A Generational Divide - Understanding Perspectives in the Adventist Church
"So I see these prophecies as God's aboslutely reaching out to us, to equip us, to prepare us."By Sam Oliveira
-- Goddard
Prophecy remains a common component of Seventh-day Adventist beliefs and education. Most who have grown up in the faith have experienced being in church and hearing sermons about Jesus’ “Second Coming.” This can, at times, generate an eagerness for Jesus’ return that young Adventists harbor through their early lives. Many may even remember staring outside their bedroom windows, watching the sunset and thinking, “Could it be today?” But, alas, that day has not yet come. While longing for Jesus’s return is still felt in the hearts of many, perhaps it is not as strong as their childhood years.
Hearing English Professor Kathy Goddard speak about her upbringing with prophecy will help foster a better understanding of what some baby boomers experienced.
"[The pioneers] were developing this church [and] new doctrines and [Jesus’] teachings. But as time went on, the second generation, the children of those pioneers lost something.”
-- Lake
Theology Professor Jud Lake has been teaching at Southern Adventist University for 23 years. Yet, each time he teaches a class called “Adventist Heritage,” he learns something new, he said recently, reflecting on the challenge of imparting knowledge to younger generations.
“I think our pioneers [used an approach] that was appropriate for their time,” he said, when discussing how the church has approached the teaching of prophecy and doctrines over the years. “But then you have second-generation Adventism... [For] the early pioneers, everything was fresh, [and] it was exciting. They were developing this church [and] new doctrines and [Jesus’] teachings. But as time went on, the second generation, the children of those pioneers lost something.”
Lake’s experience underscores generational shifts that have occurred among Seventh-day Adventists over the decades regarding prophetic interpretations and doctrinal issues. While many members of the Millennial and Gen Z generations remain devoted to the faith, the level of commitment to some traditional teachings appears to be less fervent than in previous generations.
“If you go about [teaching prophecy] in the wrong way, and you lose sight of Christ, the freshness, the beauty of it, the assurance is gone”
-- Lake
“If you go about [teaching prophecy] in the wrong way, and you lose sight of Christ, the freshness, the beauty of it, the assurance is gone,” Lake explained. “And it becomes scary [for] Adventists that are my age, in the late 20th century. Even as far back as when I was a teenager in the 1970s, that generation of adults [was] struggling with legalism. They had lost sight of Christ, and the prophecies were all the beast and the plagues. And it was fear. Then we went through some theological crisis, and a lot of people left, but Christ became central again. Today, the challenge is there are so many distractions. Can people [think] about what really matters?”
Yet, Lake believes the Biblical account of end-time events has the potential to captivate a new generation of believers.
“The idea of the supernatural invading this planet [and] Jesus coming back and invading this world and radically turning it over -- and in a matter of moments -- is something that can be very appealing,” Lake concluded, “because it's radically different from what the world teaches today.”
According to the book, Valuegenesis: Ten Years Later, it is crucial to gauge what kind of commitment young people have regarding their own theological system.
The research project documented the faith and values of young people attending Seventh-day Adventist high schools in North America. It focused on three areas -- family, school, and church. The first survey was conducted in 1990, the second in 2000, and the third in 2010.
As students aged, the more they seemed to understand some of the more complex doctrinal statements of the church.
The study found a strong adherence to the core of Adventist beliefs. As students aged, the more they seemed to understand some of the more complex doctrinal statements of the church. For example, the question that explores the Millennium, which is a time when Satan and his angels will occupy the desolate earth and the wicked will be judged, moves from 40% “definitely believe” among sixth graders to 64% among twelfth grade students.
Youth develop their ideology and theology as they grow, the Value Genesis studies found. As their identity becomes more stable and their lives reflect their goals and vision, young Adventists tend to have a clearer view of what they believe.
When some think of prophecy, they may think of the mysterious beastly creatures mentioned in Revelation with many eyes. They may also picture the in-depth, end-times messages they have been taught since childhood.
"We're in a rush to teach people the end times, but we're not in a rush to teach them about God? How are you going to enjoy Heaven if you don't even know who is in Heaven?”
-- Shephard
Jonathan Shephard is a millennial that grew up in the church, where he was constantly surrounded by knowledge of the end times and never knew or understood what it meant.
“I started actually listening when I was about 5 or 6 years old, but I started interpreting, and finally getting it in my head around [when] I was 14 years old,” he said.
“After you start gaining a relationship with Christ, it's like, ‘Oh, yeah, I'm just a pilgrim here. I'm just passing. The fear factor gets removed when you realize that the hardest part has already been done for you [through Christ’s death and resurrection],” Shephard continued. “And I think it's always been interesting to me [how] we're in a rush to teach people the end times, but we're not in a rush to teach them about God? How are you going to enjoy Heaven if you don't even know who is in Heaven?”
