In 1990, I had the privilege of attending a series of lectures by Pastor Jack Sequeira at the health centre directed by Dr Agatha Thrash in the United States. Those meetings left a lasting impression on my life. Although I did not fully understand everything I heard at the time, I clearly sensed the influence of the Holy Spirit, impressing upon my heart that this was a message God had given to His people. I became convinced that, if accepted, it would lead to genuine revival and prepare God’s church for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
Pastor E. H. “Jack” Sequeira (1932–2022) was a devoted and faithful Seventh-day Adventist pastor, theologian, author, and evangelist. After studying at Newbold College and later completing a Master’s degree in Systematic Theology at Andrews University, he served for seventeen years as a missionary in Uganda, Kenya, and Ethiopia. In 1972, he and his family were expelled from Uganda by Idi Amin’s regime, losing almost everything they owned. They continued their missionary work in Ethiopia until 1982, when they relocated to the United States. Pastor Sequeira later shared that, because of the restrictions imposed by Ethiopia’s communist government, his family had to leave most of their possessions behind. However, in what he regarded as a remarkable answer to prayer and God’s providence, their belongings were eventually released and shipped to the United States. He later served as senior pastor of the Capital Memorial Seventh-day Adventist Church in Washington, D.C. Even after retirement, he continued preaching the everlasting gospel and the righteousness of Christ throughout the world, blessing thousands of lives through his sermons, books, and Bible seminars.
Inspired by the biblical truths I heard, I purchased dozens of Pastor Sequeira’s audio cassettes together with several of his commentaries on the book of Romans. After carefully studying these materials, I prepared a series of lectures entitled “The Truth as It Is in Christ”.
Pastor Jack Sequeira repeatedly risked his life while standing for the truth in Uganda under Idi Amin as well as in countries ruled by communist governments and religious leaders such, as Abuna (patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church) who tried to kill pastor Sequeira for not submitting to his demand to refuse holding an evangelistic crusade. As a result of that blessed and protected by God effort, seventy students were baptised and joined the Seventh Day Adventist Church.
Pastor Sequeira’s Christian experience is blessed with numerous extraordinary stories proving God’s inspiration, guidance and protection while with regards to his opponents, such as Angel Manuel Rodriguez (ex director of BRI), no such evidence is available.
When Apostle Paul was accused by false brothers (legalistic Judeo-Christians) of being self-appointed apostle and proclaiming heresies, to prove he was called and guided by God Paul often denied those accusations by telling Christians how miraculously God protected him whenever he risked his life proclaiming the gospel. The same is true with regards to elder Sequeira who also risked his life while proclaiming the fully recovered everlasting gospel and was always protected by God.
Unfortunately, as two thousand years ago some Judaizers attacked Paul and the gospel he preached also today pastor Sequeira and the gospel he proclaims is opposed by some Adventists (modern Judaizers) such as Angel M. Rodriguez, Larry J. Kane, or Colin and Russell Standish.
Below I have included some of the remarkable experiences Pastor Sequeira shared in his sermons and lectures—experiences that have encouraged and strengthened the faith of countless believers around the world.
