The leadership of the corporate Seventh-day Adventist church has gone so far to protect its trademarked names “Seventh-day Adventist”and “Adventist” that it has culminated with law authorities arresting the pastor of a small separatist group, “The Creation Seventh-day Adventist Church.” Walter “Chick” McGill was arrested on Friday July 13, 2012 on the campus of Loma Linda University for refusing to comply with a Tennessee court order demanding that the group cease using the name “Seventh-day Adventist”. The group formally separated from the corporate church in 1991 for various theological reasons and do not make any claims about being associated with them. However, on the basis of their religious convictions they still choose to use the name Seventh-day Adventist as they believe it represents a religious belief and not a the name of a state sanctioned corporation that is subject to trademark law. Lawyers from the Seventh-day Adventist church sued the group in 2006 and a series of legal hearings and appeals have gone on ever since leading to the issuing of arrest warrants for McGill and his associate Lucan Chartier in April of 2012. The legal details have been well documented and are available on one of the websites sponsored by the group (click this link.)
Although the church leadership goes to much effort to divert any discussion of the apparent hypocrisy of such actions in view of the church’s long standing position as champions of religious liberty, for all those outside the fold, but not for those who consider themselves Adventists it seems. Popular media outlets such as local TV stations and newspapers have been reporting on this case for some time. It is just recently that a couple of mainstream Adventist websites (Spectrum and Adventist Today) have begun to research into the matter and report on it (for a complete list of news reports on this case, please see the list below). The ensuing discussions have been quite lively. More conservative independent Adventist groups have also issued grave concerns over the conflict of the church’s actions with scripture and the Spirit of Prophecy in this case and others. (For a well researched article on the general problem with trademarking the church’s name, please see: thethirdangelsmessage.com. For a deeper investigation into the religious liberty crisis within the church please visit religiouslibertyhoax.com).
Now that the church leadership has more fully revealed its true character by seeing to the arrest of those with whom they disagree but feel convicted to identify themselves as “Seventh-day Adventists”, it remains to be seen how far they will go in using the legal arm of the state to silence what they consider to be dissident or “offshoot” groups under the Adventist umbrella. We believe that the behind the scenes working of the church leaders on this issue is not merely a coincidence. If they are so unscrupulous in their dark deeds to spend tens of thousands of God’s sacred tithe to harass and silence a seemly insignificant group of less that twenty believers due to their severe case of identity crisis, then what is to stop them from going after groups which pose much more of a threat to their theological house of cards. Perhaps they feel confident at this time to go after McGill’s group since they can fairly well defend against some of McGill’s teachings such as the use of sacred names, keeping of the feast days, and non-trinitarianism. However, what happens when they line their sight on the group within the church that they despise and fear the most, the Shepherd’s Rod? It will not be so easy for them to honestly address the Rod doctrines since they are solid Bible and Spirit of Prophecy backed and simply cannot be refuted. Their only recourse will be to use the age old tactic of attacking character and promulgating a refuge of lies against Davidians which they have done ever since the message arose in 1930 — the message that continues to bring a call for revival and reformation that will lead to the latter rain to be poured out upon 144,000 consecrated Seventh-day Adventists who sigh and cry for all the abominations done in the church rather that sweep them under the rug. Yes it is trying times we live in and it will be interesting to see how this religious liberty crisis within the church continues to manifest itself as pressures mount.
