World Edition - Adventist Reviewwill have more punch. 2. Clarify “celebration churches.” This may be my “own thing,” but in my understanding a “celebration” church is one

May 13, 1999

World Edition

A Very Young ChurchTrials and Triumphs of Adventism in Mongolia

That Outfit Called the ChurchTaking the Plunge

Mahem at Midday

President PaulsenThank you for your comprehensive

coverage of the tran-sition we have expe-rienced in worldchurch leadership.You have been quickto report the factsand evenhanded inreporting the situa-

tion that the church and ElderFolkenberg had to confront. We partic-ularly enjoyed William G. Johnsson’sinterview with Elder Paulsen (see “ ‘AnOpen Person’—Pastor Jan Paulsen,”March 11 World Edition) and the sam-pling of “World Voices.”

Ed had the pleasure of briefly meet-ing Elder Paulsen during the summerof 1994 at Cambridge University inEngland. We were attending meetingsof the C. S. Lewis Foundation called“Cambridge ’94—Creation andCosmos: Chance or Dance.” It meansa great deal to have as leader of ourchurch a person of such broad inter-ests—spiritually and intellectually. Weare praying for him in his newappointment.

— E d w i n a n d M a r i l y n K a r l o w

R I V E R S I D E , C A L I F O R N I A

President Jan Paulsen may have beenthinking as an administrator when heidentified the greatest issue facing thechurch as “its internationality.” Fargreater issues facing our church, I suggest,are the instability of the Seventh-dayAdventist nuclear family and an atten-dant high divorce rate, high percentagesof young people abandoning the church,

and the decline of personal Bible study.

— S t e v e R i e h l e

S A N TA M A R I A , C A L I F O R N I A

As a member of the Trans-EuropeanDivision, where Jan Paulsen was presi-dent before 1995, I am very proud ofhis election.

Just a question: In communicationfrom the General Conference and inthe Review, it is stated that Paulsen isthe first European president. But duringthe 1888 General Conference sessionwe elected Ole Andres Olsen, who wasborn in Skogen, Norway, and servednine years (1888-1897). When he waselected president, he was in Scandinaviasupervising the work there.

— R i c h a r d E l o f e r, P R E S I D E N T

I S R A E L F I E L D

O. A. Olsen came to America at age 5.He grew up, spent most of his life, anddied in America.—Editors.

Transcribing the GospelI wish we had had the insight to nameour fourth child Matthew Mark-LukeJohnson, as did David and Gail (seeGive & Take, March 11).

The most rewarding summer I everspent was in Miami, Florida, where Icopied the four Gospels (longhand) inSpanish, looking up each word I did notunderstand. I had already copied the OldTestament in an effort to learn the lan-guage. I spent an hour a day transcribingLa Santa Biblia, and it took two and ahalf years to do both the Old and New

Testaments. I can heartily recommendthis method of obtaining a readingknowledge of a new language becausethe pace at which one progresses allowsthe message to sink in.

— E l e a n o r S . J o h n s o n

C O L L E G E P L A C E , WA S H I N G T O N

I enjoyed reading about MatthewMark-Luke Johnson very much. Pleasekeep the Give & Take page going. It’smy favorite page, next to Letters tothe Editor.

— Te d R . C h a d w i c k

G A S T O N , O R E G O N

Practical FaithRegarding Calvin Rock’s commentthat, during the time of trouble, “per-haps there are some hideouts so remoteand so secure that they will providesafety for those who plan ahead” (seeFaith Alive! March 11). Probably nosuch safety will be available.

Ellen White agrees more closely withthe latter part of Rock’s response whenshe says: “It is contrary to the Bible tomake any provision for our temporalwants in the time of trouble” (Last DayEvents, p. 264). She then describes thesad end of any food or real estate ownedby God’s people at that time, and it’ssafe to assume that generators and simi-lar paraphernalia will meet the samefate. A remote location for these itemsdoesn’t seem to make any difference.

— B i l l L u d w i g

A U B U R N , WA S H I N G T O N

LETTERS

2 (618) A D V E N T I S T R E V I E W , M A Y 1 3 , 1 9 9 9

Jesus Not EuropeanThe Adventist Review has, in sketchafter sketch and portrait after portrait,depicted Jesus as European. The Biblerecord indicates that He was born inPalestine, reared partly in Palestine(Asia) and partly in Egypt (Africa). Asearch of His family tree, as recorded inMatthew and Luke, does not revealanyone from Europe. Furthermore, Hisancestry is very interesting in that itincludes incest, harlotry, and foreigners.

Recently you printed an apology fordepicting Ruth, an ancestor of Jesus, asEuropean. When is the same going tobe done for Jesus?

— L i n b r o o k B a r k e r

R I V E R S I D E , C A L I F O R N I A

Jesus was a Jew. We try to find art-work that portrays Him as a MiddleEasterner.—Editors.

Satellite ProgramCongratulations! Your Battle Creekweekend program (“Faith Stories ThatConnect,” uplinked March 27) wastremendous! Even though I could notbe there in person, I was blessed bybeing able to see the downlink “live”on 3ABN. I was overjoyed to be“transported” to Battle Creek and tobe able to enjoy the entire programfrom my home. It was very well done,and I did enjoy the segment withMark Finley immensely.

And thank you for mentioningAdventist Heritage Ministry.Heritage evangelism is a viablemeans of nurture and outreach min-istry. This is true at each of our his-toric Adventist sites, but especiallyso at Battle Creek because of thepotential for hundreds of thousandsof visitors. The preservation and pro-motion of our unique Adventist her-itage uplifts God to volunteers and totourists alike and has already resultedin changed lives.

— A l i c e R . Vo o r h e i s

A D V E N T I S T H E R I TA G E M I N I S T R Y

S I LV E R S P R I N G , M A R Y L A N D

Clarifying the Language“Learning the Language” (Feb. 18) is agood idea—and a good start in helpingnew Adventists know the “lingo” andcautioning old Adventists about theterms we use. Two suggestions to con-sider in future lists:

1. Please put the explanations in simplelanguage. I have pastored several dis-tricts. Yes, they have been close to orin the boondocks. But words such as“quinquennial” and “administrativesubsection of the denomination” and“triennial” can be simplified. Withgreater simplicity people will have agreater understanding, and your wordswill have more punch.

2. Clarify “celebration churches.”This may be my “own thing,” but in

my understanding a “celebration”church is one in which modern musicfrom our culture is used in worship andtheir foundational theology is contraryto the basic Adventist message. Theirtheology includes the followingunmentioned tenets:

a. The Sabbath is downplayed.b. Ellen White is questioned.c. The pastors teach that victory

over sin is impossible.d. The only judgment for Christians

is that at the cross.e. They do away with the investiga-

tive judgment—it supposedly nullifiesgrace.

f. Their message is the message ofsalvation and celebrating. The threeangels’ messages are an embarrassingdenominational heritage.

g. The pastors teach and model apurely congregational understanding ofthe “church.”

On the other hand, a local churchthat modifies worship to include moremembers, includes a wider range ofmusic, worships God, praises Jesus,upholds the Scriptures, and preachesthe three angels’ messages wouldn’t, inmy opinion, be a “celebration” church.These stay in the Seventh-dayAdventist Church.

— D a v e M i l l e r, p a s t o r

N E W W I N D S O R , M A R Y L A N D

COVER STORY

8 A Very Young ChurchProgress has been slow, but it’s still progress.B Y D A L E T U N N E L L A N D B I L L K N O T T

ARTICLES

14 That Outfit Called theChurchSure, it’s often ineffective, but it’sstill the best thing going.B Y L E S L I E N . P O L L A R D

22 “I Yam What I Yam”The question is What do we do now?B Y T H E L M A H O E H N

24 Ellen White’s DisturbingDisclaimer of 1904What she really said—and what it means.B Y R O G E R W. C O O N

28 Taking the PlungeYears of preparation are about toyield their results.B Y J U D Y L . S H U L L

DEPARTMENTS

2 Letters

7 Give & Take

13 Bible Questions Answered

17 Faith Alive!

18 World News & Perspectives

29 Adventist World Radio

30 Reflections

EDITORIALS

5 Mayhem at Midday

6 Who Said It?

NEXT WEEK

Don’t Adventists Use the BibleAnymore?We used to be known as “people of theBook.” Are we still?

A D V E N T I S T R E V I E W , M A Y 1 3 , 1 9 9 9 (619) 3

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“Behold, I come quickly . . .”

Our mission is to uplift Jesus Christ through stories ofHis matchless love, news of His present workings, helpfor knowing Him better, and hope in His soon return.

Publisher General Conference of Seventh-day AdventistsExecutive Publisher William G. JohnssonAssociate Publisher Charlotte McClure

Publishing Board: Phil Follett, vice-chair; Lowell Cooper;William G. Johnsson; Robert E. Lemon; A. C. McClure; Ardis D.Stenbakken, Donald R. Sahly; Ted N. C. Wilson; Robert Nixon,legal advisor

Editor William G. JohnssonAssociate Editors Roy Adams, Bill Knott Managing Editor Myrna TetzNews Editor Carlos Medley Assistant Editors Stephen Chavez, Andy Nash Editorial Assistant Ella RydzewskiAdministrative Secretary Chitra Barnabas Editorial Secretary Jean SequeiraArt Director Bill Kirstein Designer Bill TymesonDesign Assistant/Production Stephanie KapingAd Sales Genia BlumenbergSubscriber Services Steve Hanson

Consulting Editors: G. Ralph Thompson, MatthewBediako, Phil Follett, Robert J. Kloosterhuis, A. C.McClure, Jan Paulsen, Leo Ranzolin, R. L. Rawson,Calvin B. RockSpecial Contributors: P. D. Chun, L. T. Daniel, L. J.Evans, Ulrich Frikart, Lee Huff, Israel Leito, Ruy H.Nagel, L. D. Raelly, Ron Watts, Bertil Wiklander

To Writers: We welcome unsolicited manuscripts. (Pleasequery before submitting long articles.) Include address,telephone number, and Social Security number, whereavailable. Address all editorial correspondence to 12501Old Columbia Pike, Silver Spring, MD 20904-6600.Editorial office fax number: (301) 680-6638.

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Scriptures credited to ICB are quoted from theInternational Children’s Bible, New Century Version, copy-right © 1983, 1986, 1988 by Word Publishing, Dallas,Texas 75039. Used by permission. Texts credited to NIVare from the Holy Bible, New International Version.Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, International BibleSociety. Used by permission of Zondervan BiblePublishers. Bible texts credited to NRSV are from theNew Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright ©1989 by the Division of Christian Education of theNational Council of the Churches of Christ in theU.S.A. Used by permission.

The Adventist Review (ISSN 0161-1119), published since1849, is the general paper of the Seventh-day AdventistChurch. It is published by the General Conference ofSeventh-day Adventists and is printed 40 times a year eachThursday except the first Thursday of each month by theReview and Herald® Publishing Association. Periodicalspostage paid at Hagerstown, MD 21740. Copyright © 1999,General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.

PRINTED IN THE U.S.A.Vol. 176, No. 19


WILLIAM G. JOHNSSON

The day started bright and clear as some 2,000teenagers and their teachers got up, dressed, andset out for another day at school. How many inthat suburb of Denver,Colorado, bothered to

recall that this day, April 20, wasAdolf Hitler’s birthday?

Two did.While the rest of Columbine High

School settled in for classes, two stu-dents had other things on theirminds. They assembled an arsenal ofhomebuilt pipe bombs, guns, and ammunition, put on blacktrenchcoats and masks, and drove to the school’s parking lot.

Shortly after 11:00 a.m. they stalked into the school fir-ing guns and detonating explosives. Laughing and giggling,they pointed, fired, and killed at point-blank range.

School, which should be a place of safety, turned into akilling field. When the carnage stopped, 12 students and abeloved teacher lay dead. At last the killers apparentlyturned their weapons on themselves, making a toll of 15,with another 24 injured, some critically.

The tragedy sent shock waves across the United Statesand around the world. Over and over people voiced the fear:If it can happen in Littleton, it can happen anywhere.

A terrible disease has broken out among us. It respects notsocial status, intelligence, or geography. Young people andkids—from average middle-class homes attending averageschools—are getting weapons and turning them on their peers.

