The Evangelical Conferences (1)
1955-1956
Introduction
This
account contains letters and manuscripts written by Elder M. L.
Andreasen in his protest of the secret meetings between British SDA
leaders and leading USA Evangelicals of the late 1950's.
The outcome of these meetings produced a book entitled, Questions on Doctrine in which some SDA doctrines were compromised.
M.
L. Andreasen, one of our leading theologians wrote important books on
the "Sanctuary", and the book of "Hebrews". He protested with a strong
voice the outcome of those meetings and especially the book "Questions
on Doctrine."
This series of articles will contain certain of those
protests, plus other relevant correspondence from some of the leaders
back to him.
The final articles contain material which was written
by the Evangelical leaders, Walter R. Martin and Donald G. Barnhouse
about the SDA Church of that time.
It is felt that it is vital to
have an account of what happened back then in order to be able to
evaluate what took place around 60 years ago, and its effect on today's
SDA doctrinal positions.
May the Spirit of God be an enlightening influence as you read these pages.
Jeff Reich: Laymen Ministry News.
The SDA Evangelical Conferences of 1955-1956
by T. E. Unruh
A
series of conferences between SDA's and Evangelical leaders, begun in
the spring of 1955 and running into the summer of 1956, led to the
publication of two books: the first, "Seventh-day Adventists Answer
Questions on Doctrine"; the second, "The Truth About Seventh-day
Adventism."
The first is a definitive statement of contemporary
Adventist belief, established on a broad international consensus of
church leaders and prepared for publication by a representative
committee appointed by the officers of the General Conference of
Seventh-day Adventists.
The second work, by Walter R Martin, a
leading expert on American cults, defines and examines Seventh-day
Adventist doctrines, using the first work as source and authority. In
his book Martin removed the Seventh-day Adventist Church from his list
of non-Christian cults and acknowledged that all who're beliefs followed
the "Questions on Doctrine" should be counted members of the Body of
Christ (the Christian church in the Evangelical definition) and
therefore.his brethren.
While some Adventist and non-Adventist
dIssidents have been vociferous in their denunciation of the Adventist
definitions and the Evangelical evaluation, in retrospect the
conferences improved the understanding and appreciation of the
Seventh-day Adventist Church on the part of many Evangelical leaders,
toward the Evangelicals. It was a time when the gates between sheepfolds
stood open.
There was no thought of precipitating anything of such
historic consequence when I wrote a letter on November 28, 1949,
commending Dr. Donald Barnhouse for his radio sermons on righteousness
by faith based on the book of Romans. At the time, Dr. Barnhouse was a
popular radio preacher, minister of the Tenth Presbyterian Church of
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, author of a number of Evangelical books, and
founder and senior editor of the influential "Eternity" magazine.
In
his reply to my letter, Barnhouse expressed astonishment that an
Adventist clergyman would commend him for preaching righteousness by
faith, since in his opinion it was a well known fact that Seventh-day
Adventists believed in righteousness by works. He went on to state that
since boyhood he had been familiar with Adventists and their teachings,
and that in his opinion their views about the nature and work of Christ
were Satanic and dangerous. He concluded by inviting this strange
Adventist to have lunch with him.
We did not then get together for
lunch, but we did correspond for a time. I returned a soft answer to the
first letter from Barnhouse and sent him a copy of "Steps to Christ,"
at the same time affirming the evangelical character of Adventist
doctrine. I thought we had an agreement that Barnhouse would publish no
further criticism of Adventists before there was further contact and
clarification. However, in "Eternity" for June 1950, he sharply
criticised "Steps to Christ" and it's author. After that, I saw no point
in continuing the correspondence.
The Barnhouse article was entitled
"Spiritual Discernment, or How to Read Religious Books." It
illustrated the difficulty that conservative Christians sometimes have
in understanding one another. Here a man of great spiritual stature, a
bold crusader for truth, revealed his prejudice against Adventism and
Ellen G. White, whom he erroneously called, "founder of the cult."
