FOUNDATION BOARD Inside Adventist To:aa~Keith Colburn, Secretary/Treasurer

Raymond Cottrell

Edmand Jones

Jim Kaatz

Douglas Schultz

Donald Shasky

Ervin Taylor, Board Chair

Jim Walters

ADVISORY COUNCIL

Jo & Ken Abbott

Gary & Jeanne Bogle

Antonius & Lilia Brandon

Todd & Ginny Burley

Charlotte & John Cassell

Judy & Keith Colburn

James & Kathryn Dexter

Merlyn & Rosemary Duerksen

Douglas and Patricia Ewing

Beverly & Donald Farley

Gary & Sharon Fraser

Annette & Gary Frykman

Richard Green

Kathi & Richard Guth

Jackie & Jim Henneberg

Dennis & Jolene Hilliard

Susan & Wayne Jacobsen

John & Judy Jacobson

Elton & Marga Kerr

Dean & Dolores Kinsey

Janis and Richard Larsen

Florence & Ken Lorenz

Don & Penny Miller

Rick Murray

Thaine Price

Gary & Ruthe.Marina Raines

Judith Rausch

Joyce & Phil Reisweig

Gordon & Judy Rick

Missy & Richard Rouhe

Cherie & Glenn Rouse

Doug & Sandy Schultz

Don & Ursula Shasky

James & Maryan Stirling

Ervin & Marilynn Taylor

Bob & Karen Torrey

John & Nancy Vogt

David Van Putten

James & Priscilla Walters

Betty & James Webster

Stephanie & Tim Welebir

But Is It Adventist?

Five seminary students were summoned to the president's office for a conversationwith Grady Smoot, Andrews University president, and John Kronke, pastor ofPioneer Memorial Church. The topic of conversation: "Home Church," a gatheringof about one hundred twenty-five people, mostly Andrews University students, on

Sabbath mornings in a basement in the community.

Smoot led the conversation. What we were doing could hardly be called church-peoplesitting on the floor, guitars instead of an organ, offering basket by the door. Home Churchendangered the students' future religious lives because they wouldn't find a church like itafter graduation.

But all that was secondary. The real question was, "Is it Adventist?" The fact that we wor-shipped on Sabbath morning, that we preached the gospel, the Sabbath, the SecondComing and other Adventist doctrines, that the leaders of Home Church were all studentsin the Adventist seminary planriing on careers as Adventist pastors, that Ellen White was

I'm not urging the abolition of the church organi-

zation, but a recognition of its limits.

regarded as a spiritual authority, that we saw ourselves as Adventists-none of that mat-tered. We still weren't a Seventh-day Adventist church, so our worship was illegitimate. Wemust cease.

The longer I listened the more amazed I was. I had attended countless evangelistic meet-ings throughout my childhood. I knew that we defined our church theologically and spiritu-ally. The definition had something to do with the testimony of Jesus and the command-ments of God. Finally I asked, "Dr. Smoot, just what is your definition of a Seventh-dayAdventist churchr' ~

"A Seventh-day Adventist church is a body of believers organized according to the con-stitution and bylaws of a local Seventh-day Adventist Conference." Period.

It was a tidy definition. One that could be used effectively in court battles over propertyor use of the name. But it ruled out effective ministry to an entire group of kids fromAdventist homes. It didn't fit what I had heard from evangelists. Besides, if the church orga-nization "owns" Adventism, then who's to say the Vatican doesn't "own"Christianity?

Church structure has its place. After several years, Home Church fellapart. We were unable to sustain our ministry over time. With every formof organization there are characteristic benefits and risks. I'm not urgingthe abolition of the church organization, but a recognition of its limits.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 22

2 November-December 1997 ADVENTIST TODAY

Contents

Christmas Spirit JOHN MCLARTY

An Open Letter to Conference Officials BILLE BURDICK

It's Christmas and All You Can Do Is Cry MAX GORDON PHILLIPS

Fredericks Responds to Adventist Review RICHARD FREDERICKS

4 Cooper on the Kingdom4 Another Side to the Sunnyside Story4 Ministry to Obscurantists4 Heart Searching About Lifestyle5 Church Needs Correction5 Constructive Honesty5 Accuser of the Brethren5 Dangerous Communicators

NEWS AND ANALYSIS ------------------------------

LETTERS

6 Rocky Mountain Conference Terminates Peck COLLEEN MOORE TINKER

8 Conference Addresses Christ Advent Fellowship COLLEEN MOORE TINKER

9 Damascus Road Church Closes Land Deal9 GC Releases 1996 Statistical Report ALBERT DITTES

10 Muslim Relations Revolutionized COLLEEN MOORE TINKER

11 Record Enrollment in SDA Higher Education System DALLAS K1NDOPP

24 Physics Major Threatened at La Sierra University24 Christian Record Services Ends Ministry to Deaf JOHN D. BLAKE & JOHN MCLARTY

The Mystery of Christmas

The Church in Transition

SOUNDINGS

23 Moses and the Baby Galaxies CHERJE ROUSE

ABOUT THE COVER:Space and time converged on our planet as Godgave us the greatest gift ever given, himself.This picture was created by Richatd Tinkerusing several NASA photographs.

~VENrISTToDAYVOL, 5. NO.6NOVEMBER. DECEMBER 1997

EDITOR EMERITUS:Raymond Cottrell

EDITOR:

John McLarty

MANAGING EDITOR:

Colleen Moore Tinker

AsSISTANT EDITORS:

Cherie RouseJames H. StirlingSusan G. Walters

EDITORIAL ADVISORS:

Steve DailyJames Walters

ART DIRECTOR:

Richard Tinker/Apollo Productions

OFFICE MANAGER:

Hanan Sadek

EDITORIAL CONSULTANTS:Antonius Brandon, Lorna Linda UniversityBarry Casey, Columbia Union ColkgeGlenn Coe, South Windsor, ConnecncutLarry Downing, AnaheimAdventist Church, CAPamelaMaizeHarris,Southern Adventist UniversityFrank Knittel, La Sierra UniversityBeattice Neall, Union ColkgeCaleb Rosado, \(/~b\(/~ Colkge

Adventist Today reports oncontemporary issues of importance toAdventist church members. Followingbasic principles of ethics and canonsof journalism. this publication sttivesfor fairness, candor, and good taste.

Unsolicited submissionsare encouraged. Payment is compet,itive. Send a self-addressed stampedenvelope for writers' guidelines.

Annual subscriptions:$24 ($40/2years) for individuals$18 for students$35 for institutions(Payment by check or credit card. Add $10 foraddresses outside North America.)

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Adventist Today (ISSN 1079-5499) ispublished bimonthly for $24 per year($18 for students, $35 for institutions)by Adventist Today Foundation, 1845S. Business Center Dr., Suite 140, SanBernardino, CA 92408. Periodicalspostage paid at San Bernardino, CA.POSTMASTER: send addresschanges to Adventist Today, PO. Box1220, Lorna Linda, CA 92354-1220.

Copyright@1997 by Adventist TodayFoundation, a nonprofit organizationdedicated to fostering open dialoguein the Adventist community. ~

ADVENTIST TODAY November-December 1997 3

Cooper on the KingdomDouglas Cooper's "The Kingdom of God

is Here NOW" sounds like a Utopian tiradeagainst any and everybody lacking human-ism's rose-colored-glasses optimism ....

His mix of various Biblical concepts isconfusing. He seems to be following thenotable liberal theologian C.H.Dodd, usinga few key texts while ignoring dozens ofother crucial texts, to construct afantasy-world of human ability to carry onan earthly Kingdom of God now ....

How can there be a Kingdom of God onearth unless the King is present, visible andreigning over a world of willing subjects? Iappreciate Cooper's optimistic hopes for joy,but this comes to us NOW in the free gift ofsalvation (hope) not in attacking eschatol-ogy (reality) .... Never forget Jesus' words toPilate, "If my kingdom were of this world,then would my servants fight ... but now ismy kingdom not from hence." John 18:36.Cooper's chart would be quite edifying iflabeled "soteriology" and "eschatology,"then harmonized with Paul's Romans andJohn's Revelation respectively. Doesn't itseem a bit narcissistic for mortals to maketheir conversion and community "far moreimportant" than their resurrection and glori-fication-than the eradication of sin, deathand Satan-than walking through gates ofpearl to stand in the actual presence ofGod? Surely Adventists would agree thatthe latter is more important, and more cer-tain, than Dodd's yet-to-be-fulfilled dreamof a "realized eschatology."

Norman L. MeagerSonora, California

Thank you for another superb issue ofAdventist Today. Every article was unique,but especially the astounding contributionof Douglas Cooper, namely "the kingdom ofGod is here-NOW." Having been in thesystem as a Conference Bible worker a gen-eration ago, I am particularly impressed with

the issues addressed; thoughts we had, but[which] at that time would have been mis-understood-Dr inappropriate had wevoiced them. I've walked through everythought; I've been there; but Mr. Coopersaid it all!-and in such a provocative andcompelling way. His words were so carefullychosen, yet dynamic-truly eloquent. Weshould be chanting this one from the house-tops because it is so fundamental, so biblicaland honest. This is a remarkable picture ofGod, and it is vital.

Phyllis Williams-VineyardAnaheim, California

Spirit-SeekingBernard Brandstater's recommendations

re: Spirit-seeking is, to me, nothing morethan flim-flam.

The editors would do well to dismiss anyfurther "Looks from the inside." Him-flam isstill flim-flam whether it is inside or outside.

Don ShaskyOceanside, California

Another Side to the SunnysideStory

After reading the letter by Mrs. Hallabout Bob Bretsch in the May/June issue Idecided to wait and see if you print a view-point by someone who knows the facts.Surely you realize that in any given situa-tion there are those who are uninformed,those who are badly informed, those who donot care to become informed, and thosewho are careful to become informed.Journalists fall into these same categories.

Of course anyone has a right to expresstheir opinions and journalists are free topublish them. But I should think you wouldvalue your reputation enough to check thefacts before you rush to judgement. Perhapsyou are so anxious to print something that iscritical of church leaders that you are will-ing to risk your integrity and resort totabloid journalism.

Letters to the EditorAdventist Todayp.o. Box 1220LomaLinda.CA 92354-1220

H. Lloyd Leno, A. Mus. D.Member Sunnyside ChurchMember of Music CommitteeConductor, The Advent Trombone Choir

Ministry to ObscurantistsIt is always with great joy that I take

Adventist Today out of my letter-box andthat I immediately start perusing it. Eachissue has been a blessing. I am so grateful toSouthern-California Adventism for thethoughtful and refreshing research it hasbeen,tJUblishing concerning our faith,among other places, in the pages of yourmagazine.

At the General Conference in theNetherlands, Adventism's obscurantismreached Dark-Age proportions. We needyour ministry very very badly!

Freddy KoopmansGeneva, Switzerland

Heart Searching About LifestyleThe article, "Lifestyle: the Great

Equalizer" by John McLarty of "It isWritten" (July-August 97 issue) may gosuperbly well with ardent Adventists, butdeserves further thinking and heart-search-ing on our part. I know the feeling: theauthor was so uplifted by spending theSabbath, "the metonymy of salvation" atZion National Park with a set of like-mind-ed Adventists, who were also doing thewhole "struCture of Christianity:Sabbath-keeping, morning devotions, eatingvege, abstaining from alcohol, making prud-ish choices re videos and movies, countingten percent of income as God's, holdingfamily worship." Far be it from me to ques-tion that degree of discipleship.

However, too often, this lifestyle hasmade us feel spiritually lofty. It is not theway to salvation, as the author has correctlypointed out.

