News
Petition to Fire Kenya’s Chief Justice in Reaction to Invalidation of Presidential Election - By Tysan, September 21, 2017: A member of parliament (MP) in Kenya has petitioned the Judicial Service Commission to fire Chief Justice David Maraga based on claims of “unprofessional interaction” with attorneys representing the party that successfully petitioned to have the recent presidential election invalidated. Maraga is an Adventist and Adventists across the African country […]- WhatsApp Helps Burundi-Based Adventist Radio Show Go Viral - From ANN, September 21, 2017: An Adventist radio program in Burundi called IJWI RY’INZAMBA Y’IHEREZO, or the Voice of Final Trumpet, has gone viral thanks to innovative use of the phone app WhatsApp. The program which airs on the national radio station is hosted by the Adventist Church and is popular with speakers of […]
- Adventist Denominational Governing Body to Convene Annual Meeting Next Week - September 21, 2017: Next week the administrators of the Seventh-day Adventist denomination will begin to gather from around the world for what will be three weeks of yearly meetings in Silver Springs, a Maryland suburb of Washington DC. This culminates in the Annual Council of the General Conference (GC) executive committee, October 5 through 11. […]
- $150,000 of Loma Linda vegetarian products donated to Southeast Hurricane Victims by Atlantic Natural Foods - September 20, 2017: According to a September 16 Business Wire report, Atlantic Natural Foods, the premier producer of shelf-stable plant-based protein, announced that it would donate $150,000 of its vegetarian products to hurricane victims in South Texas and Florida. In tackling the hurricane relief effort, Atlantic Natural Foods is joining forces with Clark Distributing […]
- NPR Traces Rise of Mock Meat to Adventism - September 19, 2017: An article on National Public Radio’s website titled The Rise Of Mock Meat: How Its Story Reflects America’s Ever-Changing Values, has traced the roots of meat replacements to late 19th century Adventism. In the article by freelance journalist, Deena Prichep, Battle Creek Sanitarium is pinpointed as the source of the first […]
- Sydney Adventist Hospital Physician Resigns From Australian Medical Association Over Same-Sex Marriage Statement - September 18, 2017: A prominent pediatrician at Sydney Adventist Hospital resigned from the Australian Medical Association after the body endorsed same-sex marriage. Dr. Robert Hardwick claimed that the AMA’s stance supporting same-sex marriage “completely overlooks the best and largest studies that have documented considerable long-term adverse outcomes for children raised in same-sex marriages.” He […]
- Andrews University Hosts Migrant and Refugee Missions Conference - September 18, 2017: “Mission in an Era of Migrants and Refugees” was the focus of the annual meeting of the International Fellowship of Adventist Mission Studies last week (September 13-17) at Andrews University (AU). This is the academic organization of Adventists who teach missiology and have executive responsibilities in missionary organizations around the world. When […]
- Adventists in the Caribbean Islands and Florida Offer Relief after Hurricane Irma - By Jeff Boyd, September 18, 2017: The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) and Adventist Community Services (ACS) have been busy responding to natural disasters over the recent weeks. There has been a major earthquake in Mexico; significant flooding in Nepal, India and Bangladesh; Hurricane Harvey in Texas and then Hurricane Irma, a Category 5 […]
- 9-17-17 Membership Drive Daily Update - Welcome to our Fall Member Drive Daily Update! You can learn how to become a member by clicking here. You can make a $1,000 donation to support some members who wished the could come in a higher level by clicking here. Thanks for all you’re doing to support Adventist Today and we’ll chat Sunday!
- Adventist Today Writer Melody Tan - Meet Melody Tan, one of Adventist Today’s international writers. Check out a couple of her articles: The Lost Art of Doing Nothing Our Baby: Doubt, Joy, Regret, and Anticipation To comment, click here.