Jack Sequeira
Conversion of Rebellious Students (Persecution, Power of Gospel)
Story as told by Pastor Jack Sequeira in one of his sermons:
“Toward the end of my stay at Andrews University, one of my friends directed my attention to the message of justification by faith which the Lord gave to His people in 1888. That truth made an enormous impression on me, so much so that from that time on I devoted most of my time to everything that could help me understand it better, praying that the Lord would also help me proclaim this wonderful truth. In 1973, shortly after completing my studies at Andrews University, I went to Ethiopia. Only a few days after my arrival, the president of the church in that country telephoned me and told me that Adventists owned a college in Ethiopia, but because of financial difficulties they had been forced to admit students who were not Adventists. This led to the point where non-Adventists made up as much as 75 percent of all the students at that college. The parents of these students were very wealthy. Unfortunately, the young people were especially unruly and rebellious, and at times even dangerous to those around them. For this reason they had previously been expelled from government schools. So their parents sent them to our school in the hope that perhaps Adventists would be able to change them. But these young people had no intention of changing and showed hostility toward everything connected with religion. Because of this, during a Week of Prayer, they even openly rebelled. They overturned two cars belonging to the school and three motorcycles and set them on fire. They did not want anyone to force them to attend worship services or Bible lectures. After this incident, the administration decided to close the school for a time. Shortly afterward, however, the government forced the school leadership to reopen it and even to readmit those rebellious students—the same ones who had burned the cars and motorcycles. The principal and the teachers then wondered whether it might be better to cancel the Week of Prayer. Finally, however, they said, ‘This is an Adventist school, and we cannot give up the Week of Prayer. This time, however, we will ask one of the national ministers to lead the meetings, not a foreigner, since previously the main speaker had been a pastor from Canada. When our own man speaks,’ they said, ‘they certainly will not harm him.’ So a speaker was chosen, but two days before the Week of Prayer began, that man changed his mind because he feared that this time his car would be burned. In this situation the church president desperately looked for someone who would replace him. The rebellious youth were so dangerous that no one wanted to take such a risk. Finally he contacted me, asking me to conduct the meetings. Before I gave him an answer, I prayed: ‘Lord, You said in Romans that the gospel is Your power. Please show now that this is true. You have allowed me to know this wonderful truth; now let me test its power on these rebellious young people.’ Immediately after that telephone conversation I boarded a plane, and shortly afterward I arrived in Addis Ababa. Several missionaries were waiting for me at the airport, and they told me I had acted unwisely by agreeing to do this. I replied, ‘Yes, you are right. It does indeed look like an unwise decision. So I have one request: if you have to bury me, remember that I like gladiolas.’ Finally I reached the college. I did not yet know that five leaders of those unruly young people had prepared a pile of stones in front of the church in order to stone me if they did not like what I said. When the service began, all five sat in the front row directly in front of the pulpit, looking me straight in the eyes. And so I began a series of sermons on the gospel from the book of Romans. But thanks be to God, I was able to speak without interruption. On the third day something extraordinary happened. One of those five leaders came up to me and said, ‘This is the most wonderful news I have ever heard!’ Some time later all five were baptized and joined our church, and the chief leader of those rebellious youth even graduated from Andrews University and now works in the church as a minister.”
This encouraging experience confirms even more strongly that what the apostle Paul wrote in Romans 1:16 is true: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth.” — Romans 1:16. Some believe that in order to restore order and raise the level of morality—whether in the family, the state, or even the church—it is necessary to introduce more prohibitions, commands, and stricter laws. But such a method has more in common with communism and dictatorship than with Christianity. This goal cannot be achieved by any compulsion, external improvement of behavior, or superficial growth in morality forced by fear of punishment. Only the gospel can accomplish it—the gospel that is the power of God, the gospel whose acceptance leads to being born of the Spirit.
The Seventh-day Pentecostal Church (Sabbath)
If we present the Sabbath only in the light of the law, it is not surprising that many sincere Evangelical Christians struggle to accept it. The Sabbath can be fully understood only in the light of the gospel. Among Adventist theologians, Pastor Jack Sequeira was one of the strongest advocates of presenting the Sabbath as part of the gospel of righteousness by faith. While preaching in London, he shared a remarkable experience from Ethiopia. A Pentecostal pastor once asked him, “Jack, how is it possible that you preach the gospel so beautifully and still keep the Sabbath?” Sequeira replied, “Would you like me to answer that question privately, or in front of your whole congregation?” The pastor chose the second option.
As a result, Sequeira was invited to present a series of Bible studies on the Sabbath to approximately 800 members of one of the largest Pentecostal churches in Addis Ababa. Instead of presenting the Sabbath merely as a commandment, he showed that it is God’s sign of righteousness by faith and a memorial of Christ’s finished work of redemption.
The result was extraordinary. The entire congregation accepted the seventh-day Sabbath and chn=anged the name of their Church to the “Seventh-day Pentecostal Church.”
The story beautifully illustrates an important truth: when the Sabbath is presented in the light of the gospel, sincere Christians often see it in a completely different way.
