Pipim Is Re-baptized: Great Potential for Divisiveness among Adventists
by Monte Sahlin
By Adventist Today News Team, June 26, 2014
Last Sabbath (June 21), Dr. Samuel Pipim was re-baptized by the Columbus (Ohio) Ghanaian Seventh-day Adventist Church. The pastor was out of the country at the time, but the decision was discussed and voted by the church board and a church business meeting. Three years after his confession of adultery, the group decided to accept his plea for forgiveness and re-instatement as a lay member. In the Adventist denomination the local church has no authority to re-establish his status as clergy. That would require action by a conference in consultation with its union conference and appears to be highly unlikely.
His previous home church in Michigan had repeatedly declined to re-baptize him after a previously scheduled re-baptism two years ago was canceled with the discovery of additional occasions when he engaged in sexual misconduct. Pipim was born and raised in Ghana, and he was originally baptized and later entered pastoral ministry there.
Pipim was employed for a number of years by the Michigan Conference as director of secular campus ministry and completed a PhD in theology at Andrews University. In May, 2011, he confessed to sexual misconduct with a young woman student during a trip to Africa. The Michigan Conference accepted his resignation from pastoral ministry and terminated his employment, and the Lake Union Conference rescinded his ordination. His local church in Michigan dropped his membership.
In October 2012, Adventist Today reported that the Lake Union Conference had circulated a letter to church administrators in North America and around the world asking that invitations for speaking appointments and writing assignments not be extended to Pipim since his clergy status and Adventist church membership had been ended.
The letter said that Pipim had been "admonished not to engage in public ministry such as speaking and … writing." He is employed by a private ministry in Michigan and the letter said that he had "continued to take speaking appointments [and] written a book." The letter expressed concern about Pipim's possible harm to mislead people in the Adventist movement and beyond. "We feel these limitations are important for the physical and spiritual safety of church members."
Pipim's rebaptism has the potential to generate controversy and significant division among Adventists. He has been a leading voice against allowing women into the ordained ministry and has taught that the Bible precludes women from leadership in the home or the church. He also played a leading role in the organization of GYC, the independent youth ministry now called Generation of Youth for Christ.
Some Adventists have suggested that there is connection between his sexual misconduct and his perspective on the role of women. Others have pointed out that he has worked closely with many young women through the GYC organization and perhaps should not do so in the future.
Other Adventists have pointed out that normal denominational practice is to allow a person dropped from membership because of adultery to be re-baptized after a year. They stress that the usual attitude of the denomination has been to extend grace and forgiveness in such situations.
The issues surrounding Pipim can easily become a wedge in the very diverse Adventist community in North America and maybe elsewhere. They could pit immigrants against the native-born, advocates for women against those who believe women should not exercise leadership, conservatives who think the sexual misconduct issue is being prolonged to prevent him from speaking out on ordination against more progressive members who think he has no moral basis to speak out. Divisions of gender, nationality and even race can come into the discussion about Pipim. Within three days of the posting of a picture of his re-baptism on a private Facebook page, nearly 150 individuals had expressed their views one way or another.
'Three years after his confession of adultery, the group decided to accept his plea for forgiveness and re-instatement as a lay member. In the Adventist denomination the local church has not authority to re-establish his status as clergy. That would require action by a conference in consultation with its union conference and appears to be highly unlikely.'
To talk about Church policy and administrative generally, I think that a good stance. The laity are indeed different from the leadership. There is indeed a double standard.
Jesus showed immense mercy to the average person, including both prostitute and tax collector; He expected much from the Jewish leaders of His day. And Paul talked about elders and deacons being the husbands of one wife and not being drunkards, suggesting conversely that such behaviour, whilst not ideal, might indeed be found and accepted within the laity.
I am reminded of Augustine, who originally had a de facto (concubine) and had a son by her, before he was made to discard her to marry a woman of his own social standing. And the Church was lenient to such recognition. The Donasts had a different take on this topic, which is why you probably have never heard of them because they died out.
