Robert H. Pierson
Encyclopedia
Robert Howard Pierson was a president of the General Conference
of Seventh-day Adventists
. In 1935 he went to work in Bombay, India
. In 1939, while in India, he was ordained as a minister of the Adventist church. He returned to the United States
in 1942 and was appointed to administrative positions of the church and also went to positions in the overseas divisions of the church till elected president of the General Conference
in 1966 and served till his retirement in 1979.
(1950–1954), president of the Kentucky-Tennessee Conference (1954–1957), president of the Texas Conference (1957–1958), president of the Southern Africa Division (1958–1962), president of the Trans-African Division (1962–1966), and ultimately, president of the General Conference (1966–1979).
As of 2007, Pierson is the second-longest serving church president after A. G. Daniells.
Raymond Cottrell
wrote, "Robert H. Pierson was a gracious person, a dedicated Adventist, a gentleman in every way, but also a person with clear objectives and resolute determination to achieve them." He describes Pierson, Gordon M. Hyde and Gerhard Hasel
as the "three architects" behind "the decade of obscurantism (1969-1979)". According to Cottrell this "triumvirate" attempted to gain control of Adventist biblical studies in this decade.
Pierson wrote both adventure stories and devotional works. Journals, such as the Youth Instructor, a journal for Adventist youth (now discontinued), published both type of essays by him. In 1955, a seven part series entitled Forbidden Lands and Strange Places, Pierson described his travel to Afghanistan.
Through the printed pages of the Review & Herald (now Adventist Review) and Ministry
magazines, he appealed to the laity and leadership of the denomination to hold fast to teachings of the church reflected in the church's fundamental beliefs
, including the doctrine of the work of Jesus Christ as High Priest in the heavenly sanctuary
, and the concept of the true believers overcoming all their sins, with the aid of God, prior to their baptism with the power of the Holy Spirit ("the falling of the Latter Rain") to proclaim the Three Angels' Messages
of Revelation 14 to the world, calling upon the people to take a stand for "the commandments of God (including the seventh-day Sabbath
- Saturday) and the faith of Jesus". He wrote this theme in his papers and in his sermons, "Christ is waiting with longing desire for the manifestation of Himself in His church. When the character of Christ is perfectly reproduced in His people, then He will come to claim them as His own." [Christ's Object Lessons, page 69. Ellen G. White
. 1900]
His appeal at the 1973 Annual Council was for a revival and a reformation of true godliness in the church, to prepare the church for the climactic events of the future. The lack of interest by both laity and leadership to this appeal was later described by him as "the greatest disappointment in my life".
In October 1978, faced with a risk of incurring a stroke due to the relentless pressures of his presidency, to the surprise of all those attending a session of the Annual Council, he announced his retirement from the presidency, effective January 3, 1979. He presented his final speech as President on October 16, 1978, the same day Cardinal Karol Wojtyla was elected by the Conclave in the Vatican to succeed the late Pope John Paul I, is regarded as his most memorable. He outlined the changes that typically occur in a religious movement through the generations as it moves away from its more humbler, marginalized, but convicted, and dedicated beginnings to a much larger, acceptable, but more compromised position of the day. He appealed for the church not lose its way towards a materialistic, secularistic, compromising approach to the Advent faith.
General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
The General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists is the governing organization of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. It is located in Silver Spring, Maryland, United States, where it moved in 1989...
of Seventh-day Adventists
Seventh-day Adventist Church
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a Protestant Christian denomination distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the original seventh day of the Judeo-Christian week, as the Sabbath, and by its emphasis on the imminent second coming of Jesus Christ...
. In 1935 he went to work in Bombay, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. In 1939, while in India, he was ordained as a minister of the Adventist church. He returned to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1942 and was appointed to administrative positions of the church and also went to positions in the overseas divisions of the church till elected president of the General Conference
General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
The General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists is the governing organization of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. It is located in Silver Spring, Maryland, United States, where it moved in 1989...
in 1966 and served till his retirement in 1979.
Biography
He served as president of the British West Indies Union (1944–1947), president of the Southern Asia DivisionSouthern Asia Division of Seventh-day Adventists
The Southern Asia Division of Seventh-day Adventists is headquartered at Hosur, Tamil Nadu, India. It heads the activities of the Seventh-day Adventist Churches and its affiliated bodies in India, Nepal and Bhutan....
(1950–1954), president of the Kentucky-Tennessee Conference (1954–1957), president of the Texas Conference (1957–1958), president of the Southern Africa Division (1958–1962), president of the Trans-African Division (1962–1966), and ultimately, president of the General Conference (1966–1979).
As of 2007, Pierson is the second-longest serving church president after A. G. Daniells.