Dahud, Egyptian SDA (Dying In Christ)
In 1990 I was invited for a one year-long health training to America and we were also invited by Dr Agatha Thrash to the Uchi Pines institute in Tennessee, where she invited Pastor Jack Sequeira and for 7 days twice a day we could listen to him explaining the gospel on the basis of the book of Romans.
And when he was dealing with the passages of Romans where Paul stated that we all died with Christ, Pastor Sequeira told us that when he was working as a missionary in Ethiopia, he was invited to preach during the week of prayer in an Adventist college.
And one day, after he finished preaching, a senior student from Egypt whose name was Dahoud (Da’ud), asked pastor Sequeira if it was OK for him to join Egyptian army and fight against Israel. So, Pastor answered that he shouldn’t carry arms and kill others because he died in Christ and was hidden with Christ in God.
But Dahoud said, no I am not dead and will join the army. So, Pastor gave him few Bible verses to prove he died with and in Christ. But since Dahoud disagreed again, pastor Sequeira said, OK Dahoud, but remember you are not opposing me but the Word of God.
Soon after that, Dahoud was testing a tractor with his instructor and when they were driving down the hill, the breaks stopped working, and the tractor hit a big tree. Dahoud was taken to the hospital and after careful examination was pronounced dead by two physicians.
However, at the same time a group of students from the seminary school were praying for him. And when the nurse came to cover the body of the dead Dahoud she noticed that his eye blinked so she quickly called the doctor and he managed to detect a faint heart beat so Dahoud was brought back to life by God.
When pastor Sequeira was told that Dahoud was alive, he came to the hospital to visit him after a week or so. And when he came, Dahoud was lying on the bed with his head almost completely covered with bandages except his eyes and mouth.
So, pastor Sequeira said, Hi Dahoud, how are you? And he said he would never forget Dahoud’s answer. When pastor asked, how are you, the same Dahoud who previously refused to accept the truth about his death in Christ, said “Dahoud is dead. You are now talking to a Christian.” He learned the truth in a very painful way.
8,000 Adventist Youth Imprisoned by Idi Amin (Sabbath, Persecution, Legalism, Lack of Assurance of Salvation, Doubts About God’s Love)
If we base our salvation on our own righteousness and on what level of Christianity we represent, and not on Christ, then it may turn out that in the time of trial, lacking the assurance of salvation or the conviction that Christ is our righteousness, we will deny Him, just as Peter did.
We will deny Him because, focusing on ourselves and not on Christ, it will seem to us that we are not yet good and righteous enough to be able to die with the conviction that we will certainly find ourselves among the saved.
In reference to this, Pastor Jack Sequeira relates a very sad experience that took place in Uganda during the bloody rule of dictator Idi Amin.
At that time, there was a large dynamic group of young Seventh-day Adventists in that country, numbering up to 8,000 people.
Idi Amin hated Christians, and one Friday he ordered his army to surround these 8,000 young Adventists.
The soldiers then presented them with an ultimatum: either the next day, on Sabbath, they would go to work, or they would all be shot.
Additionally, they ordered them to utter blasphemies against God and Christ.
What do you think, how many of those 8,000 young people preferred to lose their lives rather than deny Christ and insult God?
It may be hard to believe, but out of those 8,000 young Adventists, only one young man refused to perform work on the Sabbath and did not utter blasphemy against God and Christ!
Only one person! When after 2 years the communists released all these young people, our pastors tried to find out why, except for one person, everyone broke the fourth commandment and denied Christ?
As a result of many conversations conducted, it turned out that it was so because each of them thought that if they lost their life at that moment, they would not find themselves among the saved.
All these young people did not feel good enough, righteous enough, to have the assurance of salvation.
Feelings told them that if they died then, with such a level of sanctification they could not be saved.
They were afraid to die for Christ because back then everyone – except that one – did not understand the gospel.
Additionally, it seemed to them that by denying Christ they committed the unpardonable sin.
When, however, Pastor Sequeira was later asked to present to them the message of salvation solely through faith in Christ based on the Letter to the Romans, and when they understood how great God’s love is, and that Christ does not reject them despite the fact that they denied Him, then those same young Adventists were completely transformed.
