Category: Meet the Team

Hi! My name is Patrick and I am a senior journalism and political science major.

Both of my grandfathers have a rather significant background in ministry and Christian education. From youth pastoring to higher education, they both made consequential contributions to the Seventh-day Adventist church.

Their involvement with the church trickled down to their children. My parents attended SDA academic institutions, participated in worship services, attended church regularly, and generally knew all the intricacies of Adventism any “normal” Adventist would. Mom and Dad got married shortly after graduating college, moved into a small suburban home just outside D.C., then had my twin sister and me at the age of 26, exemplifying what seems to be the “Adventist way.” 

In the summer of 2007, however, things changed. My parents made the bold decision to embark on a two-year family journey to France. That two-year journey ended up being a 13-year sojourn that impacted my life in numerous ways.

Perhaps the most significant effect my French upbringing had on me was how I viewed religion. Although I was raised Adventist, I attended a very secular high school in a famously secular country. The only taste of Adventism I got after moving abroad was semi-frequent Friday night worship with my family, which caused me to reconsider my identity and attitudes towards religion as a whole. I developed a different perspective than that of my grandparents’ generation.

For years, I assumed the religious differences I shared with the older generation was solely due to where I was raised. This is certainly true, to an extent. But after thinking about it more carefully, I began to wonder if the reason for these differences extended beyond the place I grew up. Is it possible that different attitudes towards religion is more of a generational issue than a geographic one? For example, there are several areas — many, even — in which my views align perfectly with those of my grandparents. I also have met several friends in college who have similar opinions of Adventism as I do. Yet, those very friends were raised in a strict SDA household and attended strict SDA boarding academies. 

What is so interesting to me is that the various perspectives I have experienced are only one piece of a much larger puzzle. Attitudes towards politics, science, and artistic expression within the SDA church have been shifting in recent years. Hot-button issues like LGBTQ+ rights, climate change, and even music are increasingly polarizing topics that pit boomers against Gen X in the church, and I want to know why. Why does there seem to be a generational divide? What are its causes? And what does it mean?

By María José Morán

The image is still vivid in my head. It was a Saturday night, and my family had just finished a short worship service to close the Sabbath. I cannot remember what kind of argument my parents and I had had over how difficult it was for me to find modest clothes that fulfilled every single requirement my parents had. 

My name is María José, and I was born in the beautiful country of Honduras, which might explain why my parents were so strict. I have lived all over Central America due to my dad’s job in the Adventist Church and have gotten to live a variety of experiences because of it. These experiences have ultimately contributed to who I am today– a journalism student in search of her purpose in the world and in the church. 

Despite all my bizarre experiences in the church, my love for God and the Seventh-day Adventist Church is stronger than ever. This love leads me to explore “unresolved” issues in my mind. Who has God called me to be? What is my role within the church? How do my talents and beliefs fit in the church? Do they fit in at all? 

Well, in order for me to fit in the church as a young lady, my parents emphasized the concept of modesty a lot. So one night, with the intent of making a statement, my parents asked me to kneel, so they could point out the length of the skirt I was wearing and emphasize whether it met the requirements or not. Something about that moment stuck with me forever. Did Jesus really care that much about the length of my skirts? Or the length of my sleeves? If he didn’t care, why did my parents care? I felt like I loved Jesus, but did he love me less because my skirt did not reach below my knee? 

Years of this back-and-forth debate over modesty constantly reminded me of all the things I disagreed with my parents about. Were we convicted of different things? Did older people understand more things than younger people? Was I missing an important part of Biblical theology? 

Over a decade later, my parents and I still disagree on the nitty-gritty of many things. From topics such as modesty, worship, and even homosexuality and the LGBTQ+ community, we still cannot see eye-to-eye on many Adventist “details.” However, I am now an adult, and my relationship with the Lord has only strengthened with the passing of the years. 

It is true that God convicts everyone of different things, and we all have personal beliefs and practices because of it. But, if my parents have been the ones who raised me, and they passed down their beliefs to me, why then do I have viewpoints that strongly contradict theirs? 

After years of pondering over our differences, I have reached a simple yet complicated conclusion. Our core beliefs are the same, but our beliefs on some doctrines are different. This has led me to believe that because we are the same in so many ways, our differences boil down to generational differences. 

These generational differences are what I am determined to research. How come we all serve and love the same God, yet disagree in the ‘nitty gritty’ of things? 

“I have been young, and now am old …”

David, the Psalmist, penned those profound words while reflecting on a life of countless blessings. For those of us stuck somewhere between young and old, there’s also much to be thankful for, including the opportunity to serve as a bridge between generations.