ABC News Radio Online – Chattanooga
ABC7 News Coverage – Jackson, TN
http://www.wbbjtv.com/news/local/West-Tennessee-Pastor-Arrested-in-California-162632876.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZszZ0RRYDiA&feature=youtu.be
CBS News – Memphis, TN
http://wreg.com/2012/07/17/pastor-arrested-amidst-church-naming-controversy/
Press Enterprise – CA
http://www.pastorwalterchickmcgilllawsuit.net/images/PE71512.jpg
http://www.pe.com/local-news/breaking-news-headlines/20120716-religion-pastor-may-be-returned-to-tennessee.ece
http://blog.pe.com/multicultural-beat/2012/07/16/tennessee-pastor-may-serve-entire-sentence-in-sb/
Redlands Patch – Redlands, CA Newspaper
http://redlands.patch.com/articles/detention-hearing-in-riverside-for-tennessee-pastor-arrested-in-loma-linda
http://redlands.patch.com/articles/update-details-of-arrested-tennessee-pastor-s-split-with-seventh-day-adventists#photo-10682806
http://redlands.patch.com/articles/detention-hearing-in-riverside-for-tennessee-pastor-moved-up-to-2-p-m
Adventist Today
Spectrum Magazine
http://spectrummagazine.org/blog/2012/07/18/creation-seventh-day-adventist-pastor-imprisoned-fasting
Jackson Sun Newspaper, TN
http://www.jacksonsun.com/article/20120717/NEWS01/307170010 http://www.jacksonsun.com/article/20120716/NEWS01/120716004/Local-pastor-arrested-by-U-S-Marshals-California?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CFRONTPAGE
{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi,
A couple of things:
1) The amount is far more than “tens of thousands of dollars.” It would be closer to 1.5 million as a conservative estimate, based on the $73,000 cost of contempt hearings alone in addition to the Supreme Court filings which were estimated to be at least $1 million.
2) Actually, they’ve never been able to defend against any of our doctrines. If they were capable of doing so, it would mean the doctrines weren’t Biblical and we’d have stopped teaching them.
Thanks for publishing about the issue, however.
- Lucan Chartier
Dear Lucan:
Thank you for the corrected estimate about what the church is spending on legal fees to due their dirty work. Lawyers are not cheap.
Regarding the doctrines we mentioned, there are several Adventist ministries that have published a defense of the personally of the Holy Spirit as the third person of the Godhead which goes against the anti-trinitarian bias of some early Adventist pioneers as well as speaking up against the error of keeping of the feast days in a literal sense. But as this is not the focus of this particular post we will take up this in a separate post.
In Christian courtesy,
The Publishers
While some have said that in a world of murders, abortions and general lawlessness, the incarceration of two men for a few days does not amount to so great an event in the context of religious history. We urge those who are of this position to see the world with spiritual eyes, and understand that this is nothing less than the crucifixion afresh of the Messiah in the person of His servants. In addition to the precedent which this sets – the end of the remaining fragments of true religions freedom in the United States – we must remember the words of the Savior and Judge, who will say in the Day of Reckoning, “Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done [this] unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” (Matthew 25:40)
Yet another member of the Creation Seventh Day Adventist Church has been imprisoned for the “Faith of Yahshua,” and the open protest for freedom of religion in the United States of America, and the world. We anticipate that Brother Lucan Chartier will be held for about 10 days, and then released, at which time the work of evangelism will continue.
Brother Chartier will, as Pastor McGill before him, be fasting from solid food during the time of his incarceration. Pastor McGill has, at this point in time, been held for 20 days, and the General Conference Corporation of Seventh Day Adventists has made no comment except for the inaccuracy-riddled press release where they attempt to justify their wanton disregard for the principles of Protestantism and basic Christian charity. While we appreciate the sympathetic responses some have expressed toward us, and our imprisoned brothers in particular, we urge those who are involved in this action – even tangentially – to examine the state of their faith, and their willingness to be partakers of the sins of prideful and wicked men.
