y friend John pastors a church in downtown Sacramento, California, about a mile from the state capitol. For several years after he began leading that congregation, he and his wife lived less than 20 miles southeast of town, on several acres that overlooked the city, in the foothills of the Sierras.

But then, next thing I knew, John and his wife had sold their home in the "country," moved to the historic section of "old" Sacramento, bought an old house, and were deep in the process of renovating it. I asked John why, when they lived in such an ideal setting, just a short drive from town, did they want to move to an area with so many liabilities--congestion, crime, pollution, poverty, etc.

He answered that his ministry was more effective if he actually lived in the community where most of his parishioners lived. He said that even though his former house was only a short drive from downtown, it was hard for him and his wife to extend hospitality to the members of their congregation--some of whom were unable or unwilling to make the commute. He added that now that he lives in the community where he ministers, he has more influence--not only with those in his congregation, but also with the various community councils, action groups, and nonprofit organizations that work to solve some of the community's problems.

Another friend lives in Washington, D.C., in a neighborhood that's seen better days. My friend is an attorney who could live anywhere she wants, but she chooses to live in a townhouse she has owned for many years. "I stay to fight," she says. "When everybody else was moving to the suburbs, I stayed to make a difference." This from a woman who, several years ago, was beaten, raped, and left for dead.

Thank God for people who have a burden for those who live in the cities. Although there are Adventists who are deeply involved in ministry to the world's great cities,* my two friends are not. My friend John is a nondenominational pastor; my attorney friend is a Roman Catholic.

In some parts of the world Adventists live as far away from cities as they can, thinking that the city's influence will affect them more than they can influence it. That's a pity. It's a tacit admission that their religious experience is so bland and malleable that in order to preserve it they need to flee to the safety of some (preferably rural) setting where evil's influence isn't so powerful.

During its history as a movement the Adventist Church has enjoyed most of its evangelistic success in rural or suburban settings. The world's great cities are its final frontier. But sadly, many Adventists entertain the mistaken notion that it's not necessary to live in the cities to influence the cities.

The Adventist Review often contains reports about youth groups that invade some downtown area for a weekend convention. Most times the reports have some account about how the youth were involved in "community service" at some point during the event, which might consist of handing out pamphlets, feeding the homeless, picking up trash, or painting over graffiti. Then a youth or youth leader announces with a flourish: "We came to make a difference, to show the city that we care." The implication: We care once a year (see ya!).

"Let your light shine," said Jesus (Matt. 5:16).† Too many Adventists believe that the light from Angwin is bright enough to reach Oakland or San Francisco, that the light from Berrien Springs can make a difference in Chicago, that the light from Collegedale can be seen all the way to Nashville, that people in Boston know about the light shining in South Lancaster.

Cities are sometimes scary places. There are threats to our safety, there are evil influences. But that's where people live. And we shouldn't manufacture phony theologies to justify our pathetic lack of involvement to the teeming masses who inhabit the world's great cities.

If we care about the people, we will put away our fear and replace it with something more powerful. Said the apostle John, "There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear" (1 John 4:18). He also said, "The one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world" (verse 4).

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*In North America most of the church's presence is provided by congregations made up primarily of ethnic minorities.
†Texts in this editorial are from the New International Version.

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Stephen Chavez is managing editor of the Adventist Review.