NEWSBREAK

Adventist Educators Weigh Means to Reach Post-Moderns

dventist educators and theologians met for the Conference on Religious and Theological Education at the General Conference July 7 to 10 to determine the most effective means of passing on Adventist values and beliefs to those who have been in the Adventist faith for many years, as well as those from other faiths or no faith at all. The conference brought together some 70 participants from Adventist institutions of higher learning all over the world.

"We have students coming onto our campuses who are cultural Adventists," said Gerry Karst, a vice president of the world church. "They've grown up in Adventist homes, they've learned the Adventist lifestyle. But it's an effort to try to connect them with the living God, who has given to this last-day church a message that nobody else has.

"I think there's been an erosion of values, and there's been an assumption on the part of many that because they've grown up in the Adventist culture, they know and understand the Adventist message. I think it's important for them to reconnect with the word of God [and the] basic foundation of what our church believes and who we are."

Today's "Generation Y" presents challenges typical of their world and age, educators say. "Generation Y" is a term used to describe the typical age of college students--late teens to early twenties. They explain that Generation Y is very similar to Generation X, or "Gen X," those born between 1961 and 1981.

"These are generations that have grown up often in split homes, under the influence of TV, which brings in [the idea of] ‘let's do our impulses,'" said Keith Mattingly, professor at Andrews University. "They have a heavy commercial focus. A grade is something you pay for. If I paid enough money, therefore I get a grade whether I study or not.

"‘Gen X' and ‘Gen Y' [are] open to listen to an authentic faith that is practiced convincingly and with conviction," said Frank Hasel, professor at Seminar Schloss Bogenhofen in Austria. "Adventist faith has much to offer to the so-called post-modern generation of today that seeks reliable orientation, openness, honesty, and authenticity. This is true also for those who come from other faiths or no faith at all. Even our health message and the Sabbath have great potential for reaching this generation."

A concern is that some Adventist young people are stepping away from their faith. "In North America and in other parts of the world, it is a problem," said Angel Rodriguez, director of Biblical Research Institute. "We have to take it seriously. We have to, as theologians, look at this phenomenon and develop ways to address them in an attempt to keep them with us. I would call it a serious problem."

The conference allowed educators and theologians to explore ways to work together and maintain common theological understanding in classrooms on Adventist campuses around the world. "One of the best items [of the conference] was that we had representatives from all over--Korea, Philippines, Romania, Latin America and Africa," says Garland Dulan, General Conference director of education. "The opportunity to dialogue with people who normally have a localized perspective, and to talk with people who have different local perspectives, and to be able to pool the resources of these theologians and Bible teachers -- that is something everyone appreciated."

Dulan says there was a concern about the positive effects of the conference "wearing off" over time. "That is why, as part of the recommendations, [it was stated] that we need to regularize these conferences within the Adventist system."

"To exchange successful ideas and methods and to discuss the curricula of Bible, theology, [and] religion programs at Adventist colleges, seminaries and universities around the world will help to strengthen the quality of our religious education programs and mission. I hope that similar conferences will take place on a regular basis in the future," said Hasel.

A list of 28 formal recommendations came out of the meetings, which will be shared with participants for review. Some include: encouraging an increased focus on teaching professional pastoral ethics and general Christian ethics; urging all ministerial training schools to include a class in experiential spiritual formation in their curricula; and fostering within the worldwide church the values considered key to Adventist corporate culture, theology and identity; and encouraging the adoption of value statements by each administrative and institutional unit that reflect their unique mission statements.

Other recommendations urge that the various levels of ministerial education be in formal communication with each other on an annual basis in regard to curriculum and outcomes; that the world headquarters, in coordination with the world education departments, seek ways of sharing resources across geographical regions to support library and textbook needs in countries where costs of accessing materials are prohibitive; and that the world church Office of Strategic Planning continue to seek creative means of fostering and promoting theological unity and unity within and between denominational organizations.–Adventist News Network

Long term Adventist Legislator Dies
Bob Stump, a lifelong Seventh-day Adventist who gave 44 years of service to the state of Arizona, died June 20. His burial with full military honors in Phoenix, Arizona included an Air Force flyover.

Stump served four terms in the Arizona House of Representatives and five terms in the Arizona State Senate, including one year as president of the senate. He was elected to the 95th United States Congress in 1976 and served 26 years until his retirement in January 2003. He chaired both the Veterans Affairs and Armed Services committees during his time in Congress.

"With the passing of Bob Stump, Arizona and the nation have lost one of its most distinguished leaders. Bob was truly one of those individuals whose service to the country and our state transcended political boundaries. Bob's 44 years of service to Arizona is virtually unprecedented. His . . . love for the people and places of Arizona truly helped transform Arizona into the great place that it remains," said Bob Fannin, Arizona State Republican Party chairman.

News Notes

Children in Serbia are required to take several exams for admission into secondary school. This year the math exams were scheduled for Sabbath, June 14. The Adventist Church immediately made a request to the minister of education for the Republic of Serbia, who allowed 27 Adventist students to take their exams the following Monday. The decision was publicized on state television as well as in the newspapers.

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