Up to now, the current school year had seemed relativelyquiet. The previous one had been horrible, with 42 peoplemurdered in the nation’s schoolyards, including:

■ Five killed and 10 wounded by two children in Arkansas;■ Three killed and five wounded by a teen in Kentucky;■ Two killed and 20 wounded by a student in Oregon.All these ghastly incidents pale in comparison with the

mayhem at Littleton. Two seniors carefully planned a mis-sion of madness and murder, cutting down their fellows atthe high noon of life.

How could this tragedy possibly have happened?

How could it not have happened?Society is sick. The images that invade us all

through television, movies, and the Internet, and the

songs that fill the airwaves and sell on CDs, are sick. Violence,mayhem, killing, racism, satanism, preoccupation withdeath—these are the sights and sounds of life in these times.

What do we expect—that adultsand children and high school stu-dents won’t be affected if theyexpose themselves to this garbage?Don’t we believe the biblical princi-ple that by beholding we becomechanged, either into the image ofChrist or the likeness of the devil?(2 Cor. 3:18; Christ’s Object Lessons,

p. 355). Why be surprised when some kids who see and hearthis stuff go over the edge?

The mayhem at Columbine could be a wake-up call forthe United States. It must be a wake-up call for Seventh-day Adventists.

The next school could be the one where your kids studyor where you teach.

The next kids with loaded guns could be yours. I say it’s time to get real. Fellow believers, let’s quit playing

games of religion and realize that we’re in a war. Time is run-ning out; the forces of evil are intensifying. Society, for all itsreligious veneer, is being taken over by a new paganism.

This is just what Jesus said would happen before Hereturns. “There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars,” Hesaid. “On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplex-ity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. Men will faint fromterror, apprehensive for what is coming on the world, for theheavenly bodies will be shaken” (Luke 21:25, 26, NIV).

And this word from Ellen White: “We are living in thetime of the end. The fast-fulfilling signs of the timesdeclare that the coming of Christ is near athand. The days in which we live aresolemn and important. The Spirit ofGod is gradually but surely being with-drawn from the earth (Testimonies, vol.9, p. 11).

In this time of the end, Jesus alone isour security. Let’s focus on Him,and encourage our dear ones togive Him first place in their heartsand their time. He is our salva-tion, now and forevermore.

Mayhem at MiddayE D I T O R I A L

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ROY ADAMS

Prayer is the answer to every problem in life. It puts usin tune with divine wisdom, which knows how toadjust everything perfectly. So often we do not pray incertain situations, because,from our standpoint, the

outlook is hopeless. But nothing isimpossible with God. Nothing is soentangled that it cannot be made rightby the loving Spirit of God. No mis-take is so serious that it cannot beremedied. No human relation is toostrained for God to bring about recon-ciliation and understanding. No habitis so deep rooted that it cannot be over-come. No one is so weak that he cannot be made strong. Noone is so ill that he cannot be healed. No mind is so dull that itcannot be made brilliant. Whatever we need or desire, if wetrust God, He will supply it. If anything is causing worry andanxiety, let us stop rehearsing the difficulty and trust God forhealing, love, and power.”

I can’t remember now when I first got hold of the abovestatement. I only know I’ve used it zillions of times in talksand sermons over the years, giving the credit to Ellen G.White, and citing the reference neatly printed at the bottomof my copy: Review and Herald, October 7, 1865.

But one day, curious about the context, I went searchingfor the original quote in the reference indicated. It was notthere. In fact, there wasn’t even an issue of the Review withthat date. And when I contacted the Ellen G. White Estatein Washington, they blew even more wind out of my sail.Mrs. White never said it, they told me. But the statementwas too good to set aside. I continued using it, only nowmaking sure to emphasize its uncertain origin.

Over the years since then, I’ve found myself sitting at thefeet of numerous speakers using the same quotation and cit-ing the same reference. One such instance was the GeneralConference morning worship, March 18, 1991. As wewalked away together—quite by accident—following theservice, Ellen G. White Estate associate secretary RogerCoon and I shared our appreciation for the worship justended, but chuckled together at the almost universal misun-derstanding of the source of the quotation in question. “Butif Mrs. White didn’t write it,” I said to him as we parted,“she should have. It is so good!”

Later that day Coon graciously shared with me a copy ofthe letter he’d sent to the worship leader for that morning.In it he’d written the following: “The little handout ‘Prayer

Is the Answer’ ” had an incorrectpublication date. “The preparermissed it by exactly 100 years—itwas [published] Oct. 7, 1965. I rec-ognized it immediately, since manypeople think Ellen White was theauthor—and an 1865 date lends cre-dence to this misconception.” Coonwent on to point out that “in 1865 . . . [the Review] was published Oct. 3and 10” (not October 7).

So where did the statement come from? It would seemthat it entered the Adventist repertoire through the Reviewand Herald of October 7, 1965, quoted in an article by R. A.Rentfro, entitled “My Last Day on Earth.” Unfortunately,Rentfro did not give his source, saying only that “someonehas said . . .”

Since receiving Coon’s letter that day back in 1991, I’vebeen meaning to write this editorial to help set the recordstraight for a larger audience. Though the importance ofdoing this would be more readily apparent if the statementwere problematic, there’s always wisdom in accuracy. It’smuch better to correct the record now than in the midst ofsome unexpected embarrassment later. Who knows whatproblems might surface down the road? I have to admit, forexample, that each time I used the statement, I did feel justa tad nervous about the claim that “no mind is so dull thatit cannot be made brilliant.” And it wasn’t that I everdoubted the power of God. Rather it was that I tried toimagine what would happen if people got theidea that every person born with congeni-tal brain damage could be prayed intobrilliance in a world in which even thosewith normal faculties often have to set-tle for the ordinary.

Do I still use the statement? Youbet! But how I would love to givethe correct credit! Does anyone outthere know who first said it? Mightit lose some of its punch if weknew? What do you think?

Who Said It?E D I T O R I A L

I did feel just a

tad nervous.

GIVETAKE

&

WHAT MY MOM MEANS TO ME

You want to know what my mommeans to me? Well, she is very special.

I’m sur-prised sheisn’t Mrs.America—she’s sopretty!

Mymom cooksthe bestfood. Shecooks awholebunch ofrice and

other good foods. I’m surprised shedoesn’t have a Spanish restaurant—she’s so good!

And when I’m sick, she takes careof me so well—I get better in a second.And I love her hugs. As you see, mybeautiful mother means a lot to me.—Justin DeMutiis, Spring Hill, Florida

ADVENTIST LIFE

When my daughter Pam was 3, wewere taking a walk when we cameupon a stack of beekeeper’s boxes.“Mommy,” said Pam, “what’s in theseboxes?”

I explained how the bees collecthoney and bring it to the hives orboxes to store it.

“Oh,” she said with amazement, “Ibet that looks so cute with all thosetiny little jars of honey on the shelf.”—Irene Nagy, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho

One evening my husband was reluctantly helping me cut out felts for my cradleroll Sabbath school when our bachelor friend dropped by. He told us about hisrecent date and his criteria for the perfect wife.

My husband glanced up from trimming the felts and quipped, “Just make sureshe has all her felts already cut out!”—Cheryl Elmendorf, Loma Linda, California

“People used the cross to try to doaway with the Lord of the Sabbath.Now people use the cross to try to doaway with the Sabbath of the Lord.”—Harry White, at the Chilliwack, BritishColumbia, church

“John [the Baptist] didn’t careabout his head because Jesus hadhis heart.”—Dennis Clark, at the Perth, New Brunswick,church


CONTRIBUTE TO GIVE & TAKEWe can especially use submissions to these categories: Adventist Quotes, Readers’ Exchange, Jots & Tittles, and Dream Center. And we can always use top-

quality photos/captions, tasteful drawings and cartoons, brief poems, and other fast-paced items. Send submissions (which won’t be acknowledged or returned)to Give & Take, Adventist Review, 12501 Old Columbia Pike, Silver Spring, MD 20904; fax: 301-680-6638; e-mail: [email protected].

NEED A LAWYER? The first meeting of the Adventist Lawyers Association was held theweekend of February 6 in Lusaka, Zambia. The topic? Integrating the practice of law andthe practice of Adventism.

ADVENTIST QUOTES

“We can’t bringeveryone to Jesus,but we can bringJesus to everyone.”—Sunday Villarica, Adventist Frontier Missionsteacher for the Palawano project school

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A Very

Young ChurchUpdating Adventist mission

work in Mongolia

C O V E R S T O R Y


BY BILL KNOTT AND DALE TUNNELL

In May 1998 the Adventist Review reported on the pioneer-ing mission work of Brad and Cathie Jolly in Mongolia. Adventistpresence in Mongolia was restarted in 1991 by Adventist FrontierMissions and this brave young couple after an interval of morethan 60 years. At great personal cost Brad and Cathie beganteaching and preaching, gathering a small group of believers in thismostly Buddhist nation. In 1992 they were joined by JoannePark, a student missionary, who returned to work with them inMongolia after completing her education in the United States. InOctober 1993 the first Mongolian convert was baptized by thenGeneral Conference president Robert Folkenberg.

Four months after the May 1998 article appeared in print,Brad Jolly succumbed to cancer after more than two years ofstruggle. In April 1998, the Tunnell family—Dale, Cheryl,Jessica, and Ashley—moved to Mongolia to coordinate thechurch’s efforts in the country. Dale, an experienced youth pastormost recently serving at Georgia-Cumberland Academy, frequentlyupdates colleagues and friends in North America through e-mail([email protected]) on the trials and triumphs of the youngchurch in Mongolia. Here he answers e-mail questions fromAdventist Review associate editor Bill Knott, an old friend.

Knott: Dale, as you and your family were getting readyto leave for Mongolia, I remember that you predicted youwould have to be very flexible in order to make it there.Have the contrasts with life in the United States been asdramatic as you expected?

Tunnell: This is a country of change and extreme differ-Dale and Cheryl Tunnell in Mongolian costumefor “Tsagaan Sar” (Mongolian New Year). P

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ences. The weather is just one exampleof that: we go from severe cold in thewinter (–40˚F) to 90˚F in the summer(maybe only a day or two of that). Theland itself transitions from the awe-some Gobi Desert in the south tobeautiful lush mountains in the north-west. We have those same differencesin people, too. The economic disparityis amazing: some people are verywealthy, owning cars, houses, etc.Others dig through trash to find foodand live on the streets.

You were told to expect that mostof your ministry would be withyoung people. Has that proved to be the case?

While Mongolia was still aCommunist nation and in the orbit ofthe Soviet Union, the Soviets noticedthat the population in Mongolia wasactually declining. They tried toreverse this trend by giving awards. Ifa woman had six children, she couldbe a “bronze medalist” mom; withseven, a “silver medalist.” Eight chil-

dren earned you the distinction ofbeing a “gold medalist” mom. I’m notsure having eight children is worthsuch recognition, but that wasn’t theonly incentive supplied for havingchildren. If a working woman becamepregnant and had a child, her employerand the state gave her a two-year med-ical leave—with pay. This approach isstill in place today, except that theemployer now covers all costs. Thisusually leads to a lump sum “buyout”instead of a continual salary drain.Quite naturally, this policy has pro-vided Mongolia with a very youngpopulation. More than 50 percent ofthe population is under age 22, andmore than 75 percent of our church isyounger than 22.

We’re challenged by the fact thatthese youth and young adults find ithard to share the gospel with olderpeople. The culture almost forbidssuch sharing because of the respectgiven to seniors. Our young adults are

very apprehensive to have older peo-ple in their classes. Those who havetraveled abroad aren’t afraid of this,and we are working on showing theothers that they truly have somethingto share.

I’m guessing that life in a countrytrying to transition from socialism tocapitalism can be a bit nerve-racking.

The economy here is changingdaily. The value of the U.S. dollar tothe Mongolian tugrik changes quickly, and prices for goods changerapidly as well. Salaries, however,remain the same. Most employeesmake less than a U.S. equivalent of$100 a month, and yet many goodscost more than in North America.Oranges are about $1.50 a pound;tomatoes, about the same. Whole-wheat flour is nearly $6.00 for a five-pound bag. Broccoli is about $1.75per pound. This doesn’t make for avery healthy nation. The main foods

eaten here are meat, dairy prod-ucts, bread, and ice cream

(I’ve discovered that this is awhole new food group!).