An uncanny level of discomfort I experi-enced in reading this article reminded me of

4

a passage in C.S.Lewis' famous ScrewtapeLetters where the chief devil is instructing ayoung neophyte devil in the art of deceivingChristians. The chief tells the trainee: "He(meaning the tempted person) must bemade to feel how different we Christiansare" and by "we Christians" he must really,but unknowingly, mean "my set"; and by"my set" he must mean not "the peoplewho, in their charity and humility, haveaccepted me," but "the people with whom Iassociate by right. Success here depends onconfusing him."

In paraphrasing and substituting"Adventist" to the word "Christian" used inhis advice, Screwtape, the chief devil, says"If you tty to make him explicit and profes-sionally proud of being an Adventist youwill probably fail, the Enemy's (meaningGod's) warnings are too well known. On theother hand, if you make him complacentabout 'his set' you will produce not true spiri-tual pride but mere social vanity which, bycomparison, is a trumpery, puny little sin."

Here is the summary: "What you want isto keep a sly self-congratulation mixing withall his thoughts and never allow him to raisethe question 'What, precisely, am I congrat-ulating myself about?' The idea of belonging ..to an inner ring, of being in a secret, is verysweet to him. Play on that nerve."

No criticism of McLarty's genuine feel-ings is intended. I am just pointing out theneed to stop and re-think similar sentimentsexpressed by Adventists.

George ThomasCerritos, CA

Church Needs CorrectionYou are carrying on an important service

in putting out such a significant publication.Our church needs correction in several

areas, at least. Someone must define orhighlight the problems.

How can anyone object to the processwhen so much is at stake? Let us all keep anopen mind and a healing spirit so we canyet have the privilege of proclaiming pre-sent truth in the right spirit.

Viola GelfordBayport, Montana

ACC a PlatformSometimes I enjoy Adventist Today and

other times I wonder why it exists. I am

against giving a platform to [those] whowant to ... air their gripes .... I'm retiredgoing on my 91st year.

Alten A. BringleLakewood, Colorado

Constructive HonestyWe appreciate so much your construc-

tive honesty.Alan and Aliki Collins

Ace's Positive AttitudeI had just about decided not to renew my

subscription to Adventist Today but the lastissue was very positive toward the Adventistchurch and its doctrine so have decided toresubscribe.

I especially like the background newsarticles that give one greater insight into thechurch problems and issues. I do not likearticles that create doubt about our doctrineunless both sides of an issue are presented.

Robert MerchantCollegedale, Tennessee

Enjoy AerEnjoy Adventist Today, more each time.

Thanks again for all your work .... Don'twant to miss an issue.

Dixie HileJensen Beach, Florida

Accuser of the BrethrenI have not been happy with Adventist

Today ... The name Adventist Today mightencourage some to think it was a journal totell what was happening in the Seventh-dayAdventist Church. Apparently it is not. Itseditorial policy seems to have been to tellabout everything negative or faulty in theChurch but say nothing about anythinggood or praiseworthy ...

It seems to be too much like the"Accuser of the brethren" (Rev. 12:10). Iknow the Church has many faults, but thediscussion of them should be only to helpthe Church improve. I think AdventistToday has, on the contrary, often tended tomake them worse. I see no evidence thatJim Walters' goal "to present a robust spiri-tuality" has been pursued. One issue hadone article encouraging observance of theSeventh-day Sabbath, and several articlesthat tried to show it was not important! ....

Hopefully next year will be a little better,

so I am continuing my subscription foranother year to see if there is a change ....

Rocklyn RousePendleton, Oregon

Editor's note: Adventist Today's intent was notto encourage non-Sabbath keeping (see July/Augustissue, 1996). It was, rather, to present the currentreasons against as well as for the Sabbath so readers'conversations and conclusions can be thoughtful andinformed.

Dangerous CommunicatorsI've decided to re-subscribe to Adventist

Today, even though your renewal letter ofOctober 20, 1997, just about convinced meotherwise.

You stated, "a small but growing numberof conscientious and talented gospel-orient-ed pastors are leading independent Sabbath-keeping congregations." This implies thatthose pastors who choose to remain withinthe SDA denominational structure may notbe "talented," "gospel-oriented" and "con-scientious." Being well-acquainted with oneof these independent bodies and its leaders,I know that there may be other reasons forsuch a break-away than conscience Perhapsit could be a spirit of rebelliousness, or tal-ent with~ut a co-operative conscience, orpersonal and leadership dysfunctions thatcannot tolerate other leadership.

You also make it sound like the "denom-ination" exercises some sort of ultra-controlover these "conscientious gospel-orientedpastors." In some cases, in spite of a spirit ofunderstanding and reconciliation on thepart of conference or union leaders, therebellious or dysfunctional pastor seeks hisown path.

The greatest danger we face within ourchurch, as in the world, is the influence oftalented and powerful communicators whoare self-centered, i.e., Hitler and JamesJones. These communicators are prone totoss around words like "grace," "con-science," and "spirit-led."

I look forward to balanced and in-depthjournalism in Adventist Today.

Robert NatiukBattle Ground , Washington

LETTERS TO THE EDITORAdventist Today, P.O. Box 1220Lorna Linda, CA 92354-1220

E-mail: AToday@aol.com

News and Analysis

Rocky Mountain Conference Terminates PeckCOLLEEN MOORE TINKER

On November 2,1997, theRocky Mountain Conferenceexecutive committee, meetingat Glacier View Ranch, voted

to release Clay Peck from his employmentas a minister in the Rocky MountainConference and to suspend his church,Christ Advent Fellowship (CAF), from itsstatus as a company.

Christ Advent Fellowship has been acompany in the Rocky MountainConference since September 14, 1996. Itwas the result of months of prayers offeredby a core group of couples near FortCollins, Colorado. These people wanted tostart a congregation that would attractpeople who were disenchanted with typi-cal church. They didn't know where tobegin or how to accomplish their dream,but in December, 1995, they began to praythat God would help them find someoneto help them.

Several in the group agreed to researchthe matter. They questioned pastors, friends,

and acquaintances who might know some-one skilled in establishing a "seeker-sensi-tive" congregation. When their research wascomplete, they reconvened and comparednotes. The only name to appear on all oftheir lists was Clay Peck.

Meanwhile, Peck had been praying also.For ten years he had dreamed of planting achurch that would attract people who wereburned out or put off by typical congrega-tions. He wanted to start a church thatfocused on the gospel and that fostered anatmosphere sensitive to people who hadgiven up on Adventism.

After a decade of praying for an opportu-nity to plant a church, he decided that he

6 November-December 1997 ADVENTIST TODAY

had to give the dream toGod. "It was starting toeat me up," says Peck.

On August 2, 1995,he went to his computerand wrote down all of hisideas. He made lists ofeverything he would doif he had the chance tostart a church. He evenlisted his dream location:a bedroom communitynear the Front Range inColorado. When he wasdone, he closed and Clay Peckstored the file.

"No one knew it wasthere except my wife and God," heremembers. "I gave him my dream andstopped letting it consume me." At thattime he was an associate pastor of theDamascus Road Community Church inthe Potomac Conference, and he decidedthat he would use his vision to serve thatcongregation.

In February, 1996, he got a call fromthe aforementioned Colorado couples ask-

ing if he would consult

with~them in preparation for starting anew congregation.

He flew to Colorado, and after meetingwith the couples, he and they realized thatthey could help each other make theirmutual dream a reality. Jim Brauer, presi-dent of the Rocky Mountain Conference,met with them before they started thechurch. He stated that there were fouredges of the envelope that they couldpush: worship, lifestyle, structure, and the-ology. He further stated that he couldn'tsupport their pushing all four of thoseedges, but he could support their pushingtwo: worship and lifestyle. (In other words,he wouldn't worry about parishionerswearing jewelry or about their serving cof-fee during fellowship time.)

Even before Peck arrivedin Colorado the originalfounding couples (nowthe Leadership Team)told Brauer that theirvision would probablyrequire that they push allfour edges. Peck con-firmed their originalvision by saying they weregoing to build a commu-nity in which the gospelwas central, and theyweren't going to "water itdown" among 27 otherstatements. He furthersaid that the typical

Adventist structures would have to changein order for them to accomplish their goals.

The Rocky Mountain Conference agreedto establish Christ Advent Fellowship as anexperimental company and to support it assuch for at least three years. In July, 1996,Peck and his wife and son moved toColorado, and on September 14, 1996,Grac.e Place celebrated its first official ser-vice as it began its ministry to "the burned,the bored, and the bypassed."

In the last fourteen months ChristAdvent Fellowship has gone from being adream to being an established congregationwith a weekly attendance of about 400. Itmeets in Berthoud High School, and its ser-vices are typical praise services with a wor-ship team leading singing, drama, multIme-dia, and a sermon. They are not charismaticbut are very contemporary and seeker ori-ented. Many of the members are notSeventh-day Adventists, but they are loyalin their attendance and support.

Their support is not only for ChristAdvent Fellowship. At the time they found-ed CAF, Peck and the operating board alsoestablished CAM, Christ AdventistMinistries. It is a nonprofit corporationwhich they founded as an equipment-hold-ing entity. As the months have passed, how-ever, many members have specifically sup-ported CAM. The result is that CAM hastaken over the payment of the staff employ-ees, including the secretary and businessmanager. It will also hold any property pur-chases the church may make in the future.

"Newsand Analysis

November 5, Brauer assured the people thatthey would not be disfellowshipped, urgedthem not to act in haste, and encouragedthem to leave their names in the member-ship books. He stressed that the frictionbetween CAF and the conference had beensimply differences of opinion regarding ques-tions of structure and methods.

In a public e-mail the following day,however, Brauer cited theological differ-ences as being a significant point of conflict.He specifically mentioned Peck's "under-standing of: last day events, role of theAdventist church in prophecy, hermeneuti-cal interpretation of the

Spirit of Prophecy, investigative judgment,the Sabbath as the discipleship seal of God,and role of the Spirit of Prophecy in provid-ing lifestyle principles."

Additionally he said, "The straw that fig-uratively broke 'the camels (sic) back' camewhen administration pled with CAF leader-ship not to follow in the footsteps ofRichard Fredericks and the Damascuschurch ... .In this context, CAPs leadershipteam responded by outlining eight addition-al issues, [listed above) which made furtherdiscussion impractical."

Brauer further stated that "the ExecutiveCommittee asked administration to bringback specific plans for up to two new target-ed church plants ... options are being consid-ered for another attempt in the Ft. Collinsregion [the area Grace Place serves]."

Peck admits he is disappointed that theconference did not honor its commitmentto support Grace Place for a three-year peri-od. Its support lasted 14 months.

But, he acknowledges, at least the ten-sion with the conference is finally over.

On the first two Sabbaths following thefiring, Grace Place attendance was close to400 each day. Morale is strong and enthusi-astic, and local giving on the first indepen-dent Sabbath came to $22,000.

Peck says, "Our plan now is to continuethe ministry that God has called us to do."

.•..•..•.---....---.:........

__ ~_.-J'~!~!~~~/~'-'-'------~~~-----~r~~ Peck admits he is disappointed that the

.-.conference did not honor its commitment to supportGrace Place for a three year trial period.

-------~ ~-~ ...•..~~-~ ------~_..-----::----~---.-.--: ---:---..~ -~ ~-~ •...-........

:------ ~ ..~

nating team and staff. The meeting con-vened on October 14, the night beforeFredericks and Fournier were to be fired.Brauer's main concern was the existence ofCAM, the nonprofit corporation, and hetold Peck in advance that he wanted to dis-cuss the ways in which CAF was similar toDamascus Road Community Church.

