ADVENTIST CHURCH AUTHORITIES FORBID DR. DESMOND FORD’S PARTICIPATION IN SPIRITUAL RENAISSANCE RETREAT

ALTERNATE VENUE ARRANGED

Adventist Today announces that Dr. Desmond Ford will not speak at the 12th annual Spiritual Renaissance Retreat (SRR) in Monterey, California. This development is not due to the wishes of Dr. Ford or Adventist Today but due to instructions delivered by Adventist church authorities to the SRR organizer who is an Adventist pastor.

However, in a nearby venue, Dr. Ford will make the presentations he would have made at the SRR and be involved in a panel discussion that will reflect on his faith journey over the last 25 years since Glacier View. His lectures and question and answer periods will be hosted by Adventist Today at a location in the Monterey area at times that do not conflict with the scheduled meetings of the SRR.

Adventist Today strongly believes in the open and free discussion of the serious theological, intellectual, and political issues facing the Seventh-day Adventist Church today. The church authorities opposed to the participation of Dr. Ford in the SRR oppose such discussion in this setting and have exercised their power to prevent it.

It is because of the respect Adventist Today has for the SRR organizer and our wish that the SRR continue to flourish that we are not at this time publishing a full explanation of these events. However, at a later time, Adventist Today expects to report on the politics and personalities behind this decision.

We hope that all interested in hearing Dr. Ford’s presentations will also participate in the SRR. The conversation should be interesting, to say the least. The full Retreat program will be conducted as announced except that Dr. Ford will not make any presentations at the SRR. However, he will speak and respond to questions in a nearby venue at times that do not conflict with SRR activities.

If you have further questions for Adventist Today, please email us at mail@atoday.com.