Leaderboard

Faith & Politics is a regular, 30-minute program that is broadcast on the SDA Hope TV. In each program, a moderator and 4-experts discuss issues related to how governmental rules may impact on religious expression. The people expressing their views come from a variety of backgrounds and often include people who are not SDA members. I like the program. In common with the typical practice of Hope TV, schedules and subjects of discussion are not published in a form that is available to the general public.

Spiritual vs. Religion in the U.S.: The following article examines changes that are taking place in religious life in the U.S. https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/01/17/around-4-in-10-americans-have-become-more-spiritual-over-time-fewer-have-become-more-religious/?utm_source=Pew+Research+Center&utm_campaign=fc5b5c3b86-Weekly_1-20-24&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-fc5b5c3b86-[LIST_EMAIL_ID]

The following link takes you to an important article on relationships between the SDA Church and other denominations. https://spectrummagazine.org/views/eight-models-to-help-adventism-get-over-its-ecumenism-aversion/ For additional material on this subject, see the following book: https://www.amazon.ca/Adventist-Interchurch-Relations-Study-Ecumenics/dp/3847114638

As a congregational pastor in the Potomac Conference, I would visit other Sunday-keeping congregations because I wanted to become better acquainted with the local pastors and their worship. On an occasional basis that resulted in my being asked to preach to their congregation on Sunday, and I would respond by asking their pastor to preach in my congregation on Saturday. NOTE: As an Army Chaplain, I have been asked to preach to a local Sunday congregation and in my sermon to explain to that congregation what SDAs believed and practiced.

(N). Psalm 51:17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

Religious liberty is an issue that is of interest to a wide spectrum of people. It can be of concern to Christians, non-Christians, Protestants, Catholics, Islamic, Jews, Pagens and others. In February, a major conference will be held on religious liberty that will feature scholars from a wide background of belief. It is sponsored by a group that is closely attached to the SDA Church. The following article will inform in detail about this coming conference. Simply page down to the applicable section. https://mailchi.mp/9257b3035f4f/pepperdine-conference-february-2024-details-and-info?e=c64fd80967

Thomas F. X. Noble, retired in 2015 after 41-years of teaching medieval and religious history at the University of Virginia and the University of Notre Dame. In the following, somewhat long article, he reflects on his years of teaching. He opines that he had greater freedom of expression at Notre Dame than he had in Virginia. He shares how as a professor at the University of Virginia, he was able to provide spiritual nurture to Roman Catholic students. He reflects on how he understands the role of a Christian University, such as Notre Dame, in our society today. I find his thoughts to be helpful to the Adventist desire to maintain its system of SDA colleges and universities. This article may be accessed by clicking on the following link. https://irishrover.net/2015/04/a-noble-farewell-professor-retires-after-41-years/

(N). Mark 2:28 Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.

As the Seventh-day Adventist denomination expands in membership, it is also growing in the range of doctrinal beliefs,, and in life-style practices. The reality is that the SDA Church in North America, China, Europe, and in other nations, may each differ in some manner with the SDA Church in other places. North American can no longer claim to be the sole repository of theological scholarship. Mature scholars are coming forth who are willing to examine the doctrinal foundations of the SDA faith. Their work is being published in their native languages as well as in English, often in independent publications. Independent Organizations: These organizations are not formally connected with the SDA denomination. However, while they may challenge in their reporting on SDA issues, doctrines and practices, they are supportive of the Adventist church. https://atoday.org/ https://spectrummagazine.org/ SDA Organizations: These organizations are formally connected with the SDA denomination. But, they report and challenge in a manner that is not typical for most connected organizations. https://www.rmcsda.org/ The Rocky Mountain Conference publishes Mountain Views which is primarily distributed to RMC members. However,Individual issues are posted in the listed web site. Just page down to the section where they are posted. The current issue has been posted. Articles of interest include: ”What Difference do Doctrines Make in Our Daily Life? by Reinder Bruinsma and “A life-Changing Witness,” by Denis Fortin. NOTE: Both men are academic scholars and have served on high levels of the SDA Church. https://www.avondale.edu.au/research/avondale-academic-press/ Avondale Academic Press is connected with the SDA University in Australia. It publishes cutting edge books such as the 2014, Biblical and Theological Studies on the Trinity. Oak & Acorn is a part of the Pacific Union Conference. I am not able to cite a reference. It publishes cutting edge books.

Black SDA History: I have been dumbfounded by the amount of material that is available on the Internet that informs as to the contribution made to the SDA Church by so-called "Black Adventists." The following link will inform beyond your expectations. https://www.blacksdahistory.org/ In addition, the following link informs as to a speech by Martin Luther King Jr, at Oakwood University, on March 19, 1962. https://spectrummagazine.org/views/martin-luther-king-jr-s-message-at-oakwood/

Olive J. Hemmings has been named a SDA Woman of the Year. To learn of her life and ministry, click on the following URL. https://spectrummagazine.org/views/olive-hemmings-discusses-woman-of-the-year-award-adventist-women-in-ministry/

On a regular basis, Adventist Today conducts a video conference where interested people can get together and discuss current issues of SDA interest. As examples, in the past month subjects discussed have included: "Why Would People Come to My Church" and "Caan the Church Change?" Many people are not able to participate in those broadcasts. Adventist Today has made the available for viewing by clicking on the following link: https://www.youtube.com/c/AdventistTodayMedia

