Annual Meeting Agenda: Denomination’s Proposed Strategic Plan for Next Five Years
October 9, 2015: Perhaps the single most important item on the agenda for the annual meeting of the denomination’s General Conference executive committee next week is a 30-page document outlining goals for 2015 to 2020. It emphasizes a mission-driven, Christ-centered approach for the global movement that will probably have 30 million adherents by the end of the five years.
A total of 21 objectives are listed on pages 14 and 16, including increasing the engagement of young adults, involving believers in service as the path to faithful Christian discipleship, “affirm the administrative role of pastors,” and “improve leadership practices in order to enhance the credibility of, and trust in, the church organization.” (Numbers 8 through 11.) The first seven objectives focus on expanding “spiritual practices” among church members and steps to “enhance unity and community.”
Objectives that impact the world outside the denomination include continued expansion of Adventist presence in the world’s cities and the “10/40 window,” a region in Asia and the Middle East where there are very few Christians, specifically “planting new groups of believers” as well as other projects. In other words, grow the Adventist engagement with the secular world and societies dominated by faiths other than Christianity. (Objectives number 12-14 and 19.)
Clearly, the leadership of the denomination is being asked by this document to embrace non-traditional approaches to outreach: Objective 15 is, “To substantially reorient our which this proposed plan is based know that for Adventists to continue to use the same approaches will result in a slowing and eventual stall of church growth in at least some parts of the world, although others may still have great success with traditional methods and delay the decline longer.
Pages 6 through 11 give a concise summary of the research done in 2011 through 2013 to prepare a factual base for this plan. “Five major research projects took place globally.” Samples totally “almost 41,000 church members and nearly 1,000 former members were interviewed or … completed questionnaires” in this research. It “included 4,260 pastors” and 1,200 young adults.” Two gatherings of scholars and administrators discussed the findings; “Refocusing Adventist Urban Mission for the 21st Century” and “Summit on Nurture and Retention,” both in 2013.
The grace of Jesus Christ will have renewed focus for Adventists under this proposed plan, despite criticism from within and outside the movement that it can be too legalistic and have a “workaholic” organizational culture. “The mission that called our community into being began with the redemptive act of God,” the committee members will be asked to agree (page 12) in a section on “The Reach of Grace” which is intended to infuse all the other plans.
The “guts” of the plan are found in 81 “key performance indicators,” or specific, measurable items that will be used to evaluate progress toward the goals, which are listed on pages 16 through 23. Researchers will check on these items throughout the five years of the plan and regularly report to denominational leaders.
The entire document can be downloaded in PDF here. A comprehensive report on the research mentioned above, which was published in 2013, can be downloaded here.
Adventist Today will report on the discussion of this proposed plan as well as any amendments made from the floor of the annual meeting. When the plan is adopted, that will also be reported.
It looks like some thorough analysis has been done and plenty of ways have been identified for members to be involved. Now come the challenges of actually doing it and objectively measuring our progress at different levels so we can clearly identify if we’re actually doing what we say we’re doing.
If we could assume that a specific percentage of members of the SdA organization are truly Christians and that that same percentage will continue to represent the reality of our makeup as a denomination, we could proceed on the assumption that more is better.
I don’t subscribe to either that assumption or that conclusion.
I’m not suggesting that we stop promoting our understanding of who Jesus is, our understanding of the plan of salvation, our understanding of the nature of the kingdom or our understanding or the manner and purpose the the second advent of Jesus.
AT the same time, multitudes of members of our own denomination are trusting in their efforts to earn or deserve salvation (or translation when Jesus returns) “with God’s help”. Perhaps it is time to focus more on quality than on quantity, i.e. encourage members–and especially potential members–to be open to the possibility of experiencing the miracle in their own lives by which that trust is transferred to what Jesus does to save us–what he has done, what he is doing now and what he can hardly wait to do when he returns.
“Performance indicators” in THAT direction include:
Using a broad definition of religious liberty
Emphasis on what we “get to” do as Christians
Encouraging people to study the Bible FOR THEMSELVES
A longer list is available upon request. r.metzger44@gmail.com
Roger said,
“AT the same time, multitudes of members of our own denomination are trusting in their efforts to earn or deserve salvation (or translation when Jesus returns) “with God’s help”.”
Excuse me, Roger, but I would like for you to give one quote where a church member claims they are earning salvation?
And if you can’t, who gave you the authority to judge anyone’s motive of just why thy endeavor to do God’s will? I don’t know to what degree you may be right or wrong. But unless you can find a quote to clearly identifies the motive you have stated, all you can do is speculate about something you have no evidence for.
Hi Bill, Hi Roger,
For some reason you’re heading down a well traveled path of salvation by works. Before it gets into an argument, I’d like to share this verse with you. It resolves everything in my mind.
“Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.”
John 6:29 KJV
Bill,
One of the people I invited to attend sabbath services was a lady who was “very nearly vegetarian”. She knew I was a vegetarian but didn’t realize until she was seated for the potluck meal that all of the dishes were vegetarian. She asked the member seated next to her whether all Seventh-day Adventists are vegetarians. The member replied, “You will be too because we know that only vegetarians will go to heaven.”