How do people copewith that kind of eco-

nomic stress?I learned something new

a couple of months ago.Mongolia is second only toFrance when it comes toproducing alcohol, butMongolia doesn’t exportany of its product.There’s a whole lot of

Above: The new church building inUlaan Bataar.

Above right: Church office workers (left toright, back row) Surma, typist; Enkhbayar,health worker; Byra, Bible worker. (Frontrow) Namjah, translator; Tamira, secretary;Dale Tunnell, senior pastor

Below, right: Sabbath morning congregationin the new church building


drinking going on in this country. It’ssad to see people lying on the side-walk, even in freezing weather, sleep-ing off the alcohol. If you’re a manand don’t drink, people wonder aboutyou. There’s a lot of pressure on ouryoung men to participate in drinkingactivities.

When I saw you last a year ago,you and your family were just finish-ing 10 weeks of language study. Yourlanguage teacher laughingly told you,“Make sure you don’t go anywherewithout Cheryl,” since she seemed tobe learning Mongolian more rapidly.How has it gone?

We understand enough to exchangegreetings, get around in taxis, buythings, and simple conversation, butdeep, meaningful conversation musttake place through a translator, andthen something is lost. (If you want asomething specific to pray for, pray thatwe learn the language—faster. This hasbeen very challenging at times.)

Have you and your family had tomake a lot of adjustments?

Getting necessary items can bequite a trick. One day you may seethings you want; next week they don’thave it any longer. There’s no suchthing as a Wal-Mart (we keep prayingsomeone will catch the vision andopen one here in Ulaan Bataar). Thereare little markets all over the place,and what they call “toots” that have a

variety ofitems. It’s likegoing to a fleamarket all thetime.

Weather was aMAJOR concernwhen we arrivedhere. Cheryl hates to be cold, and we’venever lived anywhere this cold. (I guesswe got used to Georgia!) Fortunately,our fifth-floor apartment is very heated—central heating that’s gov-ernment-controlled. Itcomes on in Septemberand off in May. You canchange the setting—justopen the windows orundress! So we have“inside” clothes and “out-side” clothes. We wear ourGeorgia summer clothesinside and “Siberian” win-ter wear when we’re out.It’s really not bad. Godanswered our prayers inthis regard.

I guess I miss driving themost. Ever since going tocollege, I’ve had my owncar, and I just like to drive. Here Ihave no car. We mostly take buses andtrolleys. These are pretty good, buthave no real schedule. They just comeevery five to 15 minutes. Riding thebus takes extra time because of all thestops, and often you have to take twoor three buses to get where you need

to go. This has takensome getting used to, andI’m not sure I’m there yet.

Ministering inMongolia must be verydifferent than pastoringin the United States.What are the most strik-ing differences?

I really miss the fel-lowship of other pas-tors. When theGeorgia-CumberlandConference held theirministers’ meeting inJanuary, I really felthomesick. I evencalled to check onthem. Pastors of theother denominationshere are pretty exclu-sive. We’ve had some

missionary familiesfrom other denomina-tions over for supper

once in a while, and it would be easyto do so more often. But two thingshave made me hesitate: 1) They relateto things from a totally different

perspective (which isn’t all bad); 2)More importantly, I could get comfort-able serving these people and losefocus on the Mongolian mission.

Your family arrived in Mongoliajust a few months before Brad Jollydied of cancer back in the U.S.

Young adults share special music on a Sabbath morning.

Bold, the church’s junior pastor, translatesthe Sabbath sermon for Dale Tunnell.

ADRA coordinators Scott and Delores Christiansen, withsons Beniah, Christopher and Nathan, and newly adopteddaughter Ariona.


What impact did that news have onhis friends there?

The Mongolian members took thenews of Brad’s death very hard. Manyof them have a hard time understand-ing how a person who devoted his life

to serving God, under very harsh con-ditions, could be allowed to die.We’ve lost some church attendersover this issue. I’ve given more than ahalf dozen Bible studies on the topicof why bad things happen to good

people, and even preached a sermonon it. They still have questions, butthere comes a time when they mustwalk by faith and hope in thepromises of God’s word.

Brad’s death wasn’t the only chal-

MongoliaAs seen through the eyes and ears of 10Canadian University College students* on assign-ment with the Adventist Development and ReliefAgency International in the Gobi Desert.

By Joyce Van Scheik

We Saw:■ the delicate purple of wildiris blooming in a barrenextinct streambed■ a spring of clear water bub-bling from the desert floor■ an ovoo, a large pile of rocksthat the traveler circles threetimes and adds three stones■ the bright eyes of children,excited to learn English gamesand songs■ the deeply lined, weatheredfaces of men and women, testa-ment to the desperately harsh life of Mongolian nomads■ a drunk man chained to a fence like a dog■ a child with a clubfoot, with no hope of corrective surgery■ homeless children, not more than 5 or 6 years old, fight-ing viciously over a scrap of food■ devotees prostrating themselves before an 82-foot (25-meter) copper-and-gold Buddha■ a stack of straw bales, a pile of gravel and several bagsof cement turn into a medical clinic for an isolated village

We Heard:■ the ceaseless wind—rustling, howling, whining its wayover a desolate, barren land■ the night chorus of village dogs answering the grating ofthe outhouse door■ the pounding hoofs of wild horses bounding across the desert ■ the gurgling of life-sustaining water as it filled a bucketsomewhere way down at the end of the rope■ the herder sing a song—deep-throated, melodious, haunt-ing—to his horse about the beauty and isolation of the land■ the monotonous monotone of chanting monks■ the compliments of the rest of the group when it was ourturn to prepare a meal from the “same old stuff”■ fellow students confront their futures and ask for God’sguidance

We Felt:■ the gigantic lurch of a rising camel, as our fingersclutched deep into the soft thick wool of her hump■ the sting of wind-driven sand ■ the emptiness of an abandoned Buddhist monastery■ excitement of the chase as our jeep pursued herds ofwild horses across the trackless desert■ the jolts and jerks, humps and bumps, of the old bus as itfollowed the desert track for long hours, bringing us to theisolated villages where we helped ADRA build medical clinics.■ the searing low-back pain from shoveling one too manyloads of cement■ deep humility and honor when receiving from old gnarledhands a gift of gratitude—a blue silk, traditionally given onlyto respected elders

■ profound sadness at ourinability to share God’slove with ragged, hungrystreet children

And We Learned:■ that camels spit■ that one can bathe withonly a basin of water■ that two changes ofclothing is enough■ that a desert can bevery cold■ that the nomadiclifestyle—looking after ani-

mals, preparing food, and finding water—is very hard work■ that hundreds of homeless children survive bitter coldnights by crawling into sewers■ that straw bale construction is a low-tech, low-costmethod of building sturdy, energy-efficient buildings■ that in a rented room in the capital city about 30 youngpeople meet each Sabbath to worship—the only Seventh-dayAdventists in the entire country■ that communication and friendship transcend languageand culture■ that true happiness comes through service

* The 10 students were Brian Bell, Cherie Dale, Tim Lekic, DebbiePatt, Walter Rogers, Tanisha Rothenberger, Mike Sanz, Carol Tardif,Darren Wasyliuk, and Sophia Will. Bill and Joyce Van Scheik were theirsponsors.


lenge to the church here. When Joanne(Park) Kim returned to the U.S., therewas a real leadership vacuum and astruggle over what was going to happennext. These are young Christians strug-gling with some difficult issues. We des-perately need your prayers.

We’ve read news stories here inNorth America about attempts to getthe Adventist Church in Mongoliaofficially registered with the govern-ment. How is the government relat-ing to your work?

The government basically seesChristianity as an intrusion into theMongolian lifestyle and culture, butofficials are eager for money to helpwith various government programs.They want our help (translatedmoney) to hold various seminars foranti-drinking/smoking campaigns,even while government officials them-selves are drinking and smoking.

Each year, every church must regis-ter. This usually turns into havingchurches “contribute” to various activ-ities. It can be very frustrating workingwith a government that looks down onChristianity. Some officials see usChristians as foolish because we’re soeasily separated from our resources.

What kind of resources do youhave to go about your ministry?

The basic challenges here are muchthe same as in North America—toolittle money, too little time, too muchstress. The additional challengesinclude the language barrier and nothaving adequate translated resourceson hand. We don’t even have thewhole Bible translated intoMongolian, or any of Ellen White’sbooks translated. This makes it verydifficult at times. We have a few story-books talking about people that foundChristianity and the Sabbath. There isa great need to get things translated.That requires money, a resource thatMongolia has very little of.

From the little bits of news I’veheard, it sounds like the church isgrowing rapidly.

Currently on any given Sabbath

there are more than 70 people attendingservices. There are 35 baptized mem-bers, and another class is preparing forbaptism. Church services are plannedand prepared by the Mongolians, andusually conducted by a young mannamed Bold. Bold has been a pastor intraining for three years. Just now, he’s inthe United States, attending healthtraining classes at Pacific HealthEducation Center. While he’s gone, pas-toral duties have fallen on twoMongolians who have had pastoraltraining in the Philippines.

You were hoping to start home-based Bible study groups in UlaanBataar. Have you been able to accom-plish that goal?

We have 13 home groups function-ing now, with an average attendance of130. These home groups range in sizefrom 20 persons to as few as five, andthe ages of those attending extend from7 year olds (our home group for chil-dren) to 60+. Currently our congrega-tion has no members older than 29, andmost of them are 18 to 22 year olds.

This is a young church in everysense. We are young people and ourchurch has been organized just overone year. Most members don’t havejobs (because of their age) and manyaren’t able to attend school (becauseof a lack of money). But they’re excitedabout sharing Jesus Christ. Some ofthem are even wanting sponsorship togo to other cities this summer to sharethe gospel!

I heard that the congregation wasable to purchase a building in January.What will that mean to your work?

Having our own place to meet forworship and fellowship will be atremendous blessing. It will mean thatwe don’t have to fear being evicted orasked to move, that we don’t have tocarry the keyboard, guitar, songbooks,offering plates, or children’s Sabbathschool materials every week. It will alsomean that there will be a sign on thebuilding declaring that this is a church,which is a big witness to the commu-nity. When visitors miss a week or two,they’ll still know where to find us,

because we have a permanent location.The building is a three-story build-

ing with a full basement. In theimmediate future it will be used forchurch meetings, church offices,ADRA offices, and some missionaryhousing. We hope to begin a languageschool and hold various seminars inthe near future.

Having our own building also meansmany headaches. Now we’re responsi-ble when the plumbing doesn’t work ornew electric lines have to be run.We’re also responsible for getting newphone lines put in (keep praying aboutthis one!) and for security and mainte-nance problems. I’m praying that theblessings will outweigh the problems!

How can Adventists around theworld support this mission inMongolia?

The short answer is—pray, pray,pray. It’s fascinating to see what theHoly Spirit can do and is doing here.Sometimes I feel like all I do is juststand back and watch while the HolySpirit does the work.

As I mentioned before, we’re alsoin desperate need of money to helpwith translation projects for the Bibleand the Spirit of Prophecy. The head-way we can make in having a positiveimpact on this culture will be limiteduntil we can provide spiritual materi-als in Mongolian.

For those whom the Lord isimpressing, spending a year as mission-aries with us would be GREAT. OtherAdventist laypersons could investigatestarting businesses here and amplifythe church’s presence as tentmakermissionaries. It was the call of Godthat caused our family to leave a fairlycomfortable life in the U.S. to comehere. I’m sure there are other believerswhom God is impressing with theneeds and the opportunities ofMongolia. ■

Bill Knott is associate editor of theAdventist Review. Dale Tunnell is thesenior pastor of the Ulaan Bataar congre-gation and director of Adventist missionsin Mongolia.


ANGEL MANUEL RODRÍGUEZ

Ifound the law concerning the rebellious son (Deut.21:18-21) to be too severe. Could you comment on it?