Peck wanted to be open and to makesure everything was "out on the table," so heprepared a list of eight items that summa-rized CAPs commitments. They were:

1. Christ Advent Ministries (the non-profit corporation) is not going away.

2. CAM will be audited by an indepen-dent auditor regularly and the results sharedwith donors and conference.

3. CAM is more than an equipment-holding company. It is now side-by-side withCAF on the budget.

4. CAM now pays staff employees.5. CAM will own any land or buildings

purchased in the future.6. There are and will be non-Adventist

participating members in CAE7. CAF does not intend to teach that the

conference is the "storehouse."8. CAPs 10-point statement used in its

membership class is a sufficient summaryof the essence of evangelical Adventisttheology.

Peck and his leadership team acknowl-edged that they would be willing to negoti-ate these points with Brauer.

Peck also asked that the conferenceallow them to continue as a regular compa-ny, stating that the church "needs experi-ments that operate differently, outside ofstandard policy and procedure."

Nevertheless, the conference voted toterminate Peck's employment and thecongregation's company status onNovember 2, 1997.

At a follow-up meeting with the CAFmembers, Jim Brauer was pastoral and reas-suring. During the three days followingPeck's firing, the conference office had beenbesieged with calls and e-mail from peoplerequesting that their names be removedfrom the church books. On the evening of

"We have not asked people to supportCAM," Peck says. "They have done it ontheir own. We have never told the peoplewhere to give or where not to give."

The relationship between Grace Placeand the Rocky Mountain Conference hasbeen bumpy. President Jim Brauer has beennervous about the independence of the con-gregation both structurally and theologically.More than once he recommended to theconference Executive Committee that Peckbe terminated and Grace Place removedfrom its company status. The committee,though, voted down his recommendations.

In consummate irony, the action to ter-minate Peck and the congregation's compa-ny status came just days after the AdventistReview featured CAF, known as GracePlace, in a collection of vignettes showcas-ing a cross-section of congregations employ-ing a variety of creative worship styles.According to Peck, the article gave anaccurate picture of Grace Place. (Revieweditor William Johnsson, however, sent anapology to all conference presidents for run-ning the piece, and he has written an edito-rial cautioning Adventists against congrega-tionalism. )

"It was God's timing," Peck says; "it feltgood to have a clear statement go out to theworld about who we are and what our bestintentions have been before the rumorsstarted to fly."

According to Peck, the Adventist Reviewwas going to run a major feature articleabout Grace Place last spring, but the RockyMountain Conference asked the editor notto print it. At that time Jim Brauer was run-ning for reelection, and he felt that the pres-ence of Grace Place in his jurisdiction was apolitical liability. Besides asking the Reviewnot to feature the church, Brauer also rec-ommended that CAF be "cut loose" andPeck be terminated. The executive commit-tee, though, did not approve the recommen-dation, and Grace Place continued as a con-ference company.

After Jim Brauer was reelected, the ten-sion between Grace Place and the confer-ence subsided-until the termination ofRichard Fredericks and Bob Fournier of theDamascus Road Community Church in thePotomac Conference became imminent.After Fredericks and Fournier had receivedtheir ultimatum either to resign or be fired,Brauer asked to meet with the CAF coordi-

ADVENTIST TODAY November-December 1997 7

News and Analysis

Rocky Mountain Conference AddressesChrist Advent FellowshipCOLLEEN MOORE TINKER

In an e-mail update posted on November5, 1997,Jim Brauer, president of the RockyMountain Conference, wrote the followingreport concerning Christ Advent Fellowship:,'W ith absolutely no joy, and

a great deal of sorrow,the committee deliberat-ed carefully for five hours

on Sunday afternoon before finally decid-ing to end endorsement of the CAFexperiment.

"The action reads as follows:"CAF: Voted the recommendation of

the Administrative Committee as follows:1) CAF is no longer recognized andendorsed as a company of the RMC as ofNovember 5, 1997,2) The name CAF isthe property of the Seventh-dayAdventist Association of Colorado,and may be used only as autho-rized by the ExecutiveCommittee &Association Board.3) The member-ship of CAF isencouraged to transfertheir membership to achurch within the RMC.Members of CAF who donot transfer their membershipto a church will remain mem-bers of the conference church inregular standing.

"Clay Peck: Voted the following recom-mendation from Adcom: Whereas CAF isno longer a company of the RockyMountain Conference and, whereas ClayPeck has indicated his unwillingness tomeet the conditions of employment byreturning tithe to the conference, and,whereas Clay Peck has indicated in writing,and verbally before this committee that heis unwilling to accept a transfer to anotherposition in the RMC, he be terminated asof 11/5/97, and receive termination payaccording to denominational policy.

"Clay Peck Credentials: Voted thatupon Clay Peck's termination day the

8 November-December 1997 ADVENTIST TODAY

conference will withdraw his credentials,and thus he will no longer be carryingactive ministerial credentials."

Jim Brauer InterviewedIn a November 24 interview with

Adventist Today about Christ AdventFellowship, Jim Brauer said, "As an admin-istrator I want to figure out how to be gen-tle with people yet define [boundary] lines.

"I really want to see creative ministriesflourish. In fact, we have four new groupssimilar to Christ Advent Fellowshipwhich are forming,but they want toremain thoroughlyAdventist."

He definesremaining

thoroughly Adventist by referring to thefour edges of the Adventist envelope: wor-ship, lifestyle, structure, and theology. Acongregation can push two of the edges,depending upon which edges, and still beconsidered Adventist, he says. If it pushesthree, its standing in Adventism is shaky;if it pushes four, it's no longer Adventist.

Theologically, he said, Peck questionedsome of Adventism's beliefs. Peckpromised that he would not preach his

questions to the church, and he didn't."Eventually, though," Brauer says,

"people noticed what he wasn't preach-ing."

"Clay said he had to push all fouredges," Brauer continues. "I had to say, 'Istill love you, but ... ' "

He hastened to add, however, thatPeck has been completely professionaland that he and Peck have a good rela-tionship.

Brauer says he is committed to experi-menting. "Lay people are getting excit-ed," he says. "They're buying into churchplanting."

Ron Gladden, newly appointed MidAmerica Union Church PlantingConsultant, has been consultingwith the Rocky Mountain

Conference regarding its plans.-f~r'planting new congrega-

tions. They are proposinga plan whereby the

tithe collected fromthe newly planted

churches willgo into a special

conferencefund exclu-

sively for use inplanting the next

new church.Brauer says he does-

n't know exactlywhere the ground swell

of congregationalismwithin the church will go. "Many of

the baby boomers don't trust the organi-zation," he said. "I don't know if thisphenomenon is a result of Vietnam orthe Nixon era or what. The interestingthing, though, is that many of theyounger generation do trust."

He further says that he doesn't seecongregationalism flourishing within theAdventist structure. "We're supposed tobe a worldwide church with a mission oftaking the Three Angels' Messages tothe world. We can't do that if we'redivided into independent congrega-tions."

News and Analysis

Damascus Road Church Closes Land Deal

GC Releases 1996 Statistical Report

November 5,1997, marked theday when the Damascus RoadCommunity Church inMaryland made its down pay-

ment and officially closed the deal on itsnew property purchase.

"We are now the proud and tremblingowners of 225 acres," says RichardFredericks, senior pastor.

This land purchase was the final strawin a series of events and concerns thatresulted in Fredericks and Bob Fournier,associate pastor, being fired from thePotomac Conference on October 15, 1997.(See Adventist Today, September- October,1997.) After an ultimatum in which theconference asked Fredericks and Fournierto resign or be fired, they were terminatedjust three weeks before they were to com-plete their fundraising and negotiations fortheir new property.

After the pastors' termination, 90 per-cent of the church congregation wentwith them instead of staying with theconference church and its new pastor,David Newman. According to Fredericks,

ALBERT DITTES

The latest Statistical Report for1996-just released by theGeneral Conference-showslittle change in the North

American Division for the year. NorthAmerica still funds most of the denomina-tion; of the $929.25 million in tithe,

North American Adventists gave $507.4million in 1996.

Worldwide giving per member has beenflat during the past 15 years and remainedso in 1996. The figures suggest that thechurch has never recovered financiallyfrom the Davenport scandal. The tithe-per-

280 people signed statements saying theywanted to be members in the new non-conference church, and the church staffwas in addition to that number.

"We have a solidly committed core of300 people," Fredericks says. "We also

tracked the giving list of the original con-gregation, and of the 100 single adults andfamilies who were consistent givers, 98have stayed with us."

The church has moved its offices intoan old medical suite in the center oftown. Church members working day andnight renovated the suite. They builtwalls, installed paneling and sheetrock,installed carpet, bought pictures, andcreated a beautiful reception area andoffice complex.

"I was sitting in my office while they

capita for the world church hit its highestpoint in Adventist history in 1981, theyear the Davenport scandal became puBlic.The all-time high then stood at $202.32.(In 1863, the first year official records werekept, tithe-per-capita was $2.29.)

According to this report, the amount oftithe has increased since 1981, but tithe-per-capita has decreased. It stood at

$170.31 at the close of 1996, down from$172.14 the previous year. Simultaneously,North American Division membershipincreased from 838,898 to 858,364 in1996. These figures suggest that manymembers are not giving through the offi-cial channels.

were working," Fredericks said, "and Icould hear them building walls outsidemy door. They were talking and laugh-ing, and they worked day and night. Irealized how blessed I was. My wealth ismy congregation."

Fredericks also acknowledged that themove to the center of Damascus fromthe outskirts of town was more than aphysical change. "Moving made me real-ize that it was time to quit dissipatingenergy by struggling with the church andinstead get on with our mission," he said.

"By seeking to be faithful and by get-ting on with our mission, we will have afar greater impact on Adventism than wewould by continuing to struggle," heobserves. "The only thing that could stopus now would be our own apostasy."

If Adventist tithing had increased atthe same rate since 1981 as it had duringthe two preceding years, the entire tithefrom the world field would have amountedto $2.819 billion in 1996! Instead, the realtithe figure is $1.889 billion-32 percentshort of what it could have been.

The Southern California Conference,the scene of the Davenport event, showsthe lowest tithe intake among the whiteNorth American conferences. At $461.82tithe-per-capita, Southern California trailsway behind the NAD average of $612.09.

Black Adventist tithe-per-capita is stilllow; regional conference tithe figures showaverage incomes of $3,000 to $5,000 a yearper member. Tithe figures also indicatethat Central States Conference membersearn only $2,975.80 per year.

The 1996 average tithe-per-capita forthe North American Division ($612.09)still lagged behind that of the MountainView Conference of West Virginia($689.35).

ADVENTIST TODAY November-December 1997 9

News and Analysis

Muslim Relations RevolutionizedCOLLEEN MOORE TINKER

Editor's note: Christianity (includingAdventism) has never been very successful inpenetrating Islam. Traditional evangelism doesnot seem to work with Muslims, and there hasbeen a sense of hopelessness in Adventist cir-cles about ever reaching the Muslim popula-tion. In October, 1995, Jerry Whitehouse,Dr. P.H., was asked to be the director of TheGlobal Center for Adventist Muslim Relationsoperated by the General Conference GlobalMission Committee. He took the job with theunderstanding that he be allowed to try a com-pletely new evangelistic approach. TheGeneral Conference also wanted to see whatwould happen if some new methods were tried,so they agreed. Early results of Whitehouse'sparadigm shift show great promise of success.

