Great interview, Nathan. I'm honored to work with you and see what God is doing in our neighborhood in part through your leadership and our combined efforts as a congregation.

Social justice activism may be all right for individual church members. It's a copout for clergy, a face saving way of admitting that their grasp of the gospel is inadequate to reach their community.

Luis Olivares was a social justice activist. He was a Claretian priest and pastor of a veritable RC church in Los Angeles known as La Placita. He declared his church property a sanctuary for illegal immigrants,  in defiance American law.

 http://articles.latimes.com/1993-03-20/local/me-13086_1_father-luis-olivares

Olivares based his activism, at least to  to some extent, on  Biblical principles. He was not ashamed or afraid to go to jail for his convictions.

He did.

Jack Kevorkian was a social justice activist. He, too, discovered the high cost of real social activism/justice. Those of us merely interested in grabbing a few headlines shouldn't worry. Low brow "activism" does have a down side, however.

One SDA church tried the kind of social activism being advocated, at least in part, by this article, many years ago. Unfortunately, they overlooked the fact that the individual they were advocating for had an unhealthy proclivity for the companionship of the children of the neighborhood in which the church helped him get established. Oops!

Hansen,

Which of the stated actions of "social justice activism" do you see as a copout to the gospel? I'm trying to understand where you're coming from.

Thanks, Jeff

My favorite quote from Mr. French:

Our spiritual growth can only go so far unless we are involved in some way in serving other people or working to bring hope and life to the people around us. By serving others we become more deeply connected to the heart of God. 

Great thoughts, and a great interview. I, too, have formed a community outreach group in my home church after an in-depth Bible study we conducted on Matt. 25. As a result of active prayer about what God meant for us in the way of service to our community, we got approved by our church board to start a food pantry and are now collecting clothes and other items in coordination with the local ACS. This is just a start. And quite a few disengaged members are now coming back to church because they see the heart of God in this, and it has engaged them to do mission. It's prety amazing, and I can't wait to see where this goes.

I want to thank Mr. French for being an example to us. I wish him all of God's blessings on this important ministry.

Leila

Jeff, Hollywood was one of my playgrounds before you were born. I also worked there, or quite near, for several years during the nineties.

The work of a gospel minister is relatively simple, They are called to preach the gospel. Last time I checked, the gospel was the good news about the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ. I'm certainly not opposed to helping people who need help; however, when that becomes a substitute for gospel preaching, something is wrong.

A lot of the "downtrodden" in Hollywood are there because that's where they want to be. Giving them a sandwich isn't going to change that. Having the Holy Spirit bring conviction to them, consequent to a heart to heart talk about their soul, might change them. That's the reason that some inner city missions required their clients to listen to a sermon before they got their soup.

It's a mistake to focus on the dregs of society. If they are "converted," they are most likely going to require a disproportionate amount of follow up and constant support. Many are not only uneducated, they lack intelligence, have sociopathic tendencies, and possibly severe health issues. I know Jesus died for them too; however, there is already infrastructure in place for those who really want help.

Frankly, it's dangerous to bring strangers from the streets of Hollywood into your home. Unless your congregation is planning on developing a Salvation Army type residence home, the difficulties are going to become unmanageable, assuming that you even find some "interests."

EGW had some good ideas for working the cities. Vegetarian restaurants, for example.  Even a juice bar would be a start. Hollywood is a place which has limitless possibilities, an ever changing myriad of people visiting and moving through, people who are capable of being assets to the kingdom rather than burdens. Bottom fishing is ok for some but you can do better.

Criticism is an easy work [Shame on me]. Evangelism in Hollywood is not [Blessings on you].

Hansen said: "It's a mistake to focus on the dregs of society. If they are "converted," they are most likely going to require a disproportionate amount of follow up and constant support. Many are not only uneducated, they lack intelligence, have sociopathic tendencies, and possibly severe health issues."

I can't imagine anything more antithetical to the spirit of Jesus Christ, whom we seek to emulate in Hollywood. These "dregs" as you call them, are precisely the people Jesus calls us to serve. In fact, he says when we serve these "friends" of his, we are serving Him. To refer to serving the poor, as Jesus calls us to do in Matthew 25, as "bottom fishing" is an offront to God.

