Spectrum Blog

An Open Letter to James Standish

2 May 2013 | Stephen Eyer & Daneen Akers

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Dear Mr. Standish,

In your May 4, 2013, editorial in the South Pacific Division's RECORD entitled "A Tale of Two Movies," you compare our feature documentary film, Seventh-Gay Adventists: A Film About Faith on the Margins, with a short film made by Avondale University students which both deal with the issue of being gay in the Seventh-day Adventist church. We have deep respect for the stories shared by the students. The more people within the church start talking openly about this topic, the more we all grow in compassion. However, there are a number of errors and omissions in your article about our film that we feel we need to address.

First, we think it's important to point out that the reason you have not seen our film is because you chose not to come to a screening. As you know, but did not include in your column, you were personally invited by both of us to attend one of the three screenings in your area (including one that was only a few miles from your office) while we were doing our Australian tour in March. The reason you gave for not attending was "because I don't want my attendance to be used to promote the film." Of course, we never had any intention to use your attendance to promote the film, but we are only screening the film at community (and church) screenings right now. And we still hope you'll choose to watch the film one day. It's especially powerful to get to experience it with an audience so you can see how the film is being received by your fellow Adventists. At most screenings, we do have a Q&A session afterwards, but it's not a "required directed discussion" as you wrote. Nobody is required to stay! However, many stay, share their thoughts, hear more about how the people in the film are now, and just linger in the listening space that the film creates. Actually, while some have wanted us to tightly control the conversation by limiting the questions or controlling who can speak, we've always pushed for an open and honest discussion because this is something that is vitally missing in most of our churches.

Given the overwhelmingly positive response we've had from the many church leaders, pastors, teachers, and just average Adventists who have come to see the film (from the left, right, and middle), we can assure you the film is much less scary than you seem to think! These are good Adventists caught in a very real dilemma, and they share their stories with deep honesty and authenticity—and there's a lot of fun Adventist humor along the way! As Dr. William Johnsson, who is a fellow Australian as well as widely respected thought leader in the church and the retired long-time editor of the Adventist Review said after seeing the film at one of our first screenings, "The movie, which simply tells stories rather than taking an advocacy stance, is powerful. It can, I believe, do much to make Adventists more compassionate in this controversial area."

Second, we have not received any funding from the San Francisco Film Society (SFFS), as you wrote. The SFFS acts as our fiscal sponsor which means that they are able to receive tax-deductible donations from people and organizations on our behalf who want to support the film. Almost all our funding (except for one small grant from the Pacific Pioneer Fund) has come from supporters within the Adventist community who are looking for ways to make the church more compassionate and loving. Absolutely no funding has come from groups outside the Adventist community "advocating for the redefinition of marriage". And, yes, in some ways we are activists, if you define that as people caring deeply about those who are most marginalized in our church. We believe we all have a responsibility to take action to stop the staggeringly high suicide rate among gay Christian youth and to be more compassionate and loving to all those in our church, particularly those stories who have not been heard.

Finally, we made this film simply so we can hear the stories of our members who are struggling to be both gay and Adventist. There is a lot of fear-mongering, stereotyping, and misinformation about this issue, and sometimes it's good to just sit and listen, to walk the proverbial mile in someone else's shoes. We made conscious creative choices while making the film to allow those stories to be raw, honest, and authentic. If you'd seen the film, you would have discovered there is no "sweeping music" (in fact, there is no film score at all which was done intentionally to limit the editorial bias), but rather just people living their lives, which look a lot like yours and ours.

So far over 11,000 people, most of them Adventists, have seen the film in film festivals, churches, and other screenings we've done in the U.S., Canada, and Australia. We're currently working on a DVD and online version that we'll be releasing as soon as our festival tour is over, so many others can see the film when it's ready to be released.

We hope you'll choose to see the film one day, as so many of your fellow Australian Adventists have (we love Australia!). The biggest issue with criticizing a film you haven't seen is that it's exactly what the institutional church typically does when it comes to everyone on the margins—judge, condemn, and talk about a group of people without actually listening to their stories and learning what their walk is like. That era is ending though, as more and more people are realizing that we must listen wholeheartedly to all of the stories around this topic, not just the ones that fit in our theological box. The reconciliation both Jesus and Paul call us to requires that we show up in genuine spaces of listening and love. And that's especially true when it comes to those whose voices have not been heard.