This separation of power between local and union levels also seems to keep things more accountable and in balance. Even in the earliest Church period, elders (or bishops, which originally just meant head elder, not apostle) were appointed both by election of the local congregation and then by affirmation of bishops in neighbouring cities.
Now was the local church's decision re Pipim a good one? Perhaps not. However, it is a decision for them. We have all conversed with Adventists, including here, who we wonder should really retain membership as judged by their local congregation. Even if Pipim deserves to be re-baptised, this doesn't and shouldn't mean he deserves to be re-instated as a member of the clergy.
Augustine abandoned the woman and his son instead of marrying her and accepting responsibility for life. Then he castrated himself. Check out an encyclopedia. 🙂
I am really having a hard time seeing any connection between your examples and the seriousness of rape of, not one, but apparently several young, vulnerable women. Really! Are women that undervalued? Our church is SO ignorant when it comes to spiritual abuse and sexual predators that it is appalling! We allow, deny….smh….
I totally agree with you that living with an adult woman outside of marriage and sexually abusing minors are two very different things.
It is also very important to distinguish between membership in a local Adventist congregation and being given credentials to minister on behalf of the Adventist church. Dr Pipim was not convicted of any crime in North America, however he has confessed to actions overseas that would land him in jail for many years had they occurred here. As with any other former sexual predator of minors, the church in North America has very stringent strictures against Dr Pipim serving in any capacity that would allow him to have unsupervised contact with minors.
I fervently hope that our local congregations and also our independent ministries are vigilant to NOT let his former celebrity status and the fact that in the eyes of the law he is not a sexual offender, allow him to return to a role where he might be tempted to resume his former ways and where young people would again be vulnerable should he succumb.
It is not wise for a former alcoholic to become a bartender or a former smoker to work as a tobacconist, or a former molester of youth to work with them. Even while one does not continue to act on them, sinful urges that have been fully indulged do not readily abate. If Dr Pipim is truly repentant he will focus his considerable talents elsewhere.
Sorry are you sure Augustine castrasted himself? You are not confusing him with Origen?
You are missing my point. I was not suggesting Augustine's indiscretions be compared with Pipim's rape. I thought I made it clear I was using Augustine as an object lesson about the acceptance vs exclusion of Christians in the Church.
My point is there is and indeed should be a double-standard in the Church, between laity and ministers. So to reflect what Jim has just said, which I already suggested before, just because this local Church re-baptizes Pipim doesn't mean he should get his Ministerial credentials back. But it also works the other way as well – with the local Church holding power over membership.
That is all. Please don't conflate my point with a supposed admonition for Pipim's behaviour. I never said that.
Sorry are you sure Augustine castrasted himself? You are not confusing him with Origen?
Encyclopedia! I first saw it in Encyclopedia Britannica. I'm sorry I really don't have time to hunt for an internet source.
Well I am currently reading a book on the Early Church and it only mentioned Origen being castrasted (and it probably even wasn't true, just a slander against him). And I can't see any mention of Augustine being castrated on Wikipedia – only Origen.
Augustine had a mistress who had his child but that was BEFORE his conversion to Christianity, not after.
Adventist belief that membership is of such importance that someone like Pipim would want to be a baptized member, but in the sight of God baptism surely must not be all that important if millions who are not baptized Christians will be saved.
'Augustine had a mistress who had his child but that was BEFORE his conversion to Christianity, not after. '
True about Augustine. But there were plenty in his situation who remained in that situation after baptism. As acknowledged by Hentry Chadwick in The Early History of Christianity at page 217:
"How conventional and respectable this then was is illustrated by a cannon of a Spanish synod of 400 decreeing that, so long as a man was faithful to his concubine as if she was a wife, their relationship constituted no bar to communion. Pope Leo I thought monogamy preserved if a man left his concubine to contract a legal marriage."
Something to think about the next time the SDA Church goes on a jihad against de facto couples or divorcees. Even the Early Church recognised how "messy" real life was.