Concerning
the first chapter of "Steps to Christ" entitled "Gods love for Man."
Barnhouse charged that so much emphasis on God's love neutralises His
justice and that extending that love to unregenerate man smacked of the
universalism characteristic of the writings of the cult. He quoted a
number of statements which he called half truths introducing Satanic
error, like a worm on a hook. That is the way the Devil works. Yet this
man came to respect Ellen White as a sincere Christian and a great
spiritual leader and to acknowledge that Seventh-day Adventists were his
brethren in Christ.
In the spring of 1955, almost six years
after my correspondence with Dr. Barnhouse began, I heard from Walter R.
Martin, who had seen our correspondence and who asked for face to face
contact with representative Seventh-day Adventists. Martin had written a
chapter critical of Adventism in his "Rise of Cults" and now wanted to
talk with Adventists before doing further writing on the subject of our
doctrines.
Walter Martin had come to the attention of Dr. Barnhouse
when the former was in his early twenties, a graduate student in the
history of American religion at New York University. By 1955 Martin had
to his credit several books about American cults which were recognised
as standard works in that field. He was a consulting editor on the
Eternity staff, a Southern Baptist clergyman, and a member of the
Evangelical Foundation, known to the faithful as "How Firm a
Foundation," an organisation started by Christian businessmen who
managed the financial aspects of the Barnhouse enterprises.
It was
understood at the outset that Martin, a research polemicist, had been
commissioned to write against Seventh-day Adventism. Nevertheless, he
wanted direct access so he could treat Adventists fairly. When I
explained this to friends at the Adventist headquarters in Washington,
DC., they agreed that Martin should be treated fairly, and provided with
the contacts he sought. Martin expressly asked to meet LeRoy E. Froom,
with whose "Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers" he.was already
familiar.
Froom suggested the inclusion of W. E. Read, then a field secretary of
the General Conference. I served as moderator or chairman throughout
the series conferences.
In March 1955, Martin came to Washington
for his first meeting with the Adventists. With him was George E.
Cannon, a professor of theology on the faculty of the Nyack, New York,
Missionary College. At this first conference the two groups viewed each
other with wariness as the Adventists had anticipated. Martin had read
widely from D. M. Canright, E. S. Ballenger, and E. B. Jones, as well as
other detractors or defectors. Martin, for his part, seemed to expect a
degree of resistance and cover-up, such as he may have met in some of
his other investigations. This first meeting can best be described as a
confrontation.
Martin began going through a list of questions which
reflected his reading. We Adventists, rather launching into a defense,
began with a positive presentation in which we emphasised those
doctrines held by our church in common with Evangelical Christians of
all faiths in all ages. We stated our conviction that the Bible is the
inspired Word of God and the only rule of Adventist faith and practice.
We affirmed our belief in the eternal and complete deity Christ, in His
sinless life in the incarnation, in His atoning death on the cross, once
for all and all-sufficient, in His literal resurrection, and His
priestly ministry before the Father, applying the benefits of the
atonement completed on the cross.
.....................................................................
(We
now believe that the atonement was not finished on the cross, because
the Spirit of Prophecy says He has been making a final atonement in the
Heavenly Sanctuary, since 1844,-see Early Writings 254, and Great
Controversy 480. But they say He is now applying the benefits of the
atonement made on the cross, but the Spirit of Prophecy says He is
making a final atonement in the Sanctuary above since 1844.
......................................................................
And finally, while setting no time we affirmed our belief in the imminent premillennial return of Jesus Christ.
It
quickly became clear to the Adventist conferees that both questions and
answers would have to be formally stated in writing, that the answers
would have to be made crystal clear to the Evangelical conferees and to
those they represented, and that a way would have to be found to
demonstrate the consensus we were sure we had. Martin was given books
and periodicals to substantiate the claims we had made in our opening
statement.