"A dventists (like mostChristians) have greatlymisunderstood Islam," saysJerry Whitehouse, director

of The Global Center for AdventistMuslim Relations, currently located inLoma Linda, California. "Consequently,we have tried to evangelize Muslims thesame way we evangelize non-AdventistChristians. We have taught them ourAdventist doctrines and pointed out howthey needed to change their lifestyles inorder to live as Adventists. This approachhas not worked."

It doesn't work, he explains, becauseMuslims consider western culture to beevil. They see Christianity as part of theevil culture that does not respect their tra-ditions and religious convictions, and theybelieve Christianity seeks to destroy whatthey consider to be Truth.

The cultural distrust has not been one-way. Christians haven't trusted Muslims,either.

"Some of our own [Adventist] literaturecharacterizes Islam as Satanic andMuhammad as a false prophet,"Whitehouse says.

Insults Induce AttacksThese beliefs root deeply in our convic-

tions. During the last two years, oneAmerican Adventist pastor was killed and

10 November-December 1997 ADVENTIST TODAY

three others were attacked and woundedby Muslims. The assaults were provoked byoutright insults to Islam and by disregardfor Muslim customs. One of the unfortu-nate pastors precipitated his attack by stat-ing that Muhammad's visions resulted fromepilepsy.

"We cannot continue to poke our fingerin their eye and expect them to welcomeus," Whitehouse says. "We cannot insultIslam and get away with it. If we do, wenot only will fail to influence them, wewill be attacked.

"I don't believe Islam is either Satanicor inherently evil. Muslims worship theone true God, the God of Abraham, andthey believe in a final judgment," assertsWhitehouse.

Muhammad Taught MonotheismMuhammad, he explains, had his

visions during the "Age of Ignorance"(known in the Christian world as "TheDark Ages"), and as a result called his peo-ple out of the polytheistic Hinduism andpolytheistic Christianity that were devel-oping on both sides of them geographical-ly. (During the early centuries following

Christ, some Christian theologians taughtthe Trinity as three Gods and advocatedincluding Mary in the Godhead.)

"I believe Muhammad was sent to callhis people to monotheism, to return themto their roots, at a time when polytheismwas flourishing all around them,"Whitehouse declares. "He didn't establishIslam as a reaction against any particularmovement or belief. Rather, he establishedit to call the people to the one true God."

Whitehouse further believes that sincetheir religious heritage is not evil, Muslimsshould not have to give it up in order tobecome Adventists. That belief is the cor-nerstone upon which he builds his evange-listic approach. That belief is also the

sticking point which causes controversywith those who believe evangelism mustcall people not only to Christ but also outof their "pagan" cultures.

Real Life SuccessTwo communities in two separate

Muslim countries serve to illustrateWhitehouse's convictions. In these com-munities American missionaries havegone into the towns and assimilated theculture. They have not gone in and livedin missionary compounds where theycontinued to look and live likeAmericans. Since Muslims don't trustAmericans, these missionaries havetaken up the Muslim lifestyle. They dresslike Muslims (the women even wearveils); they eat like Muslims; theyobserve Muslim calls to prayer; theyattend the mosques; they participate inmany of the major feasts and celebra-.tions such as observing the fast of

.Ramadan; they show respect for theQur'an and for Muhammad; they observethe Muslim social customs.

As these Americans live side-by-sidewith Islam on the Muslim's terms, theyhave.built up trust. The results havebeen unprecedented. As the local peoplehave begun to trust the foreigners, they

have asked them to teach their womento read. Sheiks have begun asking theAdventist men to teach them the Torah.(The Qur'an teaches that people shouldstudy the Torah. It also names andreveres all the Old Testament prophetsand teaches that Jesus was perhaps thegreatest prophet of them all.)

The Adventists have been able to usethe Qur'an to build a bridge to scripture. Byrespecting Islam's religious and cultural tra-ditions, they have been able to introducethe people to Jesus as Lord and God. Butthe introduction has been in the context ofIslam, not in the context of conventionalChristianity. In fact, hundreds of Muslimswho have heard Christ presented in their

News. ana Analysis

own context have believed, and they havealso accepted the Sabbath. But they stilllive and act and look like Muslims. Inshort, they are Adventist Muslims, not typ-ical Seventh-day Adventist converts.

Creative Approach to BaptismThe Islamic social customs have

necessitated creative ways to handle rites

such as baptism. Muslim women may nottouch any men except their own hus-bands. Consequently, pastors cannotbaptize Islamic women. Instead, theybaptize the husbands, who, as spiritualheads of their houses, baptize the womenin their homes.

"We don't teach them human rightsand women's equality the way we per-ceive those things in America," saysWhitehouse. "They would dismiss theideas. The gospel reaches people in theirculture, and we must learn to teach it intheir culture. We have to take Christ,not Christianity, to the Muslims."

In fact, Muslim families which haveaccepted Christ begin to have growing,changing attitudes about each other.Whitehouse sees the Holy Spirit as beingresponsible for changing the hearts andattitudes of these new believers.

"No one has ever tried to create anAdventist theology within a Moslemsetting before," observes Whitehouse."But this isn't a human idea; it's whatGod has been doing down through theyears. We must bring Christ into theexisting culture if Christianity is goingto work."

Adventists or NotBecause of volatile political attitudes,

it's not always possible for the missionar-ies to organize the new believers intocompanies or churches, much less toreport baptisms. Additionally, somewould question whether these newAdventists really fit under the rubric"Seventh-day Adventist."

'The church isstrugglingwith what to callthese converted Muslims,"Whitehouseadmits. But there is increasing acceptance ofsuch diversityas part of the processof meetingpeople in context and of moving them in spir-itual growth and in the establishment of thekingdom of grace in their hearts.

It's not easy to determine which prac-tices are strictly cultural and which ones

are spiritual. But Whitehouse is firm inhis belief that no one can make arbitrarycentral decisions which will apply toevery situation.

"We need to trust the body of believersin other cultural settings," he says. "Weneed to support those who are teachingthe Muslims about Christ."

Evangelism within a culture is not anew idea. Whitehouse believes that Paul's

words to the Corinthians are as true todayas they were in A.D. 55 when he wrote,"Each one should remain in the situationwhich he was in when God called him.Were you a slave when you were called?Don't let it trouble you-although if youcan gain your freedom, do so. For he whowas a slave when he was called by theLord is the Lord's freedman; similarly, hewho was a free man when he was called isChrist's slave ... Brothers, each man, asresponsible to God, should remain in thesituation God called him to." (ICorinthians 7:20-22, 24 NIV)

Just as the Greeks were not requiredto adopt Jewish customs when theybecame Christians, so the Muslimsshould not have to stop being Muslims,Whitehouse maintains.

The successes these two communities ofexpatriate missionaries are experiencing bypresenting Christ within the context ofIslam confirm Whitehouse's conviction:the power of the gospel is that it can go toevery nation, kindred, tongue, and peoplewithout extracting people from the valuesand cultures in which they live.

ADVENTIST TODAY November-December 1997 11

MAX GORDON PHILLIPS

Around the universe, around~ the universe. Swimming in

a celestial coral sea. Onlyaster than light. 109 light

years per second.You thread your way through the super-

clusters of galaxies till you spot a certainspiral burning with hundreds of billions ofinfinitesimal points of light, each a sun.

Plowing through the central black holethat holds together this immense city ofstars, you travel out into the suburbs.There, on Hercules's spiral arm, a strikingblond sun cradles in her gravitational armsnine fledgling worlds. You choose the thirdone.

Emerging from hyperspace, you descendthrough the clouds and hover just abovean equatorial savanna. The sunset sky isrunning red with the blood of the dyingday. A hint of sulfur in the air betrays adistant volcano.

The ground below is stripped bare ofgrass by root-pulling teeth and tramplingfeet. A fitful breeze kicks up dust devilshere and there.

Se.veral dozen 100-ton longneckdinosaurs are busily shearing off the tops oftrees five stories high. Around their headsswarm flesh-eating insects. Web-wingedserpents cruise the rising hot air columns.

These animals are not the reason foryour visit.

Sisera is.Suddenly he appears. Around him is a

halo of other high-ranking exiles fromEternity-Afreet, Barghest, Dybbuk, Eblis,Gyre, Shedu, Typhon ... You knew them allwell, once, as friends. How they'vechanged. Now none will look you in theeye. They only cringe and draw back.

Not Sisera'; Before you can greet himhe says, "You've got a hundred billion hab-itable planets per galaxy, times fifty billiongalaxies per universe, times an infinity ofuniverses. All at your command. I havebut a single solar system. And you've cometo take that away."

"No, Sisera, my friend, I've come to seeyou."

"I'm not your friend," he says. "Justleave me alone with my creation."

You long for him, feel his aching

hunger to be something he isn't. "Your cre-ation?"

"My creatures. My experiments. Myidea. Natural selection acting on geneticvariation. Evolution." He points towardthe west. "Look."

From out of the wounded horizoncomes the sound of a T-rex pounding theearth like a drum. The longnecks tumtheir heads and bellow to one another.The cracking of their 40-foot whip-tailssounds like cannon fire. They begin to run,setting off an earthquake.

"Watch," Sisera says.A baby longneck is running in terrified

circles on a crippled leg, screaming for itsmother.

You hurt for it, but choose not to inter-fere with Sisera's experiment.

, The T-rex spies the baby, turns on it,bites into its neck, falls full weight on it,holds it down till its struggling ceases.

"See?" Sisera says. "Survival of thefittest."

"Survival of some requires the death ofothers," you observe.

"Precisely. Death defines the fittest. Itcuts off the slow, the stupid, the clumsy, thecrippled, the sick, the aged-the weak-sothat the strong can survive and reproduce.This way I can evolve strength, speed, dex-terity, and most importantly, intelligence inmy creatures. In time, I'll evolve a speciesthat will achieve space flight."

"And then?""They'll master hyperspace and higher-

dimensional travel. Their spacecraft willcarry them from star to star, from galaxy togalaxy and from universe to universe untilthey populate the whole multiverse. Theywill destroy any civilization that stands intheir way."

"Why?"'To restore me to my rightful place in

Eternity. I was wronged, driven out, humil-iated, exiled." His eyes narrow, his jawtightens, his fist clenches. "But I will seethis all through to the end."

"Sisera," you begin, "if only youwould ... "

Dismissing your entreaty with a wave ofhis hand, he goes on. "This time it will bedifferent. With the forcICsof the infinitemultiverse united behind my command,I'll invade Eternity. All creatures there willrecognize my power and shift allegiance to

me. Your trinity will be left alone, isolated,without subjects. What will you do then?Wipe us all out?"

"So what are you trying to prove?""It's simple: my hypothesis, might

makes right.""Right makes might," you say."If you really believe that, then put it to

the test. Give up your power and face me,alone, here, on my planet, on my terms,without help from your father."

Then, without waiting for a reply, hemotions with his head to his entourageand leaps off into hyperspace.

The Forest WorldYou leap away in a different direction.An instant later, traveling forward in

time, you're zeroing in on a star 10,000light-years distant. Two of its planets--oneblue in aura, the other green-are orbitingeach other as together they dance theirway around their sun.

You choose the green one, the forestworld, planet of the Seraphians. As youwind downward through the oxygen-richatmosphere you change form to look likeone of them-a dozen feet tall and clothedin silver-gold down.

Their little ones see you coming."Kingu! Kingu!"

They climb on you, pull you down ontoa living fabric of vines woven over the topsof trees a mile in height. With wide grinsand nonstop laughter they roll you overand over, jump on you. "Throw me!Throw me!"

