News From The Front – September 1999

Dear praying friends,

We leave a summer marked by a number of unique events. Some happy, some breathtaking and some tragic. In July there was the happy reminder of man setting foot on the moon and no doubt many joined in the memory game of where were you when Neil Armstrong took his small step/giant leap? Then there was the breathtaking total eclipse viewed in wonder by millions around the globe. Not long after that there was the tragic devastation of the earthquake in Turkey when thousands were ushered swiftly into eternity. A pinnacle – man and the moon – a down to earth disaster – man and his mortality. One moment man can be ‘flying high but in the twinkling of an eye, like the one spoken of in Luke 12:20 it may be that “this night thy soul shall be required of thee”. Looking at large religious gatherings, whether held in Mecca, St Peter’s Square, Rugby Union HQ in Twickenham [JW annual convention] or Geneva [the Dalai Lama preached in Calvin’s former church on 8th August] one can see people who are happy and the sight can be breathtaking but the reality is that these are preludes to tragedy. Millions are perishing without Christ and are being eternally cut off from the blessing of God by a “great gulf fixed” – please pray that many will “take heed”.

Your servant for Christ

Cecil Andrews

  • Seventh-Day Adventism Christian or Cult

At the beginning of this year the well-known English-based counter cult ministry Reachout Trust included an article in their winter newsletter on the subject of Seventh-day Adventism. In the preamble they stated the following ‘We have been stating for many years now that we do not believe that they are a cult but in some of the churches we felt there could be cultish tendencies’. The article published in their newsletter took the form of 11 questions posed to and answered by JOHN SURRIDGE who was described as the ‘Communication Director at their [Seventh-day Adventism’s] British Headquarters’. Readers were further informed ‘that he has checked out the answers with a number of other scholars within the Adventist Church’.

Let me begin by saying that I have high regard for the ministry of Reachout Trust and have in times past obtained very helpful materials from them on a range of topics. In the wake of their article I did speak to Doug Harris [Director of Reachout Trust] to tell him that I hoped to respond to their article. Doug was pleased to hear of this, as it was their intention through the article to stir up thought and interest on this matter.

Anyone who has heard me speak on the subject of CULTS will know that I identify a number of features common to the groups that we [Evangelical bible-believing Christians] designate as CULTS. Two of the most important features are as follows –

A wrong view of the work of Christ

A wrong view on salvation.

If those features [that are inextricably linked] are found in any group that claims to be Christian the reality is [in my view] that that group is a CULT and not simply that it has ‘cultish tendencies’.

Keeping these 2 cult features in mind I want to focus on Question 5 and the answer given by John Surridge.

Question 5

Answer by John Surridge

It is often said that Seventh-day Adventists believe that Satan plays a part in salvation. Surely if he is to take away sin from the sanctuary to the lake of fire they have a point? How do you respond to this?

This suggestion has come about from the belief that on the Day of Atonement the Azazel goat had sins laid upon it and was sent into the wilderness. But in no sense is that goat a ‘sin-bearer’. The Day of Atonement is a symbol of the last judgement when Satan, Hades and death are cast into the lake of fire. The most important part of the Day of Atonement was when the Lord’s goat was sacrificed for sin, thus putting things right between God and His people. Only when the atonement was complete (Leviticus 16:16-19) did Azazel enter the picture. I think that the scapegoat was simply an indication that the devil would eventually be faced with the consequences of his action when sin and sinners will be no more. For most Seventh-day Adventists the identification of Azazel is an obscure side issue. Whatever the truth of the matter we certainly do not accept that Satan is in any sense involved in our salvation.

It is vital to note what Mr Surridge is teaching here about the Day of Atonement described for us in Leviticus chapter 16. He is telling us that atonement for sin was ‘complete’ once the ritual relating to ‘the Lord’s goat’ had been carried out. That when that instruction, by itself, with no input from the scapegoat [Azazel] had been carried out, it had the effect of ‘putting things right between God and His people’. In this answer we come to the heart of why Seventh-day Adventism is a CULT and not Christian for here we find our two cult features.

