SDA Clerical Collar

[Gregory Matthews]

SDA Clerical Collar:  The following is an interesting article on SDA clergy who wear a clerilcal collar. 

https://spectrummagazine.org/news/reports/the-clerical-collar-among-ukrainian-adventists-a-challenge-or-a-missionary-tool/

 

While it is probably little known, a minority of SDA clergy wore the clerical collar into the early 1940s. Luther Warren wore the clerical collar forever, and I do not believe that any photograph of him exists in which he is not wearing such. On a personal basis, I wore a clerical collar in the 1980s, including wearing it to SDA Conference meetings. I was never questioned about doing so, not even once.

[Gregory Matthews]

Luther Warren is an interesting early SDA leader.  He was born in 1864 and died in 1940.  The following article is taken from the SDA Encyclopedia, and the photograph in that article shows him wearing a clerical collar.

https://encyclopedia.adventist.org/article?id=7AD1

 

 

[Gustave]

Generally the clerical collars were shunned by theologically liberal Churches. By liberal I mean those faith traditions that didn't retain the beliefs of where they came from. Lutherans (at least the Ms and Wis synods) are very conservative and still wear collars, as do many other faith traditions. Jehovah's witnesses are extremely liberal and so they do not. 

Years ago I remember looking at the history of Lutheran's in the US and other groups and was surprised to see many pictures of SDA Clergy wearing clerical garb - couldn't really tell the difference at all. It used to be common and I'm not sure why they moved away from this. Probably started getting more money and thus could afford more expensive suits. 

[Asia Joe]

> Luther Willis Warren was born on September 15, 1864, in Disco, Macomb County, Michigan

Well, that was really wilderness back then.

>  While Luther was an infant, Ellen dedicated him to God. One of Luther’s brothers and his twin sister died in infancy; another brother, Walter, was killed by a cousin in their home.

I am not at all surprised.  Life in the American wilderness was very hard.

Do we really appreciate the modern blessings we have?  Do we appreciate how easy life is now in N America?

I have neighbors who are extremely poor.  Yet their life is so much better than Luther Warren had it.

There were no hospitals, Very few doctors. No modern medicines. Not even basic diagnostic equipment.

It was very common for a couple to lose children to death.

I had a brother die in the 1950's . They had no idea why he died. They called it crib death. When my mother went to check on him in the morning, he was dead.

So much has changed.

 

[Gregory Matthews]

The following article cites SDA clergy wearing a clerical collar.

https://h0bbes.wordpress.com/2007/05/10/clothing-the-sda-clergy/

 

[Gustave]

I think a bunch of it has to do with popular fashions, it became progressive and hip for clergy to dump their clerical garb in favor of more casual or secular clothing. The other obvious reason is that clergy (like everyone else) likes to go about their free time without everyone knowing what it is that they do for work. Perhaps sometimes clergy would want to do something or go somewhere that would be frowned upon by their employer [insert name of Church here] - or participate in an activity that goes against the Christian Faith -  therefore it would be of advantage for those folks to dress like a typical used car salesman or attorney - both of which cause no stir or scandal when they patronize a bar or strip club!  

[Gregory Matthews]

Gustave:  Yep.  Such happens.