Editorial: “Can This Church Change?”
It is likely that Adventist Today readers aren’t typical of most Seventh-day Adventists around the world. But inasmuch as we represent a rather significant portion of the church, it would seem in the denomination’s interest to make room for us.
But can that happen? I’m not sure. Even if it were possible, it would be risky—and it might require more skillful leadership than we have right now.
I think of a conversation I had once with the late Marvin Moore, editor of Signs of the Times magazine. He told me how dramatically the magazine’s subscriptions had dropped in recent years. We talked about this venerable publication, and how sad if that nameplate that was so important to our pioneers would be lost.
I asked him, “Why don’t you update the magazine—do something for a new generation?” His response, essentially, was that they couldn’t update it without losing the support they have. When we try something creative, Marvin said, right away the support from the traditionalists drops. And, he admitted, that supportive generation is dying.
In short, we don’t know how to update our product without losing our remaining customers.
It’s a good illustration about the difficulty of change, and I’ve thought about it often. It is the story not just of a magazine, but of the whole church. Yes, whole segments of the church—notably the young—are leaving. But the people who support it the most vigorously right now will leave sooner if we try to change things.
So we won’t. We’ll let it die, because we can’t change.
Perhaps this is what’s behind Ted Wilson’s eager evocation of the shaking. Let the doubters go, and we’ll be left with only the perfect people. I don’t think it will work, but if he persists, he may get his wish.
As for Adventist Today, we want to make the church welcoming to everyone—even those who have reframed what it means to be a Seventh-day Adventist
Loren Seibold
Executive Editor, Adventist Today magazine and website
16 November 2024
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