April 1998 - A secret interchurch meeting occurred in Geneva, Switzerland, which was the culmination of five years of meetings there. By the nature of the agreement that was entered into, we would expect that these meetings and the last one were held at the headquarters of the World Council of Churches (WCC) in that city.  Representatives of several different denominations, including our own SDA, had attended each of those meetings.  These meetings were supposed to be secret; and it is only because of one man was a little too talkative, that I am able to tell you about the five years of meetings which were held, and the specific agreement that was entered into at this last  one, apparently in the spring of 1998.  Here is the background of this.

April 3, 1999, at about 4pm on Wednesday, I, Vance Ferrell, received a phone call from a layman who told me of a visit he made a few days earlier to friends in Upstate New York.  On Sabbath, April 3, he attended the Canton Seventh-day Adventist Church in Canton, New York.  Here are the details...

Robert Burnette, a  North American Division officer was present, and gave the 11 o'clock sermon, that morning at the Canton Church.  After the sermon, this layman spoke with Burnette in the foyer near the door.  Burnette may have been handing his business card to each family as they left; at least, he handed one to the family just before this layman.  As the layman shook his hand, he handed one to him.  It appeared that he was rather new to the North American Division staff and quite proud that he could have a business card to hand out.  Here is the wording on this business card:

Robert Burnett, Director

North American Division Multilingual

Minitries, Native Evangelism Initiative,

12501 Old Columbia Pike,

Silver Spring, Maryland  209-4-6600

410-740-5415 Voice     410-730-6988 fax

74532.3241@compuserve.com

You will find Burnette's name on page 168 of the 1999 edition of the SDA Yearbook.  In that year, Manuel Vasquez was Director of the Native Evangelism Initiative--and the "2000 Nations Project"--whatever that means.

Checking at the time of this writing, (2011), we find that he hold Oklahoma Conference ministerial credentials.  Under the list of conference officers, we find this:  "Native American Ministries, Robert D. Burnette"

Burnette told the layman in 1999 that he was in charge of Adventist work to native Americans in the United States and Canada.  Appreciative of the fact that Burnette was overseeing some Adventist missionary work, the Layman wanted to tell him about the missionary work his own church was doing.  Burnette listened intently as the layman (from a church many miles to the south of New York) told him about a project his congregation was conducting, to alert people in the area to a clearer understanding that the Seventh-day Sabbath was, indeed, the only true Bible Sabbath.

In response, Burnette stopped him and said that this layman's local church should not be doing this, since, by doing so, they were publicizing the truth about the Bible Sabbath too openly.  The layman was puzzled by his words, and asked what he meant.  Fortunately, he spoke in an inquiring, not a negative manner (which would have ended the conversation).

Then Burnette told the layman that, at a secret meeting of "Catholic, Adventist, and Protestant church leaders," it had been agreed that the Seventh-day Adventist Church would tone down its public presentations of the Bible Sabbath.  Burnette made it clear that this was the one Adventist doctrine that was especially disturbing to other denominational leaders.  Burnette obviously felt that this concession had been a good one and would improve our relations with the other denominations on all levels.

(The reason the other churches are disturbed by the Bible Sabbath is that it is solidly grounded in Scripture and cannot be denied.  They recognize that they should also be keeping it, and the most effective way to avoid doing so it to pressure us to no longer publically mention it.  We may observe it within our own churches, but we should no longer bring it to the attention of the world.  Our leaders were assured that, if they would but make this one concession, we would be promised a much closer fellowship with the other churches.  This was something that, for some strange reason, our leaders wanted.)

Burnette, who tended to be a talkative man, then somewhat changed the subject and said the churches need to work together to prepare for the year 2000 or 2001.  He said there would be a coming "test," and there was need for unity by the churches, and John Paul (Pope John Paul II; died April 2, 2005) had given a call for the churches to come home.

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(Later, another person relayed the same story to Vance Ferrell and they too had heard it from Mr. Burnette.  Two witnesses.  We have been sold out by the conference leaders who do not care about the truth.  We are told in the Bible that God is Truth.  They have sold out God.  We need to take a stand individually for the truth and support independent ministries that care about the truth.)