Over 800 believers gathered together in the small Italian town of Tortoreto for a spiritual feast, from September 27 to 30. The setting was a peaceful resort on the shores of the Adriatic Sea. It was a time to come apart from the world and spend four days in communion with the Lord and His people—a small foretaste of things to come in the new heaven.
The conference opening address was given by outgoing president Idel Suarez Jr. He introduced the theme of the conference which was, The Time of the Reformation—500 Years of Reformation.
John the Baptist was a great reformer. After the prophet Malachi, 400 years passed before John the Baptist began preaching. It was a mysterious time of silence with no prophets. No books had been added to the Canon of the Bible during that time. The final verses in the Old testament read, “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.” Malachi 4:5–6. The Jewish people held on to this promise and as the Passover was celebrated year after year, they always kept an empty seat, waiting for Elijah to come. Finally, Elijah did come. Jesus Himself stated, “For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come.” Matthew 11:13–14. John came in the spirit and power of Elijah (Luke 1:17). It was a spirit to awaken those dead in trespasses and sins; a spirit to make people turn back to the worship of the Lord. John came to direct the people to Christ. “Behold the Lamb of God.” John 1:29. He came to reform and restore the religious practices of the people, showing that salvation is not through their ceremonies, but salvation is having Jesus enthroned in your heart. We need to crucify ourselves and live in Christ. Just as John the Baptist broke the 400 years of silence, we are called to break the silence and proclaim the coming of Christ. We need to preach, as did John, the necessity of true repentance and returning to basic Christianity, through a simple faith in Christ.
For the remainder of the day on Wednesday and during sessions on Thursday and Friday, the history of the Reformation was studied in more depth. Two sessions ran concurrently—one session focused on the lives and ministry of the great reformers of the past, and the other session focused on various doctrinal issues that were brought to light during the times of those reformers.
On Wednesday the focus of the meetings was on the time period before the days of Martin Luther. On Thursday the sessions focused on the Reformers of the 16th Century, and on Friday, The Great Themes of Adventism.
The lives of the following Reformers were presented:
Columba—the Great Missionary from Ireland: (Brother Pablo Hunger). Columba was not a simple man; he was of royal heritage—the descendant of a king. During his life he decided to take a pilgrimage to Rome, and on the way he stopped in France. There he came across a piece of the Scriptures. After reading it, he changed his mind about going to Rome. Although he faced much opposition, he then became a great reformer, preaching the truths of the Bible and also training other missionaries. We need to have the courage of Columba, preaching and teaching the great truths of the Bible for the time in which we live.
Peter Waldo and the Waldenses: (Brother Douglas Francis). It was Rome’s war against the Bible that plunged the world into The Dark Ages and it was in this time of spiritual darkness that the Waldenses upheld the truths of God’s word. Peter Waldo was a businessman who underwent a spiritual conversion. He was rich, but became poor for the sake of the gospel. After providing for his wife and daughter, the remainder of his money he spent to pay missionaries and produce Bibles. The Waldenses were treated cruelly for no wrongdoing on their part. However, this is how God’s children have many times been treated in history. And history will repeat itself once more in the time of the end. Our freedoms and rights will be taken away if we choose to observe the true Sabbath of God’s law. Will you be able to stand?
Girolamo Savonarola—The Great Italian Reformer: (Brother Francesco Caputo). Girolamo Savonarola faced a martyr’s death in daring to defy the Roman church. He wrote many books, and was a great reformer. He was courageous in death knowing that they may take his earthly life, but the promise of eternal life was waiting for him. If Jesus is first in our lives, in the last trial of this earth He will be with us and will see us through.
John Wycliffe—The Morning Star of England: (Brother Larry Watts). The message of John Wycliffe was that Jesus is the only Saviour of the world. He wrote many books and was a fearless preacher in the face of fierce opposition. He had a passion—that the scriptures be made available for the common person to read, and thus he translated the Bible into the English language. The Lord is looking for more Johns to stand against the tyranny of the devil today.