I attended a series of “evangelistic” meetings. I thought the “evangelist” did a good job of explaining things like the 7th-day-ness of the sabbath and advantages of a vegetarian diet. When there were only a couple of meetings left of those that had been scheduled, he still hadn’t mentioned anything about the gospel. I made an appointment to speak privately with the “evangelist” to ask him when or whether he planned to introduce the gospel. His answer floored me. “I’m here to get people to act like Adventists and that is what I intend to do whether you like it or not.”
There are a number of things I “get to” do as a Christian. How many members insist on speaking of those same things as what they “have to” do?
How many of those same members say we cannot do what is right “on our own” but insist that we must do right “with God’s help”.
What percentage of SdA sermons are about salvation by grace alone through faith alone? 2%? Maybe less?
“I’m here to get people to act like Adventists and that is what I intend to do whether you like it or not.”
This is the true manifesto of the “fake it until you make it” club.
“What percentage of SdA sermons are about salvation by grace alone through faith alone? 2%? Maybe less?”
May I invite you to visit our church?
Jim,
We live in Michigan. It is likely that we will be moving to Maine in November. We hope to avoid travel on the sabbath day but maybe, if you live between Michigan and Maine, we could stop and say hello.
I was born and raised in Michigan.
I currently reside in Oregon.
” “You will be too because we know that only vegetarians will go to heaven.”
Even if you disagree with the statement, it is not ipso facto legalism. Legalism can only be defined as a false motive and unless a person states their motive is to merit and earn heaven, you still don’t know.
You stated, “There are a number of things I “get to” do as a Christian. How many members insist on speaking of those same things as what they “have to” do?”
Just because you “have to obey God’s will” and express this necessity is not legalism. The covenant is “obey and live, disobey and die.” And yes, you “have” to do the will of God if you expect to escape the judgment of wrath and condemnation.
So, what you “get to do” is also what you “have to do” just as a person may “get to go to work” but also “has to go to work”.
The imperative is not a false motive to obtain the desired goal. Only if in the spiritual context it means to earn and/or merit the favor of God. Children “have to” obey their parents. But they do not merit membership in the family by obeying their parents.
God’s children “have to” obey Him. But it doesn’t merit membership in the family of God.
Bill, what you are referencing is the same type of legalism that the Pharisees fell into. True, God wants us to obey but by our sinful nature we will fail. David was a murder, adulterer and a thief. David was also a man after God’s own heart. How can the two of these be true. Simply look to the story of the two sinner’s prayers. One knew he was a sinner (David) and was in desperate need of a savior. He feels the weight of the sins he commits and knows that without God he is lost. The Pharasee (Legalistic Adventist) says I keep all the commandments not recognizing the sins they are committing and recognizing their need of a savior. It’s a very easy trap to fall because we have such an understanding of the truth that we start focusing on the truth instead of who is giving us that truth.
Now that I have conducted a cursory overview of the document, it seems to me that it is all about getting people to do things.
There are many Christians in our own and other denominations who do many of the things listed but true Christians do those things because we are Christians–not in order to be Christians.
We can’t convince or convert anyone. That is the role of the Holy Spirit. We can, however, encourage people to trust the Lord in various ways
for forgiveness
for transformation
for the setting up of his kingdom of glory
to guide each of us in our study of his written word
to inspire us for service.
Many people actually prefer to be told what to believe and what to do. If we offer those people instruction in what to believe and what to do, we can thereby create a superficial religiosity that, to outward appearances, seems very similar to Christianity.
That plan, however, utterly fails to attract protestants.
Over the last several decades, I have had non-Adventist friends who didn’t consider my seventh-day sabbath keeping or my vegetarian diet to be evidence of a works orientation. HOW those things are encouraged makes all the difference. Those are not things I “have to” do. They aren’t even things I “do”. They are blessings the Lord gives me.
Hi Roger.
From what I’ve read so far I so hope we are on the same page.
YES! We have to know Jesus, not just something about Him, be working on that knowing, before we are any good for ourselves, or anyone else.
By the grace of God I am going to continue introducing those of my SdA church to bible promises and going to God for all our problems, and what He has done and is doing, in my life. And continue seeking Him and full conversion myself.
All else is just as the texts state:
“Except the Lord build the house they labor in vain that build it.”
“Without me ye can do nothing”
“For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.” 🙁
“increasing the engagement of young adults”
How ironic coming from a body that includes only a handful of token young adults.
“affirm the administrative role of pastors”
Most pastors are not chosen based upon their spiritual gifts of administration. Of course most (former?) pastors who sit on this committee have been chosen based upon their spiritual gifts of administration. So they naturally want the pastors they lead to be like them.
In all local congregations, the church is best served by recruiting members to fulfill various roles based upon their spiritual gifts, rather than some ecclesiastical manifesto. Pastors need to be taught how to recruit members for leadership roles based upon the necessary gifts for those roles, and then to delegate and equip these members to fulfill their roles.