Following the first day of discussion both groups were
busy into the night. The immediate concern of the Adventists was the
list of questions with which Martin had begun his interrogation. Froom,
who had a facile pen, took the responsibility of composing the initial
answers, in a document running into 20 pages, whipped into shape by his
secretary after hours. Until two o'clock in the morning Martin gave his attention to the reading matter we had given him.
The second day will never be forgotten by those who participated in the
conferences.
As the morning session began Martin announced that, as the result of
the first round discussion and the reading matter he had been given, he
was admitting that he had been wrong about Seventh-day Adventism on
several important points and had become persuaded that Adventists who
believed as did the conferees were truly born-again Christians and his
brethren in Christ. In a dramatic gesture he extended his hand in
fellowship.
Martin faced serious problems as a result of his
turn-about. He had become convinced that Adventists stood with other
evangelical Christians on an impressive number of basic doctrines. He
was not convinced that Adventists were right on doctrines we describe as
"present truth," nor was he ever convinced of these. But how was he to
write a book in which he would expose what he considered the errors of
Adventism, while at the same time revealing his honest conviction that
there existed sufficient common denominators to justify the inclusion of
Seventh-day Adventists in the Evangelical Christian community - and
still satisfy those who had commissioned him to write a book against
Seventh-day Adventism? In his concern, he asked the Adventist conferees
to join him in praying for Divine guidance.
We Adventists also
faced problems. The Evangelical conferees were satisfied that we were
presenting contemporary Adventist doctrines, of fundamental beliefs,
which appeared regularly in official yearbooks and manuals of the
church, and by the amplified statement in the baptismal covenant. But,
they asked, if the Adventist church had reached a firm consensus why did
they find contrary or misleading statements in Adventist publications,
for sale in Adventist Book and Bible houses?
We explained that this
was the result of efforts by the church to avoid an officially adopted
creedal statement, and the denomination's preference for an open-end
theology which permitted new light to penetrate in depth. This
explanation did not impress them. They asked if we did not think that we
ourselves were to some extent. to blame if these erroneous statements
were used against us. We could only reply that correction had begun.
While church leaders had known of the conferences from the start, a
point was reached where we thought it was wise to make a formal report
to the church. In a long letter to Froom and Read, dated July 18, 1955 I
reviewed the progress in understanding achieved so far in the
conferences, and expressed the hope that the Adventist conferees should
be relieved of other responsibilities so as to h"
ave more time for
what was expanding into a significant encounter, soon to include such a
notable Evangelical as Dr. Donald Grey Barnhouse. A copy of this letter
was sent to R. R. Figuhr, president of the General Conference of
Seventh-day Adventists. Thereafter Figuhr gave the support of his office
to the conferences and the publications of the definitive statement of
Adventist belief which resulted.
Martin's immediate concern was his
relationship with his sponsor, Dr. Barnhouse. He reported to his chief
his conviction that both had been wrong in their judgment of
contemporary Adventism, whom he had become convinced were not cultists
but truly members of the Body of Christ. He then asked Barnhouse if he,
Martin, was still a member of the team, and if he should go ahead with
the book he had been commissioned to write, which now would have to be
different from the one they had projected. Barnhouse gave him some
reassurance but was not troubled himself. Shortly thereafter he asked to
have the conferees meet with him at "Barchdale," his home in
Doylestown, Pennsylvania.
In anticipation of the extension of
Evangelical participation in the conferences, Froom, early in August,
urged the enlargement of the Adventist conference group. He recommended
the inclusion of R. Allan Anderson as a regular member because of the
latter's background as evangelist, college teacher of religion,
author,and especially because of his gift for diplomatic dialogue with
leaders of other communions. Anderson was the secretary of the
Ministerial Association of the General Conference and editor of
"Ministry" magazine. Since April he had been participating in the
conferences. Thereafter he was a member of the team, a tireless and
valuable participant in the preparation of the text of the developing
questions and answers. We four Adventists were authorised by the General
Conference to plan with Martin and Cannon for the meeting with
Barnhouse at his home in Doylestown. The planning session was held in
Anderson's Washington office on August 22.
