Welcome to our Fellowship!

by Royce Mitchell, Jr., Editor

Many different Sabbath keeping groups have tended to stay isolated from other Sabbath keeping groups over the decades. This has been done for various reasons, none of which are valid. In truth, it is testimony to the patience of our loving Father that He has allowed us to continue on these paths over the years. When we should have been finding ways that we are alike, we have been finding ways that we are different. To make things worse, and to our shame, we have used those minor differences to beat each other over the head. These things ought not to be said of anyone who claims to be a brother in Christ.

In this issue, we tackle this idea head on. The Sabbath Sentinel is a magazine devoted to the proposition that Sabbath keeping groups ought to find ways to cooperate, and that The Sabbath Sentinel ought to be aiding in that effort where ever we can. With that in mind, we seek to introduce two new groups to you, our readers, in this issue.

The first group is the First Baptist Church of Lucerne Valley California. This group of brethren came to the understanding that God's Sabbath ought to be kept. They then studied and prayed about it, conducted Bible Studies, and then held a meeting to discuss how they would continue. To the credit of the Southern Baptist Director, these brethren were allowed to determine the direction they wished to take without interference from the outside. They are now holding Sabbath Services, and are continuing Sunday services for those who still want them in the interim. We hope to have more from the pastor, Allen Stanfield, as time progresses.

Another group which we are spotlighting this issue is the Dutch "News of the Sabbath." who will be a kindred association in the Netherlands. They will need help in translating some articles for the Dutch speaking brethren. If any of you, our readers, have any expertise in this area, I am certain that they would love to hear from you!

Noting that fellowship is important, and ought not to be neglected, Mr. Ernest Bergmann had submitted an article concerning fellowshipping across organizational lines, some problems he found with it and the blessings he received as a result of being a part of such an effort.

Kevin Butler asks and answers the question that many of us have had over the years. He asks, "Why are there so few Sabbatarians?" The answers to that question should be of interest to all of us who would love to see more people come to the knowledge of the glorious Way of God Almighty.

We also welcome several new writers to this issue. These have provided short, but interesting articles which should be of importance to all of us who hold His Way in high esteem.

Also, the question is asked, "With Whom should I fellowship?" Some groups have carved out a piece of the Body of Christ and taught doctrines of isolation from others who keep His Sabbaths. Is that really a Godly thing to teach? Should we fellowship with anyone who comes along, or are there standards that we ought to apply in selecting those with whom we fellowship?

We hope that you will find this issue as stimulating as our past issues. As always, if you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to contact us at our mailing address on the inside cover, or at the BSA's, or editor's email address. We depend on your input to make this magazine one that lives up to its stated goal of promoting cooperation amongst those who keep God's Sabbath. Let us know how we are doing!

TSS

August - September 1999 The Sabbath Sentinel