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WEEKLY NEWS AND INSPIRATION FOR SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISTS DECEMBER 1994

BOUND FOR GLORY

Movement

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Celebrating Our Roots end was, right down to the last detail. many churches as we can in southern Just a brief note to express apprecia- With more than 2,000 people in atten- California accessing these programs. tion for the 150th anniversary edition of dance at such a small site, what could Marilyn Thomsen the Adventist Review. I contracted a bad have been a logistical nightmare Assistant for Communications cold late last week and had to stay turned out to be a wonderful spiritual Southern California Conference home from Sabbath school and church. blessing. What a pleasure it was, however, to Considering the recent history of ten- With all my heart I desire to thank you indulge myself unhurriedly in this mon- sion and mistrust within our church for your special issue of the Adventist umental task. Review. It was filled with general I feel that this edition is a master- information. Thanks a million. piece of Adventist Christian journalism. C. A. Norman No stone was left unturned—history, Coming in 1995 Retired Pastor/Missionary theology, philosophy, psychology, and Citrus Heights, California hope. I know that this edition took • Bulletins of the General many hours of planning, defining, and Conference Session in Utrecht. We viewers in Modesto, California, refining. Our deepest thanks to all who Daily reports of all the speeches, deeply appreciated your presentation on took part. decisions, inspiration, and actions. Sabbath from the Miller farm site. For Will this edition go to every family • The Year of the Adventist us it was a time of rededication to the in North America? I hope so. Woman. Special treatments in the Lord, His church, and the common Dick Fearing March NAD issue, and a whole cause. James E. Chase, Coordinator Boring, Oregon issue on Adventist women around Retirees' Affairs the world in the May 18 issue. Modesto, California Yes—to almost every family. Only a • The Agenda for the General few conferences in North America do Conference Session. Discussion We have received many expressions of not participate in the NAD edition.— of all major items slated for appreciation by letter, fax, CompuServe, Editors. Utrecht in the months prior to the and telephone for "A People of Hope," session. our 150th anniversary special issue, and Congratulations and thanks to you, your Only in the weekly Review! the satellite telecast from the William staff, authors, and all contributors to Miller farm, in which the Adventist this magnificent review of our denomi- Review was involved.—Editors. nation's history, purpose, and destina- tion. family, it was uplifting and encouraging Young Booster The article by R. S. Folkenberg, "A to be present together with hundreds of I am 13 years old. I like the Adventist People of Prophecy," is an informative fellow believers to celebrate and Review. I enjoy reading it. Keep up the testimony that succinctly tells the reader remember who we are and where we good work. Melissa R. Campbell about the one true church that meets the came from. Bible's prophecy of the Remnant. As I sat in the tent and sang early Singing SDA I recommend that this article be made Advent hymns and listened to the mes- Roy Drusky ("Something to Sing available as a reprint and offered to our sage of hope from our leaders, I was very About," Sept. 29) is the kind of church people for use as a witnessing paper for proud to be a Seventh-day Adventist member every pastor dreams about. He giving to family, friends, or former Christian. May we soon meet once again is a gentle, caring, never critical, and Seventh-day Adventists who might be to sing and worship in the heavenly city quiet-spoken Christian. He loves chil- interested in a biblical background of at the feet of Jesus, with William Miller dren, and children love him. In fact, it's the truth and identification of our church by our side! Noel Colon not uncommon for him to sing with the from the Bible. Richard Lane Petersburg, New York grade school choir at a church service. Livonia, Michigan Often he shares ideas for soul winning. I loved the ACN broadcast October 22 In seven years as Roy's pastor and from the William Miller farm. The whole friend, I have not heard him criticized On October 21 and 22, my family and I program was impressive. We showed it by church members or the small rural 4 had the distinct privilege of attending for our church members after potluck. community in which he and his wife, the 150th anniversary commemoration Many stayed and they enjoyed it, as I did. Bobbye, live. Oh, by the way, it's the at the William Miller farm. It's exciting to see our church move Highland church in Portland, Tennessee. It was very impressive to see how forward in using this kind of technol- Michael Deming well organized and planned this week- ogy. I'm going to push to see us get as Portland, Tennessee

2 (1274) ADVENTIST REVIEW, DECEMBER 1994 ADVENTIST EW DECEMBER 1994

DEPARTMENTS ARTICLES

2 Letters HERITAGE 6 Newsbreak 8 Bound for Glory • ow. Black Americans embraced Millerism because it promised 4.4 • • 11 From the Heart real freedom. And they played a vital part in spreading the message and changing society. by Walter L. Pearson, Jr. 26 GC Countdown FEATURE 29 Children's Corner 12 Holiday Reading 31 Reflections You like to read. Or perhaps you know someone who does. 15 Makes you Check out these reviews. by Scott Moncrieff wonder LIFESTYLE EDITORIALS 15 The Wonder of R All 4 Speak Up Now, or If ever there was a season that inspires wonder, this is it. Hold Your Peace Don't let the "busyness" of the season steal your sense of wonder. by Jeris E. Bragan 5 I'll Be Home for Christmas CURRENT ISSUES 18 The Sounds of Space NASA believes there are intelligent life-forms in other galax- NEXT WEEK ies and solar systems, and they're spending $100 million to prove it. But what will it really prove? by G. T. Javor "More Holiday 20 150 years later Reading" There are a WORLD REPORT lot of good things out 20 October 22 Commemoration: Vignettes of Hope there. One hundred fifty years of Adventism were celebrated at the Miller farm in upstate New York. The Adventist Review brings you a report in words and photographs. by Myron Widmer SPOTLIGHT ON NORTH AMERICA 23 The Spirit of the Season Generosity is the hallmark of genuine Christianity. Cover photo by Dennis Crews by G. Edward Reid

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ADVENTIST REVIEW, DECEMBER 1994 (1275) 3 EDITORIAL Speak Up Now, or Hold Your Peace

hat's right, speak up! It's time to be additions, deletions, and revisions to the ■ A request to allow divisions the Theard. It's time to voice your con- SDA Church Manual and the GC con- option of choosing for themselves victions on issues facing the Seventh- stitution and bylaws. The simple reason whether or not to ordain women to the day Adventist Church at its world is that the authority to make such gospel ministry in their territory. The session in just seven months in Utrecht, changes lies only in the hands of the request seeks to make the church's Netherlands. GC session delegates once every five position on ordination gender-inclusive. Oh, but you're not a delegate and years. ■ Limiting the number of leaders you don't think it's proper to hold up These items may seem a bit boring or elected at the session to just the officers placards outside the session? mundane, but they critically impact the and other top leaders and allowing the Well, you have an option—you can church's structure, its relationships with executive committees of the respective have a voice through your representa- members and other administrative enti- organizations—the General Conference tives who already have been chosen as ties, and the church's fundamental and its divisions—more time to find delegates. It's not exactly like getting to beliefs and practices. and appoint associate leaders and other speak before the assembly and raising Another important item is the nomi- such personnel. your hand to vote. But every member nation and election of General ■ Reducing the size of the General can't be there. Think of what it would Conference and division leaders for the Conference Executive Committee and be like to raise your hand in a crowd of next five years, which start immediately guaranteeing financial backing so that more than 8 million! Think of what it upon election. And we must remember all representatives from the "poorer" would be like to count such a vote! that whoever is elected will dramati- sections of the world field will be able That's why the church believes in a cally impact the church's work for to attend the meetings—held twice a representative form of government! And years to come. year. This option would eliminate all of that means not everyone can vote at the Beyond these voting responsibilities, the associate directors of General session, but it does mean that you will delegates also will be asked to decide Conference departments and reduce the have someone from your area speaking policy changes, guidelines, and resolu- number of other members outside the and voting on your behalf at the upcom- tions that impact church work. Most pol- ranks of officers. ing General Conference session. icy items need to be voted only by the So who is your representative? Look GC's Executive Committee, but signifi- Only a Glimpse on pages 26 and 27. For the first time cant ones are usually brought to a GC These are just a few of the hundreds ever (at least in recent history), the session for counsel and vote. All agenda of agenda items that will come before Adventist Review is printing in items for a GC session, however, are rec- the delegates. So take a look at your advance the full list of delegates from ommended to it by an Annual Council of delegates' names and exercise your North America. This gives you the the GC's Executive Committee. right to make your opinions known. opportunity to voice opinions ahead of And if they choose not to agree with time on the issues coming up—and Top Agenda Items you and actually vote oppositely, at then hope that the delegates will vote Items topping the upcoming ses- least you will have given them some- your way! sion's agenda include these: thing to think about. In fact, why not set But you don't know the issues? Just ■ A decision on whether or not the up town hall meetings in your area and keep reading the Review over the next number of delegates-2,669 at this ask your delegates to lay out the issues few months (especially the regular year's session—is getting too large for and hear your convictions? Delegates weekly issues), and you will get a effective decision-making. Choices are supposed to represent their areas, pretty good picture of all significant include significantly reducing the cur- right? And unless they ask or you tell items. You can also ask your represen- rent number, capping it at this year's them, how will they know what their tatives, since they will receive agenda figure or another number, or doing constituencies desire? items in advance of the session. nothing and allowing it to rise each ses- Now is indeed the time to speak up! At every session one can always sion as the number of church members count on certain agenda items such as increases. MYRON WIDMER

4 (1276) ADVENTIST REVIEW, DECEMBER 1994 GUEST EDITORIAL

I'll Be Home for Christmas

here is much joy and much sorrow Study the snapshot of the father's the circumstances inside were not as Tat airports. weathered face as he holds his son to dangerous as the storm outside. I am a people watcher, and I love to his heart, unwilling to let him go. What My point is, we really want you watch as planes land and disgorge their emotions do you see there? What is his back. Give us another chance. Let us passengers, and as they load and pull heart rate right now? How long do they demonstrate that we've learned a bit away from the terminal. Tears, squeals stand there? about Christian love while you've been of delight, a welcome hug, a parting The rest of the story is almost an gone. Give us an opportunity to apolo- kiss. anticlimax. The wanderer has come gize in person and make amends for But best of all, I love to see families what we've done. reunited. A son returning from college, The family erupted a daughter from the military, a dad We Need You from a business trip, a grandma and We need you, and you could help us. grandpa from an extended journey. The in a welcome You could show us where we could emotion in that hug, the meaning in that have done a better job. You could help embrace, the feeling in that squeeze, us learn so we won't do it again. But, radiates out from that family circle and that can only just as we promise to be gentle with touches all those standing nearby. you, please be gentle with us. Most of A scene etched forever in my mind is us do better with gentle coaching than that of a large family at the Portland be called chaos. with strident chiding. Airport, waiting to welcome a son back You see, some of us may have also from the Gulf War. They held a huge, been in the far country, even while hav- obviously hand-lettered banner: Even I cried. ing our names on the books at the "Welcome Home, Chad!" He was near Father's house. Just because we didn't the end of those getting off the plane, leave home doesn't necessarily mean and there was just a moment of concern all was well between us and the Father. as to whether he was there at all. But home and has found that which he And that's where we can help each then he emerged from the jetway, and needed most—a welcome. other. You share with us what you have the family erupted in a welcome that I don't know just where your journey learned, and we'll share with you what can only be called chaos. I don't know has taken you these past few months. we have learned. That will bring us all if they cried, but I did. Maybe to a far country; maybe just in closer to the family. Every one of us down the road. But if 1994 has been a is, after all, a prodigal. Homecomings and Dad year of wandering for you, perhaps I'm a softy when it comes to home- now, as we enter this holiday season, is ut whatever our journey, the comings. I get a lump in my throat a good time to think about heading Bimportant thing is that as the holi- nearly every time I read the story of the home. days approach, all of us can sing, "I'll prodigal son. I see that aging dad out I know, the reasons for your walking be home for Christmas." Nothing there beside the road as the last rays of away may seem valid. Maybe they are. would bring greater joy to the heart of evening begin to fade. He thinks that Maybe someone in the church or some- the Father. form coming toward him has a familiar one close to you has been terribly unfair silhouette. His pulse quickens as he . . . or unchristian. That happens—more squints into the setting sun. Then, quite often than we'd like to admit. out of character for an Eastern father, But let me change the parallel for a he leaves his dignity behind and runs to minute and put it in perspective. I can DONALD JACOBSEN meet his boy. They embrace in the mid- imagine someone in Noah's day getting Assistant to the President for dle of the road, neither daring at first to terribly upset with conditions in the ark, Administration of the Seventh-day speak. but electing to stay on board because Adventist Church in North America

