| Author | Message | ||
| Dennis Registered user Username: Dennis Post Number: 1573 Registered: 4-2000  |
Paul Richardson from the Pacific Union Conference Church-Support Services, candidly reports that the median age of Seventh-day Adventists in Canada and in the United States is 58 years old while the median age of all people in these two countries is around 37 years of age. (http://www.churchsupportservices.org/article.php?id=112) Amazingly, there are more than 1,000 Adventist churches in the North American Division that have no children or teens at all. The July, 2008 issue of Ministry magazine has an article by Allan Martin, from Andrews University, that laments the same demographics. Martin even says that SDA churches are increasingly like rest homes in the North American Division. Despite the Adventist Church investing heavily in their educational system, their statisticians report that about 50 percent of their young people are currently leaving the church. Truly, the graying of Adventism can be seen everywhere. Dennis Fischer | ||
| Jennyclarinet Registered user Username: Jennyclarinet Post Number: 35 Registered: 10-2007  |
My boyfriend attended the Greater Youth Conference in San Jose last month, and apparently, they had a much higher than expected turnout of 4,000. They ran out of food at every meal. They had the youth go door to door on Sabbath asking people if they'd ever considered the role of prophesy in the Bible, or something like that. | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 9235 Registered: 12-2003  |
Interesting, Jenny. These Greater Youth Conferences are quite conservative in content and focus--in terms of what "type" of Adventism they represent. There really does seem to be a return to more historic Adventism. It's actually OK, I think...it's a more "honest" Adventism, and people are more clear about why they're SDA. The most honest Adventists are the ones most likely to respond to the truth when they really see it. Colleen | ||
| Bskillet Registered user Username: Bskillet Post Number: 98 Registered: 8-2008 |
People my age, 20s and 30s, question things to a greater extent than previous generations. Often, young adults discover that Adventism has no answers for its critics. Further, EGW is rather unpopular with SDAs in their 20s and 30s. This creates an opening for them to eventually reject Adventism. | ||
| Dennis Registered user Username: Dennis Post Number: 1574 Registered: 4-2000 |
Truly, information technology is a serious threat to Adventism. Remember, cults are organized heresies. Dennis Fischer | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 9239 Registered: 12-2003 |
True, Dennis. Jenny, the danger with the 20 and 30-year-olds is that while they dismiss Ellen consciously, they have absolutely no idea that their world view and their concept of life, death, and sin and salvation are shaped by Ellen. They are in some ways in a more delicate and difficult deception than their parents who knew more of what they believed. Any Adventist who "dismisses" Ellen while retaining a compromised view of Scripture and a sense of a savior who paid for past sins but a God who expects certain obedience to qualify for salvation has embraced a false gospel. Nevertheless, those who seek the Lord with all their hearts will find the real Jesus! And as Dennis said, the internet is a HUGE help! Colleen | ||
| Dennis Registered user Username: Dennis Post Number: 1578 Registered: 4-2000 |
My first doubt about Ellen White occurred when I read Dr. Ronald Number's excellent book entitled "Prophetess of Health" back in 1976. However, it took me clear to the year 2000 to officially leave Seventh-day Adventism. Our awesome and sovereign God utilized the Internet, among other things, to finally bring me into biblical Christianity. Indeed, He knows the best moment to reach our souls. Salvation is from the Lord. As I was online on a Saturday afternoon in the mid-1990s, I read just a few lines of sermon outline by Dr. Richard Fredericks entitled "Sabbath in Christ" to instantly realize that I had found Jesus, the true Sabbath Rest. I jumped up from my office chair and ran upstairs to inform my dear wife of my new discovery. To my delight and surprise, she agreed with me. As the song says, "He touched me, and I will never be the same again." Soli Deo Gloria! In His power and for His glory, Dennis Fischer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIgErxNu6X4 | ||
| Indy4now Registered user Username: Indy4now Post Number: 347 Registered: 2-2008 |
I know that there are probably not statistics on this... but it would be interesting to know why these people leave. Do most of them start attending other churches or do most of them give up on God completely? ~vivian | ||
| Jorgfe Registered user Username: Jorgfe Post Number: 1476 Registered: 11-2005 |
Looking at most of the SDA young people I know, they basically give up on God -- because they are taught to equate God with Adventism. Adventism has long been a legalistic list of do's and don'ts. There is no assurance of salvation. Like us, they know that there is no way they can become "sinless". Ellen White is becoming increasingly irrelevant, and the further the Seventh-day Adventist Church gets from 1844 the more obvious that it is a myth and a lie. Adventism cannot isolate itself from the world and still be relevant. Seventh-day Adventist young people see through the deception and intellectual dishonesty. Adventism keeps them so isolated from Christianity that many of them never get to taste of real Christianity. No true Christian Church plays "Choose a Hand": Choose a hand ... The Right Hand - Adventism's message seeking acceptance and inclusion as a Christian church: On the one hand there is a message promoting a positive image, seeking acceptance and inclusion. We Adventists are good people and live good lives We believe in families and traditional family values We are your friends, neighbors and family We call you Christians We are Christians The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a Christian church We believe in God We believe in Jesus We believe in a Second Coming and have the name "Advent" in the name of our Church (Seventh-day Adventist) Why would you not accept us a Christians? The Left Hand - Adventism's message declaring the unacceptability and exclusion of all other churches: On the other hand there is the Seventh-day Adventist Church's negative message rejecting and excluding all other churches from true Christianity. We are the only true church We are the only living church All other churches are wrong and unacceptable as true Christianity All other churches are harlots of Babylon There is no