 RJBell,

Sorry, demagoguery doesn't play well here. Is this an admission that your grasp of the Pauline gospel is inadequate to reach those "off the bottom" in your district? 

I really can't blame you, Ryan. The shortsightedness of the conference in bringing young and relatively inexperienced "apprentices" into Hollywood is not your fault. I once heard John Carter, who has preached all over the world, say that the forces of evil are working in Los Angeles like no other place he had ever been.

Hollywood is  the vortex of that evil. Good luck.

Leila, Thanks for sharing your story. It's great to hear how your time in the Word motivated you to reach out in service to the World. God bless your work for the kingdom!

Hansen, I was trying to clarify what you disagree with in the interview so I could address my comments to that specific thing, but your subsequent comments even further confuse me. What is the copout? (a) Service volunteerism or (b) advocating for certain community policies? Or is it that (c) pastors or (d) churches are promoting community involvement? (e) Other? This would help me know how to best carry on the conversation.

Lacking that kind of specificity, I can say that I really appreciated Mission in Metropolis (Sahlin) -- http://www.creativeministry.org/transaction_detail.php?id=169. For more stories and theology, see Churches that Make a Difference (Sider) -- http://www.bakerbooks.com/ME2/Audiences/dirmod.asp?sid=0477683E404647148.... The Externally Focused Church should get a nod as well -- http://www.amazon.com/Externally-Focused-Church-Rick-Rusaw/dp/0764427407.

Even if we continue to talk past each other, Hansen, maybe others will find those books engaging.

As for "bottom fishing," I think we can do "other," but I seriously doubt we can do "better," since when we've done something for "the least of these" we've done it for Jesus. May we all not use demeaning language like bottom dwellers when speaking of children of God who bear his image. I see you don't want to hear that from "youngsters," so I hope you have peer conversation partners in your church who you engage with. And if this is in reference to the homeless family and you don't think churches should waste time on the homeless poor, then how about the homeless middleclass? Who is worth it to you? http://news.newamericamedia.org/news/view_article.html?article_id=1b33a9...

Finally, you said, "I'm certainly not opposed to helping people who need help; however, when that becomes a substitute for gospel preaching, something is wrong." I'm not sure how you got from this article that Nathan, Ryan or their church has quit talking about "the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ." Maybe you were thinking Nathan is the lead/head pastor and that this is all the church does. No?

Peace, Jeff

So, Hansen says, "Last time I checked, the gospel was the good news about the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ."

But didn't that Jesus say ...

"The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to release the oppressed,
to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."

Good works are an important part of our calling as Christians.  Our calling as Christians includes helping the poor, the hungry, the sick, the inmates, the homeless, etc.  And we don't always need to preach a sermon first, either.  Sometimes it is best to let our actions be the sermon. 

I just read an outstanding book called "Three Cups of Tea," about Greg Mortensen's humanitarian efforts in Pakistan, building elementary schools in isolated villages that have no schools.  It is a fantastic, inspiring book that I unqualifiedly recommend to everyone.  Although Mortensen is not doing his work for Christian reasons, many Christian relief organizations could pick up alot of practical advice from reading his books. 

Hansen is right, however, that good works are not a substitute for preaching the gospel, and certainly not for abandoning the gospel, which is what so much liberal religion ends up doing.  One of the first things a Randal Wisbey will say, when challenged about the teaching of Darwinism as truth at LaSierra, is that they send out X number of student missionaries every year, and they do X number of local community projects.  This drives me up the wall with frustration!  A thousand student missionaries cannot make amends for the damage that will be done by one Darwinist professor undermining the Bible in an Adventist institution.

Socially conscious atheists can do many things in the name of social justice. Doctors Without Borders, for instance. They are interested in people with practical medical skills and managerial/'teaching ability. Doesn't matter what you believe. It might be preferred if you are an atheist, since religious arguments, in stressful circumstances, can be avoided.

