For there shall arise false christs and false prophets and shall show great signs and wonders, insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Matthew 24:24 I remember as a child reading about false christs and prophets. That last phrase, “They shall deceive the very elect” stuck in my brain. I […]
Not long ago I talked to a woman who had suffered a lot growing up as a Seventh-day Adventist. The abuse wasn’t physical. It was spiritual. She was one of those people (I am another) whose parents and teachers drilled down on all the awful things that were about to happen to Adventists: persecution, our […]
In 2000, when I was four years old, I attended my first General Conference (GC) session in Toronto, Canada. My grandfather was a respected church administrator and pastor for 50 years, allowing us a chance to be in the epicenter of the event. My first GC Session and those afterwards were experienced from the delegate […]
Something you’ll often hear Adventists complain about is that there aren’t enough young people in our church. There are probably many reasons for that, but one that I’d like to explore has to do with who’s leading the church. The word to describe leadership by the oldest people is “gerontocracy.” Our General Conference (GC) is […]
In a world increasingly shaken by corruption, exclusion, and abuse of power—whether in political systems or religious institutions—it’s easy to fall into a mode of resistance. We see and feel deeply that something is not right. Many of us are no longer willing to allow our identities to be passively associated with systems that perpetuate […]
Adventists have in recent years begun to realize how centralized and authoritarian our denomination is. Those in top church offices seem to want to exercise control over every aspect of church life, in every part of the world, right down to the everyday operation of local congregations. The recent kerfuffle in Berrien Springs Village has […]
Adventism is unraveling, and it stings. A bloated church structure lets a few strongmen smother debate, block women’s ordination, and cram our dear church into a suffocating, General Conference-approved box. Honest dialogue? Routinely crushed. Conspiracy theories, anti-intellectualism, and contempt for “outsiders” fester in the pews. Evangelists wield fear and guilt to corral the flock. Meanwhile, […]
Sometimes I lie awake at night staring at the ceiling, and wondering what a single citizen is supposed to do. But my ceiling has no answers for me—only more fear. Sometimes I feel that fear is the point. If they can make us afraid, it makes us easier to control. Recently I was at a […]
Another General Conference session will soon be upon us. Adventists will be eager to hear what the brethren (still almost all brethren, with but a small handful of sisteren) will come up with. You might want to temper your expectations a little. There’s an old song about a bear who went over the mountain to […]
I was 11 when the Adventist Church first crushed me. My missionary parents lost their jobs due to ruthless decisions at an Adventist higher education institution. Church politics had spiraled, and the fallout was brutal. To a mature adult, it might have been merely disappointing; to me, it shattered my world. I said goodbye to […]
March is Women’s History Month, a perfect time to celebrate the often unsung contributions of women. I want to tell you about Eva B. Dykes, who in 1921 became the first Black American woman to complete the requirements for a doctoral degree. Though she died in 1986, Dr. Dykes remains a symbol of courage, scholarship, […]
Not long ago in a conversation with a friend I referred to Adventists as “sectarian.” She asked me what that meant. In case you don’t know either, let me try to explain. In terms of doctrines, Seventh-day Adventists share a great deal with most other Christians. But we have quite a different kind of identity. The […]