I am Alva James-Johnson, a professor in the School of Journalism and Communication at Southern Adventist University. As the co-instructor for our Interactive Journalism class, it’s my job to guide and mentor students as they develop their abilities to make sense of the world around them and utilize their communication skills to transfer information and knowledge to others.

I also realize that as a middle-aged Gen Xer, the way that I see the world may be very different from that of my Millennial students, in the same way that some of my views differ from those of my parents who are part of the Silent Generation.

Yet, every generation shares the same thirst for truth, purpose and meaning. Therefore, it takes older generations gently guiding younger ones through the complexity of life to help fill in the gaps. I believe we will all arrive safely if God is, ultimately, our guide.

As a fourth-generation Seventh-day Adventist who raised two fifth-generation Adventist young adults in the post-modern age, I recognize the pitfalls that exist on that journey. Therefore, I consider myself a bridge between those who went before me and those coming behind.

Transfering religious beliefs from one generation to the next is tricky business, and I suspect my students will experience the same dilemma when it’s their turn to pass on the baton.

But what will the Seventh-day Adventist denomination look like at that time? How will the core beliefs be different or the same? What are the shifts taking place right now that could affect what it means to be an Adventist for future generations?

I look forward to learning from my students as they explore the generational divide, and I invite you to join us!

Hi! My name is Josue Vega. I’m 22 years old and a third-generation Seventh-day Adventist Christian from Puerto Rico. I currently study mass communication with an emphasis in media production at Southern Adventist University. I love any sort of art that involves storytelling—films, books, dance, and music. 

Here’s another thing about me: I’ve always relished a good secret. Whether it was for the power it made me feel like I had, or for the delicious feeling of being in the know, I was always intrigued to find out what happened behind the scenes of everyone’s life. Knowing what was going on behind the stiff, smiling masks of so many felt like an intimate connection, and I basked in that feeling whenever I got the chance.

It didn’t take me long to find out, however, that not everyone felt the same way about secrets.

 “Keep that under wraps, you don’t want to ruin their reputation,” is a sentence that many of us heard growing up, and I was no exception. 

It was the go-to warning statement from adults who knew they had said too much in front of little ears and wanted to keep the situation controlled. Of course, this was often hard for us younger ones because we longed to investigate the secret and announce our discoveries. 

As we grew older, however, we realized that some secrets were not just disappointing to keep, but dangerous. And many of us felt like they had to be revealed.

But does this discrepancy between the generations extend to how the Seventh-day Adventist church handles its secrets? Is the old stereotype of the older saints desperately dragging secrets into the shadows in order to preserve the church’s reputation, while the younger generation claws them into the light, a true one? 

And what happens behind closed doors, when shocking untold stories come to light or taboo topics are breached? Is there a difference in beliefs between the generations over how such matters should be handled? I’ve heard a great number of secrets in my time. I’ve also seen how they’ve been handled by different generations, either to their benefit or destruction. 

So, let’s investigate some church taboo subjects together, and hopefully, we can learn a lot from them. At the very least, we can learn from the damages that have been caused to our denomination. Let’s do some detective work together, shall we?

Hi, my name is Zach Roberts. I am a senior at Southern Adventist University. Although I am not a member of any Adventist congregation, I attend one every weekend, and I have worked at an Adventist summer camp and now attend an Adventist university, of course. I like to say I am 60% Adventist (at least), but I am not a member. 

I was first introduced to Adventism when I was 17 years old. Prior to that, I I had not heard of the religion. Now, my life is full of Adventists. Probably over 80% of the people I know and interact with fall under that category.

When I am at Southern Adventist University, I am surrounded by Adventists. When I am back home and attending Statesville Seventh-day Adventist Church, I am surrounded by Adventists. But the experience could not be more different. Why? At first glance, there is a quick answer to that question. And, as with a lot of things, it’s largely demographic.

At school, I’m largely interacting with 18–24-year-olds, with a few exceptions. At home and at church, it’s much more of a 50+ (emphasis on the plus) range, with, of course, a few exceptions. 

Yes, being Adventist results in quite a few common ideologies, such as the Sabbath, what’s clean to eat and many other things. But there is a stark contrast in perspectives. On things that aren’t necessarily taught in the church, there’ has been a fairly drastic shift from one generation to the next, in my personal experience. 

That’s what makes this so interesting to me. I see the differences first-hand. I live them out. One place feels a lot different than the other, despite seemingly being in similar surroundings. I think that, through research this semester, my experience will be borne out through the data. There is a generational divide in the church, as with everything in the world these days, and it only seems to be widening. 

Not being an Adventist lends me a unique perspective to this, but it also leaves me with a few questions. Most of the people I’m around at school come from similar environments as my home church, so why does this divide exist? Why is it such a powerful divide? Is this universal across different areas? There’s only one way to find out.

