The issues with higher education is exactly why I dropped out of the master's program at Southern. I had been asked to attend by our conference officials and had agreed, expecting to find good, solid, Adventist textbooks and teaching. While the teaching wasn't bad, the textbooks set me thinking. In nearly every class, the majority of the textbooks were written by non-Adventist authors, despite the fact that there were books written by Adventist authors on the subject. Several other pastors taking classes also questioned this. I began to study the Bible and EGW's writings on this subject and became convicted that I should not be reading this material. The following quotation figured prominently in my decision:
I was shown the necessity of those who believe that we are having the last message of mercy, being separate from those who are daily imbibing new errors. I saw that neither young nor old should attend their meetings; for it is wrong to thus encourage them while they teach error that is a deadly poison to the soul and teach for doctrines the commandments of men. The influence of such gatherings is not good. If God has delivered us from such darkness and error, we should stand fast in the liberty wherewith He has set us free and rejoice in the truth. God is displeased with us when we go to listen to error, without being obliged to go; for unless He sends us to those meetings where error is forced home to the people by the power of the will, He will not keep us. The angels cease their watchful care over us, and we are left to the buffetings of the enemy, to be darkened and weakened by him and the power of his evil angels; and the light around us becomes contaminated with the darkness. {EW 124.3}
I determined that if I was reading these books on my own, without God's compulsion to do so, I didn't want to continue. I prayed and asked the Lord, if it was His will that I continue, that they would tell me it was mandatory. I phoned the conference and was told a couple days later that it was not mandatory. I withdrew from classes.
About one year later, I went before the ordination review board for our conference. One of the questions they asked was whether or not I was attending classes at Southern. I told them I was not and they asked why. I explained my convictions based on the Bible and EGW. They told me that Ellen White read other authors. I agreed but told them that, first of all, there weren't many Adventist authors in her day as there are today. Second, I reminded them that what Mrs. White did, she did with God's compulsion and had angels attending her when she did. I said that unless I had God's compulsion to go and would have the assurance of His angels beside me, I would not go.
Our conference president then told me that I had to go. When I immediately agreed, they looked a little puzzled like that was too easy. I then explained that I had prayed that if it was God that wanted me to go, that I would be told it was mandatory and they had just given me the answer to my prayer.
I still cringe when I have to read books by authors I know aren't teaching the truth (unfortunately that includes some Adventist authors), but I pray every time I open one of those books that God will give me the wisdom to recognize the error from the truth and that He will guard my mind from the negative effects.
When I write the book reports for my classes, I make sure I defend my beliefs and convictions against the error proffered in those books. I may not be the most popular student with the professors, but I don't care much to be popular with them. All I want to do is to please my Lord and Savior.
I hope this might encourage someone to stand up for the truth as it is in God's word. If we don't stand for the truth now, how can we expect to stand when things really get tough?
LtV