You pick them up, toss them high andcatch them gently on the way down. Theystroke you, pet you, hug you. "Kingu!Kingu!"

From pole to pole this world is blanket-ed with interconnected plants. Miles deepin places, this living fabric holds most ofthe planet's water, much of it stored inopen, living pods miles across. Fruits andnuts and animals and birds of endlessdescription abound-all peaceful.

Within this planet-wide forest are arbo-real cities powered by living electricity-conducting vines. High on the surfacephotovoltaic leaves keep their faces turnedcontinuously toward the sun on its dailyjourney across the sky. Other leaves radiateexcess heat away into space to maintainenergy balance. Rainbow flowers illumi-

nate green cathedrals. From city to city theSeraphians travel on peristaltic force fieldsthrough green tunnel freeways.

The elders point to the twin blue orbthat hangs like an ornament in the sky."Blue Moon," they say, "Tell us about BlueMoon."

"You know it's an ocean planet.""Yes, from spectrographic analysis, but

does anybody live there?""The Cherubians. The gravity of our

world raises gigantic tides on theirs. Thereyou can surf nonstop completely around it.You'll enjoy them, conversing, sharing yourtechnology, joining with them in spacetravel to other worlds in other solar sys-tems and other galaxies."

The grin. "When?""In good time, my Friends. You're

already starting to grow the necessary rock-ets, aren't you?"

In reply they only grin more widely.As you bid them farewell, rise into the

clouds, and slip into hyperspace, the echoof their parting chant, "Kingu! Kingu!" fillsyou with delight.

Rescue on DuraAn instant later, again leaping forward

through time, you've arrived back atSisera's planet. You ease down to thenorthern hemisphere, to a continent closeto the equator, to a strip of land betweenthe rivers Tigris and Euphrates, a landcalled Mesopotamia.

Coming out of hyperspace you plummeton down through a cloud of Sisera's hover-ing spirits. You hail them-Asmodeus,Belial, Daeva, Lilith, Loki, Mainyu,Putana ...

They don't reply, but whisper amongthemselves-"He's back!"-then shrivelaway and disappear.

On down to the plain of Dura. It'snighttime. In the fierce light of an openfurnace shimmers a giant gold image castin the likeness of the king of this land, amortal called Nebuchadnezzar. He standsbeside it, feet planted wide apart, armsfolded, looking frustrated, angry.

In front of him stand three young menfettered at the ankles and wrists.

"So, you still won't bow?" he asks. "Ifyou will, you will prove your allegiance tome and my gods, and you will rule with mein my kingdom."

ADVENTIST TODAY November-December 1997 13

"0 king, live forever," says the one onthe right, Shadrach. "It's not that we won't,we can't."

"Because your gods won't let you?""Our one God, your majesty," he says."But if you serve him, how can I trust

you to serve me and my gods?""We will serve both our God and you,

but not your gods.""Impossible," says the king. "Can't be

done." He turns, jerks his head toward thefurnace and orders the lead guard, a hugeman named Arioch, "Throw them in."

As the guards hurl them in, one by one,headfirst, you throw around each a cushion-ing, oxygen-supplying, heat-shedding forcefield. It clings to them and their clothing,but not to their binding cords, which quick-ly bum off. Then you leap in with them andassume visible human form.

Wide-eyed they stare at you."Who ... who are you?"

"Don't worry,"you say."You'll be all right."You watch their king's face, gone sud-

denly white, peering in. "Didn't we throwthree men in there?"

"Yes, 0 king, live forever," answersArioch.

"But now there are four. And nobody'sgetting burned!"

"We're sorry, we apologize, your majesty.""That fourth one-has to be a god. Only

a god could keep those men alive in thatthing. Look at him! Stronger than all mygods! Get them out of there!"

"But, 0 king, live forever," says Arioch,"the heat will kill us if we go in there."

Brushing Arioch aside, Nebuchadnezzarrushes up as close as the heat will permit."Shadrach! Meshack! Abednego! Comeout!"

They emerge unharmed. "Thank you, 0king, live forever."

"All right," says Nebuchadnezzar. "Yourgod is stronger than mine. Prostrate your-selves to him. Tell him I'll serve him fromthis day on." They tum toward you, butyou've already disappeared into hyperspace.

Sisera's ChallengeOnly to be confronted there by Sisera,

his face contorted in fury. "See? You've justproven my hypothesis. You resorted tomight to make right. You used superior forceto protect your men and intimidate mine.And as a result you've won their king."

14 November-December 1997 ADVENTIST TODAY

"You really think I've won KingN ebuchadnezzar?"

"Absolutely.""For how long?""As long as you continue to demonstrate

my hypothesis. Same with Shadrach,Meshack and Abednego. Remove your pro-tection from them, and you'll see how longthey stay true."

"I removed my protection from Job," yousay. "And he stayed true."

"Always somebody else, isn't it?" he says."You wouldn't dare remove it from your-self."

To emphasize his point, he departs with-out waiting for reply-faster than light.

Decision in EternityYou leap again, through higher dimen-

sions that take you out of the universe, outof the multiverse, out of time. And into aplace that holds all universes and all times.A place called Eternity.

You emerge into Effervescent Garden.Here an infinite number of universes-relativistic quantum bubbles-big bangout or big crunch in all the time. Hereyet-to-be-born universes are tailored tosuit the infinitely precise conditions nec-essary for infinitely specific varieties oflife. Here the inhabitants of a contractinguniverse approaching a big crunch couldbe transferred into an uninhabitedexpanding universe, if such action shouldever prove necessary, all in less than anattosecond.

There you find him; "Abba!""Over here, lam." He appears under a

tree of life. He looks good; his embrace feelsgood, likehome. "How was your trip?" heasks, as if he didn't know.

"Abba, about Sisera's planet ... ""They're all hurting," he says."I need to go, without my power. But I

can't go unless you send me.""You're not doing this just to prove

Sisera wrong." He gazes intently into youreyes. "There's a deeper reason."

"Job, Shadrach, Meshack, Abednego. Ijust can't let them go."

"And Nebuchadnezzar?""It's true he was swayed by the power,

but after he was humbled and ate grass likean ox, he gave his heart to me out of love."

"And Arioch, who didn't?""Yes."

"And the slow, the stupid, the clumsy,the crippled, the sick, the aged, the weak?"

"Yes.""The drunks, the prostitutes, the drug

addicts, the street people, the thieves, themurderers ?"

"Yes.""And all the outcasts, the pariahs, the

abandoned and the shunned?""Yes.""And those who will never love you,

who will only hate you and kill you?""Yes.""You don't have to do this," he says."I know.""Then I will take you, son."

The DescentYour father's face fades ...Your mastery of dimension, time, space,

matter and energy disintegrates ...You IQ spins dizzilydown from infinity

to zero...Your infinite memory and knowledge

shrink and vanish ...Your habitation of every particle in every

universe dwindles to nothing .Your consciousness ceases .

Unaware of your father's mighty leapfrom Effervescent Garden .

Carrying you in his arms .Unaware of the faces of all the beings in

Eternity as they watch in stunned amaze-ment ...

Of the journey down into the one uni-verse out of all the infinities of universes ...and on down to the one supercluster ... theone galaxy ... the one solar system theone planet. .. continent ... country rivervalley ... small town .. .family ... person-ateenage virgin girl.. .

Of the mysterious act ... of the purposeand reason ...

Aware only of the birth pain ...The donkey braying for its dry grass

breakfast ...The calf bumping up against the creaky

wooden wall and bawling for its mother. ..Here, wrapped in coarse cloth and lying

in a wooden box full of dry grass...Hungry for your mother's breast ...Wetting yourself ... shivering ...It'sChristmas, and all you can do is cry.

Christmas•

JOHN MCLARTY

q called good night tothe last three boardmembers as theyheaded down thestreet through the

snow toward the subway. I trudged wearilyback through the church to my study.

Ten thirty. Should I call Karin? Surelyshe'd be asleep by now. But if she wasn't,she'd worry.

I dialed. She picked up on the fourthring.

"How's it going?""I've been up ever since you left." She

sighed wearily. "Bonnie didn't go to sleepuntil 9:30. Garrett was asleep for a while,but he's so stuffed up he can't breathe. I'venursed him, but I can't get him to godown. What's taking you so long, anyway?"

"We just finished. I'm sorry it's so late.""What can I say?" Her pause was heavy.

"I'll be here. Hurry as fast as you can. I feelterrible."

I tidied my desk, locked up and walkedto my car. Crossing the GeorgeWashington Bridge I was enchanted asusual by the lights of Manhattan above the

dark surface of the Hudson River. Tonightdancing curtains of light snow added tothe magic. But once off the bridge themagic faded. Traffic was light, but thegathering slush slowed me, sometimes to acrawl.

Two Weeks and ... NothingOnly two weeks till Christmas. Two

weeks. And no Christmas cards purchased,much less addressed. No gifts squirreledaway on top shelves of closets. No cookiesbaked. No tree. No decorations.

I'd wanted this Christmas to be a spe-cial one-at home and at church. I'd hadbig dreams for doing something special forall the single people in our congregation.I'd hoped to find just the right gift forKarin ... and something imaginative forBonnie, in spite of my incompetence intoy buying. Instead, two weeks toChristmas and-nothing.

Then day before yesterday Karin wentto bed with a low fever. So I didn't go in tothe church yesterday or today. Two daysplaying nurse and baby-sitter. I left thehouse tonight just in time to make theboard meeting. It was the story of my lifelately. I was never home enough to get

anything done; I was home too much to domy job'as a pastor.

The longer I drove, the more morose Ibecame. The snow didn't help, imprison-ing me in a tiny, cold world. All the ever-lasting one-and-a-half-hour drive home,protests, complaints, and self-pity swirledin my head. I tried to think of pleasantstuff, but I was too tired to be cheerful.

A sick wife. Sick kids. A needy congre-gation. I wasn't really doing any of themjustice.

If only I could force my mind to thinkabout something else. Where was theChristmas spirit? We were gettingChristmas cards and letters --comicallylong-winded ones and others packed withthe warmth of old friendship. But thinkingof them brought me back to the cold hard

John McLarty is editorof Adventist Today.

ADVENTIST TODAY November-December 1997 15

cards, no church plans. And no time or

~9a in the misery in my mind. Only

two weeks to Christmas. No gifts, no

facts: I hadn't done our Christmas letteryet. Hadn't bought gifts.

Finally our driveway appeared out ofthe whirling wash of snow. Lights blazed inthe kitchen and bathroom. I opened thedoor and found Karin standing in the mid-dle of the living room. Garrett droopedpathetically in her arms. She lookedalmost as bad as he did. Taking the baby, Ifelt her forehead. She was feverish. I kissedher on the cheek and wished her sleep.She shuffled down the hall.

I walked around the room with Garrett.His breathing sounded terrible. No wonderhe couldn't sleep. I willed him to sleep onmy shoulder. But no luck. Finally, I puthim in his swing, cranked it up and hoped.

energy to change it.

The swing worked its spell. He dozed.Easing him out of the swing, I laid him inhis crib.

I got my sleeping bag from the base-ment. Lately, Bonnie, our three-year-old,had been getting up two or three times anight wanting to snuggle in withMommy and Daddy. So I unrolled mybag in the hall between our bedroomand the kids' room where I could hearGarrett if he had difficulty and couldintercept Bonnie. Maybe with a goodnight's sleep Karin could fight off this fluor whatever it was.

I was too tired to feel the oak flooringunder my sleeping bag but not tiredenough to fall sleep before the tidal waveof complaints and protests again swampedmy mind. I fought desperately to shove mybrain into neutral so I could sleep.