We'll look forward to talking more once you've experienced the journeys of Sherri, Marcos, and David, the main film subjects, whose courage, vulnerability, and genuine love for God even in the midst of a difficult situation have been moving Adventists around the world to greater love, compassion, and understanding.

Sincerely,

Stephen Eyer & Daneen Akers
Producers/Directors
Seventh-Gay Adventists

Photo: Seventh-day Adventists packed into a church watching the documentary.

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This Week in Adventist History

2 May 2013 | Alexander Carpenter

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Sabbath at the Spectrum Café: Marianne Thieme

1 May 2013 | Marianne Thieme

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This week at the Spectrum Café, guest columnist Marianne Thieme, a Dutch politician of the Party for the Animals, discusses how the respect for animals expressed by one of Adventism’s founders drew her to the Seventh-day Adventist Church—and its potlucks.

I had actually given up on churches when I said goodbye to the Roman Catholic Church in 2001. A church that consecrated hunters’ dogs and horses before going on hunts did not agree with my sense of compassion. As Dr. Albert Schweitzer already said in 1960, “Any religion or philosophy which is not based on a respect for life is not a true religion or philosophy.”[1]

I heartily agree with him, and because I saw a great many Orthodox Church members running intensive cattle farms without any objection, I found that church membership did not easily go together with standing up for animals, nature and the environment.

Then I came across statements by Ellen White, who in the 19th century was already pleading for compassion for animals, vegetarianism and respect for the living environment. One of her quotes, from 1905, is: "Animals are often transported long distances and subjected to great suffering in reaching a market. Taken from the green pastures and travelling for weary miles over the hot, dusty roads, or crowded into filthy cars, feverish and exhausted, often for many hours deprived of food and water, the poor creatures are driven to their death, that human beings may feast on the carcasses."[2]

I started to learn more about Ellen White and her beliefs, and discovered that many members of the Adventist Church were inspired by her to lead a vegetarian lifestyle—and that they derive a good feeling from it, as well as good health. Time after time, scientific publications have reported that members of the Adventist Church are healthier than members of the average population—and that vegetarian Adventists live longer and healthier lives than meat eaters, and vegan Adventists even longer. I also find the medical and pioneering work in the field of giving up smoking very appealing.

It is therefore odd that people in church seem to be kind of ashamed of that lifestyle, because it dates to from a long time ago. The secrets of longevity in relation to Adventists are more often discussed in magazines like National Geographic than within the church.

Yet I meet many kindred spirits in the Adventist Church who think the same as I do about protecting the interests of the weakest.

When I was invited by the Loma Linda University for the Congress on Vegetarian Nutrition, I said the following in the local church: “I became interested in the Adventist Church because of their thoughts on a respectful relationship with animals, nature and the environment, and I hope you are not gradually coming back on those thoughts." I got many approving responses, so I was no longer worried.

My husband, who was the world’s first vegetarian butcher, is nondenominational, and I represent my secular party. But fortunately, thoughts of compassion and sustainability connect many people from different lines of thought.

My favorite Sabbath meal is potluck. I think it's wonderful that potluck has become a completely vegetarian meal in many places, so that everybody can eat the food prepared. It would be great if many more of those recipes could actually be shared internationally through a website. It could inspire many people, and I see plenty of culinary novelty in the Adventist churches that I go to all over the world. It is another factor that appeals to me about the Adventist Church. Wherever in the world you meet Adventists, there is always a great feeling of congeniality and much affinity with eating healthy, tasty food together.

Editor's note: For more information about Marianne Thieme, see her 2008 Spectrum interview with Julius Nam: "A Platform of Compassion."

Marianne Thieme is a member of the Dutch Parliament for the first animal rights party ever elected into office.

Photo: "Milde Dahl (of Dal) Met Bloemkool" ("Mild Dahl (or Dal) with Cauliflower"), De Vegetarier.