So it came about that on August 25 and 26, 1955, we four
Adventists, with Walter Martin and George Cannon, sat down with Donald
Grey Barnhouse, one of the most influential men among American
Protestants and internationally famous as a representative Evangelical,
to discuss what Seventh-day Adventists really believe.
Having
welcomed the conferees, our host expressed his deep desire that love
might prevail, and invited the small company to kneel with him while he
prayed for the Spirit of the Lord to be present and to guide.
Dr. Barnhouse, always a very articulate man, began the conference by
explaining his attitudes towards Seventh-day Adventists. He told about
his boyhood in California, near Mountain View, where he imbibed the
prevailing view that Adventists were ignorant fanatics who believed the
Devil to be the sin-bearer, and that a person had to keep the seventh
day Sabbath in order to be saved. Later, his bad opinions had been
confirmed, he said, by reading books by men who had been Adventists but
had left the movement, notably E. B. Jones. But since Martin had begun
his conversations with the Adventists, and had shared his findings,
Barnhouse had come to see that there were sober, truly born-again
Christians among Seventh-day Adventists. With them he was glad to
fellowship as brethren, while reserving the right to refute the two or
three positions taught by Adventists which Evangelicals hold to be in
error. On this candid note the Doylestown conference began.
In the first Doylestown conference there was much discussion of Froom's
"Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers," as providing an historical background
for Adventism. vbIt fwas clear that the Evangelicals haircut respect
for Froom's scholarly attainments. Also, the questions and answers so
far developed were reviewed in depth during both days of the conference.
We came to see that many misunderstandings rested on semantic grounds,
because of our use of an inbred denominational vocabulary. Our friends
helped us to express our beliefs in terms more easily understood by
theologians of other communions.
Donald Grey Barnhouse, Jr. a
theology consultant on Billy Graham's staff, sat with us for a time a
time on the first day. That evening, having seen his father's attitudes
change, the son challenged the father to reveal through the pages of
"Eternity" his new position on Seventh-day Adventism. Before we
separated that evening our host told us he had decided to do this,
though he knew it would cost him many subscriptions. That same evening,
in our motel, Martin and Cannon came to express their amazement over the
change they had witnessed in Dr. Barnhouse. To them it seemed a
miracle. To Martin it meant that he would not have resistance from
Barnhouse in writing the truth about Seventh-day Adventism, as he had
come to see it.
On the second day we observed a change in the
attitude of Barnhouse toward Ellen G. White. Anderson called Walter
Martin's attention to a statement in Mrs White's "Testimonies to
Ministers and Gospel Workers." which Martin in turn passed to Barnhouse.
The latter was so impressed with it that he excused himself to take it
upstairs for his secretary to copy. The statement reads in part:
"We
should come to the investigation of God's work with a contrite heart, a
teachable and prayerful spirit . . . We should not study the Bible for
the purpose of sustaining our preconceived opinions, but with the single
object of learning what God has said.
. . . If there are those
whose faith in God's Word will not stand the test of an investigation of
the Scriptures, the sooner they are revealed the better; for then the
way will be opened to show them their error. We cannot hold that a
position once taken, an idea once advocated, is not, under any
circumstances, to be relinquished. There is but One who is infallible,
-- He who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life."
We appreciated
the warmth, honesty and deep spiritual dedication of the man who was our
host at "Barchdale." We have pleasant recollections of his hearty
hospitality and that of his charming wife. Our entire days were spent at
the Barnhouse home, necessitating our having our meals there. For
these, Margaret Barnhouse went to great lengths exploring the unfamiliar
land of vegetarian cookery.
Following the two days with Dr.
Barnhouse the conferees went to their tasks with renewed confidence. We
Adventists had come to see that we could state our doctrinal positions
with clarity, in language understood by theologians of other churches,
yet never bending for the sake of clarity or harmony alone. Our position
was clearly stated by Froom in a letter to Martin:
"In our
statements we seek to honour and safeguard truth, not merely to pass . .
