24 Jul

TRADEMARKS OF ADVENTIST AUTHENTICITY

What does it mean to be an authentic Seventh-day Adventist? At first glance, answering that question seems easy. It is all in our name, right? Seventh-day refers to our belief that the true Bible Sabbath falls on the seventh day of the week … Saturday. Our name also indicates we believe in the second coming of our Savior and eagerly await His soon return. Why would we need to add anything to this simple explanation coming from our name?

Yet, under this umbrella of our name, there have been many theological viewpoints held by many different people. So, over the years, there was some confusion as to what our church’s official stand was on various doctrine. As a church, we started with just a few pillars of doctrine that we stood for, deriving our beliefs from the Bible and the Bible alone. The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald put these five pillars on the front page of their magazine on August 15, 1854. Here is the list as they published it:

  1. “The Bible, and the Bible alone, the rule of faith and duty.‌‌”
  2. “The Law of God, as taught in the Old and New Testaments, unchangeable.‌‌”
  3. “The Personal Advent of Christ and the resurrection of the Just, before the Millennium.‌‌”
  4.  “The Earth restored to its Eden perfection and glory, the final inheritance of the Saints.‌‌”
  5. ‌‌”Immortality alone through Christ, to be given to the Saints at the Resurrection.‌‌”

The church came out with other lists of fundamental beliefs along the way, but in 1980, at the World Session of Seventh-day Adventist General Conference, a list of 27 fundamental beliefs was formed and voted in. It was made clear when this took place that this was not a creed, but rather a set of beliefs that guided our movement. At the 2005 General Conference Session, a 28th fundamental belief was added on the importance of “Growing in Christ.”

There are still a number of different theological thoughts people have within our church that go beyond what we have voted in for our 28 fundamental beliefs. Some members will even get quite angry if you disagree or try to refute them. We must make sure our umbrella for what makes an Adventist stays large enough for all of us to fit under, as long as we are together on the 28. After the 28, other theological positions may be correct, but are considered “private interpretations” until the church body votes on it at a General Conference Session.

So, is this what makes an authentic Adventist? Someone who believes these 28 fundamental beliefs and obeys and follows them on their life’s journey? These beliefs are certainly important to being an authentic Adventist, but I don’t believe they cover the whole picture.

To the Adventist, the Reformation is critically important. What Martin Luther and the other reformers did was to stand up for the Bible and the Bible alone as our rule of faith. The concept embraced by the reformers was one in which church dogma was not going to influence their thinking; their doctrine was to be based on what the Word of God was telling them. The reason we do not have a creed is that we must never stop studying and learning from scripture. In other words, the reformation needs to be ongoing, never stopping until Jesus comes.

In her book, Counsel to Writers and Editors, Ellen G. White makes the following statement (p. 35):

There is no excuse for anyone in taking the position that there is no more truth to be revealed, and that all our expositions of Scripture are without an error. The fact that certain doctrines have been held as truth for many years by our people, is not a proof that our ideas are infallible. Age will not make error into truth, and truth can afford to be fair. No true doctrine will lose anything by close investigation.

The Biblical Research Institute, which is part of the General Conference, has developed a process for someone to go through who wants to bring new light to our movement. I am thankful we have a process for new theological discoveries because it shows we are willing as a church to keep the Bible—not the 28 fundamental beliefs—as our authority.

So, beyond our name and what it stands for, beyond our 28 fundamental beliefs, and beyond being people of the Word who never stop studying to find new light to guide our path, there is one more attribute I believe we need to talk about in regard to being an authentic Adventist.

I believe an authentic Adventist will be someone who reflects the character of Christ. It is put this way in 2 Corinthians 3:18: So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image (NLT). Reflecting Christ and His character is without question, one of the trademarks of an authentic Adventist.

What does it mean to reflect the character of Christ? My wife gave me a beautiful piece of metal artwork which has the fruits of the spirit flowing out from a tree and being gathered in a barrel. It hangs on the wall right across from my desk and I look at it every day I’m in the office. I quite often miss the mark, but those attributes make up the core of how I want to treat people in my journey—whether they are the clerk at the store, my neighbor, a church member, or someone I work with. These are the core values I hold on to.

Ellen G. White makes the following comment: “The object of the Christian life is fruit bearing—the reproduction of Christ’s character in the believer, that it may be reproduced in others … The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance (Gal. 5:22-23). This fruit can never perish, but will produce after its kind a harvest unto eternal life.” (Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 67-69). I believe an authentic Adventist is someone who is reflecting the fruits of the spirit, which best represents the character of God Himself.

Don’t pass over this qualification too quickly with the idea that the concept is simple and you don’t need to dwell on it. I believe this should be the subject of our prayers every day. And when we treat others with this kind of grace, we will be quite different from the rest of the world.

Are you filled with love for others … even the unlovable? Is there joy in your journey? Do you wake up excited about what kind of plans the Lord has for you that day? Are you at peace? Do you have that “peace that passes all understanding?” Are you patient? Are you patient with the people closest to you when they seem to be under a different time frame than you are working in? Are you kind? Are you kind even to those who are not kind to you? Are you kind to the person who just let you down in some way?

Are you full of goodness? Do you care for others around you with graciousness? Are you as gracious to your family as you are to others? Are you honest and do you display integrity in your daily walk? Are you faithful in your work, your home, and in your church and community? Are you gentle with people in all circumstances? Even with those who are not gentle with you? Do you have the self-control you need to live a healthy, productive life?

The fruits of the spirit truly do paint a picture of Christ’s character. If you are like me, you fall woefully short of getting it right all the time. Yet these qualities are something I aspire to. I believe it will make me the most useful I can be in the Lord’s hands.

So, in review, what do I believe makes you an authentic Adventist?

  1. You whole-heartedly embrace our name. You are someone who believes in the Seventh-day Sabbath and eagerly awaits the soon return of our Lord and Savior.
  2. You know and understand Seventh-day Adventist 28 fundamental beliefs.
  3. You don’t hold our beliefs, however, as your final authority; that is reserved for Scripture and Scripture alone. You will continue to study God’s Word to learn even more about who He is and His plans for each one of us.
  4. Your heart’s desire is to reflect the character of Christ to the world, which is best understood in the fruits of the spirit.

I am sure each of you could make your own list as to what makes someone an authentic Adventist, but these are my thoughts as I reflect on the church and people I love. May the Lord bless each of you as you continue to walk in His glory and grace.

Gary Thurber is the president of Mid-America Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. Email him at: [email protected] 

28 Jul

MAUC PREPARES FOR CONSTITUENCY SESSION IN SEPTEMBER

By Gary Thurber

Dear Mid-America Union Conference Family,

Whew! It is hard to believe nearly five years have passed since our last Constituency Session! Time has flown by so fast; but then again, there were times during these past five years when the days and weeks seemed to stand still.

Here’s a recap, from my perspective, the past five years.

I think of our Pathfinders attending Oshkosh (Wisconsin) International Camporee and our own Union Camporee in Custer, South Dakota, both of which were spiritual high notes for them. It was also inspiring to watch so many of our Bible Experience teams move on from their conference, union, and over to the division level in this Bible knowledge journey.

Our union-wide pastor’s convention in Omaha, Nebraska, was a highlight as we came together to talk about our first calling—our own families. Then the teachers had an incredible division-wide convention in Chicago that brought wonderful exhibits, workshops and other learning opportunities they could never have experienced otherwise.

Evangelism is on the rise as well, and our local conferences work with pastors and laity to keep the Three Angels’ Messages ever before our communities. Both public and personal evangelistic strategies have been employed to share this beautiful message of the gospel and hope for what the Lord has in store for His children.