'Adventist belief that membership is of such importance that someone like Pipim would want to be a baptized member, but in the sight of God baptism surely must not be all that important if millions who are not baptized Christians will be saved.'
I don't think baptism really is that important – at least in an absolute prerequisite for salvation. Adventists traditionally reject sacramental theology, as if the rituals in themselves bestow grace on someone. We/I don't think that is true, which is a large part why we don't fell it necessary to baptise infants.
Baptism is like marriage – a public committment. And like Augustine's marriage and the cannon of the Spanish synod in 400, it is possible to still be "married in God's eyes" without a formal marriage contract. However, ritual has no inherent "magickal" quality in of itself.
"he has worked closely with many young women through the GYC organization and perhaps should not do so in the future." "PERHAPS" ???? If there is true repentence re-baptism is very appropriate, but from what I have read Dr. Pipim has a sexual addiction and history of ‘grooming’ young people into sexual encounters—part of his treatment plan and for the protection of young people he should (MUST NOT) not be involved in ministry of any kind is my view!!
This is what law enforcement demands: pastors, counselors, teachers, physicians and similar profesions who are found guilty of sexual molestation with either a minor or patient or client, is prevented from ever associating near minors, or in his former professional occupation where he is working with vulnerable patients.
Was Pipim ever accused by the courts? Did they ever indict him, or did they not found sufficient evidence to prosecute?
The offenses to which he confessed happened outside North America.
He has been charged with no crimes within North America, that have publicly come to light.
In North America (unlike some other parts of the world) the courts do not charge people with crimes. Whether he has been charged with any cromes in Africa I do not know.
H'mm … as I understand it, a man sexually penetrating women against their will is called "rape," not "sexual misconduct." The latter is a euphemism to protect a predator.
Althought several victims have been discovered, it is likely that there are more because I suspect it is more than a little hazardous for young women to come forward in Ghana. Who will believe that a charismatic and "godly" man like Dr Pipim would do such a dastardly deed? They would be re-victimized all over again. It is nothing short of a miracle that three victims have been contacted.
I will hazard a guess that this description from one of Dr Pipim's self-promoting sites is a fairly accurate description of the esteem in which he is held in Ghana: "
Samuel Koranteng Pipim the most popular religious person among the Ghana region due to his thoughts, actions which divert the mind of many youth, students and professionals toward the positive things.
See http://samuelkkorantengpipim.blogspot.ca/
Currently he is being congratulated on several Facebook pages:
https://www.facebook.com/oparedawuro (first post June 16)
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Samuel-Pipim-Network/110227455659676
It is clear that he has ignored the Michigan Conference directive to avoid speaking engagements. And he has written two books, both indirectly related to his predatory behavior, which he seems to deem as "predicaments" out of which God lifted him. No sign of any regard for his victims.
(See https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=913080215374392&id=110227455659676)
Of the two cases that have come to light, one appears to have occurred in Michigan and the other in Botswana.
that pervert needs to be in jail . In some cases when people do evil acts , the university could take away his degree . Could Andrews University do that ? should we start a petition for the University to do that ? Petition to Revoke Pipim's degree .
The Union has already stipped his licence – that is the main thing. I don't think you can revoke someone's degree on moral grounds.
Membership in a faith community is indeed very much like a marriage relationship. It requires a high level of trust – trust which, when egregiously betrayed and badly broken, is often irreparable in this world. Repentance and forgiveness are not always attended by reconciliation, nor is it always reasonable to expect that to occur. It will generally take many, many years in the desert to reach that point.
I would of course never deny Pipim the sacraments of worship or communion shared within my faith community, should he wish to attend services. But I would find it very difficult to believe, after such a short time, that the Holy Spirit was calling me and my faith community to trust him as an integral part of that community. God loves Him, wants to save him, and can use him. Of that I am certain. But his reprehensible behavior under cover of clerical authority means that God probably is not calling Pipim to simply take a pew seat in an amnesiac community of faith, or to actively participate in faith building, temple buuilding activities.
