March 1, 2002 - 12:00pm - John McLarty

For ten years Adventist Today has reported "on contemporary issues of importance to Adventist church mem- bers." We are convinced the church will come closer to its ideals if the actions of its leaders and committees are held up for public scrutiny. Any hierarchical system affecting the lives of millions of people needs the check on power that comes from a free press.

But we are more than reporters. We are advocates--for justice, humility, mercy, truth. For the removal of ideological barriers to women serving in the church, for accountability of church presidents, for openness to human scholarship and experience, for church membership that holds together loyalty and respectful dissent, for a spirituality that con- nects with real life and the rich resources of Christianity, for Adventist theology and practice and for the idea that compassion and integrity are greater virtues than any uniquely Adventist idea or practice.

We are reporters; we are advocates. And we are pastors. Beyond issues of church governance and theological debate, we seek to foster spirituality rooted in a hunger for intimacy with God, touched by an awareness of human pain, and open to human experience. Healthy spiritual life is not characterized by a breathless fascination with what God will do at "the end of time." Instead, it focuses on what God is doing now and how we can participate in that divine purpose.

Why Adventist Today? The church is facing decisions with potentially huge consequences. Changes in the salary structure for clergy and college teachers. How tithe income is distributed. Funding for Adventist higher education. Declining Anglo membership in North America. Divorce and remarriage policies.

These issues may not affect you personally, but they will affect your church.

Why Adventist Today? Because of theology. How does the passage of decades affect preaching about Jesus' "soon return"? What to do about the disagreement between the church's science employees and its public statements about science? What about doctrines that are largely disbelieved or disregarded by the pastors of our larger churches? How much human brokenness can we tolerate in God's spokespersons or God's message--biblical or modern?

The more of the church engaged in the conversation, the more likely we will discern the mind of God. Through Adventist Today you will hear distinctive voices speaking to these issues.

Why Adventist Today? When your experience and learning contradict what you've always believed, how do you find a spiritual life that includes your experience without discarding God? When you are for a new piety that includes an awareness of scholarship and transcends it, it's helpful to connect with fellow pilgrims. Our authors can serve as guides and companions as you learn to affirm God's involvement without trivializing the unanswerable questions. You will be challenged to do more than talk about your faith.

To celebrate our first ten years, we are publishing this retrospective issue featuring some of our best articles from previous issues. Some were selected because they evoked a lot of mail, some because they represent crucial ideas, some because they are historically significant.

For those of you with good memories, I ask your indulgence. For those who have memories like mine, I invite you to take up and read. These articles are so good, you will wonder how you could have ever forgotten them.

If you are not a subscriber of Adventist Today, I invite you to pick up the phone and call our office manager, Hanan Sadek, at 800-236- 3641. Give her your credit card number and ask for a year's subscription. If you are a subscriber, call Hanan and ask for ten or twenty copies of this issue to share with members of your Sabbath School Class, your children, your pastor, fellow alumni. (This special issue is available for $4)

Ten years of reporting, advocacy, and pastoring. It's been an adventure. It's been a challenge. It remains our mission.