The Graying of Adventism

[tall73]

I just posted last night on my blog about the graying of Adventists. While I was looking at some things I got stats from 2001 on Canadian median age and it was lower then the general population. So right now I don't know what to think. I remember Ron Lawson from the glory days at SDANET and I don't think he would be apt to mess up his study but we have not seen his study just creative ministries view of his study. Anyway somethings are not adding up.
http://cafesda.blogspot.com

Interesting stuff. So that would mean that the USA median would have to be quite high. Was your data from the census?

 

[RC_NewProtestants]

I linked to the sources for all the numbers I used. In the Canadian numbers even the oldest median denominations were in the 40's. Going back it is from the Canadian 2001 Census.

 

[tall73]

I don't know much about the Adventist gentleman's study, but methodology regarding who is considered Adventist might figure in.

It doesn't sound like he used census data on who professes to be Adventist, but perhaps did studies on actual churches?

I guess we will see. But that does still sound like quite a difference.

 

[RC_NewProtestants]

Pew just came out with a large statistical study of Religion. While it does not deal directly with the Adventist demographics it does say this:

Age Distribution of Religious Traditions
The relatively older makeup of the membership of mainline Protestant churches becomes even
clearer when the survey looks at the age distribution within Protestantism compared with the
overall adult population. Approximately half (51%) of the members of mainline Protestant churches
are age 50 and older. Among the population as a whole, by contrast, only 41% fall in this age
group. Jews, too, tend to be older than other religious groups, with 51% age 50 and older.
At the other end of the spectrum, the unaffiliated tend to be younger than other groups. Nearly
one-in-three (31%) are under age 30, and the large majority (71%) are under age 50.

http://religions.pewforum.org/pdf/report-religious-landscape-study-full.pdf

So it is not simply the graying of Adventism

 

[Lebesgue]

But it's different in the Indonesian SDA community in the US.
The young people in the Indonesian churches ARE staying. A lot of it is cultural and fear of "breaking their parents' hearts which is a bad thing in Indonesian culture.

It's the reason my wife stays even though she rejects Ellen White, 1884 and the IJ and is an Old Earth Creationist to boot and believes in the stuff I am teaching her that I learn at my Messianic Synagogue.
Bottom line is she is afraid of breaking her parents' hearts and I actually respect her for that.

Shalom,

Lebesgue

 

[moicherie]

Is the Adventist community out of touch with the populas and its youth? How relevant is the church, how many church members 'bus in' to church or live in the community where they worship? How many older membersover 35 bother to meet the youth where they are or is it 'their way or no way?' How many Adventists seem to think Adventism means old, middle class and eurocentric?

 

[Lebesgue]

Is the Adventist community out of touch with the populas and its youth? How relevant is the church, how many church members 'bus in' to church or live in the community where they worship? How many older membersover 35 bother to meet the youth where they are or is it 'their way or no way?' How many Adventists seem to think Adventism means old, middle class and eurocentric?

It is intersting to note that most of the other ex-SDAs that I know at my Messianic synagogue are young African-Americans. You may have a point there.

Shalom,

Lebesgue

 

[BGMCFAR]

Are you questioning my joy in the shaking of Laodiceans or are you condemning me because I have no interest in sharing my new light on the Investigative Judgment with those who tolerate the third demon’s message?

Bourbaki It is amazing to me that all of You PERFECT and HOLLIER THAN THO SDA's are going to find alot of surprises in Heaven if you get there.from a former SDA I listen to a pastor at the Crossroads church last Sunday who had more going for him than any SDA pastor I ever heard. and this church is really involved in helping the community know questions asked. So while you are arguing and fighting about doctrine there are people outthere teelling people about Jesus helping the homeless the widows and childern and donig what Christ told us to do. Hey SDA"S don't you think it was time to wake up and smell the postum.

 

[AndrewK788]

Is the Adventist community out of touch with the populas and its youth? How relevant is the church, how many church members 'bus in' to church or live in the community where they worship? How many older membersover 35 bother to meet the youth where they are or is it 'their way or no way?' How many Adventists seem to think Adventism means old, middle class and eurocentric?

I know from experience many of the older members do not interact with the youth. I recently had a friend die in a car wreck. He was 17. The church was packed at his funeral. Afterwards I heard some elderly people commenting that they weren't sure which kid he was but after seeing the tribute and seeing his pictures they remembered...but they had never talked to him of course.

It makes me sick.

 

[BGMCFAR]

I know from experience many of the older members do not interact with the youth. I recently had a friend die in a car wreck. He was 17. The church was packed at his funeral. Afterwards I heard some elderly people commenting that they weren't sure which kid he was but after seeing the tribute and seeing his pictures they remembered...but they had never talked to him of course.

It makes me sick.

Andrew I'm sorry for your generation and I prhabily wouldn't fit in the SDA church now I'm 60 and enjoy talking to young people i do at college ervery day I finding refreshing to hear new ideas and learn what young folks are thinking yet they like to hear an older point veiw also so its kinda fun and neat and so interesting. But its all done with the greatest respect for one anothers point of veiw my goodness what I myself have learned just from listening I think that maybe if more people took the time to listen to young people we might be able to help them more instead of rising to judgement.