In the official Seventh-day Adventist publication ‘A Biblical Exposition of 27 Fundamental Doctrines’ there is an acknowledgement that the Day of Atonement ritual as outlined in Leviticus chapter 16 did in some measure picture the work of Christ at Calvary. We read on page 318 ‘Taking the blood of the Lord’s goat which represented the blood of Christ into the Most Holy Place, the high priest applied it directly, in the very presence of God, to the mercy seat…His action symbolised the immeasureable price Christ had to pay for our sins’.

The ritual relating to the scapegoat [Azazel] is totally divorced by Adventists from any connection with the work of Christ at Calvary when on the same page we read – ‘A careful examination of Leviticus 16 reveals that Azazel represents Satan, not Christ as some have thought’. On the next page we read ‘The scapegoat ritual on the Day of Atonement pointed beyond Calvary to the final end of the sin problem – the banishment of sin and Satan’ [Mr Surridge’s ‘symbol of the last judgement’].

A very important teaching concerning ‘putting things right between God and His people’ is found in verse 5 of Leviticus chapter 16 –

“And he shall take of the congregation of the children of Israel two kids of the goats [PLURAL] for a [SINGULAR] sin offering”.

For things to be ‘put right between God and His people’ BOTH GOATS were a vital complimentary part of the SINGLE ‘sin offering’. I hope now to show that BOTH do symbolise the work of Christ at Calvary and for any group to rule out any aspect as symbolised by them, as Adventists do, and ascribe it to Satan and to the future places that group clearly in the camp of the CULTS.

I want to ask a simple question – what was the purpose of a sin offering? In short – it was to remedy the problems caused by sin. And what are those problems? The scriptures show that they are twofold –

(1) GOD’S ANGER (2) MAN’S GUILT

For a sin offering to be effective it must turn away God’s anger and it must remove Man’s guilt.

What turns away God’s anger? In Exodus 12:13 God said to His people “when I see the blood, I will pass over you”. The applied blood of the SACRIFICIED lamb [“WITHOUT BLEMISH” v 5] was able to deflect the anger of God poured out upon the land of Egypt. It was in theological terms a ‘propitiation’ for God’s anger.

What can remove Man’s guilt? Only full payment of the prescribed penalty can remove the guilt for an offence committed. In theological terms this is ‘expiation’ of guilt. However Jewish law did allow for a SUBSTITUTE who was both willing and able to discharge a debt or penalty on behalf of someone within their family circle. Such a SUBSTITUTE was known as a “kinsman redeemer” [see Ruth 4:4].

On the Day of Atonement the SACRIFICED blood of “the Lord’s goat” served as a ‘propititation’ and pictured the visible shedding of the precious blood of Christ [“as of a lamb WITHOUT BLEMISH” 1 Peter1:19] at Calvary. Paul wrote concerning the work of Christ at Calvary “whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood” [Romans 3:25]

I wrote of the ‘visible shedding of the precious blood of Christ’ but there was another aspect of the work of Christ at Calvary. There was what I might term ‘the invisible suffering of the body of Christ’. Here I am referring to the 3 hours of unnatural but supernatural darkness that enveloped the death scene at Calvary. This I believe is where the Atonement effected by Christ surpassed the symbol.

We read in Hebrews 10:4 “It is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats should TAKE AWAY sins” and verse 11 declares “And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices which can never TAKE AWAY sins”. Whilst the sacrificial blood of animals acted [in the mercy and grace of God] as a temporary ‘propitiation’ for God’s anger the animal substitute could not TAKE AWAY Man’s guilt because it had no “kinsman” relationship to the one seeking forgiveness and cleansing from sin.

Christ, as “God manifest in the flesh” [1 Timothy 3:16] had that relationship and as such was both willing and able firstly as a SACRIFICE to visibly shed His blood to ‘propitiate’ God’s anger [just like ‘the Lord’s goat’] because He was the sinless [“WITHOUT BLEMISH”] Son of God. Then secondly in the darkness, as an acceptable SUBSTITUTE [Son of Man] He was again both willing and able to invisibly suffer [see also Psalm 42:7 and Jonah 2:3] and TAKE AWAY, that is ‘expiate’ Man’s guilt [just like ‘the scapegoat’ {Azazel}]. Hebrews 9:27-28 summed it up “As it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgement, So Christ was once offered TO BEAR the sins of many”.