Adventism in Europe: The following article suggests that Adventism in Europe differs from Adventism elsewhere and what this may mean. NOTE: In Germany, SDA military members are not welcome to worship in German SDA congregations--GM. https://spectrummagazine.org/views/is-there-a-european-adventism-ecclesiological-holzwege-i/

The following article informs as to the ministry of SDA Chaplains. https://www.nadadventist.org/news/2023-pelc-celebrates-chaplains-work-ministers-pluralistic-setting

The Great Dechurching is a book that examines the dropping attendance at church services in the U.S. It takes a broad approach that deals with Christianity in general. But, it is of value to Adventism. It attempts to identify who is leaving as well as why they are leaving. For more on this book, see: https://spectrummagazine.org/culture/the-great-dechurching-a-worthwhile-read-for-christians-of-any-label/

Alvin (a pen-name) was a faithful member and leader in the small SDA congregation that I attended. He was unique in one respect, from the other members of that congregation. He kept the Sabbath from 6 PM Friday to 6 PM Saturday. He did not observe the typical sundown to sundown that defines the Sabbath boundaries for most of our members. He never pushed his belief on anyone else. He simply lived his understanding of what God wanted of him. My point: Every denomination has members who do not fully comply with the official teachings of that denomination. If we are to interact with members of other denominations, we must not confuse the unique beliefs of a member with the official teachings of their denomination. In my opinion, this is often an issue with us as we relate to people from a Catholic background. The author of the article cited below has given us some excellent principles for building positive relationships with people from other religious backgrounds. https://adventistreview.org/magazine-article/on-the-path-to-fruitful-interfaith-interactions/

The book cited below presents the first comprehensive analysis of Seventh-day Adventist interchurch relations - a 20-million member body whose ecumenical stance has so far been under researched. For the sake of interpreting denominational involvement and reservations in Adventism as well as beyond, the study develops a new academic approach to ecumenism based on Relational Models Theory, a comprehensive social science paradigm of interpreting human relationships. The resulting typology of ecumenical interactions and the historical case study of Adventism suggest that such a relational interpretation of ecumenical interaction sheds light on many of the unresolved issues in ecumenics - such as divergent concepts of unity, difficulties in recognition processes, and the permanence of denominationalism. https://www.amazon.ca/Adventist-Interchurch-Relations-Study-Ecumenics/dp/3847114638 The above book may be hard to obtain. The following URL will take you to an article that will inform as to the content of the above book. https://spectrummagazine.org/views/eight-models-to-help-adventism-get-over-its-ecumenism-aversion/

The following article is well worth reading in the subject of the diversity that exists within the SDA denomination. https://atoday.org/can-2024-be-the-year-of-de-escalation/

Diversity: The following article addresses an issue that is considered to be a growing SDA problem. More than 50 comments (I made one.) have been posted at the end of the article. The article will challenge some. https://spectrummagazine.org/views/the-shaking-how-should-adventism-solve-its-white-flight-problem/

NOTE: This issue is serious enough that this past week the SDA, Hope TV program :”Faith & Politics,” discussed it. Five SDA leaders participated in this discussion.

This is so sad. When I was in academy and college we would have ministers from other churches come and tell us what they believed. Also, some of our college classes required us to visit different churches. Mrs. White went from being a shut door Adventist, so becoming a very popular preacher in non-Adventist churches including Sunday morning sermons. And she did not spend all those Sundays preaching on the mark of the beast. Her sermons were on how much God loved them and about the health message. While she worked for the church, she also worked in encouraging people to accept Jesus but not necessarily leading them into the Seventh-day Adventist church. She especially did this when she was in Australia. When living in Elms Haven she use to take food out to the migrant workers and tell them how much Jesus loved them and encouraged a relationship with Jesus; despite the fact that for most of them the idea of having a relationship with Jesus would be that they attended church, the Catholic church. I see two issues that have been causing us the most trouble. First, as some of my professors used to say “Seventh-day Adventists have a neurotic need to prove to the world that we are good Baptists.” and as we have this mind set, we tend to go to a narrow understanding of inspiration. We come across our early views and early statements by Mrs. White, and see them as the final word that has come directly from God’s throne that we are simply to obey and our minds are too narrow to see how she was willing to grow. Second, in soul winning we end up with multiple personality disorder: on the one hand stand up and encourage liberty of conscience and freedom of religion, and to respect where people are and encourage more growth. Traditionally the military and hospitals have preferred Seventh-day Adventist chaplains as we are willing to be more flexible than many others when it comes to ministering to the diversity of beliefs. Until the 1930s, or missionaries in Europe would offer the European Jewish Communities a Jewish version of Adventism. On the other hand, church leadership wants us to win tithe payers, baptize as much as we can, get as many members as we can. “Finishing the work means to reject any thing liberal and give as many Bible Studies/Evangelic meetings as possible” [we want to follow that important verse that once the Great Controversy is placed in every home, then shall the end come.] and in trying to pressure converts and to try to pressure them to stay with us, we forget all able Mrs. White’s personal example, and all about our views on religious liberty.