| Author | Message | ||
| 91steps Registered user Username: 91steps Post Number: 91 Registered: 8-2005  |
It has now been over 3 months since I submitted my letter of resignation to the Glen Burnie SDA Church, and as of today they STILL haven't voted on it. Their pastor keeps offering excuse after excuse for whey they have not held a business meeting. I had to remind him I was a member there for 10 years and saw them schedule a business meeting at the drop of a hat for a matter they felt was important. Anyhow, I am curious to see if others underwent this ordeal in their attempt to have their name removed from the books. | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 4639 Registered: 12-2003  |
Oh, yes, 91Stepsóa great many people have had this experience! I'm sure many will share their stories... Colleen | ||
| 91steps Registered user Username: 91steps Post Number: 94 Registered: 8-2005 |
I e-mailed the pastor and informed him I know EXACTLY what they are doing, hoping to stall and I will have a change of heart! HA-HA, I have decided if they do not vote on my request by the end of Sept I will contact the local Conf and inform them. | ||
| Susan_2 Registered user Username: Susan_2 Post Number: 2388 Registered: 11-2002 |
I wouldn't think it is a big rush to the SDA's to get to your letter of resignation. Over the years I have written numerous letters of resignation, some to the various churches that had my membership as well as to the conference and I have never heard back. In fact, I have written just to ask that they search their books and check to see if I'm still on the membership and I have requested they let me know and I have not heard back. Your request means nothing to them. In fact, by asking for a vote the folks in charge of that church may interpert that you are trying to stir up dissent so they are deliberately stalling. | ||
| 91steps Registered user Username: 91steps Post Number: 95 Registered: 8-2005 |
The situation with the Glen Burnie church is unique, their pastor shares 2 churches. If either one loses too many members the conference will close that church, sell off the property and combine both congregations. That is the main reason I want my name off their books, and also so I can joing the Messianiac Congregation I have been attending. When I was on the Board at Glen Burnie, I checked the books and they had folks listed who had been dead for several years!!!! They will not remove someone's name unless they request it, no matter how long it has been since they last attended. They have a family of 5 on the books whom they ran out 6-7 years ago, so that ought to tell you something. | ||
| Honestwitness Registered user Username: Honestwitness Post Number: 141 Registered: 7-2005  |
If you still have a church directory with mailing addresses, you might want to consider advising the church board that you will begin sending materials by mail to all church members, until you receive a written confirmation that your name has been removed from all membership rolls. I'm sure you can think of something uplifting to send everyone, even if it's just a little postcard with a Bible verse on it and the URLs of several former SDA web sites. That should provide some motivation for them. Honestwitness | ||
| Susan_2 Registered user Username: Susan_2 Post Number: 2389 Registered: 11-2002 |
My heroin addict former husband was still on the church membership even after he had not been to church in 20 years and he'd been in prison for a lot of that time. The SDA and Catholic are the only churches that I know of that figure 'once a Catholic/SDA always a Catholic/SDA'. BTW, we met in elementary school at the SDA school where we both attended. | ||
| Helovesme2 Registered user Username: Helovesme2 Post Number: 650 Registered: 8-2004  |
 I asked for my name to be taken off SDA books when I joined the SDA Reform Movement somewhere around 1993. So far as I can tell they never did do it. As recenlty as last year I got a letter asking me if I could be a 'delegate at large' at their local conference business meeting! That's one thing I found different with the Reform Movement. They DID accept my resignation promptly - albeit not unanimously. I'm grateful for that. Blessings, Mary | ||
| Randyg Registered user Username: Randyg Post Number: 255 Registered: 12-2004 |
When I submitted my letter of resignation in 11-13-2005, I received a call one week later that the board would act on it. I haven't heard a word, or received an official letter yet. It doesn't seem to bother me, as I still see and interact almost weekly with many of these good friends. I do feel that in some cases the Pastor or Church as a whole find it difficult to follow through, because they feel somewhat complicit in someone leaving the Remnant church and potentially losing their soul. It is also just bad PR. The Adventist Church is largely a numbers game. Whether it is countries entered, baptisms, hospitals, tithe, students, pieces if literature passed out, etc,etc. There is definitely more emphasis put on people becoming Adventist, than people becoming Christian. Being Christian to an Adventist is not good enough. Unless you have the "TRUTH" you are considered suspect. Alas, I have wondered off topic again. Later on folks, peace and goodwill. Randy | ||
| U2bsda Registered user Username: U2bsda Post Number: 174 Registered: 11-2004 |
Mary, What is the SDA Reform movement? | ||
| 91steps Registered user Username: 91steps Post Number: 96 Registered: 8-2005 |
Radny, the numbers game is correct! They have an entire Dept at the GC for statistics, and I hate to me just a number. I won't resort to PSYOPS against them, although I have seriously considered it. No, I will contact the Conf and tell them about the situation, see what happens. | ||
| Agapetos Registered user Username: Agapetos Post Number: 361 Registered: 10-2002  |
91steps, yeah, just take off your name higher up and don't worry about it. Also, about joining another church... why wait? You don't need to wait for SDA's response. "Membership" is in Christ, and He's got your name. What we do with "membership" is more of an organizational formality. | ||
| Goldenbear Registered user Username: Goldenbear Post Number: 154 Registered: 12-2004 |
I wonder if just having your membership moved to the conference church and then having the conference committee act on it might be advisable. This might spur the pastor to action because it would put a light on the number racket they are running. | ||