ADVENTIST REVIEW, DECEMBER 1994 (1277) 5 NEWSBREAK 4

WORLD CHURCH OPER MON REACHBACK, the 1993-1994 fiscal year, 17,820 alumni invested more Philippine Outreach Brings than $1.1 million in unre- 1,050 Baptisms. Evangelistic stricted gifts to Adventist 4 initiatives on the Philippine lard academies participating in the island of Mindanao in ♦♦ Hack" Adventist Academy Advance- September resulted in 1,050 ment Challenge program. persons joining the Adventist The total represents an Church there, says the average alumni gift of $60, General Conference which translates into approxi- Communication Department. mately $30,000 of unre- The baptisms included 755 stricted gifts for each of the persons who came from an 39 academies, says Jeff evangelistic series conducted Scoggins, communication by former General Operation ReachBack coordinator of Philanthropic Conference president Neal C. Service for Institutions, based Wilson. The meetings, titled Organizes in Nashville at the North American "A New Way of Life," In an effort to seek ways to help their community and support Division offices in Silver emphasized the health-con- their church, nearly 300 African-American Adventist profes- Spring, Maryland. scious lifestyle of Seventh- sionals gathered in Nashville, Tennessee, to participate in the In the past eight years the day Adventists. Operation ReachBack organizational conference November 4-6. AAA program has awarded The program included a Thirty-one panelists gave presentations on the relationship of $1.5 million in challenge health exposition stressing the Black Adventists to church economics, female mobility, health grants. These grants, funded importance of various health concerns, theological concerns, African roots, interracial net- largely by private donors, factors like water, exercise, working, family, and many other areas. have directly encouraged the sunshine, nutrition, fresh air, The presentations will form part of a book to be released in cultivation of more than $6.7 and Bible study. 1996. It will be the first of its kind on Black Seventh-day million in unrestricted giving Adventists in North America, says Calvin Rock, a General to Adventist academies. Arabic Response to AWR Conference vice president and chairperson of the Operation Grows. Adventist World ReachBack board (see photo). To New Position. Larry L. Radio reports that mail com- Operation ReachBack will soon start self-help initiatives that Caviness, Northern California ing from North Africa and the stress the social and societal dimensions of the gospel, Rock Conference secretary, was Middle East has increased says. Projects such as student scholarships, workshops, and recently elected president of sharply since AWR began air- community outreach are among those Operation ReachBack Nevada-Utah Conference. ing Arabic programs earlier hopes to implement. Caviness replaces Darold this year. Retzer, who became Northern "Our mail from North California Conference presi- Africa has increased 500 per- responses," says Greg Republican of Maryland; and dent. cent since March," says Hodgson, general manager of Sheila Jackson Lee (newly Bernard Pichot, director of the AWR-Europe." elected), Democrat of Texas. AAW Honors Outstanding Voice of Hope studio in Paris, Lee is the first Adventist Adventist Women. The where Arabic and French pro- NORTH AMERICA Democrat and the first Association of Adventist grams are produced. Adventist African-American Women presented their Bert Smit, manager of the Adventist Representatives in elected to the House, says annual Adventist Women of Adventist Media Centre in U.S. Congress. When the Gary M. Ross, associate the Year awards to six women Cyprus, says producers are 104th United States Con- director of the General who have made extraordinary receiving 10 to 20 letters a gress convenes in 1995, Conference Public Affairs contributions to their church, 4 day, up from five a week at there will be three Adventists and Religious Liberty family, and society. the beginning of the year. in the House of Represen- Department and liaison to the Award recipients at AAW's The largely Muslim listen- tatives. They are Robert U.S. Congress. twelfth annual conference, in ers ask many questions on the Stump (reelected), Republi- Arlington, Virginia, on Bible and Christianity. "We can of Arizona; Roscoe AAA Academies Raise $1.1 October 1, were Gayle Clark, are encouraged by these Bartlett (reelected), Million for 1993-1994. During Family Life Award; Madelynn

6 (1278) ADVENTIST REVIEW, DECEMBER, 1994 NE WSBREAK

Jones Haldeman, Church Life United States ambassador to Award; Karen Scott Hutton, ABC-TV to Air Adventist the Vatican usually takes U.S. Outstanding Achievement concerns to the Vatican, but Award; Frances (Penny) Christmas Special now he believes that the flow Miller, Professional Life Rarely does the Adventist Church get an invitation to broad- should go both ways, and he Award; Carol Porter, cast a special one-hour Christmas program on a major TV net- is seeking to bring Vatican Community Life Award; work—but it will this year! ABC-TV will air A New Noel, concerns back to U.S. policy Penny Shell, Pastor/Chaplain produced by the Adventist Church in North America, just before centers, reports Religion Award. Christmas and probably on Christmas Eve. (Check your local News Service. listings for time.) Says Ambassador The program's time slot was offered just weeks ago to the Raymond Flynn, former Adventist Church by the National Council of Churches' elec- Boston city mayor: "I see my tronic media committee when another denomination suddenly job as a bridge between the had to back out of the program. Betty Cooney, Greater New world's only remaining York Conference communication director and NAD liaison with superpower and the world's New York media, was instrumental in getting the invitation. most important moral voice, Gayle Clark Madelynn Haldeman When the offer came, North American Division leaders John Paul II. To have them moved quickly to accept the challenge of producing a Christmas work together is good not special. The program, to be taped December 4 at the Pioneer only for the U.S. and the Memorial church at Andrews University in Michigan, will fea- Vatican, but also for the ture a 110-voice adult choir, a 60-voice children's choir, and a world community." devotional message by senior pastor Dwight Nelson. (See this issue's back cover for more details.) Religious Liberty Conference Karen Scott Frances Miller Meets in Malta. The Hutton International Academy of schools, neighbors, friends, (see photo). The curriculum is Religion and Belief sponsored and the church's first satellite designed to help youth establish a conference on religious evangelistic meeting—NET a strong, growing relationship freedom among the nations of '95. The day of prayer starts at with God and positive relation- the Mediterranean basin in sunset Friday and ends at sun- ships with family, friends, Malta, October 16-19. set Sabbath evening. church, and community. The meeting addressed Carol Porter Penny Shell issues of theological tolerance Junior-Earliteen Quarterly ALSO IN THE NEWS and attempted to address Gets New Design. The first problems of religious minori- FOR YOUR INTEREST issue of a four-year series of U.S. Ambassador to Vatican ties in Europe and North junior and earliteen Sabbath Seeks to Expand Role. The Africa. Come and Pray on January 7. school lessons and teaching Adventist leaders are inviting aids will appear in an all-new churches throughout North design and format beginning Adventist Communication America to make January 7, in January 1995. Network Broadcasts the first Sabbath of the new God's ACN (Call 800-226-1119 for channels.) year, a Day of Prayer and Quest for Jan. 4 First Wednesday 7:30 p.m. all time zones intercession. Me, the first Jan. 7 Religious Liberty Issues 2:00-3:30 p.m. PST In some churches the entire quarterly in Jan. 14 Discover Jesus Seminar 7:00-9:00 p.m. EST Sabbath morning service may the new be built around the theme of series, is intercession. Some will wish devoted to CHURCH CALENDAR to meet in small groups. helping Others may even wish to juniors and Dec. 10 Health and Temperance Day make this a time of partial or teens Offering in North America complete fasting. develop a friendship with and Dec. 17 World Stewardship Day Suggested prayer themes commitment to God while Dec. 17 Thirteenth Sabbath Offering include our children, pastors, learning basic Adventist beliefs for Euro-Africa Division projects

ADVENTIST REVIEW, DECEMBER, 1994 (1279) 7 HERITAGE Bound for Glory Black Americans received hope from the Millerite movement and gave voice to the cry "The Bridegroom is coming!"

he one hundred fiftieth nities should have positive con- anniversary of the "Great temporary implications. The story cer- Advent Awakening" of tainly merits another look. 1844 has provided an opportunity for thoughtful A Hope Deferred examination of the events Liberty seemed to be the theme of every that culminated in the birth conversation among American Blacks prior of the Seventh-day to the Revolutionary War. Their hopes Adventist Church. The evi- were briefly lifted when the Colonies broke dences of divine leadership away from English domination, but it did Tthroughout our history are unmistakable. little to improve their plight. This liberty This exercise can increase fervor, bolster spoke of by the Colonists obviously did not courage, and strengthen our conviction include everybody. that we are here by divine appointment. Black people were constantly searching Reviewing our past also provides a basis for some way to escape slavery, cruelty, for focusing on multicultural harmony. For and injustice. Thomas Jefferson reportedly history shows clearly that people of African estimated that 30,000 slaves served in the ancestry were among the earliest British Army in response to an offer of Adventists. Books and articles have demon- freedom by the British. American colonists strated that they not only embraced this bib- also promised freedom to slaves who lical truth but pioneered its proclamation. served in the Continental Army for at least Highlighting this aspect of our past three years. It is estimated that as many as confirms that the history of the Seventh- 5,000 slaves accepted this offer—if they day Adventist Church belongs to every- received permission from their masters. one. The fact that Blacks are identified Later, Blacks looked to the Jeffersonian among early Adventists, Millerites, and proposal to completely outlaw slavery as Seventh-day Adventists—given the an end to their living nightmare. It didn't. sociopolitical forces at work in nine- Some slaves fled oppression in disguise. teenth-century America—indicates that Some simply walked away or organized the Advent movement was designed to insurrections despite the risk of severe include all. Additionally, the environ- punishment or death. A disheartened, ment generated by the Holy Spirit to neglected people desperately searched for facilitate the advancement of the mes- an island of hope in a sea of broken sage within two very different commu- promises. It was into this vacuum of hope

1LTER L. PEARSON, JR.

8 (1280) ADVENTIST REVIEW, DECEMBER 1994 that the thrilling message of Jesus' soon that they began to behave as its citizens. coming came to American Black people.' Initially Black people might have been Millerite preaching struck a responsive attracted by the hope of freedom from chord within the hearts of Blacks not inhumane treatment. But they soon only because of their religious inclina- joined others who were genuinely con- tions, but because at the bottom line the vinced that a loving Saviour would return theme of this preaching was freedom! to earth to reclaim a prepared people. The Millerite movement attracted hun- Considering that the overwhelming dreds of Blacks.' If Miller's description of majority of Blacks were in the South dur- the imminent prospect of discarding earthly ing this period, and that believers prepar- cares and experiencing heavenly joy in ing to leave the earth would have kept few God's presence enthralled Whites, imagine records, the relatively few Blacks affili- On the how mistreated Blacks were affected. What ated with the Millerite movement seem to Miller may have lacked in terms of vocabu- have made an astonishing impact. lary and elocution was more than compen- One reason for the few references to sated by the melodious tones and sincere Blacks among the Millerites was their con- manner that captivated his listeners.' cern that the information might implicate loom of In many churches of the day, slaves them for teaching religion to Blacks. might have listened to this good news Whites were especially wary of the liberat- from the periphery of a crowd or sitting in ing effect of preaching the Second Advent.' some church balcony that was reserved But the power of the gospel was intensified for them and others of their race. But by the urgency of a soon-coming Christ. affliction, surely their hearts leaped with hope as they contemplated the possibilities. Any Unsung Heroes illusion that they might be treated with a The historical record clearly shows that small portion of human dignity in this several outstanding ministers of African Blacks present world was constantly squelched descent were Millerite preachers. One of by the cruel realities of slavery. them, Charles Bowles, responded to the Consequently, what much of society call to ministry late in life and was referred might embrace because of its surface to as "Father Bowles." His ministry under appeal became that much more appealing the Millerite banner met with success as he wove a for people who were routinely treated as proclaimed the soon coming of Christ. He something less than human. On the loom addressed large crowds of Whites as well of affliction, Blacks wove a seamless as Blacks and played a pivotal role in the religious faith that included strands of establishment of several churches.6 social struggle and personal piety. Folldore about Bowles includes a report seamless Millerites were clearly amenable to the that detractors once threatened to throw him inclusion of Blacks in the Second Advent into a pond during a baptism. But the power movement. They evidently demonstrated of his relentless preaching turned the tables cordiality sufficient to overcome society's and converted even some of his tormentors.' religious barriers between those of different races. John W. Lewis, another Black Millerite But Millerites were preoccupied with preacher, was commissioned in response the shortness of time on earth. Their log- to a successful motion by Charles Fitch ical response to people seeking an end to (who also collected more than $20 to injustice might have been indifference. finance his ministry).8 Among other faith. After all, those who awaited the soon notable accomplishments, Lewis was the return of the Saviour could rationally author of a biography of Charles Bowles' conclude that any societal shortcoming William Ellis Foy, a Baptist training for would evaporate in the glory of the king- the ministry in Boston, was an eloquent dom that was about to be given to the speaker with an impressive command of the saints.' Miraculously, the focus on an language. He was arguably the most contro- immediate departure from this world versial of Black Millerite preachers because seemed to have underscored the inclina- he received visions during the two years just tion to share the message with Blacks, as preceding the Great Disappointment. well as to work for an improvement of We know that Foy hesitated to relate their condition. Perhaps their aspirations what he had seen, as had others, including were so centered in the City of God Ellen White. In addition to the ridicule