John Huss—The Reformer from Bohemia: (Brother Tzvetan Petkov). John Huss was an orphan who came from poor circumstances. Yet, he still managed to get an education for free through the church. He was a good student and fell in love with the word of God. From reading the Scriptures he underwent a change in his life. He learned much also from the writings of John Wycliffe. John Huss learned to ignore criticism and stand firm in his religious convictions which were based on the Word of God. He tried to reform the church from within, with little success. He courageously met a martyr’s death for his faith. It is today that we are to have our characters molded so we will be able to face the trials of the future and perhaps a martyr’s death.
Jerome—the Knight from Bohemia: (Brother Roland de la Paz) It was Jerome who brought the writings of Wycliffe to John Huss. He and John Huss worked closely together. John Huss faced a martyr’s death before Jerome. Although Jerome faltered and recanted when first threatened with death, he deeply repented. The Lord forgave him and he was given a second opportunity to answer for his faith. The second time he stood faithful and followed John Huss to the flames. God in His mercy may give us a second opportunity if we falter; however, we need to pray that we can remain faithful the first time and at all times.
Casiadoro De Reina—The Great Reformer of Spain (Brother Danilo Lopez Moterosso). De Reina was an author, translator, writer, and theologian. He translated the Bible into Spanish. He came into conflict with the state religion and was persecuted by the inquisition. He later spent some time in England where he was given some freedom to preach. When the devil tried to destroy the Bible, people wanted it more and more. Today we have many Bibles in our homes and few take the time to search it diligently.
Martin Luther—The Great Reformer of Germany (Brother Daniel Serban). Martin Luther was not only a reformer of Germany, but of the World. His books were distributed all throughout Europe. He was a faithful Catholic priest, but as he searched the Scriptures and the Holy Spirit revealed the truths to him, his faith led him to a place were he was in opposition to the many false practices in the church. He boldly stood for the true faith in the Word of God and was led to answer for his faith in front of the greatest dignitaries and leading men of this earth. Their high positions did not cause him to falter, and he humbly asked his accusers to show him from the Word of God where he was in error. They were unable to provide an answer to his question. In his exile Luther translated the Bible into the German language. He discovered that the true God is a God of joy and he wrote many songs to accompany religious services.
Julianillo—the Great Canvasser of Spain (Brother Alfred Fisicaro). Julianillo was not as well known as Luther, Huss and Zwingli; however, the Lord still had work for him to do. He dedicated himself to distributing the Word of God. He was short, looked weak and sickly; however, he gave what he could to the Lord. He went to Switzerland to find pamphlets and Bibles printed into the Spanish language and found a way to smuggle them
into Spain, as it was against the law to import religious material. He then distributed the material. He put his talents into the service of the Lord. In the Spirit of Prophecy we read of the importance of literature work and canvassing in the final days of this earth’s history. May God help us to participate in this very important work.
Phillip Melanchthon (Arnolfo Cortes). Philip Melanchthon was the right-hand man and most trusted friend of Martin Luther. He is characterized as being meek, cautious, and conscientious, with a love for the people. He loved peace. Although some may look at him and say he lacked decision and courage, however, he had a great interest in the welfare of the church. Yet, these were essential qualities for the growth of the church. The Lord gives varied talents and gifts to the different members and leaders and all have their duties in the Lord’s vineyard.
The Reformation in Africa (Parmenas Shirima). After the time of Christ, the truth of Christianity was brought to Africa through faithful men like the Ethiopian Eunuch who met Philip on his journey. Africa began with a good future on the horizon, but in the course of time problems arose and it became known as the Dark Continent, with many satanic practices such as witchcraft and voodoo. The Protestant Reformation came to Africa through many dedicated missionaries, David Livingstone being the most well-known. He opened the way and encouraged others to follow in his footsteps. And he was a pioneer in the abolishing of slavery. The Seventh-day Adventist message came to Africa in 1887 with two missionaries coming to South Africa. The message of Reformation began in Zimbabwe in 1930 and has spread to many other countries. The message is going to the far corners of the earth. The Lord will come soon.