. scrutiny of some group. We are not
seeking the approbation of any organisation. All we ask is understanding
of our actual teachings. We must live our own denominational life under
the eye and scrutiny of God. Our sole purpose is to please Adventist
mHim, to whom we are accountable and whom we adore."
We saw
that, while there had been doctrinal deviation, and this was still a
possibility, it was essential for us to demonstrate the existence of a
majority position, a preponderant view, that a consensus actually
existed, and that we were correctly reflecting that consensus. As means
to this end the General Conference arranged a trip for Martin to the
West Coast, where Anderson was to introduce him to representative
Adventists. On this trip Martin spoke in Adventist churches and met the
staff of the Adventist radio station, Voice of Prophecy. In the East,
Martin met with the staff of the Seventh-day Adventist Theological
Seminary and spoke at an assembly there. On overseas trips he observed
Adventist missions in action and found occasion to clarify
misconceptions about Adventists held by missionaries of other
denominations.
In another dimension, it was planned to demonstrate
consensus by submitting the questions and answers to Adventist leaders
in North America, and then around the world, using a mailing list of
more than 250 names. The document by this time had grown to some sixty
questions and answers, and was beginning to be thought of as having book
possibilities -- a definitive statement of contemporary Adventist
theology, in convenient reference book form. A committee of fourteen
members was appointed with General Conference approval to prepare the
document for distribution to church then to analyse and evaluate the
feedback. Figuhr, the president of the General Conference, was chairman
of this committee.* Correspondence relating to the project was entrusted
to J. I. Robison, the president's secretary. The response was good, the
consensus was demonstrated, and the decision to publish was made. Thus
"Questions on Doctrine" came into being.
The conferees on the
Evangelical side were also assessing the support of their new stand on
Adventism. Martin, in November 1955, reported talks with Pat Zondervan,
who was to publish "The Truth About Seventh-day Adventists" and who was
interested in the new direction the book was taking. A month later,
Martin reported going over the questions and answers in their entirety
in a five-hour session with Dr. Barnhouse, and stated that Barnhouse was
satisfied that Adventists were fundamentally evangelical in all matters
concerning salvation.
Martin also reported that Grank E. Gaebelein
had written to James DeForest Murch, stating his opinion that the
Seventh-day Adventist Church would qualify for membership in the
evangelical group, if they so desired. Dr. Gaebelein was the founder and
director of the famed Stony Brook School (of which Martin was a
graduate), a member of the Reformed Episcopal church, and an official in
the National Association of Evangelicals. Dr. March, prolific author of
religious works, publications director and later president of the
National Association of Evangelicals and the editor of "United
Evangelical Action", was a member of the Disciples of Christ.
Meanwhile,
correspondence between Froom and E. Schuyler English, editor of "Our
Hope" and chairman of the revision committee of the " Scofield Reference
Bible", resulted in an editorial statement by Dr. English in February
1956, correcting misconceptions about Adventist doctrines as to the
nature of Christ in the incarnation, the Trinity, and the completed
atonement on the cross, followed by an article by Walter Martin in
November 1956, the earliest affirmation of the essential Christianity of
the theology of Adventism on matters relating to salvation to appear in
a non-Adventist journal of note.
A second two-day conference at the
home of Dr. Barnhouse took place in May of 1956, days which Barnhouse
described as spent in meditation, communion, and discussion. This time
our host questioned the Adventist conferees closely about our concept of
the role of Ellen G. White as God's messenger to the remnant church and
the weight, the Seventh-day Adventist Church gave to her writings
compared to the Scriptures. There was also thorough discussion of the
Adventist teaching regarding the heavenly Sanctuary and the role of
Christ as priest, mediating the sacrificial atonement completed on the
cross.
(We now understand that according to EW 254 & GC 480 that there is now a final atonement going on in the heavenly Sanctuary)
By
this time we had assembled an impressive exhibit of references which
demonstrated that, from the early days of our church, Mrs. White had
held the doctrinal concepts we were espousing, and showing that
deviations of persons or groups were misrepresentations of the inspired
messages, however sincerely held.
