Colin D. Standish (27 October 1933 – 29 October 2018) and Russell Roland Standish (27 October 1933 – 2 May 2008) were
identical twin
Twins are two offspring produced by the same pregnancy.MedicineNet > Definition of TwinLast Editorial Review: 19 June 2000 Twins can be either ''monozygotic'' ('identical'), meaning that they develop from one zygote, which splits and forms two em ...
brothers and "
historic
History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbrella term comprising past events as well ...
"
Seventh-day Adventists
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is an Adventism, Adventist Protestantism, Protestant Christian denomination which is distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the Names of the days of the week#Numbered days of the week, seventh day of the ...
. They were often referred to collectively as the Standish brothers. They co-authored many books together, which have been published by their
Hartland Institute
Hartland Institute, officially Hartland Institute of Health and Education, is a self-supporting Seventh-day Adventist educational organization operated by members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church."Hartland Institute of Health and Education ...
.
Biography
The identical twin brothers were born on 27 October 1933 to Darcy Rowland Standish (1912–1997) and Hilda Marie Joyce Standish née Bailey (1912–74).
[''Half a Century of Apostasy: The New Theology's Grim Harvest 1956–2006'' by the Standish brothers, p23–26] Their hometown is
Newcastle Newcastle usually refers to:
*Newcastle upon Tyne, a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England
*Newcastle-under-Lyme, a town in Staffordshire, England
*Newcastle, New South Wales, a metropolitan area in Australia, named after Newcastle ...
,
New South Wales
)
, nickname =
, image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, es ...
in
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
. From 1943 to 1949 they attended the Newcastle Seventh-day Adventist High School (now
Macquarie College
Macquarie College is an independent Seventh-day Adventist co-educational early learning, primary and secondary day school, located in the Newcastle suburb of Wallsend, New South Wales, Australia. The college is a part of the Seventh-day Adv ...
). They were baptised by pastor R. A. R. Thrift.
They studied at
Avondale College
Avondale College is a state coeducational secondary school located in the central Auckland, New Zealand, suburb of Avondale. With a roll of students from Years 9–13 (ages 12–18), it is the third largest secondary school in New Zealand.
...
in 1950 and '51, mainly studying primary teaching, and graduating from the "Theological Normal Course". As seventeen-year-olds in 1951, they attended an evangelistic meeting held by
George Burnside in Newcastle, and were impressed.
Colin is an author and administrator, as well as the founder and president of the independent Adventist institute Hartland College.
He received a
PhD PHD or PhD may refer to:
* Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), an academic qualification
Entertainment
* '' PhD: Phantasy Degree'', a Korean comic series
* ''Piled Higher and Deeper'', a web comic
* Ph.D. (band), a 1980s British group
** Ph.D. (Ph.D. albu ...
in
psychology
Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. Psychology includes the study of conscious and unconscious phenomena, including feelings and thoughts. It is an academic discipline of immense scope, crossing the boundaries betwe ...
from the
University of Sydney
The University of Sydney (USYD), also known as Sydney University, or informally Sydney Uni, is a public research university located in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and is one of the country's si ...
and later a master's degree in Education from the same university in
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
.
He has worked in both academic and administrative jobs at Avondale College, becoming President of West Indies College (now
Northern Caribbean University
Northern Caribbean University (NCU) is a private, liberal-arts institution owned and operated by the Jamaica Union Conference (JAMU) and the Atlantic Caribbean Union Mission (ACUM) of Seventh-day Adventists, and is located in Jamaica. With its ma ...
), and President of
Columbia Union College
Washington Adventist University is a private Seventh-day Adventist university in Takoma Park, Maryland.
History
Washington Adventist University was established in 1904 by the Seventh-day Adventist Church as Washington Training College. ...
.
as well as Weimar Institute. He was
ordained
Ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the denominational hierarchy composed of other clergy) to perform va ...
to the Seventh-day Adventist ministry on 17 April 1971.
Russell was a
medical doctor
A physician (American English), medical practitioner (Commonwealth English), medical doctor, or simply doctor, is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through th ...
after completing his BA Hons and working for a short period as a teacher. In 1964, he completed medical training at the
University of Sydney
The University of Sydney (USYD), also known as Sydney University, or informally Sydney Uni, is a public research university located in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and is one of the country's si ...
in Australia. Following internship at Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney and subsequent hospital training, Russell worked at the Warburton Sanitarium and Hospital in Victoria, before being called to medical mission service in the Far Eastern Division of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. He subsequently worked as a Hospital Clinical Superintendent and physician in both the Penang SDA and Bangkok SDA hospitals,
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, south-eastern region of Asia, consistin ...
and Australia at the Austin Hospital.
as well as heading the Health Program at Enton Hall in the UK. Russell became a prolific author, commencing with the publication of "Conflicting Concepts of Righteousness by Faith etc", co-authored with Dr John Clifford in 1976. Russell later obtained specialist qualifications with the Colleges of Physicians of both England and Glasgow. He was ordained on 6 December 1980,
After his dismissal from denominational employment, he founded Remnant Ministries
and later ra
Highwood a health retreat in Victoria, Australia, that also ran outreach-oriented Bible courses for people interested in lay evangelism.
