SHEPHERDS, SHEEP, AND WOLVES
I eagerly read every word of the article, "Unfaithful: When Shepherds Become Wolves" (Feb. 27, 2003), because the problem I'm trying to deal with is not between a pastor and a congregation member, but between a married Adventist school teacher and a married mom, who doesn't have children in his classroom.

I'm the only one who knows they make phone calls during school hours. They spend every possible moment together, after school, before school, school field trips, etc.

Another church member noticed the unhealthy relationship, and she and I began to talk about it. We think that our non-Adventist parents may notice this "relationship," which doesn't reflect well on God's church. They see these two together more than they see married couples together.

Anyway, talks with this church member about this issue has backfired on me. She told some of the things I said to the teacher, who blew up at me, and now I am the "bad guy" among many of our church and school members who are the "their side." I have quit my school and church board positions.

This problem is also in our church schools, another form of Seventh-day Adventist ministry.

Name Withheld

I am a Seventh-day Adventist chaplain who is employed in a government hospital. The article about pastors who become wolves struck home. Sexual abuse exists within the Seventh-day Adventist Church more than many realize. Even with the attention this subject is receiving and the real strides we are making in confronting it, we still have further to go. The consequences of mishandling these issues can grow beyond our expectations.

Recently a mental health provider asked me to see a woman who had been sexually abused as a child. As an adult she confronted the abuser, who had recently been baptized as a Seventh-day Adventist. He confessed to sexually abusing her and her sisters and sought forgiveness. Then he committed suicide. Now the woman has the burden of guilt of possibly driving him to suicide.

I work closely with a small group of people who have been abused, at least half of them by Adventist pastors, teachers, and other employees.

As a military chaplain I very early on had to deal with a soldier who became pregnant by the married person who brought her into the church. When her pregnancy became known, she became the evil woman who had seduced the man. She found it impossible to remain within the Adventist community.

I once was a member of an Adventist church where the pastor was sexually involved with several of the members. In this case, and for confidentiality reasons, I felt that I could not take this to the conference, that the Lord would bring it into the open when the time was right. That is exactly what happened.

As I review how the Adventist Church is currently handling such cases, I can say that it is much improved, and yet, still fails to properly deal with issues.

Recently, I brought to the attention of a conference president a possible case of sexual misconduct. I didn't recommend that the conference terminate the individual's employment, nor did I claim that the allegations were factual. I simply brought to the attention of the conference information I believed it needed to know. The president agreed with me and thanked me for bringing it to his attention. As a result, I became the enemy, the one attacked. I asked the president to intervene and to set the record straight as to my involvement in this issue. He refused to do so.

This experience validates what some of the women with whom I work tell me. All too often those who bring issues to the attention of church become the enemy. They are attacked. They get the impression that the church's initial reaction is to circle the wagons and defend the accused.

To the extent that this is true, it is wrong. It is this perception that causes people who feel disenfranchised to the point of resorting to litigation.

Church organizations that deal appropriately with such issues reduce the likelihood of litigation. Last year I was involved in two cases where litigation was a possibility. In each case, I was able to direct the women to church administrators who treated them fairly, and the issue was resolved without litigation. If our church can always do this, we will fulfill our moral responsibility to the victims and reduce our exposure to litigation.

Gregory Matthews
Brighton, Colorado

I was glad to see the article, "When Shepherds Become Wolves," and very interested in the reader responses. Some time ago I did some research into sexual abuse in our church and was stunned by what I learned.

I interviewed a number of people who were parents of abused children who had been abused, abused children, and adult females who had been abused by teachers, pastors, and lay people in the church. Ministry magazine chose not to print a report of my research. Your article renewed my faith that we can deal with it openly and not sweep the problem under the rug any longer.

As a full-time pastor and volunteer law enforcement chaplain, I have encountered this problem from time to time. At one time I served on a citizens' review panel for juvenile court, and abuse of children was one of the most prevalent problems we dealt with. It is high time that the church admit that it happens in our own denomination. We must be big enough to stand up and see to it that the full extent of the law is used in these cases. Our children must be protected.

Jim Cox

PASTORAL REMUNERATION
When I was baptized in 1957 the pastor gave my parents a lesson on tithing. (2003 Spring Meetings) My father said he could not afford to tithe. The pastor took out his pay stub, and showed he was paid little more than what my father was paid, which was about minimum wage plus 50 percent ($8 an hour in today's money). Eight dollars times 40 hours is $320 a week times 52 weeks is $16,640. It would seem that pastoral salaries have well kept pace with inflation. By the way, his wife stayed home to raise her children. Every pastor I know has a wife who is working outside of the home, because they don't get paid enough, they say. A pastor's $50,000 annual salary is way more than the salaries of many of the families he is preaching to.

Are we teaching our young people that money is the reason for going to school, or are they really learning to allow themselves to be used of and by God? Perhaps this love affair we have with mammon is the reason so many of our youth are becoming disillusioned with the message we say we love.

Peter Resz
Enterprise, Kansas

PRAISE GOD!
I feel like singing the Doxology after reading "A TV, A Trooper, and a Traffic Stop" (Apr. 17, 2003). It was a Friday afternoon last September when I steered my 18-wheeler along Interstate 80, trying to get through the heavy traffic. I knew the Sabbath was drawing near and my company policy was to park the truck over the Sabbath. I prayed, "Lord, please help me find an Adventist church where I can spend Sabbath."

Davenport, Iowa, was the next town on our route, and I pulled into the Flying J Truck stop just as the sun slipped behind the horizon. Using my directory for churches in the North American Division, I immediately phoned the church to see if a ride was available for the next morning (not many church parking lots can handle a 65-foot semi). To my surprise, someone answered.

