World Youth Day and the visit of Pope John Paul II to Denver on August 12-15 attracted half a million Catholic faithful, hordes of media, countless vendors selling papal paraphernalia, pro-gays and anti-gays, pro-abortionists and anti-abortionists—and a notable sprinkling of ultraconservative Seventh-day Adventist dissenters.

Here’s what we observed by way of dissenting Adventist activity before, during, and immediately after World Youth Day:

* Three months before, significant direct mail distribution of the booklet Coming Soon—an 80-page collection of The Great Controversy excerpts and various statements about Catholicism in history and prophecy. Coming Soon attracts attention by its color picture of the pope on the front cover and Jesus on the back; its publisher information makes no mention of the SDA Church. Another edition, also mailed in Denver, uses the title What’s Behind the New World Order? and lacks the pictures of the pope and Jesus.

* Several weeks before World Youth Day, an attempt to place 21 billboards in the Denver area.

* Leading up to and during World Youth Day, isolated efforts to get the anti-Catholic message across: an interview on a small Christian radio station, personal literature distribution, a hand-held banner saying Seventh-day Adventists believe the “man of sin” will be exposed, and an airplane towing a banner referring to the pope as antichrist.

* Immediately after World Youth Day, significant direct mail distribution of a 16-page tabloid entitled The Protestant: Voice of the Advent Movement. This publication is reproduced complete with British spellings from its Australian counterpart. It covers everything from the demise of true Protestantism to claims of papal involvement in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. While disclaiming official Adventist connection, it comes “courtesy of your friends, the Adventists,” and includes excerpts from the SDA Bible Commentary and a 1991 Sabbath School Quarterly. In addition, some of its headlines use the name Seventh-day Adventist.

Dissenting Players 

Early in the year, it appeared several “independent ministries” might descend on Denver: David Mould’s Laymen for Religious Liberty; John Osborne’s Prophecy Countdown; John Grosboll and colleagues’ Steps to Life Ministries; Danny Vierra’s Modern Manna Ministries; Jan Marcussen’s Amazing Truth Ministries; and the disfellowshipped Troy, Montana, church, with Les Balsiger as spokesperson. In the end, it was the Montana group that appeared as the primary source of activities in Denver. The SDA Reform Movement in Aurora (a city on Denver’s eastern edge) also emerged as a player.

About 20 miles south of Denver is an independent fellowship of Adventists called The Renaissance Church. This group provides a platform for the “independent ministries,” although according to its leader, J. C. Schultz, participants generally see themselves as less radical than some of the speakers they invite. The Renaissance Church lent some support to the Montana group’s activities in Denver, but expressed to Les Balsiger reservations about the timing and manner of the intended billboard campaign.

A Task Force Responds 

Late in 1992, a group of lay members and pastors known as the Denver Area Evangelism Committee appointed a Media Task Force to look into outreach through TV, radio, and newsprint. Task force members took as their premise that only through local church and individual member witnessing could we “press the message home,” nevertheless, corporate advertising strategies could support personal outreach and help make it more effective.

By the spring of 1993, the Media Task Force became aware of impending dissident Adventist activity associated with World Youth Day Its purpose then became twofold: an evangelistic offense through media, and a defense against potential damage to the church from dissident groups.

The Media Task Force consisted of four core members: an Adventist lay person with an advertising background and knowledge of the dissenting groups, a local pastor, a healthcare communication professional with previous experience in Adventist pastoral and teaching work, and a crisis communication consultant (a non-Adventist). This group met weekly from March through World Youth Day in August, and collaborated with various levels of church administration.

The diverse experience of the task force members, the support and counsel of its advisors, and the group’s early assessment and preparation to be of value. This was the task force’s mandate:

• Push forward with a positive outreach campaign ahead of World Youth Day and possible dissident activity
• Prepare for foreseeable dissident activity and meet it proactively if possible.
• Affirm the right of the dissenting groups to express themselves.
• Make clear that the church’s chief concern is not with the dissenting groups’ message, but with their counterproductive, antichristian style and methods, which in turn make the church’s outreach more difficult. 

The Media Task Force wrote an assessment and action plan for both the outreach and the defensive strategy. The plan provided for proactive and continuing communication with key groups including Adventist pastors and church members, Adventist hospital physicians and employees, media representatives, religious leaders, and the public.

TV Campaign Is Christ-Centered

The first round of media attention arose in June, prompted by distribution of the booklet Coming Soon, and by an unrelated Denver pentecostal church that dared to call the pope antichrist. Based on our prior news releases and media contacts, most reporters called us for clarification of the Adventist church’s separation from the booklet distribution; a few did not. The Rocky Mountain News neglected to contact us before running its story, but in a follow-up article the same reporter prominently stated, “Officials for the Seventh-day Adventist Church said they do not condone handing out the booklets.”

By far the most effective activities on our part were a paid TV campaign and a news briefing. The TV campaign consisted of a total of 125 30-second spots placed for a four-week period on the local ABC, CBS, and NBC affiliates. Following demographic and viewership data, we used the early evening newscasts and the Oprah Winfrey program to reach our preferred audience—the 25-64 age group, with emphasis on households with young children. This TV campaign alone cost $50,000.

Our purpose was to create an image campaign that did not address the issue of the Pope as the antichrist, but focused instead on the positive aspects of the gospel. At the end of each spot, we let the viewer know that this message came from Seventh-day Adventists, and we offered a free copy of Steps to Christ. We received many favorable reactions from people throughout the Denver area. Nearly 600 people called a toll-free line to request Steps to Christ.

News Briefing Brings Results

A few days before the end of the July TV outreach, we learned of plans by the Montana group to place 21 anti-Catholic billboards in the Denver area. We went to the media and let them know, ahead of time, about the billboards and our disagreement with this advertising effort. We took advantage of a prior invitation by the World Youth Day staff to use their weekly news briefing to reach the right media representatives.

Our presentation provoked more interest by reporters than any other item at the briefing. With cameras rolling, Gary Patterson, spokesperson, found himself faced with many questions including, “Does the Adventist church think the pope is antichrist?” and “What is the Adventist church’s position on the book Great Controversy?”

The next morning’s headlines told the story. “Renegade Adventist Group Plans Anti-pope Billboards,” read the Denver Post; “21 Billboards Will Assail Pontiff,” proclaimed the Rocky Mountain News. All major TV channels and most radio stations picked up the item and clearly dissociated the mainstream SDA Church from the billboard effort.

Six days later, the Rocky Mountain News reported, “Billboard Supplier Won’t Run Attacks On Pope.” Gannett Outdoor had cancelled the contract and planned to return payment to the Montana group. When this group then turned to hand-held banners and distribution of a 16-page tabloid, the media paid little attention.

Because of the offensive nature of this 16-page tabloid, Rocky Mountain Adventist Healthcare responded with a paid ad in the Denver Catholic Register, distancing the church from The Protestant and assuring readers of openness to people of all religious faiths in the hospitals’ practice of the healing ministry of Jesus Christ.

Assessing Damage to the Church 

Our assessment of the Denver situation is that, ultimately, little damage was done to the church or its institutions. The conference office, local churches, and hospitals received very few calls from people upset at the Adventist church for perceived anti-Catholicism. At the same time, we received numerous affirmations of respect and appreciation for our Christian approach to differences with Roman Catholics. Some local Adventist members housed and fed a number of World Youth Day participants, and two of the Adventist hospitals provided a field clinic and base support during the medical pandemonium of the weekend World Youth Day program.

All task force members, and many who assisted through the process, expressed their belief that the chief issue was the honor of Christ-not merely the honor of the church.