Beloved,
believe not every spirit,
but try the spirits whether they are of God:
1 John 4:1
Derek Morris is given the infamous credit as the one who began to bring spiritual formation into the Adventist Church in the 1980's. This includes the contemplative prayer techniques which Ted Wilson warned against during his first speech as church President.
* He attended the Shalem Institute for spiritual formation
* He had a Jesuit priest for his spiritual director (basically the same as a confessor in Catholicism)
* He was warned by Jack Blanco about his path he was on
* He pastored Calimesa Church I California which began a spiritual formation program
* He pastored the Forest Lake Church in Florida which hosted a God Encounters event (SDA organization which is sort of the emerging church types within the denomination for the youth)
* Despite this, he was allowed to be part of the HOPE Channel program line-ups, including hosting the Sabbath school program with youth.
* He wrote a book entitled Radical Prayer
* In 2011, he was brought into speak at AFCOE, (part of the Amazing Facts organization run by Doug Batchelor). When it was pointed out that pastor Morris had been involved in spiritual formation--he was confronted. He ended up speaking on the dangers of spiritual formation and disavowed spiritual formation at that event.
* He also became editor of Ministry Magazine
* Some have raised doubts recently as to whether his repudiation of spiritual formation was sincere--or whether he wants just to keep his job at Ministry Magazine.
* As a result, he has now been sent letters twice asking for him to step down as editor of Ministry Magazine--both times he has refused to do so.
The calls for his resignation as editor of Ministry Magazine were based on the following:
"God will not entrust the care of His precious flock to men whose mind and judgment have been weakened
Although they may now feel free from error and competent to go forth and teach this last message, God will not accept them.
He will not entrust precious souls to their care; for their judgment was perverted while in error, and is now weakened." Early Writings p.101 E.G.W.