Any community of faith which Pipim seeks to join should be sensitive to that reality, and make sure that it is not, through the sacrament of membership, enabling Pipim to whitewash his past or sheltering him, a la Jonah, from the dark scary places to which God will likely call Him if he is truly repentant and seeks reconciliation with the God against whom he has sinned.
Correction to my previous comment: At https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=913080215374392&id=110227455659676, the first comment is on June 21, not June 16.
Please note that the current behavior of this man perfectly fits the profile at http://boz.religionnews.com/2014/01/21/caught-tape-5-common-responses-sex-offenders-church/
Excuse me, but as an 4th generation sda. I am just a little bit confused. Two sda Pastors who were married and had families, they each had two daughters and no son. Well both SDA Pastors in two states has gotten Adventist females pregnant, each women had a son; from the SDA Pastor. Well you would think that these pastors would of been fired. The pastors kept their jobs, and were sent to other Adventist churches. Now what do you think about that??? And what about SDA Pastor Brett or Brett, that performed the Same Sex Marriage of two non sda gay couple. This happened on September 13,or 14, 2013? The SDA Pastor was only fired becuase that SDA Conference said that he lied, about the marriage at first. But legally the real reason for his firing was, that neither lesbian female was Seventh Day Adventist Member. Rumor was he was rehired! FYI
Maybe it's whom you know that really counts in this situation. Henry Wright was lauded profusely in a recent issue of the Columbia Union Visitor; he had an moral problem at one time and it is widely known.
In my view no SDA "worker" , male or female,who commits a moral indiscretion should ever again be placed in a situation in the church where anyone of the opposite sex could be preyed upon. After repentance I can see being rebaptized but church employment should be restricted as described.
Maranatha
Not only regarding church employment, but also there are strict guidelines regarding what kinds of lay roles are appropriate for a former sex offender, especially when he has abused minors.
Dr Pipim may only believe that he has succumbed to temptation, but according to published reports he has admitted to sexual relations with minors. If this is true then he must not be allowed henceforth to have unsupervised contact with minors in any context. The risk is simply too great. Our first responsibility in these situations is to protect those among us who are the most vulnerable.
One of the sternest curses Jesus ever uttered was against those who abuse vulnerable children. Presumably the same would apply to youth. Unfortunately some people with this propensity are attracted to youth work, as pastors or teachers or pathfinder leaders or chaplains or whatever.
Correction of what I wrote.
Upon more careful investigation on my part, of the two cases made public, it appears the youngest was 20 years old. Although she would not be a minor under US law, she was clearly in a position of personal and spiritual vulnerability.
Truth Seeker and Jim, you both are correct about the dangers of reoffence and the spoiling of Spiritual Moral (very mixed message to the young and old) to ignore this wise rule. Totally Totally Agree.
I agree.
I agree. Forgiving doesn't meaning forgetting, or rather being stupid and putting that person in another situation where they are tempted to sin.
Brother Nathan, do you have any legal counsel regarding these situations?
I am a bit disturbed at this. I think this needs to be investigated by the police, not a church board. This man needs help and most likely jail time, and his victims need to be remembered and not dismissed. I don't think they have been healed fully of this thing.
Police have no jurisdiction. It occured outside of America and it seems the police in Africa aren't interested. So it is left to the Church.
There is dicussion of starting a website for support of the victims of abuse in our church. There may not be much we can do to stop Pipim, or, apparently the lack of morals demonstrated by some of the higher-ups in our church, but we can reach out to the victims letting them know WE care.
Who is starting it, do you know?
I don't think incident will cause a divide in our church. I think that divide was already started with the pro/anti WO issue.
Thankfully, oh so thankfully, there is already a "divide" in the anti-party with some feeling great alarm at the extremism in both some theological thought, as well as behavior.
Maybe, as this becomes more known, along with more knowledge of Pipim's case, maybe, more of Pipim's followers will also follow away.
Did Pippim apologise to his victims first? The church should have asked that question. Did they? It is much easier to aks for blanket forgiveness than to go to each individual, ask for forgiveness and make restitution where appropriate.