The interpretation of legal materials requires carefulanalysis of the specific law itselfand its true intent. Laws serve

to protect the rights and privileges ofindividuals as they interact with eachother. So it’s important not only totry to ascertain the particular purposeof legislation but also to determinethe social background that made itrelevant for Israelite society.

We also need to mention a cou-ple principles that will guide us inunderstanding God’s actions. First,we must recognize that in God’s dia-logue with humans He condescends to our level in order totake us to His own level at a pace we can follow.

Second, we must keep in mind that the theocratic formof government of the Old Testament is no longer operativeamong God’s people. He, as king of the universe, will dealwith the violators of His law in His own time.

Now, back to the specific law of the rebellious son. Ananalysis of this legislation reveals its purpose, background,and function.

1. It builds on the fifth commandment. The command tohonor one’s parents does not specify the penalty to beinflicted on its violators. It is phrased in a positive way andpromises a long life to those who obey it (Ex. 20:12). Thecommand and the legislation under consideration have thepurpose of preserving social order by promoting and requir-ing respect for authority. It legislates what ought to takeplace at home, where such respect was instilled in youngmembers of society.

2. It recognizes the rights of those affected by it. The law ofthe rebellious son recognizes the privileges and responsibili-ties of the members of the family as they confront a seriouslegal crisis.

The rights of the parents are protected. They are responsiblefor the upbringing and disciplining of their children, as theyteach and train them. But parents also have the right toseek the assistance of the community if a child develops apattern of rebellion and disrespect.

The rights of the children are protected. Parents were not to

do as they pleased with a child who had no respect forthem. This was an extremely important legal protection in aworld where children were considered to be only a piece of

property. A child’s life was in thehands of the courts of law and notin that of their parents who, out offrustration and rage, could be temptedto kill them.

The rights of the mother were pro-tected. The decision to prosecute achild was not exclusively in thehands of the father. It appears that,at least in some cases, the fatherthought he had authority over thelife of his children (cf. Gen. 42:37).But this law eliminates that power

by requiring the mother to participate in the decision toprosecute any of her children and by placing the final deci-sion in the court of law. The legislation seems to have beena significant improvement over existing practices.

Justice is sought. The parents were expected to presentevidence showing that the behavior of the child was notan isolated incident but a true pattern of criminal behav-ior. The legislation is dealing not with an immature child,but with a person who is able to distinguish between goodand evil, who has become a juvenile delinquent, a threatto society. The elders of the city, functioning as judges,would analyze the evidence and make a decision. If thedecision was to apply capital punishment, the men of thetown would execute the sentence. The parents were notinvolved in the punishment.

Since the consequences of this law were so serious, itserved as a deterrent for juvenile delinquency and for par-ents taking their children to court on superficial chargesmotivated by anger or any other emotional reaction. Thelaw illustrates how important family life is in God’s eyes,and underlines the serious responsibility of parents and thecommunity of believers in rearing children.

Angel Manuel Rodríguez is an associate director ofthe Biblical Research Institute of the GeneralConference.

Punishing theRebellious Child

B I B L E Q U E S T I O N S A N S W E R E D

The theocraticform of

government is nolonger operative.


That Outfit CalledWhy I believe it will never go down.

D E V O T I O N A L

BY LESLIE N. POLLARD

The following is the condensation of a morning devotional pre-sented at the Annual Council in Foz do Iguacu, Brazil, inOctober 1998. We leave intact some of the elements of oraldelivery.—Editors.

ITESTIFY TO MY BRETHREN AND SISTERS that the church of Christ, enfeebled and defective as itmay be, is the only object on earth on which Hebestows His supreme regard.” 1

I rise this morning to stand for the church. Thoughthe church of Christ has felt the white-hot criticisms of theagnostic, the unbeliever, and the infidel, the Bible assures usthat God’s church will fulfill its mission in spectacular fashion.In its march through history, the church will not suffer defeat.It will not be destroyed. It will not be dissuaded. It will not bedetoured. When we as administrators and leaders in God’s ser-vice are tempted to wonder if the church will come apart atthe seams, the timeless word of the Lord roars with deafeningfinality: “Upon this rock I will build my church; and the gatesof hell shall not prevail against it” (Matt. 16:18). The tri-umph of the church is guaranteed by its Founder.

Will the church of God face challenges? Definitely. Will wemeet hurdles as we take our last laps around history’s decayingstadium? Positively. Will there be Red Seas and swellingJordans of difficulty to cross? Absolutely! But at the end oftime, when history has gasped its last breath, when the last syl-lable is uttered, and when the weary calendars of time collapseexhausted at the feet of eternity, God’s church—that group offaithful followers of the Lamb from every nation, kindred,tongue, and people—will stand. John saw them standing on

Mount Zion with the Lamb (Rev. 14:1).When I was a child back in my hometown of New

Orleans, we used to play King of the Mountain. In this gamewe would find a hill and climb it. Then we would wrestleand tug and pull and grab each other until there was onlyone person left standing on the mountain. The one leftstanding was then proclaimed king of the mountain.

In the wrestling match of the church’s history, skepticshave tugged at the church, unbelievers have pulled at thechurch, and false members have grabbed at the churchthrough their insidious and artful betrayals. But guess whowill stand at the end of time? The church. The gates of hellwill not prevail against God’s true church. This convictionignites the church’s mission. The gates of hell will not pre-vail, because the One who called us can never fail.

But Let’s Beware of OverconfidenceWe must not allow Christ’s strong word, however, to give

us an unconditional confidence. The church does not standtoday because of any inherent strength in its lower extremi-ties. It does not stand because of its publishing houses, edu-cational institutions, hospitals, or media ministries. Thechurch stands today because its Founder stood strong atCalvary and stands today in the heavenly sanctuary. Ourstrength is not a bottom-up strength. It is a top-downstrength. Our strength comes from the Lord Jesus.

Notice in Revelation 5:6 that the Lamb appears as if ithad been slain. Many exegetes have done wonderful workon this apocalyptic passage. They have pointed out how theLamb had seven eyes and seven horns, signifying wisdom

the

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and power. The most important part ofthe image is rarely noted, however.Despite the horrific events experiencedat Calvary—where the Son of God wasinsulted, ridiculed, and crucified—thebloodied, bruised, and beaten Lamb isstill standing!

The churchstands only becausethe Lamb is stillstanding. It wasthis Lamb whoplanted andfounded thechurch. He gath-ered a motleyband of 12 disci-ples, authorizedthem to continueHis mission in Hisabsence, and drewthem together ina rented upperroom. He raineddown the living fires of the Holy Spiritupon them, implanted gifts of grace inthem, and sent them out into the worldto convert it. He founded the church,baptized it with the gasoline of grace,and, at Pentecost, He put a match to it.It was Christ who founded the churchand gifted it for success.

The church is not a synthetic insti-tution, cut out with human hands andwoven in the loom of human opinion.The church is the divine dream of acovenant community that began inEden, continued with the call ofAbraham, and was amplified with theestablishment of Israel. It continued inthe life and ministry of Jesus, explodedin the work of the apostolic church,and continued as a faithful witness inthe Middle Ages.

Jesus founded the church, but He

never finished it. That has beenentrusted to His final remnant whotoday are going everywhere saying,“Fear God, and give glory to him; forthe hour of his judgment is come”(Rev. 14:7). In this final gathering call,

God forms and organizes a remnant ofbelievers around Jesus’ last-day mes-sage. When we take this positive viewof the church, we are not burying ourheads in the sand. We are not over-looking the failings of the church.

Not InfallibleDoes the church have weaknesses?

Yes. As early as 1856 we recognizedthat the message to the church atLaodicea applied to us. During theyears of 1856 and 1857, 348 itemsappeared in the Review on theLaodicean message. Without exceptionthe Laodicean message was applied toSabbathkeeping Adventists. We claimno institutional infallibility. We havenot always listened to the voice ofGod. We ridiculed and banished theprophet to Australia in 1891. We chal-

lenged the Lordship of Christ. Veryearly in the adolescence of our history,certain leaders of the remnant churchstruggled with Christ’s Lordship. InBattle Creek in 1895, leaders assumed“kingly power.” Not committing to the

Lordship of Christ,they set themselvesup to control every-thing and everyonein the church. EllenG. White wrote,“The high-handedpower that has beendeveloped, asthough position hasmade men gods,makes me afraid.” 2

God’s answer tothe centralization ofpower and lordlyexercise of leadershipwas the reorganiza-tion of the church in1901, which effec-tively decentralizedthe authority of thechurch.

These documentedweaknesses do notderail God’s inten-tion for the church.The church is cen-tral to God’s finalplan. In the 1960s a

young radical marched on the sidewalkin front of a church building with aplacard that read “Jesus? Yes! Thechurch? No!” He was wrong; he didnot understand. It is not Jesus or thechurch. It is Jesus and the church. Toseparate Christ from the church is toseparate the Head from the body.

Listen: “For by him all things werecreated: things in heaven and onearth, visible and invisible, whetherthrones or powers or rulers or authori-ties; all things were created by him andfor him. He is before all things, and inhim all things hold together. And he isthe head of the body, the church; he isthe beginning and the firstborn fromamong the dead, so that in everythinghe might have the supremacy. For Godwas pleased to have all his fullnessdwell in him, and through him to rec-

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oncile to himself all things, whetherthings on earth or things in heaven, bymaking peace through his blood, shedon the cross” (Col. 1:16-20, NIV).

At the HeadWhen one speaks of Jesus Christ,

one must also speak of the church. Itwas God’s plan that “through thechurch, the manifold wisdom of Godshould be made known to the rulersand authorities in the heavenlyrealms” (Eph. 3:10, NIV). God’splan in the New Testament erabegan with the exaltation of Christ.

Let there be no confusion. Christis Lord of the church. Peter remindsus, “God made him Lord.” Ananalysis of the word “Lord,” orKurios, is fascinating. It is used of anowner in Luke 19:33. The Greekkuriake means “belonging to theLord.” It implies that the one calledlord has full use of the thing owned.Christ is called the Kurios of theSabbath in Mark 2:27, 28. In otherwords, Christ could use the Sabbath tominister to human need because Hecreated and owned it in the first place.And when Thomas, stricken with fearand doubt, probes his finger into thewounds of the risen Christ, he criesout, “My Lord [Kurios] and my God”(John 20:28). In other words, “I sur-render. I’m ready to be used now, Lord.I’m available. Use me as an instrumentof Your peace.” And when the body ofGod’s leaders gathers in a little placecalled Foz do Iguacu and begins itsdeliberations with the proclamationthat “Christ is Lord,” we are saying“We are available, Lord. Use us tobless Your people—Your people who sitin our pews and donate their time, tal-ent, and treasure to the church.”

Beyond Tolerance, BeyondAcceptance

To say Christ is Lord is to also saythat God has a plan for the church.That plan includes the reconciling ofpeople everywhere in Jesus. “This mys-tery is that through the gospel theGentiles are heirs together with Israel,members together of one body, and shar-ers together in the promise of Christ

Jesus” (Eph. 3:6, NIV). “For he himselfis our peace, who has made the two oneand has destroyed the barrier, the divid-ing wall of hostility” (Eph. 2:14, NIV).Unity comes first from reconciliation.

A couple years ago I attended anumber of very helpful diversity confer-ences. As the world prepares for thetwenty-first century, diversity hasbecome a critical concern in North

America—in industry, education, andbusiness. It means that we intentionallyinclude difference in our circle of asso-ciation and decision-making. Diversityis concerned with how people groupsrelate to each other. It is interestingthat at the big secular conferences, thegoal of their diversity training is toler-ance for difference. By stretching weget to acceptance. After that the highlypaid diversity gurus do not know whereto go. But we in the remnant churchknow we need to go beyond toleranceand beyond acceptance.

Next year Prudence and I will cele-brate our twenty-first anniversary.Suppose I take her out to a candlelightdinner and with soft romantic musicplaying, I look at her and say, “Dear,with each passing year I am toleratingyou more and more.”

Our word for managing diversity inthe remnant church is not tolerance. Itis love. “Be ye all of one mind, havingcompassion one of another, love asbrethren” (1 Peter 3:8). Love is thefoundation for unity, and we will neverbe united as a church if we do not loveeach other.

