Characteristics of Progressive and Evangelical Adventists

[PsychoeDial]

Yes, that sounds like an ill-natured exaggeration. It is true that we (as well as many other evangelical churches) tithe, but we're saved by faith in Christ alone. Paying tithe is not a test of fellowship in the adventist church. It is true that we argue that tithing is a privilege and a blessed duty, but good works certainly won't make us deserve heaven. There is a difference between “what is a teaching of the church and what is a test of fellowship”, and tithing is something left to the conscience of our members.

About different SDA “branches”. The Seventh Day Adventist Church is one single denomination, and as most Christian denominations people will tend to be either liberals or conservatives. Here on this forum we have two subforums for adventists, but this doesn't mean that there are one adventist church for liberals, and one for conservatives.

I appreciate the clarification. The tithe thing didn't sound kosher and that's why I availed myself of the opportunity here to gain clarity.

Are the conservative Adventists like unto the ultra-right Fundamentalist groups I've heard about? Very strict as to secular world activities.

And I would not hazard to guess the Liberal perspective. If you have insight that would be very good. I'll have to make a block in my schedule to read this forum more thoroughly when I have time to sit and focus solely on what is available information here.

I see also that you have Protestant as your faith? Forgive my ignorance in this question, is Protestant the umbrella that pertains to all Christians not Catholic? So that various denominations fall under that umbrella, such as Adventist?
I ask because I remember the registration here offered so many choices in choosing to display one's faith. Though I don't recall now if Adventist was in that list.

I appreciate your indulgence.

 

[Ubuntu]

@PsychoeDial:

Most conservative adventists belong to the mainstream, and no, in general a adventist conservative isn't the same thing as a “ultra-right fundamentalist”.

But you do find all kinds of adventists out there. On the fringes you will find ultra-liberal adventists who believe in evolution and support gay rights, and the ultra-conservative side you will find fundamentalists who only read the KJV bible and preach perfection. But both these groups are minorities in the Church, most adventists belong to the mainstream. In other words, some might have a liberal bent, and other might be more conservative, but the very liberal or very fundamentalist are relatively few.

That said, those who do belong to the fringes are often very zealous, so don't be surprised if you at some point find websites (or adventists on forums such as these) that preach rather extreme versions of our faith.

* * *

The adventist church certainly belongs to the protestant “family tree”, but not all Christians are protestants. Catholics are obviously not protestants, and the Eastern Orthodox Churches aren't protestants either. (I haven't personally set my faith to “adventist” in the user panel, and the reason for this is because some Christians sadly have a tendency to become overly combative around adventists. The denomination I belong to is irrelevant to 99% of the discussions that I participate in here, so I prefer to keep a low profile on this forum.)

 

[EastCoastRemnant]

New here.
I appreciate finding this thread as I just started investigating SDA.
I had heard it said that SDA teach if one does not tithe they do not gain entry to Heaven. This being the SDA teaching. However, I found in this PDF list of their 28 beliefs https://www.adventist.org/fileadmin...rticles/official-statements/28Beliefs-Web.pdf that #21, Stewardship,pertains to tithing and there is no mention of that in this list.

Am I being misled by opponents of SDA when they say that about the tithe mandate to enter Heaven? Thanks for your time. I also didn't know there were so many different branches in SDA so that's going to take awhile to sift through.

Welcome to the Adventist forum! Ubuntu has done a good job of outlining the different viewpoints in Adventism... I might add that one of our defining attributes is we have a prophetess from God in the person of Ellen White, who was a pioneer of our movement and through who God gave us teachings for these last days.

I would be what Ubuntu would define as a ultra traditionalist and I wear that badge with honour. After Ellen Whites death in 1915, the church has undergone some transformation from it's original teachings so that now, the corporate body espouses some doctrines and practices that weren't held by the early church pioneers. Some see this as a natural progression of the denomination while others view this as departing from the light given us as a people. So, you're in luck that Ubuntu and myself are fairly regular on here and can give you perspective from each side of, essentially, the same coin.

 

[PsychoeDial]

I'm truly blessed with such knowledgeable brothers of the faith. Thank you all.