- Andrews University Shares # 1 National Ranking for Ethnic Diversity - September 17, 2017: The 2018 U.S. News Best Colleges rankings have listed Andrews University as sharing the #1 spot for being one of America’s most ethnically diverse national universities. Released last week, the top ranking for Campus Ethnic Diversity is shared with University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and Rutgers University in Newark, New Jersey. […]
- Your Support is Always Welcome - We have reached the final day of our Fall Membership Drive. What a wonderful 10 days it has been to see minds and hearts touched to support Adventist Today. We have heard from so many of you who read us online, in our print magazine, or follow us on social media. You’ve been so supportive, […]
Commentary
- What Is the General Conference Executive Committee and What Does it Do? - By Gary Patterson, September 19, 2017: In January this year the denomination’s General Conference (GC) administrators initiated a new communication venture with the members of the GC executive committee in the form of an online digital newsletter. Such attempts at information flow are to be lauded, given the distance which exists both physically and perceptually, […]
- Adventist Tomorrow, Part 1: Reading Your Bible with Greater Care - by Jack Hoehn, September 18, 2017: There is a confluence of ideas coming from within and without the Seventh-day Adventist church that suggests places this church can go with its theology and mission. Jack wants to talk with you about some of them. This article is # 1 of a series, available on the Adventist […]
- Aage Rendalen Interview - In 1919, shortly after Ellen White’s death, participants in a Bible Conference talked openly about the nature of Ellen White’s inspiration and her role in the church. Many were troubled by, and openly discussed, Ellen White’s borrowing and extensive use of writers and editors. The conversation was so candid that the notes from it were […]
- Core Theological Convictions That Vindicate the Ministry of Women - By Woodrow W. Whidden Basic Assumptions and Principles While the Bible does not speak directly to the issue as to whether women should or should not be ordained, its seems clear that it does offer believers essential principles that call for the setting apart of women by the laying on of hands to confirm their […]
- Does God Use Disasters to Punish Sinners? - By Monte Sahlin, September 11, 2017: Two of the biggest hurricanes on record have destroyed the homes of many people on a number of islands in the Caribbean, and in Texas and Florida. A major earthquake has destroyed cities in Mexico. And today many Americans remember the terrorist attacks on New York City and Washington […]
- What Could Have Happened in San Antonio - by Finn F. Eckhoff A rewriting of Acts 15:1-18, based loosely on Eugene Peterson’s paraphrase The Message. It wasn’t long before some representatives showed up from GC insisting that no female pastors be ordained: “If you ordain female pastors and do not follow the GC Working Policy, you can’t be part of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.” […]
- Theological and Organizational Rigidity - by Edward Reifsnyder The funeral for my neighbor and friend Jeff was held in his church, a congregation of the United Church of Christ. As we sat quietly before the service, not knowing anything about that denomination, I did a search on my phone. The denomination has evolved over more than three hundred years by […]
- Why Adventists Have Ignored Female Genital Mutilation - by Winona Winkler Wendth, 09/10/2017 On October 24, 1906, Hulda Stumpf, a forty-year-old stenography teacher at the Indiana Business College wrote to an administrator of the African Inland Mission and asked for an appointment to British East Africa, now Kenya. The African Inland Mission, a non-denominational Christian organization, […]
- The Church’s Response to Female Genital Mutilation - by Beverly J. Robinson-Rumble In her report to the church’s 2016 Spring Council, Heather-Dawn Small, director of the General Conference Women’s Ministries Department, presented items voted by the Women’s Ministries Advisory a few weeks earlier, including two statements prepared by official church study groups regarding Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and Family Violence, and appealed for […]