ADVENTIST REVIEW, DECEMBER 1994 (1281) 9

that one would experience just for being a (father of J. H. Kellogg) apparently Millerite, he no doubt felt he would suffer maintained stations for the Underground additionally because of being a Black Railroad on their property." man during that time.'° In his autobiography, Joseph Bates Information about Foy was scant or admitted that he was also an abolitionist. The logical confusing until the book The Unknown The book contains an anecdote that Prophet was written by Delbert Baker. occurred as he lingered following one of Now we know that he joined other Black his lectures. In it, he spoke with the slaves preachers of that period in successfully who had stood, listening attentively, at the communicating the Advent message to rear of the auditorium as he preached. He response both Black and White audiences." His offered them pamphlets. Though they had visions bore the stamp of divine origin. not yet learned to read, they assured Bates Years later Ellen White related a con- they would have their masters' children versation with Foy during which she con- read the truth to them." cluded that they were both shown Our pioneers had no reason to imag- to people substantively identical versions of the ine that we would still be on earth at the same vision. She commented on Foy's close of the twentieth century. They prophetic ministry with the words "[the] probably struggled to grasp the realities remarkable testimonies that he bore." '2 of life on earth after 1844. seeking Early in 1844 William Miller and Joshua If they had been able to witness the phe- V. Himes encountered a notable blessing nomenal explosion of Seventh-day both for the movement and for the Adventism into all the world; if they could advancement of the message among Black have witnessed the acceptance of the people. A prominent Black minister in the Seventh-day Adventist message by peoples an end to city of Baltimore, Maryland, identified with of every nation, kindred, and tongue, joy the Millerites and declared his intention to might have filled their hearts at the mar- establish an "Adventist" congregation." velous possibilities for us as future citizens This development reinforced the startling of heaven. If, in a time far less enlightened, impact of God's power through an impor- their personal prejudices could be sup- injustice tant—albeit neglected—minority. pressed for the advancement of God's Blacks were counted both with those camp, what might they dream for us! who scattered and those who remained faithful after the great disappointment of ' See Louis B. Reynolds, We Have Tomorrow might 1844. And Black believers were also (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Pub. Assn., among those who formed the first 1984), pp. 17-28; Delbert W. Baker, The Unknown Prophet (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Pub. Adventist groups after the disappoint- Assn., 1987), pp. 24, 25. ment of October 22, 1844.'4 Jacob Justiss, Angels in Ebony (Toledo, Ohio: Jet Printing Service, 1975), p. 13. F. D. Nichol, The Midnight Cry (Washington, D.C.: have been Review and Herald Pub. Assn., 1944), p. 131. Our Legacy Baker, pp. 72, 73. Our Advent progenitors, stirred by Ibid., p. 74. prophecies of Christ's soon coming, were ° Reynolds, p. 19. ' Baker, p. 75. not so narrow in their thinking as some ° George R. Knight, Millennial Fever and the End of might think. They were often identified as the World (Boise, Idaho: Pacific Press Pub. Assn., 1993), indifference. p. 118. abolitionists as well as crusaders for tem- Reynolds, p. 19. perance. They apparently viewed solu- '° See J. N. Loughborough, The Great Second Advent Movement (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Pub. tions to society's problems as nearly as Assn., 1909), pp. 145-147; R. W. Schwarz, Light Bearers important as telling of Jesus' soon return. to the Remnant (Mountain View, Calif.: Pacific Press Pub. Assn., 1979), p. 64; "Foy, William Ellis," SDA William Foy testified that no one Encyclopedia (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald seemed to mind the color of his skin Pub. Assn., 1976), pp. 474, 475. " Knight, p. 119. when he first met with early Advent Manuscript Releases, vol. 17, p. 96 believers.' "3 Midnight Cry, Feb. 29, 1844, pp. 249-251; James R. Nix, in Adventist Review, Mar. 10, 1994, p. 14. Charles Fitch, one of the prominent " Justiss, p. 14. Walter L. Pearson, Jr., Advent pioneers, was awakened to his 's Baker, p. 21. Nichol, p. 185. is an associate director activist role by reading a pamphlet Justiss, p. 16. of the Ellen G. White against slavery.' Joseph Bates, The Early Life and Later Experience and Labors of Elder Joseph Bates (Battle Creek, Mich.: Estate, Silver Spring, John Byington (first president of the Steam Press of the Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Maryland. General Conference) and J. P. Kellogg Association, 1878), pp. 284-287. 10 (1282) ADVENTIST REVIEW, DECEMBER 1994 FROM THE HEART Looking Back, Ahead, and Up

ere we stand at the close of another an Adventist? Does the "blessed hope" also. He is the God of the new, the Hyear. So fast the days have hurried burn bright in my heart? fresh, the creative. He can enable us to by, and before we know it, 1995 will be Dear friend, what was the year like do better in 1995. But we should upon us. It's time to look back for a for you? As you look back on 1994, remember that "we have nothing to fear moment, to take stock and see the old what events in your life rise up and fill for the future, except as we shall forget year in perspective. your being? the way the Lord has led us, and His What a year this has been! Perhaps for you it was a year of teaching in our past history" (Life We have seen incredible scenes from happy times—weddings, births, gradua- Sketches, p. 196). Rwanda, as Hutus and Tutsis slaugh- tions, achievements. Or perhaps it was a "Forget the former things; do not tered each other, and vast numbers of dwell on the past," God says. "See, I am refugees fled to neighboring countries doing a new thing! Now it springs up; for refuge. More than a million people There is a time to do you not perceive it?" (Isa. 43:18, 19, gathered across the border in Goma, NIV). Zaire, where they struggled to survive There is a time to remember, but without food or shelter and were threat- remember, but there is there is also a time to forget. Paul tells ened by outbreaks of disease. This was us, "Forgetting what is behind and surely one of the greatest human straining toward what is ahead, I press tragedies ever to afflict the world. also a time to forget. on toward the goal to win the prize for Of course, the year has brought some which God has called me heavenward in good news, also—acts of heroism and Christ Jesus" (Phil. 3:13, 14, NIV). unselfishness, advances in medicine in horrible year, with suffering, anxiety, We should remember God's good- the unceasing battle for life, people and loss of dear ones. ness, His leading, His acceptance, and great and small who helped make Planet Through it all, however, God's good His gracious acts in our lives and in the Earth a kinder and more beautiful place. hand has been upon us. Whatever joys church. But we should forget our fail- The news is always both good and and successes have been ours are ures, our doubts, our carelessness, our bad. Truth and error continually struggle because of Him; whatever heartaches slackness, and by God's grace make a for supremacy, right against wrong, and pains have come our way, He has new start. Christ against Satan. We are in the been there by our side, even when He So let us look up. Let us raise our midst of a war—the great controversy! seemed far away. sights and raise our faith. Let us go forth This year brought many wonderful Can you join me in praising Him with with Him confidently into the unknown, reports of God's hand in our midst. The the psalmist? "Praise the Lord, 0 my secure in His mercy and confident that good news of Jesus and His soon return soul; all my inmost being, praise his He holds the future. continues to go by leaps and bounds. holy name. Praise the Lord, 0 my soul, "And I said to the man who stood at Our church is growing very fast—we and forget not all his benefits—who for- the gate of the year: 'Give me a light passed the 8 million mark this year. The gives all your sins and heals all your that I may tread safely into the Lord broke down barriers this year, diseases" (Ps. 103:1-3, NIV). unknown.' And he replied: 'Go out into opening doors and doing wonders. We Soon a new year will dawn. The the darkness and put your hand into the are in the end-time, and He is pouring Romans had a god Janus, with two hand of God. That shall be to you better out His power upon us. faces, one looking back and one looking than light and safer than a known way" This was also a year for us to look ahead. Janus was the god of portals, of (from Minnie Louise Hoskins, God back and reflect on our roots. In this beginnings, and our month January Knows). 150th anniversary year since October comes from that name. 22, 1844, many members thought again So we look ahead also. We cannot Robert S. Folkenberg is president of the of the hope that impelled William dwell in the past. God wants us to learn General Conference of Seventh-day Miller, and asked themselves, Am I still from the old year, but to go forward Adventists.

ADVENTIST REVIEW, DECEMBER 1994 (1283) 11

BOOK REVIEWS Holiday Reading

BY SCOTT MONCRIEFF

From the parables of Jesus The Man From Lancer Avenue tion for what it would be like to Audra. For the rest of the book to John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Trudy J. Morgan, Review be Peter, Matthew, or Mary. Audra struggles to decide Progress, Christians have used and Herald Publishing Martha's perspective struck me whether to be loyal to a cold, imaginary characters and sto- Association, Hagerstown, as particularly well drawn, and dull husband or give herself to a ries to convey moral and spiri- Maryland, 1991, 191 pages, Jesus Himself comes across charming, warm artist. tual truth. Among Seventh-day $9.95. beautifully. Morgan keeps the The exquisite delineation of Adventists, books from earlier Jesus of Montreal, a French individual characters alive Audra's loneliness, her need to years like Swift Arrow, Canadian film putting Christ in within the larger movement of act the part of a model church Mindy, and Project Sunlight a modem setting, appeared in Jesus's entourage and ministry. member, and her honest ques- used this form; however, since 1989. Perhaps Morgan's The The passing segments appear tioning of her relationship with 1990 the numbers have multi- Man From Lancer Avenue, from a variety of perspectives, her husband, her potential lover, plied. Dr. Scott Moncrieff, with a similar premise, was giving the reader a dramatic and God is convincing, moving, associate professor of English inspired by the film. At any experience of the community of and insightful. In the hands of a at Andrews University, has rate, having greatly appreci- believers in action. Occasionally lesser writer, the struggle would identified more than 30 recent ated the imagination and spiri- I could say things like "Oh, here be easy. But Padgett addresses titles from Adventist presses. tual power of the film, I was comes Mary washing Jesus' Audra's difficulties within a All are available at local prepared to be disappointed by feet," but by and large Morgan believable and profound dra- Adventist Book Centers or by this book. Instead, I got a won- kept me guessing early and matic context—neither Craig nor calling 1-800-765-6955. derful surprise. admiring later. I hesitate to give Hugh get shortchanged or Here and in next week's quotes or plot scenarios, because demonized. The reader feels issue of the Adventist Review. I think saying that Peter starts sympathetic with Audra yet Professor Moncrieff reviews off as an auto mechanic or Jesus unsure of what will be best for Adventist stories, some based .EMANT is called "Chris Carpenter" does her. By midstory I was capti- on actual events, others not. not convey the imaginative vated, but doubtful that the All involve heavy use of the LANCER power of the book. I should bet- author would be able to pull out writers' imagination. The ter advise you to get a copy for a satisfactory solution. She does. remaining titles will be AV NU yourself and settle down for an It's beautiful and worth twice the reviewed in 1995.—Editors. enriching experience. price of the book. The last line is a bit of a shocker, interesting to The Tempting of Audra Grey reflect on—but don't turn there are first impressions, Tricia Padgett (pseudonym), first or you'll spoil it. not ultimate pro- Pacific Press Publishing The Association of Seventh- ouncements from Association, Boise, Idaho, day Adventist Librarians has Sinai or Parnassus. I admire the It's not easy to take charac- 1992, 159 pages, $8.95. selected this book for an effort that it takes every author ters, events, and words from the The Tempting of Audra Grey ASDAL Literary Award.— to write and be published—it's Gospels and weave them into a has a simple premise. Audra, a Editors. tough. That doesn't mean I credible modem scenario. One book editor at an unnamed found every book equally enter- has to be true to the biblical Christian publishing house, finds The Orion Conspiracy taining, informative, inspiring, material, and yet that material a new love story manuscript Kenneth R. Wade, Pacific or credible. As Adventist readers has to be joined to new mate- very attractive, partly because Press Publishing Association, we need to reflect on how "our" rial—will old wine go bad in the lovers' warm relationship is Boise, Idaho, 1994, 512 pages, writers are portraying Adventist new wineskins? Morgan has to just what she longs for and can $11.95. experience. I hope these reviews be perpetually fresh and imagi- never have with her phlegmatic Inspired by Daniel, will be helpful, not only in aid- native, reminiscent, and smooth and indifferent husband, Hugh. Revelation, and The Great ing readers in their purchases, and tactful. There are many After a bit of business corre- Controversy, the Adventist but in fostering a broader discus- opportunities for a pitfall, yet spondence, the story's author, imagination thrives on end-time sion of imaginative narrative.— she hardly stumbles. Craig, shows up at the press and events. June Strong's apocalyp- Scott Moncrieff. The reader gains an apprecia- wants to start going out with tic Project Sunlight (1980) was

12 (1284) ADVENTIST REVIEW, DECEMBER 1994 an Adventist best-seller. Ken The name Seventh-day Yesterday's Tears God time" line, which was Wade's The Orion Conspiracy Adventist isn't used until the Rhonda Graham, Pacific God's own line to Jennifer ear- is the most recent and ambi- second half of the novel, but Press Publishing Association, lier in the story. Graham's tious treatment of that time: "a there are plenty of clues: refer- Boise, Idaho, 1991, 94 pages, Nowhere to Turn is better. dramatic showdown between ences to the remnant church, the $6.95. the forces of good and evil that Sabbath, Daniel, Ellen White, Jennifer Perkins leaves The Heart and Soul pit the White House, the Steps to Christ, and the two Portland for a year at Newbold of Landon Harris Vatican, and New Age spiritu- women of Revelation. Later, we College. She also leaves behind Helen Godfrey Pyke, Review alists in a battle against Jim hear the health message, visit Mike, a Jew, and runs smack and Herald Publishing Judson, Tammy Johnson, and the General Conference head- into Scott, a theology major Association, Hagerstown, those who've vowed to be quarters and the Review and abroad. There's just enough Maryland, 1991, 140 pages, faithful to the true God." Herald Publishing Association, Bracknell, Canterbury, and $7.95. One has to admire the scope and hear of Columbia Union London thrown in to remind The title of this book grabbed of Wade's story. From Mecca to College. Many of Wade's major the reader this isn't another dull me. It goes straight to the bone, Mexico City, it's a global set- plot elements come right out of American romance. It's a dull not offering gauzy romantic ting, and includes as characters English one. melancholy. The book is about the president, the pope, and the Strike 1: We're supposed to a man in a man's world. Landon national security advisor—not admire Jennifer because she is a successful engineer at to mention the General gives up a Jew in the hand for Hallivand Steel, in a Chicago Conference president (a an Adventist in the heath. In an skyscraper, withstanding office Hispanic). Readers who prefer eleventh-hour phone call Mike politics, parenting two boys, an event-centered style will promises to become an dealing with a pair of ex-wives, enjoy the book's "stunning por- Adventist if Jennifer will marry and investigating religion. And trayal" of the great controversy. him, but his offer is crudely it's ably written by a woman. Computer hackers will enjoy insincere, contradicting the pos- The depiction of the work- the technological sophistication. itive portrait Graham has cre- place deserves special commen- Those who appreciate subtlety ated to that point. It seems like dation. The complications of the and depth in character are a cheap narrative trick to fully job, the memorable supervisor advised to look elsewhere. free up Jennifer for Scott. Reynolds, the maze of office I found the depiction of The Great Controversy, so it's Strike 2: The foreign atmo- cubicles, work rivalries, com- women depressing. By the time hardly surprising when Jim sphere makes very little differ- pany meetings, and, far below Tammy tries to seduce Jim, says, "How could I help but ence. We don't expect Henry Landon's window, the poplars Dawna seduces Cal, and Len, believe? . . . It's as plain as the James, but this story might as and the busy street—all give a Mr. Braddock, and Agent nose on my face. The prophe- well have been set in modem professional life texture Anderson try to seduce cies are coming true." One brief Collegedale. very rare in an Adventist book. Tammy, I thought I might have encounter with unaccepting Foul tip: Jennifer is a normal The back cover copy sug- picked up one of those Adventists keeps the story from Christian girl (wears a bit of gests that the story reaches an embossed airport novels by being pure public relations. makeup, has an opinion or two exciting climax when Landon mistake. There's a content-jus- Can an imaginative plot and a of her own, and listens to Surfin' has to decide between being tifying forgiveness lesson fast pace compensate for charac- U.S.A. on the radio), as opposed true to his new Adventist con- packed in when Tammy comes ters who are checkers in a rem- to a goody-goody trying out for victions and losing the stepson to terms with her past—con- nant board game? There are the pastor's wife role. Can such he is trying to adopt. But this fronts and pardons the father annoying little details—like sud- a girl win a theology major, or is characterization overdramatizes who sexually abused her. But denly giving Jim "eight-inch she not religious enough? This the subtlety of Pyke's approach, that's just the trouble: it's locks" to cut off when he goes angle receives trite treatment. in which dramatic showdowns packed in, formulaic. There's into disguise; dropping a hint or Strike 3: Out of 94 pages, do have little place. Instead, a no time for Wade to patiently two that the svelte Tammy has 92 of them have to be about the steady authentic texture of daily work out a situation of psycho- to work on her diet, and then boy/girl relationship? Jennifer's life with its myriad concerns, logical complexity—we're rac- suddenly telling us she weighed agony over Mike and ambiva- lived by an individual trying to ing toward the apocalypse! 200 pounds only a year before; lence toward Scott is oppres- find the truth and repair past Another weak scene comes or lightening Tammy's hair sive. There's little time taken to wrongs, moves the story along when Jim, who has hardly read from light brown to blond so she develop her character apart in a very satisfying way. As a the Bible, learns in a couple can be the beautiful virgin of from her man interests. This side note, it's amazing how lessons how to interpret biblical Revelation—which makes me nothingness is punctuated at the much stylistic mileage Pyke prophecy, and gives an exten- wish that Wade had spent more end when she is swallowed up gets out of Landon's favorite sive homily to his amazed girl- time fine-tuning the journey and in Scott's arms, and Scott reflective phrase, "Well." friend and Bible teacher. less time racing toward the end. adopts the comforting "Give The ending has a hint of The

