Could the Church Be Wrong?

No one likes to admit they are wrong. Unfortunately, we all make mistakes and get things wrong. The pattern was set in the Garden of Eden after Eve listened to the serpent, ate the fruit from the tree, and gave some to Adam. When God asked them why, they tried to shift the blame onto someone else. Adam blamed both Eve and God, because God gave him Eve as his wife. Eve blamed the serpent. As soon as sin came into the world, humanity was flawed. God, through the sacrifice of His Son, provided the solution for the sin problem, but the final resolution is still in progress. Until Jesus returns, we must accept that we live in an imperfect world, in which mistakes happen and we all make wrong decisions. The church is made up of sinners, and so it is inevitable that there will be times the church gets things wrong. Imperfect, flawed people cannot create something perfect.

Ellen White wrote: “The church has failed, sadly failed, to meet the expectations of her Redeemer, and yet the Lord does not withdraw Himself from His people. He bears with them still, not because of any goodness found in them, but that His name may not be dishonored before the enemies of truth and righteousness, that the satanic agencies may not triumph in the destruction of God’s people. He has borne long with their waywardness, unbelief and folly. With wonderful forbearance and compassion He has disciplined them.”[1]

The question is: How do we relate, collectively and individually, when the church gets it wrong?

Don’t Sweat the “Small” Stuff

It can happen at a board meeting, a business meeting, or really any committee: the temperature rises, people argue their points forcefully, and suddenly the meeting divides into two opposing camps. The point at issue may be as innocuous as the color of the new carpet, new hymnals, or whether the lines in the parking lot should be repainted. In other words, “small” stuff. Things we may feel strongly about, but if we take a step back, are small and, with the perspective of time, unimportant. They are a matter of preference, not principle. In situations like these, we need to ask ourselves if in a few weeks, months, or years we will still think our preferences are so important, or whether we can graciously accept an alternative when we have made our case and others remain unconvinced. Because if we are not careful, these small things will balloon into things that deter others from a relationship with Jesus.

Leaders: Saints or Sinners?

Truth versus speculation

If you have ever attended a conference, a union, or a General Conference Session, you have likely heard discussions about leaders. Speculation about whether they will be elected again, or not, and about their qualities, but as conversations continue, sooner or later the things they did wrong are brought up. At this point, as individuals, we need to stop and reflect. What do we actually know about the facts? How much is hearsay, perhaps exaggerated in the telling and retelling? What is our experience of the person and their leadership?

If you know something critical to whether they should continue in leadership, the right place to share it is with the nominating committee, not the rumor mill: referring a report back, sharing the facts with the committee, and trusting in the wisdom of a wider group. It may be that the committee brings the same name back, and the person is elected. It feels as though the wrong person was elected, and the church made a significant mistake. How do we respond?

What do you actually know?

Remember the story of the anointing of David. Samuel is sent to Jesse to anoint one of his sons as the successor to Saul. One by one the sons pass in front of the prophet. In his eyes they all look like suitable candidates for king, but God repeatedly says no. God spoke to Samuel, saying, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Sam. 16:7). We do not know what the Lord sees in people’s hearts. We don’t know if this is the only person who was willing to accept the call. When God called a prophet to guide the church, it was the third call, Ellen G. White, who accepted. The Lord used the one who was willing.

Imperfect, flawed people cannot create something perfect.

When we have done everything in our power, and someone is still elected, we have a responsibility to pray for them and do everything we can to support them. God works through individuals, but He also works through the collective voice.

The collaborative leader

Anyone who has been a leader knows that it can feel very lonely. You have been elected as a leader, and people expect you to provide direction. No one person has all the answers. Consultation is the key to protecting from mistakes. Ellen White wrote: “The ministers and teachers in our conferences are to work unitedly with their brethren of experience, asking them for their counsel, and paying heed to their advice.”[2]

As the wise man wrote in Proverbs 11:14: “Where there is no counsel, the people fall; but in the multitude of counselors there is safety.”

There are rare cases in which a leader experiences a moral fall. Such cases are often public, and the fallout harms the individuals involved and the church. There are processes and policies to help the church navigate these situations with compassion and grace, while not minimizing the wrong. As with all sin, God forgives; we should forgive, but we should also accept that actions have consequences, and sometimes that means closing doors to future service.