- Is Donald Trump the Most Christlike President in History? - By Stephen Ferguson Do Jesus and the Donald share a Weltanschauung? Is Donald Trump more like Jesus Christ than any other previous President in the history of the United States?[1] Please don’t misunderstand me. I am not suggesting there are any obvious similarities between this thrice-married 71-year-old billionaire from New York and the celibate 33-year-old […]
- Salvation is God’s Job - by William Vercio I am a 4th generation Adventist, which isn’t uncommon, and I’m over 60, which also isn’t uncommon, but when you look at those two things together, through my grandparents, who were alive when Ellen White was still alive, I have a connection to the church pioneers. My grandparents’ stories and practices gave […]
- An Overview and Analysis of the Affirming Creation Conference - By Jim Hamstra, August 27, 2017: In July I attended the 8-day “Affirming Creation” conference sponsored by the Seventh-day Adventist denomination’s Faith and Science Committee and the North American Division Office of Education. The conference included about 50 presentations by 25 different presenters, in St. George, Utah, as well as on the buses to and […]
Features
- Andrews Student’s Film Nominated for Student Oscar - By Debbonnaire Kovacs, Sept 14, 2017 Nina Vallado, a recent graduate of Andrews University with a BFA in Documentary Films, has much to rejoice about. First, her short documentary, Sisterly, has been nominated for an Academy Award in the student category: “Documentary (Domestic Film Schools.” This is a huge feather in her cap, both […]
- God’s Peculiar People: Comic - God’s Peculiar People: A new cartoon feature by Sabine. Hailing from a country in one of two hemispheres, Sabine Dürer is a recent fifth-generation convert to Adventism. He or she may or may not have been Adventist-educated through college, or work for a major SDA institution, but perhaps not. Sabine enjoys spending time outdoors in his […]
- Adventists in the Arts: Daniel and Revelation and Rap - By Debbonnaire Kovacs, 9/7/2017 The Lesser Light Collective is a group of around 30 mostly young, diverse Adventist musicians who have created two albums of unique and appealing music, detailing the entire biblical books of Daniel and Revelation. This is a profile of one of the founding musicians, Lee Givhan, who, with his […]
- Daniel Xisto: Promoting Peace in Charlottesville - Daniel Xisto is the pastor of the Charlottesville, Virginia Adventist church. In this interview, he tells about how he and his congregation got involved in the events that led up to the “Unite the Right” rally, August 11-12. An excellent testimony of how a pastor can make a difference in matters of peace, and stand […]
- Innovators: When Buford Church says “Family,” They Mean It - By Debbonnaire Kovacs, Aug. 17, 2017 Buford Family Seventh-day Adventist Church began around ten years ago as a church plant started by several families who lived in Buford, Georgia and wanted to have a local church presence. I don’t remember seeing another church website which has a list of testimonials on its About page. Some […]
- Innovators: Would You Like a Pew or a Café Table? - By Debbonnaire Kovacs and Tami Cinquemani, Florida Hospital Church Worship Pastor I am continually amazed at the breadth and richness of the stories to be found in our drastically diverse Seventh-day Adventist congregations. This week’s feature comes from the Florida Hospital Church (FHC), where you can attend the 11:30 service in the worship center or […]
- Adventists in Arts: The 2017 Winners of the Gabe Reynaud Award - By Debbonnaire Kovacs, Aug 3, 2017 Note from the editor: I was delighted to learn about this organization which was formed to explore, encourage, and celebrate arts and creativity inspired by faith. If your church or conference has or knows of another similar organization, please send information to artseditor@atoday.org. Manifest defines itself as “a creative […]
- A Retired Physician’s Legacy: Tropical Health Alliance Foundation Helps Heal Impoverished People of Ethiopia - by Jiggs Gallagher, 08/01/2017 “God does not need our good works, but our neighbors do.” Martin Luther Redlands, CA–There are thousands of non-profit organizations set up to help people all over the world. Many of those thousands are providing medical help. This is the story of one Seventh-day Adventist physician’s journey in starting such a group. Larry […]