ADVENTIST REVIEW, DECEMBER 1994 (1285) 13 Parent Trap in it, but Pyke American version of Upstairs, geography of the region. I can't Biblical fiction—full-blown maintains subtlety and dramatic Downstairs. But it's more than a remember an Adventist story narrative compatible with scanty propriety. In the passage about binary world masters and with this level of excellence in scriptural sources—has been a canoe trip she suggests a final, slaves, Black and White. There setting since June Strong's around for a long time. We complex tension between are different kinds of masters, Mindy. The author introduces know Ben-Hur (1880), The Christian commitment, profes- different kinds of slaves: differ- religious themes discreetly, but Robe, Two From Galilee, and so sional life, romantic yearnings, ent ages, different jobs, different they are moving and credible. on. In Adventist circles we've and the challenge of parenting. temperaments, different dreams. Two more volumes are sched- heard many sermons that elabo- Yet all are tied together in the uled to complete the series. rate on Bible stories, and we Weldon Oaks Series social organization of slavery and have the dramatizations of Your Jean E. Holmes, Pacific Press plantation life. It's clear that slav- She Said No Story Hour and Uncle Arthur's Publishing Association, Boise, ery is wrong, and limits the Kay D. Rizzo, Pacific Press Bible Story series. Lois Erickson Idaho. human potential of both slaves Publishing Association, Boise, has made a specialty of writing Mornin' Star Risin', 1992, and slave owners. But such a Idaho, 1994, 189 pages, about biblical women, with 160 pages, $9.95. view does not preclude the author $10.95. Leah (1987), Zipporah (1989), Deep River, Lawd,1993, 160 from noting the kindnesses of a Heather MacKenna and Huldah, and Hannah (scheduled pages, $9,95. master who doesn't question a Joshua Hanson are students at a for 1995). Jubilation Morn', 1994, 157 bad system; the friendship Midwestern Christian college. The Bible tells us Huldah pages, $9.95. between the master's son and his She is a music major, he is a min- was a prophet living in How, in these politically cor- personal slave, a mixture of isterial student. It sounds like a Jerusalem, married to Shallum, rect days, can one write a seri- camaraderie and awkward hierar- match made in conference head- keeper of the wardrobe (2 Kings ous and nuanced story about life chy; the wisdom, sense of duty, quarters. But Josh has a mean 22:14). She interprets the mes- on a plantation before and dur- and familial concern toward the streak, partly a legacy of unre- sage of God in a scroll for King ing the Civil War? Ideology master's son shown by some of solved childhood conflicts, and Josiah (verses 15-20). General would threaten to overshadow the older slaves. In Holmes' he occasionally loses his temper background about the reigns of experience. But Jean Holmes world, many virtues can flourish with Heather. On the worst of Manasseh, Amon, and Josiah writes with conviction and even in a bad system without these occasions he rapes her. come from 2 Kings 21-23 and 2 excusing the system. Both Pacific Press and the Chronicles 33-35. With these Mornin' Star Risin' covers Review and Herald have taken minimal constraints, Erickson the 1850s; Deep River, Lawd on any number of sensitive top- makes Huldah especially beau- goes backward—confusingly— ics in recent books: divorce, tiful and her marriage romantic. to 1858 and forward to late child abuse, alcoholism, teen Her brief biblical encounter 1860, ending with the secession pregnancy. Now date rape. with Josiah (via intermediaries) of South Carolina and the threat AIDS is surely around the cor- becomes, in the book, a lifelong of imminent war. Jubilation ner. This book is an interesting friendship, beginning with a Morn' covers the period from story in the way it covers the secret night mission to dedicate late 1860 to early 1862—the course of a relationship over the infant Josiah—against his early stages of the war through several years, provides an imagi- father's wishes—and later scrip- Yankee occupation. The social native reconstruction of the tural tutelage of Josiah and his and historical scope of the story background, and shares the mother. There are other added widens in volume 2, and again aftereffects of a traumatic event. dramas, some spurred by the authenticity, sympathy and in volume 3. The author's dili- The point of view shifts back fictitious villain Zophar, a humor, and refrains from using gent efforts in footnoting facts and forth in first person from courtier jealous of Huldah and her characters to make crude and sources will be appreciated Josh to Heather, yielding inter- Shallum's influence over political statements. You don't by those who read the series as esting differences of perception Josiah. have an author self-consciously a history, but they make the nar- about the key events. A detailed I suppose Erickson expects a shouting, "Look how terrible rative seem a bit creaky. joint review of this book, by Dr. largely teenage female audi- this is!" Instead the action Nevertheless, the series is Beverly Matiko and Dr. ence who would gladly identify seems to unfold naturally in eminently worth reading for Moncrieff, is forthcoming in The with Huldah—a career woman front of you, allowing you to four reasons: an interesting and Journal of Adventist Education. of the nineties in God's service. draw your own conclusions. believable cast of slave and Erickson writes in a plain, Holmes says Mornin' Star White characters; prodigious Huldah descriptive style, with little to Risin' is not "a rehash of Uncle use of the engaging Gullah Lois N. Erickson, Review and excite or annoy, and minimal Tom's Cabin." It's not just any dialect; an unpredictable yet Herald Publishing Association complexity of character. She plantation—it's a specific planta- credible plot; and a highly inte- (Autumn House), Hagerstown, does give some sense of bibli- tion on one of the South Carolina grated use of setting—the Maryland, 1991, 125 pages, cal times and the importance of Sea Islands. One could call it an fauna and flora, climate, and $7.95. biblical women. 14 (1286) ADVENTIST REVIEW, DECEMBER 1994 LIFESTYLE Mark Howe thought we could safely let everything else go in life if we have intact our capacity for wonder. He put it this way: wc , The "Now, thieving Time, take what you must— Quickness to hear, to move, to see; W ONDER of It When dust is drawing near to dust Such diminutions needs must be. Yet leave, 0 leave exempt from Life is lighted up plunder L My curiosity, my wonder!" o you remember the days of child- by the mysteries Dhood wonder when each new dis- covery filled your very being with excitement and joy? Most of us have to work to keep wonder alive as the years we can't explain. press in. We've done it all. We've seen it all. And under the demanding siege of daily existence, our vision of God's BY JERIS E. BRAGAN goodness slowly tarnishes, shrivels, blurs. I think this danger is what the author of Proverbs had in mind when he wrote: verything that could go wrong we grow older, but we never outgrow "Where there is no vision [no redemp- did the day that my daughter, our need for them. Wonder is a gift from tive revelations of God], the people per- Tracie, was born on Christmas God for all ages. It produces four expe- ish" (Prov. 29:18, Amplified). EEve. The roads were treacher- riences that are absolutely essential to Wonder restores the clarity of our ous from a sudden snowstorm, and I the spiritual health and happiness of vision when everything looks hopeless. was tired after working all night. each person. It opens the soul's eyes to deeper things Things went from bad to worse at the of ultimate value that cannot be seen hospital. The doctor had promised I 1. Wonder produces vision. with a wonderless eye. could be present during labor and deliv- Thomas Carlyle understood the Wonder is the "spectacles" over a ery. But in 1969 hospital administrators importance of wonder. "The man who faithful eye. considered fathers little more than a nui- cannot wonder, who does not habitually sance during the birthing process. Their wonder (and worship), . . . is but a pair 2. Wonder produces humility. policy was simple: No fathers allowed! of spectacles, behind which there is no Wonder also produces some healthy Hours later nurses wheeled my wife out eye," he wrote. humility. of the delivery room. Tracie was wrapped I thought of that one day as I sat Mary was deeply troubled by up in a blanket on the gurney, sound asleep across from a mother and her 4-year-old Gabriel's message about her pregnancy. between her mother's legs. "Joy to the daughter on a bus at Christmastime. The "How can this be?" she asked (Luke World" played softly in the background. girl pressed her face to the window in 1:34, NKJV). She couldn't explain what When I picked the baby up, she sud- utter fascination, turning to her mother was taking place, but her profound sense denly opened her mouth in a huge yawn, again and again with excited cries: of wonder moved her to say, "My soul waved her fists around, and seemed to "Look, Mother, a Christmas tree!" magnifies the Lord" (verse 46, NKJV). be studying me through bleary eyes. My "Look, Mother, there's Santa Claus Life is lighted up by mysteries we frustrations evaporated as I held my ringing a bell!" "Oh, look, Mother, can't explain. It's healthy to admit there daughter for the first time and tried to quick, there's Baby Jesus in a manger!" are so many things we don't understand. blink back the tears. This continued for some time until Where did Gabriel come from? What's In that perfectly ordinary and mundane the woman spoke to me. "You'll have to this about the virgin birth? How could a moment of human experience, a power- excuse her for all the commotion," she star lead Wise Men to Bethlehem? ful sense of wonder swept over me, seiz- apologized. "She still thinks everything English theologian Leslie Weather- ing me and holding me tight in its grasp. is wonderful." head spent most of his life struggling We may forget the importance of "That's OK," I laughed. "So do I with the difficult issues and hard ques- wonder-producing experiences in life as now!" tions of Christian faith. He found mean-

ADVENTIST REVIEW, DECEMBER 1994 (1287) 15 JOELD. SPRINGER 16 (1288) Where didGabrielcome ADVENTIST REVIEW, DECEMBER1994 ingful answers to some, but he found come in future marriages and grandchil- So fair a fancy few would weave that many others remain insoluble. dren, promises of renewed joy and ful- in these years! Yet, I feel, Weatherhead said he dealt with the fillment. If someone said on Christmas Eve, insoluble problems by creating a desk Howard Thurman understood this `Come; see the oxen kneel, with a drawer inside his mind. Within need for the sacramental experience of this drawer he thought of a file labeled joy in the ordinary events of life. He In the lonely barton by yonder coomb "Awaiting Further Light." When con- once said, "There must be always Our childhood used to know,' fronted by an issue he couldn't resolve, remaining in everyone's life some place I should go with him in the gloom, he simply "filed" it away in "Awaiting for the singing of the angels . . . , where hoping it might be so." Further Light." the commonplace is shot through with a There is so much we can accept and new glory." Hoping it might be so! That's what enjoy happily without completely wonder does. It produces vision and understanding it. Wonder produces an 4. Wonder produces hope. humility, but most of all, hope. honest humility, and that frees us to Our ability to see hope and happiness And even though the poet gives no serve God—even when those "awaiting in the future is directly proportional to such guarantee, be assured that it is so. further light" files crowd the drawers of our ability to wonder. Whether or not the oxen kneel really our thinking. According to one legend the poet isn't the point of the poem. The hope is Thomas Hardy learned as a boy, oxen for a God who so loved the world that 3. Wonder produces joy. all over the world kneel for a moment in He gave His only Son that all of us Do you remember the days of child- worship at midnight. His poem "The might have the gift of eternal life. hood wonder when each new discovery Oxen" describes that legend and how it And the meaning of that gift for each filled your very being with excitement captures a sense of faith: of us becomes clearer the more we learn and joy? to wonder. Edie, my wife, has taught me most "Christmas Eve, and twelve of the about the joy of wonder. Even though clock, she's a bright, well-educated, profes- `Now they are all on their knees,' sional woman, she's never lost her phe- An elder said as we sat in a flock nomenal capacity to see people, events, by the embers in hearthside ease. and circumstances through unspoiled Jeris E. Bragan writes eyes of wonder. We pictured the meek mild from Nashville, Tenne- On December 29 she was curled up creatures where ssee. on a sofa in front of our brightly lighted they dwelt in their strawy pen, Christmas tree. Even though we were Nor did it occur to one of us there celebrating Christmas four days late that to doubt they were kneeling then. year, her eyes danced and sparkled in the colorful lights as though it were Christmas Eve, because our three adult sons, plus a fiancée, had just arrived Do you like from Chicago a few hours earlier. Edie was exhausted. But she wouldn't the sun, o sleep. At midnight she got up and began the snow? a ritual she had practiced since her first child was born 24 years ago: she filled their Christmas stockings with an ou've got your pick of Two assortment of small gifts, candy, nuts, two single-adult New yYear's retreats. You New Year's and fruit. can join the fun in the I smiled as I watched her. Two years Florida sun at Camp Retreats for earlier I'd heard a chorus of protest from Kulaqua, or you can play Single Adults the children when I suggested that adult in the Colorado snow at Glacier View Ranch. December 30 to January 2 kids "might be too old to be waking up Either way, you'll enjoy to Christmas stockings." No way. Now Edie seemed filled with wonder- activities, festive music, inspired joy, a sense of hope, and great joyful worships, and Atkenfict kir* expectation as she concentrated on her lively fellowship. Write for details, or call us at Alinisvies annual ritual. Something wonderful was 4467 King Springs Rd. about to happen—another Christmas ‘1(404) 434-5111. Smyrna. GA 30082 with our children, hints of what is to