Russell spent the bulk of his career as a missionary physician in
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, south-eastern region of Asia, consistin ...
, and also as a hospital administrator. He worked as the president of
Bangkok Adventist Mission Hospital
)
, Org/Group = Seventh-day Adventist Church
, Image =
, Caption =
, Logo =
, Location = Bangkok
, Region =
, State =
, Country = Thailand
, Coordinates =
, HealthCare =
, Type = Gener ...
in
Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...
, where he rescued the hospital from imminent closure, and as president of
Penang Adventist Hospital
The Penang Adventist Hospital ( ms, Hospital Adventist, ) is a Christian nonprofit medical institution in Penang, Malaysia. It is operated by the Adventist Hospital & Clinic Services (M) (255697-M), and is part of an international network of hosp ...
in
Malaysia
Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
. He later became Health Director of the South-east Asian Union of SDAs. Russell was dismissed from church service by the Australasian Division of Seventh-day Adventists in 1992 for continuing to write and speak against the doctrines of Dr.
Desmond Ford
Desmond Ford (2 February 1929 – 11 March 2019) was an Australian theologian who studied evangelicalism.
Within the Seventh-day Adventist Church he was a controversial figure. He was dismissed from ministry in the Adventist church in 1980, ...
that had made inroads into Adventist theology in the 1970s and '80s.
Russell and Colin were presenters at the ''Questions on Doctrine''
50th anniversary conference in 2007, where they also distributed free copies of their papers, each presented in book form.
Russell died in a motor vehicle accident in
Mildura
Mildura is a regional city in north-west Victoria, Australia. Located on the Victorian side of the Murray River, Mildura had a population of 34,565 in 2021. When nearby Wentworth, Irymple, Nichols Point and Merbein are included, the area had ...
,
Victoria
Victoria most commonly refers to:
* Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia
* Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada
* Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory
* Victoria, Seychelle ...
, Australia on 2 May 2008. A memorial service was also organized in
Bangkok
Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estima ...
, Thailand, where his years of service were remembered by many of the grateful Thai people he had worked with and treated as a physician.
From 1983 to 2011 Colin was president of the
Hartland Institute of Health and Education
Hartland Institute, officially Hartland Institute of Health and Education, is a self-supporting Seventh-day Adventist educational organization operated by members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church."Hartland Institute of Health and Education" ...
, acting as an author and as an invited speaker at many venues around the world. After leaving the post he was appointed "President Emeritus." He died on 29 October 2018.
Beliefs
The Standish brothers had long been vocal supporters and prolific authors of "
historic Adventism
Historic Adventism is an informal designation for conservative individuals and organizations affiliated with the Seventh-day Adventist Church who seek to preserve certain traditional beliefs and practices of the church. They feel that the church l ...
", the conservative wing of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. They became particularly strong supporters of a group of senior SDA pastors who, in 1976, openly objected to doctrines being taught at Australia's Avondale College under the leadership in the Theology Department of Dr Desmond Ford. This group of pastors and their supporters, such as the Adventist Laymen's Fellowship, became known as "Concerned Brethren". Their views and those of the Standish brothers were rejected by the leadership of the Australasian Division of SDA's in a Biblical Research group meeting in 1976. The Standish brothers' focus has always been to support Adventist theological beliefs against perceived inroads from competing views derived from other theological streams. As such they criticized what they saw as 'new theology' within the church, particularly evident since the 1957 publication '
Questions on Doctrine
''Seventh-day Adventists Answer Questions on Doctrine'' (generally known by the shortened title ''Questions on Doctrine'', abbreviated ''QOD'') is a book published by the Seventh-day Adventist Church in 1957 to help explain Adventism to conserva ...
