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Struggle

On August 15, 2012 by Chad Stuart With 1 Comments - Uncategorized

As I head into an important meeting August 19 I am in great prayer for the Spirit of God’s leading. Since I always believe in being honest on this blog and in life, I thought I would share the struggle I am having.

My position on the issues of the day are pretty clear, if you read this blog you know I am in support of Women’s Ordination. I believe the day our church took the position to allow women pastors, we should have also taken the position of ordaining. Otherwise it feels like saying “you get paid .75 cents on the dollar” or “here is the title with none of the authority.”

I am disappointed that the current movement is not being lead by our General Conference, and I am finding it hard to trust that things will be different in the future.

**Quick side note, the current administration is getting all the blame, but let us not forget that the previous administration spoke of moving forward on this issue and took a silent survey of the World Division Presidents and pulled back, the current admin is just vocal and so “He” and they get the brunt of our angst, but is an impediment any different whether vocal or silent?

So what is my struggle? My struggle is this: I still believe in the authority of Ellen White in my life as a Seventh-day Adventist, and since she is sleeping in the ground ’till Jesus comes, all I can go by in regards to her counsel are the words we have on the written page. Thus when my friend Pastor Shawn Brace posted two quotes on his Facebook page my struggle has been increased. I have seen the quotes before, but maybe as I am in a great season of prayer over this issue and our church I saw them with new eyes.

I will share those quotes below, but first I want to share one other thing that has increased my struggle. A conversation I had with a fellow pastor, a female pastor, and she said,

“Chad I very much want ordination without regard to gender to happen, but if it happens apart from the General Conference, then I am only recognized in one or two Unions as ordained & if I leave those Unions it has no value. Then all we have essentially done is release the tension a little, much like when certain conferences voted to change ordination policy a few years back, or certain churches voted to ordain their female pastors, it did not really change the issue, women still are not recognized on equal status in the EYES (GC) of the church. If we do this now, will it only release the pressure off the General Conference for a season and in actuality further delay what ultimately needs to happen, equal ordination for all?”

Twice Paul told us that, “Everything is permissible–but not everything is beneficial.” (1 Cor. 10:23 & 1 Cor. 6:12). So I am praying, not what is most permissible, but what will be most beneficial to the cause of God & to the cause of recognition for women by ALL the church?

May we all pray, and may God give us wisdom.

EGW Quotes Pastor Shawn posted that stirred my struggle:

“. . . I have been instructed that there is a great work to be done in America. . .

“The world is filled with strife for the supremacy. The spirit of pulling away from fellow laborers, the spirit of disorganization, is in the very air we breathe. By some, all efforts to establish order are regarded as dangerous–as a restriction of personal liberty, and hence to be feared as popery. These deceiv

ed souls regard it a virtue to boast of their freedom to think and act independently. They declare that they will not take any man’s say-so, that they are amenable to no man. I have been instructed that it is Satan’s special effort to lead men to feel that God is pleased to have them choose their own course independent of the counsel of their brethren. . . .

“Oh, how Satan would rejoice if he could succeed in his efforts to get in among this people and disorganize the work at a time when thorough organization is essential and will be the greatest power to keep out spurious uprisings and to refute claims not endorsed by the word of God! We want to hold the lines evenly, that there shall be no breaking down of the system of organization and order that has been built up by wise, careful labor. License must not be given to disorderly elements that desire to control the work at this time.

“Some have advanced the thought that, as we near the close of time, every child of God will act independently of any religious organization. But I have been instructed by the Lord that in this work there is no such thing as every man’s being independent. The stars of heaven are all under law, each influencing the other to do the will of God, yielding their common obedience to the law that controls their action. And, in order that the Lord’s work may advance healthfully and solidly, His people must draw together.

“The spasmodic, fitful movements of some who claim to be Christians are well represented by the work of strong but untrained horses. When one pulls forward, another pulls back, and at the voice of their master one plunges ahead and the other stands immovable. If men will not move in concert in the great and grand work for this time, there will be confusion. It is not a good sign when men refuse to unite with their brethren and prefer to act alone. Let laborers take into their confidence the brethren who are free to point out every departure from right principles. If men wear the yoke of Christ, they can not pull apart; they will draw with Christ” (Testimonies for the Church, vol. 9, p. 257-259).