ADVENTIST REVIEW, DECEMBER 1994 (1289) 17 CURRENT ISSUES able that our planet is not the only one in the universe inhabited by intelligent organisms. Chances are that some tech- nologically advanced extraterrestrial civilizations are aware of our existence and are seeking at this very moment to contact us. Even though they have not The Sounds succeeded, we ought to do what we can with our current technology to make it easier for them to get in touch with us. And even if no one has been trying to of Space reach us, through Project Phoenix we may be able to eavesdrop on communi- cations between different intelligent life-forms. This amounts to a gigantic Failing to find intelligent life in our galaxy, scien- listening ear pushed against the wall tists are "listening" for extraterrestrials elsewhere. separating us from other planets outside the solar system—the wall being the Will they find any? mind-boggling distances of empty space isolating the solar system. Scientists anticipate the benefit to humanity from contact with an extrater- BY G. T. JAVOR restrial civilization to be incalculable. Along with learning about the secrets of the universe, humanity at last will get definitive answers on questions that ctober 12, 1992, the 500th bowl-shaped jungle valley where 38,778 have exercised the best minds over the anniversary of Christopher panels of aluminum mesh were used to centuries: Where did we come from? Columbus' entry into the create a circular bowl 1,000 feet in What are we doing here? and Where are New World, was also the diameter. (A physicist estimated that we going? 0 this bowl could hold 357 million boxes Since the currently investigated source date scientists for the United States National Aeronautics and Space of cornflakes.) Suspended by steel of electromagnetic radiation is 63-light- Administration (NASA) flipped the cables over this gigantic dish is a 600- years away, signals detected in 1994 switch on the world's largest radio tele- ton platform where the received radio would have left their source back in 1931. scope, beginning the most extensive waves are focused. Should we discover something meaning- systematic search for extraterrestrial When the radio signals are received, ful in these signals and reply by a radio intelligence ever undertaken. they are passed through a computer- transmission of our own, our message The experiment is to study electro- driven multichannel analyzer that breaks would arrive at its destination in 63 magnetic radiation from the stars. The the observed radio bands into tens of years—about the year 2057 (if the Lord telescope, at Arecibo, Puerto Rico, is thousands of channels. A second elec- hasn't returned by then). It is clear that aimed at Star GL615.1A and is designed tronic unit scans these channels, search- the long-term continuity of the project is to pick up any signals in the microwave ing for signals that have some regularity essential for success. However, given the region between 1,000 and 3,000 mega- about them, such as continuous waves or volatility of our world, such long-term hertz. regular impulses. A third system locks continuity may not be possible. The Search for Extraterrestrial on to promising isolated signals and ana- If this particular experiment doesn't Intelligence (SETI) project was to take lyzes them further. Each set of analysis yield results, scientists will not be terri- at least 10 years to complete, at a mini- entails billions of calculations. This pro- bly discouraged. They estimate that at mum cost of $100 million. (Since its cess is repeated every half second. least 1,000 different sources of inception, financial cutbacks at NASA The October 12 start-up date of the microwave signals need to be investi- forced the program to be restructured so original SETI program implies that this gated before a verdict can be rendered that it now relies on private as well as project could, quite literally, also open about the existence of intelligent life in public funding. The program's new up "new worlds" as Columbus did more our "immediate vicinity" of the uni- name is Project Phoenix.) than 500 years ago. verse. The Arecibo radio telescope and its Scientists already are at work on associated computer package represents For What Are They Listening? developing a set of ethics should com- the best that current technology can The reasoning behind this ambitious munication become possible with accomplish. The device is situated in a undertaking goes like this: It's conceiv- extraterrestrial intelligences. Protocols 18 (1290) ADVENTIST REVIEW, DECEMBER 1994 ADVENTIST REVIEW, DECEMBER1994 are draftedtoensuretheauthentication announcement istobemadethroughthe of thereceivedsignal.Onceverified, International AstronomicalUnionand through theUnitedNations.Any response onourparttoextraterrestrials will becarefullycraftedafterextensive space surroundingthem.Amongthe international attempted tobreakthroughthebarrierof What TheyWillDoWithIt most ancientrecordsisfoundthesaga of averydetermined,evenheroic,all- consuming efforttoprobetheheavens by meansofagigantictower.According of divineintervention. to therecord,projectfailedbecause bol ofrebellionagainsttheexpressed spread throughouttheearth, Project wish oftheCreatorthathumanity Phoenix isnothingofthatsort. Rather, seated desirewithinallof ustofind it isanimplementationof thedeep- authoritative answerstothe large ques- tember 1992, thedetectionofan tions oflife. This isn'tthefirsttimehumanshave While theTowerofBabelwasasym- According to consultations. Life magazine, Sep- extraterrestrial signalwouldbeoneof the greatesteventsofthisoranyother who wouldprobablybevastlymore millennium. Directcontactwithaliens, a demoralizinganddestructiveeffecton powerful thanweourselves,couldhave challenge totheworld'sreligions. human culture.Itmightalsoposea extraterrestrial messagesthatwould of theBible? would beourreactiontoauthenticated appear tocontradictourunderstanding the Bible,fromGenesistoRevelation, are reportsofcommunicationswith extraterrestrial beingscalledangels? brother oflongago,thatweshouldnot believe adifferentgospelevenifangels carry moreweightthanthesensational- ism ofthepresent? themselves deliverit(seeGal.1:8), who haveinterpretedmodern-day devel- opments asfulfillmentsof biblical wondering ifthis open-endedsearchfor prophecies oftheend-timecannot help extraterrestrial intelligencemaynotpro- vide aperfect vehicle fortheenemyof The questionneedstobeasked:What Would weconsiderthatthroughout Would theadmonitionofaChristian Seventh-day Adventistsand others God andhumanitytoopentangible communication. ShouldSatanandhis als"—in anyshapeorform—theycould host decidetoposeas"extraterrestri- easily misleadtheworld'sleadingscien- tists andotherthoughtleaders, accomplish therecruitmentofalarge portion ofearth'spopulationfortheir character andpurposesoftheCreator. cause. Thatcausehasbeenandalways will bethemisrepresentationof remind usofthechallengingtimeswe will bechallenged,andonlysolidfaith live in.Ourmostfundamentalbeliefs ever formstheymaytake.Becauseonly in theBiblewillenableustowithstand bewitching satanicinfluences—what- faith inHim. the BiblerevealstrueSavior,who has promisedtodeliverallwhoputtheir Project Phoenixshouldforcefully sor ofbiochemistryin the SchoolofMedicine, G. T.Javorisaprofes- sity, Loma Linda, Loma Linda Univer- California. (1291) 19

RITIU H. ARMSTRONGROBE RTS/MAU S WORLDREPORT October 22 Commemoration: AA u Vignettes of Hope

Mervyn Maxwell (at microphone). Adventist Heritage Ministry secretary, led congregational singing. From left: other AHM members in the Friday night service were board chair Robert Dale, Myron Widmer, and James R. Nix, president.

MI NEW YORK

It was a weekend to remember. A week- end to relive our church's roots and to reaffirm our faith. A weekend of hope. No sense of disappointment was Held in a big tent, the commemoration brought more than 2,000 persons together from around the present in the hearts and minds of thou- world. sands of us as we gathered at the William Miller farm tainly an Adventist who spent years for a commemorative week- telling people about Jesus' love and end, October 20-22. His coming in 1843 or 1844, at the The weekend came end of the 2300-day prophecy in exactly 150 years to the day Daniel 8:14. And it was out of the after 150,000 Millerites large movement that Miller started throughout North America that the fledgling Adventist Church expected Christ to come on took root and grew, officially October 22, 1844. But the becoming the Seventh-day Millerites' great disap- Adventist Church in 1863. pointment took a backseat That's why the weekend was to our expressions of confi- held at Miller's former farmstead dent joy in Christ and His in Low Hampton, in upstate New heavenly ministry, and in York. Miller's home, now owned His second coming—the dual themes highlighted from Thursday night's opening meeting to Sabbath evening's finale with GC president Robert S. Folkenberg (right) sang with the Atlantic Union College choir Sabbath morning and spoke for a satellite General Conference presi- broadcast in the afternoon. dent Robert S. Folkenberg. We sang early Advent songs, partook sermons, Atlantic Union College choir of Communion services, prayed music, and Global Mission progress. We together, attended seminars, walked were inspired and spiritually refreshed. through the Miller home, and listened to A Feeling of History By Myron Widmer, an associate editor While farmer-turned-preacher William Walter Pearson, an associate secretary of the of the Adventist Review and speaker for Miller never became a Seventh-day Ellen G. White Estate, gave the Sabbath morning

CMLOS MEDLEY the Friday evening program. Adventist (he died in 1849), he was cer- sermon.

20 (1292) ADVENTIST REVIEW, DECEMBER 1994 Ongoing Communion services were held at the nearby William Miller chapel. r editor William G. Johnsson anchored the live broadcast transmitted via satellite to churches and homes across North America through the new Adventist Communication Network. One of the weekend's special highlights to me was the singing of early Advent hymns, and the stories behind the songs— told by Mervyn Maxwell, author, retired seminary professor, and church historian;

and partially restored by Adventist Heritage Ministry, a volunteer organi- Among those attending were William Miller's great-granddaughter Hazel Phelps zation of the North American Division, Stannard, and James A. White, great- was open for tours throughout the grandson of James and Ellen White. weekend, as were Miller's two barns and the small chapel he built. Robert Kloosterhuis, a general But Miller's house is too small for a vice president of the General crowd of more than 2,000, so weekend Conference, and Mike Ryan, planners set up a giant tent in the grassy director of the GC's Office of Harvard Miller Benway (left), a great-great-grandson of Miller, field next to the barns. On Sabbath it was Global Mission. and Benway's son, Bruce, came from Florida to attend the filled to capacity for the Sabbath worship Sabbath afternoon's 1X-hour occasion. NAB president Alfred C. McClure (right) gave a report of evangelism in North America in the afternoon service. service, which featured the powerful live broadcast from the Miller preaching of Walter Pearson, Jr., an asso- farm gave a historical perspective of and Jim Nix, an associate secretary of the ciate secretary of the Ellen G. White William Miller and a report on the week- Ellen G. White Estate and president of the Estate. North American Division president end, and concluded with a sermon and an organization that planned the weekend's Alfred C. McClure warmly welcomed the earnest appeal for recommitment by events, Adventist Heritage Ministry participants, including several descendants President Folkenberg. Adventist Review (AHM). A volunteer organization dedicated of William Miller. Many of us expected cold weather, even snow, but October 21 and 22 dawned bright, clear, warm, and with New England's gorgeous fall colors. It was perfect for sitting outside and enjoying the free sack lunches dis- tributed after the worship service on Sabbath. After eating, we gathered on nearby ascension rock for a recommitment service. The massive rock outcropping is where some Millerites waited all day for Christ to come on October 22, 1844. Then we attended a Global Mission The country setting around William Miller's home gave church members an opportunity to fellowship and learn about progress session hosted by their spiritual roots.

ADVENTIST REVIEW, DECEMBER 1994 (1293) 21 WORLDREPOF James R. Nix. AHM president, conducted a rededication service 4A1' at ascension rock.

to preserving significant early Adventist sites, AHM owns the Miller farm and other sites, including Ellen White's home in Battle Creek, Michigan. On Sunday, October 23, many of us drove five hours west to join about 150 people at the Hiram Edson farm near Port Gibson to dedicate a restored barn owned by Edson's father. The barn stands near a cornfield where Edson, on daughter of William Miller, spoke at a was lost in the small crowd. his way to encourage some neighbors on Sabbath meeting, saying that though she When the Communion service was over, the day after the Great Disappointment, was not a Seventh-day Adventist, she was Lenard Jaecks, Washington Conference realized that Christ began cleansing the so impressed with everything during the president and host for the Communion ser- heavenly sanctuary instead of coming to weekend event that "I am beginning to real- vices, again saw the man. This time tears earth on Octo- ize what I have missed all these years." were streaming down his cheeks. The man ber 22, 1844. ■ One gentleman returned to the regis- later told Jaecks that this was the first time tration tent to ask for two more programs that he had ever had communion. "I never Vignettes for visitors. When asked if he had brought felt I was worthy. For the first time the What was these persons to the meetings, he said no. Lord got through to me here in this chapel. the impact of He had just invited the motel manager, and Jesus is my representative in heaven. He is the weekend? he had brought along a friend! my living Saviour!" No one really ■ The dis- knows, but com- patcher of the ments from bus drivers who the registration ferried people book and a back and forth few vignettes to their cars in shared by mem- the apple or- bers of Advent- chard parking ist Heritage lots came to the Ministry give us Adventist Review associate Miller home on a bit of the fla- editor Myron Widmer gave Sunday and left the Friday night message. vor "Inspiring"; a $25 donation "It's wonderful to relive history where it to help with the began"; "Speechless"; "Can't wait to cele- Miller farm res- brate His coming!"; "Incredible feeling of toration project. history"; "Wonderful experience"; "A re-af- ■ As a Com- firmation of my faith." munion ser- Many of the guests enjoyed sack lunches provided by several donor organiza- ■ Three ladies taking part in a vice began, a tions. William Miller's original barn is in the background. Communion service at the old William man, looking Miller chapel held hands as they rather uncomfortable, sat on one of the prayed. Tears streamed down the face wooden pews. He seemed to be forc- Videotapes of the weekend are available of one woman. Then her face lit up with ing his lips to join in the sing- through the NAD Distribution Center— joy at partaking of the emblems of ing. As the service progressed, (800) 328-0525; audiotapes are avail- Christ's broken body. he appeared even deeper in thought. able through American Cassette ■ Hazel Stannard, a great-great-grand- The foot washing came, and the man Ministries—(800) 233-4450.