[1]Albert Schweitzer, “Letter to a Japanese Animal Welfare Society,” 1961.

[2]Ellen White, Ministry of Healing,314.

This week’s recipe for Mild Lentil Dal with Cauliflower is adapted from the website of De Vegetarier (“the vegetarian”), and is Marianne Thieme’s favorite potluck recipe. And like many potluck favorites, this dish welcomes variation. The editors of DeVegetarier note that they have added green peas, and garnished the dish with fresh coriander. The cauliflower can also be replaced with a vegetable medley.

Mild Lentil Dal with Cauliflower

Prep time: 20 min.
Total time: 35 min.

Ingredients
1 medium cauliflower, cut into small florets
Salt, to taste
Extra-virgin olive oil
2 onions
About 2 c cooked or canned lentils, drained
1 tbsp. chopped parsley
2 in. fresh ginger, peeled
1 fresh green mild chili (adjust heat to taste)
1 cube vegetable bouillon
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tsp. ground turmeric
2 tsp. ground coriander
2 tsp. ground cumin

Suggested accompaniments:
2 cucumbers, peeled and roughly grated or chopped
Brown basmati rice (or wild rice, black rice or regular basmati rice), cooked
Greek yogurt, mixed with coriander, cumin, turmeric and a pinch of salt)
Extra parsley (finely chopped) ground cumin and/or fresh lemon or lime juice

Directions

1. Cook or steam the cauliflower until fork tender, with a little salt. Set aside.

2. Warm a small amount of olive oil in a large skillet on the stove, then add the onions and sauté. Add the lentils, and the parsley, then stir. Add the ginger and the chili pepper to taste.

3. Fill the pan with water just to cover the entire mixture, then add the vegetable bouillon cube, stir until dissolved, and let simmer for 10 minutes.

4. While the mixture simmers, sauté the garlic in a small amount of warmed olive oil in a small saucepan on low heat, then stir in the turmeric, coriander powder and cumin powder. Continue stirring until the mixture becomes a smooth paste. Set aside.

5. Remove the ginger and the pepper from the lentils, then add the cauliflower and green peas (if using). Add the garlic and spice mixture, stir well several times, then let cook slowly for another 2 minutes.

6. Remove pan from heat, and add the grated cucumber or serve it separately. Serve with rice, yogurt, and/or other suggested accompaniments.

Three Angles News—Wednesday, May 1, 2013

1 May 2013 | Alexander Carpenter

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1. Adventist youth in Ghana encouraged to appreciate and protect the environment.

2. Adventists part of response in Bangladesh factory collapse disaster.

3. Former Adventist Church president Jan Paulsen reflects on ‘Let’s Talk’ conversations.

A Boon for The Voice of Prophecy

30 April 2013 | Alexander Carpenter

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In another press release today, the North American Division announced that "The Voice of Prophecy Board met Tuesday, April 30 in Simi Valley, Calif., and elected Pastor Shawn Boonstra the new speaker/director of The Voice of Prophecy.

Recently, Pastor Boonstra served as an associate ministerial director at the North American Division. His role in the Ministerial Department was to inspire, train, and equip pastors and churches for evangelism. Prior to this assignment, he served for seven years as the speaker/director of It Is Written, an international Christian television ministry dedicated to sharing insights from God’s Word with people around the world.

Shawn Boonstra has also occasionally penned articles for the Adventist Review. In 2011 he wrote the following about the tragic Japan earthquake.

But I am convinced that each successive catastrophe is also a clear message to God’s church. They are meant to stir us to action. They ought to remind us that our neighbors can’t explain what is happening—and that they are utterly lost without Jesus, hurtling down a path to final destruction.

He asserted that earthquakes were increasing in frequency and magnitude and this was a sign of the times.

The spiritual significance of these larger-than-life disasters—and the accelerating frequency with which they’re happening—is eluding most of the human race.... In case you’re also struggling with recall, let me give you a head start: Haiti, China, Chile, Indonesia, New Zealand. In reality, there have been more than 30 earthquakes with a magnitude of 7.0 or greater since the beginning of 2010.

