Presidents of NAD Universities on Church Unity and Ministry Inclusiveness
At the NADYEM18 meeting, Gordon Bietz read the following statement crafted by the Presidents of the Association of Adventist Colleges and Universities:
As presidents of Adventist colleges and universities in North America, we stand in solidarity, committed to the following:
- We affirm that our calling, within the mission of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, is nurturing the faith of young people for service in this world and the world to come;
- We affirm that as educational leaders, our learning communities are committed to embodying the grace of God’s kingdom;
- We affirm that God calls women and men, to the gospel ministry. Our role is to nurture and equip all dedicated SDAs to be part of God’s great transformative commission to the world;
- We affirm that just as God called young Adventist pioneers, men and women, including the prophetic and pastoral ministry of Ellen White, today we need to recover the all-inclusive prophetic vision that did not discriminate but embraced all as needed for the gospel ministry;
- We affirm our denomination’s belief that every human being is created in the image of God—a belief that valued the dignity and freedom of enslaved humans and even called for civil disobedience when human laws and policies went against God’s principles of equality and dignity;
- We affirm our pioneers, who, through their fear of kingly powers, established inspired organizational systems to ensure and safeguard participatory decision-making and spirit-led methods relevant to various geographic locations;
- We affirm that unity finds its strength in diversity, and that the cohesion and commitment desired of a volunteer organization cannot be forced, coerced or shamed. Instead, its sole unifying power is found by lifting Jesus as the relentless Savior whose forgiveness and unconditional love is all embracing.
Adventist University of Health Science
Edwin Hernandez
Andrews University
Andrea Luxton
Burman University
Loren Agrey
Kettering College
Nate Brandstater
La Sierra University
Randal Wisbey
Loma Linda University
Dick Hart
Oakwood University
Leslie Pollard
Pacific Union College
Bob Cushman
Southern Adventist University
David Smith
Southwestern Adventist University
Ken Shaw
Union College
Vinita Sauder
Walla Walla University
John McVay
Washington Adventist University
Weymouth Spence