No wonder the writer to the Hebrews in chapter 10 having told how the animal sacrifices could never “TAKE AWAY SINS” trumpeted forth THE GOOD NEWS concerning the work of Christ at Calvary in verse 12 “But this man [Christ] after he had offered one sacrifice for sins [in contrast to the oft repeated animal sacrifices]] FOR EVER sat down on the right hand of God”.

To emphasise the finality and complete perfection of this sacrifice [that it had solved the ‘twin’ problems of God’s anger and Man’s guilt] he went on to write in verse 14 “For by one offering he hath perfected FOR EVER them that are sanctified”.

Isaiah predicted this ‘TAKING AWAY’ in chapter 53 “Surely he [speaking prophetically of Christ] hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows…the Lord hath laid on him [a sin-bearing scapegoat] the iniquity of us all” [v 5-6].

John the Baptist pointed to this ‘TAKING AWAY’ when he said of Christ “Behold the lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world” [John 1:29]

The writer to the Hebrews pronounced this ‘TAKING AWAY’ in chapter 9:26 “but now once in the end of the world hath he [Christ] appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself”

Peter proclaimed this ‘TAKING AWAY’ in 1 Peter 3:24 “Who his own self [Christ] bare our sins in his own body on the tree”.

By their teachings on this subject Seventh-day Adventists have a wrong view of the work of Christ at Calvary and in consequence they have a wrong view on salvation – the 2 cult features mentioned previously.

John Gerstner in his booklet ‘The Teachings of Seventh-day Adventism’ on page 11 gave this quotation from an Adventist tract called ‘Fundamental Principles’ – ‘We dissent from the view that the atonement was made upon the cross as is generally held’.

In his reply to question 1 Mr Surridge said ‘Seventh-day Adventists accept that the cross was the full and complete sacrifice for sin’. Then in answer to question 10 – ‘Do you still believe that Ellen White was a prophetess?’ Mr Surridge replied ‘Yes, though she never claimed that title’. Bearing these answers in mind let me conclude with these quotes by Ellen White [‘prophetess’] from her book ‘The Great Controversy’. [p 422] ‘the scapegoat typified Satan, the author of sin, UPON WHOM the sins of the truly penitent will finally be placed’. [p 623] ‘Now, while our great High Priest is making the atonement for us’.

That is the teaching of a CULT, it is NOT CHRISTIAN and it lays the foundation for the grace + works ‘gospel’ of Seventh-day Adventism.

  • Countering the Copelands

On page 8 of the December 1998 NEWS FROM THE FRONT I gave details of a planned visit to Belfast by Kenneth and Gloria Copeland. They are planning to stage a BELFAST VICTORY CAMPAIGN for 3 nights [19-21 October] in the prestigious Waterfront Hall. I also referred to a warning I posted on our ministry [Internet] website offering a number of newsletters detailing some of the heresies promoted by the Copelands.

It is good to report that a number of sets of newsletters have been requested and issued. In addition as a ministry we have sent these newsletters to 140 individuals comprising church/presbytery secretaries and sound pastors/ministers within a wide range of denominations.

Not surprisingly we have also attracted our share of criticism – some of it quite irrational as the following excerpts from a series of e-mails will show. The first critical e-mail from the correspondent in question was received on 3rd June 1999 and went as follows –

‘My goodness me, you heresy hunters really are a brood of false witnessing vipers. The leaven you’re partaking of makes the pharisees in the early days seem quite tame! Repent! Take heed! Stop slandering your brothers in Christ, and stop allying yourself with the chief accuser of the brethren’.

In a series of e-mail exchanges that then followed I endeavoured to get the correspondent [anonymous] to identify specific cases of me as he put it ‘slandering your brothers in Christ’. In the course of this exchange I was further informed that I ‘traduce and malign other Christians on the www before millions of rumour hungry eyes’ and that ‘what you are doing is nothing less than malicious gossip’.

I continued to press for specific examples of what I was being accused of and this led to further comments such as ‘putting up a website to continually talk about others in a negative vain is not biblical and therefore not sound doctrine. This kind of behaviour is straining at gnats while eating camels’. It seems to me this anonymous correspondent would in the light of these comments disapprove strongly of Paul and his criticism of the Galatians as found in the first chapter of his letter to them – particularly verses 6-9.