Without benefit of any firsthand information about what the church discussed in reaching their decision, I can only hope that they saw a redemptive process at work that would both heal wounds and teach behaviors where the problem will not happen again.
Perhaps this case above others illustrates the need for the church to develop a structure and system for ministering redemption to those taken in sexual sin. Redemption and restoration are not easy. Neither are they popular or quickly brought about. Worst of all, they often are not available because we fail to follow the Biblical instructions for restoring those who have been captured by sin, so we have not learned how to reprove and restore. Reproving is not simply condemning someone because of their sin, it is a process of instruction in which those who have fallen and been restored by God lovingly teach someone to live differently so they can overcome. Such instruction can take years. The Assemblies of God churches have such a system. Two of the more famous who have fallen into sin and been brought under that system of instruction are Jim Bakker and Jimmy Swaggert. While Bakker died while still under that supervision, Swaggert has returned to public ministry, now with a new testimony about redemption and a fresh sensitivity to those who need redemption.
I pray that the Adventist church can become able to do the same with others caught in sin as Pipim was.
I think that even more the church needs to minister to those who are the victims of sexual sin. It is easy to view sexual sins as "victimless crimes". But this is not the case. Often the victims are shunned or ignored beacause we do not know how or do not care enough to honestly confront the pain and the shame.
If you have spent quality time with victims of sexual and other abuse, you might understand whereof I speak. Our local chuch has operated such a ministry and the pain and shame become very apparent. These do not abate readily – the scars in the psuche run very deep. Often the victims become suicidaly depressed and/or they experinece murderous rage. Especially when their abuser was a spiritual authority figure the damage to the victims' relationships with God can seem irreparable. The God that you and I find to be so loving can become for them a painful reminder of their abuse – and do not underestimate the deep-seated urge we all have to avoid pain.
I have been told that a woman who is trying to minister to the victims of Dr Pipim's sexual abuse, has received death threats from his fans. I have also been told (I am not on Facebook) that Dr Pipim's Facebook page is full of positive statements from his loyal and devoted fans. Would not a truly repentant person openly dis-avow these things among his adherents?
I truly and deeply believe that God is love. Sometimes love must be tough. Love forgives sinners – good news for me! But love does not deny or minimize the consequences of sin. The public persona revealed in Dr Pipim's own blog and Facebook pages is not that of a broken and contrite sinner, but of someone who is in deep denial. He needs to be honestly confronted with the pain and shame that I have witnessed among victims of abuse. He must come to understand the trail of destruction he is leaving in his wake.
Jim,
I fully agree. Most communities have resources available to help the victims of sexual assault, but churches less so. Why is it there are few such resources in the church when we are supposed to be ministering the healing power and love of God? Are we not seeing an opportunity to minister to a great need? People like to talk about making the church relevant. I think this is one place where the church being relevant could have a very positive impact, both within the church and in the community.
Why is it there are few such resources in the church when we are supposed to be ministering the healing power and love of God?
Because we first have to admit that as a community of faith we have a problem. A problem with our own behaviors and our own attitudes. And then we have to admit that these are low-percentage targets for evangelism. Most churches prefer to expend their resources where they are likely to see a higher "yield" on their investments. When dealing with victims of serious abuse, your results are going to take many years. These wounds heal very slowly to the extent that they heal at all in this life.
Considering the yield many churches are seeing from their investment in evangelism it may be time to take a serious look at those other ministries. A church that actively ministers to the members builds a community of faith where the members enjoy blessings to such a degree that evangelism is little more than inviting your friends to come and enjoy the same blessings. I church that isn't actively ministering, well, unfortunately you don't have to look far to see what happens.
I came out of an Adventist congregation that matched the latter description and helped form one that tries hard to be a model of the former. It is an amazing difference. People have a hard time believing me when I say that my church has never grown faster than since we quit doing public evangelistic crusades. Powerful ministry to the community of believers is why.
http://www.scribd.com/collections/4573338/Pipim
Thank you for this excellent link. I would encourage everyone to read thes documents carefully.