The 1970 winter issue of Spectrum, available online in their archives, does a much better job that I can of articulating various issus regarding "social justice." Articles by Richard Rice and Jonathan Butler directly address the issue. Some of the apparently contradictory statements by EGW regarding work for the downtrodden are illuminated by a better understanding of the history.

Adventist pastors who go off on social justice tangents are being just as unfaithful to their calling as biology teachers in Adventist unis who teach evolution as truth.

Hansen, your trolling behavior on AT's comments area is appauling at times. You rant little hopefulness in what the Holy Spirit is doing through people like Nathan French and the Hollywood Adventist church, and other churches that are following the command straight from Jesus to "do unto the least of these."

First of all, you are plainly wrong in judging what pastor Bell's congregation has been successfully doing (refer to Bill Cork's comment above about the true mission statement of Christ). Your comment to pastor Bell reeks as some sort of personal grudge that is eating away at you. The Gospel message, while, yes, having the central theme of salvation in the "death, resurrection and ascension" calls us to much more than that. 

Christ's passion and suffering, through the Cross, flows from his commitment to service and obedience to God. He is the suffering servant, or as Mark's Gospel portrays him, a servant king. Before his final meal on earth with the twelve, Jesus took a towel and basin and washed his disciples feet, the work of the lowest servant. 

As with Jesus, the Christian community's service flows out of its faith, love and hope in the promises of God. Our "hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness."

John says that you are a liar if you say you love God and you don't love your neighbor. I must be willing to give whatever it takes to do good to other people. This requires that I be willing to give until it hurts, to bring justice and peace to those around me.

Perhaps in a few more dinners with attractive Chinese prostitute friends, you can increase your capacity to see hope restored in the life of a sociopath, homeless person, runaway teen, drug-induced husband, or suicidal wife, and walk amongst the lost, as Nathan French is, literally, doing. 

Remember what this interview is about: a disciple of God designing pathways to reach out and help the helpless, just as another Person did walking the ancient streets of "Hollywood" a little over 2000 yeas ago. Perhaps out of these good works, ears will be open to fully receive the saving conversation of the Good News.

CA,

If you are really a cultural Adventist, I wouldn't expect that you know much about the writings of EGW. Most cultural Adventists have spent little time reading the red books. some have seen the play. My views have largely been shaped by what I read in the writings of EGW. Christian Service, Welfare Ministry, Temperance, Gospel Workers, and Ministry of Healing informed my understanding of this topic. There are also other articles and comments in the Manuscript Releases  about working for the less fortunate. Ryan suggested that my descriptive terms were an affront to God. EGW uses similar or identical terms. 

As a cultural Adventist, with a probable aversion to EGW, I don't expect you to take time to read the SOP; however, no doubt, you have time for Spectrum. If you read the articles I cited there, you will find the same pejorative type terms used by EGW.

The article states that the Hollywood church feels called to address homelessness. Last time I was in the area, I felt called to address the spiritual condition of people living in mansions of Beverly Hills, Old Hollywood,  Brentwood, Bel Air, and Malibu. Was I successful? Probably not ut it was a lot of fun trying.

I've checked into the Hollywood church through the years. It's within walking distance of the old Palladium, where I spent many hours talking to people about their salvation.

A Jewish friend of mine once smashed a Christian in the face with his fist in Hollywood. He was a fairly big guy and was annoyed by someone, not much different from me, who approached him on the street in Hollywood. I'm ashamed to admit it, but I'm glad it was the other guy and not me, who got punched out.

 If the SDA people in Hollywood, after careful review of the SOP regarding evangelism in big cities and work for the underclasses, still feel called to reach out to the downtrodden and unwashed, that's their own affair.

Gospel Workers (1892) page 303 has an interesting statement which  says that if we aim to reach the lower classes, we may fail to reach even them. If we aim to reach the better class of society, some of the lower will be swept up in the net.

 Adventists, especially cultural ones, for a long time, have been doing things that have nothing to do with God or his plans. Unfortunately, they usually do these thing in His name.

Yes, what did Ellen White say about the poor?