"No one is normally here on Friday nights," a woman said. "But tonight is the last night of our evangelistic series. I'll have you talk to Mr. _____ and he can give you a ride in the morning."

The next morning the church needed an organist for the service and they asked me to assist. That morning I heard Shane Davis tell his story and publicly consecrate his life to Jesus Christ. What a wonderful Lord we serve! I will cherish my memories of that Sabbath in Iowa for years to come.

Rob Aaron
Shelton, Washington

WHO'S RESPONSIBLE?
After reading the column: "Some Keep the Sabbath Going to Church" (Apr. 17, 2003), I became concerned with the ability of our people to understand the depth of error in that piece. It attacked the very core of the Three Angels Messages--"Fear God, and give glory to him; . . . worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of water" (Rev. 14:7). It also failed to take into account the Old and New Testament support for coming together and worshiping God on the Sabbath. It threw out the example of Jesus: "And, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day" (Luke 4:16).

What was the purpose for the Review to print such a twisted theological article? It is clear to me that someone either made a grave error in allowing this article to be printed or the staff at the Review completely misunderstands what it means to be a Seventh-day Adventist. I am a college student and am disgusted that a teacher who claims to be a Seventh-day Adventist would represent our message in such a way not only to those who read the Review but also to his non-Adventist, non-Christian students at Kutztown University.

Mary Van Asperen
Colfax, California

ANOTHER LOOK AT LABOR UNIONS
How I appreciate the Review! I so look forward to receiving each issue and I find most of the articles uplifting and encouraging. I especially appreciated the recent article, "Another Look at Labor Unions" (Mar. 27, 2003). It is comforting to know that in this area, at least, we haven't shifted our position.

I did find Roland Hegstad's article, "Mary's Song" (Apr. 17, 2003) disturbing. His thoughts on crucifixion seem to perpetuate an Adventist myth that was first preached by a popular evangelist some years ago. It was thought that this would help non-Adventists better understand Jesus' words to the thief: "Today shalt thou be with me in paradise" (Luke 23:43).

In all my study and research I have found no record of any person ever taken down from the cross alive. The breaking of legs was the coup de grāce and then the bodies were removed from the cross. So it says in John 19:31-33 and in The Desire of Ages, page 771. We do not need to make up such stories to defend our beliefs; the Bible is enough.

Lynn Hayner Onaway
Michigan

"AM I MISSING SOMETHING?"
Thank you, Roy Adams, for your timely and astute editorial regarding faith-based funding (Apr, 2003), "Am I Missing Something?"

Having worked with non-profit organizations for more than 25 years, I have seen up close how some religious organizations have recently become reliant on financing provided by the U.S. government. And just as Mr. Adams described so well, the lines between social outreach and religious instruction have, in many cases, been blurred beyond recognition.

Sadly, the government would not have to be the standard bearer in helping to relieve social woes had all churches embraced their God-given duty and provided care for the poor and downtrodden. It is unfortunate when church congregations become activists with political agendas and yet are content to remain untouched by the needs of people in poverty-stricken neighborhoods located just miles from their front doors.

Had the model left by the early Christians been followed, churches would have always taken the lead in preventing and curing the ills of society. And church members would have always made their financial resources available so there would not be a destitute or needy person among them.

In a world like this there would not be a need for government and politicians to use faith-based funding as a political tool, because faith-based followers of Jesus would already be carrying the torch of compassion.

Dorothy Valcarcel
Sedona, Arizona

WRITING ABOUT WAR
We were disappointed by the article "War and Peace in Iraq" (Apr. 2003). We felt the comment--"the longer the conflict rages the heavier the toll of battered bodies; we believe that love is the most powerful weapon in the universe; that grace, not guns, changes the world; and all who take the sword will perish by the sword"--was non-supportive of our country and our troops currently serving in Iraq.

We owe our religious freedom to a war fought by our forebears. The American Revolution was fought for the ideal of freedom, with no surety of victory. To not fight for the chance of freedom would have been a greater defeat than to fight and lose. We are extremely grateful for those who chose that fight, because it led to the freedoms, especially religious freedom, we enjoy today.

The human casualties written about are a terrible but inevitable consequence of war. Far worse atrocities took place under Saddam Hussein's rule. Without intervention the human suffering would have continued unchecked and untallied.

War is a product of sin, and should be a last resort. The alternative to war with Iraq would have been to ignore the plight of the Iraqi people. Jesus did not fight to defend Himself, as we should not. Rather, let us be willing to stand and defend those who cannot defend themselves.

As for all our troops, Adventists included, we need to do more than extend prayers and minister to them. We need to give them our full and complete support and thank them for their willingness to take up this fight.

We support the toppling of a vicious dictator and providing an opportunity for freedom for the Iraqi people. Let's hope they embrace it and treasure it as we do ours.

Until the triumphant return of Jesus, Who will eradicate sin and suffering forever, may we not miss an opportunity to help those who need to be lifted up, whether it be on our own block or a nation far away.

Rich and Wendy Baldwin
Brooklyn, Wisconsin

JUDGING JENNIFER
I wish to thank Jennifer Schwirzer for her article, "I'm Judgmental" (Mar. 20, 2003). It is very timely, since we seem to be more concerned about being tolerant of sin so as to save the individual than about following God's counsel. There are "proof texts" and "quotations" for both sides of the issue, but we need to find a balance and still do as God asks; and leave results to Him.

Name Withheld
Montrose, Colorado

APRECIATION
Thanks for the appreciation. At times I print the stories you send to me and hang them on the notice board of my local Adventist church in Mbarara Uganda, East Africa Division. Am a journalist by profession. I work with The Monitor newspaper.

Felix Basiime