The Story of Leon and Marie Anderson

We are beginning to see, in some fields, a tragic overreach of church authority exercised in undue disciplinary action against faithful believers. Although this can occur for various reasons, it is increasingly happening because of the overspecificity of the 28 Fundamental Beliefs statements on the doctrine of God. This has caused numerous disfellowshippings of loyal Seventh-day Adventist members in recent years.

A current example is the case of Leon and Marie Anderson. They are the most committed Seventh-day Adventists you could ever meet. Their lives have been devoted entirely to the upbuilding of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. When someone has a need, either in the church or in the community, they are there to help them. They give Bible studies, they have spent innumerable days helping with church building projects in various places, and have given much time in volunteer mission service. They love the Seventh-day Adventist Church, its message, and its mission, more than their own lives.

But their local church recently got a new pastor who was determined to strictly enforce the first reason for church discipline listed in the church manual, which is “Denial of faith in the fundamentals of the gospel and in the Fundamental Beliefs of the Church, or teaching doctrines contrary to the same.” The Andersons still firmly hold to the Adventist doctrines that existed when they were baptized in the 1960s. And because they have not gone along with the change in the definition of God that came into the Fundamental Beliefs in 1980, they have now been disfellowshipped from the church they love, and painfully from the congregation that exists today largely because of their labors. Below are excerpts from the letter they sent to their church board requesting reconsideration of the disciplinary intent. The church’s rejection of this heartfelt appeal underscores the real crisis we are experiencing in our denomination today.

An Appeal to our Fellow Members of the Northport SDA Church

We have each received a letter from the Northport SDA Church board, dated November 27, 2024, stating, “After careful consideration, the church board has voted to recommend your name for removal from church fellowship.” A business meeting has been scheduled for December 14, 2024, at 5:00 p.m. to deal with this matter.

The letter explains, “This recommendation is based on your expressed denial of certain fundamental beliefs, specifically Fundamental Belief #2, #4, and #5.” And the following Bible verses are noted in parentheses: 1 John 5:7; John 1:1-3; Acts 5:3-4; Hebrews 9:14. Please be assured that we agree with everything those verses say, as well as everything else the Bible says on this subject.

The November 27 letter is clear that the reason for the recommended disciplinary action is a “denial of certain fundamental beliefs.” In other words, it is not because of any disagreement with the word of God, but rather with the word of man. The General Conference Biblical Research Institute has acknowledged that the definition of God as three Persons is a conclusion drawn from “theological reasoning” (God in Three Persons—in Theology, p. 20). Without a single text of Scripture defining God in that way, and in the face of numerous verses to the contrary, the church has nevertheless imposed this human reasoning as a requirement for membership.

Through His last-day messenger God has repeatedly emphasized that the church has no authority to make up doctrinal tests:

“Very many will get up some test that is not given in the word of God. We have our test in the Bible,—the commandments of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ.” General Conference Bulletin, April 16, 1901.

“Let not human reason be placed where divine, sanctifying truth should be.” 8T 298.

“In the golden censer of truth, as presented in Christ’s teachings, we have that which will convict and convert souls. Present, in the simplicity of Christ, the truths that He came to this world to proclaim, and the power of your message will make itself felt. Do not present theories or tests that Christ has never mentioned and that have no foundation in the Bible. We have grand, solemn truths to present. ‘It is written’ is the test that must be brought home to every soul.” 8T 300.

In initiating disciplinary action over a theological formula that scholars admit is not spelled out in the Scriptures, the Northport church board is asking the church in business session to violate God’s explicit prohibition of such tests.

“In the commission to His disciples, Christ not only outlined their work, but gave them their message. Teach the people, He said, ‘to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you.’ The disciples were to teach what Christ had taught. That which He had spoken, not only in person, but through all the prophets and teachers of the Old Testament, is here included. Human teaching is shut out. There is no place for tradition, for man’s theories and conclusions, or for church legislation. No laws ordained by ecclesiastical authority are included in the commission. None of these are Christ’s servants to teach.” DA 826.

“The great principle which was the very foundation of the Reformation [is] that the word of God is the all-sufficient rule of faith and practice.” GC 186.

“Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.” Proverbs 30:6.

“The Roman Church reserves to the clergy the right to interpret the Scriptures. On the ground that ecclesiastics alone are competent to explain God’s word, it is withheld from the common people. Though the Reformation gave the Scriptures to all, yet the selfsame principle which was maintained by Rome prevents multitudes in Protestant churches from searching the Bible for themselves. They are taught to accept its teachings as interpreted by the church; and there are thousands who dare receive nothing, however plainly revealed in Scripture, that is contrary to their creed or the established teaching of the church.” GC 596, emphasis hers.

“The doctrine that God has committed to the church the right to control the conscience, and to define and punish heresy, is one of the most deeply rooted of papal errors.” GC 293.

“But God will have a people upon the earth to maintain the Bible, and the Bible only, as the standard of all doctrines and the basis of all reforms. The opinions of learned men, the deductions of science, the creeds or decisions of ecclesiastical councils, as numerous and discordant as are the churches which they represent, the voice of the majority—not one nor all of these should be regarded as evidence for or against any point of religious faith. Before accepting any doctrine or precept, we should demand a plain ‘Thus saith the Lord’ in its support.” GC 595.

“Those who suppose that they understand philosophy think that their explanations are necessary to unlock the treasures of knowledge and to prevent heresies from coming into the church. But it is these explanations that have brought in false theories and heresies. Men have made desperate efforts to explain what they thought to be intricate scriptures; but too often their efforts have only darkened that which they tried to make clear.” COL 110.

We are being placed on trial for holding to the doctrines of the Seventh-day Adventist Church at the time of our baptism, which was before 1980. All of those beliefs are clearly spelled out in the inspired writings. They are enumerated on the inside of our baptismal certificates and expressed in our baptismal vows. We still affirm them all. We can honestly testify with the apostle Paul,

“But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets.” Acts 24:14.

And so we appeal to you, our dear brothers and sisters. Do not jeopardize your souls by exalting the word of man above the word of God.

Sincerely,
Fellow members, Leon & Anna Marie Anderson