I don’t know about you, but I enjoybeing a part of God’s great church, Hisworldwide family. As a 14-year-old, Iremember belonging to my mother’s

street-corner preaching band. Motherwas one of the faithful old-timeAdventist members. She and aboutseven or eight of her friends would godown to Canal Street in New Orleans,plop down a wooden crate, and preachabout the Second Coming. She madesure I accompanied the group. Thoseolder adults and this one child gave outwhat was back then called “truth-filled

literature.” They were not ashamed.We should not be ashamed.

I am not ashamed of a healthmessage that could add six to sevenyears to my life.

I am not ashamed of a Saviourwho now intercedes in the heavenlysanctuary for His people.

I am not ashamed of a churchthat teaches we ought to keep God’sSabbath and reverence God’s law.

I am not ashamed of a churchthat advocates that Christian educa-

tion is a part of the rehabilitative armof the gospel of salvation.

I am not ashamed of a church thatteaches that character counts.

I am not ashamed of a church thattells us that death is not some disem-bodied state of ephemeral bliss.

I am not ashamed of a church thatteaches us to be faithful to our wivesand husbands, to love our children,and to lead them in the Lord.

I am not ashamed of a church thatsays “Christ is coming again.”

A rabbi, teaching his students,asked: “Where does God dwell?”

The students thought for a momentand said, “God dwells everywhere.”

The rabbi paused and said, “Not so.God dwells where we invite Him todwell.”

Let us invite Him to dwell in ourconferences, in our schools, in ourchurches, and in our hospitals. ■

1 Ellen G. White, in General ConferenceDaily Bulletin, Feb. 27, 1893.

2 ———, Testimonies to Ministers, p. 361.

Leslie N. Pollard is specialassistant to the president ofLoma Linda University.

“God dwells where we invite Him to dwell.”


CALVIN B. ROCK

Has it become acceptable for Adventists toattend training seminars during the Sabbathif they are working in the field of nursing,ambulance work, orvolunteer emergency

groups that work during life-threat-ening natural disasters? I havealways believed it unacceptable.

Some individuals employed insuch occupations and professionsattend these sessions on theSabbath because: (a) Jesus did saythat “it is lawful to do good on theSabbath” (Matt. 12:12, NIV) and (b) the range of acceptedSabbath employment has in many places so widened thatalmost any function that has humanitarian overtones istolerated. The first factor is, of course, legitimate; the sec-ond is not.

How do we know the difference? By discerning, first ofall, whether or not the wage-earning activity is absolutelyessential to the survival of the sick or helpless. And, givena positive response to that inquiry, whether or not it isconducted in an atmosphere impacted by Sabbathkeepingprinciples.

The growing tendency in our churches to sanction anyand all humanitarian-related wage earning on the Sabbath,i.e., ambulance drivers, hospital dietitians, police officers,firefighters—even physicians and nurses who labor undercommon, everyday secular circumstances—is, I believe, a fartoo liberal interpretation of Jesus’ words and example.

And, as attending regular classes on the Sabbath to earna degree that qualifies one for such a job is not appropriate,neither is attending classes on the Sabbath to enhance one’sability to perform the job.

There are delicate differences to be considered whenaddressing this issue, and I recommend that you consultyour pastor, church board, and when necessary, local confer-ence officials for advice regarding the particularly troublingaspects of this question.

What disturbs me about our church is all the newways of doing things—music, dress, diet, churchservices, institutional practices, and so many

other things. The Bible says, “I am the Lord, I change not”

(Mal. 3:6). Why don’t we hold to the tried-and-true paths?There is much in Scripture that warns us against depart-

ing from the “Thus saith the Lord,” i.e., the word of our“unchanging God.” The reasons wesometimes do are numerous: yieldingto peer pressure, loss of faith, pre-sumption, etc., all of which are con-nected to the failure of maintaininga strong devotional life. But “creep-ing compromise” is not a reality forindividuals whose roots are sincerelyplanted in the fertile soil ofScripture.

On the other hand, some among us tragically misapplythis text to mean that rules, rituals, and traditions connectedwith church life and operations should never be altered.That is not the case.

What is it about God that does not change? His just per-sonality and His pure and holy character. However, Hismethodologies, i.e., His answers to problems and people, dochange. Hebrews 1:1-3 tells us how He changed media incommunicating with the human race. And very practically,as Scripture delineates, He changed over time toward Israelregarding issues of marriage and divorce, residence, diet, andgovernance. There are also Abraham’s classic conversations(Gen. 18:22-33) in which God “changed” several times rela-tive to His decision to destroy Sodom.

The verse you quote does not introduce a God who rigidlydoes the same thing the same way all the time, but rather aGod whose unalterable goodness is appropriately applied inall circumstances in every generation.

That is what Augustine had in mind when he wrote, “Forany thing, whatever in short be its excellence, if it ischangeable, does not truly exist; for there is no true exis-tence wherever nonexistence has also a place. . . . Sift themutations of things, thou wilt find WAS and WILL BE:think on God, thou wilt find the IS, where WAS and WILLBE cannot exist.”

Calvin B. Rock is a general vice president of theGeneral Conference. He holds doctoral degrees inministry and Christian ethics.

Abiding PrinciplesF A I T H A L I V E !

Delicate issuesneed to be considered.

They come from Kenya,Ethiopia, Ghana, Malawi,Nigeria, Rwanda,Tanzania, Uganda, andMyanmar. In all,

Adventist students from nine Africanand Asian countries come to thePhilippines to attend Central LuzonState University (CLSU).

Noted for its research-focused stud-ies and its wide variety of doctoral pro-grams, this government-sponsoredinstitution attracts students from 25countries. According to a study con-ducted last year, of all foreign graduatestudents attending CLSU Seventh-dayAdventist students ranked second innumber, while Buddhists ranked first.

These Adventist scholars are happywith their school activities in CLSU.They are happy because every area ofstudy is designed to meet the needs ofthe developing countries through qual-ity research and development projects.

First Things FirstDespite the absence of a central

place of worship on the campus, the

Adventist students maintain theirfaith in God and their personal andgroup commitment to their Christiancall by putting first things first. Thebeautiful songs of godly brothers andsisters ring out during morning andevening worship.

Those who reside on the campusesof different colleges get together andenjoy their house worship. These stu-

dents are grateful to God for allowingthem religious freedom within the uni-versity environment. They are alsothankful to the university administra-tion for recognizing the Adventistbody of believers on campus and fornot scheduling classes on their worshipday—Saturday.

The Adventist witness is oftennoticed by campus officials and staff

members. The universityadministration and theteaching faculty respect theAdventist students. Doesthat make other studentsjealous? One day a non-Adventist African said, “It isunfortunate that the CLSUadministration seems tothink that any student fromthe continent of Africa is aSeventh-day Adventist.”

We prayed for the opportu-nity to open an Adventiststudent center. Then one daya dormitory manager at the

W O R L D N E W S & P E R S P E C T I V E S

Adventist Students ProvideCampus Witness in the Philippines


B Y G E B R E W O R A N C H A , W H O I S P U R S U I N G A D O C T O R AT E I N E D U C AT I O N A L D E V E L O P M E N T AT

C E N T R A L L U Z O N S TAT E U N I V E R S I T Y.

GOD’S ARMY: These Adventist students and their families overtly and covertly share thegospel on the multiethnic campus.

NEW BEGINNINGS: Graduations are a time of new beginnings for students. Some of these students willgo on to serve the Adventist Church, while others will witness in the marketplace.


Church Rejects Use of Violence in Balkan Region

In response to the ongoing crisis in the Balkans, theAdventist Church released a statement rejecting the use of vio-lence for conflict resolution, reaffirming its nonpolitical stance,committing itself to its ongoing mission of humanitarian aid,urging a negotiated settlement, and calling for prayers forpeace. The full text of the statement follows, released by theOffice of Public Affairs at the Seventh-day Adventist Churchworld headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland:

Seventh-day Adventist Church Statement on Crisis in Kosovo

The Seventh-day Adventist Church expresses its graveconcern regarding the situation in Yugoslavia, in particu-lar in the Kosovo province. While being concerned aboutthe well-being of its many members and operation of itschurch organization in this part of the world, the church iseven more concerned about the worsening humanitariansituation in Kosovo and elsewhere in the region, withhundreds of thousands of displaced and homeless people.

The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a worldwidereligious community and, as a matter of principle,

endeavors not to be involved in political issues. The church has consistently refused to do so and

intends to maintain this position in the current crisis cen-tering on Kosovo. Nevertheless, it rejects the use of vio-lence as a method for conflict resolution, be it ethniccleansing or bombing. With the church’s long tradition ofworking actively and quietly for human rights, including inparticular religious freedom and the rights of minorities, theSeventh-day Adventist Church is ready to do its part.

The church will endeavor to do so through its worldorganizational structure, in cooperation with the leadersand members of the church in the Balkan region, to fos-ter a deeper understanding of and greater respect forhuman rights and nondiscrimination, to meet cryinghuman needs, and to work for reconciliation betweennational, ethnic, and religious communities.

In the current crisis, the Seventh-day Adventist Churchis committed to doing what it can, through the AdventistDevelopment and Relief Agency (ADRA, the humanitar-ian agency established by the church), to bring relief to themany thousands of refugees, irrespective of religion, ethnic-ity, or social status, that have fled from the Kosovo provinceinto neighboring states, while also closely monitoring thesituation and needs of the civilian population in Yugoslavia,in and outside of Kosovo. The church will utilize its infra-structure in the region in its relief efforts.

N E W S B R E A K


housing unit where most of the AfricanAdventist students reside announcedthat a study room would be made avail-able for vesper services. The manageralso announced that all single under-graduate students should attend theAdventist worship program on Fridayevenings. She promised to attend themeetings to hear the Word of God.

Happiest DayEach week the students go to a

town called Muñoz, where a smallchurch is located. In 1994 “the localAdventist church had an attendanceof three to four elderly persons,” anobserver said. Today this small churchhas more people than the building canaccommodate. Some of the believerssit outside in a small shed. The major-ity of the attendees are non-Filipinos.Most of them transferred their churchmembership to this small church, andthey actively participate in many

activities, including preaching,Sabbath school, children’s programs,singing, and community services.

Grand CelebrationA regular prayer of these Adventist

CLSU students has been for the successof their academic efforts. As the resultof their petitions, God rewarded manyCLSU students in the past with highacademic achievements. Recently threedoctoral students graduated with Ph.D.degrees. The event provided a joyousday for their fellow students and mem-bers of the Muñoz church.

As they witness to others and pursue their educational goals,Adventist students at CLSU realizethat “unless the Lord builds thehouse, its builders labor in vain.Unless the Lord watches over thecity, the watchmen stand guard invain” (Ps. 127:1, NIV).

This is true of those who desire

educational growth. Unless the Lordendorses and places His unseen signa-ture on that “great diploma,” nodegree holds true value. A godly edu-cation is attained when the student ismotivated by the commitment to mag-nify the name of the Lord and to fulfillGod’s mission.

While some of these students willeventually work for the AdventistChurch, others will undoubtedly workas committed church members in secu-lar professions. Through their witness-ing experiences at Central Luzon StateUniversity many of these studentshave learned that education becomesmost powerful when it’s used as a toolto advance God’s cause.

“For whosoever shall be ashamed ofme and of my words, of him shall theSon of man be ashamed, when he shallcome in his own glory, and in hisFather’s, and of the holy angels” (Luke9:26), declared Jesus.

The Seventh-day Adventist Church urges the interna-tional community and government authorities involvedto push for an early end to the crisis, on the basis ofChristian, moral, and ethical principles, of human rights,and of good faith negotiations that are fair to all con-cerned and that may lead to better relationships.

The church further asks all its members and the faithcommunity in general to pray for divine assistance inrestoring peace and goodwill to this suffering region.

Washington Adventist Hospital Among Top 100 for Angioplasty

Washington Adventist Hospital in Takoma Park,Maryland, has been rated as one of the top 100 cardiologyprograms in the United States for angioplasty services.

The rating came as part of a study by HCIA, Inc., anationally recognized firm that collects, manages, anddistributes comparative health-care information. Thestudy, based on an analysis of more than 12 million cases,used clinical and financial measurers.