In August 1956, Russell Hitt,
the managing editor of "Eternity," came to Washington to go over with us
the long-awaited Barnhouse article repudiating his former position on
Adventism. Supporting articles by Martin, to follow in "Eternity," were
also gone over. We were given permission to quote or otherwise refer to
these articles.
So it came about that a year after the first
Doylestown conference, where Dr. Barnhouse had come to see that he would
have to report his new position on Adventism. "Eternity" for September
1956, carried his article entitled "Are Seventh-day Adventists
Christians?" The article was written with courage and clarity, and it
was lengthy. The author began:
✓ In the past two years several
evangelical leaders have come to a new attitude toward the Seventh-day
Adventist Church. The change is a remarkable one since it consists of
moving the Seventh-day Adventists, in our opinion, out of the list of
anti-Christian and non-Christian cults into the group of those who are
brethren in Christ, although they still must be classified, in our
opinion, as holding two or three very unorthodox and in one case
peculiar doctrines. The steps in our change of attitude must be traced
and the justification of our changed attitude documented. Adventists who
read this should realise that evangelical readers have been conditioned
through the years for thinking that Adventists must be classified as
non-Christians. This present article will explain reasons why this no
longer should be so.
Barnhouse went on to give an account of the
conferences and the mutual understanding resulting, and to announce the
two forthcoming books, Martin's and ours. He defined the areas of
agreement which he considered sufficient for identifying Adventists as
members of the Body of Christ, within the evangelical definition. The
three major areas of disagreement he described as conditional
immortality, observance of the Seventh-day Sabbath, and the
investigative judgement. To these he could give no credence at all,
though the first two had historical foundation in the Christian church.
The last he described as a doctrine never known in theological history
until the second half of the nineteenth century.
MhmmnThe supporting
articles by Martin appeared in later issues of "Eternity." The first
gave the historical background of modern Adventism, the second a
comprehensive statement of what Adventists really believe, and the last
dealing with Adventism's unique or unusual doctrines. In these articles
Martin was both lucid and fair. And while Adventists did not find his
criticism of their distinctive doctrines either
palatable or convincing, they did appreciate his candor, as he wrote at the end of his second article:
However,
whatever else one may say about Seventh-day Adventism, it cannot be
denied from their truly representative literature and their historic
positions that they have always as a majority, held to the cardinal,
fundamental doctrines of the Christian faith which are necessary for
salvation, and to the growth in grace that characterises all true
Christian believers.
[ End of The Evangelical Conferences, part 1 ]
The Evangelical Conferences, [ Barnhouse and Martin - part 2 ]
ETERNITY Magazine, which carried both Barnhouse's and Martin's articles acknowledging Adventists as Christians, lost nearly one fourth of its subscriptions as a result. The loss was temporary though, for within a year circulation was higher than ever.
Barnhouse, speaking for Martin as well as himself, ended his historic article with these words:
"In conclusion, I should like to say that we are delighted to do justice to a much-maligned group of sincere believers, and in our minds and hearts take them out of the group of utter heretics . . . . to acknowledge them as redeemed brethren and members of the Body of Christ. It is our sincere prayer that they may be led to consider further the points on which they are so widely divergent from the rest of the Body of Christ and in so doing promote their own growth, and that of their fellow Christians."
It was a sobering experience as the conferees came to this point in the lengthy dialogue to see the warm Christian friendliness of the Evangelicals. They expressed a concern that Adventists might come to see as they saw. But they also realised that we Adventists, moved by the same Christian spirit, hoped that the exposure to the special truths we believed would lead the Evangelicals to believe as we did. This we all saw saw as a dilemma of the Body of Christ, which only the Holy Spirit could resolve.