In an article on this blog, "Tragedy and Our Moral End," I looked at the US Geological Survey data through 2010 and it showed that earthquakes were not increasing in frequency or magnitude. Since then, the data has continued to undermine Boonstra's point.

In this new job, hopefully Boonstra will avoid this "amazing facts" approach to televangelization. As he steps into H.M.S. Richards shoes perhaps this is an opportunity to keep calm and carry on the legacy of the Biblical prophetic voices of compassion and moral action regarding human suffering.

ATS President Addresses Human Suffering at “The Cross: A Symposium on Atonement”

30 April 2013 | David Larson

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“The Cross: A Symposium on Atonement” concluded on Sabbath, April 20, with meetings throughout the day at the Loma Linda University Campus Hill Church. The Adventist Theological Society had convened the gathering since Thursday evening, April 18.

Tom Shepherd, an Andrews University seminary professor who is the president of ATS, began the sermon not discussing sin, but suffering. Recalling the fall of 1997, a time of intense suffering for him, he reminded the congregation of the isolation, heaviness, dread, fogginess of mind and endless question “why” that suffering causes. He turned to I Peter 2:21 and developed the theme that Christ died not “with” or “in” but “for” us. In a very close reading of the passage in I Peter, which utilized both his scholarly skills and his experience as one who has suffered, he described several practical and positive things the suffering of Jesus can do “for” those who suffer today. For instance, he extolled following the example of Jesus in suffering with the composure that he manifested because he had handed his life over to God. Yet being able to follow the example of Jesus in this and other regards depends upon having been liberated from the heavy load of sin. This is like having one’s wounds healed, like being a lost and lonely lamb that is returned to the closeness of the flock. If in this sermon he ever spoke the words “penal substitutionary atonement,” I didn’t hear them.

Earlier in the morning, Andrews University seminary professor Jo Ann Davidson spoke on “Abraham, Isaac and Akedah: The Atonement According to Moses.” She objected to the view that the first followers of Jesus retrospectively identified in the story of Abraham and Isaac similarities to the life, death and resurrection of their Master. It was precisely the other way around, she contended. According to her proposal, the author of the earlier narrative knowingly and intentionally included many details that would occur again in the story of Jesus. She held that attending to the details of the story of Abraham’s willingness to kill his own son, including its shocking and horrible elements, increases our understanding of and appreciation for the atoning sacrifice of Jesus many centuries later.

Ross Winkle, from Pacific Union College, began the afternoon with “The Atonement and the Restrainer.” I picture his proposal as having four steps, each with an abundance of scriptural support: (1) Connect the “restrainer” in II Thessalonians 2, whose identity has long perplexed scholars, with Michael in Daniel 10-12; (2) Identify this Michael with the resurrected Jesus and focus on his ongoing intercessory or atoning work; (3) Expand this “High Priestly” ministry of Jesus so that it includes “restraining evil;” (4) Return to II Thessalonians 2 and identify the “restrainer” of the “lawless one” as Jesus Christ (who is also the one who will eventually annihilate him). A fresh identification of the “restrainer,” plus a wider understanding of atonement that is expansive enough to include restraining evil, are the outcomes.

Roy E. Gane of the Andrews University seminary followed with a presentation titled “Legal Substitution and Experiential Transformation in the Typology of Leviticus.” He contended that in this Old Testament book both things in his title are “clearly present and fully necessary.” In addition to many passages in Leviticus, he appealed to portions of the New Testament letter of Hebrews. He held that the ancient symbols and rituals of salvation were objective in the sense that they were done for the people and subjective in the sense that they were to result with positive changes in them. In this way Gane eroded biblical support for both “substitutionary” and “moral influence” atonement theories of our time when either are taken alone.

As the last presentation of the day, Felix Cortez of the University of Montemorelos offered “Without Shedding of Blood There is No Remission: Atonement, Substitution and the Logic of Forgiveness in Hebrews.” He focused on Hebrews 9:15–22 and its implications for the understanding of Jesus' death in the rest of the epistle. He argued that, contrary to a majority of biblical translations and commentaries, the author of Hebrews describes Jesus' death as substitutionary punishment. Yet, according to my understanding of Cortez, its inner meaning is not best understood as the transfer of legal retribution from someone who deserves it to someone who doesn’t. It is more akin to the commendation or condemnation that an ancient king of Israel received from God on behalf of his subjects. This suggested to me that the metaphors for this kind of substitution should be drawn more from palaces and less from courts.