Eventually on 8th June the correspondent wrote ‘I’ll begin with a more “extreme” case, one which all you heresy hunters love to hate – Kenneth Copeland…although I disagree with Copeland on many things…when it comes to the essentials…he preaches the biblical gospel. The allegations that he preaches “another Jesus” or “another gospel” is false…there are all sorts of diabolical rumours and malicious gossip going on about him based on hearsay rather than actually reading and researching his own material…whether you like it or not he is your brother so stop persecuting and slandering him’.

In response to this I briefly mentioned a couple of Mr Copeland’s heresies and then wrote “I am offering 3 newsletters which analyse the teachings of Mr Copeland…I would be willing to post them to you”. This was his response ‘It would be a waste of time to send me your assessment of Copeland’s teaching. I’m not Einstein but certainly intelligent enough to hear, read and figure out for myself what the man is saying. I don’t need anyone else to tell me’.

At this point having informed the correspondent that I felt ‘any further exchange is pointless’ he replied as follows ‘You have not given any evidence of Copeland denying the essentials of the Christian faith as laid out in 1 Cor.15:1-5. Because you can’t do that you now want to end the conversation’. This is why I mentioned ‘irrational’ – the truth was that I had offered to send ‘evidence’ but this ‘intelligent’ correspondent point blank refused it.

On Saturday 18th September the BELFAST BEREAN ministry is showing [7.45pm] publicly in Calvary Baptist Church [Belfast] the video ‘Signs and Wonders’ and whilst it is not specifically to counter the Copelands it does have relevance to the style and on occasions substance of their ministry. [Details of this event can be obtained from David on 01232-593672]. Please pray for all these efforts to ‘earnestly contend for the faith’ [Jude 3].

  • Ongoing Outreach

From time to time I am asked about reaction or follow up to the tape outreach to the Roman Catholic priests that took place back in 1997. I had given the matter prayerful consideration and decided in July to write again to a number of priests with whom there had been some correspondence immediately following the distribution of the tapes.

In the June 1998 and September 1998 issues of NEWS FROM THE FRONT

I wrote a 2-part article on the subject of ROMAN CATHOLICISM and so I decided to publish the articles in one booklet under the title

The glorious gospel of Jesus Christ

And this booklet was posted to over 40 priests towards the end of July.

As a ministry we also ran a series of adverts in a local magazine called THE ULSTER CHRISTIAN asking the question ‘Is the Roman Catholic Faith Evangelical’? and we offered a free tape to any requesting it. In total some 25 inquiries were received and in addition to tapes being issued it was also possible in some cases through follow up correspondence to distribute further helpful literature.

PLEASE PRAY THAT GOD WILL USE THESE BOOKLETS AND TAPES EITHER TO RELEASE FROM OR TO INFORM ON THE FALSE ‘GOSPEL’ PROMOTED IN ROMAN CATHOLICISM.

  • Gold Strike in Toronto?

There are times when watching ‘things Christian’ on TV that I cringe and think to myself ‘what must the unsaved think as they watch this’? Such an occasion occurred whilst watching ‘Tonight’ broadcast by ITV on 15th July 1999. For almost 15 minutes the latest ‘charismatic craze’ was exposed and examined in front of millions of viewers.

The opening shots showed many people seated prayerfully with their hands clasped – not together but around their jaws. The prayer of the pastor at the front could be heard filling the auditorium – ‘In the name of Jesus – fill teeth Lord – replace amalgam fillings with gold and with platinum’. Who were these people, what was the location and who was the pastor/prospector praying for an infilling, not of the Holy Spirit, but of precious metals? We were in TORONTO – birthplace of the 1994 so-called ‘BLESSING’. Same fellowship and same pastor – John Arnott.

We were treated to Mr Arnott trying first to interview one laughing lady. Then he said to another man – ‘Let me see what God has done’ and after inspecting the man’s mouth [ably assisted by a torchbearer] he asked ‘How can God turn porcelain to gold’? And quick as a flash the man replied ‘My God can do anything’. Next we had close ups of open mouths [lit up by torchbearers] belonging to some who believed they had received new or replacement gold fillings. All this was to the accompaniment of excited squeals like those uttered by game show or lottery winners.

The scene then shifted to England where similar ‘miracles’ were being claimed and once again we were re-tracing the 1994 TORONTO TRAIL. Now we were in the company of Gerald Coates and his Pioneer Church. Listen to this extract of the interview with Mr Coates

Interviewer: ‘In your view how significant is this?’