- Innovators: Paw Paw; the Church People Will Drive All Day to Get To - By Debbonnaire Kovacs and several members of the Paw Paw (Michigan) Adventist Church, posted July 20, 2017. Photo: Paw Paw Pathfinders on their way to Pathfinder Fair last May. Used by permission. When Adventist Today Executive Editor Dr. Loren Seibold first sent me a lead saying he’d found a church where “these people […]
- Innovators: Churches of Refuge - By Debbonnaire Kovacs, July 12, 2017 In 2005, Ron Whitehead, Director of the Center for Youth Evangelism (CYE), Assistant Professor of Youth Ministry at Andrews University, and Director of Youth Ministry for Lake Union Conference, was talking with a group of soon-to-be graduates. They were sharing with him their frustration on the subject of finding […]
- Innovators: Church Prays: God Sends Flood of Refugees - By Debbonnaire Kovacs, with Dr. Mable Dunbar, July 6, 2017 Sometimes when a church prays, they’re not ready for what comes. I have personally seen more than one church pray for new members and then end up chasing away the ones who come, because they are not just like the congregation, and don’t exactly […]
- Fort Scott, KS: Conservative to Liberal—Love on a Spectrum - By Debbonnaire Kovacs, June 29, 2017 All too often, the conversation around the concepts of liberal vs. conservative Christianity becomes an exercise in finger-pointing. Liberals paint conservatives as more judgmental and less loving, while conservatives claim that liberals are all about cheap grace—“God loves everybody; it doesn’t matter what you do.” This week’s church profiles—really […]
Poetry & Arts
- Golan - By S M Chen, posted Sept 19, 2017 [Based on Joshua 20] My sister was a young woman in the bloom of youth. She lived at home, as unmarried females were wont to do. She was not betrothed. It was dusk and, although the time of day was a bit later than usual, Sara went […]
- On Motives - By S M Chen, posted Sept 16, 2017 “A man generally has two reasons for doing a thing. One that sounds good, and a real one.” –J. P. Morgan (1837-1913), American financier and banker I was a youngster of perhaps six when I first became aware of the word “motive.” Late one afternoon, when the […]
- The Hero’s Journey - By S M Chen, posted 9/7/2017 “We are who we choose to be.”- Willem Dafoe, in “Spider-Man” Someone near and dear to me is writing a book. I’ve had the privilege of proofreading and editing it somewhat. I find the topic fascinating and relatable. It led me to begin thinking about stories, their commonalities and […]
- One Good Idea - By S M Chen, posted Aug 15, 2017 “New ideas pass through 3 periods: 1) It can’t be done. 2) It probably can be done, but it’s not worth doing. 3) I knew it was a good idea all along.” –Arthur C. Clarke (1917-2008), British writer (‘2001:A Space Odyssey’), inventor, explorer, TV series host […]
- Rain - By S M Chen, posted Aug 8, 2017 “If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.” –Psalm 139: 9, 10 It is one of my scheduled workdays. I work only occasionally […]
- Pastor Daron Pratt: Family Ministries (illustrated with balloon animals) - By Debbonnaire Kovacs, Aug 3, 2017 Our feature this week showcases this year’s Gabe Reynaud Award winners, one of whom is Pastor Daron Pratt. He received the award for his innovative and creative use of social media (and balloons!) in family and children’s ministry. Balloon animals are involved! [Note to non-Southern Pacific readers: a “chook” […]
- Melissa Otto, Reynaud Award Recipient - By Debbonnaire Kovacs, Aug 3, 2017 Our feature this week announces two winners of the Gabe Reynaud Award. One is Melissa Otto, solo singer/songwritier and subject of an earlier feature. Hear Melissa sing here. To comment, click here.
- Can We All Get Along? - By S M Chen, posted Aug 1, 2017 “Can we all get along?” – spoken by Rodney King, after the 1992 Los Angeles riots (which cost over a $1 billion; 63 died, 2363 were injured and 12,000 arrested) *** It was just another morning in paradise – or so it seemed. The sun shone brightly […]
- Turtles - by John Bryan, 08/01/2017 Every story must begin somewhere. And this one begins on the seaside. Nature loves to hold on to mysteries, as if to disclose them meant she’ll lose a part of herself. For a long time, it was a mystery how turtle hatchlings found the sea. Perhaps the gentle sound of waves was […]
- Hear the Freedom Singers in Their Native Language - Posted by Debbonnaire Kovacs, July 27, 2017 Stefan and Simon Evascu and Wesley Pop make up the Freedom Singers, whose amazing story is our Feature today. Click Here for a chance to hear them sing in their native Romanian.