“We’re honored to receive this recognition,” says CoryChambers, president of Adventist HealthCare, whichoperates the hospital. “We have worked very hard todevelop a center of excellence that enables us to provideinnovative cardiology services.”

Adventist Review Magazine Celebrates 150 Years of Adventist Publishing

In November 1848 Ellen G. White had a vision in whichGod told her that the church must print a little paper, andthat it would grow into a great worldwide program.

From that small periodical, Present Truth, first printed in1849, the first Adventist publishing association, nowknown as the Review and Herald Publishing Association,was established in Battle Creek, Michigan, in 1861. Todaythe church has 56 publishing houses around the world.

To kick off the commemoration of 150 years of publica-tion, the editors of the Adventist Review went to BattleCreek on the weekend of March 26, 27. Review editorWilliam G. Johnsson, commenting on why Battle Creekhad been picked as the site for the commemorative cele-bration, said, “Of all the towns that you might go back to,Battle Creek has to be the town. We are looking back over150 years of Adventist publishing. This is the place wherethe publishing house was organized, where we organized asa church, where the Christian Record was started, and ofcourse where we took the Seventh-day Adventist name.So if you go anywhere, it has to be Battle Creek.”

As a part of the celebration the Adventist Communi-cation Network televised the Adventist Worship Hour liveby satellite Sabbath morning from the Battle Creek


N E W S B R E A K


Another series of tear-stained faces appeared on thetelevision news last night. A cute, sad-faced girllooks at me through barbed wire in today’s news-

paper. I’ve heard angry voices on the radio.War in Europe. Again.Television shows people being displaced, losing touch

with families, dying.“It’s one of those regrettable things

that happen in a campaign like this,”NATO commander General WesleyClark explained a NATO warplane’s hit on a train.

His comment brought no comfort to survivors or thefamilies of those killed. Or to Ivan, who has family in theregion. I sat behind him in church last Sabbath.

For those of us a half world away, the war is a televi-sion event. Slipped in between our favorite televisionshows we may fail to recognize the reality. Look at those tear-stained faces again.

A saying came out of World War II: “There are no atheistsin foxholes.” Perhaps true, but how many in foxholes cursedGod for allowing them to be caught in their situation?

“God is with us” is a statement of dramatic faith from the foxholes.

And it can be said only as we understand the bigger battle—the battle between God and Satan. This behind-

the-scenes conflict does break out in ourminds, our homes, in the streets of ourcities and the nations of our world.

Just because we don’t see His tear-stained face on thenightly news doesn’t mean God isn’t there. Just askDjordje Popov (aged 77) and his wife, Amalkom (aged69). They’re from Novi Sad, a city that has experiencedheavy bombing.

“With no basement shelter, we remained in our home,trusting to God,” they told Adventist News Network. That’sfaith in foxholes.

NEWS COMMENTARY

Faith in FoxholesB Y B R U C E M A N N E R S , C H I E F E D I T O R , S I G N S P U B L I S H I N G C O M P A N Y, A U S T R A L I A

Test Your GlobalMission IQ

1. Maranatha VolunteersInternational recently com-pleted 200 churches inPunjab, Haryana, and Bihar.

More than 400 attended a church opening ceremony inthe village of Malluval. A multicolored shamiana pro-tected an overflow crowd from the hot sun. As the peo-ple arrived one could hear the greeting Jesu Masihki!(“Alleluiah! Praise the Lord!”). In an atmosphere ofjoy and singing, many came forward bringing theirthank offerings. In what country did this inaugural cer-emony take place?

A. Bhutan C. TurkmenistanB. Cambodia D. India

2. From the point of view of Global Mission initia-tives, the following countries have something in com-mon—similar “Adventist density” (the same number ofAdventists in proportion to the overall population):India, the Netherlands, Russia, Sweden, and Taiwan.

What is your guess as to their “Adventist density”?A. 51-150 Adventists per million B. 251-350 Adventists per millionC. 1,150-1,250 Adventists per millionD. 3,050-3,150 Adventists per million

Answers:1. D. India. In Orissa state only about 2,300 members are

sharing the Adventist message with more than 36 millionpeople. But many new companies have formed, and churchbuildings are being constructed. At the end of 1997 therewere 130 companies.

2. B. The listed countries are home to between 251 and350 Adventist church members for each million persons inthe population. The world average is 1,611; the UnitedStates proportion is 3,085 (1997). The lowest density coun-tries in the world are found in the Arab nations of NorthAfrica and the Middle East. The highest density countriesare in the Caribbean Sea, where in some cases about oneperson in every 12 is an Adventist.

—Compiled by F. Donald Yost, Office of Global Mission, General Conference ofSeventh-day Adventists.


Tabernacle. Thefeatured speakerwas Jan Paulsen,newly electedpresident of theGeneral Con-ference ofSeventh-dayAdventists.Later in theafternoon ACNalso uplinkedthe annualAdventist Review

television special to many sites around the globe.

News Notes

✔ Lincoln Steed, Listen magazine editor, was recentlyappointed editor of Liberty magazine, the AdventistChurch’s journal of religious liberty. Steed replacesClifford Goldstein, who became editor of the AdultSabbath School Bible Study Guides.

✔ Ronald Smith, pastor of the Ephesus Seventh-dayAdventist Church in New York City, was recentlyappointed editor of Message magazine, the church’s out-

reach journal toAfrican-Americans.Smith replaces SteveRuff, who becameSouth CentralConference steward-ship director.

✔ Lynn Martell,Hawaii Conference

president, was recently appointed vicepresident for development at LomaLinda University and Loma LindaUniversity Medical Center in California.

Martell replaces emeritus vice presidentfor advancement Donald G. Prior, whoretired. Since 1990 LLU’s advancementteam has raised approximately $135 mil-lion in current and planned gifts.

What’s Upcoming

May 22 Global BaptismJune 5 Bible Correspondence School EmphasisJune 12 Women’s Ministry emphasisJune 26 Thirteenth Sabbath Offering for the

Southern Asia Division

N E W S B R E A K


Publishing director Ron Appenzeller (left)cranks up an old press works for Revieweditor William Johnsson.

Lincoln Steed Ronald Smilth

Lynn Martell

“I Yam What I Yam”Our attitude affects every situation.

L I F E S T Y L E


BY THELMA HOEHN

WHEN I FACED DISAPPOINTMENT as a child, my mother said, “All thingswork together for good.” Mother wasright. She understood one of the greatprinciples of living; our attitude affects

every situation, good or bad. Tough-minded optimistsemerge stronger from tragedies when they approach prob-lems with a can-do philosophy. Recent studies suggest thatupbeat people do better in school, are healthier, and perhapseven live longer than pessimists.

There is more to being an optimist than having a brightoutlook. They must be tough-minded, practical, realistic,determined, and know that God is still ruler. Bad thingshappen. When setbacks occur, they must acknowledge themand pray for strength and guidance.

Eighteen years ago this September I faced one of thegreatest challenges of my life. My pediatrician came to myhospital bed and said, “We believe your newborn son hasDown’s syndrome. We want to do further testing.” I felt asthough an enemy had first thrust and then twisted a swordin my chest. The pain was unspeakable. My initial reactionwas to crawl in a hole to escape reality.

Some well-meaning friends advised me to find an institu-tion to care for my son. They said maybe I should forget allabout him and go on with my life. Another friend suggestedthat perhaps I should counsel with an adoption agency. Theseso-called friends reminded me of Job and his friends in theBible. They advised him to curse God and die. It was thenthat I remembered my mother’s advice: “If you carry on, oneday something good will happen—something that wouldn’t

have happened if not for that previous disappointment.”Life is about crises. Some are able to cope with them, while

others make crises worse. I decided not to make the problemmore troublesome. I turned this obstacle over to Jesus, and Hegave me a challenge. Yes, my son, Kevin, does have Down’ssyndrome, but I saw to it that he received the love and nurtur-ing that my mother-heart told me every child needs.

Life has options. If one approach failed, I tried another.Life was difficult. I admitted that. Truly successful peopledon’t engage in Pollyanna speeches about how wonderfulthings are when they are not. It was wrong to think thatmerely lifting my chin and having the right attitude wouldmake everything fine. In my pain, I cried out to Jesus, “I havea handicapped child. I feel disappointed. I hurt inside.” It wasimportant that I accepted and expressed those feelings.

I found myself spending more time with positiveChristian friends than negative people. I sought out friendswho encouraged me, prayed with me, and gave me strength.I found it refreshing to spend time with those who couldbreathe hope into me.

With Kevin, my goal was to rehearse success. I picturedhim accomplishing his goals and encouraged him to do justthat. I didn’t talk about failure, and he developed good men-tal skills in certain areas. At age 8 Kevin would spend awhole day studying a page of a book so he could surprise mewith a near-perfect reading that night. Today he reads entirebooks. And whenever a family member’s birthday nears,Kevin unerringly reminds me to send presents and cards.

As Kevin grows older, I continue to encourage and praywith him. Whatever he lacks in reasoning ability he makes


up in temperament. I continue toappreciate his special qualities. He is aparticularly good-natured child whosegrin meets me at every turn. Despitehis intellectual limitations, he remainsdetermined when it comes to masteringtasks within his capabilities. In schoolKevin made steadyprogress in reading.But math gave himtrouble. I tried fruit-lessly to teach himthe intricacies ofmoney and makingchange. When hemet with defeatKevin would sighand, taking a linefrom Popeye, say, “Iyam what I yam,Mom.” He is a familypeacemaker, a varsi-ty-letter swimmer,and a Boy Scout.And he is proud ofwhat he is.

Kevin’s Boy Scoutdirector, Tom, re-cently took a groupof Scouts on a bicyclehike. “OK, this isgoing to be tough,”began Tom as helaunched into a lec-ture on hard work.“But it will be worthit.” He looked downat Kevin and notedan appealing child-like openness. Hewondered if Kevinwas going to be able to complete thehike.

“I’m sorry,” Kevin interrupted. “Butwhen do we start?” Tom instantly likedhim. The group set out on the bicycletrek. The ride was difficult, but Kevinnever held the “pack” back. Kevin hadbeen taking swimming classes sinceinfancy in order to strengthen his mus-cles. They had made him stronger bothmentally and physically and had givenhim the stamina to keep up.

I began looking for other ways to celebrate Kevin’s growing self-confidence. One of Kevin’s teachers

suggested the high school swim team.There was no record of a person withDown’s syndrome ever having partici-pated on the swim team. Kevin’sresponse was “I love swimming.” Hisdetermination astonished me. Hearrived at swim practice four mornings

a week at 5:30 a.m. He swam foranother hour and a half in the after-noon. His dedication and determina-tion paid off.

Kevin received the high school ath-letic varsity letter in swimming. At apizza party for the school swim team,coach Chris said, “Kevin, we under-stand you are the only Down’s syn-drome swimmer to have competed onour swim team. How does that makeyou feel?”

“I don’t know if I should say this,”Kevin answered, “but when are wegoing to eat?” The swim team roared

its approval. This was a pizza feed, afterall, not an interview. Everyone washungry. Once again Kevin pointed outthe obvious.

Other times Kevin’s insight turnsmore serious. Kevin voluntarilyassumes the critical role of family

peacemaker. Afterthe recent funeral ofhis grandmother,Kevin sat quietly andlistened to my sisterand me divide familyheirlooms. Both sheand I wanted thegrandfather clock. Afew minutes later,Kevin arose from hisinconspicuous spot inthe corner and said,“It’s only things,Mom. It’s onlythings. It’s not wortharguing about.” Hehelped us place ourpriorities where theybelonged.

In quiet times Ireflect upon mymother’s words: “Ifyou carry on, oneday something goodwill happen—some-thing that wouldn’thave happened ifnot for that previousdisappointment.” Ioften wonder whatdirection our livesmight have taken if Ihad placed Kevin for

adoption . . . or put him into an insti-tution. Life would be empty withouthim. It is as Mother said: “All thingswork together for good to them thatlove God” (Rom. 8:28). ■

P. S. Kevin will graduate from highschool this June.

Thelma Hoehn is a singleparent and a nursing supervi-sor who writes from ValleyView, Texas.