', which accepted Adventists, formerly believed to be a cult, as being closer to the evangelical mainstream. This view of acceptance was chiefly publicised in the periodical "Christianity Today". The Standishes predicted that the theology promoted by Dr Ford and Robert Brinsmead (so-called "forensic justification") in Australia and Dr Edward Heppenstall in the USA in the 1970s would lead to apostasy from other traditional Adventist doctrines, especially that of the Heavenly Sanctuary, unique to Seventh-day Adventism. Their view was vindicated by the removal of Dr Ford's ministerial credentials because of that very issue. This occurred after a meeting of Adventist scholars and administrators at Glacier View in the USA in 1980 that rejected Ford's assertions against the Sanctuary doctrine and other views of prophetic interpretation at odds with traditional Adventist belief. The Standish brothers also were strong supporters of Biblical Creation, the Adventist Health message and the prophetic gift of Ellen White.
Speaking of "Seventh-day Adventists", they have written there is "almost universal entry of
apostasy
Apostasy (; grc-gre, ἀποστασία , 'a defection or revolt') is the formal disaffiliation from, abandonment of, or renunciation of a religion by a person. It can also be defined within the broader context of embracing an opinion that i ...
and false standards within our midst".
[''The Sepulchres are Whited'' by the Standishes, p11] They had consistently called for revival and reformation in the church, something which the General Conference President, Robert Pierson in the 1980s also did, and has now become the focus of the leadership of the current GC President and Ted Wilson (2015).
Publications
The Standish brothers have co-written dozens of books on Christian theology and lifestyle, including:
* ''Adventism Imperiled: Education in Crisis'' (1998) with Dennis C. Blum
* ''Deceptions of the New Theology'' (1999)
* ''Education for Excellence – The Christian Advantage''
* ''Evangelical'' (1997)
* ''Liberty in the Balance''
* ''Swarming Independents'' (1996)
* ''The Big Bang Exploded'' (1998)
* ''The Greatest of All the Prophets'' (2004)
* ''The Mystery of Death'' (2003)
* ''The Pope's Letter and Sunday Law'' (1998)
* ''The Perils of Timesetting'' (1992)
* ''The Rapture and the Antichrist''
* ''The Road to Rome'' (1992)
* ''The Sacrificial Priest: The Sanctuary Message'' (2002)
* ''The Second Coming – Fervent Hope or Faded Dream''
* ''The Twenty-eight Fundamentals''
* ''Why Members Leave the Seventh-day Adventist Church'' (2007)
* ''Winds of Doctrine''
* ''Youth do you Dare''
Written by Colin only:
* ''Missionary to Jamaica''
* ''Vision and Gods Providences: the Story of Hartland Institute''
Written by Russell only:
* ''Adventism Vindicated: The Doctrine of Righteousness by Faith'' (1980)
* ''Georgia Sits on Grandpa's Knee'' (1999)
* ''The Sepulchres are Whited'' (1992)
** Note: publication dates above do not necessarily refer to date of first publication.
See
Standish & Standish bookson their website.
See also
*
Historic Adventism
Historic Adventism is an informal designation for conservative individuals and organizations affiliated with the Seventh-day Adventist Church who seek to preserve certain traditional beliefs and practices of the church. They feel that the church l ...
*
Hartland Institute
Hartland Institute, officially Hartland Institute of Health and Education, is a self-supporting Seventh-day Adventist educational organization operated by members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church."Hartland Institute of Health and Education ...
*
Independent ministries of the Seventh-day Adventist Church
The Seventh-day Adventist Church has a number of supporting, parachurch, independent, self-supporting and other such organizations that work adjunct or in association with the official church.
One author estimated their number at over 800 and a ...
*
History of the Seventh-day Adventist Church
The Seventh-day Adventist Church had its roots in the Millerite movement of the 1830s to the 1840s, during the period of the Second Great Awakening, and was officially founded in 1863. Prominent figures in the early church included Hiram Edson, ...
References
{{Reflist, 2
External links
* "''Report on Hope International and Associated Groups''", a statement of concern by the
General Conference about Hartland Institute and other groups. Published in the ''
Adventist Review
The General Conference Corporation of Seventh-day Adventists is the governing organization of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Its headquarters is located in Silver Spring, Maryland and oversees the church in directing its various divisions and ...
'' i
31 August 2000 ''
Ministry
Ministry may refer to:
Government
* Ministry (collective executive), the complete body of government ministers under the leadership of a prime minister
* Ministry (government department), a department of a government
Religion
* Christian ...
'' i
August 2000 and by the
Biblical Research Institute
The General Conference Corporation of Seventh-day Adventists is the governing organization of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Its headquarters is located in Silver Spring, Maryland and oversees the church in directing its various divisions and ...
on thei
websiteArticles by Colin Standishan
by Russell Standishas cataloged in the Seventh-day Adventist Periodical Index (SDAPI)
Sibling duos
Australian Seventh-day Adventists
People from Newcastle, New South Wales
1933 births
2018 deaths
2008 deaths