On May 8, the Concerned Oakwoodites group of alumni, students, parents, and community supporters of Oakwood University sent an open letter to Oakwood’s board of trustees. That letter follows in its entirety. Below that is a statement from the university in response to Spectrum‘s request for comment. Dear Oakwood Board of Trustees, We, the Concerned Oakwoodites, a collective group of dedicated alumni, parents, faculty, staff, students, and friends, take this opportunity to address you with both a sense of urgency and a profound commitment to the institution that has played a significant role in ..read more

On April 19, the Ellen G. White Research Centre at Newbold College of Higher Education hosted a symposium titled “Still a Prophetic Voice in Europe: Understanding Ellen G. White and her Prophetic Gift Today.” Before the conference started, I wondered if a subtext for the event could be “What is the relevance of the Seventh-day Adventist message in Europe” in the context of two nearby wars and human migration. I hoped the symposium would shine a light on pressing current topics like extremism, polarization, epidemics of loneliness, information overload, and the growing use of artificial intelli ..read more

From May 3-4, the JustLove Collective, a group of Adventist and Adventist-adjacent leaders whose stated goal is to address global challenges, embrace diversity, and promote social justice, held their inaugural summit at La Sierra University. Following the summit, the collective released the following statement with an invitation to sign in support. As a collective of followers of Jesus in the context and tradition of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, we call on leaders and members of our global church community to work with us to renew our doing justice and loving mercy as vital elements and e ..read more

I initiated this series of “cases” on March 4, 2022, because William Miller proclaimed that he had discovered 15 biblical proofs demonstrating that the second advent was programmed for 1843. Even after his prediction was disproved by the facts, his preaching had already convinced Ellen Harmon that Miller was to the second advent what John the Baptist was to the first. She was persuaded that she had “been shown”—God gave him divine wisdom, via angelic visitations, that gave him light on prophetic periods obscure to God’s people for almost two millennia. Yet most of the fifteen prophetic periods ..read more

It is believed that the value of a faith and a church lies in its universalism. If something is not valid for everyone then that thing, it is thought, has no value. If, on the other hand, it is valid for everyone, then its validity would be immediately guaranteed. The problem is that this way of conceiving universalism easily leads us to an obsession with unity. Moreover, by increasing rigidity, it does not allow us to grasp and live in the tension that true faith implies, which is a tension between universal and particular. Although the universalism of faith is true, it becomes false when it ..read more

This week’s adult Sabbath school lesson recounts how the Bible stayed alive during the dark ages of the French Revolution. At times it appeared its light would be snuffed out, but the truth of the Bible’s words continued to spread, even more so during times of persecution. In today’s world, we could say the Bible lives in a place of safety. There are so many Bibles available in family homes and hotel desk drawers. However, there seem to be new perils lurking. In a recent report from NBC news, reporter Mike Hixenbauh covers a live taping of “Flashpoint,” a national television program that ..read more

The Center for Christian Bioethics at Loma Linda University celebrated 40 years with an April 6 dinner and talks reflecting on its past and future. Organized by its director, Grace Oei, MD, MA, metaphors of metamorphosis—seeds and flowers—extended from program design and event decor to a few didactic speeches.  In her “Reflection on Change” essay in the center’s recent newsletter distributed to event attendees, Oei asked, “Are we being propelled along the slipstream of technological advancement towards a more just community or swirling around in a turbulent whirlpool of societal upheaval ..read more

Last December, I finally took the time to listen to the audiobook for R.F. Kuang’s Yellowface. By that time, enough reviews had been written to learn that most opinions about the book were similar to her past work including The Poppy Wars and Babel. However, when I completed my first listen, I agreed with some of the more negative reviews: hastily ended chapters, foreboding that never gets addressed, and weak metaphors.  Given that The Poppy Wars and Babel are its predecessors, it makes sense that a satirical novel criticizing cultural appropriation in the publishing industry followed sui ..read more

In this three-part series, Pastor Elizabeth Pule delves into a crucial yet often overlooked aspect of community life: the inclusion of individuals and families affected by autism within the church. This first article explores the Pule’s personal journey with autism and challenges the reader to reconsider perspectives on inclusion with the church community. “Oh God, please let this be a peaceful session,” was my regular prayer before our son’s weekly speech therapy appointment.   Before Samuel was even diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, he was enrolled in a “quick start” program ..read more

On January 16, 2024, Dave Ferguson met with Geoff Patterson, senior pastor of the Boulder Seventh-day Adventist Church in Colorado, and Mark Johnson, its board chair. Ferguson and his husband, Peter, had been part of the congregation for almost a year, and he felt it was appropriate to request to transfer his membership there. “Is this going to be a problem?” Ferguson (pictured) recalled asking the two church leaders.   They didn’t think so. “We have probably been more welcoming than most Adventist churches,” Johnson said of the church’s acceptance of LGBTQ people.  Less than a ..read more