“I have often been instructed by the Lord that no man’s judgment should be surrendered to the judgment of any other one man. Never should the mind of one man or the minds of a few men be regarded as sufficient in wisdom and power to control the work and to say what plans shall be followed. But when, in a General Conference, the judgment of the brethren assembled from all parts of the field is exercised, private independence and private judgment must not be stubbornly maintained, but surrendered. Never should a laborer regard as a virtue the persistent maintenance of his position of independence, contrary to the decision of the general body” (Testimonies for the Church, vol. 9, p. 260).

 

 

 

 

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Introducing Speiro Media Ministries

On August 10, 2012 by Chad Stuart With 3 Comments - Uncategorized

What would happen if there were a healthy, vibrant, multiplying Adventist church in every city, in every county, in every state in the North American Division?

What if there was one healthy, vibrant, & multiplying Adventist church for every 10,000 individuals in the North American Division?

There would be a lot of churches!

In fact if we had one healthy, vibrant, & multipling Adventist church for every 10,000 individuals there would be 35,000 churches throughout the United States and Canada.

Some one may ask: “Why would we want that many churches?”

The simple answer would be, “Because we are called to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ & His soon coming in the context of the Three Angels Messages with all 350,000,000 persons in our Division (and beyond) Matt. 28:18-20.”

You may ask, “why 1 for every 10k?” I would encourage you to read my blog post by just said title: 1 For Every 10k, but to answer quickly and succintly studies have found that a church of 200 individuals can realisitically only have an impact on 10,000 persons.

So how are we doing with this goal, this need of 35,000 churches?

Well we are a little behind? We currenly have 5326 churches.

But wait at the top we said we are in need of 35,000 healthy, vibrant, multiplying Adventist churches in the North American Division.

Dr. Joseph Kidder in his excellent book, “The Big Four” points out that in Adventism 80% of all churches in North America are Plateauing or in decline. That means that out of the 5326 churches that we already have in existence only 1,066 of those are healthy, vibrant, multiplying churches, while 4,260 churches have stopped growing and are whithering.

Which is why we Jason Lombard–a marketing, web design, creative type–& myself–a pastor, talks a lot type–started Speiro Media Ministries.

To plant new churches & re-plant the churches that have lost their health, their vibrancy, & their ability to multiply.

Speiro Media Ministries is a ministry with a deep commitment to seeing local churches change lives for eternity, a deep belief that God will still do the impossible (even plant 30,000 Adventist churches and revive 4,260 others), and the deep conviction that as believers in Christ we have no other option than to give our lives for the salvation of others!

So how will Speiro work?

The best way to understand how Speiro will work is simply to take you through our intended process & to do that I will use a local town that has been on our radar ever since this conviction and dream began to formulate in our hearts.

Kingsburg, CA.

In Kingsburg, CA a city of 11,537 persons there is currently no Seventh-day Adventist Church. We believe this must change, so what do we do about it?

  1. We establish connections in Kingsburg through media content. How? Through direct mailing, google ads, Facebook ads, hard print ads, and various other marketing techniques. All of these things would direct people to our website. On this site people would be able to hear messages, full length & devotional length. They would be able to read blogs, sign-up for interactive Bible studies, and receive prayer support. In many ways your typical media ministry website content in a new & updated package. 
  2. When, through the analysis of data, we see that we have a decent following within Kingsburg we will then advertise & hold a series of meetings, aka public evangelism, though with a twist.
  3. The twist to these meetings is that almost simultaneously we will begin, through media provided to meeting attenders, & through short training sessions held in conjunction with the meetings train people for what it means to be part of a church. The meetings will not just be evangelistic or doctrinal, but they will be practical as well.
  4. One of the key differences with Speiro is that at the end of the meetings, rather than just baptizing and leaving, we will seek to establish a “permanent work” a church plant in the city of Kingsburg. (This of course will be done in accordance and in conjunction with the local Seventh-day Adventist Conference).
  5. Speiro to unburden the conference will initially provide resources to the local body for a Bible worker to help oversee the church as a local elder.
  6. The evangelist, right now that is me:), will continue to preach to the local body on a weekly basis. How? Through a satellite feed from the Visalia Seventh-day Adventist & or The Ark Seventh-day Adventist Church. 
  7. Continued training will continue to take place in the new church plant, and a continued proactive media presence will remain in Kingsburg to support the new believers as they take on the responsibility of reaching their family, friends, coworkers, & neighbors to grow their church.
  8. End result: A healthy, vibrant, multiplying Adventist church.