Shortly thereafter, a time of trial came upon them again, and when they were presented with the same ultimatum, then out of those several thousand young people, not even one person denied Christ, and many of them died a martyr’s death with a song on their lips and full assurance of salvation.
Among them was also a young girl, to whom a soldier said: “If you do not go to work tomorrow, I will kill you!”.
To which she replied with a smile on her face: “You can kill my body, but you cannot take away the eternal life that the Lord Jesus gave me”.
Irritated by her stubbornness, the soldier threw her to the ground and jumped on her, breaking her spine.
This brave girl survived this experience, but since then she has been paralyzed.
She still, however, enjoys inner peace, and her paralysis constitutes for many people a testimony of faith and the power of the gospel – the truth and love of God, which brought her freedom not only from sin and death, but also from the fear of death.
As for that young Adventist who previously was the only one among 8,000 who did not deny Christ, God protected him from death, and he currently works in Sweden as a doctor.
This sad experience shows how important a proper understanding and acceptance of the truth that is in Christ is, how essential it is to rely solely on the righteousness of the Savior in striving for salvation.
According to what the Word of God says, we too will one day face persecution, and some of us even death. And when that time comes, feelings will then tell us that we are not yet good enough to die, possessing at the same time the assurance of salvation.
But if we focus on Christ, His love, and His righteousness, which is imputed to us through faith, then even when we face death, the Holy Spirit will remind us that indeed “there is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus,” the Holy Spirit will remind us of the words of Jesus Christ from the Gospel of John 5:24: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.” John 5:24
If, therefore, we look not at ourselves but at Christ and believe God’s promises, then we will never deny our Savior, we will not dishonor God, and no decree, not even a death decree, will force us to work on the Sabbath.
Ten Young Pastors Left Hartland
Pastor Sequeira was once invited by Hartland leaders for a public discussion. As a result of that debate, ten young pastors changed their views and couldn’t identify themselves anymore with Hartland’s teachings as they realised that their leaders were opposing the truth of the gospel using Bible verses and Ellen White quotes out of context instead of proving their point in a systematic biblical way. The above video is the best example of how they manipulate the Bible and the writings of Ellen White. Read or watch Sequeira’s seminars on Romans and you will see a huge difference.
Manuel Rodrigues Didin’t Allow Sequeira Preach at Camp Meeting
Unfortunately, Adventists who try to share either the message associated with the in Christ motif or His true incarnation often experience opposition or even hostility. One of them is Pastor Jack Sequeira who by the grace of God has been travelling all over America and the world proclaiming the good news of the gospel including its three most vital aspects (Christ’s experience of second death, His true incarnation and the universal salvation in Him). And during those years the SDA Biblical Research Institute (especially its former director – Angel Manuel Rodriguez) desperately tried to silence him. For example, on one occasion the pastor of the Spencerville SDA Church in Washington DC, who was Sequeira’s predecessor at the Capital Memorial Church (also Washington DC), asked him to be the main speaker at the annual Spencerville’s camp meeting because he wanted “his people to hear the true gospel”. The Spencerville Church, however, is attended by most of the GC brethren, including A. M. Rodrigues. Therefore, when everything was already arranged and elder Sequeira was supposed to be the main speaker at that camp meeting, Rodriguez, using his position, forced the Spencerville pastor to choose another speaker. When he asked for the reason, Rodriguez only explained he couldn’t allow Sequeira to speak there because he preached federalism. But when pastor Sequeira was told about that humiliating news and asked for a meeting with Rodriguez and the pastor of the Spencerville Church (to witness the conversation) Rodriguez refused to give him the opportunity to defend himself and his teachings.
It is true that we are not to allow heresies and false ideas to undermine the fundamental truths found in the Word of God but no one, including the leaders of the Church, has the right to threaten or deprive our pastors or members of the freedom of expressing their beliefs without proving that their ideas can’t be sustained by the Word of God. The Lord never gave leaders, pastors and men like A. M. Rodriguez authority to use their position in order to silence members because the ideas they try to share do not match their own preconceived understanding!
