Dale Ratzlaff
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Dale Ratzlaff (19??—) is an evangelical Christian known for his departure from the Seventh-day Adventist Church and subsequent criticism of the church and its beliefs, particularly the Sabbath and the inspiration of church co-founder Ellen G. White. He has been described as the leading critic of the church.[1]
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[edit] Biography
Ratzlaff describes himself as formerly a conservative, fourth-generation Seventh-day Adventist. He studied in Adventist schools, and graduated from the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary. He pastored in two Adventist churches, and for seven years taught Bible in an Adventist school. He left the church in 1981 when he concluded the investigative judgment teaching was incorrect. [2]
Ratzlaff manages LAM Publications, LLC and serves on the board of Life Assurance Ministries, Inc.
He is married to Carolyn and resides in Peoria, Arizona. He attends Calvary Community Church in Phoenix which is pastored by former Adventist pastor J. Mark Martin.[2]
[edit] Beliefs
Ratzlaff claims that since leaving the Seventh-day Adventist Church he has drawn "two profound conclusions...":
- "One cannot understand the Bible correctly when continuing to read the writings of Ellen White..."
- "Where the Bible is clear we can and should be certain. Where the Bible is unclear or honestly open to several interpretations we must be tentative..."[3]
He does believe there are some good things in the writings of Ellen White:
- "...[I] can testify that there are many good things in the writings of Ellen White. However, having said that, there are also many places where there is subtle error or in her early writings, blatant error."[4]
Adventist scholar Clifford Goldstein has written:
- "In my earliest days as a new Adventist, I held what I now deem an erroneous and potentially dangerous view of Ellen White's ministry and inspiration, a view prevalent in the church and one that has caused many, such as Dale Ratzlaff, to leave."[5]
[edit] Publications
Ratzlaff is the author of the following books:
- Sabbath in Christ (revised and expanded version of the 1990 Sabbath in Crisis) ISBN 0962754617
- Cultic Doctrine of Seventh-day Adventists ISBN 0-9627546-9-2 (reviewDjVu by Alden Thompson; [1] [2], also [3])
- Truth About Seventh-day Adventist "Truth" ISBN 0962754633
- Adventist to Christian (forthcoming in print; as of May 2007 it is available on CD)
He also appeared in the 1998 video Seventh-day Adventism: The Spirit Behind the Church[6] which was released by Jeremiah Films and J. Mark Martin of Grace Upon Grace Productions. The video is critical of both Ellen White and the Seventh-day Adventist Church. See also the combined response by the Ellen G. White Estate and the Biblical Research Institute,[7] and a personal response by Alden Thompson and Dave Thomas.[8]
Ratzlaff claims that Sabbath in Crisis played a role in the 1995 decision by the Worldwide Church of God to give up Sabbath and certain other doctrines.[9]
[edit] Proclamation!
Ratzlaff was the founding editor of Proclamation!, a bimonthly journal sent free of charge to a claimed 10,000 former Adventists, inquiring Adventists, Sabbatarians and interested evangelicals.[2] As of 2008 it is edited by Colleen Tinker.
[edit] The Ellen White Research Project
In December 2006, Ratzlaff became the editor for The Ellen White Research Project website (EllenWhiteExposed.com, formerly ellenwhite.org), which claims to be the most comprehensive site critical of Ellen White and her writings on the internet.[10] The site was founded in 1996 by Dirk Anderson, who according to his testimony was initially a mainstream Adventist, then a historic Adventist, and then a member of the Church of God (Seventh-Day). Jeff Barron is currently assistant editor, and all are former Seventh-day Adventists.
[edit] See also
- J. Mark Martin, a similarly-minded former Adventist
- Inspiration of Ellen White
- Seventh-day Adventist theology
- Criticism of the Seventh-day Adventist Church
[edit] External links
- Life Assurance Ministries
- The Ellen White Research Project
- Seventh-day Adventist Periodical Index (SDAPI) search for "Ratzlaff, Dale"
- Conversations with the Other Side by Alden Thompson, published in Spectrum 31:4, 54-59. See the section "Conversations with Adventist-turned-Evangelical Dale Ratzlaff"
[edit] References
- ^ Jud Lake, professor of preaching and Adventist studies at Southern Adventist University described him as the "fountain head" of all critics at the 2005 Ellen White Summit.[citation needed]
- ^ a b c Meet Dale Ratzlaff, "Personal Bio"
- ^ Ratzaff, Dale. Dale Ratzlaff: New Editor of EllenWhite.org. The Ellen White Research Project. Retrieved on 2007-05-15.
- ^ Ratzlaff, Dale. Your Questions Answered. The Ellen White Research Project. Retrieved on 2007-02-21.
- ^ Adventist Review: Praise Music and Moses
- ^ Seventh-day Adventism: The Spirit Behind the Church [DVD]. Phoenix, Arizona: Grace Upon Grace Productions. Also VHS version: Seventh-day Adventism: The Spirit Behind the Church [VHS]. Phoenix, Arizona: Grace Upon Grace Productions. ISBN 1-57618-003-4 OCLC 40963187
- ^ Suggested Sources to Respond to Representations Made in the Video 'Seventh-day Adventism, the Spirit Behind the Church' (Hosted on the White Estate website). See also equivalent version at the Biblical Research Institute.
- ^ "Seventh-day Adventism: The Spirit Behind the Church: A Personal Response," by Alden Thompson and Dave Thomas (March, 2001), a one-hour video produced for and shown by Blue Mountain Television in College Place, WA
- ^ Archive | Adventist Today
- ^ Barron, Jeff (2006-12-13). Exciting Editor Changes!. The Ellen White Research Project. Retrieved on 2007-02-21.