- Adventists in the Arts: Singing their Way to Freedom - By Debbonnaire Kovacs, July 26, 2017 In pitch darkness, locked into a shipping container filled nearly to the top with ceramic tiles, out of food, out of water, and nearly out of oxygen, two young friends used what might be their last breath to sing. Because He lives, I can face tomorrow; Because He lives, […]
- Another Miracle - By S M Chen, posted July 25, 2017 “Absence of proof is not proof of absence.” – Carl Sagan, American astronomer and scientist (1934-1996) “Can you keep a secret?” I asked Seth, my 8-year-old grandson. He was a comely lad with an easy smile and a head full of dark curls. He stopped what […]
All
- New Book and New Video by George Knight - Dr. George R. Knight is probably the best known historian of the Adventist movement. He has written many books and retired more than a decade ago after a long tenure on the faculty of the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary at Andrews University. In June this year Adventist Today published an article by Knight entitled “9.5 […]
- Petition to Fire Kenya’s Chief Justice in Reaction to Invalidation of Presidential Election - By Tysan, September 21, 2017: A member of parliament (MP) in Kenya has petitioned the Judicial Service Commission to fire Chief Justice David Maraga based on claims of “unprofessional interaction” with attorneys representing the party that successfully petitioned to have the recent presidential election invalidated. Maraga is an Adventist and Adventists across the African country […]
- WhatsApp Helps Burundi-Based Adventist Radio Show Go Viral - From ANN, September 21, 2017: An Adventist radio program in Burundi called IJWI RY’INZAMBA Y’IHEREZO, or the Voice of Final Trumpet, has gone viral thanks to innovative use of the phone app WhatsApp. The program which airs on the national radio station is hosted by the Adventist Church and is popular with speakers of […]
- Adventist Denominational Governing Body to Convene Annual Meeting Next Week - September 21, 2017: Next week the administrators of the Seventh-day Adventist denomination will begin to gather from around the world for what will be three weeks of yearly meetings in Silver Springs, a Maryland suburb of Washington DC. This culminates in the Annual Council of the General Conference (GC) executive committee, October 5 through 11. […]
- $150,000 of Loma Linda vegetarian products donated to Southeast Hurricane Victims by Atlantic Natural Foods - September 20, 2017: According to a September 16 Business Wire report, Atlantic Natural Foods, the premier producer of shelf-stable plant-based protein, announced that it would donate $150,000 of its vegetarian products to hurricane victims in South Texas and Florida. In tackling the hurricane relief effort, Atlantic Natural Foods is joining forces with Clark Distributing […]
- Golan - By S M Chen, posted Sept 19, 2017 [Based on Joshua 20] My sister was a young woman in the bloom of youth. She lived at home, as unmarried females were wont to do. She was not betrothed. It was dusk and, although the time of day was a bit later than usual, Sara went […]
- NPR Traces Rise of Mock Meat to Adventism - September 19, 2017: An article on National Public Radio’s website titled The Rise Of Mock Meat: How Its Story Reflects America’s Ever-Changing Values, has traced the roots of meat replacements to late 19th century Adventism. In the article by freelance journalist, Deena Prichep, Battle Creek Sanitarium is pinpointed as the source of the first […]
- What Is the General Conference Executive Committee and What Does it Do? - By Gary Patterson, September 19, 2017: In January this year the denomination’s General Conference (GC) administrators initiated a new communication venture with the members of the GC executive committee in the form of an online digital newsletter. Such attempts at information flow are to be lauded, given the distance which exists both physically and perceptually, […]
- Sydney Adventist Hospital Physician Resigns From Australian Medical Association Over Same-Sex Marriage Statement - September 18, 2017: A prominent pediatrician at Sydney Adventist Hospital resigned from the Australian Medical Association after the body endorsed same-sex marriage. Dr. Robert Hardwick claimed that the AMA’s stance supporting same-sex marriage “completely overlooks the best and largest studies that have documented considerable long-term adverse outcomes for children raised in same-sex marriages.” He […]
- Andrews University Hosts Migrant and Refugee Missions Conference - September 18, 2017: “Mission in an Era of Migrants and Refugees” was the focus of the annual meeting of the International Fellowship of Adventist Mission Studies last week (September 13-17) at Andrews University (AU). This is the academic organization of Adventists who teach missiology and have executive responsibilities in missionary organizations around the world. When […]
- Adventists in the Caribbean Islands and Florida Offer Relief after Hurricane Irma - By Jeff Boyd, September 18, 2017: The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) and Adventist Community Services (ACS) have been busy responding to natural disasters over the recent weeks. There has been a major earthquake in Mexico; significant flooding in Nepal, India and Bangladesh; Hurricane Harvey in Texas and then Hurricane Irma, a Category 5 […]
- Adventist Tomorrow, Part 1: Reading Your Bible with Greater Care - by Jack Hoehn, September 18, 2017: There is a confluence of ideas coming from within and without the Seventh-day Adventist church that suggests places this church can go with its theology and mission. Jack wants to talk with you about some of them. This article is # 1 of a series, available on the Adventist […]