22 (1294) ADVENTIST REVIEW, DECEMBER 1994 sPorLiatur The Monthly Focus on North America December 1994 The Spirit of the Season Adventists give away a lot of money each December. BY G. EDWARD REID he spirit of giving is alive and well in under the most trying circumstances so high-water mark for financial steward- Tthe Seventh-day Adventist Church. that we might have hope for the future. ship. The mission and ministry of the church And so we ask with the psalmist, "What continues to inspire leaders and mem- shall I render to the Lord for all His We're Not Alone bers to unite in supporting a dynamic benefits toward me?" Then we respond Many of our nonmember friends are last-day movement. as he did, "I will pay my vows to the supporting our endeavors as well. The The dollar amount contributed in tithe Lord now in the presence of all His peo- promise of Isaiah 60:1-5 is being ful- for the support of the church's ministry ple" (Ps. 116:12-14, NKJV). filled before our eyes. It says that when continues to grow each year. Nontithe A second factor for higher giving in nonmembers see our light in the glory of offerings have increased as well. December is that it is the time of the the Lord that "the wealth of the Gentiles Combining the tithe, Sabbath school year when men and women who are in shall come to you" (verse 5, NKJV). offerings, Global Mission, other special business for themselves do their annual Many individuals who have seen the projects, and donations to the local accounting summary, determine their work of Seventh-day Adventists are church, the total amount was nearly income, and calculate their tithe and cheerfully giving to support our work. $730 million for 1993. That's nearly offerings. Many return their tithe and The scripture declares that even kings three quarters of a billion dollars! It's offerings based on their personal [kingdoms or nations] "will come to the only God's marvelous goodness that has salaries all year. Then at the end of the brightness of thy rising." Indeed, the permitted us to contribute this amount to year they calculate their business profits majority of the foreign aid programs of support His cause. Figures to date for and return their tithe and offerings in some sovereign countries is channeled 1994 indicate there will be more proportion to their business increase. through the Adventist Development and advances because of faithful financial A third factor, somewhat associated Relief Agency (ADRA). support. with the one above, is the tax deductibil- In this connection, Ingathering has New attitudes based on the biblical ity of charitable contributions. Though been a dual blessing for many years. It model of the stewardship of resources not necessarily the best giving motive, allows us to make contact with are being expressed. Instead of asking we have this economic advantage over nonchurch members in our communi- "How much do I have to give?" many many believers in other world divisions ties, and it provides others an avenue for are asking "What is my potential as a who can't deduct their donations from sharing their wealth to benefit humanity. Christian steward?" their taxes. As the Ingathering program for 1994 The last factor that plays a part in draws to a close, determine that you will Don't Sweat the Details higher December contributions is kind be a part of this opportunity. Share with Though December is generally a busy of a combination of the first three. It's your friends the report of the worldwide month in North America, several factors the integration of the economic dimen- humanitarian work of the Seventh-day combine to make it the highest giving sions of our lives with our faith in God Adventist Church. And give them the month of the year. by systematic giving. We enjoy giving opportunity to share in its support. One factor is that when we reflect on because we love God with all our hearts December is much more than the the past year—and God's bountiful care and we have a keen interest in the suc- Christmas shopping rush. It provides us for us—we naturally think of Him. Even cess of His work on earth. We want to with an atmosphere to contemplate the if things haven't gone so well, we rec- end the year having done as much as greatest gift of all—the gift of eternal ognize that He gave the greatest Gift possible for Him. life in Christ. As stewards of the myster- Perhaps for one of the above rea- ies of God (1 Cor. 4:1, 2) we have a sons—or for a personal reason of your priceless message for the world. Let's G. Edward Reid is stewardship director own—you will join millions of take advantage of our opportunities to for the North American Division. Adventists in making December 1994 a share this good news.

ADVENTIST REVIEW, DECEMBER 1994 (1295) 23 SPOTLIGHT ON NORTH AMERICA To Build a Stronger Church Maranatha Volunteers International celebrates 25 years of volunteer service.

at would you call an organization illrhat over the past 25 years can doc- ument 27,500 volunteers who worked THE MOST TOUCHING in 56 countries, constructing nearly 1,200 buildings with an estimated value CHRISTMAS STORIES of $58,213,354? In early August more than 600 peo- ple met at Monterey Bay Academy, in C/a/44Z~ La Selva Beach, California, and called it "The Maranatha Story." It is the story of people with a vision who have \\\ \‘ donated a total of 1,716,719 hours to building projects mostly in North,

CHRIS 3-1A. .1 3, IY FIEART

A workshop on laying concrete block was one of the options offered to those who attended the • IFAN123t1' OF Ofti-FAST-IN"lin CHRLSTMAS ST,I • TILED AND morn isvisser..wnrrrns annual convention at Monterey Bay Academy.

his treasury of old-fashioned Christmas stories ev Central, and South America and the wonder, and true meaning of Christmas. Beautifully illustrated yet Caribbean. Indeed, just 16 days before Tinexpensive, they make the perfect gift for nearly everyone on Maranatha's national convention, a your Christmas list. Stories include "The Gift of the Magi," "The Tiny group of 135 volunteers participated in Foot," "The Tallest Angel," and "The Story of the Other Wise Man." a project to restore and enhance some Joe L. Wheeler, editor. Paper, US$10.95, Cdn$15.90 each. of the existing buildings on the campus of the academy. Christmas in My Heart Audio Books read by Dr. Wheeler, these nos- Participants in the three-day conven- talgic stories will add a special touch to your holiday season. Two 90- minute cassettes per set. US$12.95, Cdn$18.80 each. tion included Robert S. Folkenberg, These Review and Herald® products are available at your local president of the General Conference, 0 Adventist Book Center. Call 1400.765,6955. and George Brown, past president of Note: Canadian prices do not include GST and may vary according to currency fluctuation. the Inter-American Division. Seminars relating to short-term mis- sion projects were presented one after-

24 (1296) ADVENTIST REVIEW, DECEMBER 1994 SPOTLIGHT ON la NORTH AMERICA

Prayer Requests

Every Tuesday at 8:00 a.m. the Adventist Review staff meets together to pray for the corporate and personal needs and concerns in the church. If you have a personal request you wish us to pray for, please send it to Prayer Requests, Adventist Review, 12501 Old Columbia Pike, Silver Spring, MD 20904-6600, U.S.A.

"Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervant prayer of a righteous man availeth much" (James 5:16).

Ken Casper, pictured with his wife, Joyce, was named 1994 Missionary of the Year by Maranatha Volunteers International. The Gaspers make their home in Las Vegas, Nevada, and for the past 10 years have participated in several mission build- ing projects.

REIIGIOUS LIBERIV OFFERING January 21, 1995 noon. They included personality profiles and spiritual giftedness, surviving stress on a work project, hands-on block-lay- ing, cooking for crowds, and construc- tion for Mexico. CS Maranatha Volunteers International ACROSS•THE began as Maranatha Flights Inter- national in 1969. In 1989 it merged with Volunteers International. Throughout its 25-year history the volunteers associ- ated with each group have donated from Last century, Ellen White warned that Protestants and a few days to a few weeks building and Roman Catholics would unite to pursue a common politi- repairing churches, schools, clinics, and cal agenda. "...And all the world other buildings so that Christ's work Last year, prominent Protestants and Roman Catholics after the bear signed a document declaring that they were "one in could go forward—even in areas of lim- Christ" and must work together for the "right ordering of ited financial resources. society" In his Sabbath morning message Elder Everyone is playing their part perfectly Let's play ours. Folkenberg said, "I'm so thankful Please give generously to support religious freedom. Maranatha exists." He added, "I wish it

were possible to encapsulate and dis- Please send me one year, six issues, of Liberty magazine tribute the spirit of the Maranatha group." at the campaign price U.S.$5.00 (Cdn$7.00). (Respond promptly and receive a religious liberty gift.) Maranatha president Don Noble said, "I personally believe that God is using Name

Maranatha to hasten the second coming Address

of Jesus. And what can be more exciting City than that?" State, Zip If you would like information about upcoming pro- jects on Maranatha's newsletter, contact Maranatha Please enclose check or money order and mail to: Volunteers International, 1600 Sacramento, CA 95815; Liberty Magazine, 12501 Old Columbia Pike, (916) 920-1900. !Flail .1Alvazeu. b./ Ifelrgto. fr,darn Silver Spring, MD 20904-6600

All subscriptions will begin with the By Tom Osborn, public information offi- May/June 1995 issue. cer for Maranatha Volunteers In- ternational, Sacramento, California.

ADVENTIST REVIEW, DECEMBER 1994 (1297) 25 GC COUNTDOWN and regular delegates, 1,200 additional delegates are allotted to the unions, in proportion to their percentage of the church's world membership. That Introducing Your means that the bigger the union, the more delegates it will be allowed to send to the session. The constitution does not specify GC Session whom the unions must send as regular delegates; however, it does urge that at least 25 percent of the regular delegates be laypersons (not employees of the Representatives church). The total number of regular delegates allotted for the 1995 GC session is Speak up, they're supposed to represent you! 1,741.

Delegates at Large BY MYRON WIDMER Now let's look at the second cate- gory, delegates at large. These exclu- sively represent the General Conference and its divisions. This provision allows f you live in North America and Conference constitution and specifically as delegates at large: are wondering who will represent mandates which church leaders auto- 1. All members of the GC Executive you at the upcoming General matically become delegates and how Committee—which includes all GC and IConference business session, look many other delegates can be selected as division officers, GC departmental no further. Here's your the union or division com- directors and associates, union presi- answer. mittees wish. dents, GC institutional representatives, For the first time in All delegates to a GC along with specially selected laypersons, recent (if not modern) his- session are divided into pastors, and a few others. The commit- tory, the Adventist Review two categories: regular tee currently numbers 362. is printing the entire list delegates and delegates at 2. Four delegates from each division of delegates from North large. and one delegate for each 100,000 mem- America in advance. We bers. These are appointed by the divi- believe it is important for Regular Delegates sion executive commitee, and at least 50 you to know ahead of Regular delegates repre- percent of these must be laypersons, time who your representa- sent what are considered the pastors, teachers, and other nonadminis- tives are. building blocks upon which trative employees. To find their names, the General Conference is 3. A selection of employees of the check the following list. built—union conferences, church's general and division institu- Your representatives are union missions, and unions tions and other entities, and general field listed under the respective of churches. (Not local con- secretaries, laypersons, and pastors union conference and ferences or divisions, but selected by the GC and division com- under the North American unions.) Regular delegates mittees. The number under this category Division. also represent the few can be up to 20 percent of the entire Now, the next question administrative units not number of delegates at a GC session. you might be asking is under a union but directly These are selected by the GC Executive How did they get to be del- attached to a division or to Committee, often in consultation with egates with an all-expenses-paid trip to the General Conference. the unions and divisions. the GC session in Utrecht, Netherlands, Each union or union mission is The total number of delegates at large from June 29 to July 8, 1996? allowed one delegate (other than its for the upcoming GC session is 938. The answer is simple: the union exec- president, who is a delegate at large) utive committees and the division com- plus one delegate for each conference or Freedom to Choose mittee voted them as delegates. mission within its territory. Each union Most unions, divisions, and the But the formula for selecting these of churches or attached units gets just General Conference have some freedom individuals is a bit complex. The for- one delegate under this provision. to choose a variety of delegates. Lowell mula comes from the General However, in addition to these specific Cooper, an associate secretary of the GC