The expected storm broke quickly. There were at least a few of peers of Barnhous and Martin, English, Caebelein and Murch, for whom their stand was gall and wormwood. The "Sunday School Times", published in the City of Brotherly Love where Dr. Barnhouse had his pastorate, carried a series of articles against Adventism. The "Kings Business", official organ of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles (BIOLA), ran articles by Louis Talbot, the editor, attacking not only the Adventists but the editor of "Eternity" as well. While these attacks could not be considered typical, they at least showed that the editor of "Time" was less than correct when he announced in the December 31, 1956 issue that the Fundamentalists had made peace with the Adventists.
When "Eternity" lost one-fourth of its subscribers in protest, and the sale of Martin's books plummeted, Barnhouse asked anxiously, "Are you sure of your positions?" On Martin's affirmative answer, Barnhouse said, "Then we will go ahead." Within a year the "Eternity" subscriptions were higher than before, and there was again a good market for Martin's books.
Meanwhile, the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists was taking a direct hand in planning the book taking place from the questions and answers. In September 1956 the General Conference Officers appointed a small editorial committee.*
On January 23, 1957, the Review and Herald Publishing Association was invited to manufacture the book "as compiled by a committee appointed by the General Conference," accepting the manuscript in its completed form. And on January 30 the executive committee of the publishing house accepted the manuscript for publication on a "text basis." The General Conference officers approved the title, "Seventh-day Adventists Answer Questions on Doctrine," and also short title "Questions on Doctrine". The officers also approved the exact wording of the introduction as it later appeared in the book over the signature of the editorial committee. Here it was made clear that the book was the work of a representative selection of participants, not of an individual, nor even of the committee, and that those preparing the answers made no claim to having provided the final word on Christian doctrine.
In September the officers recorded a series of actions having to do with publicity and distribution. Union conference papers and Adventist magazines would be asked to run advertisements. Non-Adventist periodicals would be invited to run ads and to publish book reviews. A suitable four-page folder was to be printed for distribution to non-Adventist clergymen. High-ranking religious leaders in North America were to receive complimentary copies. Churches were to be invited to put copies in their libraries and to present complimentary copies to Protestant ministers in the community. Book and Bible houses were to stock "Questions on Doctrine."
"Questions on Doctrine" was published late in 1957. It was designed to begin with the "Statement of Fundamental Beliefs of Seventh-day Adventists," first published in 1931, later given General Conference approval, and regularly included in church manuals and yearbooks of the denomination. This was to make clear to Adventists and non-Adventists alike, that in presenting an amplified statement on doctrine the General Conference was not setting forth a new theology, but was clarifying and amplifying the doctrines most generally believed by contemporary Seventh-day Adventists. Included in appendices was an extensive compilation from the writings of Ellen G. White, covering such subjects as the Diety and eternal pre-existence of Christ and His place in the Trinity; His divine-human nature in the incarnation; His completed sacrificial atonement on the cross; and His priestly ministry in the heavenly Sanctuary.
(We now believe that the Atonement was not completed on the Cross because the Spirit of Prophecy in Early Writings 253, and G.C. 480 tells us that there is a final atonement in the Sanctuary in the time of the Investigative Judgment.)
These were the areas which had been found to be most frequently misunderstood and misquoted. This compilation was later included in Volume 7-A of the "Seventh-day Adventist Commentary" series. Many of these same quotations appeared in the "Ministry" magazine, between May 1956, and March 1957, under the title, "Counsels from Spirit of Prophecy."
The editor of. "Ministry," R. A. Anderson, made sure during the months preceding the publication of "Questions on Doctrine," that the Adventist clergy was fully informed of what to expect. He described the conferences with the Evangelicals and the removal of centuries-old misunderstandings. He explained the procedure for getting a doctrinal consensus from world leaders in the church. The unity of belief so demonstrated he attributed to the influence of the writings of Ellen G. White. There were also articles during this period from W. E. Read on the nature of Christ and from L. E. Froom on the atonement.