Just as I dozed a little voice woke me.Bonnie was standing by my head, rubbing

16 November-December 1997 ADVENTIST TODAY

her eyes. "Daddy, I want to sleep withyou."

I crawled out of my bag and picked herup. Felt her head. She seemed all right. Iset her down and we headed to thekitchen for a drink, the vinyl feet of hersleeper lisping along the floor. Three sipsof water and I carried her back to herroom. "Bonnie, I want you to sleep in yourroom. Your room is nice and warm, andthe vaporizer will help your cough. Outhere in the hall it's too cold for you. I don'twant you to get sick like Garrett."

She protested weakly as I tucked her in."But I want to sleep with you."

"Some other time, Bon Bug, but nottonight. You stay here in your own bed." I

didn't bother explaining that Daddy wouldsleep much better without a squirmingthree-year-old in his sleeping bag.

She hugged her stuffed owl to her,snuggled into her pillow and closed hereyes. I checked on Garrett, shut the doorand wriggled back into my bag.

Again the misery in my mind. Onlytwo weeks to Christmas. No gifts, no cards,no church plans. And no time or energy tochange it.

Again, sleep had just managed todrown my complaints when tugs on mysleeping bag woke me.

"Daddy, I want to sleep with you."On automatic pilot, I unzipped my bag,

picked up Bonnie and aimed for thekitchen. She took a couple swallows ofwater before shoving the glass away. Iglanced at the clock. 3:15.

I put her back in bed and tucked Owlinto her arms, crawled back into my bag

and closed my eyes. I had just found sleepwhen a little voice began the ritual allover.

As I slithered back into my bag afterwatering and bedding Bonnie, the effort tosleep seemed utterly futile. I'd awakenedtoo many times. The endless litany ofcomplaints would not be quiet. And nowsleep itself was beyond me.

But then suddenly like a visitation ofangels, an astonishing revelation floodedmy mind. This is Christmas! Sleeping onthe floor, cuddling a sick boy, tucking inan insecure little girl. This is Christmas!

It was a wild and crazy vision. Butsomehow the fact that I was awake at 4:00a.m. with scant prospects for any goodsleep before sunrise lost its sting. I closedmy eyes and the miserable complaints weregone. A subdued, astonishing euphoria dis-placed the aching fatigue. I was doingChristmas. Turning on my side, I settledinto my pillow, smiling.

The night wasn't over yet. I was stillsavoring my new vision of the glory of thismiserable night when Bonnie opened herdoor again. I beckoned. "Do you want tosleep with Daddy? Come on."

She snuggled in against me. We slept.At 4:30 I heard Garrett's whimpering.

Slithering out, I left Bonnie asleep in mybag. Lifting Garret from the crib andputting my lips to his head, I started.Hurrying into the bathroom, I startedwater in the tub, then took his tempera-ture, afraid any moment he might go intoconvulsions. Then I set him in the tub andbegan dipping tepid water over his chestand back.

Karin staggered into the bathroom. Fluor no flu she was still a mother.

"What's his temperature?""A hundred five point three.""Have you given him any Tylenol?""No. Not yet."She got the medicine while I contin-

ued to dip water. After the medicine, hedrank a few swallows of cool water.Gradually his temperature dropped. Karindiapered him and nursed him. Then I senther back to bed and took the little guyinto the living room to rock him. At sixo'clock he finally dropped off to sleep.

As I laid him in his crib and coveredhim, I whispered, "Good night, Garrett.Merry Christmas, Boy, just a little early." ~

Fredericks Responds to

Adventist ReviewWilliam Johnsson, editor of the Adventist Review, wrote an article in the November, 1997, North AmericanEdition of the magazine in which he warned against congregationalism. The following article is excerpted fromthe open letter which Richard Fredericks wrote in response to William Johnsson.

Dear Bill,The Apostle John writes, "Let us love one another, for love is

from God. Everyone who loves is born of God and knows God" (IJohn 4:7,8). He isn't trying to be emotionally mushy and devo-tional, but hits us with God's marching orders to all his children,especially during times of relational tension. I want that spirit as Ireflect on your perspective and concerns.

Because you made our situation a world-wide issue by featuringit in the Adventist Review's NAD edition (while simultaneouslyclaiming it has little significance world-wide), my response isshared with several hundred folks on our Weekly Update list andwhoever they care to share it with.

Let me try to offer my perspective on three key issues.

We Were FiredYour report reflects Adventist journalism's handling of denomi-

national differences. Your opening paragraph is misleading. It

Bob Fournier and I werefired. We did not resign.

implies that the split is just a bunch of groupies following a"charismatic leader" in his misguided choice to leave a grievingmother church.

First, I am not very charismatic. Many times I can be downrightboring and befuddled amidst this congregation of very strong,highly professional leaders with gifts equal to or greater than mine.Many of them enjoy Bob Fournier's preaching more than mine.

Second, Bob Fournier and I were fired. We did not resign.Third, our healthy, committed congregation was amputated

from the body by the Potomac Conference Executive Committeefor the sole reason that our success as a congregation was perceivedas a serious threat to the stability of the present financial system(which it is).

Our Union Presiden~ made a very clear speech that the onlyreal issues were about preserving policy. Our Conference President,in answer to the direct question of why he felt the need, in thespace of just one week, to suddenly ask us to resign or be fired-and then, in fact, to fire us-answered that he wanted to do it

quickly before we closed the deal between Damascus RoadCommunity Church (DRCC) and Mr. White on 225 acres of land(169 acres of which is being given as a gift). I believe ElderBroeckel hoped it would help funding for that land to dry up. Itdidn't. Over $150,000 was given during the next three weeks.

For the record, Bob and I were already complying with themandatory "tithe to Conference" policy for months prior to beingasked to resign. For years before that, I had always given approxi-mately 30 percent or more of my tithe to the conference, plus giv-ing to the global SDA work. I do believe in supporting God's workaround the world. I do not believe in primarily supporting fourbureaucratic layers of administrators in an age of instant telecom-munication at a time when most local SDA churches are stagnantand dying.

The Real Issue Should-Be EffectivenessIt is wrong to imply that DRCC or Grace Place is fueled by the

"charisma" of a single pastor. Our people are driven by our single-minded passion to reach the bored, the burned and the bypassedwith consistent and clear presentations of the Gospel of JesusChrist.

Your article expresses concern about people such as us hav-ing scant interest in theology-maybe even sliding into NewAge or Eastern religions! Over 75,000 sermon tapes have goneout from DRCC. They stand as witnesses that we are neitherpreoccupied with ourselves, nor worried about our karma, northeologically fuzzy. We are crystal clear on the authority of theScripture, the centrality of Christ and on dozens of coreBiblical issues.

Above all, somewhere in each of those messages, whatever thetopic, you will hear the truth that all men and women come toGod through Christ, based on his sin-bearing sacrifice alone. Plusnothing. Period.

Richard Fredericks is the senior pastor ofDamascus Road Community Church in Damascus,Maryland.

ADVENTIST TODAY November-December 1997 17

Grace Place and DRCC offer Adventists a new model ofstrong, healthy congregations. Twice our administrators warned usthat if we were allowed to continue on our course withinAdventism, scores of bright young pastors would line up, wantingto do the same thing. I agree-they will. They are.

Since my firing, five bright young pastors, and a few older onesas well, have requested that I contact them when we have futurestaff openings. They are dedicated people who want out of under-funded, understaffed, stagnant churches that bum out pastors and

Grace Place and DRCCoffer Adventists a newmodel of strong, healthycongregations.

close out the community. Eight years ago a conference presidenttold me that 50 percent of the churches in his conference didn'thave a single active member under the age of 30! Is this a modelworth preserving?

Instead of cutting off and closing down, why not open up ahealthy discussion among Adventist thought leaders on how toradically alter non-sacred policies concerning the leveraging ofresources in order to rapidly create stronger, more effective localchurches? I am not a prophet nor the son of a prophet, but here ismy prediction: you will either manage this change or be run overby it. Lopping off congregations and pastors won't stop it.

What on Barth Is "The Church?"Your final paragraph is, in my mind, the most Biblical and

beautiful part of your entire piece. Every phrase could be backed bya multitude of clear Scriptural support. But how one interpretsyour two closing sentences, Bill, is a major source of our differ-ences.

Here is your quote: "But he-Christ-is Lord of the church. Heloves the church and gave himself for the church, to bring togeth-er and perfect a people for himself-a body from every nation, kin-dred, tongue and people."

The great tragedy, in my mind, is that you are not referring tothe true Church of Jesus Christ at all, which Scripture clearlyteaches is comprised of everyone, everywhere who, in genuinefaith, bends the knee to Christ as Lord and Savior. Whenever yousay "the Church" in this final paragraph, you clearly mean onlythose who are members of the SDA denomination. WhereScripture is so inclusive, you use its words to be exclusive.

You invoke Biblical language and authority to support an anti-Biblical view that, in the eyes of God, only Adventism compriseshis true Church. Thus, you imply that any rhreat to our denomina-tional structure becomes an assault on God's one true Church. Andbecause you hold this view, you boldly assert, even threaten with(to quote you) "tough words," that any who leave or are put out ofAdventism are very likely on a fast track to eternal perdition.

18 November-December 1997 ADVENTIST TODAY

The day of denominational affiliation as a key factor is waning,just as you said. More and more people will choose their local con-gregations by how well they help them truly live as men andwomen of God-not by their claims that "we are, and there are notruly legitimate others." Those who believe their salvation rests insimply "staying on the denominational ship" because "the ship isgoing through" are on a spiritual TItanic.

A ChallengeHere is my final challenge: Do you have equal courage to write

"tough words" about all the spiritual catatonics that are producedby staying in Adventism? Do you have the courage to ask whyattendance is dwindling in a denomination that claims it has thelast great message for the world, even as genuine revivals of godli-ness are occurring all around us? Do you have equal courage to askif organizational policies and structures might be contributing tothis picture of weak local churches in which two generations of

. young people are largely absent and unconverted?I will take your admonitions to heart. The conference leaders

(to quote you) "felt they had no choice but to call for Fredericks'resignation" (which again, for the record, I didn't give-so theyfired me). But I honor both their perspective on policy and theirdesire to preserve the organizational system. I did break policy in adesire to be more effective in achieving our mission to the bored,burned and bypassed. So they did their job. No contest. They aremy friends.

The denomination hasdrawn a circle thatexcludes us over thesenon-Biblical, non-sacredissues.

But please know this. The denomination has drawn a circle thatexcludes us over these non-Biblical, non-sacred issues. But our cir-cle is still open. We welcome into full fellowship at DRCC all whoknow their need as sinners, who seek their hope and security inChrist alone as their Savior and who determine to follow him fullyas Lord. And as we go on, we will seek, in all we do, to live as menand women of God. I know I speak for Clay's congregation as well.

So keep watching with an honest heart. And maybe someday,by the grace of God, because of Grace Place and DRCC, you'llhave to revise your perspective of life after Adventism. That is myprayer.

Though we see things differently, I do love your final statementand will close with it, giving you the last word in this epistle aswell:

"Our security is in Christ alone. But he-Christ-is Lord of thechurch. He loves the church and gave himself for the church, tobring together and perfect a people for himself-a body from everynation, kindred, tongue and people." Amen. ~

We have aheadY ,cen 'nd,,,,,'ort> of th" bocklMh. Not ooly are chutche; focm'ng u"ng cOngregat'onal 'tY

I

.,; of govot.nan", but canfeeence.owned chucche; me expet'endng elmnge; 'n g'ving parteto>. Mom and more people give 'nce"'"ing peecentag.,; of thdt offed"'" to local need; a' they become awa" of the"" of ,noney 'n WW{'they ='"w",,,fill,

unnecessary, and wrong.