"Christ has ever been the poor man's friend. He chose poverty, and honored it by making it His lot. He has stripped from it forever the reproach of scorn by blessing the poor, the inheritors of God's kingdom. Such was His work. By consecrating Himself to a life of poverty He redeemed poverty from its humiliation. He took His position with the poor that He might lift from poverty the stigma that the world had attached to it. He knew the danger of the love of riches. He knew that this love is ruinous to many souls. It places those who are rich where they indulge every wish for grandeur. It teaches them to look down on those who are suffering the pressure of poverty. It develops the weakness of human minds and shows that notwithstanding the abundance of wealth, the rich are not rich toward God.  {WM 172.3} 
The characters of many have been molded by the false estimate placed on the worldly rich man. The man possessed of houses and lands, lauded and deceived by the respect given him, may look down upon the poor man, who possesses virtues that the rich man does not. When weighed in the golden scales of the sanctuary, the selfish, covetous rich man will be found wanting, while the poor man, who has depended in faith upon God alone for his virtue and goodness, will be pronounced heir to eternal riches in the kingdom of God.--Manuscript 22, 1898.  {WM 173.1}  "

 

"Christ's heart is cheered by the sight of those who are poor in every sense of the term; cheered by His view of the ill-used ones who are meek and of those bowed down with the sorrows of bereavement; cheered by the seemingly unsatisfied hungering after righteousness, by the inability of many to begin. He welcomes, as it were, the very condition of things that would discourage many ministers. He sees an opportunity to help those who are so much in need of help by meeting them where they are.  {WM 175.3} 
     The Lord Jesus corrects our erring piety, giving the burden of this work for the poor and needy in the rough places to men and women of adaptability who have hearts that can feel for the ignorant and for those who are out of the way. The Lord teaches them how to meet these cases. These workers will be encouraged as they see doors opening for them to enter places where they can do medical missionary work. Having little self-confidence, they give God all the glory, taking none of it to themselves. The Saviour is present to help to make a beginning through those whose hands are rough and unskilled, but whose hearts are susceptible to pity and awakened to do something to relieve the woes so abundant. He works through those who can discern mercy in misery, gain in the loss of all things. When the Light of the world passeth by, privileges appear in all hardships, right and order in confusion, the success and wisdom of God in that which has seemed to be failure in human experience. . . .  {WM 176.1}"

 

"All around us we see want and suffering. Families are in need of food; little ones are crying for bread. The houses of the poor lack proper furniture and bedding. Many live in mere hovels, which are almost destitute of conveniences. The cry of the poor reaches to heaven. God sees; God hears.--Testimonies, vol. 6, p. 385.  {WM 188.1}

 

By our churches there is a work to be done of which many have little idea, a work as yet almost untouched. "I was an hungred," Christ says, "and ye gave Me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave Me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took Me in: naked, and ye clothed Me: I was sick, and ye visited Me: I was in prison, and ye came unto Me." Matthew 25:35, 36. Some think that if they give money to this work, it is all they are required to do, but this is an error. Donations of money cannot take the place of personal ministry. It is right to give our means, and many more should do this; but according to their strength and opportunities, personal service is required of all.  {WM 189.1} 
     The work of gathering in the needy, the oppressed, the suffering, the destitute, is the very work which every church that believes the truth for this time should long since have been doing. We are to show the tender sympathy of the Samaritan in supplying physical necessities, feeding the hungry, bringing the poor that are cast out to our homes, gathering from God every day grace and strength that will enable us to reach to the very depths of human misery and help those who cannot possibly help themselves. In doing this work we have a favorable opportunity to set forth Christ the crucified One.--Ibid., pp. 274-276.  {WM 189.2}  

Bill, The nose bending, partisan use of EGW has been little help to many through the years. Discussions of this nature remind me of what happens when someone mentions "Faith Alone." Suddenly everyone is an EGW or Biblical scholar with a multitude of reasons why works are important. I hear of, though I have never met, individuals who hold dangerous views of salvation based on "Faith Alone"

It's fairly obvious that Jesus reached out to the poor: The blind see, the deaf hear, the lame walk, the poor have the gospel preached to them. It doesn't say the poor receive a bag of money, it says they hear the gospel. That's how God makes men rich. That's all I'm advocating, making men rich through the gospel, rather than often misguided activities which may ultimately create more problems than benefits.