Growing in Wisdom and Knowledge

Given that we are a prophecy-based church, called into existence to proclaim the everlasting gospel as found in the three angels’ messages, it feels uncomfortable, if not dangerous, to say that the church may have got its theology wrong.

Let’s look at it from another perspective. When a baby is born, it has the potential to crawl, walk, talk, and grow in understanding. So it has been with the church. After the Great Disappointment many believers embraced the shut-door theory, which held that the door of probation had closed and anyone who had not accepted the Millerite message before October 22, 1844, could not be saved.

When the church began to think about the gospel commission to go to all the world, they initially felt that by evangelizing the United States, they would fulfill that commission, since the United States had representatives from around the world. It took time for our pioneers to understand and accept the Sabbath truth and the health message, to name a few ways our understanding has grown.

With all Bible truths we need to study carefully and prayerfully. Again, the same principle applies as we saw with leadership. There is safety in consultation. Although the church does not have a creed, it does have 28 fundamental beliefs that encapsulate our beliefs. When any changes or additions are considered, there is consultation with all levels of the church, including lay members, pastors, teachers, and theologians over several years. A General Conference (GC) session then votes on the final recommendation.

When we prayerfully open ourselves to the Holy Spirit, study together, and trust, we can be confident of the Lord’s leading.

Policy and Procedures

The church has three major policy documents: the Fundamental Beliefs, the Church Manual, and Working Policy. The first two can be changed only at a GC session every five years. The latter can be changed annually by the General Conference Executive Committee at its Annual Council meeting. We looked at the Fundamental Beliefs above, so let’s look briefly at the Church Manual and Working Policy.

Changes to both documents do not necessarily mean that they were wrong previously, but rather that our understanding and the world have changed. A simple example is the introduction of data protection laws. The church needed to amend policy and practice to accommodate new legal requirements.

Neither document changes quickly. One union executive secretary submitted a change to the Church Manual Committee three times before it was voted on. Each time he listened to the comments and revised, considering the wisdom based on consultation. Given that the Church Manual can be changed only at a General Conference Session, the process took 15 years, which thankfully is unusual.

Policy changes do not take that long, but they still take time. The slowness of the process is to allow consultation. When we listen and enable others to contribute, the final version is always better.

God’s Unfailing Guidance and Love

Does the church get it wrong? Yes, sometimes it does, but we should not be discouraged. Ellen White wrote: “The church is God’s appointed agency for the salvation of men. It was organized for service, and its mission is to carry the gospel to the world. From the beginning it has been God’s plan that through His church shall be reflected to the world His fullness and His sufficiency. The members of the church, those whom He has called out of darkness into His marvelous light, are to show forth His glory. The church is the repository of the riches of the grace of Christ; and through the church will eventually be made manifest, even to ‘the principalities and powers in heavenly places,’ the final and full display of the love of God (Eph. 3:10, KJV). Many and wonderful are the promises recorded in the Scriptures regarding the church. ‘Mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people’ (Isa. 56:7, KJV). ‘I will make them and the places round about my hill a blessing; and I will cause the shower to come down in his season; there shall be showers of blessing.’ ‘And I will raise up for them a plant of renown, and they shall be no more consumed with hunger in the land, neither bear the shame of the heathen any more’ (Eze. 34:26, 29, KJV).”[3]

The church may stumble, and as individuals we may fail, but God has promised that if we look to Him, He keeps it from the hour of temptation and promises that, if the members hold fast, He will keep them. The Lord’s love for His church is infinite and constant, and He uses it as the theater of His grace to transform hearts and reveal His power. In short, the Lord sees the church as a special, cherished institution that He protects, supports, and sustains throughout the world.

[1] Ellen G. White, Last Day Events (Nampa, Idaho: Pacific Press Pub. Assn., 1992), p. 58.

[2] Ellen G. White, Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers (Mountain View, Calif.: Pacific Press Pub. Assn., 1923), p. 502.

[3] Ellen G. White, The Acts of the Apostles (Mountain View, Calif.: Pacific Press Pub. Assn., 1911), pp. 9, 10.