Ellen White’s DisturbingDisclaimer of 1904

Did she really deny her prophetic gift?

H E R I T A G E


BY ROGER W. COON

RUMOR FLIES,” THE ANCIENT ROMANpoet Virgil lamented in his epic, the Aeneid.1

Winston Churchill amplified the metaphor in hischaracteristically robust style: “A lie gets halfwayaround the world before Truth has a chance to

get its pants on.” 2 And Mark Twain would impishly seek thelast word: “One of the most striking differences between a catand a lie is that the cat has only nine lives.” 3

Thus would all three characterize the surprising speed andagility, as well as the remarkable staying power and longev-ity, of falsehood parading as truth. Nearly a century after theevent, the rumor still circulates among professional critics ofEllen White (and even within some circles in the Seventh-day Adventist Church itself) that some 60 years after herdivine call to the prophetic office in December 1844, EllenWhite finally and publicly disclaimed her prophetic rolewithin this denomination.

What are the facts?On Sabbath morning, October 1, 1904, Ellen White, by

her own estimate, addressed between 2,500 and 3,000 wor-shipers in the Battle Creek Tabernacle. The next afternoon,Sunday, October 2, she spoke again in the Tabernacle beforean additional 2,000, which this time included many non-SDA citizens of that city.4

On both occasions Mrs. White made personal referenceto herself, vis-à-vis her formal work for the church. Andupon both she spoke extemporaneously, without notes.

According to Maggie Hare’s stenographic notes of theSabbath morning sermon, Mrs. White offhandedly remarked:“They say she is a prophetess, they say she is this and that

and the other thing—I claim to be no such thing. I will tellyou what I want you all to know, that I am a messenger thatGod has taken from a feeble, very feeble child, and in mygirlhood gave me a message. . . . Now I want to tell you this,that Mrs., White does not call herself a prophetess or [even]a leader of this people. She calls herself simply messenger.” 5

On Sunday afternoon stenographer W. E. Cornell reportedthat she said: “I am not, as I said yesterday, a prophet. I donot claim to be a leader; I claim to be simply a messenger ofGod, and that is all I have ever claimed.” 6

In the fifth volume of his definitive six-volume biography,Arthur L. White aptly characterized these extemporaneousremarks by his grandmother as “an unguarded statement.” 7

They came to be widely misunderstood, both within andwithout Adventism. Some viewed the statements as anadmission that Ellen White did not, after all, consider her-self to be an inspired prophet of the Lord—a role officiallyand publicly accorded her by her church as early as 1867.8

On Monday, October 3, Battle Creek’s newspapers trum-peted the news, “under flaming headlines,” according to aReview report, that Mrs. White had now personally and pub-licly disclaimed the prophetic office and “much emphasiswas laid upon the great deception that it was claimed shehad practiced upon this people.” 9

Transcontinental wire services of news agencies spreadthe story still further.10

But in fact she had done no such thing!A brief statement of clarification from Ellen White’s own

pen appeared four months later in the January 26, 1905, edi-tion of the Review, but misinterpretation and misuse of this


“unguarded statement” continued. OnMay 26, 1906, in a further effort atclarification, Mrs. White wrote thateven within the church, “some havestumbled over the fact that I said that Idid not claim to be a prophet, and theyhave asked, Why is this?” 11

Notable among the “some” that had“stumbled” was Alonzo T. Jones (1850-1923), a prominent Adventist religiousliberty leader, former Review editor,and conference administrator. In 1903,already at odds with the Adventistprophet, Jones had left denominationalemployment, contrary to her expresscounsel, to join forces with BattleCreek Sanitarium’s formidable medicalsuperintendent, Dr. John HarveyKellogg. Jones thus began warring pub-licly against Mrs. White and electeddenominational leadership.12

On May 22, 1907, Jones was finallydefrocked as an Adventist clergymanby General Conference ExecutiveCommittee action. Six months later,on November 10, he was disfellow-shipped as a member of the BattleCreek Tabernacle congregation.13 His72-page anti-Ellen White tirade—an“open letter” to the church (SomeHistory, Some Experiences, and Some

Facts), originally read aloud in theBattle Creek Sanitarium Chapel onMarch 4, 1906, and subsequently pub-lished—created no small stir amongAdventists.14

Four months later an extendedeffort at clarifica-tion resulted in alonger article (“AMessenger”) fromEllen White thatappeared in theJuly 26, 1906,Review.15

But before weexamine the twoparticular reasonsMrs. White herselfoffered for herrather oblique(and widely mis-understood) refer-ence in theOctober 1904Battle Creek pre-sentations, it willbe helpful, first, tonote a significantpoint:

Though EllenWhite never arro-

gated to herself the title of prophet, shenevertheless never disclaimed the roleof a prophet—nor, for that matter, didshe ever correct anyone else whoaccorded her that title.16

Let’s examine her two reasons forthis seemingly strange policy.

The Popular DefinitionWhile Ellen White had no trouble

with the biblical definition of the cate-gory of prophet, she had a considerableproblem with the popular definition ofthe term. Basically, the distinction isthat between the dictionary denotationand the popular connotation of theword itself.

Much of the public in her day (as inour own) tended to limit the role of aprophet to that of a fortuneteller—apredictor of the future.

While Ellen White most assuredlydid make predictions of the future—some of which came to pass in her owntime, others being realized in our time,and a few yet to find final fulfillment—the prediction of the future wasn’t amajor function of her prophethood.Former executive secretary of the EllenG. White Estate Robert W. Olson pub-licly estimated that “probably not more

Ellen G. White speaking at the Battle Creek Tabernacle in 1901.


than 2 percent” of the estimated 25million words that she penned duringher literary career “deal with futureevents”; for “her writings deal largelywith Christian experience.” 17

Even among biblically recognizedprophets there were some whose majorfunction lay elsewhere than in predict-ing the future. Moses, that towering OldTestament figure, uttered a fewMessianic prophecies, but his role waslargely that of a leader, an administrator.In the New Testament, Jesus charac-terized His first cousin, John theBaptist, as the “greatest” of all theprophets (Matt. 11:11)—yet (1)“John did no miracle” (John 10:41);(2) John wrote none of the Bible;and (3) there is no biblical evidencethat John made any prediction ofthe future, save perhaps his offhandremark that One was coming afterhim whose shoelaces he felt himselfunworthy to untie (Mark 1:7).

Prophets in Bible times hadwide-ranging responsibilities, fartranscending that of predictionalone. Many were God’s spokesper-sons to address moral wrongs in thesociety, and they frequentlyassumed pastoral and even coun-selor roles. Ellen White did not wisheither her church or the public atlarge to limit the scope of her activityto the narrow category of mere predic-tor of future events.

To heighten the emphasis involvedin this crucial semantical distinctionbetween title and role, Ellen Whitewrote in the July 26, 1906, Review thisexplanation:

“My work includes much more thanthe word ‘prophet’ signifies. . . . Toclaim to be a prophetess is somethingthat I have never done. If others callme by that name, I have no contro-versy with them. But my work has cov-ered so many lines that I cannot callmyself other than a messenger, sent tobear a message from the Lord to Hispeople, and to take up work in any linethat He points out.” 18

Thus Ellen White’s son Williamwould write by way of further explana-tion in a 1933 letter: “When she spokethese words she had in mind the ideas

of the people regarding a prophet asone whose chief office was to predictevents, and she wanted them to under-stand that that was not her place inthe world. I am fully persuaded thatJohn the Baptist cherished the sameidea when he denied being ‘thatprophet’ [John 1:21, 25].” 19

The Current AssociationEllen White’s second reason for not

claiming the title of prophet (though

not disclaiming its role), also given inher 1906 defense, was simple, straight-forward, and very practical: the term inher day was often held in disrepute:

“Because in these days many whoboldly claim that they are prophets area reproach to the cause of God.” 20

Mention the word “prophet” eventoday, and for many the immediateconnotation is negative and pejora-tive. In Ellen White’s day this wasespecially true.

Joseph Smith (1805-1844), founderof the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (better known today as theMormons), claimed that in 1827—thevery year of Ellen White s birth—anangel named Moroni appeared to him.This angel, said Smith, delivered tohim some golden plates upon whichwas inscribed, in a language known as“reformed Egyptian,” the Book ofMormon. Smith further said that

Moroni then instructed him to trans-late this work by means of a Urim andThummim and publish it in English.

In 1843, at age 38, Smith intro-duced the doctrine of polygamy intothe 20,000-member Mormon colonyat Nauvoo, then the largest city in thestate of Illinois. Most non-Mormons,and many even within Smith’s ownchurch, violently disagreed with thispractice.21

Joseph Smith not only styled him-self “prophet” but also added theterms of “revelator” and “seer” to hisself-proclaimed official title.

In February 1844, as the firstpolitical salvos of the election of1844 were being fired, Smithannounced his candidacy for theoffice of president of the UnitedStates. The thought of a polygamistoccupying the White House so scan-dalized public opinion and inflameda wave of hostility that a newspapereditor in Nauvoo dared publish afiery editorial denouncing Smith.

Frontier vengeance was oftenswift, and Smith promptly orderedMormon night-riding vigilantes toburn the dissenter’s editorial officeand press to the ground.22

Joseph Smith and his brotherHyrum were subsequently arrested

for “rioting and treason,” and weretemporarily incarcerated at Carthage,Illinois, pending trial. On June 27,1844, a mob took matters into theirown hands, illegally storming the jail,killing Smith and his brother in apitched battle.” 23

The distasteful and immoral char-acter of the practice of polygamybecame inextricably associated withthe word “prophet” in the public mindfor decades to follow.

Indeed, Ellen White herself gave asone prime reason for writing her firstautobiographical account (book 2 ofthe four-volume series Spiritual Gifts,published in 1860) her distinct desireto disassociate herself and the Adventmovement from that of the followersof Joseph Smith:

“As the cry of Mormonism is oftenraised, especially in the West, at theintroduction of the Bible argument of

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the perpetuity of spiritual gifts [andespecially that of the gift of prophecy,which she herself never unblushinglyclaimed], I have felt anxious that mybrethren should know what my experi-ence has been, and where it has been.

“When at Knoxville, Iowa, March1860, we learned that a man had beenreporting that he knew me and myhusband twenty years ago, when we[allegedly] were leaders among theMormons at Nauvoo. At that time Iwas only twelve years old!” 24

Ellen White wanted no one to linkher gift of prophetic utterance withthat of the polygamous “prophet”Joseph Smith.

In conclusion, it is true that EllenWhite never claimed for herself thetitle of prophet, for the two coercivereasons offered above. But it is equallytrue that she never, ever, disclaimedthe role of prophet—nor correctedanyone else who accredited her withthis “spiritual gift” of the Holy Spirit(1 Cor. 12:1-31; Eph. 4:8-16).

The evidence of her prophetic gift-ing must ultimately persuade, not bytitle or office, but when earnest seekersfind in her counsels and encourage-ment the same Voice that speaks tothem in Scripture. ■

1 Book 3, line 121; cited in John Bartlett,Familiar Quotations, 16th ed., 93: 38; see “Aeneid,”World Book Encyclopedia (1995), vol. 1, p. 84.

2 Cited by Gabriel Robins (compiler) inGood Quotations by Famous People, in Yahoo!Internet website http://dir.yahoo.com/Reference/Quotations.

3 Cited in Bartlett, 527: 9.4 Ellen G. White, “Notes of Travel—No. 2:

Moline and Battle Creek,” Review and Herald,Jan. 26, 1905, pp. 8, 9. See also Roger W. Coon,“Ellen G. White’s Distressing Disclaimer of1904: Did She Really Deny Her Prophetic Gift?”a three-page “Summary Statement” distributedat the 1990 White Estate Research CenterDirectors Workshop, Silver Spring, Maryland,May 30, 1990, p. 1.

5 Stenographic notes of Maggie Hare, WhiteEstate Document File 108a; cited in Arthur L.White, The Early Elmshaven Years (1900-1904)(Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Pub.Assn., 1981), p. 354; cited hereinafter as 5Bio.