I wonder if the "church members" of heaven are anxious about our being baptized into their fellowship. It will probably take as much faith on their part as ours to trust God's judgement in who gets to be a member of the heavenly church.
http://drpipim.org/component/content/article/1-latest/356-homeatlastdrpipimsbaptism.html
After reading this entire page carefully, I found one phrase regarding the victims and many. many plaudits.
I do not know Dr Pipim personally so I can only evaluate what I can read. I do hope his repentance is genuine and that he avoids the pitfalls of his former life of duplicity. And that his victims will find some healing in their own lives.
For my part I am not convinced that we can in this life completely repent of our sins, nor fully comprehend the depths of the hurt we inflict on our fellows. Fortunately for us, there has been one true repentance for our sins and one true baptism on our behalf. Jesus repented in our place and was baptized in our place and died in our place. Only on this basis is there hope for me.
It was interesting to find out that Dr Pipim was re-baptized by a former pastor from Ann Arbor, where Dr Pipim and his wife were previously members. And that the pastor of the church in Columbus, though not present ,was evidently well aware of what was planned that Sabbath. These facts shed a bit more light on the process.
and after the dust is settled , Pipim will be hired by the Michigan conference again not as a Pastor only as a " resident theologian "
Regardless of what you may or may not like about Jay Gallimore, if you read his open letter regarding Dr Pipim it is hard to imagine Pipim returning to denominational employment in Michigan on Gallimore's watch. I think it more than coincidence that Pipim was re-babptized in Columbus Ohio. That is about as close to Ann Arbor, Michigan and the Lake Union as he could find a church to do the deed (not within any of the foregoing territories).
I have personally known many conference officers at all levels in the hierarchy. These gentlemen do not readily forget when and by whom their trust has been betrayed as deeply as this episode.
Repentance is one thing we must let rest with the confessor. We cannot judge the heart or motives.
Having said that, simply saying someone is ready for leadership roles either as a layperson or as a church leader or other ministry leader is thoughtless.
Random passing of time does not provide a basis for leadership trust. For that matter if this sinner is repentant it would be well for him to go through a period of accountability to qualified persons of standing in the church in professional fields. Retraining and reeducation is the only hope for a person with a repeat history of sexual sins. This is the same with any addiction. There needs to be long term accountability to someone he trusts and someone others trust.
Although Arthur White is reputed to have said the following counsel concerned a particularly revolting case of incest, doubtless there would be other situations (such as serial predation on minors) where this counsel would be applicable:
It is impossible for E to be fellowshiped by the church of God. He has placed himself where he cannot be helped by the church, where he can have no communion with, nor voice in, the church. He has placed himself there in the face of light and truth. He has stubbornly chosen his own course, and refused to listen to reproof. He has followed the inclinations of his corrupt heart, has violated the holy law of God, and has disgraced the cause of present truth. {Testimonies on Sexual Behavior 249.4}
If he repents ever so heartily, the church must let his case alone. If he goes to heaven, it must be alone, without the fellowship of the church. A standing rebuke from God and the church must ever rest upon him that the standard of morality be not lowered to the very dust.–1T 215. {TSB 250.1}
We live in a time when forgiveness without justice is in fashion. A persistent, repeat offender would be well to be dealt with as you just outlined. IF there is a path back it MUST include accountability on top of qualified therapy. Time does not heal sinful desires that have not been controlled in the past. Addiction needs different treatment than a multiple partner failure. IMO
Allen,
You raise a very good point about accountability. Accountability is much more than just an intellectual recognition of guilt preceeding immediate release. If you read through the civil laws that God gave to Moses for the Children of Israel to follow you find a very structured system that not only held people accountable for their misdeeds but which also held responsible for compensating their victims and sincere repentance for what they had done was required before their standing in the family or society was restored.
Recent Michigan Conference statement re Dr Pipim.
http://www.scribd.com/doc/232401755/Michigan-Conference-letter-re-Pipim