The Bible Is Starting To Make Sense
I just wanted to drop a quick note to thank you for all the information. I’m immersing myself in your podcasts and coming to understand the Bible so much better. I realize now that I never really read the Bible before because it was so confusing with an Adventist world view, and now that I don’t have to “read between the lines” so much, it is making so much sense.
That being said, I would like to register for the conference. I won’t be able to be there in person due to conflicting family schedules, but I would like to stream it where I can, especially if I can go back and watch parts of it.
Thank you so much for your ministry; I’ve been having such a hard time with all the hypocrisy and judgement. Since marrying a non-Adventist 20 years ago, I’ve not been a good Adventist. He asked so many questions. It opened my eyes and now I’m ready to see the truth. Listening to your podcasts has helped tremendously, and so many things make so much sense now.
—VIA EMAIL
Response: All the conference general sessions will be live-streamed on the Former Adventist YouTube channel and posted there after the conference. The breakout Zoom sessions will be live but will not be posted for later watching.
I Hope There’s Someone Who Understands
I am writing to you in hopes of reaching someone who has experienced what I am going through. For the past few years, I’ve been studying Former Adventist content. Admittedly, I only focus on one subject at a time and spend a good amount of time contemplating it thereafter.
Growing up I had very little exposure to Christianity and the Bible. My family was not religious, and I didn’t know anyone that went to church. When I was in college, I was introduced to the Adventist church…I faithfully attended Sabbath School and asked what I considered to be difficult questions. Although now, I realize these questions were not nearly difficult even. After sitting through a Revelation seminar, I decided to be baptized and devoted myself to serving Adventism.
Thinking back on my journey, I remember the day my faith died. I read an EGW quote about how we have to live a sinless life at the end of time in order for Jesus to come back. Not only that, but in the end, God would withdraw His spirit from the earth and I would be left alone—with no mediator—to live a life of perfection. This troubled me so much; I knew I could never be good enough to do such a thing. If this was the case, what was the point of the gospel and the cross? I felt alone. Looking back, I now see how that was a transformative moment for me. I stepped away from [my involvement with Adventism]. Depression…held me captive for years.
I found Former Adventist content online and listened to how EGW contradicts the Bible. I ordered a couple books and finally came to the decision that EGW could not be a true prophet. For me personally, reading her racist comments was the nail in the coffin of her claim to prophethood.
Almost three years later, I’m still studying. I am in the process of finding a new home church. I’ll admit it, my name is still on the roster of the Adventist church in my area. The people there became a second family to me for nearly a decade.…but this is not the religion I want my children to grow up in.
The more I learn—specifically about EGW—the more troubled I become. Even writing this I feel sick to my stomach thinking about the lies and deception. Yes, she contracts the Bible. However, Adventism explains that away. It is so shocking that she was an actual spirit medium! I simply cannot be a part of a church that replaces the Holy Spirit with the “Spirit of Prophecy”. I often beat myself up about how I fell into this and believed these messages; how could I be so ignorant to not research these claims on my own? You see, I thought I had researched, but in reality all the sources were Adventist.
How should I go about leaving the church? Since I don’t go to church, they most likely think I am lazy or a backsliding Christian. I haven’t found a new home church yet. I am sure you understand how disillusioning it is to leave the Adventist church. After being told the rest of Christendom is Babylon, how do you trust anything? Of course no church is perfect, so I am looking for one that preaches from the Bible only, feels alive, and has a good fellowship. Should I write a letter to the Adventist pastor explaining why I don’t come to church anymore? Should I voice my concerns in person?
Thank you so much for taking the time to read this email.
—VIA EMAIL
Response: I’m so glad you wrote. Yes, we completely understand what you are experiencing. You are not alone. Leaving Adventism is disillusioning and disorienting. It has a worldview that redefines reality and truth, and when we see that we have been deceived, it is incredibly devastating. It feels like a betrayal—which it actually is. When we left, I felt as if I were going through a divorce. I lost my identity and my social circle and we even lost much of our work. Everything changed, and even our sons lost their schoolmates. It was incredibly sad and painful—and yet, we knew we couldn’t stay.
I think we all go through that self-loathing for having believed a lie. I experienced both anger toward the organization and disgust toward myself for having bought a lie all those years in spite of my cognitive dissonance. I have come to see, though, that our Lord Jesus was not surprised. He is sovereign, and He will redeem our Adventism. It will not be wasted as He reveals the reality of who He is to us. I realize that the gospel is far, far more amazing to me than it seems to be to many people because I have had to dig through so much Scripture as I unpacked the Adventism hidden in my brain. I didn’t just start from natural unbelief; I had to start from a deceptive religion that masqueraded as the real deal. I have had to rebuild my worldview with the help of Scripture, and the Lord has revealed Himself profoundly in the process.
When we realize what Jesus actually DID in taking our sin into Himself, suffering the wrath of God on the cross in our place, dying, and then rising from death—thus breaking the curse under which all of us are born—we can’t help throwing ourselves at the foot of His cross and trusting Him alone. He has fully paid for my sin! I realized, as we were leaving, that if I tried to stay and “make a difference”, I would be betraying Jesus by appearing to support an organization that actually teaches a different Jesus and a different gospel. I couldn’t betray Jesus!
It Is difficult to find a good church, but ask the Lord to guide you to the church where He knows you can be fed His word and grow. He knows where you should be. I will attach a link to a talk our pastor gave at a past FAF conference about finding a good church. How To Find A Church
In order to leave Adventism officially, we have to write a letter requesting our names to be removed from membership. We send those letters to the local church because membership is held at the local church level. I would also send a copy (email is fine—it is considered legally valid and carries a date and time stamp) to the local conference office as well. I would ask for a return letter verifying that my name has been dropped. Often local churches simply don’t deal with those requests, so it may be necessary to stay on top of it and to follow up if you don’t hear back from them. You can write as much or as little as you wish. Some people want to outline the doctrinal reasons they are leaving, and that is a valid thing to do. Others just ask for their names to be dropped.
I would not offer to have a conversation. Adventists are trained to manipulate and trick and shame people into staying. There is no need to volunteer for a conversation with a false teacher. As our founder Dale Ratzlaff has said, there are two kinds of Adventists: the deceived and the dishonest. Either way, I wouldn’t seek an interview. Many people have had such pastoral interviews as they are leaving, and the conversations have been unresolved and unsatisfying because there is not a mutual desire for knowing truth.
Ironically, when you leave, there is sometimes a “window” of time…from weeks to months…when people you knew come to you and ask why you left. It is a great opportunity to express your desire to follow truth and to explain how Adventism deceives and to share the true gospel. Most people just fade away gradually after we leave, and sometimes that one conversation is the only chance we have to explain the truth we have discovered. God doesn’t waste anything, and He redeems everything we submit to Him.
Podcast A Supportive Resource
My family and I have been journeying away from the Adventist church for eight years. I recently found your podcast and website through your interviews on The Cultish Show on Adventism.
I’m starting at the beginning of your podcast, episode #1. It’s so nice to have a supportive resource going forward as we find truth. Real truth. It’s been so hard to find a church that is in the truth and trust a pastor/Christians with all of the false teachings in the world.
Thank you for the work you are doing!
—VIA EMAIL
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