In ,-p'ce of the;e precoden~, howev", we "" w'me;;'og an 'ncre",'ng emphM" on centraH,'og and concentnttingaotho"tY and contrOl in one centeal "woMwide headquarte~" tath" than on g'ving the ,do.' of authm'tY and control'nm the h20'" of chucch.,; in ,eogtaphical locat'on; wheee they aR able to '"'ta'n the_Ive;. Thi, teend hM dilimayoomany, 'nclud'ng tbo;e who are not pm;;'og fot congcegationaH;m but ,teongly beHeve 'n the advantag.,; of a ben'gn,oveooching denom'nat'onal ;ttoctum. futote oO;ecven;have watned "' tbut if th" centeal",,'on of aun""'tY continue;to 'ncre",e, 't m'ght lead to a back",h of growing pt.,;,uee fot a complete oveet

mowof centeal authodtY and a ,trOng

push toward extreme congregationalism.

In addition to the;e pteCooen~ of allow'ng independent 'ncocpomted oni~ to funce'on '" Seventh.day Advend;t 'n;d.totion', Ellen Wh'te ,trOngly advocated prindple; of local ;elf.governance and con;',tently ",i;too the beethten', effort>

to centralize power.

All of the;e otgan'"don; own thdt own propeety. All of them are e'thet incotpOtated

ot ace ownoo by 'nco'P

0tatOO

foondation;. In the btg" of the;e, fully ceeogn;,ed Seventh.day Advent,;t congtegat'''''' wo"h'p evetY Sabbath 'nchoreh bo,ld'ng; which the 'n;t'tot'on; own. Although conferen".employoo minL;te" ;eNe ;ome of the;e, many have

provided their own ministerial services.

S'n" tha' t'me ,co,.,; of ente'Pd,,,; buve proHfetated ond" the benign omb"lla of the Advend;t denom'nat'on. They

vatYw,dely in focQ£-ffiOO'cal, j;f,,;tYle

, odocational; ;ome have rema'noo ,mall, bot wme have ",own w laeg

e

that theyhwe thdt own wotldw'd

ene<WOtk.,of ,,,,dtot'on;. All of them a" co",ideted loll Seventh.

daAdventi;t cven

thou h the ate neithe< ,n ortet! not conttollod b the ot anlw! chntch.

I call fo' thaoe 'n authoc'ty to take a ;econd look at wbut they are do'ng 'n the Hght of Advent'" h',toty and in thelight of the current acceptance of 'ndependent Adventi;t hffilth and educat'onal m'n"tde;. Shouldn't the O,gan"OOchucch be b'g enough to allow congregat'on' to opecate '" fully Seventh.day Advenri;t chucche; 'n the ,am

e

way that

't allow; health cain';te'e; to opetate 'ndependently of Advent"t Health 51"te",,1

I wonde, why adm'n"trat<rr' te;pond to thi, development;o d,ff"ently from the way othee; d'd to "dt indden~", thefound'ng of Mad',on College 'n 1904. In an overt act of "bel1lan &lwacd A. Soth"bnd and hili ""oda'" ce",n

oo

from the facultY of the newly c""ed Emmanuel ML,,'onatY CDllege. Chu,.w leade" _moo he w"' 'n "rot. They also

assumed that the school he launched was illegitimate and unworthy of support.Ellen White toOk a d,ff"ent v'eW of th'ng'. In' ite of the fact that Suth"land ,,;tablL,hed the "h~,1 ou"id heot.anired wMk MN. White not 001 hel 00 rom find a locauon fot hi,; @ool but abo told the leaelin btethten that

fulthetland

felt calloo of God to thi, wotk. She ""d they ,hoold

a~ilit h'm.

The unfolding saga of the Damascus Road church interests me.Dear Leaders:

BILLE BURDICK

=AIl open Letter to Adventist conference Officials

November-December 1997 19

-2-

11,",e "e now two Sabb'th keeping ehn"h" in Dam"o,".1 am not """'''ting tfw the "t'on, that lonned them be"pgaled. What I mn ve", "magly "'ging" that the conle"nee m"ano"ion, ,dopt a CO>pom" mind"t that wonldallow eon""gational ehn"h" to 'Xi" peaedully wid,in tbe eonl"enee bonnd,,',,", fully Seventh'day Adven""even though not under their administrative Control.

p"to" of th"e ebn<cb" ,hould be """ed not a, "" a",ted b<cthren" wbo a" grudgingly "cogni"d by eonlerenee&1m'n"nntorn" lellow Clu;'ti,n" bn' a, "tentmake, "''''0'''': Th"e i, preeedent already loe thi, 'n "'me conI".e"=. The." 'e1f'''PPotting woeke" ,bo,dd be fully <ceogn"',,1 'nd eeedentialed even tbongh they "'d" finane,,1"ppOtt from "'n"" oth" tb,n eonferenee "e""",,. They ,bonld be allowed to lonn theie own netwmk'ng oeg'n'".tion, mUeh "ASI (Adventi." Laymen:, Setvk" and I"'t'tutio",) otighally d'd. Other tban in ,dmin"""ive andfinancial 'OWe", tbey ,honld be ""ted", full.fledged Adventi" min'''e". 11"y ,bould be invited to attend min"teti.al meetin", and "pplied witb all ma'''''m that ,te avadable foeeonl"enee'employed min;,tern .

.we '<and a, a very UnPO_t OX""oad. At th. moment, yon eonletenee offh", "ill have yone band, on the wbeel.

One tonte btl, to inO''''ing eennnli"d 'on"ol and eqnally ineeea"ng di,,,ati,fu"ion on tbe

pm' ollogaI ehmeb".Thi, mute might ""ult in a ",lid, tighdy knit woddwide ,hunch, bot th"e would be an enoono,o ptke to pay in Imtmembe", in mate and mOre independent eongreg"'on, (with no denomina"o",,1 affil,atio", ,md d", no ,"bilbngball"'t ou~'de theit own ehunch wall,), and in buge amonn" oflmt reven",. It" doubtful that the ehutch "n a",mllyteali" thi, eoute, given tb

efinnn'ia! 1m, eompared wid, d" <v" ioe""'ing eo" 01main",'ning ,nch a eennnli,edpOwer.

The alteen"e mute ;, lrightening to 'ome, ",,,eially to tbo" who do not """ each othet to make good deci"o",nnb, tbey ate loteed to do '0 by "'me eentmbed a"honty. B" th" tonte i, the one which m'ny 01", believe ;,tbe only one wh,ch will keep the Seventh.day Adventi." deemo ,live, well, 'nd PMpeting tlli we move 'nto the nextcentury.

1Oi, i, 'lie eou'e of 'ven the eh""h baek to the eo Ie and Iettin them decide foe tb""'e/v,", wha' fo,," of OVe<.nanee b", ,oit, th.,;e 'i''''tion, and eefetene". DonbtIe~ mQ" Advent"" wonld eontin", to peef" being a pan of awoeldwlde empite 01ehnreh" and wonld eontin,,, g'ving to "'ppon tb" empite. Many ptefee lening otbe~ do tbeplanning and execntion of the ehunch mi"ion while tbey '''nd by in "PPOtt.

B" allOwing an ",It"nnte ""ek" of ,ong_tionally owned and ope"'ted ehureb" IDeth",e who leel called to the '01,."on fiel']' on theie doo~tep, conld be a gteat ble."ing to d" ehuteh in Noeth Ameriea. The ebnreb eould inee""e i.meml"~hip by eecla"n'ng tho" wbo onee wo"hipped with it bot 'te not comfOttable with '"thoeita",n govemmen".S",h an "'Io,de of goodwill would ",eatIy enbanee the likelihood that ihe conference'owned chureh" eonld teta'nand add members.

Foe '00" of Ont denommational life we have been able tn "eommodate both conference and individ",11 ownededucational and medi", in"i'nti_ J don't think it i, eevolutinna '0 'u "" th

a, We now extend tho." olieb to

ebu<cli eongr""'tion, It', time, I bel'eve, to "eogn'" a new ela" of ehutch" wb",e membe" and P"'ton; enjoySevenih'day Adventl" lellombip 'nd 'tanding" fully" tbo" in eonleeenee'owned ,bnreh".Sincerely yours,

Bille Burdick

"Ule "",diek livet 'n ,he Goo""a'C"mbee~od Confereoce. She 1,,, been a bnam membeeof d'e iotemee',SDAoer roed'ree yea" aod "a reg"l" co""poodent on 't. She iva,dooe ""e",'ve eeteareh in Adveot"t h"toey.

20

Into the Future With

Adventist 'Ibday

Onnpllleeting•••

Sabbath, March 21, 1998 • Riverside Adventist Church • 4850 jurupa Avenue. Riverside, CA10:00 A.M.

11:00 A.M.

12:00-1:30 P.M.

SMUTS VAN ROOYEN, "A Robust Spirituality for Today's Adventist"

CHARLES SCRIVEN, "Wanted: Enthusiastic, Open-Minded Believers!"

Potluck Dinner (bring a salad or dessert if you can, but come even if you can't!)

2:30-4:30 P.M. "Adventism's New Congregationalism: What Gives?"Panelists: ERIC BAHME, New Life Fellowship, Seattle

FRANK KNITTEL, pastor, Riverside ChurchBJ CHRISTENSEN, North American Division (invited)

4:30 P.M. JOHN MCLARTY, a vesper message(This schedule is subject to change.)

RayIllond R Cottrell

EndoWlllentFounding editor Ray Cottrell's vision of a vital, open-minded church is why

Adventist Today exists. An endowment, in the name of our octogenarian editoremeritus, will ensure the future of this publication. A $500,000 endowment is the goal(first phase). The return on this endowment will provide a financial base that supple-ments the subscription income (it covers only 60% of costs). Commitments of over$200,000 have already been made.

Join in securing Adventist Today's future!A tax-deductible gift to the Adventist Today Foundation's Raymond E Cottrell

Endowment is a strong vote for a dynamic, progressive Adventism.Call the Adventist Today office for more information: (800) 236-3641.

ADVENTIST TODAY September.October 1997

Raymond F. Cottrell

21

Editorial: But Is It Adventist?

Christian Record Services EndsMinistry to Deaf

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2

The Adventist Church is not merely adenomination owned by a legal entityheadquartered near Washington, D.C.,capital of the most powerful empire inhistory. It is a spiritual reality, a peoplewho share a history, belief system, Biblicalhermeneutic, common traditions and asocial network. The Adventist organiza-tion is called to serve that spiritual reali-ty, not define it.

Within the denomination there areconstraints that hinder innovative min-istry; those same restraints may protectcongregations from the personal dysfunc-tions of the leadership core. Outside thedenominational structure congregationsmay be less stable, but they are freer todevelop a sharply focused ministry toreach people not well served by thedenomination. Neither congregationalism

CONTINUED FROM BACK

together in one operation. The blind can-not read the signs of the deaf nor the deafhear the voices of the blind. But they hadexpected the deaf department and its ser-vices would be transferred to another areaof the church, as was recommended in aGeneral Conference Taskforce Reportreleased in December, 1996.

CRS began work for the deaf in 1980.While funding for the blind work comesmostly from the non-Adventist public, anadequate source has never been found forthe deaf department. (The annual budgetfor the blind is over 4.5 million dollars; forthe deaf, approximately $150,000, of which$60,000 came from the NAD.)