6 Stenographic notes of W. E. Cornell, WhiteEstate Document File 108a, cited in A. L. White.

7 Cited in A. L. White.8 See “Spiritual Gifts,” Review and Herald,

May 28, 1867, p. 284, and subsequent statementsof reaffirmation in editions of May 25, 1869,Mar. 22, 1870, Feb. 14, 1871, Mar. 25 and Nov.25, 1873, Oct. 5, 1876, Oct. 4, 1877, Oct. 24,1878, Dec. 4, 1879, Dec. 20, 1881, Dec. 26,

1882, and Nov. 30, 1886—all cited in Witness ofthe Pioneers Concerning the Spirit of Prophecy(Washington, D.C.: Ellen G. White Estate,1981), pp. 80-92.

9 ”The Work of Mrs. E. G. White,” Reviewand Herald, Jan. 26, 1905, pp. 5, 6.

10 A critical editorial, for example, appearedin The Bible Advocate of Stanbury, Missouri, ofJan. 10, 1905, quoting from a dispatch in theWashington, D.C., Sunday Record of Oct.2,1904; White Estate Document File 108a.

11 Manuscript 63, May 26, 1906; cited inEllen G. White, Selected Messages, book 1(Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Pub.Assn., 1958), pp. 31, 32. (Cited hereinafter as1SM.)

12 “Alonzo T. Jones,” Seventh-day AdventistEncyclopedia (1996), vol. 10, pp. 832, 833.

13 George R. Knight, From 1888 to Apostasy:The Case of A. T. Jones (Hagerstown, Md.: Reviewand Herald Pub. Assn., 1987), pp. 243, 244.

14 Ibid., p. 223.15 This 23-paragraph statement, originally

penned June 29, 1906, and published in theReview and Herald of July 26, 1906, is today avail-able in final published form in 1SM, pp. 31-35.

16 1SM, p. 34.17 “Ellen White’s Predictions,” nine-page

unpublished monograph, Ellen G. White Estate,Nov. 6, 1989, p. 1.

18 “A Messenger,” p. 8, pars., 7, 18; cited in1SM, pp. 32, 34.

19 Cited in 5Bio, p. 355.20 1SM, p. 36.21 “Joseph Smith,” World Book Encyclopedia

(1995), vol. 17, pp. 517, 518.22 “Joseph Smith,” Encyclopedia Britannica

(1990), vol. 10, p. 896.23 “Joseph Smith,” Encyclopedia Americana

(1994), vol. 25, pp. 60, 61.24 “Preface,” p. iv.

Roger W. Coon, Ph.D., is aretired associate director ofthe Ellen G. White Estate.He continues to serve asadjunct professor of propheticguidance at the Seventh-day AdventistTheological Seminary at AndrewsUniversity, Berrien Springs, Michigan.

Though Ellen White

never arrogatedto herself the

title of prophet,she nevertheless

never disclaimed the

role of a prophet.

BY JUDY L. SHULL

THE GATHERING OF SPECTATORS WASlarger than anyone could have imagined. Thiswas the event. Nothing like it had ever beenwitnessed before.

They watched,step by step, as T.C. climbedtoward the top of the plat-form. At the top she stood,gazed into the distance, tooka quick breath, and proceededslowly out to the end of theboard.

The crowd waited withhushed expectation. The sunblazed bright in the clear bluesky. Slowly the diver’s toescurled over the edge.Nervous perspiration glis-tened on her hot skin. Thoseassembled waited with anunconscious tension—unwill-ing to breathe, afraid thatany distraction would causeT.C. to lose her concentra-tion. With one thought thespectators willed the diver toproceed. They shudderedinwardly at the thought thatT.C. might lose her focus and step back.

Even though she had been told she could do this, stillshe wondered. She had planned for this moment for as longas she could remember. She had imagined her movementsover and over in her waking and sleeping thoughts.

Arms hung relaxed at her side while muscles rippled justunder her skin. Her preparation was apparent. Toe and legmuscles tightened in anticipation. The diver drew back herarms, extending them straight behind her. She bent into asemicrouch. She tucked her head briefly, almost in an atti-tude of prayer. It was time for total commitment: to take thedive, or to relax and wait until . . . until?

Suddenly, almost unexpectedly, T.C. bounced up, thendown, hitting the board with amazing power as she catapultedinto the air, rays of sparkling sunshine all around her.

The flight was breathtaking. The world disappeared as

T.C. experienced the sensation. Air rushed past her as shenoticed the water below. With a joyous movement T.C.raised her hands over her head and sliced neatly through

its refreshing coolness.As she felt the water envelop

her, thrilled by her flight, T.C.wondered why she’d hesitated.She wondered why she had wor-ried about those final steps.

Moments later her headcleared the surface, and theair exploded with deafeningcheers. T.C. finally felt athome. Leaning back, shefloated on the water as thesun shone warmly on her face.

The church is likewisepoised at the very brinkof history. The Son is

watching, as are the inhabitantsof the universe; the anticipationis high. Will she or won’t shetake the final steps toward glori-ous flight? Even after a lifetimeof preparation, the church some-times hesitates, not quite readyto commit to that final plunge.

But that leap of faith, that commitment, is the beginningof an incredible trip. The flight that takes us to the refresh-ing air of heaven and the loving arms of our heavenlyFather is only the beginning of an eternity with our Creator.

The final steps need to be taken. We have prepared forthe end, the gospel of the kingdom is going to all people,our muscles are flexed. It’s time to let the Lord completethat for which we’ve long been preparing. Let’s not relax,but burst upward with strength and courage to finish whatGod has begun in us so long ago. ■

Judy L. Shull teaches fifth and sixth grades atGrand Rapids Junior Academy in Grand Rapids,Michigan.

Taking the PlungeYears of preparation are about to yield their results.

P A R A B L E S O F T H E K I N G D O M


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ANDREA STEELE

The worship service was over at the Koganeichurch in Tokyo. The last to leave the sanctuary,Pastor Wu paused for a moment and glancedaround this familiar place. His eye fell on the lit-tle model of the new church building, and in the

quietness his thoughts wentback more than 10 years towhen he had first heard theAdventist message, on Ad-ventist World Radio . . .

God’s Universal LanguageBorn of Korean and

Chinese parents in northeast-ern China, in the area knownas Manchuria, Wu became fas-cinated with languages. Whilestudying Japanese at universityone day, he took a break andtuned the dial of his shortwaveradio. He heard a Japaneseprogram and, combining studywith pleasure, settled in to lis-ten. The program was appeal-ing, and he was delighted tohear a Korean program beginwhen the Japanese programended. So he kept listening,and was delighted again whenthe next language he heardwas Mandarin.

The broadcasts became a daily pleasure, and Wu soonwrote for Bible lessons—eventually completing lessons inthree languages. His letters to the Japanese Voice of Hope(VOH) were reported in their newsletter, and a churchmember, Tomiko Ohmuro, wrote the VOH to say she wouldbe glad to correspond with the young man.

Wu graduated in 1989 and, returning to his homeprovince, began teaching Japanese in a university. The nextfew years were busy ones as his faith grew. In 1990 he metAmerican missionaries setting up a NEWSTART healthprogram, helped establish a small house church in which hewas in charge of Sabbath school and young people’s meet-ings, purchased a church building for the group, helped with

evangelism and the establishment of the Korean AdventistChurch’s Sam Yook University Foreign Language Institutein China—and got married.

On August 20, 1993, Wu was baptized with 30 other newbelievers, and then ordained a few months later as a local

elder. By then, Wu says, hewas feeling the need of someformal instruction.

He was still correspondingwith Mrs. Ohmuro, and sherallied friends and churchmembers so that Wu couldattend Japan MissionaryCollege (Saniku GakuinCollege). Graduating in1997, Wu began a graduatedegree in Asian studies at theprestigious Waseda Universityand became an intern atKoganei church.

Looking Ahead, LookingBack

His reverie ended, Wuthought with excitement ofthe years of service that layahead: they would build theKoganei church, then hewould return to China, readyto use his extraordinary lan-guage gifts in the service of

his church and the people of China.Smiling, he touched the church model lightly, then

went quickly out into the sunlight to join his family. Hiswife was talking to Mrs. Ohmuro (with whom he had cor-responded for so many years), a member of his ownKoganei church. Wu thought about the people who hadshown him Christ and all the ways God had led himthrough those years—from broadcasts on Adventist WorldRadio to a future of sharing his faith in three languages—and he was very, very glad.

Andrea Steele is director of public relations and listener servicesfor Adventist World Radio.

Mr. Wu’s MultilingualRadio

A D V E N T I S T W O R L D R A D I O

FAMILY MINISTRY: Fluent in three languages, Pastor Wu standswith his family in front of the Koganei church, Tokyo. They’ll soongo to China to share their faith.


BY BERT WILLIAMS

All of my brass-playing life I have played thetrombone. As a school band director I havedabbled at other instruments, but never seri-ously. A few monthsago, however,

because of the needs of the orches-tra I play in, I decided to take upthe French horn. As it turns out,this selfless act is more easily con-ceived than accomplished.

I knew the physical demandswould be different than with thetrombone, and I expected to bechallenged. What I did not fullyunderstand was how the Frenchhorn would play with my mind. The orchestra’s visitingguest conductor recently told me that the orchestral musi-cians who most commonly have emotional breakdowns areplayers of the oboe and French horn. I have no difficultywhatever understanding that.

Horn players routinely live at the edge of calamity. Theyperform demanding music on an instrument that affords avery small margin of error. According to my sympatheticconductor friend, most conductors have “a fairly phlegmaticattitude toward missed notes coming from the French hornsection.” (The reader is left to ponder why he was telling methis.) Good conductors know that if they bear down toohard on horn players they will probably play worse—not forlack of trying but for lack of confidence.

Here is the horn player’s dilemma: the instrument isresponsive only to one who approaches it with freedom andconfidence. Timidity simply will not do. But the physicaldifference between a fine French horn performance and anawful one can be very small. Catastrophe seems always tolurk nearby, and when it occurs it is a public event. One isto do this with confidence? The instrument seems designedto destroy the very confidence that it demands.

The challenge for French horn players, says the conduc-tor, is to care very much about playing well, but not to caretoo much. One must strive diligently for flawless execution,but not be devastated when the execution is not flawless.

A sympathetic and encouraging conductor is a greatboon to a French horn player who is straining at Brahmsand Schubert for the first time. So far I have enough

confidence to continue trying. Under different circum-stances I would have despaired.

Recently I came upon a Scripture passage that can be for astruggling Christian what a sympa-thetic conductor is for a strugglingFrench horn player: “This then ishow we know that we belong to thetruth, and how we set our hearts atrest in his presence whenever ourhearts condemn us. For God isgreater than our hearts, and heknows everything” (1 John 3:19, 20).

Too often Christians are over-whelmed by lack of confidence.Their attempts to live a Christlike

life are flawed. But the more they focus on their miscues, themore their confidence wanes. Their hearts are not at rest.The attitude encouraged by my conductor friend is neededby Christians as well as horn players: we ought to care verymuch about living well; but we ought not to care too much.

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free,” exclaimsPaul. “Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be bur-dened again by a yoke of slavery” (Gal. 5:1). The paradox ofhorn playing is also the paradox of the Christian life. Onecan try too hard. Confidence can be so damaged that contin-ued failure is almost assured, but not for lack of trying.

Our need is for a serious, sustained striving for excellence inChristian living, combined with a healthy lack of worry aboutthe occasional miscue. It’s not that the miscues don’t matter.(What self-respecting musician wants wrong notes?) It’s justthat to focus on them will only make them worse and bringmore in their train. This may be why Paul penned the seem-ingly incongruous words of Romans 6:14: “Sin shall not be yourmaster, because you are not under law, but under grace.”

God’s grace expressed in Christ brings wonderful freedomto our lives. And if freedom and confidence are essential forFrench horn players, they must certainly be necessary forChristians too.

Bert Williams writes from Nairobi, Kenya, wherehe teaches at Maxwell Adventist Academy.

A Horn Player’sDilemma

R E F L E C T I O N S

What self-respecting

musician wantswrong notes?

Documents

World Edition - Adventist Reviewwill have more punch. 2. Clarify “celebration churches.” This may be my “own thing,” but in my understanding a “celebration” church is one