Those really interested in the matter can read Testimonies volume 8, ~184, a section entitled "A Word of Caution"

What's interesting about this chapter is EGWs assertion that if the degraded are "converted" they are often insincere and bring into the church a host of problems. 

Chapters 31 and 32 of Welfare Minisry, on working for outcasts and cautions are also informative, as is chapter 33 on a balanced work. More may be lost through this work than can be gained.   

As I said earlier, if people are informed and still consider this the work to which God has called them, it has little to do with me.

It sounds like you've been burned. Probably more than once. I have, too. I've got lots of stories.

But the heart of the matter for me is this--our churches need to minister to the real needs of the people in whatever community they are located. A church in Hollywood must have a different focus than a church in a small town in Nebraska or a border town in the Rio Grande Valley.

More often, we have a cookie cutter approach to evangelism. The same canned presentations, with the same graphics, and the same marketing, are used in all of these places. The same songs are sung, the same order of service, the same arguments in Sabbath School. But do we know our neighborhoods? Do we know our neighbors? Do our "felt needs seminars" have any relationship to the real needs of the people surrounding us?

I'm struggling with this question in one of my two churches. The neighborhood was once white and working class--now it is overwhelmingly Hispanic. We've got some Hispanic members, and some Nigerians, but the inside of the church looks very different from the outside--one could stand in the doorway and look in, then look across the street at the park ... and think one was standing in a doorway between two worlds.

So I commend Hollywood for asking these questions and seeking honest answers on their own streets.

As to EGW statements, the historic circumstances need to be keep in mind. They are not dictums from heaven that apply to everyone, everywhere. The passage in 8T 184 is a letter to Kellogg, specific to his plans, which diminished the theological message of the sanitarium. She says, at the bottom of 184 and top of 185:

 

"The Lord has marked out our way of working. As a people we are not to imitate and fall in with Salvation Army methods. This is not the work that the Lord has given us to do. Neither is it our work to condemn them and speak harsh words against them. There are precious, self-sacrificing souls in the Salvation Army. We are to treat them kindly. There are in the Army honest souls, who are sincerely serving the Lord and who will see greater light, advancing to the acceptance of all truth. The Salvation Army workers are trying to save the neglected, downtrodden ones. Discourage them not. Let them do that class of work by their own methods and in their own way. But the Lord has plainly pointed out the work that Seventh-day Adventists are to do. Camp meetings and tent meetings are to be held. The truth for this time is to be proclaimed. A decided testimony is to be borne. And the discourses are to be so simple that children can understand them."\

There is a real danger here. Who today in the general public thinks of the Salvation Army as a church? They've abandoned baptism and the Lord's Supper, put on pseudo-Army uniforms, for an almost purely social mission. She says not to criticize them or discourage them ... but to realize we have a different work. But that work still will have a special regard for the poor, as in those statements from WM--because that is where Christ's heart is. That is the class to whom he said he was inspired to preach good news.

" Camp meetings and tent meetings are to be held."

 This is certainly outdated.  How many would come to a tent meeting today?  Many did,  100 years ago.  When a tent was erected it was either the circus, a carnival or a church revival.  When was the last time a tent meeting was successful in the U.S.?

Elaine,

 Ever hear of "Burning Man"? One of the biggest campmeetings going on. A tent meeting brought about a new congregation in the Sacramento area in the not too distant past, maybe 8 years ago.

I attended the meeting once or twice. It was disgusting, horrible, embarrassing. The speaker was on a rant about music and enlightened the congregation with the "good news" that Tommy Dorsey, who wrote Precious Lord was "of the Devil."

I suppose that there are a lot of things that can be done, nowadays, to reach people. Much of it requires little imagination. After all, the SDA church has a blueprint. Problem is, of course, that the attitude of many Adventists is the reason the church is dying.

