16 May 2022 | Dear Aunt Sevvy: I just recently read Aunt Sevvy’s response to a person who had issues with having a drug addict attending church with them. I have a related question. How should the church handle a person addicted to pornography, masturbation, or illicit sex? The church manual lists these as issues […]
Category: Features
Aunty, are black people cursed by God?
9 May 2022 | Dear Aunt Sevvy, Is Jesus white, and are we black people a cursed race? Signed, Puzzled African Dear Puzzled: The short answer is an emphatic no, to both questions. Jesus was a Jew of the Levant, and though artists pictured him for centuries with European features, he undoubtedly had dark skin, […]
Four Misinterpreted Texts About Bible Interpretation
8 May 2022 Much of what we say we know about Biblical interpretation is derived from what the Bible says about itself. While the Bible is right to self-identify itself as an inspired book, the problem is that several of the oft-used passages are taken out of context, and in some cases wholly misinterpreted. This […]
Memories of My Wonderful, Bold and Unusual Mother
by Jay Linthicum | 6 May 2022 | This was originally presented by Jay during a Mother’s Day Sabbath at the Gathering Place Sabbath School, Loma Linda University Church. It being the time of the year when we honor our mothers, I thought I would tell you some stories about my remarkable mom. Ducks Once […]
Aunty, why is Ukraine Union now run by the General Conference?
2 May 2022 | Dear Aunt Sevvy, Is detaching the Ukraine Union from the Euro-Asia Division and attaching it directly to the General Conference a good thing? What impact will the change have? Just Curious Dear Curious: According to the press release, “a 21-member Ukrainian Union Conference Oversight Committee, chaired by GC general vice president […]
I want a call to ministry, Aunty, and I need a wife!
25 April 2022 | Dear Aunt Sevvy, I’m a ministerial student. I have been urged that I should have a wife to get a call. Why won’t anyone date me? Signed, Lonely wannabe pastor Dear Lonely, When Aunty was in college, she remembers ministerial students being told that they needed a wife before they’d be […]
Aunty, why don’t we hear more from African theologians and preachers?
18 April 2022 | Dear Aunt Sevvy: We all know that Africa has seen the most growth of any region in the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the entire world. Why, then, do we see so many fewer Africans representing and speaking for the church? For example, though I know there are many African theologians, I […]
Pontius Pilate: A Novel. Reviewed by Victor Lee
17 April 2022 | by Victor Lee Pontius Pilate: A Novel. by Paul Maier. Kregel Publications, Grand Rapids, MI, 1968. For several days recently, I got lost: buried in the pages of a historical novel sent to me by my nephew. In Pontius Pilate, a novel first published in 1968 and now in its 3rd […]
Dear Aunty: Is Oral Sex a Sin?
Dear Aunt Sevvy: Is oral sex a sin? Signed, Consenting Adult Dear Consenting: Aunt Sevvy has addressed this before. You can read her response here. But since this keeps coming up, let me say again that the simple answer is no. The Bible doesn’t say anything about it either way, and what consenting spouses enjoy […]
Aunty, my 10-year-old daughter was raped.
4 April 2022 | Dear Aunty Sevvy, My 10-year-old (at the time) daughter was raped on her way from school by unknown men. We were born-again Christians and had been members of the Adventist church for over 18 years. I had specifically prayed and trusted God for my children’s protection every day. Since then, whenever […]
Can the Church Love LGBTQ+ Adventists?
4 April 2022 | LGBTQ+ Adventists have concerns and complaints about how they have been treated in the church. How does biblical love inform our beliefs and the challenges presented by LGBTQ+ Adventists? Before you go…The April 1-10, 2022 AT Spring Fundraiser is ON. Your donations are funding AT’s pioneering content for young people in […]
Aunty, how can I find an Adventist man to marry me?
28 March 2022 | Dear Aunty: I want to marry an Adventist man. How can that happen? Signed, Someone to Share my Faith Dear Someone, You are not alone! There are many young (and not-so-young) people who want a spouse who shares their beliefs. Especially after a person has left formal Adventist education, the dating […]