Desmond Ford and Glacier View

Desmond Ford and Glacier View is the sixth in the series On the Way to Glacier View. This is a history written from the viewpoint of the Fords about what happened before, during, and after The Sanctuary Review Committee, which took place at Glacier View Ranch, Colorado, U.S.A., from August 10-15, 1980. This series of meetings is commonly referred to as the Glacier View conference. Wayne Judd and Adrian Zytkoskee, professorial colleagues, had asked Ford to take an Adventist Forum meeting at Pacific Union College, entitled 'The Investigative Judgment-Theological Milestone or Historical Necessity.' This took place on October 27, 1979, as a debate with another professor, Dr. Eric Syme. Syme essentially agreed with Ford. The Forum challenged the Adventist doctrine of the investigative judgment, as commonly taught-a counterview that had often been propounded by Adventist scholars who knew the Biblical languages. The result was that Ford had his contract at P.U.C. broken, was pulled out of class, and called to Adventist General Conference headquarters in Washington D.C. He was given six months to write up his 991-page paper 'Daniel 8:14 the Day of Atonement, and the Investigative Judgment'. Administrators and scholars deliberated for a week and the General Conference PREXAD committee with two Australasian representatives met with the Fords. It was clear to the Fords on that Friday, August 15th, 1980, that Des would be defrocked, lose his job, and have his credentials removed. This happened officially on September 18, 1980, at an Australasian Division Executive meeting. Warren Johns, G.C. counsel, and Ken Eastman, Australasian Division solicitor, told Ford separately that he had a case to sue, but Des would never have sued the church. This series attempts to show some of the background politics behind the decision. It also reveals Ford's actual views, not the ones he is commonly accused of. Gillian Ford, widow of Desmond, has collated much of her evidence from her copies of Ford's document collection now housed at Avondale Archives in Cooranbong, N.S.W. Many other people have also contributed articles to this series.