 

[Sophia7]

I know from experience many of the older members do not interact with the youth. I recently had a friend die in a car wreck. He was 17. The church was packed at his funeral. Afterwards I heard some elderly people commenting that they weren't sure which kid he was but after seeing the tribute and seeing his pictures they remembered...but they had never talked to him of course.

It makes me sick.

Wow, how sad.

 

[BGMCFAR]

Wow, how sad.

YES Sophia it is sad and then the church can't figure out why they loss so many young people.

 

[harv]

Question, Tall.
If the concept of Investigative (Pre-advent) Judgment is not correct, then is there some other possible, 'provable' biblical answer to Daniel's "2300 Days" not applicable to the history of Antiochus Epiphanes, with a more firm alignment with the 'treading of the Sanctuary" projected from chapters 8, 11 and 12?

Personally I can not perceive that either interpretive view, as has been propagated from Daniel's paralleling outlines found through chapters 2,7, 8, and 11 through 12, for historical events to transpire toward the second coming of Christ could be in accurate agreement with the prophecies projected from both Daniel and Revelation.
Have you considered any other possible chronological placement for the beginning of the "2300 days" within the prophetic outline for history aside from the Persian or the Greek era?

Why would it not be possible the commencement of the "2300 days" should have been computed from that era suggested by Paul, concerning the rise to power of the "Mystery of Iniquity?"

"Despise not prophesying. Prove all things. Hold fast that which is Good."

Harv

 

[FreeinChrist]

I found the following interesting:

The median age for the Seventh-day Adventist community in North America, including the unbaptized children in church families, is 58. The median age for the general public is 36 in the U.S. and 37 in Canada. Among native-born White and Black members the median age is even higher.

And

More than 1,000 Adventist congregations in North America have no children or youth.

http://www.creativeministry.org/article.php?id=500&search=research

fwiw, I heard a report on the TV about churches in America and how the numbers are going down, and the median age going up. I don't think it is just SDA churches that are seeing fewer younger people.

 

[tall73]

Question, Tall.
If the concept of Investigative (Pre-advent) Judgment is not correct, then is there some other possible, 'provable' biblical answer to Daniel's "2300 Days" not applicable to the history of Antiochus Epiphanes, with a more firm alignment with the 'treading of the Sanctuary" projected from chapters 8, 11 and 12?

Personally I can not perceive that either interpretive view, as has been propagated from Daniel's paralleling outlines found through chapters 2,7, 8, and 11 through 12, for historical events to transpire toward the second coming of Christ could be in accurate agreement with the prophecies projected from both Daniel and Revelation.
Have you considered any other possible chronological placement for the beginning of the "2300 days" within the prophetic outline for history aside from the Persian or the Greek era?

Why would it not be possible the commencement of the "2300 days" should have been computed from that era suggested by Paul, concerning the rise to power of the "Mystery of Iniquity?"

"Despise not prophesying. Prove all things. Hold fast that which is Good."

Harv

I am not sure this is in the right thread. But I do think that the 2300 days would seem to start at the beginning of the actual trampling, which would lead to a different result.

 

[Adventist Dissident]

Question, Tall.
If the concept of Investigative (Pre-advent) Judgment is not correct, then is there some other possible, 'provable' biblical answer to Daniel's "2300 Days" not applicable to the history of Antiochus Epiphanes, with a more firm alignment with the 'treading of the Sanctuary" projected from chapters 8, 11 and 12?

Personally I can not perceive that either interpretive view, as has been propagated from Daniel's paralleling outlines found through chapters 2,7, 8, and 11 through 12, for historical events to transpire toward the second coming of Christ could be in accurate agreement with the prophecies projected from both Daniel and Revelation.
Have you considered any other possible chronological placement for the beginning of the "2300 days" within the prophetic outline for history aside from the Persian or the Greek era?

Why would it not be possible the commencement of the "2300 days" should have been computed from that era suggested by Paul, concerning the rise to power of the "Mystery of Iniquity?"

"Despise not prophesying. Prove all things. Hold fast that which is Good."

Harv

there is another interpation of the 2300 days that does not include antiochus.

keep the 2300 days as 2300 years and apply it to the little horn power.
keep the little horn power of as rome and start the 2300 years @ one of 2 points

a. when rome politically subjectated isreal around 60bc.
b. when the temple was trampled in 70ad

count 2300 years from there.

 

[Lebesgue]

YES Sophia it is sad and then the church can't figure out why they loss so many young people.

Young people are also pretty smart. I think some of them get wise to the fact that there are things with the Adventist "distinctives" that aren't quite right.

My son, who is 16 and plans on leaving the SDA church when he is 18 figured this stuff out a couple of years before I did.(smart kid) My wife still has him go to SDA church with her(he goes to Messianic synagogue with me on Shabbats she works- she is a nurse).

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

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