Ellen White wrote:

“In every city that is entered, a solid foundation is to be laid for permanent work.”   –Testimonies for the Church, p. 38.

We want to be faithful to that counsel! Our media ministry will not be the typical big coverage, TV, expansive meetings, famous speakers. It will follow more in the steps of the greatest church planter ever, Paul. Ours will be a missionary journey to go from city to city through modern technology seeking to establish churches that the good news of Jesus & His soon coming will be more widely spread through.

One of the other components of Speiro is helping to revitalize plateaued or dying churches. What is our intended plan to accomplish this agenda?

Well it is three fold:

  1. Quality Content–For churches that are plateaued and dead without a consistent pastor, there is often a lack of consistent, cohesive, & quality preaching.  This prevents growth in the local church, because the #1 reason given by people, even in this post-modern world, for why they choose to attend a church is the Preaching! (90%). Speiro through satellite will provide a consistent, cohesive message that was written with the knowledge of that specific church in mind. Some people ask, will people really come to see a preacher on a screen, the overwhelming answer is YES! Hundreds if not thousands of churches are utilizing this method of providing quality preaching, and sometimes even quality worship to other venues.
  2. Experienced Training–Our team will take the things we have learned in turning a plateaued church into a growing church, combine them with the things we have learned through our church plant and provide training for these churches. Simple things that won’t cost money, just a love for reaching people, and a desire to grow. The reason this training is so important is because although preaching will get people to choose your church, if we want to keep them in the church we must love them, care for them, and get them involved! If not they will eventually go out the back door.
  3. Evangelistic Support–Speiro will, like with the church plants flood the area with content, seeking to make connections, and leading them to their local church. We will also in time provide a live evangelistic series, and help offset the costs of Bible Worker that will assist with continued evangelistic growth.

In time we believe that Speiro will provide many levels of content for all people, but these two objectives will remain the consistent focus of Speiro. We are not trying to be big, we are trying to be faithful missionaries, journeying from town to town, leaving a lasting legacy in each town the Three Angels’ Messages are preached!

This missionary journey is already underway in many steps of faith, but to move forward even further we need your support! Speiro is in need of $10,000 seed money. This money will help provide the quality camera for filming and producing content (our one video thus far was filmed on an iphone:)) and the beginnings of the equipment we will need to establish a quality live stream to the churches that are already wanting to join us in this endeavor.  Would you prayerfully ask God what He may desire you to give to this ministry. Please we ask that you not give us your tithe, that should go to your local conference, through your local church, but if God is calling you to give a gift above and beyond your monthly 10% we would greatly appreciate the support.

You can give at our website Speiro, & in advance I thank you for your generosity!

(Speiro is a non-profit 501c3 and all gifts are tax-deductible).

 

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Speiro

On August 10, 2012 by Chad Stuart With 0 Comments - Uncategorized

Would you please prayerfully consider supporting us in our new ministry endeavor! http://speiro.org

More information on the details of Speiro coming soon!

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Bickering Children & Our General Conference Parents

On August 9, 2012 by Chad Stuart With 5 Comments - Uncategorized

Over the last four years of parenting, especially the last two as a parent of not just one but two boys, I have realized something: my response is many times the greatest component in defusing or amplifying a situation. Oh how many times my boys have been fighting and I’ve come in like a bull in a china cabinet, and now rather than two petulant children, there are three.

Right now in Adventism the children are having a ‘bit of tustle over the issue of women’s ordination. On both sides I’ve seen various degrees of incivility from the mild quip to downright meanness. I have mourned at the disrespectful dialogue in which I have heard of folk speak against our world church leaders, moving beyond disagreements over positions to personal attacks. I have blushed, no cringed to see magazines distributed around camp meetings & online that have images that provide the subtle indication that a woman who desires to be a pastor is thus desiring to be a man or a lesbian. So much of it is very shameful and petty!