Using the authority of his position Angel M. Rodriguez committed the very same sin of the violation of religious freedom. He dared to deprive thousands of Adventists of the opportunity to hear the most wonderful message of the gospel of freedom that could had been presented to them by the SDA ordained Pastor (Jack Sequeira) who repeatedly risked his life while standing for the truth in Uganda under Idi Amin as well as in countries ruled by communist governments and religious leaders such as Abuna (patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church) who tried to kill pastor Sequeira for not submitting to his demand to refuse to hold an evangelistic crusade. As a result of that blessed and protected by God effort, seventy students were baptised and joined the Seventh Day Adventist Church.
Pastor Sequeira’s Christian experience is blessed with numerous extraordinary stories proving God’s inspiration, guidance and protection while with regard` to Angel Manuel Rodriguez no such evidence is available.
When Apostle Paul was accused by false brothers (legalistic Judeo-Christians) of being a self-appointed apostle and proclaiming heresies, to prove he was called and guided by God Paul often denied those accusations by telling Christians how miraculously God protected him whenever he risked his life proclaiming the gospel. The same is true with regards to elder Sequeira who also risked his life while proclaiming the fully recovered everlasting gospel and was always protected by God.
Unfortunately, like two thousand years ago some Judaizers attacked Paul and the gospel he preached also today pastor Sequeira and the gospel he proclaims is opposed by some Adventists (modern Judaizers) such as Angel M. Rodriguez, Larry J. Kane, or Colin and Russell Standish.
Facing Idi Amin’s Guard Squad in Uganda
During the early 1970s, Pastor Jack Sequeira and his family were serving as missionaries in Uganda under the brutal, unpredictable dictatorship of Idi Amin. Life in the country had become intensely dangerous, with sudden executions, military blockades, and state-sanctioned violence a common reality for the populace. It was during this period of extreme social unrest that the power grid suddenly failed at an Adventist educational center, plunging the campus into absolute darkness. Without electricity, the facility couldn’t provide lighting for the students or power the kitchens to prepare their food. While the school had a backup generator, it was entirely out of fuel. The only way to get the campus running again was to venture out past a notorious military checkpoint to secure fuel, a task that everyone on campus knew carried lethal risks.
Despite the pleading of staff members who warned that Amin’s State Research Bureau guards were stationed at the crossroads, heavily intoxicated and killing people for violating curfew, Sequeira refused to let fear dictate his actions. Loading empty drums into the back of a truck, he and a terrified local driver set out into the pitch-black Ugandan night. As they approached the main highway, the headlights exposed a nightmare scenario: a barbed-wire barricade surrounded by heavily armed, visibly drunk soldiers who were swinging their weapons carelessly. Before the truck could even come to a complete stop, several guards lunged forward, thrusting the cold barrels of their AK-47 rifles straight through the open windows. Shoved against the vehicle and subjected to a hostile interrogation, the local driver collapsed to his knees in terror as a soldier chambered a round and pressed the rifle directly against Sequeira’s forehead, accusing them of being anti-government spies.
Faced with an immediate threat to his life, Sequeira experienced an overwhelming sense of supernatural peace. He did not beg for his life or try to offer a bribe; instead, he looked directly into the bloodshot eyes of the soldier and explained with complete serenity that they were merely trying to get fuel to bring light and food to the young students waiting in the dark. When the guard sneered and boasted that he could pull the trigger right then and cover his actions without consequence, Sequeira calmly responded that while the soldier held the earthly power to take his life, he would only be killing a servant of the Almighty God. Sequeira then looked at the erratic guard with genuine empathy and told him that the God he served loved him unconditionally, and had already died to forgive every wrong thing he had ever done. The radical, disarming message of grace caught the execution squad completely off guard; the commander slowly lowered his weapon, the aggressive shouting ceased, and in a complete reversal of attitude, the soldiers moved the barricades aside and quietly allowed the truck to pass, allowing Sequeira to successfully bring fuel and light back to the campus.
Confrontation with the Abun and Monks
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