Characteristics of Progressive and Evangelical Adventists

Progressive Adventists are members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church who disagree with certain beliefs traditionally or commonly held today in the church. They think of themselves as theologically progressive relative to the denomination's mainstream. They are often described as liberal Adventism by other Adventists, however the term "progressive" is generally preferred as a self-description. This is partly because most are not liberal Christians (although a small portion actually are). This article describes terms such as evangelical Adventism, cultural Adventism, charismatic Adventism, and progressive Adventism and others, which are generally related but have distinctions.

Progressives typically question one or more of the church's more peculiar, or "distinctive" beliefs such as the investigative judgment, the remnant, a future global Sunday-law, or an overuse of Ellen G. White's writings. A major factor in its rise was as a result of Adventists mixing more widely with other Christians, which was sparked by the need for government accreditation for its educational institutions. However it is an emerging movement with an emerging definition, and its proponents resist drawing up any formal belief statement. Perceptions and definitions of it may differ somewhat depending on the author, although much is common is also clearly discernable.

4. As an interested outsider with my nose pressed to the window, I see quite a bit of theological diversity within Seventh-day Adventism. In some ways it reminds me of present-day evangelicalism. One strand of Adventism appears quite traditional, another very liberal, and still another distinctly evangelical. There also seems to be a segment that is atheological in nature and reflects what I would call a cultural Adventism. The strand of Adventism that Martin and I most identified with is evangelical Adventism. If the use of the word “evangelical” is too self-serving on my part, then maybe I could call it a “gospel-oriented” Adventism. The word “evangelical” comes, of course, from the Greek euangellion, which means gospel or “good news.”

Gospel-oriented Adventists are indeed genuine Adventists. They believe deeply that God raised the Seventh-day Adventist church up for a special purpose—to usher in the Second Coming of Christ. They also deeply respect and honor the seventh-day Sabbath. In addition they believe that Ellen G. White possessed the spirit of prophecy. However, gospel-oriented Adventists owe their final allegiance to the authority of Scripture alone (sola Scriptura). Ellen G. White’s writings are tested by Scripture and not the reverse.

The doctrinal feature that sets this branch of Adventism apart is its view of the gospel. Gospel-oriented Adventists believe that their right standing before God rests not in their own obedience to the Law of God, but rather they place their complete confidence in Jesus Christ and in his perfect substitutionary atonement for their sins on the cross.9 These evangelically oriented Adventists believe that salvation comes solely by grace, through faith alone, and only in Jesus Christ (Eph. 2:8-9). They also believe that the Christian life is lived out passionately in gratitude to God for his precious gift of salvation (Eph 2:10).

Evangelical Adventists also recognize that Adventism’s important doctrinal distinctives of Sabbatarianism, the spirit of prophecy, and the belief in the imminence of Christ’s Second Coming are only made truly meaningful when a person fully embraces the gospel of grace. Evangelical Adventists insist that if God raised their church up for a special purpose, then they definitely can’t afford to get the gospel message wrong.

The roots of this robust type of Adventism go back to the nineteenth century and can be traced through the Adventist leaders who dialogued with Barnhouse and Martin. I also see it clearly articulated in the gospel presentation found in the classic Adventist source known as Questions on Doctrine. As the Seventh-day Adventist church continues its rapid growth in the twenty-first century, I pray that God will bless the church with an increasing number of Adventists who believe, teach, and live out this grace-oriented understanding of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Just before he died, Walter Martin expressed to me a few concerns about the theological state of affairs within Adventism, as he saw it. He wondered whether Adventism really stood behind the book Questions on Doctrine, and, if so, why the book had been allowed to go out of print. He also expressed concern about whether Adventism had come to view Ellen G. White as the infallible interpreter of Scripture. He was also perplexed by the fact that leading evangelical Adventists such as Desmond Ford and others had been fired by the church. Finally, he told me that he was planning to write a new book on Seventh-day Adventism, and he asked me to assist him on that project. The Lord willing, I am planning to write a book that will offer an updated evangelical assessment of Adventism that will build upon Martin’s important work.

In retrospect, Walter Martin had a significant and abiding influence upon the Adventist church itself. He also greatly influenced how an entire generation of evangelical Christians came to view Seventh-day Adventism.