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Jackson Calls for Inclusive Churches
in Year-End Meeting Sabbath Message
Criticism, faultfinding disconnect believers from the Gospel , Division President Says (Posted Nov. 3, 2012)

BY MARK A. KELLNER, News Editor

"The time has come for God’s people to become very serious” about fellowship, Pastor Dan Jackson, North American Division president said Sabbath, November 3, 2012, during worship at the division’s year-end meeting.

Speaking to 300 delegates and guests in the auditorium of the General Conference world headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland – and to a global television audience via church-owned Hope Chanel – Jackson built his message on the parable of the meal in Matthew13: 33: “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened.”

Elder Daniel Jackson preaches on the topic of Fellowship as part of the divine church service at the North American Division 2012 year end meetings. PHOTO: Branden Roberts/NAD

Jackson emphasized the connection between “meal,” or fine flour, and the expression of community in Israelite history: “It is clear upon an investigation of the Old Testament that ‘meal’ or fine flour became a symbol of fellowship and communion -- that of God with man, man with God and man with man.  Bringing out the flour or Meal became a beautiful symbol of commonness – of fellowship – of connection.”

Jackson said, “In reality genuine Christian fellowship is the result of connection with God.  You and I were, in fact, brought into existence for fellowship with God.  Ultimately, the experience we have with Him is what we offer to one another regardless of lifestyle, theology, circumstances, or race, et cetera.”

After tracing the Old New Testament references to leaven, Jackson asserted that inauthentic, judgmental Christianity is today’s leaven, saying, “one of the issues here is that genuine fellowship is often lacking in our churches and conferences ... it is not seen and experienced in the way we treat those who disagree or in the way we treat one another in the home, in the school, in the church and in the work place – and it is killing us.  It turns people off.”

He added, “God is calling each of us here this morning to move to a higher plane of experience – To renew ourselves in Him.  The time has come for us to allow the Holy Spirit to have full and free access to our minds, our homes, our meetings, our schools, our universities, our hospitals, our nursing homes and our churches.”