A Special Time of Bible Study, Fellowship, and Remembering Dale Ratzlaff

We are looking forward to seeing you in person at the nineteenth annual Southern California Former Adventist Fellowship Conference, “Adventism is Unbelief”. This conference will help you understand the core issue with Adventism—unbelief—and the true belief that is available in the Word of God. 

Remembering Dale Ratzlaff (1936–2024)

This year we are including time to remember the impact that Dale Ratzlaff has made on many former Adventists by his witness of living his life in Truth and being willing to experience loss by following the Truth wherever it led. As a famous Adventist theologian said, “Dale, you are just too honest!” (Note: Memorial service for Dale Ratzlaff will be on March 2, 2024, 11:00 AM, at Redeemer Fellowship in Loma Linda.)

We are meeting again in Loma Linda, California, at Redeemer Fellowship from February 16 through 18, 2024. Loma Linda is the center of Adventism in Southern California (and some say the world), and Redeemer Fellowship is a small Bible church that we helped plant in this needy town.

We will have break-out sessions, a Q & A session, and times to exchange stories and encourage one another. There will be faith stories and great worship as well. Finally, we will worship together at church at Redeemer Fellowship on Sunday morning, with a fellowship lunch afterwards at a local home.

In-person attendance is encouraged! Come fellowship together with others who share your background and journey. Don’t miss this opportunity!

You’ll experience live interactions and great chat around the table as you enjoy provided meals! This will be a weekend to be refreshed, encouraged, and to make new friends.

We are eager to spend the weekend with you—online or in-person—but hopefully in person!

Richard and Colleen Tinker
Conference Coordinators

Registration: Click here—Email your name and mailing address, and let us know if you are attending in-person or online. (Suggested donation: $100/person. Use the “DONATE” link at the top-right of this page.)

2024 Conference Participants

GARY INRIG, Host Pastor, Redeemer Fellowship

Gary Inrig is the lead pastor of Redeemer Fellowship in Loma Linda, California. He also leads a community Bible Study, Loma Linda Word Search, designed to be a place where students and residents of Loma Linda as well as the surrounding communities can come and hear the Bible taught by a Christian expositor.

Formerly Gary served as the senior pastor of Trinity Church in Redlands, California, from September, 1992, until June, 2013. Prior to coming to Trinity, he had many years of fruitful ministry in Calgary and Dallas. He holds D.Min. and Th.M. degrees from Dallas Theological Seminary. He has authored many books and has taught in various capacities in Bible colleges, conferences, and seminars.

Gary has been the pastoral mentor for Former Adventist Fellowship since its inception at Trinity Church in 1999. He and his wife Elizabeth reside in Southern California.

KASPARS OZOLINS, Assistant Professor of Old Testament Interpretation

Kaspars Ozolins was born in Latvia to an Adventist family. They moved to Los Angeles where Kaspars attended Adventist elementary and high schools in Glendale, California, and his father was an Adventist pastor. He met Ieva, his wife, while studying in Latvia before pursuing a doctorate at UCLA in historical linguistics. After Kaspars completed an M. Div. at The Master’s Seminary in Sun Valley, California, he served as a research associate at Tyndale House in Old Testament and the Ancient Near East. He is now on the faculty at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary as Assistant Professor of Old Testament Interpretation.

PAUL CARDEN, The Centers for Apologetics Research

Paul Carden is executive director of The Centers for Apologetics Research (CFAR). He has devoted over 40 years of his life to cult-related research and outreach in Latin America, Africa, eastern Europe, and the former Soviet Union. He served with Walter Martin in the Christian Research Institute (CRI), including six years in Brazil and six as co-host of the live, nationwide “Bible Answer Man” radio broadcast.

Paul has produced apologetics-themed pamphlets and videos with Rose Publishing, along with the book World Religions Made Easy. His articles have appeared in a variety of missions and ministry publications. He and his wife Lisa have four children.

JAMES BABER, Director, Academy Apologia

RICHARD TINKER, Life Assurance Ministries

Richard Tinker is president of Life Assurance Ministries and a founding member of its board of directors. He was at least a fourth-generation Adventist and spent his life until 2006 working for Adventist institutions including Adventism’s Pacific Union Conference, The Quiet Hour, and Loma Linda University. He also designed Adventist Today magazine for several years.

Richard co-leads the weekly Former Adventist Fellowship with Colleen, his wife. He also serves as an elder at Redeemer Fellowship, a Bible-based church in Loma Linda, California.

COLLEEN TINKER, Editor, Proclamation!, Co-Host, Former Adventist Podcast

Colleen Tinker is the editor of Proclamation! magazine and also co-leads Former Adventist Fellowship with Richard, her husband. She was a third-generation Seventh-day Adventist and spent 15 years teaching English in both Adventist and Christian junior high and high schools.

In 1999 Colleen resigned as managing editor and news editor of Adventist Today when she and Richard left Adventism to make their behaviors congruent with their belief that Jesus alone saves.

