When Churches Split

by Kenneth Westby

Splits happen. There have been many, and there will be many more. They occur in all denominations and for that matter in just about any human organization. I experienced a big one first hand.

They called me “the Devil,” well, maybe not THE Devil, or THE Satan, but a bad hombre under the devil’s influence. I was accused of being used by the Prince of Darkness to attack “the church,” to cause a split. Heavy stuff. I was innocent of the charge and wasn’t pushing for a split, but what does that matter?

Who were the “they” to which I refer? The “they” were the human heads of God’s One and Only True Church, the OTC. They were the most important humans on earth, spiritually speaking, to use the proper caveat. More heavy stuff.

What was the crime that prompted my firing and energetic denunciation? Simply this: I questioned church practices, ethics, and doctrine and suggested reforms. In this I was not alone as 35 other ministers were of the same opinion on the same issues, and they too were fired. It now seems a lifetime ago.

Since I seemed to be a leader the devil label was pinned on me and great calamity ensued: The human heads of the OTC (One True Church) warned the confused and wavering brethren that this may be the end-time sign when Satan launches his attack to destroy…”

(This is an excerpt from the July-August 2011 edition of The Sabbath Sentinel)

To read the rest of this article, which starts on page 4, click this link: http://biblesabbath.org/media/TSSJulyAug2011Issue550.pdf