Desmond Ford

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Dr. Desmond "Des" Ford (b.1928?) is an Australian Adventist scholar, known for his dynamic and grace centred preaching. He is a well known figure within Seventh-day Adventist circles for his role in the Glacier View doctrinal discussions of 1980 concerning the investigative judgment.

Originally an Anglican, Ford was converted to the Seventh-day Adventist Church after reading the Ellen G. White publication The Great Controversy in his late teens.^{[citation needed]} He chose to study for the ministry at Avondale College, and was later asked to return to Avondale to lecture. Ford was head of the religion department at Avondale College for over sixteen years. During this time many students admired his dynamic teaching. In response to criticisms of his theology, the church moved him to the United States of America, where he began lecturing at Pacific Union College.^{[citation needed]}

In October 1979 Ford was asked to address a chapter meeting of the Association of Adventist Forums [1], held at Pacific Union College, on the topic of the investigative judgment. His criticism of the doctrine precipitated the Glacier View meeting in August 1980, where a group of Adventist theologians and administrators convened to examine Ford's views. The culmination of this event was Ford losing his employment with the denomination, and ultimately forming his own ministry Good News Unlimited.

Ford now lives in Queensland where he is still engaged in preaching.

He has three children, Ellen, Paul, and Luke Ford, the last of whom controversially converted to Judaism.

[edit] Academic qualifications

After completing an Bachelor degree in Theology at Avondale College, Ford went on to complete a Master's in systematic theology at Andrews University in 1959.

Ford subsequently earned two PhDs, his first in Rhetoric (Michigan State University, 1961). His second thesis, which was supervised by F. F. Bruce, was entitled The Abomination of Desolation in Biblical Eschatology, which he completed in 1972 at the University of Manchester.^[1]