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Letter of Reply to the General
Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, dated July 15, 2007
The following is a copy of the
letter sent by Pastor Fillmer Hevener to Mr. Robert E.
Kyte, General Counsel of General Conference of Seventh-day
Adventists, regarding the issue of Guthrie Memorial
Adventist Chapel using the word 'Adventist' in its name.
GUTHRIE MEMORIAL CHAPEL
2663 CUMBERLAND ROAD
224 Mohele Road, Farmville, Virginia, 23901 (Mailing
Address)
(434) 392-6255
July 15, 2007
(434) 392-6255; Fax. Same
www.guthriememorial.org
(Certified Mail)
Mr. Robert E. Kyte, General Counsel
General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
12501 Old Columbia Pike
Silver Spring, MD 20904-6600
Dear Brother Kyte:
On 7-5-07, I received your letter dated 6-28-07,
concerning our using the
word ADVENTIST in the name of our Chapel.
No doubt you are aware that the word ADVENTIST is used by
various
churches. The "New Light Index" states that the
Seventh-day Adventist
Church is the largest of "some 200 Adventist
denominations." The
Encyclopedia Britannica states that an Adventist is a
"member of a group
(italics mine) of Protestant Christian churches...." The
Wikipedia
Encyclopedia also lists various churches using the word
ADVENTIST.
Therefore, it is our understanding that, because of the
widespread use of
the word ADVENTIST by multiple churches, the word is a
generic term like,
for example, BAPTIST. The Potomac Conference of SDA and
the General
Conference of SDA must know that there is at least one
non-SDA
denomination (reportedly with some 24,000 members) in
Virginia and the
Potomac Conference territory, that uses in its name the
words: SEVENTH DAY
ADVENTIST. Considering these facts, that our Chapel,
dedicated to
almsgiving, would be singled out by your organization and
the Potomac
Conference of SDA for using the word ADVENTIST, is
curious, indeed!
We do not favor Christians going to the secular courts,
but prefer to
follow the instruction by the Apostle Paul, given to the
Christian Church
in Corinth; please see 1 Corinthians 6:1-8. He instructs
Christians to
mediate disputes using "wise" Christians as judges. We
regret that Paul's
instruction was not followed in this matter. Verses 4-8 of
Chapter 6,
read:
If then you have judgments concerning these things
pertaining to this
life, do you appoint those who are least esteemed by the
church to judge?
I say this to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a
wise man among
you, not even one, who will be able to judge between his
brethren? But
brother goes to law against brother, and that before
unbelievers! Now
therefore, it is already an utter failure for you that you
go to the law
against one another. Why do you not rather accept wrong?
Why do you not
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Page 2 of 2
Robert Kyte, General Conference of SDA
7-15-07
rather let yourselves be cheated? No, you yourselves do
wrong and cheat,
and you do these things to your brethren! (NEW KING JAMES
VERSION.)
Another respected version reads:
So if you have disagreements that must be judged, why do
you take them to
those who are not part of the church? I say this to shame
you. Surely
there is someone among you wise enough to judge a
complaint between two
brothers in Christ. But now one brother goes to court
against another
brother. And you let men who are not believers judge their
case! The
lawsuits that you have against each other show that you
are already
defeated. It would be better for you to let someone wrong
you! It would
be better for you to let someone cheat you! But you,
yourselves, do wrong
and cheat! And you do this to your own brothers in Christ.
(NEW CENTURY
VERSION.)
As Pastor, I receive no income from the Chapel; all
donations to the
Chapel go to charitable work in our community and
nationally, or to our
mission work in India and Africa.
Let each of us pray that the spirit and principle of agape
love will
prevail in this matter, and that the influence of the Holy
Spirit will
rest upon all decisions made by both of our Christian
organizations.
Cordially, Your brother in Christ,
(signed)
Dr. Fillmer Hevener, Pastor
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