In May 2002 SDA General Conference President Jan Paulsen delivered a speech to gathered SDA Church leaders in which he made the following remarks:

“…we believe that being Seventh-day Adventists has direct bearing on our salvation; …I would risk my whole spiritual life and salvation were I to leave what I am now and join any other community.”

“A further word needs to be said about our being ‘loyal to our heritage and to our identity.’ Some would have us believe that there have been significant shifts in recent times in regard to doctrines that historically have been at the heart of Seventh-day Adventism. Take specifically our understanding of judgment and Christ’s ministry in the heavenly sanctuary (Investigative Judgment) and the prophetic messages in which these teachings are contained. Some are suggesting that since the 1980 (Glacier View) meetings, the very teachings that the church affirmed that year at those meetings have been abandoned, and that the church has essentially moved to accept the very positions it rejected then. Such a claim is a distortion of reality, and nothing could be further from the truth.” (Emphasis Added)

“The historic sanctuary message, based on Scripture and supported by the writings of Ellen White, continues to be held to unequivocally. And the inspired authorities on which these and other doctrines are based, namely the Bible supported by the writings of Ellen White, continue to be the hermeneutical foundation on which we as a church place all matters of faith and conduct. Let no one think that there has been a change of position in regard to this.”

You can view the entire message online at the Adventist Review website. The article is linked here: http://www.adventistreview.org/2002-1524/story3.html

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