Think about yourself, for instance. What message do you have which will draw people to Christ?  That we should love one another? The Papists were tossing this about during the Reformation, suggesting that people are not really saved by Faith in Christ but by love. Problem, of course, is that we can not love adequately apart from Christ  whom we access by faith. Melanchthon, in his Commonplaces of Theology, responds to this papal view in a section which addresses about 20 papal objections to the Reformation.

We can all pray for the Hollywood church but you don't really believe that God in heaven hears prayer, do you, or even that there is a God in heaven?

" What message do you have which will draw people to Christ?"

One doesn't simply TELL others about Christ.  One must first demonstrate genuine love for people.  Iisn't that the best way to let our children know we love them, rather than merely telling them?

 If we don't demonstrate genuine concern and listen to people's need, they will not care at all what our "message" is.  Of course, that is not dramatic like large meetings and baptisms, but what is the attrition rate of those endeavors? 

Maybe the church I attend is unusual, but it has grown from approximately 20 to 500 in 20 years with not a single "evangelistic meeting" and only by welcoming everyone who attends.  We have had people who attended for the very first time, who made the decision tthen that they wanted to become a member!  It is nearly always friends who invite them to come, and once they become friends with more, they feel they are now in a family. 

 Love can never be improved upon.  People can see "through" the ulterior motives in most of the programs that have been tried.  Sincere friendships are not something that can be deceptive for long.

 

[deleted by moderator for not meeting comment guidelines]

There is a country club in Los Angeles, the Hillcrest Country club, which for many years and still today, has been  known as the "Jewish" country club.

People who hold  views similar to yours might be welcome there, because the issue is Judaism and philanthropy, rather than religious faith or spirituality.  No doubt there is a great deal of social affirmation there, even love, amongst its members. It is not a synagogue, however, but a country club.

While I'm sure that someone is pleased by the membership increase at the church you attend, does the redemptive element of church fellowship exceed that available at Hillcrest, or a simialr place?

I'm not sure who this is directed to, but since it refers to the growth in the church I attend, I can assume it was to me.

Why should it go to L.A. or even be interested in the Hillcrest Country Club? I am very welcomed at the church I attend. 

To All: With the range of topics and perspectives to be presented, this series is going to be controversial. While this means we each need to be open to critique, I do hope this analyzing and critiquing can be done in a spirit of mutual edification, rather than in denigrating individuals, congregations and larger collectives. Since tone is hard to perceive online, I hope we will speak truth as we understand it in love (Eph 4:15). As Ellen said, "Each worker is to give his fellow workers the respect that he wishes to have shown to himself."

Peace, Jeff

EGW described 3 different types of "poor people" SDAs will encounter: 1) The Lord's poor. These individuals have come into difficulty because of their acceptance of the SDA message. In some countries, becoming an Adventist can result in social ostracism which makes day to day living difficult. This group deserves significant service from the church. I doubt that there are many of these people in the States today.

The second group may be called the "poor" These people, because of their backgrounds, environment, and circumstances have run into adversity. They too deserve some help, but of a different nature than the "lord's poor". Some illegal immigrants would fall into this category.

The third group are the "degraded" These people are basically reprobate types with various personality disorder issues, criminal histories and inclinations, mental health issues, and so forth. They can actually do damage to the church through association with it.  EGW has some rather strong words regarding this class of people. It is unlikely that they will ever be of real use in the church. They are more likely to bring division and conflict. Simply put, they are labor intensive with little  return. While they are not completely written off, in general, it would probably be better to let other entities, such as prison chaplains, deal with them.

Perhaps somebody has put together a compilation from EGW which is more complete than  previously existing ones. It could serve as an authoritative voice in setting forth the duty of the church in reaching these people.

Hansen, As I stated above, I'd like to see how you relate your comments to the actual interview. Specifically, which of the church's activities highlighted in this interview do you feel are going against Scripture, EGW, and/or general wisdom?

