By Lonnie Hetterle and Pat Chapman … The thesaurus gives as synonyms for “loyalty” words such as devotion, commitment, honesty, dependability, and trustworthiness. Perhaps loyalty is an outdated word in today’s society. What is there that I can be “loyal” to? I used to shop at Montgomery Ward, Woolworth, and Thrifty Drug, relics young people don’t even recognize. Even in 2020, chains closing all or many of their stores include Pier 1 Imports, Men’s Warehouse, J.C. Penney, Forever 21, and Lord and Taylor, which has been around since 1826. Many from a previous generation were regular customers of Sears, people who loved their Craftsman tools. Sears has joined with K-mart, yet both chains are rapidly heading for oblivion. Change, change, change—can someone slow this world down a little and let me catch up?
The challenge for Adventist education is to prepare children and young people for a world that is in constant change and flux. Someone once said that the three most important attributes for being a good teacher are adaptability, adaptability, adaptability. Such adaptability was sorely tested this past year as we changed from being in-person teacher schools to distance-learning teacher schools almost overnight. Fortunately, all our schools have opened over the past couple of weeks as in-person teaching schools and have done very well with proper protocols and processes closely implemented and followed. We pray this continues as both students, teachers, and parents realize anew the importance of direct social interaction.
As Seventh-day Adventist Christians, we see the events of today through a world view that makes sense and gives us understanding. While we appropriately struggle to put faith and loyalty in institutions, or people, or organizations, we are blessed to know that we have a God who is our “refuge in time of trouble” and who is still directing this world toward its promised end and His Second Coming. His pledge that “He changes not” is reassurance in this time of turmoil and strife.
One definition of loyalty is: protecting those we love from harm, from others looking to harm them, and even from themselves. Especially now, in 2020, as we have opened up our schools to in-person education, this definition of loyalty was demonstrated in the first few days of the new school year. Our teachers are educating by example that loyalty is a positive character trait that must be demonstrated to be taught. They are teaching their students that developing loyalty will create a sense of community and true loyalty results in action. The true definition of loyalty is God. Even when we are faithless and disloyal to God, He demonstrates His faithfulness to us by remaining faithful.
A few years ago, a team of Rocky Mountain Conference (RMC) educators developed core values for the education of students in every school, calling it C.H.E.R.I.S.H., which illustrated the values Christ-Centered, Honor, Exploration, Responsibility, Integrity, Service and Heroism that our teachers are instilling in the young people in their care with the ultimate goal of loyalty to God and others. This overarching guiding principle also follows the statement by Jesus in Matthew, Mark, and Luke that the first rule of life is to love the Lord with all our heart and the second, to love our fellow man as we love ourselves.
This is also in line with the statement from Education, “The world does not so much need men (and women) of great intellect as of noble character.” It brings to mind the biblical question, “What does it profit a person if they gain the whole world yet lose their own soul?” George Knight, in his book Myths in Adventism states, “Every topic within the curriculum and even human life itself, takes on new meaning in the light of God’s word. It is imperative, therefore, that Christian schools teach every subject from a biblical perspective.
Especially in this day of Covid-19, with its expectations and challenges for education, the teachers of Rocky Mountain Conference are going above and beyond to instill loyalty to God, to family, and to community. We are blessed in this conference to have the finest teachers in North America teaching and reaching our children for eternity. Adventist education is not simply regular classes with worship and a Bible classes added. Take a look at the Encounter Bible Curriculum introduced into our RMC schools. Students and teachers are reporting a real emphasis on knowing the Bible and building a saving and trusting relationship with Jesus. This is what I want for your children and mine. Without this, I would argue that Adventist education would not be worth the millions of dollars that go into the 7,500 schools employing more than 85,000 teachers who instruct 1.5 mil- lion students around the world. In the North American church, we have 941 schools, 9,917 teachers, and more than 77,000 students.
Our desire, and the desire of teachers in the Rocky Mountain Conference, is to love, nurture, and instruct these children and young people in the highest academic, social, physical, and spiritual way possible. Their success now is vital for future years, but their place in the earth made new is the ultimate goal and objective of Adventist education.
We want to express gratitude to individuals and the churches who have been a vital part of Adventist education with their prayers, financial support, and team approach to the raising of solid, successful, and spiritually focused students. It does indeed take “a village” to raise a child in today’s world. We would like to encourage those churches who do not have their own school to consider “adopting” a school in RMC and to make it successful. In RMC Education we are striving to make your schools the very best in every way.
A promise from God about loyalty is found in Revelation 2: 25-27. “But until I come, you must hold firmly to what you have. To those who win the victory, who continue to the end to do what I want, I will give the same authority that I received from my Father.” We wish this for your life and for ours. Thank you for your loyalty!
–Lonnie Hetterle is RMC education superintendent. Email him at: [email protected]. Pat Chapman is administrative assistant for the RMC education department. Email her at: [email protected]