventists are now entering upon. It is derstand all the reasons for what is It is true that obedience by grace the result of repeated softening state- taking place. leads to salvation. But it is an error ments and compromising reports in Why is it that advance appoint- to teach that salvation precedes obe- Adventist books and periodicals. It ments are made so Roman Catholic dience! is the result of apostasy, accepted by leaders can speak to our General Error has a way of sounding fas- the church members—until they are Conference Sessions? Why are cinating, even liberating.