NICOLE STEVENSON, Co-Host, Former Adventist Podcast

Nicole Stevenson lives in Southern California with her husband Carel and her two children, Joshua and Abigail. Nicole graduated from La Sierra University with a degree in social work and is currently staying home to raise their kids. She is a co-host of Former Adventist Podcast, and a frequent contributor to Proclamation! Magazine.

Carel Stevenson, Board Member, Life Assurance Ministries

Carel Stevenson grew up embedded in Adventism, with his father serving as an Adventist pastor. He is husband to Nicole and father of Joshua and Abigail. Carel attended Walla Walla University and Cal Poly Pomona and works as a structural engineer. He and his family attend and serve at Fellowship Church in Beaumont, California.

MARTIN L. CAREY, Board Member, Life Assurance Ministries

Martin L. Carey grew up as an Adventist in many different places, including the northeastern US, the Midwest, and Guam. During daylight hours he works as a licensed family therapist, and when possible, as an amateur astronomer at night. He is married to Sharon and has two sons, Matthew and Nick, and attends a Bible Church near his home.

2024 Conference Schedule

Friday, February 16, 2024
9:30 AM – 9:00 PM (Lunch and dinner provided)

Saturday, February 17, 2024
9:30 AM – 7:00 PM (Lunch and dinner provided)

Sunday, February 18, 2024
9:30 AM – 10:45 AM (Church service at host church)
(Time to checkout from hotel)
12:00 – 4:00 PM (Lunch (provided) and fellowship at local home)

2024 Conference Schedule

Friday, February 16 (All times are PST) 

9:00 AM	Arrive at Redeemer Fellowship in Loma Linda
SESSION 1 | 9:30 AM YOUTUBE	Worship Singing “What is Unbelief?”	KASPARS OZOLINS GARY INRIG
SESSION 2 | 11:00 AM YOUTUBE	“Adventism Does Not Believe: What Scripture Teaches About Humanity”	KASPARS OZOLINS
	L U N C H  (Provided)
SESSION 3 | 1:00 PM YOUTUBE	Worship Singing Faith Story “Adventism Does Not Believe: In the Sufficiency of God’s Word“	KASPARS OZOLINS LAURIE WERK COLLEEN TINKER
2:30 PM ZOOM	BREAKOUT SESSIONS  Sessions on current issues and a Q&A (Register to receive Zoom link)	JIM BABER CAREL STEVENSON NIKKI STEVENSON COLLEEN TINKER RICHARD TINKER
SESSION 4 | 4:00 PM  YOUTUBE	“Adventism Does Not Believe: What Scripture Teaches About Death”	MARTIN CAREY
	D I N N E R  (Provided)
SESSION 5 | 6:30 PM YOUTUBE	Worship Singing “The Seriousness of Adventism’s Unbelief and Doctrine” “The Biblical Case For Counter-Cult Ministry” Q & A Kaspars, Jim, Martin, Colleen, Nikki, Richard	KASPARS OZOLINS JIM BABER PAUL CARDEN PANEL

Saturday, February 17 (All times are PST)

9:00 AM	Arrive at Redeemer Fellowship in Loma Linda
SESSION 6 | 9:30 AM YOUTUBE	Worship Singing “Adventism Does Not Believe: In the True Rest Offered by Jesus“	KASPARS OZOLINS COLLEEN TINKER
11:00 AM ZOOM	BREAKOUT SESSIONS Sessions on current issues and a Q&A (Register to receive Zoom link)	JIM BABER CAREL STEVENSON NIKKI STEVENSON COLLEEN TINKER RICHARD TINKER
	L U N C H  (Provided)
SESSION 7 | 1:00 PM YOUTUBE	Worship Singing Faith Story “The Adventist Gospel Is Unbelief”	KASPARS OZOLINS ALLISON JOHNSON KASPARS OZOLINS
2:30 PM ZOOM	BREAKOUT SESSIONS Sessions on current issues and a Q&A (Register to receive Zoom link)	JIM BABER CAREL STEVENSON NIKKI STEVENSON COLLEEN TINKER RICHARD TINKER
SESSION 8 | 4:00 PM YOUTUBE	Former Adventist Podcast—Live! “Compromising With Adventism is Unbelief”	NIKKI STEVENSON AND COLLEEN TINKER
IN-PERSON ONLY	D I N N E R  A N D  T E S T I M O N I E S

Sunday, February 18

* Details are subject to being changed or updated.

2024 Conference Registration

($100/person suggested donation. Use the “DONATE” link at the top-right of this page.)

• Free Registration—Click here to send us an email with the following information:
  1. Your full name and full names of persons attending with you
  2. Are you are attending in-person (coming to Loma Linda) or online (viewing on YouTube and Zoom)
  3. If in-person, are you vegetarian?
     
• You may also register by phone: 1-909-794-9804
• You MUST register to attend in person