“for Adventists to continue to use the same approaches will result in a slowing and eventual stall of church growth in at least some parts of the world”
Would that include sending a prominent Adventist leader to New York City to hold one more series of “reaping” meetings? You baptize a few hundred people and publish some nice photos. But did you really impact the city?
“Researchers will check on these items throughout the five years of the plan and regularly report to denominational leaders.”
In parts of the world where “performance to plan” is strongly emphasized, there develops a tendency to “fake it until you make it”. The local conferences and pastors can be so focused on making their “numbers” look good, that they neglect the weightier matters of the law – Justice and Mercy and Faithfulness.
I am wondering how the 81 “specific, measurable items that will be used to evaluate progress toward the goals” will be used to evaluate Justice and Mercy and Faithfulness?
Jesus offered one very simple “key performance indicator” – All men will know you are My disciples by your love for one another. Simple to state but impossible to achieve. With humans this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.
Dear Hammy,
Looks like you may be infected with the “Love” bug.
Love,
Bugs
“involving believers in service as the path to faithful Christian discipleship”
This statement indicates ongoing confusion among our leaders, regarding the difference between the Path of Discipleship and the Fruit of Discipleship.
The Path to Christian discipleship runs to Jesus via through the Cross. Following Jesus daily involves spending time in His Presence.
The Fruit of Christian discipleship, is Service to others.
Bill and Teresaq,
One of the advantages of a forum such as this one is that it gives us opportunity to hone our ability to articulate our own goals and opportunity to explain how we, personally, encourage others–on a one-to-one basis–to progress along their own personal Christian pathway. Another advantage is that people whose religion is institutional can peek under the tent flap into a world that might otherwise remain unknown to them.
PERSONAL Bible study does not consist of reading the book Bible Readings or even looking up all of the Bible texts in the SdA Sabbath School lesson guides. PERSONAL Bible study means going to the Bible when we have questions. I have sometimes found denominational literature helpful in finding Bible texts on a given subject but PERSONAL Bible study means then using a concordance and marginal references to find additional texts. When doing an in-depth study of a subject I have often read the entire chapter (or more than one chapter) in which each of those verses are found so as to minimize the danger of taking a verse out of context.
To me, teaching people how to study their Bibles FOR THEMSELVES is vastly more important than indoctrinating them.
I wish every SdA whose religion is personal would write a letter to the local conference president suggesting other ways of measuring “success” than numbers of people who join our denomination.
When your enterprise is constructed on a business model, as are church organizations, there is no alternative to judging success by membership gains. Money is the lifeblood and its sole source is members. I maintain the “gospel” and the profit motive aren’t compatible in the church/corporate setting where the gospel is nothing but a talking point. So any proposals to otherwise measure “success” outside of growth is dead on arrival.
A church is actually a club with membership requirements no different than local country clubs. To join one accepts a set of rules, agrees to a recurring fee, and can be dismissed for violation of the contract. While in good standing a member enjoys the benefits of the club. What he privately thinks of the rules doesn’t matter as long as there is no disruptive public expression.
The Adventist problem isn’t the lack of comprehension of “righteousness by faith” (a manufactured dogma, Christ never mentioned it) but a willing absorption of complex Church theology and ignorance of the simplicity of Christ’s teachings.
The evangelist mentioned above is right on target. “Acting as if” is exactly the what the church/club requires to meet its corporate goals. Being a member of a Christian church isn’t the same as being a Christian. Christ taught by his words and life how to live life fully with the key being love, the entanglement between people and “God.”
Following Christ is a private affair. No church is needed.
Bugs,
If I understand you correctly, much of what you have written is right on.
Maybe my way of saying the same thing is no closer to what some people call “Adventist tradition” than yours is but, if I may…
One time when I was asked to preach the sabbath sermon for a small SdA congregation, I used a map of the Mississippi and its tributaries to illustrate how the church of today (the Christian church) consists of many theological streams over many centuries. After one of my references to “the chruch”, one of the members of the congregation spoke up. “Do you mean our church?”
I have regretted ever since having not anticipated that question and not having formulated a better response. What I said was, “There is only one church and it isn’t our church, it is the Lord’s church.”
Protestants haven’t always uniformly applied the principles upon which the reformation was (and is) built but the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers implies, not that there is no such thing as “the church” but that “the church” consists of believers. “The church” is not an organization.
In our denomination, we don’t refer to pastors as “priests” but if or when they attempt to assume the role of telling us what to believe or what to do, they fall in the category about whom Thomas Jefferson wrote that he believed there never would have been an infidel if there had never been a priest.
Bugs, I understand your disdain for the church. It can look and feel like any other organization of people. It is fallible and a mess. It is run by sinners with all types of problems, and filled with the same.
However, following Christ is not a private affair. As a church we are saved and are responsible for the salvation of each other, because the church is the body of Christ on earth. As a church we tangibly love each other and hold each other accountable.
The danger of following Christ entirely on my own is self-delusion. When it is just “Jesus and me” there is less conflict and struggle. Things are easier. Then I wonder, am I conforming to Jesus, or is my idea of Him conforming to me?