I'm reading my way through this very extensive information base-board.
If I may ask you about the prophetess Ellen White.
As you may know there are those who claim women are not called to be pastors in most any denomination. However, there are also those who do not think there are contemporary prophets or prophetesses either.
And of course there is the controversy that surrounds Ms.White in the Christian communities as well.
What is it that convinced you all when you were not SDA that SDA was the path to take in the Christian walk of faith? I'm interested in those that found their way to the SDA tradition since I would be arriving from what was at one time a Baptist tradition, going from Fundamentalist to Southern as a child with the family leading the way then. After that I fell away from the religion itself for awhile and now I'm one that simply calls himself a non-denominational. However, I do enjoy the 3ABS = Three Angels Broadcasting channel, which is SDA, when I'm back in the states.

And I do have a feeling for the sabbath as being something still relevant to the faithful. When even that is said to no longer apply by some. Personally I find that odd that there are those who do not believe the sabbath applies today and yet they go to church on Sunday. I'll have to find a way to ask how they consolidate that one one day.

Thank you for your help and your wisdom sharing to this sincere seeker. God bless.

 

[EastCoastRemnant]

I'm truly blessed with such knowledgeable brothers of the faith. Thank you all.

We all learn from each other on here... even from those that have opposing viewpoints. The key is to being open to truth, wherever it may lie... you have doen well heeding the Spirit in recognizing that the Adventist message has something different, something special about it. There'a a lot to learn that isn't taught in Protestantism but every thing is 100% Bible based.

If I may ask you about the prophetess Ellen White.
As you may know there are those who claim women are not called to be pastors in most any denomination. However, there are also those who do not think there are contemporary prophets or prophetesses either.
And of course there is the controversy that surrounds Ms.White in the Christian communities as well.
What is it that convinced you all when you were not SDA that SDA was the path to take in the Christian walk of faith? I'm interested in those that found their way to the SDA tradition since I would be arriving from what was at one time a Baptist tradition, going from Fundamentalist to Southern as a child with the family leading the way then. After that I fell away from the religion itself for awhile and now I'm one that simply calls himself a non-denominational.

Your history is very similar to mine... raised Baptist, fell away early teen but always felt a connection to God... 25 years go by and I'm randomly searching the internet one day and I read something that rocked my world that I never knew. That was the fact that the seventh day Sabbath was never rescinded by God in the Bible... making Sunday illegitimate. I researched and found myself learning about this denomination I had never heard of before, the Seventh Day Adventist church. The more I studied the doctrines, the more I recognized them as truth.

I was not convinced about Ellen White at the beginning until I learned that there are actual tests the Bible mentions to test a prophet and she met every one. There were many female prophets in the Bible, so that is not an issue, also. I also realized that, in these last days, God would not leave His people without Divine instruction. The mainline of "Christianity" had become so splintered and confused in it's teachings, one could never hope to discern God's message for this time from that snake pit. Interestingly, the Adventist message was never to be a denomination but was first being taught and actually accepted for a while by Methodists, Baptists and other protestant churches as God was increasing the light beyond the Reformation... but sadly they all ended up rejecting the message and literally, shutting their door to it. That was when God had to raise up the SDA denomination to proclaim the 3 angels messages of rev 14. Many of what Ellen White wrote about these end of days was thought impossible and ludicrous back in her day but we are seeing her words being fulfilled before our very eyes. It is an exciting time to be able to witness these things but also a very solemn and sobering time as we realize our need of our Saviour and lovingly surrendering to Him in all He asks of us. The crux of the Adventist message to me is about the relationship we need to have with Him, about obeying His 10 Commandments because He has asked me too and I love Him too much not to.

Thank you for your help and your wisdom sharing to this sincere seeker. God bless.

I am excited for you in this journey... myself and other on here will do our best, by Gods' grace, to answer all your questions and to introduce to you what we believe to be the present truth of God's Word.

 

[RBPerry]

Wow, has the SDA changed since I was involved. Had seven years SDA schools (middle and high school) MBA academy and then Loma Linda for four years. Left the SDA church in 1974. Wonderful people, just can't go the vege burgers and Mrs. White, read all her books, had to.

 

[rdclmn72]

New to this forum. Former Pentecostal, married into the church 10 yrs ago, made friends and eventually embraced the Sabbath and became a member. I am part of a conservative congregation but am liberal in my views. I hope to make friends here.