$5.00 september | october 2007 adventist today volume 15 issue 5 The Future of Adventism in North America THE ADVENTIST CHURCH IN NA TODAY : 06 | WARNING FROM ANCIENT ISRAEL : 12 Foundation Board Editorial J. David Newman Elwin Dunn — Board Chair | Ervin Taylor — Board Vice-Chair Eugene Platt — Treasurer Keith Colburn Diana Fisher Edmund Jones John McLarty Chuck Mitchell Adventism in Jim Nelson Randy Roberts Nate Schilt Dan Smith James Stirling Eldon Stratton John Vogt Decline James Walters Kit Watts Raymond F. Cottrell The fact is, Adventism has failed — yes, you read Endowment Board James Walters — Board Chair » Douglass Ewing this right! Adventism has failed. How? We came into James Nelson Nate Schilt Ervin Taylor existence to herald the second coming of Jesus in a Advisory Council SENIOR LIFETIME ADVISORS* single generation. Beth and Elwin Dunn Kathi and Richard Guth Betty and Al Koppel ith the Inter-A meri ca Division plagues, some will be alive and remain upon the Joan Ogden just baptizing its three-millionth earth to be translated at the coming of Jesus”’” Lori and Thaine Price J. Gordon Short member. With glowing reports (Testimonies, Vol. 1, pp. 131, 132, 1856). Marilynn and Ervin Taylor Priscilla and James Walters of evangelistic success regularly How can anyone some 151 years later say that LIFETIME ADVISORS** appearing in the Adventist the Adventist Church is doing well? We are like Judy and Gordon Rick WReview. With constant affirmation in books and the emperor in Hans Christian Andersen’s famous UNDERWRITING ADVISORS++ Kelli and Robert Black newsletters that the Adventist ship is making great story of the king who believed he was clothed in Mariellyn and Edwin Hill Tracy and R. Craig Reynolds progress — how could anyone suggest that all a magnificent new garment, yet was completely William Sandborn might not be as well as the naked. Doesn’t this sound GENERAL ADVISORS# statistics and reports show? like the Laodicean message Diana and Ken Bauer Kelli and Robert Black This issue of Adventist of Revelation, about the last Jeanne and Gary Bogle Lilia and Antonius Brandon Today focuses on North church that thinks it is rich and Ginny and Todd Burley Charlotte and John Cassell America. Monte Sahlin’s doing great, when really it is Ruth L. Christensen article is a must-read. pitiful and naked? Judy and Keith Colburn Patricia and Ronald Cople While it is brimming with In this issue we are Kathryn and James Dexter Rosemary and Merlyn Duerksen hope and optimism, it also trying to wake up the sleeping James Dunn H.O. Engen contains a stark reality: If giant that is Adventism. The Patricia and Douglass Ewing it were not for immigrant articles are deliberatively Elsie and Jack Facundus Sharon and Gary Fraser churches, Adventism would provocative. We want to start a Annette and Gary Frykman Karen and Brent Gardner be losing members in North conversation, a discussion. We Patricia Hare Linda and Lyndon Harder America. In other words, do not profess to have all the Jackie and Jim Henneberg answers. We all love our church Jolene and Dennis Hilliard we are falling further and Sally and Russell Hoenes further behind in reaching very much, but feel we cannot Susan Jacobsen Wayne Jacobsen the European-American just stand back and cheer Judy and John Jacobson Virginia and Donald Jeffries population. James and Ellen White the naked emperor on while Erika and Brian Johnson Marga and Elton Kerr But we find no mention pretending he is clothed. Dolores and Dean Kinsey of this in Union papers, in Don Schneider’s weekly We welcome feedback, letters, even other Helen and Frank Knittel Doreen and Irvin Kuhn fax, or in any other official church publication. The articles suggesting other solutions. Let’s be honest. Yung Lau Berryl and Ralph Longway fact is, Adventism has failed — yes, you read this Until Jesus comes, Adventism is a failure. And Felix Lorenz Florence and Ken Lorenz right! Adventism has failed. How? It came into while his coming is obviously closer than it was 150 Adele and James Nelson existence to herald the Second Coming of Jesus in years ago, it may take another 150 years if we do not Elaine and T. Clint Nelson David T. Person II a single generation, to play the same role John the change what we are doing. And just maybe God will Eugene Platt Ruthe-Marina and Gary Raines Baptist did in heralding the first coming of Jesus. He use someone else other than the Adventist Church Judith Rausch Joyce and Phil Reiswig lived to see fulfilled what he predicted. to finish things up. Maryan and James Stirling Those who began the great Advent Movement The worst thing we can do is be like the Jews Nancy and John Vogt Betty and James Webster were supposed to see the fulfillment of what they too who boasted, “We are the seed of Abraham,” as they Stephanie and Tim Welebir Anne and Ralph Wiseman predicted. In the Ellen G. White online database prepared to crucify the Messiah. We boast that we *Senior Lifetime Advisors: $25,000 + this citation is found: “Ellen White Expected Christ’s are the remnant church, and yet we crucify Jesus **Lifetime Advisors: $10,000+ +Sustaining Advisors: $5,000+ Return in Her Day, ‘I was shown the company again by not being the people who God wants us to ++Underwriting Advisors: $2,500+ during last two years present at the Conference. Said the angel: “Some be. #General Advisors: $500+/year plan food for worms, some subjects of the seven last May the conversation begin. 