A Megaphone for the Voices of Adventism
Unless you care not a fig or a fast about your church, you can agree that Spectrum is indispensable. We are all indebted to church employees—to the pastors and educators and many others who help shape and sustain this amazing international community. But Adventism is not its paid employees, nor can it depend on its paid employees to tell the whole truth. Adventism is all of us, and we can’t begin to tell the truth unless every voice counts and every voice is heard.
Spectrum, both the journal and the website, is a megaphone for the voices of Adventism. The megaphone works, first of all, because it is independent. Not one dime for Spectrum’s operation comes from official church coffers. In addition, Spectrum is bold. Bureaucracies frown on embarrassing disclosures and destabilizing criticism; here, speaking out is expected. Spectrum is also open. Unless you are downright mean or vulgar, you can make your point; even if you are looking on from outside, you can share your concerns, questions, and frustrations. Spectrum is thoughtful. Official church media (not always but too often) feed you language ready-made, phrases deadening for their carelessness or overuse or both; here we receive our heritage with gratitude—and then offer fresh perspective on it. Finally, Spectrum is passionate. The whole church matters; the organization matters; congregations and members matter; the church’s mission matters.
To sum up, the journal and the website are about conversation and community. In early English the actual meaning of “conversation” (look up Philippians 3:20 in the KJV) was communing, or dwelling together, toward a common end. In its way, then, Spectrum is just what the Gospel (see Matthew 18) prescribes: community through conversation.
One other thing: Spectrum is flawed. Our ideals beckon from ahead of us and our operation needs improving. So on top of all the others, this is yet another reason why we intend, this year, to raise twice the money we have raised in recent years. We’re calling it the Global Community Campaign 2013 because we want we want to have the technology and the human resources to serve our global audience. Raising $250,000 will enable us to:
· Enlarge the editorial team and recruit additional writers/reporters worldwide
· Pay for travel expenses entailed by timely and in-depth reporting of Adventist news worldwide
· Upgrade the website technical staff
· Finance the development of mobile platforms
As our 2013 Community Report says (linked below, and featured in the right column of Spectrum‘s home page), all this “must happen for the sake of Adventist renewal and for the sake of Adventist hope.” It’s in this light that we are asking you to be especially generous. It is time for your systematic benevolence to include regular, substantial support of this “megaphone for the voices of Adventism.”
The thirteen members of the Adventist Forum board have made, all of them, substantial pledges toward this campaign. The other day a modestly paid Adventist educator told me over lunch: “There must be a thousand people who will contribute $200 to Spectrum.” He added: “I will contribute $200.” If you appreciate the ongoing conversations that Spectrum facilitates, we invite you to join us in this special campaign. Every gift means so much to our mission.
Apart from the generosity God inspires, the Adventist Way is as frail as paper. Like everything good and beautiful, it must be fought for. So in the spirit of Gideon, let us now bear our torches. Make your commitment, and make it especially generous, today.
Thank you for making your gift here.