It came as a surprise to the planners, after the demonstration of a solid consensus from world leaders in the church and the preview in "Ministry" of what was to come, that "Questions on Doctrine" should be subjected to attack from Adventist sources. The critics seemed to be saying the same things, suggesting a common source. This was not hard to find. M. L. Andreasen a respected, retired Adventist theologian, author and Bible teacher, had widely circulated eleven mimeographed documents and six printed leaflets addressed to the churches. In these the writer accused the compilers of "Questions on Doctrine" of attempting to change traditional doctrines, and he accused the officers of the General Conference of planning to revise the writings of Ellen White to conform.
A formal denial of these charges was prepared by A. V. Olson, a General Conference Vice President, and chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Ellen G. While Estate. This reply, dated September 6, 1960, was sent at the request of the General Conference officers to officers of the overseas divisions of the church and to all union conference officers and local conference presidents in the North American Division. The incident was soon closed, and the author of the criticism made his peace with the church to which he had formerly given distinguished service.
The Zondervan Publishing House had originally scheduled publication of Walter Martin's "The Truth About Seventh-day Adventism for January 1957, as part of the series on cult apologetics. There were delays, but so long as there was a possibility of his book coming out first he was supplied with page proofs of the Adventist book, so he would have reliable references. Martin had promised that in describing the teachings of contemporary Seventh-day Adventists he would only use statements from the book to be published with the approval of the General Conference.
As late as October 1959, R. A. Anderson and W. E. Read, with H. W. Lowe, chairman of the Biblical Study and Research Group of the General Conference, were going over Martin's gallies, preparatory to writing a statement to be included in the book, "The Truth About Seventh-day Adventism" was, and is, a notable book. In the "Foreword" Barnhouse stated:
"Since leaders of Adventism agree that this book fairly represents their theological position, this work is a milestone in Christian apologetics; for during this study, brethren talked and prayed together, assessed each other's position and agreed to disagree while still obeying the Lords command to love one another."
In the author's "Preface" Martin reminded both Adventists and non-Adventists that still to be healed were wounds caused by ignorance, prejudice, and an unforgiving spirit, of which Adventists as well as non-Adventists were guilty. But, he wrote, the place of healing is at the cross. Meeting there, we find strength and grace to keep the "lost commandment," that we love one another.
The Adventist statement, over the name of H. W. Lowe, as it appeared in Martin's book, asked that members of the Adventist church, when reading the last chapter of the book, in which Martin described his points of disagreement with Adventism, would remember the fair and accurate statement of Adventist teachings set forth in the earlier portions of the book. Lowe also expressed gratitude and respect the Adventist leadership felt toward Martin for his correct recording of their beliefs and for his attitude of Christian brotherhood.
In retrospect, the publication of "The Truth About Seventh-day Adventists Answer Questions on Doctrine," improved relations between Evangelicals and Seventh-day Adventists. Martin's book did not convince all Adventist isolationists that it's author and Barnhouse spoke for the Evangelicals, or that fraternal relations were desirable or safe. And the publication of "Questions on Doctrine" did not convince all Evangelicals that Adventists were not heretics in Christian robes. Isolated attacks on Adventism continued. And Martin's book could not be bought in Adventist book stores.
Paul Hopkins, the executive secretary of the (Barnhouse) Evangelical Foundation, struck a hopeful note in a letter to me, dated May 6, 1960:
"Quite honestly, l can see that what you began with us is still only the beginning and I recognise that you are going to have the same problems within your group that we have in ours. There is much land still to be possessed before the members of the Body of Christ can recognise one another as we should. In the meantime, let us continue to work and pray that the day may come sooner than we might normally expect."
SELECTED SOURCES
BOOKS
Froom, L. E. "Movement of Destiny" Review & Herald Publishing Association 1961
Martin, "The Truth About Seventh-day Adventists", Zondervan Publishing House, 1960
"Seventh-day Adventists Answer Questions on Doctrine," Review and Herald Publishing Association. 1957
PERIODICALS
"Eternity" June 1950, September 1956, January 1957.
"Ministry" May, September, December, 1956. January, March, April, 1957. March 1958.
[ End of: The Evangelical Conferences, part 2 ]