Village SDA Church board demands reinstatement of Pastor Ron Kelly amid denominational dispute
The board of the Village Seventh-day Adventist Church in Berrien Springs, Michigan, has called on the Executive Committee of the Michigan Conference of the SDA to reverse its recent decision to remove the church's beloved senior pastor, Ron Kelly, from his position amid an ongoing denominational dispute.
"Regarding Elder Kelly, we wish to affirm in the strongest way possible the desire of this Board, and of the members of the VSDA, for the MISDA Executive Committee to reverse their decision of 12/3/2024 concerning Elder Kelly, and to reinstate him to his previous status of employment as the VSDA Senior Pastor by 1/2/2025," Senior Elder Tom Wilson wrote in a statement on the behalf of the church board on Monday.
The statement comes just days after Kelly announced on Dec. 5 that he was removed from his role as pastor after an unorthodox meeting with the Michigan Conference.
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"On Sunday, December 1, at the end of my Thanksgiving vacation, I got a phone call at 3:16 telling me I needed to be at the conference office the next day. I was there to discuss employment issues. Things were brought up that I thought had been resolved, and I was told they were not resolved at the level I thought they were," Kelly said in a two-minute recorded message.
"I asked for the presentation of the grievances against me in writing. They said no."
When he met with the conference the following day, Kelly believes he was placed in an awkward and unfair position.
"If I had gotten a speeding ticket, I would at least [have] been able to hear what the police said about me and my potential offense. This isn't what most of us thought would be the deliberating spirit and process of the highest order of Christian kindness, redemption, and just behaving — but I am no longer the senior pastor of The Village Church. Now I have my own YouTube channel," he ended.
In a follow-up video posted on his private YouTube Channel, Kelly asked followers to pray and promised to share "some of the challenging chapters that could be learning momebers for fellow pastors, church members and leaders."
The Village SDA Church, under Kelly's leadership, advocated for informed consent and liberty of conscience in regard to vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic. The church also spoke of the need for some individuals to have a religious exemption.
A letter Kelly reportedly sent to the Michigan SDA Conference in private and made public by the SDA-focused commentary website Fulcrum 7 noted that he was accused of "insubordination, bullying and fomenting discord against the [Michigan] Conference."
It also noted the banning of Adventist Frontier Missions President Conrad Vine from SDA pulpits in Michigan after he advocated withholding tithes and other things among SDA adherents. Kelly is reportedly Vine's pastor.
"I've been accused of insubordination, bullying, and fomenting discord against the Conference. Over the past six weeks, the strength of my disagreement with the Conference has grown, and perhaps, at times, it has been too strong. However, it has been in private settings with other leaders, not before the public," Kelly said.
"It has always been my goal to save the church from the pain of today. Conrad Vine should have had and still should have his day in court. It was inappropriate to build a case against him and discipline him in his absence. I also should have been there as his pastor and shepherd," he added.
Michigan SDA Conference President Jim Micheff announced in September that Vine was banned from SDA pulpits in the state for sharing messages that "undermine the unity and integrity of the Seventh-day Adventist Church."
"During a camp meeting in Maine from August 13-17, Conrad Vine, president of Adventist Frontier Missions, delivered messages that raise significant concerns and undermine the unity and integrity of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. We strongly disagree with the views expressed by Conrad Vine, including, but not limited to, his statements regarding the remnant church and leadership, the establishment of a parachurch organization, and the redirection of tithe. We find his assertions to be inconsistent with the clear teachings found in the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy," Micheff argued.
"Although we have been addressing this ongoing concern with him, his sentiments have evolved further in a public manner. As we continue to work through these issues, he will not be permitted access to the pulpits of our Michigan Conference churches."
In the letter to the Michigan SDA Conference concerning Kelly, the board of the Village Church argued that removing the pastor amid the disagreements wasn't a just decision.
"We believe, given the evidence we have been presented with, that while there may have been interpersonal challenges between Elders Kelly and Elder Micheff, those challenges were not of such a magnitude to warrant Elder Kelly's removal from VSDA given what God has miraculously wrought under his leadership at VSDA," they noted in their letter.
"Regarding our relationship with MISDA, we affirm our desire to build a relationship of mutual trust and cooperation with MISDA. We look forward to building that relationship of mutual trust under the leadership of Elder Kelly at VSDA," the board added. "We firmly request the immediate reinstalment of Elder Kelly as the VSDA Senior Pastor parallel to the agreement of mutual trust-building measures going forward."
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