SDA MEmbership

[Gregory Matthews]

To what extent are SDA membership records accurate?  The following article is shocking.

https://spectrummagazine.org/views/the-missing-millions-problems-in-adventist-statistics/

 

 

[Joe Knapp]

Some of the losses could be because of shaking. 

[Gustave]

I wonder if the report referenced accounts for the numbers of SDA's who identify as Seventh-day Adventist but who are currently not practicing. I know many people who show up at Church maybe once or twice a year - when asked they identify as Lutheran, Catholic, whatever but rarely attend. Perhaps there might be some of that going on there. 

Joe Knapp: I googled SDA shaking and see it's a significant theological concept within SDAism whereby it's believed that true believers are separated from those not committed to Bible truth. If I understand the concept right, it's like a branch with a bunch of bugs climbing on it and then someone violently starts shaking the branch and some of the bugs fall off. The bugs that hang on are considered the saved and the ones that fall off are not. I'm interested if there are any metrics within the report that take into account how the Trinity factors into this? I would imagine that after some Adventists realize that Ellen White wasn't a Trinitarian that would affect some SDA's who always believed she was. 

My own experience is that my Church is literally standing only on Easter and Christmas, and the reason is there are many people who only show up on those days - probably because they are attempting to make family members who regularly attend feel better. Just an idea.

[Gregory Matthews]

In response to the question that Gustave asked:  I do not believe that we will lever have accurate numbers as to people who SDA are members but maintain a very limited relationship with this denomination.