We are at many levels petulant children in a squabble.

And our parents the General Conference it seems have in their response raised the temperature rather than cooling things down.

In the moments when my kids are fighting I want to remind them that they are brothers. I want to remind them of how to treat each other and how to respond to each other. It is very important then in those moments for me to be mindful of my response towards each individual child. It is important for me to be mindful of the words I speak towards them. It is EXTREMELY important that I don’t make one of them feel less than the other!

It seems our parents have struggled in all these areas. We were not immediately reminded that though we were having a disgreement, we were really on the same side and hopefully fighting for the same cause, we were initially reminded of policy. There has been a failure to draw our minds to our brotherhood and sisterhood. The words that have at times been chosen to represent the world leadership have not provided a sense of calm, but at many times have seemed threatening, even to the point where the statement, “this is not a threat” has needed to be made. Finally, through the language that has been spoken it has most definitely felt like there was a superior child and a less than child, even though as we have seen both sides have been unruly.

Let me give an example (this is only an example the two individuals to be spoken of are only representative of the children, not actually the squabbling children) We had two well recognized preachers, two friends whom have worked together in the past on common causes. Two individuals that have at the bequest of the world church stepped forward and provided spiritual guidance to the masses. They preached opposing sermons. Both sermons were against the stated General Conference position: The first against women as pastors, a position out of line with that of the General Conference. The second in favor of women’s ordination a position also out of step with the General Conference.

Our parents though in response to the latter position have used words like “position of dissension” which means “a disagreement that leads to discord.” I don’t believe either individual in preaching their sermons were seeking discord, both were simply expressing their views and interpretation of scripture that BOTH went against the official church stance. The latter position has also been viewed as a position of “ego & desire for supremecy.”

This type of language makes one child feel much less than the other. That both children being out of step with the parents directed points of views, yet one is getting a mighty slap on the wrist while to the other there is silence. Now I know one could argue that, “well one child only called for a different stance, but nothing happened. The other called for a different stance and a whole whirlwind has happened.” And I guess again I would refer to my short experience of parenting do we only deal with a situation when the outcome of wrong committed is bad, or do we deal with wrong even if there is no evident consequence.

Right now the children of our church are in a squabble and we need our parents–our 1 President, 9 Vice-Presidents, & 13 Division Uncles to see us through it, not join in the fray.

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“Culture of Honor”, Women’s Ordination, & Seventh-day Adventist Heritage

On July 29, 2012 by Chad Stuart With 9 Comments - Uncategorized

Malcolm Gladwell in his book “Outliers” writes of the effects of what he calls, “The Culture of Honor.” This theory is based on studies done that show reactions by individuals are not just based on the present moment, but are in fact steeped in decisions made generations in the past of an individuals cultural heritage.

The study Gladwell refers to, was a study done in which individuals irrespective of being a “jock” or “nerd”, rich or poor, responded to a specific incident similarly based on their geographic/cultural upbringing. Students were given a test and then when they turned the test into the proctor, the proctor muttered a curse word under his breath. The researchers found that consistently folks raised in the Southern portions of the United States responded with more aggresion, while Northerners consistently responded by actually becoming more calm. Not only was this the visual observation, it also was consistent with the measured testosterone & cortisol levels before and after the incident. Southerners levels increased, Northerners levels decreased.

So what does this have to do with Women’s Ordination & what is perceived by some as disrespect of the church’s authority?

Well could it be that our very history as Adventist’s leads us to question “church authority” and to always stand more firmly on the side of individual conviction?

We as a people came into being as “rebels.” Disavowing the teachings and traditions of the Christian Connexion & Methodist denominations. We didn’t seek to be discordant with these groups but when we became convicted of certain positions nothing could dissuade us, even the threat of being out of harmony with church brethern, even when being out of “unity” from the church we would not back down from the position we believed to be right.

A few years later, when we learned the Sabbath truth, we were willing to be out of harmony with all of Christendom in order to keep God’s holy day.  Ellen White’s own parents were critical of her & James’ decision to keep Saturday as the Lord’s true day, and this caused disharmony in their extended family unit. But they persevered moving forward not worrying what anyone else thought, even the thoughts of those whom they loved and respected, even the thoughts of the authority of the larger Christian church. 

