WITH memories of the fiery “stinking truth” sermon still fresh, the Seventh-day Adventist Church has warned its pastors to keep politics out of their pulpits.

Head of the 250,000-strong West Indies Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, Pastor Derek Bignall left no doubt about the position of the church as he ordained nine new pastors last Saturday.

“You are a priest, a minister, a friend and a servant. You are a teacher of righteousness, so when you come to the pulpit, you must preach Christ and him crucified. This pulpit is made to preach Christ, not politics. This place is for Jesus and Jesus alone,” Bignall said.

Bignall, delivering the main address at the service of ordination for the church’s western region at the SDA Conference Centre in Mount Salem, St James, did not make any direct reference to pastor Lorenzo King’s controversial sermon at the Andrews Memorial Church in Kingston recently.

King, against the backdrop of calls for Prime Minister Bruce Golding to tell the country the full truth about the Manatt, Phelps & Phillips issue involving Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke, urged leaders to give “the full, stinking truth” to the nation at all times.

The following day Bignall issued a statement saying King was not speaking for the SDA church.

On Saturday he told the new pastors that Jesus walked on earth for 30-plus years and yet did not become involved in the political issues of the day.

“He went about doing good — healing the sick, feeding the poor, caring for the erring. He never had any contention with Rome. We are here to tell men that Jesus Christ is coming again and soon.”

“The greatest work, the highest work, the most noble work pastors are called to do is the saving of souls. No work is greater than this. Angels would be excited to do the work that we do, co-labourers together with Christ for the salvation of souls,” he said.

“We must teach the members how to live like Jesus; to be kind to the erring ones, the weak and the strong ones. Pray for them and treat them well,” Bignall said.

Those ordained as pastors were Howard Morgan and Mario Parchment from the Petersfield and Whitehouse District of Churches in Westmoreland; Andre Wallace and Trevor Reid from the Vaughnsfield and Harrison District of Churches in St James; Orsick Page, Flecon Moodie, Delbert Brown and Jeremy Earle from the New Market, Goshen, Siloah, Southfield and Bull Savannah District of Churches in St Elizabeth.