Also, I think there are 2 elements at play in this conversation that we have not been very specific about--evangelism (proclamation and recruiting) and service (social action, advocacy, acts of compassion, etc.). Even though I've taken SDA classes on evangelism, it's been enough years that I don't remember all of EGW's advice on that topic. I do remember her line that P. Samaan uses to structure Christ's Way of Reaching People:

“Christ’s method alone will give true success in reaching the people. The Savior mingled with men as one who desired their good. He showed His sympathy for them, ministered to their needs, and won their confidence. Then He bade them ‘Follow me’” (Ministry of Healing, p. 143).

As for service, if we look at one phrase alone, we gain a pretty good picture of EGW's thoughts on Matthew 5:43-48 -- "disinterested benevolence." I interpret disinterested as meaning "no strings attached or ulterior motives." Hansen, I know you're familiar with this phrase, but maybe other readers aren't. Search for it online. Here's one example where it is used:

Those who have pity for the unfortunate, the blind, the lame, the afflicted, the widows, the orphans, and the needy, Christ represents as commandment keepers, who shall have eternal life. There is in ----- a great lack of personal religion and of a sense of individual obligation to feel for others' woes and to work with disinterested benevolence for the prosperity of the unfortunate and afflicted. Some have no experience in these duties. They have all their lives been like the Levite and the priest, who passed by on the other side. There is a work for the church to do, which, if left undone, will bring darkness upon them. The church as a whole and individually should bring their motives under faithful examination and compare their lives with the life and teachings of the only correct Pattern. Christ regards all acts of mercy, benevolence, and thoughtful consideration for the unfortunate, the blind, the lame, the sick, the widow, and the orphan as done to Himself; and these works are preserved in the heavenly records and will be rewarded. On the other hand, a record will be written in the book against those who manifest the indifference of the priest and the Levite to the unfortunate, and those who take any advantage of the misfortunes of others and increase their affliction in order to selfishly advantage themselves. God will surely repay every act of injustice and every manifestation of careless indifference to and neglect of the afflicted among us. Everyone will finally be rewarded as his works have been. (3T 512-513).

"Before I was here, the church was very involved in a campaign to have more affordable housing in the city through a piece of legislation that would require new developments to include mixed income housing."

This is purely *political* as well as controversial and is not related to the mission of the SDA church. We get far off track of the gospel when we, as a church body, engage in controversial political activities.

Recently I witnessed an SDA with a serious illness be neglected by most of the fellow believers. Where is our concern for the members of the house of God? In most cases I have witnessed it is minimal.

Sure, it's more fun and exciting to be engaged in such a secular project than ministering, as individuals, to the widows, the sick and the lonely within our midst. Wake up, folks, to the needs of those in the local church.

Truth Seeker

Thanks, Markham, for the concrete statement. Galatians 6:10 speaks to what you're pointing out: "Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers." I'm sorry to hear about your example of neglect. That said, from my limited personal experience growing up in the church, I've seen the majority of care offered to current members with little involvement like Nathan has described. Clearly, we could do better in both arenas.

You raise the issue of the mission of the church. That is a great way to approach this question. What is the mission of the church and what are the best means (or range of methods) to achieve this? And by church do we mean only the official SDA church organization, or do we include the full-range of people and their personal vocations/missions and the parachurch (?) organizations like ADRA or ACS (or even other members of the body outside this fold)? What role do ADRA and ACS (and other similar orgs) play in the mission of "the church"? I hope to look at these questions further in future interviews.

As for the political nature of affordable housing, you raise a tricky topic for us: should care for those in need only be offered directly to the individual or can some of our (individual, congregational, denominational) efforts be at higher levels of society? That is, should service delivery and volunteerism be our only actions or is their room for advocacy as well? This is a significant issue that gains insight from Ellen White, reasoning from experience, and Scripture. Future interviews will look at this issue more.

Some verses for reflection (with multiple legitimate potential lessons and extrapolations; I'm not trying to argue for one conclusion by stating these since every verse in the Bible requires interpretation):

1 John 3:17
If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?

Jeremiah 22:16
"He defended the cause of the poor and needy, and so all went well. Is that not what it means to know me?" declares the LORD.

Proverbs 31:8
Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute.