Seventh-day Activists Pt.2
by Carl McRoy
The following is part three of a series of articles about Adventist pastors and activism. You can find the previous installments part one (HERE) and part two (HERE). It would be beneficial to read those before reading this.
The following excerpts from official Seventh-day Adventist Beliefs with associated comments and questions are to help us think about and practice our “distinctive, Christ-centered Seventh-day Adventist message” in ways that delivers “hope and wholeness” to the people we seek to reach.
Seventh-day Activist Fundamentals: Created equal
The current Seventh-day Adventist Fundamental Belief #6 on “Creation,” says in part, “The first man and woman were made in the image of God as the crowning work of Creation.” Do we see each other as jewels in God’s crowning work? Trying to persuade other Christians to see Black people as God’s image-bearers was basic to the Civil Rights Movement. It isn’t lost on a skeptical public that the area of the country that was most dedicated to slavery and most resistant to civil rights is known as the Bible Belt. White supremacy is one of the most persistent, ecumenical heresies ever practiced. Similar to the signers of the Declaration of Independence, many Christians (Seventh-day Adventists) found loopholes in the self-evident truth that “all men are created equal.” And, oh yeah, what about the women?
Seventh-day Activist Fundamentals: Indivisibility, liberty, and equity
Fundamental Belief #7 elaborates on the “Nature of Humanity” by saying that each individual “is an indivisible unity of body, mind, and spirit.” This unity of human nature means that we can’t “save souls” caring for bodies. That’s why we give spiritual teachings on diet, exercise, fresh air, sunlight, and more. The same motivation that’s led to Adventist Blue Zones and a world-class health care system should lead us to address social determinants of health, political determinants of health, and racism as a public health crisis.
Fundamental #7 also says God gave us “the power and freedom to think and to do.” Contrary to this teaching, women and people of color have historically been expected to submit to the thinking of others. Despite Oakwood College being founded in 1896 for the education of Black people, it took student-led protests to persuade church leadership to finally allow a Black person to serve as president in 1932. Despite women comprising the majority of the membership and commonly being assigned to clerical work, it is only recently that flagship magazines like Liberty, Message, and Vibrant Life have had female editors. We’ve made some important advancements, but the diversity that our institutions celebrate still needs to include a more equitable arrangement.
Seventh-day Activist Fundamentals: Controversial distortions of God’s image
Fundamental Belief #8 on “The Great Controversy” says, “human sin resulted in the distortion of the image of God in humanity.” One of the distortions humans perpetuate in this controversy is the innovative ways we degrade one another through tribalism, classism, racism, casteism, sexism, and the list goes on. Thankfully, both the General Conference and North American Division have passed resolutions to serve as corrective lenses that will help us see one another as members of God’s family and treat each other accordingly. The most recent application of this principle is the North American Division’s 2023 statement on the Doctrine of Discovery.
Seventh-day Activist Fundamentals: Growing in Christ’s compassion
A section of Fundamental Belief #11 on “Growing in Christ” says that “In this new freedom in Jesus, we are called to… follow Christ’s example by compassionately ministering to the physical, mental, social, emotional, and spiritual needs of humanity.” As we participate in this work, we are assured that “His constant presence with us through the Spirit transforms every moment and every task into a spiritual experience.”
The promise of God’s presence while facing political, legal, societal, and ecclesiastical opposition is what strengthened leaders like Dr. Eva B. Dykes when she challenged the denomination by being one of the crafters and signatories of Shall the Four Freedoms Function Among Seventh-day Adventists? in 1944. With the promise of His presence, Elder Warren Banfield, Sr. served as president of the Tampa, FL, chapter of the NAACP and chaired the Tampa Urban League in the late 1950s, although White ministerial colleagues warned him against doing so. With this promise, South Atlantic Conference president, Elder John Wagner, Sr. shielded Banfield from General Conference pressure to cease his activism, instead telling the young pastor to “Keep up the good work.”
Seventh-day Activist Fundamentals: Partnership between impartiality and unity
Fundamental Belief #14 on “Unity in the Body” says “We are all equal in Christ, who by one Spirit has bonded us into one fellowship with Him and with one another; we are to serve and be served without partiality or reservation.”
Unity is an impossibility when partiality prevails and equality is absent. If equality and impartiality were realities, then James K. Humphrey probably wouldn’t have formed the United Sabbath Day Adventists; John Wesley Manns would have felt free without founding the Free Seventh Day Adventists; and Lewis C. Sheafe and the People’s Church wouldn’t have felt the need to choose between their personhood and their denomination.
Seventh-day Activists Fundamentals: When money is more than money
Fundamental Belief #21 on “Stewardship” says “We acknowledge God’s ownership by faithful service to Him and our fellow human beings… Stewardship is a privilege given to us by God for nurture in love and the victory over selfishness and covetousness.” Greed is at the root of most any human rights or civil rights violations imaginable. We see this in Revelation 18, with Babylon valuing gold at the top of their list of precious commodities and enslaved humans at the bottom – rated below livestock.
Stewardship is more than complying with a sense of financial duty to the church: “Money has great value, because it can do great good. In the hands of God's children it is food for the hungry, drink for the thirsty, and clothing for the naked. It is a defense for the oppressed, and a means of help to the sick” (Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 361).
Seventh-day Activists Fundamentals: The common good of spiritual gifts
Fundamental Belief #17 on “Spiritual Gifts and Ministries” says that the spiritual gifts granted to all members are for us to “employ in loving ministry for the common good of the church and of humanity.” What are some examples of common good? How about starting with simple things like sidewalks, interstate highways, water treatment plants, libraries, fresh air, and traffic lights? What else can you come up with? What can you as an individual or a local church do to help humanity flourish by taking care of the things we have in common?
Seventh-day Activists Fundamentals: The law of love
Fundamental Belief #19 on “The Law of God” says “obedience to the Commandments… is evidence of our love for the Lord and our concern for our fellow human beings.” Didn’t Jesus say the greatest law is to love the Lord with all my heart and my neighbor as myself? Didn’t Jesus also say the weightier matters of the law have to do with justice, mercy, and faith? Didn’t Paul say the whole, entire law is summarized in the command to love my neighbor as myself? Didn’t John say I’m a liar if I say I love God but not my brother? (Matt. 22:36-40; Matt. 23:23-24; Gal. 5:14; 1 John 4:20)
Seventh-day Activists Fundamentals: Christian behavior from the inside out
Fundamental Belief 22 on “Christian Behavior” says “We are called to be a godly people who think, feel, and act in harmony with biblical principles in all aspects of personal and social life.” Desires for safety, love and belonging, esteem and self-actualization are widely recognized as components we seek for personal wholeness. When people come to church, they hope to find a community whose behavior promotes healing and growth in these areas. If our places of worship don’t inspire safety, love, and belonging, then why call them sanctuaries? How can we preach prophecy (or any other subject) in a manner disconnected from our audience’s personal and social concerns, yet be true to this element of Christian behavior?
Carl McRoy serves as Director of Literature Ministries for the North American Division.
