1. Desmond Ford was an Australian theologian who studied evangelicalism.
48 Facts About Desmond Ford
1. 2.
Desmond Ford was dismissed from ministry in the Adventist church in 1980, following his critique of the church's investigative judgment teaching.
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Desmond Ford had since worked through the non-denominational evangelical ministry Good News Unlimited.
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Desmond Ford viewed the writings of Ellen G White as useful devotionally, but not at the level of authority held by the Church.
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Desmond Ford shared the sermon time at the Good News Unlimited congregation, which meets on Saturdays in the Brisbane suburb of Milton, and in periodic seminars on the eastern seaboard of Australia.
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Desmond Ford was born in Townsville, Queensland, Australia on 2 February 1929, to Wilfred Ford and Lillian Simpson.
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Desmond Ford had one brother, Val, who was three and a half years older.
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The Desmond Ford lineage consisted of farmers and cattlemen of English and Australian descent.
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Desmond Ford's parents were nominal Anglican Christians, with his father almost an atheist in practice, and his mother presenting "a religious facade".
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At an Adventist camp meeting in 1939 Desmond Ford was given a Bible, which he would complete three years later, around the time he finished primary school.
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However, due to the family's poverty and Australia's involvement in World War II, Desmond Ford had to drop out of school.
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Desmond Ford became officially employed with Associated Newspapers at the age of 15, although he had started working there months earlier, and was promoted from copy boy to an editorial position, because of his published work.
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Desmond Ford was impressed by the Christian character of many of the Adventists who had nurtured him.
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Desmond Ford resigned from his job, and returned briefly to Townsville with his family.
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Desmond Ford then left in 1947 for the Australasian Missionary College in the Lake Macquarie region of NSW, to train for the ministry.
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Desmond Ford found his time at Avondale exciting for spiritual growth.
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Desmond Ford was an active participant in class discussions, and occasionally taught classes to fill in for the lecturers.
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Desmond Ford was particularly inspired by Dr William Murdoch, and carried out research for him.
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Desmond Ford gave talks in nearby churches, and published around a dozen articles for church magazines during this time.
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Desmond Ford struggled financially, and worked on Avondale's farm and elsewhere, and selling Adventist books.
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Desmond Ford graduated from the Ministerial Course in Avondale in 1950, with high marks.
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Desmond Ford lived in a caravan with his mother, who insisted on accompanying him, while canvassing.
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Desmond Ford was sent to help build a new church in the coastal town of Coffs Harbour, NSW.
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Desmond Ford worked as a pastor in various churches and as an evangelist for about 7 years in NSW, in Australian rural towns.
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In 1952 Desmond Ford pastored the Coffs Harbour area, under a supervisor.
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From 1954 to mid-1955, Desmond Ford pastored in the Gunnedah area, then moved north to Inverell.
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Desmond Ford completed a BA in 1958, and went on to complete a Master's degree in systematic theology at the SDA Washington Seminary in 1959.
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Desmond Ford subsequently received a PhD in the rhetorical analysis of Paul's letters from Michigan State University in 1961.
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At Avondale, Desmond Ford taught many classes, including public speaking, homiletics, and evangelism.
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Desmond Ford was a member of the Biblical Research Committee in Australia and the United States.
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Desmond Ford completed his second PhD in 1972 from the University of Manchester, while on leave from teaching at Avondale.
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Desmond Ford's field was New Testament studies, specifically eschatology.
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Desmond Ford entitled his thesis, The Abomination of Desolation in Biblical Eschatology.
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Desmond Ford was a primary opponent of the perfectionism within the SDA church, especially its form as taught by fellow Australian Robert Brinsmead, a former classmate of Desmond Ford's at Avondale.
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Desmond Ford believed that victory over the guilt of sin was provided at the cross, victory over the power of sin is the work of a lifetime and victory over the presence of sin occurs at the return of Christ Jesus.
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Desmond Ford disagreed with the belief of sinless perfection, and did not hold to the belief that the saints are sealed at the end time, but held that the final removal of sin occurred when mortality changes to immortality at the return of Jesus Christ.
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Desmond Ford held that victory over the presence of sin does not occur during this lifetime, so sin continues among the saints up to the return of Jesus Christ.
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Desmond Ford held that justification precedes sanctification, because victory over the guilt of sin, precedes victory over the power of sin.
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Desmond Ford taught that while justification is distinct from sanctification, the two concepts are always found together, in the same manner as two railway lines are distinct but never separate.
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Desmond Ford disagreed strongly with the belief of "eschatological perfectionism", which is the teaching that a final generation of believers must achieve a state of complete sinlessness in the final period just before the second coming of Jesus, when the saints are sealed.
41.
Desmond Ford stepped into the debate within Adventism concerning the nature of Jesus Christ, specifically whether Jesus Christ took on a fallen or an unfallen human nature in the Incarnation.
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In contrast to the "historic" view, Desmond Ford believed that Ellen White was clear that Christ took our infirmities and with the weaknesses of fallen man, the sinful nature in the sense of that he had a lessened capacity with respect to the fallen physical nature that he inherited from Adam, including physical weaknesses, frailties and mental, and moral degeneracy and deterioration.
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Desmond Ford in turning Brinsmead from his belief in sinless perfection, urged Brinsmead to study the Reformers.
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In October 1979 Desmond Ford was invited to address a chapter meeting of the Association of Adventist Forums held at the college, on the topic of Hebrews 9 and its implications for the Adventist investigative judgment teaching.
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Already a controversial figure, Desmond Ford's talk appeared to many to be an attack upon fundamental church beliefs.
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Desmond Ford was summoned to the General Conference headquarters in Washington, DC He was given six months to write up his views.
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Desmond Ford founded an interdenominational Christian ministry named Good News Unlimited, which gave him a platform to continue preaching.
48.
Desmond Ford died on 11 March 2019 in Sunshine Coast, Queensland.