John Calvin—The Great French Reformer (Alfred Ngwenya). There was much activity in Europe because that is where the seat of the beast sits. Wherever there is darkness, the Lord sends light. John Calvin was a theologian who read and accepted many of the works of Martin Luther. He was also a lawyer. Whatever your career is, the Lord has an assignment for you. Calvin spent much time in Bible study and held daily and weekly services. Calvin could have been prominent in the world, but he chose to submit to the Lord. We are also encouraged to give our plans to the Lord, submit to His leading, and accept the direction He decides to lead us.
Theodore Beza (Brother Yapci Trujillo). Theodore Beza was the successor of John Calvin. He was a poet and also had a law degree. He was an educated man and came from a family of governors. Once he accepted Christ he became a positive influence as did Daniel and his three friends. After he had a serious illness, being in danger of losing his life, he began to think seriously about the Lord and he surrendered his life to Christ. Because of his influential position, in a subtle way he was able to save many of the lives of his brothers in the faith who were persecuted. The Lord has His people in all classes of society, the rich, the poor, the educated, and the unlearned. The Lord has a mission for each and every one.
Space does not permit us to go into more detail regarding the doctrinal subjects that were being studied concurrently at the conference. The doctrinal subjects, as they were discovered by the Reformers were as follows: The Sabbath and Church Festivals; Icons and Idolatry; Celibacy; False theory of Purgatory; False theory of Indulgences; and, The Debate about the Bread and Wine. Some of the great principles that came out of the Protestant Reformation were the concepts of Salvation: By grace alone; Salvation only through the Scriptures; Through faith; and, most importantly, only through Christ, not through any rites or ceremonies or priests.
On Friday morning, Brother Humberto Avellaneda Blanco spoke of the hope of the Christian, which is Christ’s Second coming. All the signs foretell that His coming is near. May God help us to be ready and courageous to stand for the truth as did the Reformers of old. Brother Pablo Hunger continued on this theme for Sabbath opening, encouraging us to follow the footsteps of Jesus and know what our commission is in life. May it be in union with the gospel commission that the Lord has given. The Lord will not force us to follow Him. Our service must be through love.
A most wonderful event took place on Friday morning, with the baptism of eight dear souls in the clear waters of the Adriatic Sea. All heaven rejoiced as these souls made a covenant with the Lord, to turn their backs on the world and to follow Jesus.
The morning and evening worships also were very inspiring.
Brother Morris Lowe gave us an individual call for Reformation in our personal lives. He encouraged us to be familiar with the enemy within and through the help of Christ, to conquer that enemy. Satan has an alibi with us—our human nature. It is our greatest liability against sin and Satan. We cannot change by ourselves. We must make a conscious decision that we want to follow the Lord and He will help us gain the victory. What we do not overcome, will overcome us in the end. Our only hope is in Jesus.
A Reformation in our personal life includes not only doctrines, but also practices; and Brother Lowe shared with us the importance of the health message and salvation. Vegetarianism is only one small part of Health Reform. There are also social factors and psychological factors (such as stress) that affect our health. It is the Lord’s plan for man to enter paradise sanctified.
The Divine Service on Sabbath brought all the themes studies in the past few days to a conclusion. Brother Tzvetan Petkov shared the subject of, The Time of Reformation.
Quoting Hebrews 9:9–10, “Which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience; Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation.” Brother Petkov brought out two themes mentioned here—Conscience and Forms.
