How I Came Into The Seventh-day Adventist Church (by Daryl J. Fawcett) I want to tell you how I came into the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
The events leading to that fateful and eventful day began unfolding when I was invited by my aunt to speak at a Women's Institute meeting in my home village of Anagance, NB Canada where I spent the first ten years of my life. I was asked to speak, of all things, about Youth & Drugs. The only reason I can think I was asked is because of my leadership involvement with an Inter-School/Varsity Christian Fellowship group.
Anyway, I accepted the invitation after calling upon another person to assist me. While speaking to a good group of women, I noticed a young person there. She looked like she was only 14 years old. She was actually in her 20s. I was not married then and she wasn't wearing a wedding ring.
Following the meeting, the ladies served coffee, tea, juice and finger foods. I happened to sit behind her so I soon started up a conversation with her. It wasn't long before I learned she was a Seventh-day Adventist. I decided right then and there to save her from such a fate. I had previously read a booklet about SDAs and knew a few things about them particularly their 10 Commandment keeping especially the 7th day Sabbath. I then believed the Law had been done away with and the Lord's Day was Sunday. Anyway, I brought up these topics and we got into some really deep discussion.
Suddenly, we noticed that we were almost practically the only ones still sitting. She invited me to go to her place and meet her husband. So much for the other possible interest. By then, however, my interest was in saving her and now her husband from the false teachings of the SDA Church. We left for her place where I met her husband and we continued the imprompu Bible study until 2:00 a.m. As you can see, I had it in my mind to straighten them out. You can see how well I succeeded.
After work the next day, I tore open my Bible and searched the Scriptures to biblically refute what we discussed the previous evening. I looked up all the references used to substantiate my side of things which people still use today when they fight against the truth. That evening I went to see them again to continue the battle to win them away from the SDA cult which I believed it to be back then. Night after night the studies continued. I searched the Scriptures in an attempt to counter everything they said.
One evening I challenged them to come and sit in on a church meeting that I was attending. They accepted the challenge. When I showed up to get them only one of them were able to come with me as her husband had another appointment. So the fourteen year old looking young lady came with me to church. As the pastor spoke she drew something to my attention. He spoke of the Bible but never really referred to any texts in the Bible. I listened and sure enough he wasn't and didn't. I never forgot that realization.
As time went on several nights later I found myself being drawn into what they presented to me as it was just too solid doctrine to refute. In desperation I went to a minister friend of mine as I was now questioning whether they were in fact a cult. To my surprise my minister friend said that they are a Christian group but stay away from them for they are very legalistic. The word "legalistic" was like a ton of bricks crashing on my head. I stayed away from them for a solid month as I pondered over that one. I had also read a book called, The Kingdom of the Cults" by Walter Martin who listed the SDA Church as a Christian group with doctrinal differences. I finally came to the conclusion that since my minister friend admitted to them being a Christian group and Walter Martin came to the same conclusion, I would continue my relationship and Bible discussions with them.
I paid them another visit. They were pleasantly surprised to see me as they thought they had seen the last of me. We continued our Bible based discussions. New light was striking me in my heart. I knew that new truth was being revealed to me not only from them but through a deeper study of the Scriptures. Instead of me bringing them out of the SDA Church, I found myself being drawn into the SDA Church. I went to their pray meetings, Sabbath Schools and church services and the Bible texts that were used extensively opened my eyes in a way that they had never been opened before.
What finally convinced me the most was the sanctity of the Sabbath. They lived what they believed from sunset to sunset. I saw the Sabbath observed in a way that I never ever saw observed on any Sunday. That spoke to me more than anything else. A few months later I was baptized into the Moncton, NB Canada Seventh-day Adventist Church in February 1976. Praise the Lord!!!!
Like many of you, I have my struggles as I talk the talk and walk the walk so to speak.
I solicit your prayers that I will be found faithful to the very end. The devil tempts me now more than he ever did before as he isn't happy in the decision I made.
He longs to use me to hurt God's church.
I pray that he will never succeed in doing that. Pray for me.
Thank you for taking the time to read my story o how I became a member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
------------------
In His Love, Mercy & Grace
Daryl Fawcett :)
