Married Lesbian Couple Baptised Into Chico Seventh-day Adventist Church

February 2, 2017

ChurchMouse


Alice Silva and Amber Machado were 'married' in Glenn County, California on 7-19-2014. Their new name is Amber and Alice Machado. Amber was raised Seventh-day Adventist and baptized many years ago.

On June 4, 2016, Alice Machado was baptized into the Chico Seventh-day Adventist church in north central California where her 'husband' (Amber Machado) was already a baptized member. 

 
The Fruitage of the Women's Ordination Agenda

Ginger Hanks Harwood


Alice was baptized at the Chico Church by Ginger Hanks Harwood, a former associate professor at the La Sierra University theology department. Ginger Hanks Harwood is a pro-choice advocate for Women's Issues, and Women's ordination. In 2009 she was a speaker at the Adventist Women & the Earth Conference to promote environmentalism and gender justice. Some of you may recall that on February 2, 2013, Ginger Harwood and Kendra Valentine (formally Haloviak) were both ordained as Seventh-day Adventist ministers, even though the action was out of harmony with the expressed will of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

Fast forward three years, and Ginger Harwood is baptizing a married homosexual into the Seventh-day Adventist church in Northern California. If anyone still doubts the ideological connection between liberalism, feminism, women's ordination, and the oncoming homosexual tsunami, I respectfully invite you to open your eyes, wake up, and seek the Lord while he may be found (Isaiah 55:6).

The Story

Fulcrum7 vetted this story thoroughly. I would prefer that we did not have to write articles like this, but as the Church moves deeper into confusion, rebellion, and love of the world, we will see more of this kind of thing.

One of our staff had an email exchange with Pastor Dan Wysong of the Chico Adventist Church (who now omits the words Seventh-day) from their website and church references. The pastor stated in his email that "decisions on church membership" are appropriated to the "local church" and "Our local church elders take the theology of church membership and the care of our church members very seriously." Beyond that he declined to comment.

We also interviewed the aunt of Amber Machado, Rose Durant. Rose shared two concerns:

That her niece was being misled about the ability of the gospel to change our lives, and the ability of grace to lead us to repentance and freedom. By baptizing a married lesbian couple into the church, we deceive them into believing that the Biblical teachings on morality and sexuality are not important. She was informed by her niece that the Chico Pastor knew about Alice's lifestyle and homosexual marriage prior to baptism.
That church leaders at the NAD, PUC, and NCC turned a blind eye to this egregious departure from our Church's biblical position on membership and marriage. Notice this pallid statement to Rose Durant from Jim Pedersen, when she asked him to help resolve this unbiblical situation:


The SDA Church continues to call all people to a saving relationship with Jesus, including baptism. There is also an understanding that members are not yet perfect, including those who get baptized - but there is a growth experience as we become more like Christ. The LGBT discussion continues to expand and be defined by the church, upholding the biblical foundation of marriage (November 8, 2016).

We also spoke with a former member of the Chico church, who told us that he opposed this unbiblical action to no avail, and eventually relocated to another church with more standards. 

 
Documents

Church bulletin of baptism June 4, 2016
Church bulletin of second reading of baptism August 6, 2016
California same-sex marriage license

Our Concern

These two women, without knowing it, are spiritually wounding each other's heart and bringing dishonor to the name of God. And the church, Conference and Union are allowing it. Where is the call to repentance and freedom in Jesus Christ? The same God who shut the lions' mouths is well able to deliver us from the lions of sin, gender confusion and moral destruction (Daniel 6:21-22). This is the church's task, to lovingly lead people like this (and all of us) to freedom, peace and repentance. We do this dying world no virtue by acting as if rebellion and sin are no big deal. That is not love, it is the tyranny of apathy.

What is needed? We need consecrated laymen and to stand up and speak out against these departures from God's Word. Speak the truth in love, read the Word and trust the Lord who gave it. God needs you. Pray for our church, our witness and these two women.


ChurchMouse

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