However, there were also times during these past five years like none we have ever experienced in our lifetime. Who could forget March 2020, when our country and world came to a screeching halt due to the COVID-19 virus? One Sabbath we were singing and worshiping together in our churches, and the next we were told not to meet because of the threat of exposure to this disease. It was painful to hear about and watch people we know and love suffer from this dreaded virus. Sadly, some even lost their lives.

Overnight, our elementary schools, academies and Union College faculty and staff had to figure out how to operate virtually as parents, teachers and students worked together in ways no one saw coming. They made it happen though! And they succeeded beyond our wildest imaginations!

Pastors and their teams, too, learned very quickly how to bring Sabbath school and church worship services to our Mid-America family, so we could continue to fellowship and study God’s Word together. As hard as it has been, our pastoral teams and church members have worked hard together to meet the needs of our church families. Virtual weddings, graduations and, yes, funerals have become part of our church life over the past number of months. We are still not able to fully assemble together throughout our region, but we are getting there…slowly but surely.

Another day when time stood still was when we watched in horror as George Floyd’s life was taken from him right here in our Minnesota and Central States conference territories. I don’t believe anyone can fully understand the pain and harm this brought to our communities and to our own church family. Racism is a sin and evil at its core. The hope we have is for a great awakening, where we will choose to love one another as Jesus loves us all.

Following God Together

Because of the COVID-19 virus, the General Conference Session was pushed back first one year, and now two years. Our GC leaders have worked tirelessly to meet the continued global needs of our church. Mission continues to move forward in a powerful way. It is inspiring to hear the stories of God’s sustaining His church. These stories are absolute miracles as we see God’s mighty hand at work.

“I Will Go!” is the GC’s theme for this quinquennium, and it has caught on beautifully both here in the NAD and abroad. The division is using that theme, along with the emphasis “Together in Mission.”

As we at the union office thought about these great themes and considered what our theme should be for the Mid-America Constituency Session, we acknowledged the personal commitment that must take place for “I Will Go” and “Together in Mission” to become a reality.

Our thoughts also went to the apostle Paul’s beautiful picture of the body of Christ, which he says is made up of many parts—all of which are essential.  He says, “Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.

“In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So, if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly” Roman 6:4-8 (NLT).

In order to say “I Will Go” and “Together in Mission,” each of us must first say, “Yes, Lord! I give my life to you to use me and empower me to do whatever you want me to do.” So, we decided our theme for the Mid-America Session will be “Yes, Lord!”

We plan to come together in person on September 12 for the Mid-America Session, which will take place in Lincoln, Nebraska. With our focus of “Yes, Lord!” we can join together as never before to accomplish the mission God has called us to fulfill.

As usual, we will review our By-Laws to see if they should be honed even more to help us accomplish our mission. We will have an opportunity to hear and see firsthand how God has sustained and blessed Union College. We will elect leadership for the next quinquennium. And as several conferences and our own Executive Committee has asked us to do, we will talk about the ongoing journey of recognizing our women pastors’ calling from the Lord.

If you have an old youth songbook from the ‘70s, more than likely there will be a song in it titled “Yes, Lord!” In full disclosure, that song came from the heart and mind of my father, John Thurber. And the words are probably more impactful and pertinent for me today than ever before. The simple chorus, which is really a very personal prayer, goes like this:

Yes, Lord, I give my heart to You.
Yes, Lord, my will I yield anew.
Love me, guide me, fill my soul,
Yes, Lord, take full control.

In Mid-America, let’s encourage one another to say “Yes, Lord!” to whatever God calls us to. Maybe it will be to go overseas as a missionary. Maybe it will be to come alongside our teachers at our schools to help them with the enormous mission they lead. Maybe God is going to call you to be an evangelist as a lay person or a pastor. Or maybe God will ask you to represent Him in a greater way in your workplace.

All I know is that if we will prayerfully say “Yes, Lord!” here in Mid-America, we will see mission happen like it has never happened before. Will you join me and the team here in the Mid-America Union office and commit to this prayer? Let’s do this together!

