Much has been written already about the crisis the Adventist Church has been experiencing since the North American Division voted overwhelmingly in early November 2018 to reject the controversial decision that was voted by the Annual Council of the General Conference in the previous month. This article explores demographic, regional, and cultural factors that have…… Continue reading Sources of the Current Crisis in the World Church
Category: Ethnic Diversity
When the Immigrants Come
During November I will be sharing a series of video presentations, rather than papers. (Please note: the video link does not show up in the preview image on the main page.) This one was presented on 9 November, 2019 at the Roy Branson Legacy Sabbath School class in Loma Linda, California.
The Impact of the Influx of Immigrants from the Developing World on Adventism in Canada
The center of Christianity moved slowly but surely during the twentieth century from the Developed World to the Developing World, so that the majority of Christians today are nonwhite. As the patterns of international migration have shifted in recent decades, bringing increasing numbers of Christian immigrants from the Developing World to parts of the Developed…… Continue reading The Impact of the Influx of Immigrants from the Developing World on Adventism in Canada
Immigrant Influx: The Impact of Large Numbers of Immigrants from the Developing World on Seventh-day Adventism in England, France, and The Netherlands
The center of Christianity moved slowly but surely during the twentieth century from the Developed World to the Developing World, so that the majority of Christians today are nonwhite (Jenkins, 2002). However, this “Southernized Christianity” has not confined its impact to the Global South: the patterns of international migration have shifted in recent decades, bringing…… Continue reading Immigrant Influx: The Impact of Large Numbers of Immigrants from the Developing World on Seventh-day Adventism in England, France, and The Netherlands
The Fragmenting of Apocalypticism within a Denominationalizing Sect: The Case of Seventh-day Adventism
Research has shown that over time many religious sects reduce the tensions between themselves and surrounding society, and thus move from sect towards denomination. For a millenarian sect to follow this process, its apocalyptic must become less urgent: it must become less rejecting of the present society and put down roots there. However, the dynamics…… Continue reading The Fragmenting of Apocalypticism within a Denominationalizing Sect: The Case of Seventh-day Adventism
Twenty-First Century Adventism: The Impact of The Decline of The Church in The Developed World and Its Rise in The Developing World
I will begin by showing you the dramatic changes that have taken place in recent decades in the global distribution of all Christians, and of Adventists in particular. I will then compare and contrast the Adventist statistics with those of the other major religious groups that emerged, as we did, in the U.S. during the…… Continue reading Twenty-First Century Adventism: The Impact of The Decline of The Church in The Developed World and Its Rise in The Developing World
Questions Concerning the Relevance of Adventist Teachings in Animist Cultures
I am completing an ambitious sociological study of global Adventism. My research has taken me to 56 countries in all divisions of the world church. Today I will focus on Africa and Papua-New Guinea, both of which have pervasive animist cultures. I will share with you some vignettes that will raise some issues where I…… Continue reading Questions Concerning the Relevance of Adventist Teachings in Animist Cultures
