BY MAJOR MAJOR MAJOR MAJOR
RAPIDAN, VA—Driven by the desire to do something about what he sees as administrative and organizational heresies in the Seventh-day Adventist Church, Virginia resident Calvin Sitter is a vehement defender of a theologically unified, doctrinally set, golden-age version of pioneer-led Adventist history that exists solely in his mind.
“The church today is but a tiny speck when compared to the gilded giant it was in the 19th century,” said Sitter, who invented his views on Adventist history in 1957, after the Adventist-Evangelical discussions that led to the publication of Questions on Doctrine. “It’s time for true Adventists to stand up and reclaim our unblemished past!”
According to Sitter, a passionate, driven 77-year-old self-founded college administrator, the Adventist church made its greatest error when it apostatized from his version of a pure past of high-level spirituality, and is amplifying that error by refusing to return to his vision.
“Back in the age of the Adventist pioneers, God bless them, apostasy didn’t exist,” said Sitter, attributing to the pioneers and the 19th-century Adventist Church instant infallibility and total divine inspiration. “God gave us the complete truth. He showed us how to be perfect. People loved God and obeyed his commandments. Our church was perfect.”
“Our noble pioneers knew what they believed, and established a church so firm and ready to be translated that I wouldn’t be surprised if it actually was,” added Sitter, in reference to the church’s establishers, a diverse group of believers known for their semi-Arian stances, their conflicts over when the Sabbath should begin, their conflicts over the tithing system, and their disagreements over the personhood of the Holy Spirit.
Sitter said that his admiration for the Adventist History of his imagination has only grown stronger over time.
“It’s amazing how many problems you can see in today’s Seventh-day Adventist church, especially once you dedicate your life to finding them,” said Sitter. “Through concentration and focus, every day I unearth heresy after heresy, each of which strengthens my desire to return to the period of unmarred and infallible doctrines, high morality, spiritual maturity, and virgin-like purity.”
Sitter’s passion for advocating the elaborate fantasy world in which his imagination of Adventist history dwells is greatly respected among his friends and peers, many of whom enjoy religious dogfights and the feeling of invigoration that comes from claiming moral high ground in militant conflicts with opponents. Still, Sitter has drawn criticism, mainly from those who have studied correspondence between the Adventist Pioneers and have read articles from the period of history which Sitter claims for his Golden Age.
“Adventist theology was developed over time, out of a careful, thoughtful process of Bible Study and Prayer,” said Lancelot Bird, Assistant Professor of Church History at the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary. “Our fundamental beliefs today are the result of a continual pursuit of truth, continual affirmation from God, and a careful process of open deliberation that did not rush to close conflict. There is no period of set doctrine, complete agreement, and zero apostasy in Adventist history. In fact, there is only one such period in all of human history.”
“It appears that Sitter has confused the account of pre-fall Eden with the history of the early Adventist church,” continued Bird. “That’s the only time that such purity did occur. But we all know it didn’t last, and it is impossible to return to such a state through our own efforts. I think Sitter is using his theories as a method of calling attention to himself.”
Sitter usually responds to such criticism by pointing out that the only motivation he has for calling people to return to his personal, invented version of history is love.
“And besides that, I’ve been able to extract a ton of Ellen White quotes to support my points,” he added.