Mr Coates: ‘Well, God doesn’t intervene in many of the situations we would like Him to because He would have to intervene in everything that we say and do that is wrong right the way through to some of the most terrible things happening in nations. What He does is He gives us signs that He is with us and that we can draw help from Him. Jesus changed water into wine. THAT HAD NO FUNCTION REALLY. They had already run out of wine in the party so HE WAS ONLY AIDING AND ABETTING MORE DRINKING’.

Interviewer: ‘So you think this is a modern equivalent of that – that this is a bona fide miracle?’

Mr Coates: ‘Yes. I think it’s true to say that GOD IS TOUCHING PEOPLE WITH GOLD AS SIGNS THAT HE IS STILL WITH US and although millions have turned their backs on Him He has not turned His back on us’.

Mr Coates claims turning water into wine ‘had no function really’. Is that what the scriptures teach? John2:3 says “when they wanted wine” – Bishop Ryle wrote – ‘By a mere act of will he changed water into wine and so supplied the need of all the guests’. Jesus met a practical need. But He did much more as we read in verse 11 “This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory and his disciples believed on him”.

The miracles of Jesus not only showed forth His glory but as the June 1999 Evangelical Times [in their article on the ‘gold fillings phenomena’] put it ‘were not an end in themselves but a divine authentication that the one who performed them had been sent by God’ and they wisely added ‘These biblical miracles continue to serve the same purpose and do not need to be repeated’. True disciples today need no such ‘SIGNS’ to comfort them on their Christian pilgrimage.They have a blessed “comforter” the One promised by the Lord in John 16:7.

A visiting ‘revivalist’ from Chile was then shown ‘in action’ at Mr Coate’s Pioneer Church. Miguel Escobar was shown praying ‘God, give them gold fillings tonight’ following which he shouted repeatedly ‘Receive it! Receive it, by faith’. Asked to comment on the ‘miracles’ Mr Escobar said ‘This is probably the closest expression IN THE HISTORY OF HUMANITY to see God or touch God’. According to Mr Escobar getting a gold filling would therefore exceed the experience of seeing or touching the Lord Jesus Christ who walked this scene of time almost 2000 years ago. Well did the Lord Himself say in Matthew 6:21 “where your treasure is, there will your heart be also”.

According to a report by the Back To The Bible group based in The Netherlands [Newsletter 16] this ‘tooth fairy’ nonsense was also peddled in Holland by both Mr Arnott and Mr Escobar during visits there by them in May and June.

Several claims for similar happenings in other parts of Canada led to embarrassing retractions by Canadian TV Evangelists William Thiessen and Dick Dewert after dental records showed their personal claims of ‘miracles’ were totally spurious [Source – National Post, Canada, 12 May 1999].

During Mr Escobar’s ministry at Pioneer excitement centred on a lady called Sally who it was believed had perhaps experienced the transfiguration of some tooth fillings and this was greeted with shouts of ‘thank you Jesus’ and applause. At the end of the TV report Sally was interviewed and we learned that nothing miraculous had happened. In spite of this she claimed her faith was stronger and she had felt the presence of God at the meeting. Her composure was indeed admirable but her judgement is questionable and in many ways reflects discernment conditioned by teaching from the likes of Mr Coates.

They should all heed Psalm 19:9-10 “The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired than gold, yea than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb” and to those who obey God says in Psalm 81:10 “open thy mouth wide and I will fill it”.

  • Mass Confusion

In the 1994 CATECHSIM OF THE [ROMAN] CATHOLIC CHURCH we read the following in Para. 1377 ‘The Eucharistic presence of Christ begins at the moment of consecration…Christ is present WHOLE and ENTIRE in EACH of the species’. Then in Para. 1413 we read ‘By the consecration the transubstantiation of the bread and wine into the Body and BLOOD of Christ is brought about. Under the consecrated species…Christ himself…is present in a true, real and substantial manner: his Body and HIS BLOOD, with his soul and his divinty’. Having clearly identified that ‘Christ himself is present in a real manner [including] His BLOOD we then read in Para.1367 ‘The sacrifice of Christ and the sacrifice of the Eucharist are one single sacrifice:…In this divine sacrifice which is celebrated in the Mass, the same Christ who offered himself once [that’s ONE sacrifice] in a bloody manner on the altar of the Cross is contained and is offered [that’s ANOTHER sacrifice] in an unbloody manner’. How can an element which supposedly having been ‘consecrated’ and now contains ‘BLOOD’ be offered in an ‘unbloody manner’ and how can a ‘bloody’ sacrifice and an ‘unbloody’ sacrifice possibly constitute ‘one single sacrifice’?