excuse for the existence of any other church Satan has taken full possession of the churches as a body All other churches' creeds and doctrines are an abomination All the ministers in your churches are corrupt All your churches are divided and cannot get along All your churches are churches of the devil All other so-called Christian churches are completely apostate The fullness of the gospel disappeared from the earth until Seventh-day Adventism arrived in the 1800's The gospel you preach is false The true gospel can only be found in the Seventh-day Adventist Church Your ministers are hirelings of Satan The name Seventh-day Adventist is a standing rebuke to the Protestant world The Seventh-day Adventist Church alone are God's remnant people The Seventh-day Adventist General Conference is God's highest authority on earth Satan is now in heaven answering the prayers of non-Adventists Why is Seventh-day Adventism seeking acceptance from the "Unacceptables"? [Formatted printable list at http://exposingadventism.com/content/facts/adventism_choose-a-hand.php] Gilbert Jorgensen | ||
| Joyfulheart Registered user Username: Joyfulheart Post Number: 436 Registered: 10-2006 |
Hi Vivian, I think people give up on God when the leave Adventism because they think they already know what the Bible says. The things they were taught the Bible says left them without hope so there's no need to read and study it further. Also, the SDA church does says a wonderful job of bashing other churches - all of them. When Adventism fails them, their only choice is something they've believed all their lives is worse than what they had. Finally, I think the whole issue of going to a "Babylonian" or "apostate church" is totally unnerving. I was raised in a non SDA church and it was hard to go back. The Sabbath, mark of the beast and all that stuff was heavy on my heart as I walked in the door. Besides that, the youth group was selling subs to raise money for a missions trip that day. Guess what the two kinds were - ham and cheese and italian (pepperoni, salami etc). It wasn't easy even for me - and I was only Adventist for a few years. A whole lot of biblical truth needs to replace the lies. | ||
| Indy4now Registered user Username: Indy4now Post Number: 350 Registered: 2-2008 |
It is a LOT OF TRUTH that has to be replaced. It was harder on me than I thought it was going to be that first Sunday I went to church. In fact, we didn't go to church for a few months because I was trying to find a different church that had services on Saturdays. God knew my heart and placed me in a city that must have over 100 churches, yet none of them had services on a Saturday except for the Adventist church. Honestly, I think my mom would have been happier if I didn't go to church at all versus going to church on Sunday. I would think it would be at least 75% of people don't go back to church at all. It's just sad that when people give up on Adventism they give up on God. ~vivian | ||
| Angelcat Registered user Username: Angelcat Post Number: 29 Registered: 11-2008 |
Well, my age group, those that left ahve mostly left God, I think. They may still believe there is a God, but they don't realize SDAism isn't the true Gospel. I didn't. I went wild for a few eyar in my 20's. I coudln't live up to all the rules, and if I was gonna eat pickles and cheese and meat, I may as well sleep around. What's the difference, right? Sin is sin. That's more extreme than most I knew. But of all the Adeventist kids I knew, only 3 for sure still go to the SDA church. And there are not many people my age at the local SDA church. Then there are those who don't beleive the core doctines. I know one guy at the local church who doesn't beleive it matters what day you keep etc. But he still goes I guess out of habit, wants his kids to go to church, sends them to the church school. It's sad. He didn't grow up SDA, and I don't think his wife did either. But their kids will, andodds are they will leave the church, and may never find God in the church. I wish I could contact all the SDA kids I knew growing up, and tell them how wonderful freedom in Christ is, and there is so much more than Adventism. To know when you ask God for forgiveness, you get it. Your sins aren't just tentatively forgiven until you screw up yet again, and then they come back to haunt you. | ||
| Flyinglady Registered user Username: Flyinglady Post Number: 6297 Registered: 3-2004  |
Angelcat, after my divorce I just knew that God could not accept me as I found no understanding at the SDA church. I remember thinking God cannot accept me, so I will enjoy life to its fullest, as I saw it at the time, and be the best sinner possible. I slept around also and as you said, sin is sin. I am so thankful, God can and did forgive me. He is so awesome at His job. Diana L | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 9256 Registered: 12-2003 |
In the very late 90's, Richard found an online poll that stated that only 2% of former SDAs ever go to another church. That percentage was lower (by about 1 to 3 percent) than even Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses. I believe the fact that the Sabbath was seen to be part of salvation makes it almost impossible for people who've been SDA to go to church if they haven't deliberately dealt with Adventism and found Jesus. Colleen | ||
| Flyinglady Registered user Username: Flyinglady Post Number: 6307 Registered: 3-2004 |
Colleen, I have said before that I used the sabbath like an insurance policy. When the sabbath laws came, I would quickly jump back into adventism. I am so thankful I do not have to do that. Diana L | ||
| Bobj Registered user Username: Bobj Post Number: 391 Registered: 1-2006  |
Colleen You wrote: They are in some ways in a more delicate and difficult deception than their parents who knew more of what they believed. Any Adventist who "dismisses" Ellen while retaining a compromised view of Scripture and a sense of a savior who paid for past sins but a God who expects certain obedience to qualify for salvation has embraced a false gospel. I recently came across an out-of print book by C. E. Putman, a Christian author who wrote "Legalism and the Seventh-day Question: Can Sinai law and Grace Co-exist?" He quotes his theological opponent, Mr. T. M. French, director of Homiletics and Mission Polity at Emmanuel Missionary College (now Andrews University) around 1920, as saying: "We believe in justification by faith in Christ, but on the condition of our keeping the moral law." I recall this identical quote from when I was an Andrews theology student in the early 70s! Yes we were very clear on what we believed--but perhaps a bit confused! Bob |