It took us almost two decades to become an official denomination because of our caution of establishing a creed or establishing “church authority” over individual conscience.

In the 1880’s as A.T. Jones & E.J. Waggoner became ardent proponents of what we now know as “Righteousness by Faith” many of the “brethern” were in great opposition to this movement, seeing it as antinomian. This opposition included one of our great pioneers Uriah Smith at that time Editor of the Review & Herald (currently Adventist Review), and our General Conference President at the time G.I. Butler, whom called for those who were sympathetic to him to “stand by the old landmarks” to not give up traditional theological positions. But the people no longer were ready to stand with him, they had been convicted of a position and were moving forward no matter what the “brethern,” including the G.C. President said, this included our prophet, Ellen White, who strongly rebuked Butler.  Butler was subsequently removed as President and replaced by Ole Andres Olsen at that 1888 General Conference Session.

You see deep in the legacy of our Seventh-day Adventist hearts is a desire to stand with conviction over “authority” over “policy.” In Adventist history conviction has always won out over church authority and even “unity.”  Now folk can debate the right and the wrong of women’s ordination ’till their blue in the face, and they probably will. But we should not be surprised by this uprising of much of the church in North America on the side of conviction regarding women’s ordination. It is a part of an Adventists “culture of honor.”

 

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I Can’t…

On June 23, 2012 by Chad Stuart With 2 Comments - Uncategorized

“I can’t”

those are the words my Dad spoke to me not more than 2 1/2 years ago. That was his response to a question I had asked him, “Dad will you do a Bible study with one of our contacts?”

“I can’t”

Let me tell you a little about my Dad, almost all of his adult life he has been a teacher. He taught in Adventist academies for about 6 years and then at Pacific Union College, Loma Linda University, & Andrews University Dayton, OH campus, & University of the Pacific. He has a degree in Education, Physical Therapy, and it seems like there may be something else. He has a Master’s degree, two in fact, and an earned Doctorate. He started a Master’s Physical Therapy program from scratch and was the director of it for 10+ years.

“I can’t”

Seemed like a pretty ridiculous answer!

And even more importantly than all the above, and really all that mattered, he was constantly telling me how much he loved Jesus and how much Jesus was blessing his life.

“I can’t”

Was then an even more unbelievable answer!

“I can’t”

Is the answer I hear a lot when I talk to folk about giving Bible studies to another individual.

I used to accept this answer as legit.

“I can’t”

I believed some people really couldn’t, I no longer believe that.

Why?

Because–

“I can’t”

Doesn’t fit at all with the promises of scripture–

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. –Matthew 28:19, 20.

“I can’t”

Really doesn’t go with, “I am with you always”

“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” –Acts 1:8

“I can’t”

Doesn’t work with, “you shall receive power”

“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.” –John 14:12-14

“I can’t”

Does not correlate with, “greater works than these he will do” “whatever you ask” “If you ask anything…I will do.”

“I can’t”

Does not work with John 14:26 either,

 “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.”

So even if my Dad had zero degrees and zero teaching experience, it would seem quite silly for a man that says he loves Jesus and is blessed by Jesus to say…

“I can’t”

“I can’t”

is foolish for any of us to say.

“But it is not my gift which is why…”

“I can’t”

Knowing the Bible and sharing what you know with another person has nothing to do with gifts. Because even if you are nervous, you can have word for word what you want to say right in front of you…and yes people

“CAN”

come to Jesus this way…and they DO!

So the only way

“I can’t”

works is if that is the answer to one question, “Are you capable of caring about the eternal salvation of another human being?”

If you can say…

“I can’t”

to that, okay you’re off the hook.

But that wouldn’t go with,

“But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven;” –Matthew 5:44, 45

In other words if you’re a Christian…a Jesus follower…

“I can’t”

NEVER works when it comes to sharing the truths of scripture with another human being.

So let’s be real and admit…

“I can’t”

is really

“I won’t”

and after we admit that, let’s repent of it…

And trust Jesus to help us move from…

“I can’t”

Which is…

“I won’t”

To

“I can!”

My Dad did and praise Jesus I have baptized several he has studied the Bible with.


 

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