–Gary Thurber is the Mid-America Union Conference president; photo supplied

This article was originally published on Outlook Magazine’s website

21 Jul

CHURCH MONEY MATTERS

By Gary Thurber – Lincoln, Nebraska … As I listen to conversation happening around our union, I hear a variety of concerns for church finances. With the loss of many jobs, we do expect a decrease in tithe remittances. However, the Mid-America Union Executive Committee has voted to disperse money from its reserve funds to each of our six conferences to help ministry and mission continue moving forward in our territory.

I also want to say a few words about the plan for tithe parity that was voted by the World Church during Annual Council last October. I have heard many people discuss this and there seems to be a great deal of misunderstanding.

As I look at what took place in the rearview mirror, I can say this is one of those times I truly saw the Lord’s hand lead the Adventist Church. Being there in person, I witnessed our World Church leaders keep their arms around each other and work together in a very positive way. In the end, I believe what transpired—by God’s providence—will bless our work here and abroad.

TITHE PARITY EXPLAINED

At the North American Division Year-End Meeting in 2018, the question was raised as to whether it was time for there to be greater parity as a World Church on tithe remittances supporting the General Conference. At that point, we in the NAD were already on a trajectory of moving down from 8 percent to 5.8 percent of tithe going to the General Conference.

The tithe remittance was going to be 6 percent, but when Oakwood University became an NAD institution, the subsidy that had been given to Oakwood by the GC was subtracted from the 6 percent and therefore left the NAD with 5.8 percent, as the NAD then began paying Oakwood’s subsidy.

The other divisions have been contributing 2 percent of their tithe to the GC for a number of years. This set the stage for the NAD Executive Committee to vote to ask the GC to consider bringing parity among divisions, in terms of tithe.

There were many passionate speeches made at the NAD Year-End Meeting. However, I do not believe the desire to bring parity was in any way a selfish thought; but rather wanting to be able to preserve pastors for the churches, and schools for our young people.

GC leaders received the request graciously and began to process this request with the other divisions. Not long after the NAD vote asking for parity, the division treasurers met in Jamaica and—without a word from the NAD treasurer—agreed that it was past time for this to happen. As the division presidents considered this issue they also agreed. In the end the GC Executive Committee voted overwhelmingly to bring parity in tithing to the divisions.

Over the next four years, the NAD will move from 5.8 percent to 3.8 percent. The other divisions will move from 2 percent to 3 percent over the next 10 years. As you can see, the NAD will still contribute 0.8 percent more than the other divisions. The rationale behind this is the fact that both Loma Linda University and Andrews University are GC institutions located in our territory and the NAD receives direct benefit from these institutions to a much greater extent than do other divisions.

MORE GROWTH, MORE BLESSINGS

I wish you all could have experienced the moment this policy was voted. The World Church gave a standing ovation in appreciation for all the years the NAD so generously supported the world field. I believe what I witnessed was much like seeing a church plant grow sufficiently to not be reliant on the mother church or conference any more, but rather become a solid contributor in this great cause of which we are all a part.

I agreed with Elder Bob Lemon, former treasurer of the General Conference, when he said, “I support this motion fully. I look forward to seeing how God will bless.”

Thank you, each one, who so graciously supports our church. The tithe dollar you return truly blesses our efforts as a church family to move our mission forward.

–Gary Thurber is Mid-America Union Conference president; photo by iStock

This article was originally published on Outlook Magazine website.

***From Ed Barnett, RMC president: Commenting on the Mid-America Union Conference decision, the RMC president explained that instead of receiving funds from the Union, they accepted a recommendation to receive from our Conference 1% less from the tithe till the end of the year.  “It was very thoughtful for the Union to accept for this year 1% less tithe from each of our conferences to be used to make ends meet in the conferences. It is helpful and will be a blessing to God’s church in our Conference,” Barnett commented.