Hello, My name is Frank Canizares, and throughout the years I have noticed a generational divide among Hispanic Seventh-day Adventists. The gap underscores various perspectives regarding secular issues such as science and politics, as well as spiritual matters such as worship and modesty.

Conservatives vs. Liberals. These two stances have defined and divided church members into different groups.

As a student taking an Interactive Journalism course at Southern Adventist University, I will explore this topic through conversations, research and recollection based on my personal experience as someone who grew up in the Hispanic Seventh-day Adventist community, left the church for a period of time and then returned within recent years.

A religious practitioner of the faith, I was always involved in church activities during my childhood. That involvement provided me with a window through which I observed the range of behaviors among brethren practicing and promulgating their beliefs.

After years of wandering in the world – away from God and the church – I returned to an environment where some people with whom I grew up had, in my opinion, maintained certain positions, which throughout the years had defined them.

By observing their viewpoints, the ways they worshipped, how they dressed and practiced religion, I could detect an unspoken division among church members. Even though none of it played a role in my departure, the differences between young and old are intriguing.

However, it is important to note that the religious divide is not a defined line drawn in the sand. The differences sometimes fluctuate depending on one’s education, upbringing, and the influence parents have had on one’s outlook on life. The type of church a person attended as a child could also impact his or her formative years. That influence could define viewpoints, habits and a person’s overall character, regardless of age and generation.

It is my desire to research the origins and development of this issue. So, let’s embark on this journey together!

Hi, my name is Megan Yoshioka. I am 21 years old and currently majoring in mass communication with an emphasis in writing and editing. I was born on the Millennial/Gen Z cusp and raised by two Gen Xers in an Adventist household.

About a year ago, my dad and I were listening to a podcast in the car. In that podcast, the speaker strongly advocated for traditional marriage roles where the man is the breadwinner and the woman is the homemaker.

I was annoyed by this position and vocalized my irritation to my dad. He responded to me by asking, “Why?” He stated that there is nothing wrong with traditional marriage roles.

And he was right. There is nothing wrong with traditional marriage roles if that is the lifestyle both spouses agree to live out. I do not have a problem with the role, only the expectation that I should not pursue or prioritize a career outside of homemaking simply because I am female. 

Growing up, my family encouraged me to study and work hard. I developed a strong work ethic and have carried it with me into college so I can earn a degree and start a career in writing. I explained to my dad that if I decide to get married in the future, I do not want to give up or be expected to give up a career I have worked so hard to achieve. If I were to give it up, I would feel that all my time, money, and effort would have been wasted by going to college.

My dad then told me that not everyone would agree with my line of thinking. He said that while he was attending Pacific Union College thirty years ago, he knew many women who went to an Adventist college in order to find a husband. 

I was surprised by this statement and confused by the word “many.” During my past three years at Southern Adventist University, I have only met one woman who said she wanted to become a wife and mother for her primary career. The majority of women I have met are equally as driven as I am to pursue a career outside of homemaking and motherhood, whether it be in medicine, dentistry, journalism, or graphic design. 

My dad and I both realized that a generational gap could have influenced our different views of marriage. This conversation sparked my interest in learning more about different generational values and opinions, especially within the Adventist church. Is there truly a generational divide like my dad and I hypothesized, or were our differences of opinion simply just that?

I sit in an interesting spot when it comes to this topic. I was born in 1983 which is in millennial territory. I have never really felt like the millennial archetype fit, though, and even less so the Generation X. I feel more like I’m in a no-man’s land between the two where certain aspects of both apply, and some of neither. This has given me almost an “outside looking in” perspective on the generational aspects of world as a whole, and on the Adventist church specifically. Without strongly identifying with any single group I’ve had the opportunity to be more objective in my examinations. Now in my late 30’s with children of my own, I can explore this topic along with the students in a way that will hopefully allow us to find common ground in a church that has often struggled to create an identity for the diverse generations that call themselves Adventist.

I grew up in the church in the 1980s and 90s, and saw some of the conflicts that alienated the youth of that era, but I also was young enough in the early 2000s to still be developing my sense of identity in the Church, and benefited from some of the positive progress during that era. I attended Adventist boarding schools from 2000 till 2008, through late high school (Forest Lake Academy in Apopka, FL) and 5 years of undergraduate work (Southern Adventist University in Collegedale, TN.) I was married by a wonderful Adventist pastor, and now I’m seeing my children experience the world through the eyes of a generation we haven’t even defined yet and helping students at Southern understand their own place in this wonderful world. This is an exciting chance to examine how what we experience, what our parents experience, and what our children experience shapes the shared existence of our culture in the Church and how it defines our past, present and future.