Personal Lives and The Three Angels Broadcasting Network (3ABN): Statements by Adventist Today Editors, Dr. Arild Abrahamsen, Dr. Walter Thompson (Chair, 3ABN Board of Directors), and Mr. Danny Shelton

Statement by Adventist Today Editors

The Three Angeles Broadcasting Network (3ABN) has become a major force in the Seventh-day Adventist Church even though it has no formal ties with the denomination. Its twelve million dollar plus annual budget comes largely from Adventist donors. Many conservative ministries find the access to Adventist donors provided through programming on 3ABN indispensable for their continued prosperity.

Key to the success of 3ABN has been the drive, vision and skills of Danny and Linda Shelton. They have become Adventist celebrities, and their audience is hungry for information about their personal lives.

The Shelton’s divorce, Linda’s removal from the ministry, and Danny’s subsequent remarriage have been the topic of intense and prolonged controversy among Adventists. The number one reason people have visited the Adventist Today website in recent months is their quest for more information about Danny and Linda Shelton.

One does not build a ministry like 3ABN without a bold, entrepreneurial spirit. Both Danny and Linda are forceful personalities. This kind of forcefulness in religious personalities usually leads to controversy. It is often associated with accusations of sexual behavior inconsistent with Christian ideals. It is important to remember that accusations are not proof of guilt. Neither are protestations of innocence proof of fidelity.

Linda has been accused of having an improper relationship with a physician friend from Norway. This has been strenuously denied by Linda and by the doctor. (See his statement below.) Recently, Danny has been accused of improper sexual advances by a young woman in the 3ABN orbit, an accusation Danny denies.

Adventist Today does not have the resources to hire a full-time investigative reporter to follow all of these allegations. What we can offer is a platform where the principals can speak directly to the issues themselves.

Below is a letter from Dr. Arild Abrahamsen, the physician accused of improper conduct with Linda. It has been widely circulated on the internet. We have asked Dr. Walter Thompson, chairman of the board of 3ABN, to respond. His reply, unedited, follows Dr. Abrahamsen’s letter.

We have also asked Danny Shelton to respond. His letter, again unedited, follows Dr. Thompson’s letter.

Adventist Today makes no claims regarding the facts asserted in any of these letters. We invite all readers to maintain a gentle skepticism about all of the claims and counterclaims. We all see the world and reality through lenses shaped by our own histories, experiences and character. We all want to be right. But God is the ultimate judge.

[Please go to www.atoday.org for the complete texts of all statements]