2 adventist today | vol. 15 issue 5 06 Vol. 15, issue 5 09 Contents E DITORIAL STAFF Publisher 04 | Letters | AT Readers - A Comment & Response Elwin Dunn Features Editorial Board Chris Blake, Andy Nash, David Newman 06 | The Adventist Church in North America Today | Monte Sahlin Executive Editor 09 | Adventism in Present Communal Progressive | Julius Nam Ervin Taylor Managing Editor 12 | Warning From Ancient Israel | Graeme Bradford Diana Fisher 14 | Adventist Church Found Wanting | J. David Newman Senior Editor 12 John McLarty 18 | The Adventist Advantage| Alden Thompson Associate Executive Editor Lee F. Greer 22 | Visions and the World: The Authority of Ellen White in Director of Development Relation to the Authority of Scripture in the Seventh-day Adventist and Production Edwin A. Schwisow Movement: Part 1| George W. Knight Senior Associate Editor 09 James H. Stirling Editorial Advisor Steve Daily Adventist Today reports on contemporary issues of importance to Adventist Church members. Following basic Office Manager principles of ethics and canons of journalism, this publication strives for fairness, candor and good taste. Unsolicited submissions are Hanan Sadek encouraged. Payment is competitive. Send an e-mail to [email protected] for writer’s guidelines. Annual subscriptions $29.50 ($50/2 years) for individuals, $18 for students, $40 for institutions. (Payment by check or credit card. Add $10 for address outside North America.) Voice: Co-Founding Editor (800) 236-3641 or (951) 785-1295 Fax: (951) 785-1595 E-mail: [email protected] Web site: www.atoday.com. Raymond Cottrell, 1911-2003 Adventist Today (ISSN 1079-5499) is published bimonthly by Adventist Today Foundation, P.O. Box 8026 Riverside, CA 92515-8026. Periodical postage paid at Riverside, California, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Adventist Today, Co-Founding Editor/Publisher P.O. Box 8026, Riverside, CA 92515-8026. Copyright © 2007 by Adventist Today Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering James Walters open dialogue in the Adventist community. vol. 15 issue 5 | adventist today 3 Letters to the Editor | David Conklin letters “Special Addition” The Specter of Plagiarism Haunting Adventism: A Comment and Response n a recent article in Adventist Today (May- far beyond that reflected in DA. There is not one June 2007)it was claimed that Canright, instance in DA where either ethical considerations or copyright laws, even the new U.S. copyright law Kellogg, Rea, McAdams, Numbers, Cottrell, of 1977, would require her to give credit. From a Specht and Veltman made “plagiary strictly scholarly point of view, Ellen White’s use observations” and that thus Ellen White is of these and other sources measures up to the very highest ethical standards of her own time — the only 1 guiltyI of “serial plagiary.” 5 accurate and fair way to judge her as a writer.” Unfortunately for this claim, Dr. Veltman Note that he concludes that we aren’t even explicitly noted in his study that he was not dealing up to the level of “literary borrowing” or “literary with the plagiarism claim. For instance, in the very dependence.” So he could hardly be said to introduction of his study he says: “After studying have gone one step further and made “plagiary the nature of the problem for three months and observations,” as we were so confidently told. feeling the pressure of three months of times already When we look at Ellen White’s literary works, taken up by the selection of the research director, I we should remember that they are partially a product decided that the project had to be cut down in size. of her time. We would do well to look at what We would have to limit the investigation to a strict scholars of the literature of the time have found. source study, omitting questions of content and the Weinauer, for instance, argues that American writers 2 issue of plagiarism.” of the ante-bellum period were attempting to work This quote alone shows us two things: one, out the limitations and the possibilities of proprietary those who claimed that Dr. Veltman made “plagiary authorship.6 Note what Dr.