In all but one year since 1980, the deafwork has run a deficit which was made upby subsidies from the blind work of CRSand from the NAD. Because of internalfinancial pressures, CRS asked the NAD toincrease its subsidy for the deaf work ofCRS. When the NAD declined, CRSvoted to end its deaf work.

22 November-December 1997 ADVENTIST TODAY

nor a strong centralized denominationalstructure is intrinsic to Adventism.Neither is the perfect tool for every min-istry objective.

Historically Adventism has benefitedfrom the (often unintended) synergy ofindependent ministries and the denomi-national structure. We'll do better workfor our Master if we cultivate that synergy.

In the coming issues of AdventistToday, we will examine church organiza-tion and theology, lifestyle and worshipstyle. We'll look at institutions and indi-viduals. We'll hear from the left and theright. We'll publish articles by those wholean toward congregationalism and bythose who are convinced a centralizedhierarchy is God's ideal for the church.We'll feature analysis and firsthand testi-mony regarding different ways of think-

The NAD had proposed redirecting itsannual subsidy to CRS to local groupsinvolved in deaf ministry, but deaf advocatesargued a continent-wide organization serv-ing the deaf would be better than a grantprogram. They proposed fonning a neworganization under NAD auspices to expandthe deaf work previously done by CRS.

A committee appointed at theNovember 24 meeting has begun meetingvia the Internet to create a proposal for anorganization whose board will have amajority of deaf members. The NAD isexpected to consider the proposal some-time in 1998.

The need for this kind of ministry arisesout of the deaf experience. The average pro-foundly deaf person who became deaf beforelearning to speak reads at only a grade 4-5reading level. Many deaf need the EasyEnglish publications that CRS produced.The main language of most profoundly deafis Sign Language, so the deaf need manyvideo productions in their language.

ing, living, and sharing Adventism.We are Adventists, you and 1. The def-

inition of Adventism that matters most isthe one we live. And the greatest proofthat Adventists are Christians is that weshow respect when we listen to eachother.

I invite you to be part of the discus-sion. Write us with your vision of thechurch, your report on what it looks likein your congregation. Share with othersthrough the pages of Adventist Today thevery best of your spiritual life.

But don't substitute words for action.Don't wait around for permission. Don'tsit and wring your hands. Get out of yourrocking chair; ditch the remote anddemonstrate your answer to the question,"But is it Adventist?" Show your neigh-bors something good.

John McLarty, Editor

The deaf world has its own culture,clubs, sports organizations and even church-es. The deaf are hard to find, and hearingpeople can seldom, if ever, truly becomepart of the "Deaf World." Some feel thatthe work for the deaf is the most difficultand complicated the Adventist church facesbecause they live as subgroups within othercultures. For every "hard group," whetherNative American, Muslim or Hindu, thereis within that group an even more difficult-to-reach subgroup. Even if deaf peoplecould be found and invited to church, whowould interpret for them?

There are only about 650 known deafAdventists in the U.S., 20 in Canada, and2000 worldwide. The estimated global pop-ulation of deaf is 50 million; they use some75 different sign languages.

Christian Record Services began in1899 as The Christian Record BrailleFoundation. It takes its name from its mag-azine for the Blind, The Christian Record,the oldest continuously published magazinefor the blind.

JOHN BLAKE PASTORS THE ONOWAY, ALBERTA,SEVENTH. DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH AND ISCOORDINATOR OF ADVENTIST DEAF MINISTRY INCANADA.

Itwas really dark, outside his tent, and inside his mind,when Moses began the climb up Sinai for his morningmeeting with God. As Moses reached the top, breathingheavily, he saw that the millions of stars crowded upon the

great vault of heaven were fading gradually like beautifully agingwallpaper. God hadn't touched down yet, but Moses could see thatan angel, a minor aide de camp, had already arrived. Moses toldhim eagerly, "Today I want to hear about how it all began."

The aide drew himself up to his full height, threw out his chest,and looked down at his audience-of-one as he spoke: "I knowabout this," he said. "I just studied it recently. When it all started,God said, 'Let there be mass-let there be antigravity-let therebe axions-Iet there be furious, nuclear heat, and bitter, crystallinecold, and baby spiral galaxies!'"

The angel threw his arms outward in a grand gesture as he con-tinued. "The cosmos exploded, in less than a trillionth of a tril-lionth of a second, from a point smaller in radius than a millionthof a proton, to become the lumpy collection of galaxies, clusters,and superclusters that now stretch across the sky for millions oflight-years."

He looked pleased at Moses' amazement. Then he went on:"And then, through our own lonely herd of planets, chasing eachother around our dim, little sun, at last zoomed a huge comet, amass of ice that melted, providing Earth with water and a softblanket of protective atmosphere. And THAT is why human lifecan flourish on this planet."

Moses was stunned and confused. In the Egyptian court, he hadbeen taught nothing about an explosion, nor a blanket, nor anti-gravity, nor baby galaxies. He pointed out to the angel, "You cansee with your own eyes that there is a great ceiling above us, andacross this ceiling march the tiny stars. Also, we see the great sunand moon, and the bright stars that run faster. Beneath this, welive on our large, round disk. Just look-from here you can see thefarthest edges!"

The angel looked pityingly around the horizon, then sat downon a rock and patiently started over. "Before the initial explosion,there was no universe, just a tiny point of radiation, electrons, andions. After the explosion, the universe cooled. Atoms formed.Light and matter separated, and the microwave radiation was notso scattered. You can tell this, Moses, by measuring the variationsin temperature of background radiation between adjacent patchesof sky. Look at the equations of general relativ'ty-Iook at the cos-mological constant."

The angel pointed out that "the rapid expansion took quantummechanical variations and blew them up to macroscopic propor-tions, and so you can observe the slight underdensities or overden-sities in mass that gravity has molded into the present-day uni-verse."

Moses, now greatly distressed, had begun to pace back andforth, his feet bumping rocks and stirring up a little dust.

The angel didn't notice. He gazed, enraptured, into the dis-tance, then went on: "Of course, ordinary matter makes up only 5percent of the critical density, the other 95 percent being cold,dark matter. This cold, dark matter has determined the formationof..."

Suddenly his voice trailed off and he seemed to shrink. Amoment later, he and Moses fell to their knees as God approachedslowly and silently. But God had already overheard. He lookedgently at Moses's frustrated face, then told him, "My learned assis-tant is right, but let me put it another way: In the beginning, (andhis huge, musical voice rolled to the valleys below as the dawnwarmed the sky with rose-gold) God created the heavens and theearth. And the earth was without form and void, and darknesscovered the face of the deep ...And God shouted,

LetThereBeLIGHT!!!!"

Suddenly, a huge, fiery whirlwind engulfed the mountain.Moses and the angel, blinded and shaking, yanked off their sandalsand prostrated themselves.

At last, the dust settled and the sun once again splashed itsglory calmly on the mountain. After an awful silence, God contin-ued the story. "I made the first woman and man in my image. Weall saw that this was very good, and I loved to walk with themeach evening in their garden."

Moses finally raised his dusty face, glowing with terror anddelight.

He whispered, "That's what I wanted to know. I wanted toknow if you were there in the beginning. I wondered if you wantedus, and if you're still with us."

For a summary and discussion of the inflationary theory of cosmicorigins, I am indebted to Ron Cowen, Science News, June 7 & 14,1997--CR.

Cherie Rouse has taught freshman writing and isan assistant editor of Adventist Today. She and herhusband have a teenaged daughter and son.

ADVENTIST TODAY November-December 1997 23

As We Go to Pt:ess

Christian Record Services Ends Ministryto Deaf

(.)

ooa:UJa..

JOHN D. BLAKE AND JOHN MCLARTY

Physics Major Threatened atLa Sierra University

CONTINUED ON PAGE 22

church. I hope that there is some middleground which will prove viable ... "

A La Sierra colleague wrote, "Physics isan essential part of a university basic sci-ences program. I have trouble with a basicsciences program at a university that com-pletely lacks majors in physics. We areaspiring to be not just an average universi-ty, but one with a quality basic sciencescomponent and a strong research compo-nent. Those goals cannot easily be met bydissolving a basic sciences program as fun-damental as physics."

Meanwhile, Bradley agreed to take thedepartmental response against the pro-posed cuts to the University AcademicAffairs Committee, which will make adecision before sending it to theUniversity Council. The UniversityCouncil will make a final university deci-sion and send it on the the Trustees fortheir approval the second week of January,1998.

North American Division (NAD) head-quarters in Maryland. In this meeting withNAD representatives, Manuel Vasquezand Monte Sahlin, the deaf and theirfriends attempted to help the church offi-cials comprehend the concerns of thedeaf. For the deaf, closure of the deaf workof CRS, though small to the church atlarge, was like the General Conferenceclosing the Media Center and the Reviewand Herald, and giving severance pay tothe NAD and Conference leaders. TheChristian Record office was their publish-ing house, their media center, their BibleCorrespondence Center and their worldleadership--all dropped at once.

The deaf advocates agreed that min-istry to the blind and the deaf did not fit

On November 6,1997,Christian Record Services(CRS), the Adventist organi-zation devoted to serving the

blind and the deaf, voted to end its workfor the deaf and to terminate its two fulltime workers for the deaf, Thompson Kayand David Trexler.

For most deaf Adventists and theirfriends, this came as a terrible shock. Theyhad known the denomination was consid-ering restructuring its deaf work, but theywere totally unprepared for the completeclosure.

On November 24, a sizable group ofdeaf and deaf leaders from around NorthAmerica traveled (most at their ownexpense) to a special meeting at the

On December 1,1997, Gary by nearly 10%. He said to me, 'If physics isBradley, Dean of the College not the most expensive program atof Arts and Sciences at La Andrews University, it should be.' HeSierra University, sent a letter went on to assert that it is a most impor-

to Ivan Rouse, chairman of the depart- -'" rant program and that one measure of thement of physics. This letter stated that the overall quality of the university program isuniversity" ... finds itself in the difficult the value placed on the physics program."position of adjusting to significant decreas- A faculty member at Walla Wallaes in enrollment in the last two years," College wrote, "I know that economicand consequently must reduce its budget concerns are very important and must beby nearly 2 million dollars for the 1998-99 dealt with, but I believe that the currentschool year. proposal regarding the Physics

The College of Arts and Sciences Department will have' a significant nega-(CAS), he said, was responsible for cut- tive impact on the liberal arts basis of yourting out $250,000. As part of its assign- institution. Presently you have a strongment, Bradley suggested that CAS close and capable faculty in physics. This is rec-admissions to physics and biophysics ognized in the physics community of themajors and reduce the physics staff fromfour to two. He further recommendedthat, beginning July 1, 1998, the physicsdepartment reduce its class offerings"... to entry level physics courses andpossibly those needed for engineeringarticulation."

He stated that if the departmentwished to respond to the proposed actionthey should do so before December 10,1997, " ... since the Academic AffairsCommittee will review this recommenda-tion on that date. Decisions regarding fac-ulty associated with the department willbe made subsequent to this action."

Between December 1 and December 9,colleagues from La Sierra as well as fromWalla Walla College, Southern AdventistUniversity, Andrews University, andfriends from other locations wrote lettersto La Sierra University President LarryGeraty, pleading for the administration toreconsider its decision.

A professor from Andrews Universitywrote: "If it becomes widely known thatLa Sierra has dropped the physics major,then [students'] degree(s) will have dimin-ished value. I am reminded of a discussionwhich I had with Arthur Bienenstock atStanford in the mid 70's. Finances weretight everywhere and he, as Vice Provostfor Academic Affairs, had the responsibili-ty of cutting Stanford's academic budget