26 (1298) ADVENTIST REVIEW, DECEMBER 1994

and overseer of the delegate numbers, believes each entity tries to choose mem- bers of the delegation who represent North American Division Delegates fairly the composition of their territory. Among those delegate slots not man- (Laypersons are listed in italics.) dated for individuals by position, unions try to balance it for gender, region, eth- ATLANTIC UNION Leon Trusty Bryce Pascoe William E. Hulsey Trevor Baker Ron Wisbey Jere Patzer Muriel Indermuehle nicity, and laypersons versus employees. Skip Bell Lori Yarosh Robert Rawson Eugene Johnson Stennett Brooks Raquel Santillana D. M. Jones Charles Case LAKE UNION Tom Stanyer Benjamin Jones North America's Delegation Glenn Coe Ramon Araujo James Stevens Coyne Knight For the 1995 session North America Desmond Francis Lorena Bidwell Joseph McCoy David Glover Jim Bolin PACIFIC UNION James Ray McKinney is allotted 296 delegates, which comes Alvin Goulbourne Jim Brauer George Atiga Ralph Peay to 11.1 percent of the session's entire Charles Griffin Paul Conner Herman Bauman Donald R. Sahly Doice Hill Marguerite Dixon Elisio Bautista Mary Kay Stovall delegation of 2,669. This is quite near James Londis Henry Dowdell Sy Bietz Ward Sumpter the division's percentage (10 percent) of Mario Louis Fred Earles Tom Bledsoe Eric C. Ward Elmer Malcolm John Fortune Ernie Castillo Tom Werner the entire world church membership of Linford Martin Jay Gallimore Yarette Castro Clarence Wright more than 8 million. Zunilda Ramos Richard Habenicht Shirley Chang Edward Wright Charles Rocks Ray Hamblin B. J. Christensen Looking at the 243 regular and at- Mireille St. Pierre Norman Klam Frank Dupper SOUTHWESTERN large delegates from the nine unions in Carlyle Simmons Herbert Larsen Larry Geraty UNION Winston Stephenson Luis Leonor Drew Hamlin Marvin Anderson North America (without the division's David Taylor Norman Miles Pam Heiser Ray Bailey delegates), we find the unions' delega- David Thomas Dwight Nelson George Hernandez Manlio Castillo Leon Thomassian Adrian Peterson Martin Howard Darilynn Edwards tions with these statistics: Hector Torres Ed Pierce Alberto Ingleton Bob Everett Barbara Randall Larry Innocent Steve Gifford CANADIAN UNION Ron Sackett Rob Lloyd Sam Green Gender: Rick Bacchus Don Schneider Lynn Mallery Rodney Grove 200 Men-82% Victor Bell Arnold Swanson Lynn Martell Willie Hucks Linda Calderbank Mack Wilson Malcolm Maxwell David Jimenez 43 Women-18% Lester Carney David Wolkwitz Ezra Mendinghall Robert Lister Steve Cassimy Penny Miller John McKinney Don Corkum MID AMERICA Tom Mostert Charleste McNorton Employment: Dave Crook UNION Ralph Neidigh Cyril Miller 164 Church Employees- Andree Dupuis Cleo Anderson Lorenzo Paytee Frank Moore Victor Fitch CleIla Bowen Gerald Penick Shirley Ann Munroe 67.5% Robert Lehmann James Boyle Darold Retzer Ralph Orduno 79 Laypersons-32.5% Robert Lemon Neil Brady John Rasmussen Evadeane Peters Marco Lopez Dave Brown Juan Rivera Max Trevino Orville Parchment G. Thomas Evans Brando Saldia Eric Shepherd Ethnicity: Robert Samms Evelyn Glass Wayne Shepperd Shirley Van Vliet Ron Watts Ruth Habeck Jorge Soria Molly Weaver 157 White-64.6% Vernette Wheeler Elmer Hauck Joan Tonge Bob Woodruff 61 African-American-25.1% Jim Hoehn Emma Lou Wells COLUMBIA UNION C. Lee Huff Terry West NORTH AMERICAN 21 Hispanic-8.6% Robert Boggess J. Alfred Johnson II Bob Whittaker DIVISION 4 Asian-1.7% Bryan Breckenridge John Kerbs Major C. White DELEGATES Herbert Broeckel Robert Patterson Halcyon Wilson Rosa Banks S. P. Campbell Robert Peck Naomi Yamashio Harold Baptiste Surprisingly, the ethnicity statistics M. Campbell Dave Phillips Russell Burrill D. Chaij B. T. Rice SOUTHERN UNION George Crumley are almost the exact ethnic composition Wayne Coulter Charles Sandefur Harold Alexander Robert Dale of the division. The gender numbers are R. Coy George Timpson Rose Beavers Clifford Goldstein Richard Duerksen Terry White Lee Beers Dwight Hilderbrandt not in line because of the high percent- R. Forss Gordon Bietz Auldwin Humphrey age of men in positions that automati- R. Hall NORTH PACIFIC Mardian J. Blair Donald Jacobsen J. Harding UNION Helen Boskind Noelene Johnsson cally receive delegate status. Alvin Kibble Rod Applegate Roy Brown Gordon Madgwick Take a look now at the following list J. LaTonn Vicki Ballou Richard Center Alfred McClure Harold Lee Alf Birch Ruth Cheshire Donald Pierson and find your delegates. Maybe you'll W. J. Lewis Ron Carroll Kenneth R. Coonley Gilbert Plubell want to let them hear your convictions' Nancy Marter Byron Dulan Douglas Foley Edward Reid Ralph Martin Mumtaz Fargo Malcolm D. Gordon Jose Rojas on the issues coming up for their vote at Edward Motschiedler Charles Ferguson Obed Graham Monte Sahlin the 1995 GC session.' Richard Osborn Ed Gienger James Greek William Scales, Jr. Jerry Page Roscoe Howard David Greenlaw Robert Smith ' For an encouragement to express your convictions, L. Palmer Lenard Jaecks Floyd Greenleaf Elizabeth Sterndale see my editorial on page 4, "Speak Up Now, or Hold F. Perez Bruce Johnston Richard Guerrero Owen Troy Your Peace." B. Russell Don Keele Richard Hallock Meade Van Putten This list is accurate as of November 1994, and was Don Russell Ruth Komarniske Deborah Harris Manuel Vasquez compiled from lists supplied by the nine unions and the J. Sanders John Libby James Harris DeWitt Williams division. Remember that changes may occur in the L. Schlisner Stephen McPherson Ray Hartwell months ahead. All delegate slots have not yet been filled. Charles Scriven W. G. Nelson Charles Hass Susan Sickler Perry Parks Judy Hawkins Myron Widmer is an associate editor of These delegates represent NAD and do not include the hundreds of delegates representing the General Conference and its institutions. the Adventist Review.

ADVENTIST REVIEW, DECEMBER 1994 (1299) 27 Basketball Team Joins Channel 60 station manager and the more than 150 students who NAIA an associate professor of commu- have worked here over the years." Since becoming a member of nication at SAC, worked alongside the National Association of college students editing tape, Centennial Library Open 1994-95 Intercollegiate Athletics, NAIA, connecting equipment, and The new Chan Shun Centennial the Knights team has had to work adjusting camera angles. Library opened on the campus of Southwestern even harder to prepare for the In spite of small glitches and SAC in April. The three-level library upcoming season. Murphy's Law, the newscast went contains over 45,000 square feet, Adventist Comparable to the NCAA relatively smoothly. There were a including 21,530 feet of stack few blank spots while switching sports team rating system, NAIA space. A clock tower and observa- College from live to taped portions, but pushes its teams to grow -- the tion deck rise over 100 feet above overall, according to Williams, ground level. Call (800) 433-2240 standards of NAIA members are the newscast went pretty well. Or high. Regulated closely by the Channel 60 is a low-power Fax (817) 556-4744 Afonso Speaks at parent organization, students' television station located on the grades must be higher, meaning it SAC campus. It can be seen by Convocation is actually harder to get into the antenna for three to ten miles. Dr. Milton Soldani Afonso will be RECORD ENROLLMENT. athletic programs on campus. The station broadcasts news and the speaker at Autumn Convoca- Enrollment reached Coach Baldwin is confident information 24 hours each day, tion, Wednesday, September 21, a record high of 981 that the talented, experienced Sunday through Thursday, with 1994. students at the close players he works with will not religious programming on Friday Dr. Afonso was born in 1921 in only increase their skills, but will of fall Registration. nights and Saturdays. Brazil. In 1971, he founded the have a good time in the process. Golden Cross Insurance Company, This is an increase His goal for the Knights this year now the largest health care in enrollment for the is to work hard together to play KJCR Radio Celebrates insurance company in South fifth consecutive well. Go Knights! 20 Years America. year. Southwestern Adventist College As a result of his financial Students Unite for New radio station KJCR celebrates its success he has established colleges, TUITION IS LOWEST. Swimming Pool 20th anniversary during 1994. orphanages, children's homes, SAC offers one of SAC students have the will, the The radio station has survived schools, churches, hospitals, the lowest tuition power, and the choice to make a many changes. According to Bob clinics, and conference offices rates among North difference on their campus. When Mendenhall, the station's only around the world. He is well American Division the swimming pool was torn general manager in its 20 years, known in Brazil and throughout Adventist colleges. down to provide space for a "The greatest pleasure of it all has South America, and has received The college has parking lot, the students devised been the lasting friendships-both many honors for his influence in maintained a a plan. In a matter of months, a personal and professional-that I business and philanthropy. balanced budget for committee had been formed, a continue to share with most of 18 years, so tuition proposal drawn up, and ground- does not go toward breaking began. Completed for debt reduction. the 1994-95 school year, the pool According to Victor and hot tub serve students by Brown, Enrollment providing a relaxing environment Vice President, for exercise and fun with friends. "We've made it affordable to attend Local Newscast Begins [SAC] by holding the Local television news became a line on tuition." reality in Keene. John Williams, Left: The Thompson Rotunda, donated by a member of the President's adivsory Council Above: Chuck Harrision, Knights baseball coach and former Houston Astros player, demonstrates technique Far right: Academic success is the goal of SAC instructors Near right: State Board Exams were passed by 94% of 1994 students groundhog hole and got down on his knees and looked in. There was Mike, stuck in the hole. After some digging he was released, a little weak but healthy. Mike had another close call. One day he came home in great pain with a swollen My Dog Mike ear. Day by day the pain got worse, and he BY ELLA M. RYDZEWSKI could not move. Father warned me, "It doesn't look like Mike is going to make it." T like stories of answered prayers, don't them. Do you have a dog like that? I prayed that Mike would not die, but be 1 you? As Christmas comes closer, we My own special dog for many years healed. Can you believe it? The next day think of the greatest answered prayer of was named Mike. He had short, black Mike's ear was normal. He acted like he all—the prayer for a hair and white feet. He had never been sick. This was the second Messiah, Jesus our was playful and full of time God answered my prayer for Mike. Saviour. The Christmas energy, but very dainty. But Mike got old, as dogs are prone to season reminds us of other When he would take a do. One day he became very weak and answered prayers, and we nap he made it a habit to seemed to be slipping away. I prayed can all think of some. cross his two white front again. But this time Jesus knew Mike As a little girl I grew up paws. needed rest. He also knew I was older far out in the country. My One mild December and could better understand such things. constant companions were morning Mike disap- The next day we found Mike, paws my pets. We had ducks, peared. Three days went crossed in his last sleep on this present chickens, goats, geese, cats, by, and he did not come earth. Now, I don't know all the answers, and dogs. Of all these interesting animals, home. I prayed for his return before the but I do know our God is more wonder- the dogs seemed most like real playmates. winter weather set in. My father searched ful than we can imagine. I will not be They would take walks with me, play everywhere. Then, crossing a field, he surprised if someday I see Mike again— games, and always be there when I needed heard a noise under the ground. He saw a just as playful as ever.

HAVING A WONDERFUL TIME, WISH YOU WERE HERE!

If you're one of the thousands easy to forget some important of Adventist students, attending things. Like your daily spiritual PLEASE SEND ME MORE non-Adventist schools, we have heritage. Your deepening Christian INFORMATION ABOUT: two things to tell you. understanding. 0 Elementary Bible Classes That's why Home Study 0 High School Bible Classes 1. We Miss You! The International wants you to keep up 0 College Bible Classes with your Bible classes. Whether school year was great on Adventist you're an elementary student, in campuses. But there's something NAME high school or in college, we've got missing. You! We know we'd be the right Bible class for you. having an even better time if you ADDRESS were with us. Fill in the coupon at the right and CITY send it to: 2. We Don't Want STATE / ZIP You to Forget Us! Home Study International HSI is accredited by the GC Board of Regents, P.O. Box 4437 Distance Education and Training Council, and Sometimes, when you're away approved by the Maryland State Department of Silver Spring, MD 20914-4437 Education. from a Christian education, it's

ADVENTIST REVIEW, DECEMBER 1994 (1301) 29 lease help Global Mission reach the unreached through your tax-deductible Christmas gift made payable to: Global Mission General Conference of SDA • 12501 Old Columbia Pike • Silver Spring MD 20904-6600 1-800-648-5824...or through your local church. Thank you for your gift! R E F L E C T IONS

A Fashion Statement

ne of the best features of Christmas for heading of "sin." Ome is the opportunity to relax by the fire The apostle recommended Christian armor of a holiday evening and read Christmas let- as a defense against sin. Faith, prayer, righ- ters. I look through an open window into the teousness, the Word of God—all are mar- lives of my faraway friends. Careers and velous protection and skillful weaponry. travel; weather and crops; births, marriages, Unfortunately, committed believers may be and deaths; loves and hopes; the capers of the dressed in all these things and still be down- children—for a brief moment each year I can right ugly. Often it is virtually impossible to enter into all of it. live and work with them. Last night I shared in a profound bit of wis- Although such a situation should not be dom relayed by two young parents I know. How is it that we impossible, we all know that it is. We have the Since 3-year-old Peter loves to look at picture anomaly of the committed Christian who is books, he is fortunate to have a big brother, 5- irritable. Who is impatient. Who professes year-old Paul, to help him. Mother overheard have Christians love but never listens. Who, embroiled in holy the conversation as her two little sons pored warfare, lacks grace. Who—to put it in a over a Bible story book. word—is not "nice." who profess love Which brings us back to little Paul's identi- The Wardrobe of Salvation fication of a very essential item in the "Now, here is the Christian soldier," Paul Christian's wardrobe—the underwear of nice- announced. "See the clothes he is wearing?" but never listen? ness. That is the garment that renders our walk Without missing a cue, he led Peter through with Jesus and our fellow humans warm and the whole wardrobe—the "hat of salvation," comfortable. Although it is not something we the "belt of truth," and all the rest (Eph. 6:13- display or talk about, it enables us to care, to 17). Then Paul pointed to the Roman centu- empathize with those around us. We simply rion's red kilt, showing under his leather wear it next to our hearts, as it were, and then cuirass. "And this, Peter, is the 'underwear of put on the rest of our clothes and go forth to niceness.'" do our tasks. Without it we are not fully Little Paul's interpretation points up some- dressed. thing the apostle overlooked, and it occurs to At Christmas many families tend to give me that the application is perfectly valid. practical gifts that the recipient needs any- Underwear is something that gets relatively lit- way—and clothing is always a prime choice. tle public attention. Most of us, however, Wouldn't it be a fine thing if, along with the would not care to don our outerwear without socks, sweaters, and shirts, we could gift one first putting on something underneath. Certain another with the "underwear of niceness"? medieval saints tried to augment their other- Somehow I think the old apostle would worldliness by wearing haircloth (burlap) next approve of little Paul's enlargement of his to their skins, suffering great discomfort to metaphor of the Christian's perfect wardrobe. prove their piety. Ideally, underwear is soft and Make a real "fashion statement" this season. clean. It keeps us warm and comfortable. Never go out without first putting on your Many Christians have come to see evil as a underwear. gradation of sins. We are profoundly aware of the "big ones"—murder, adultery, theft, and so Dorothy Minchin-Comm is forth. Seldom defined or curbed, however, are professor of English at La the "sins of disposition." But pride, envy, self- Sierra University in ishness, gossip, bitterness, and intolerance pro- Riverside, California. duce a series of little nastinesses that are not BY DOROTHY merely vexing but also come under the general MINCHIN-COMM

ADVENTIST REVIEW, DECEMBER 1994 (1303) 31 On ABC Television from the Pioneer Memorial Church on the Andrews University Campus.,7'

Festive Christmas Eve program lends an innovative, fresh approat to a traditional celebration, and inclu

Preaching Ministry of Dwight K. Nelson. • Combined University, Academy, and Gra e-Schoo Student and Church choirs. 4, • Interviews with new Christians. Creed, an exciting singing group, presents "Home ess, a song written specially for A New Noel.