A panel discussion that included about half of the symposium’s presenters brought the two-day event to a close. Its members responded to questions from Tom Shepherd that probed matters such as the biggest issues surrounding atonement among Adventists today, the things that most disturbed the panelists about atonement and the kinds of problems atonement does and does not solve.

One of the most poignant moments of the entire symposium occurred when someone in the audience observed that the primary issues surrounding atonement are not theological but social and political. He explained that formulating more atonement theories is not our greatest need; living more respectfully with each other is.

Recordings of all the symposium’s presentations are available at the Adventist Theological Society’s website, www.atsjats.org.

Image: Barnett Newman, Onement, VI, 1953.

NAD Reviews Future of Its Media Ministries

29 April 2013 | Alexander Carpenter

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In a press release issued on April 29, the North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists shared a proposal being weighed about its media production ministries and studio. Chaired by Dan Jackson, president of the NAD, the meeting took place at the Adventist Media Center in Simi Valley, Calif., where Breath of Life Ministries, Faith For Today, It Is Written, Jesus 101 Biblical Institute, La Voz de la Esperanza, and The Voice of Prophecy are currently produced.

This follows on news in April 2012 that these associated TV ministries would offer the NAD proposals for relocating to less expensive production facilities in Southern California. But the 2013 proposal moves all direct NAD media production to church headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland. The proposal included the following issues:

1.      Allowing the present Media Ministries to relocate. The Division would grant permission for the media ministries to relocate outside the Adventist Media Center, urging them to move with expedience. Further, to whatever degree is appropriate, the Division would assist them in doing so. This transition should not disrupt the delivery of programming and services such as Bible correspondence and study requests.

2.      A time period of 12-18 months for the media ministries to carry out the planning, and accomplish relocation. Specifically associated with this proposal is the provision for allowing 12-18 months for each media ministry in which to wind down activity at the Media Center location. Efforts will be made to minimize the impact on employees who will be affected by and during the transition and relocation period.

3.      Sell the property housing the current Adventist Media Center. Concurrent with this move, the Division would begin moving toward an attempt to sell the Adventist Media Center property in a commercially viable fashion.

4.      Utilize the studio facilities at the Division offices for production. While the creation of equivalent facilities to those at the Media Center in California is not anticipated, it is the intent of the Division to create in the facilities occupied by the Division (in Silver Spring, Md.) studio facilities adequate to meet the needs required by the Division that lie outside the specific needs of the various media ministries.

5.      Ongoing commitment to providing funding for the media ministries. As a part of this process, and in clear understanding that the media ministries are part of the NAD ministry effort, funding levels from the Division would be identified for each of the media ministries in order to allow them to fulfill their mission.

6.      Commitment to explore new possibilities for media development. The Division anticipates a significant role for the media ministries in the future of media in North America; beyond the role they currently play.

The North American Division Committee will receive the recommended proposal from the AMC Board.

Another Step Forward: A Photo Essay of Cherise Gardner's Ordination

28 April 2013 | Alexander Carpenter

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On April 27, 2013, Cherise Gardner was ordained to Adventist ministry at the Glendale City Seventh-day Adventists Church.

Cherise Gardner, a native of the Bahamas, has been serving in some aspect of ministry since the age of five, when she decided to become a minister, like her grandfather.

Cherise earned an B.A. in Religion and a B.S. in Business Administration from Northern Caribbean University, before serving as a Sergeant in the U.S. Army Reserve. Before coming to Glendale, Calif., where she serves as Pastor for Children and Family Ministry, Cherise earned a M.A.* in Religion with an emphasis in Christian Social Ethics, from La Sierra University, Riverside, Calif.

She is the wife and best friend of Hugh Gardner.

The following photographs were taken by Gerry Chudleigh, publisher of the Pacific Union Recorder.