| Timmy Registered user Username: Timmy Post Number: 32 Registered: 8-2006  |
91, Very interesting, Last year my wife and I started asking questions that our pastor did not like. (Believe it or not, one of the hottest topics was, Why can't we say we are saved if the Bilbe is full of that kind of language!) He told some of our friends not to study with us and others not to even talk to us! (they say they don't practice shunning but you can't convince me) Then he told us if we didn't ask to have our names removed he would "drag our names through the mud" and have us kicked out. We played cat and mouse with him for a while and then it hit us, what were we fighting for? So we wrote the letter 08/05. Two weeks later he was there with the confirmation letter and denied that he ever gave us an ultimatum. I could write all day on just the lies he was spreading. He told one member he "muscled" us out. Interestingly though, in Oct. My son decided, after hearing the song "Your Grace is Enough" that he wanted his name off the books too. So he emailed the same pastor, got a response right away that said they would remove him, but to this day he is still on their books and we still get their junk mail. When my sons one year anniversary comes up I am going to "remind" the pastor of his "promise" | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 4641 Registered: 12-2003 |
Tim, what a story. Yes, they're running a numbers game, for sure. We did get confirmation from the local church when we asked to have our names removed, but we still get the conference newsletter. We no longer get mailings from the local churchóbut we certainly haven't been removed at the conference level. So, Goldenbear, I don't know whether or not it would be much help to appeal to the conference church or not! Colleen | ||
| 91steps Registered user Username: 91steps Post Number: 97 Registered: 8-2005 |
I used to be a member of the conference church, too political there for me and my wife. Right now I am so disgusted it isn't funny, the Glen Burnie church is about to kick off their Amazing Facts campaign in a few weeks, so they are too busy!! Half of me wants to go picket across the street, but I sure do not need to get arrested!! | ||
| Honestwitness Registered user Username: Honestwitness Post Number: 143 Registered: 7-2005 |
91steps, what is PSYOPS? Honestwitness | ||
| Flyinglady Registered user Username: Flyinglady Post Number: 2828 Registered: 3-2004  |
91steps, I can sure identify with wanting to go picket. During the month of July the local SDA church, who use the community church near me, had a prophecy seminar. I wanted to go and put Ratzlaff's book on each car in the parking lot. Diana | ||
| Loneviking Registered user Username: Loneviking Post Number: 464 Registered: 7-2000 |
Goldenbear, the 'conference' church won't act on a name removal. I've tried as that is where mine still is. They said that only a local congregation has the authority to take that action. Honestwitness, 'PSYOPS' is a military acronymn for Psychological Operations. | ||
| 91steps Registered user Username: 91steps Post Number: 99 Registered: 8-2005 |
Honestwtiness, AKA, mind games, messing with someones head/mind. Like what the US did to Noriega during Operation Just Cause. I could always think up some tale to tell them, something that violates their 28 "life rules" and see what they do, but I doubt that would force their hand. As big of a pain in the butt that I was at the GC, I would think that they would WELCOME my resignation!!! | ||
| 91steps Registered user Username: 91steps Post Number: 105 Registered: 8-2005 |
Yesterday afternoon one of the "elders" from the church called to talk to me. I was busy tending to our Box Turtle and told my wife to tell him I have nothing to say. This call was a result of a big argument my wife got into with this particular elder and two others. She told him that they pretty much ran me out of the church over my working on the Sabbath at the GC. So I guess he wanted to call to "make nice", who knows. I have no desire to speak to any of them, so I sent him an e-mail telling him to not waste his time, NO ONE has contacted me in over a year, so why bother now. I sure won't come back to church because he suddenly got a case of the conscience and calls me. | ||
| Flyinglady Registered user Username: Flyinglady Post Number: 2856 Registered: 3-2004 |
I bought my younger sister's house. Every so often I get mail from the SDA church in which we grew up in CA addressed to her and her ex husband. Within the last 2 months I received 2 items and returned them saying that these people no longer lived at this address. I used to give them to my sister. She never bothered to have the address changed so that is why I send them back to the church and told them she is no longer at this address. She has not lived in CA for more than 25 years and never got her membership changed and she still got stuff from the church and from Pacific Union Conference. Just a little tidbit about churches removing names. Diana | ||
| 91steps Registered user Username: 91steps Post Number: 109 Registered: 8-2005 |
I just sent an e-mail to the pastor demanding my name be removed ASAP! It has been close to 4 months and they keep dilly dalleying around, and I am getting fed up. I informed him if this matter is not taken care of ASAP I will contact an attorney. Whether he realizes it, my one cousin is an Asst District Attorney in PA, who is also licensed to practice in MD, so I know he would represent me for free!!! This whole thing is taking way too long, and I am at the end of my rope with them. Maybe to some it isn't that big of a deal, but to me it sure is. | ||
| 91steps Registered user Username: 91steps Post Number: 110 Registered: 8-2005 |
UPDATE, according to my wife, they are FINALLY going to have a Business Meeting tonight, 14 Oct, and one of the things that will be brought up is my resignation. So please keep me in your prayers that they will act upon my request and cut me loose. One of the elders has contacted me via e-mail, but the ONLY reason he did so was because my wife told him he is one of the reason I am leaving. I won't go into details, but I did square things away with this man, despite what they did to me and how I was treated, I am going to be a true Christian and forgive them and NOT hold a grudge. |
