This above all: to thine own self be true.1
he story reads like a fairy tale come true--the fodder you find in those motivational self-help books.
Russell Conwell, a Boston lawyer, found a new calling as Baptist minister. He then took the pulpit at the Grace Baptist Church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and later built the largest Protestant church building of its time in the United States--the Baptist Temple.
In 1882 a young man asked Conwell to train him for Christian ministry. The two agreed upon a date, but when the day came, seven men showed up for the training. It didn't take long before the ministerial classes gained popularity, and Conwell recruited other instructors and contracted space for his rapidly growing school.2
That's how Temple College began in 1884. From those humble beginnings the college grew and evolved into a world-class research university with more than 30,000 students pursuing 230 undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate degree programs. Temple University students are enrolled in 14 colleges and schools located on nine campuses, including locations in Rome and Tokyo.
The university has approximately 200,000 alumni, including a long list of artists, businesspersons, physicians, athletes, diplomats, celebrities--and this journalist.
As an alumnus I'm proud of my alma mater. However, mingled with joy is heartwrenching sadness. Temple's storybook legacy, like that of other colleges, is a vivid picture of what happens when a Christian organization strays from its spiritual roots. It's ironic that a student today can train for more than 200 degrees but cannot obtain the very training on which the school was founded--Christian ministry.
This fact became indelibly clear when university officials announced that the 106-year-old Baptist Temple, the most visible symbol of the school's Christian roots, will be demolished.
I believe that Temple's history holds an obvious lesson for Adventists. Unless we make a conscious effort to guard our convictions and actions, we are in danger of losing the very essence of our spiritual identity. We must hold fast to our distinctive purpose and mission.
In today's turbulent times, when politicians vacillate with the tide of public opinion, it's imperative that Adventists remain faithful to their character and calling. Consider the following:
Character. Christ calls us to "become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world" (Phil. 2:15, NKJV).
It's important that our Christian integrity remains impeccable so that our message can be received. Can we expect the world to accept our message if our lives bear little resemblance to God's truth and power?
Calling. Ellen White, a pioneer of the Adventist Church, urged fellow believers to cling to the old waymarks of truth that God gave to the remnant church. These distinctive truths include the Sabbath, the Bible, the sanctuary message, and the state of the dead.
Today many church leaders believe the Adventist Church needs to improve its public relations, especially with other denominations. I certainly believe we should acknowledge the ministry of sincere Christians. However, as we affirm others, we must not forget the distinctive role that God has assigned the Adventist Church. We must never forsake purity to win friends and influence people.
God calls His church to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the world. However, as we evangelize, we must not dilute the message in the name of relevancy, or disregard our biblical landmarks as being passé. If we fail to hold fast to God's guideposts, all of our great works, our innovative strategies, and our prestigious institutions will have but a mere temporal value. Even if we gain the applause of our fellow humans, to God our work will be of little eternal worth.
_________________________
1 William Shakespeare, Hamlet, Act I, scene 3, line 78.
2 Joseph C. Carter, "Temple University's Founder Russell H. Conwell" (unpublished paper).
_________________________
Carlos Medley is news and online editor for the Adventist Review.