While some have said that in a world of murders, abortions and general lawlessness, the incarceration of two men for a few days does not amount to so great an event in the context of religious history. We urge those who are of this position to see the world with spiritual eyes, and understand that this is nothing less than the crucifixion afresh of the Messiah in the person of His servants. In addition to the precedent which this sets – the end of the remaining fragments of true religions freedom in the United States – we must remember the words of the Savior and Judge, who will say in the Day of Reckoning, “Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done [this] unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” (Matthew 25:40)
Links to the news articles may be found here:
http://redlands.patch.com/articles/assistant-pastor-in-seventh-day-adventist-dispute-surrenders-to-redlands-police#photo-10842193
http://www.pe.com/local-news/san-bernardino-county/san-bernardino-county-headlines-index/20120731-redlands-tennessee-man-arrested-in-dispute-with-adventists.ece
A Youtube video may be found here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fi0KabUkMK8
Dear Elisha:
Thank you for the update on this serious affront to religious liberty. Despite the recent publicity on this case it seems that the church leadership are going to dig in their heals and continue to persecute those that they consider to be a threat. Predictably they will resort to a PR campaign to issue forth disinformation and attempt to keep the flock in darkness. Have they forgotten that God sees everything and will bring all works of darkness into the light of day? Lord have mercy upon us as a people as we suffer the reproach.
Dear Admin,
I am writing with an update, having been released yesterday from custody after 10 days of incarceration and fasting. I understand from his attorney that Pr. McGill will be released tomorrow on what constitutes the 30th day of his fast and incarceration.
If you support liberty of conscience and would like to see the persecution stopped, please sign the Liberty Petition. http://libertypetition.com/
Please enlist your constituency world-wide in order to send a clear message to the leaders who love corporate image and policy more than people.
Hello Friends,
We are finding few individuals who are willing to stand with us against the affront to religious liberty. I have tried to connect with Davidian leaders via email, but none respond. I hope that you will take this to heart and assist us in our endeavor to send a clear message to the top policy men of the GC– stop persecuting God’s people. This is not only a blessing to Creation 7th Day Adventists, but also better for the image of Seventh-day Adventism in the general view of society. The petition site is http://libertypetition.com/
Sincerely,
Pastor “Chick” McGill
http://adventistry.to/CSDARPU/
Dear Fried of Liberty:
We will be happy to post your appeal in behalf of religious liberty and encourage others to sign the liberty petition in an effort to arouse the church leaders to put an end to their persecution of those whom they consider to be dissidents and “off-shoots”.
Regarding the leaders of the other Davidian Associations we cannot speak for them but can only wonder as to their silence in this matter that effects all of us who profess the Adventist faith. Perhaps it is the fact that their Associations are all incorporated with the state in order to receive state favors (IRS 501c3) in the same manner as the mother church. (We have cried out against apostasy, see: http://whyperish.org/2010/09/irs-501c3-state-incorporation-a-trap-for-davidians/) It is a strange paradox being that we can see what the GC corporate church does with their trademarked name yet we follow their suit to incorporate. It is a reproach the Truth we hold dear. They have also departed from the scripture which warns us . . .
“Say ye not, A confederacy, to all them to whom this people shall say, A confederacy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid.” — Isaiah 8:12
Dear SR-admin,
So far, I have seen little activity on the Liberty Petition site. I appreciate your promotion of this petition however.
God has commissioned me to walk across the United States from east coast to west coast in 2014. The details are made available at http://walkthewalknow.com/ as they develop. If you know anyone who embraces Christian family values and who would be willing to walk a portion of the route in support of the cause, please post me.
It is possible the GC leadership will seek my incarceration again in order to interrupt this trek — they fear what I may spread throughout the nation. I appreciate the prayers of all who keep the commandments of God and have the faith of Jesus, and thank you for your support.
Dear Brother McGill,
We will continue to agitate religious liberty issues related to the Seventh-day Adventist church as they come to our attention. We are currently working on a new report which will expose the blatant disregard that church leaders have against those whom they deem to be dissidents, off-shoots, or the what not.
We had tried to get code from the change.org site to paste directly into a blog post to promote your case and another petition of interest to SDA’s on this site, but they quit providing this service despite our complaints. If something new develops at change.org we will try to promote these petitions once again.
Yours to stand strong for the Truth, come what may.
The Publishers