A HALF-PAGE ADVERTISEMENT WILL APPEAR IN THE CHRISTMAS-WEEK TV GUIDE. CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS FOR EXACT TIMES. 1-800-253-3000 Call for further information. North American Division 12501 Old Columbia Pike, Silver Spring, MD 20904 E. Five Jesuits FIVE JESUITS Uncovered? UNCOVERED? Going the By Clifford Goldstein Second Mile for Last year we offered $1,000 to anyone who could prove Accommodation Jesuit infiltration in the North American Division. The following letter exemplifies the responses: 1=1 State of the Unions Dear Brother Goldstein: In your January/February edition of Liberty Alert you offered a $1,000 reward Legislative for anyone who can prove, by January 1, Challenges 1995, the existence of a Jesuit posing as a Unabated Seventh-day Adventist. I accept your challenge. Disguised Jesuits are steadily forcing Roman Catholic doctrines upon unsuspect- Clifford Goldstein ing Seventh-day Adventists. Just turn, in The Seventh-day Adventist Hymnal, to No. 403—"When I fall on my knees, with my face to the rising sun" (italics supplied). This practice is an abomination in the eyes of God (Ezekiel 8:13-16). No honest Seventh-day Adventist would put this hymn into our hymnal; only a disguised Jesuit would do this. Therefore, I claim $1,000. Hymn 402—"His broken body in our stead is HERE, in this memorial bread' (italics supplied). This is transubstantiation, the main doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church. No sincere Seventh- day Adventist would put these words in our hymnal. Here we have another disguised Jesuit at work. Therefore, I claim another $1,000.

Vol. 3 No. 3 December 1994/January 1995 Hymn No. 142—"Mary, Joseph, lend your aid, . . ." (italics supplied). At Christmastime whole SDA congregations are praying to the virgin Mary, the queen of heaven. Congratulations, Jesuits, you have done an excellent job, making Seventh-day Adventists pray to the dead. The person who put this song in our hymnal is not a Seventh-day Adventist, but a Jesuit. Therefore, I claim another $1,000. According to the records there were five persons involved in compiling this church hymnal. As all were in agreement with this selection, I conclude that all of them are disguised Jesuits, and therefore I claim another $2,000. This makes a total of $5,000. Kindly forward your check to me by mail. This letter Cooranbong, Australia typified the responses How does one respond to such overwhelming proof? Well, regarding Jesuit facing the sun when praying no more means you are worshiping it than praying in the direction of Saudi Arabia means you are a infiltration: lots of Muslim. The line about "Mary, Joseph, lend your aid" is, in charges and context, about mother Mary and father Joseph lending aid to baby accusations, but Jesus, who had just been born, and not about praying to the dead! no evidence for And, perhaps the line about Jesus' body in the bread is as symbolic as Jesus' own words about "eating His flesh." the existence of This letter typified the responses regarding Jesuit infiltration: one Jesuit (much lots of charges and accusations, but no evidence for the existence less five!) in the of one Jesuit (much less five!) in the SDA Church. SDA Church. With publications and videos accusing various church personages, authors, and administrators of being Jesuits, our offer should have provided those making these accusations with a perfect forum to present their evidence. Of course, they provided none because they had none (unless you think we should send H.A. $5,000...). r...... i • Send Us Your Clips i If you see a current newspaper column, book, or magazine N article that might be of interest to Alert, please send us a copy I with the name and date of the source or let us know where to M • get it. If we use your clip, we'll send you $25. I Send your clips to: Liberty Alert I 12501 Old Columbia Pike II I Silver Spring, MD 20904 I III MI El IIIIMMMMMMIEMMMINIMII 2

Going the Second Mile for Accommodation Bt' Robert A. ,i1cCumber and Mitchell A. 7yner

In theory the religious employee is required to do no more than his or her non-religious co-workers. The reality, however, is that the employee seeking accommodation must go the second mile, and give the employer a reason other than merely obeying the law for granting the accommodation requested. That means making one's self so valuable that management will want to keep you. It usually means making clear to management a willingness to work any other hours in order to avoid Sabbath work. Mitchell A. Tyner An excellent example of this approach is the experience of Kevin Griffith. Kevin drives coal trains through the Rocky Mountains and across the Great Plains. As an employee of a major railroad, he is subject to a labor contract that causes difficulty for Sabbathkeepers, in that it provides that an employee is on call after resting a certain number of hours after returning from a trip, regardless of the time of day or day of the week. Arranging an accommodation under such a system can be complicated indeed. After reading a book that convinced him of the need to observe the Sabbath as the Bible commands, Kevin approached his superiors with a request for accommodation. The company managers explained the contract rules—with which Kevin was already familiar—and promised to "do what they could." Kevin wasn't satisfied. Rather than waiting to see what would happen, he made things happen. Every time he returned from a run, Kevin would call in and say, "I don't need the full eight hours I'm entitled to by contract. If you need me again for another run, I'm available." In this way Kevin was able to put in so many hours that by the end of the week there was no question of calling him for duty during the Sabbath. Kevin's superiors say, "We know that we can depend on Kevin. He does his share of the work and more. He's made himself so valuable that we'll do what we have to in order to keep him on the job." Kevin's willingness to go the second mile has thus not only enabled his own Sabbath observance; it has convinced his employers that accommodating him not only keeps them within the law, it's also good business management. 3 STATE OF THE UNIONS

News and views from Liberty Alert's national correspondents

Compiled and edited by Richard Lee Fenn

PACIFIC/ Alan J. Reinach THOUSAND OAKS, CALIFORNIA—Attorney Alan J. Reinach is now director of the Pacific Union Conference's Department of Public Affairs and Religious liberty. He moved from White Plains, New York, where he was in private practice. Richard Lee Fenn Reinach studied law at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Having had a longstanding interest in religious liberty, he Jerked in the Office of General Counsel for the General Confer- ence of Seventh-day Adventists. Reinach succeeds John V. Stevens, Sr., whose years of respected leadership in religious liberty ministry established Stevens as the "dean" of PARL directors.

M I D-A MERI CA/ Darrel Huenergardt ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI—The Mid-America Union Conference PARL Department has filed an amicus brief in U.S. district court. The friend-of-the-court document seeks judicial denial of Dillard's Department Store's motion to prohibit the U.S. Equal Opportunity Employment Commission from including in a charge of religious discrimination a second charge relating to Dillard's hiring practices. Here's the human side of the story. Dillard's terminated a Lutheran employee who declined to work on Sundays. The EEOC investigated the case—and discovered another problem. A Dillard's hiring policy requires the exclusion of anyone who will not work some Sundays and Saturdays. The EEOC next filed two violations against Dillard's—one for its treatment of the Lutheran employee and another for religious discrimination in hiring. The store's motion asserts that the EEOC's authority is limited to finding for the employee only. The church's amicus brief, prepared by Mid-America PARL director Darrel Huenergardt and General Conference PARL counsel Mitchell A. Tyner, advises the court that "people look to the EEOC as the main wall protecting them from discrimination. To limit that authority is to allow 4 employers to continue—perhaps for years—religious discrimina- tion against employees or prospective employees even after the discrimination has been discovered and exposed."

SO U TH WE S TER N/ Samuel Green HOUSTON, TEXAS—On December 10, 1993—just a year ago—the U.S. Postal Service fired part-time flexible mail handler Sherman Franklin because he chose to go to church on Saturdays instead of work. The USPS called it a matter of "unsatisfactory attendance." Franklin registered a complaint of religious discrimination with the postal service's internal equal employment opportunity office. Postal people offered Franklin a deal: (1) reinstatement— but a new probationary period would have to be served; (2) no "Sorry, no deal," back pay; (3) no bidding on any new positions that would conflict Franklin said. "I with Franklin's beliefs. "Sorry, no deal," Franklin said. He told Samuel Green, intend to fight Southwestern Union Conference PARL director, that he intended to this case as far "fight this case as far as possible to help other Christians in the as possible to future." help other Then came the affidavits and the investigative reports. A Christians in the hearing before an administrative law judge was set for early last month. future." By October 1, however, the postal service offered Franklin another deal—new and improved: (1) reinstatement—but still a required probationary period; (2) six months' back pay; (3) any successful bid for a full-time position that would obviously conflict with Franklin's belief system would not be open to accommoda- tion. Clearly, this settlement does not provide everything PARL wanted for Franklin, but still "we are elated," says Green, "especially when we know of the post office's historically non- accommodating ways." As for Sherman Franklin, he's still going to church every Sabbath, of course. And he's also back handling the mail in Houston.

5 Legislative Challenges Unabated By Gary M. Ross

Constitutionally Protected School Prayer A far-reaching money bill, the Elementary and Secondary Education Authorization Bill (ESEA), triggered another round of school prayer debates and the conservatives' tactic of depriving public schools of their federal funding when interfering with "constitutionally protected" prayer. It is bad public policy, of course, to deny funding for infractions of a law that is itself Gary M. Ross unclear—as is the body of law pertaining to student-initiated prayers in graduation services and student-initiated prayer groups during the school day. And it's an ultraconservative strategy for mischief: threaten schools with cutoffs, and they'll do anything in support of school prayer—including violating laws and court rulings that are clear on the matter. Happily, the House-Senate conference severely limited use of this sanction, and the confer- ence report prevailed in the floor vote..

Religious Harassment in the Workplace The proposal of guidelines covering religious expression by employers and employees, a well-meaning endeavor by a government commission last October, provoked a firestorm of public opposition and a variety of alternatives. NM) PARL, together with a sizable coalition of Washington, D.C., organizations, seeks congressional assent to a moderate position: redrafted guidelines with cases in point as to what would and would not constitute religious harassment. As proposed, the so-called EEOC Guidelines could spark overreactions eventuating in religion-free workplaces. On the other hand, elimination of guidelines altogether could signal that anything goes—that religious harassment is not prohibited by law or is of less concern than other forms of harassment. (True, Title VH of the 1964 Civil Rights Act prohibits all forms of harassment, but well-crafted guidelines could educate and train employers as to their legal obligations, hopefully forestalling worker discomfort and costly litigation.) For the moment, Congress is restricting implementation of the troubling guidelines.

6 Workplace Religious Freedom Act The Civil Rights Act, noted above, requires private employers to accommodate the religious practices of their employees unless doing so creates an undue hardship. But through court interpre- tation the latter caveat became too easy to use. Legislation drafted by an Adventist/Jewish coalition and introduced by Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) on October 6, 1994, seeks to correct this unfortunate situation by spelling out what undue hardship must 1-DT amount to before being invoked. In the draft bill, the term undue hardship means "an action requiring significant difficulty or expense." For purposes of determining whether an action Chairman requires significant difficulty or expense, "the identifiable cost of Editorial Board Robert Dale the accommodation in relation to the size and operating cost of the employer, and the number of individuals who will need a Editor particular accommodation to a religious observance or practice, Clifford R. Goldstein shall be included in the consideration of other factors." Associate Editor Loleta Thomas Bailey

Sexual Orientation Legislation Layout Editor The Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 1994 (S. 2238) Harry Knox prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of sexual Contributing Editors orientation and, in effect, amends Title VII, bringing gay men, Gary M. Ross lesbians, and bisexuals (together with heterosexuals) under its Mitchell A. Tyner protection. However, the bill exempts non profit religious Correspondents organizations, and defines a religious organization to mean "a Vernon Alger Karnik Doukmetzian religious corporation, association, or society; or a college, school, Richard L. Fenn university, or other educational institution, not otherwise a Samuel Green Darrel Huenergardt religious organization, if it is in whole or substantial part Theodore Jones controlled, managed, owned, or supported by a religious Alan Reinach Lewis Stout corporation, association, or society; or its curriculum is directed Adrian Westney toward the propagation of a particular religion." Publisher But this far-reaching exemption does not extend to for- North American Division profit religious activities, i.e., activities generating income that is of Seventh-day Adventists unrelated to the mission of the church. Examples would be an Alfred C. McClure President academy carpentry shop or bakery, a conference moving service, and an Adventist bookstore that markets general merchandise. Liberty Alert 12501 Old Columbia Pike Under the proposed bill, the staffing of such activities could Silver Spring, MD 20904 become liable to the charge of sex discrimination if gays and Printed in U.S.A. lesbians were refused employment. Narrowing this exception to the exemption will not be easy, but an attempt is under way.

7 ACROSS•THE

Last century. Ellen White warned that Protestants and Roman Catholics would unite to pursue a common politi- cal agenda.

"...And all the world Last year. prominent Protestants and Roman Catholics after the bet signed a document declaring that they were "one in Christ" and must work together for the "right ordering of society"

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