Raymond Cottrell
Raymond Cottrell
Raymond Forrest Cottrell was a respected Adventist theologian, missionary, teacher, writer and editor. He was an associate editor of both the Adventist Review and the Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary...
wrote, "Robert H. Pierson was a gracious person, a dedicated Adventist, a gentleman in every way, but also a person with clear objectives and resolute determination to achieve them." He describes Pierson, Gordon M. Hyde and Gerhard Hasel
Gerhard Hasel
Gerhard Franz Hasel was a Seventh-day Adventist theologian, and Professor of Old Testament and Biblical Theology as well as Dean of the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary at Andrews University. His best known works are Old Testament Theology: Basic Issues in the Current Debate and New...
as the "three architects" behind "the decade of obscurantism (1969-1979)". According to Cottrell this "triumvirate" attempted to gain control of Adventist biblical studies in this decade.
Publications and Theology
Pierson was a prolific writer, both of prose and poetry. His biography Radiant With Hope lists him as author of 28 books, many of them translated into multiple languages, as well as hundreds of articles.Pierson wrote both adventure stories and devotional works. Journals, such as the Youth Instructor, a journal for Adventist youth (now discontinued), published both type of essays by him. In 1955, a seven part series entitled Forbidden Lands and Strange Places, Pierson described his travel to Afghanistan.
Through the printed pages of the Review & Herald (now Adventist Review) and Ministry
Ministry (magazine)
Ministry: International Journal for Pastors is an international monthly magazine for Christian ministers, with a circulation of approximately 100,000. It is published by the Ministerial Association , an official body of the worldwide Adventist church. It is aimed at pastors and ministers of the...
magazines, he appealed to the laity and leadership of the denomination to hold fast to teachings of the church reflected in the church's fundamental beliefs
28 Fundamentals
The 28 Fundamentals are a core set of theological beliefs held by the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Traditionally, Adventists have been opposed to the formulation of creeds. It is claimed that the 28 Fundamentals are descriptors not prescriptors; that is, that they describe the official position of...
, including the doctrine of the work of Jesus Christ as High Priest in the heavenly sanctuary
Heavenly sanctuary
In Seventh-day Adventist theology, the heavenly sanctuary teaching asserts that many aspects of the Hebrew tabernacle or sanctuary are representative of heavenly realities. In particular, Jesus is regarded as a High Priest who provides cleansing for human sins by the sacrificial shedding of his...
, and the concept of the true believers overcoming all their sins, with the aid of God, prior to their baptism with the power of the Holy Spirit ("the falling of the Latter Rain") to proclaim the Three Angels' Messages
Three Angels' Messages
In Seventh-day Adventist beliefs, the "three angels' messages" is an interpretation of the messages given by three angels in Revelation . The church teaches that these messages are given to prepare the world for the second coming of Jesus Christ, and sees them as a central part of its own...
of Revelation 14 to the world, calling upon the people to take a stand for "the commandments of God (including the seventh-day Sabbath
Sabbath in Seventh-day Adventism
Sabbath is an important part of the belief and practice of seventh-day Christians. These believers observe Sabbath on the seventh Hebrew day of the week, from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset, in similar manner as in Judaism, rather than Lord's day on Sunday like a most forms of Christianity...
- Saturday) and the faith of Jesus". He wrote this theme in his papers and in his sermons, "Christ is waiting with longing desire for the manifestation of Himself in His church. When the character of Christ is perfectly reproduced in His people, then He will come to claim them as His own." [Christ's Object Lessons, page 69. Ellen G. White
Ellen G. White
Ellen Gould White was a prolific author and an American Christian pioneer. She, along with other Sabbatarian Adventist leaders, such as Joseph Bates and her husband James White, would form what is now known as the Seventh-day Adventist Church.Ellen White reported to her fellow believers her...
. 1900]
His appeal at the 1973 Annual Council was for a revival and a reformation of true godliness in the church, to prepare the church for the climactic events of the future. The lack of interest by both laity and leadership to this appeal was later described by him as "the greatest disappointment in my life".
In October 1978, faced with a risk of incurring a stroke due to the relentless pressures of his presidency, to the surprise of all those attending a session of the Annual Council, he announced his retirement from the presidency, effective January 3, 1979. He presented his final speech as President on October 16, 1978, the same day Cardinal Karol Wojtyla was elected by the Conclave in the Vatican to succeed the late Pope John Paul I, is regarded as his most memorable. He outlined the changes that typically occur in a religious movement through the generations as it moves away from its more humbler, marginalized, but convicted, and dedicated beginnings to a much larger, acceptable, but more compromised position of the day. He appealed for the church not lose its way towards a materialistic, secularistic, compromising approach to the Advent faith.