Our conscience is dependent on our values. It needs to be perfected by the Holy Spirit and purified by the Word of God. Our conscience will disappear or turn around if we pay too much attention to the world. However, when we read the Bible it creates in us a desire to be like Jesus and His disciples and then what goes against the Word of God gets rebuked by our conscience. It is possible to put our conscience to sleep as did the Pharisees. They calmed their conscience by doing “good works”. They paid their tithes and performed all their rituals to quiet their troubled conscience. They were worse than the blind because they did not see their weakness. The formalism of the Pharisees is deadly. In contrast we see the Publican Jesus spoke of, who externally was not a good person. Publicans took extra money so they could have for themselves. However, this publican had a conscience that was alive. When he came to the temple he felt so unworthy, he could not even look up.
The church of Laodicea is blinded (Revelation 3:17). They are rich in knowledge, but also rich in form. In comparing formalism with real Christianity, Jesus told the story of the Good Samaritan. Jesus told this story to bring out the point that Christianity was given by God to make you a better person. Your religion is worthless if your life does not change for the better and you have a greater burden for helping others.
In the history of the Reformation we see how the Reformers earnestly studied the Bible, and how their consciences became enlightened. They had a great desire to follow Jesus, and also to share the love of Jesus with others. They did not keep their light to themselves. We are encouraged to follow the footsteps of the great Reformers of the past—to read our Bibles and point others to the great truths contained therein. May God help us to have an active and sensitive conscience and a great desire to follow and please the Lord.
Following an afternoon filled with music and testimonies, all too soon it came time to say farewell. Encouragement was given by several of the Pastors for each member to continue in the pathway of the Reformation and remain firm as a rock as far as truth is concerned, but meek as a lamb when working with souls. May God help us to be faithful in the corner of the world where He has us today. Amen.
As it was not possible to attend both sessions, only a partial report is given here.
All of the services can be found in their entirety on the General Conference web site: www.sda1844.org
LIST OF NEW OFFICERS (2017-2022)
President – Tzvetan Petkov (Bulgaria/U.S.A.)
Vice President – Humberto Avellaneda Blanco (Colombia)
First Secretary – Douglas Francis (Sri Lanka)
Second Secretary – Yony Delgado Cotrina (Peru)
Treasurer – Evance Mtikama (Malawi)
GENERAL CONFERENCE FULL COMMITTEE
The five officers listed above, plus:
Jose Vicente Giner Hernandez (Switzerland) (Social Ministry Leader)
Idel Suarez, Jr. (U.S.A.) (Ministerial Committee Leader)
Morris Lowe (Canada) (Help Ministry Leader)
Pablo Hunger (Austria/U.S.A.) (North American/Caribbean Division Leader)
Francesco Caputo (Italy) (European Division Leader)
Anton Salavyov (Bulgaria/Australia) (Oceania Division Leader)
Alfred Ngwenya (Zimbabwe) (African Division Leader)
Danilo Lopes Monterroso (Guatemala) (Latin American Division Leader)
Roland De La Paz (Philippines) (Asian Division Leader)
Elijah Zwane (Swaziland/Madagascar) (African Division Vice President)
Ministerial Department Leader– Idel Suarez, Jr. (U.S.A.)
MINISTRY LEADERS
HELP MINISTRY Leader – Morris Lowe(Health Department Leader)
Good Samaritan Department – Stefano La Corte (Italy)
Health Department – Morris Lowe (Canada)
Architecture/Engineering Department – Edison Martinez
MISSIONARY MINISTRY Leader – Pablo Hunger (Evangelism Leader)
Evangelism Department – Pablo Hunger (Austria/USA)
Publishing Department – Raquel Orce (Spain/USA)
Canvassing Department – Joel Barnedo (Philippines/USA)
Multimedia Department – Jose Fernando Leon (Mexico/Italy)
SOCIAL MINISTRY Leader – Jose Vicente Giner Hernandez (Youth Department Leader)
Family Department – Adalicio Fontes Souza (Portugal)
Education Department – Margaret Seely (USA)
Youth Department – Jose Vicente Giner Hernandez (Switzerland)
For a complete listing, see the General Conference Web site.
Please join us in prayer for the new officers in their responsibilities in the work of the Lord for the next five years.