  • ‘God NEEDS your voice’ by Kenneth Copeland

In his June 1999 magazine Kenneth Copeland tells of reading some passages relating to the birth of Christ [Mat.1:22; Mat.2:15&23] and he comments ‘Suddenly an awesome awareness rose within me. I saw how the most eternally significant event in all the history of heaven and earth…could ONLY take place as a result of the voice of A MAN…had it not been for a few men speaking under the anointing of God it would NEVER have happened. Every one of us would have been lost’. WHAT NONSENSE! In Jeremiah 32:17 we read “Ah Lord God! Behold thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm and there is NOTHING too hard for thee”. This article is just another example of the false teaching by Mr Copeland on ‘The Power of the Tongue’. On the cover of his booklet by that name he said ‘Today as believers we have that same God-like ability to speak those things which be not as though they were’.

  • Letters – We Get Letters

Earlier I quoted from what I might call some hostile correspondence. Well I’m pleased to say that we also receive letters of encouragement and just by way of example the following is part of a letter received following a talk given by myself – ‘Dear Cecil On behalf of………Baptist Youth Fellowship I would like to thank you for your talk on Roman Catholicism. Everybody was educated and challenged. Not only were the errors of Rome clearly presented but you also clarified what it means to be a Christian. This is very beneficial to those Christians in our youth group who may be backslidden for a few weeks or months. I will also recommend you to other groups for the reasons above. May Almighty God richly bless your ministry.

  • ‘The Pope and Heaven’

A report in the Daily Mail [24 July] quoted extracts of what ‘John Paul II told pilgrims outside the Vatican’. The subject was the prospect of HEAVEN for Christians and this is reportedly what the Pope said ‘The Heaven in which we will find ourselves is neither an abstraction nor a physical place among the clouds. Instead it is a living and personal relationship with the Holy Trinity’ and apparently this relationship will involve a ‘state of being after death’. Yes, heaven is not an abstract figment of the mind and yes it is not within the cloudy atmosphere of earth but the Bible teaches that it is ‘a physical place’ and does not identify it as a ‘relationship’. God is said to have His ‘habitation’ there [Deut.26:15] and He is not alone [see Neh.9:6 & Mark 13:32]. The resurrected Lord is there in His ‘glorious body’ [Phil 3:21]. This body is ‘physical’ as it can be seen and touched [Lk.24:39] and it can ingest food [Jn.21:15]. Bearing this in mind I thought of the ascension of Christ in Acts 2:9&11 “while they beheld he [the resurrected Jesus] was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight…Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven [a place] shall so come in like manner [physically] as ye have seen him go into heaven”. Remember also the first martyr Stephen and what we read in Acts 7:55-56 “But he [Stephen] being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing on the right hand of God and said Behold I see the heavens opened and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God” [physically in a place]. Finally in 1st Corinthians 15 Paul speaks of what it will be like for those who ‘inherit the kingdom of God’ [v 50] that ‘new heaven and a new earth’ of Rev.21:1. He explains that ‘flesh and blood [our present corruptible bodies] cannot inherit it’ [v 50] but earlier [v 40] explains how those resurrected will inherit it – “There are also celestial bodies” – that is ‘physical’ and not simply ‘a living relationship’ further qualified as some vague ‘state of being’. Heaven help people if the Anglican Bishops meeting in Canada next year with the Roman Catholic Bishops officially recognise that the Pope has ‘a specific ministry concerning the discernment of truth’ [ARCIC May 1999].

  • Thank You

Margaret and I want to express our thanks to all who have supported us following changes earlier this year. Just on an administrative note could I ask any who kindly send support from USA to make their [dollar] cheques payable to CECIL ANDREWS and not the ministry as this will facilitate handling.

  • Ministry Trip to England

Plans have been laid for a ministry trip to England in November [DV] and your prayers are coveted.