A Seventh-day Adventist congregation is one of several black churches in the Southern United States that have been set on fire by arsonists in recent weeks. The College Hill Seventh-day Adventist Church in Knoxville Tennessee was targeted on June 22. Hay bales and bags of dirt were set on fire outside the church, and a church van was burned. Authorities have ruled the event an act of arson, but have said that it did not amount to a hate crime.
hopeful
(Mercy triumphs over judgment. James 2:13)
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Thank you for bringing much needed attention to this issue for Adventists. The pattern is so disturbing.
And thank you for helping the College Hill Adventist Church. Iâve been troubled ever since reading the first mention here on Spectrum that reported this same conclusion:
I fear these racial arsonists have learned to cover their tracks. Confederate flags may come down, civil rights protection may become settled law, but hatred remains in countless and perhaps silent hearts. One hopes and prays that justice will be done in all these cases.
i canât imagine anything more horrible than to be terrorized in oneâs own church, which for many is a second homeâŚto me, the fact that people can be filled with such hatred so as to perpetrate such a crime brings into sharp relief the true character of evil and itâs originatorâŚwho in their right mind would want to have anything to do with himâŚclearly, satan doesnât love us, nor does he deserve any of our sympathies, or cooperationâŚ
On another site here on Spectrum I posted a comment about the destruction.
It is important to NOT let this intimidate a congregation into Fear.
If I was the pastor I would hold services at the church. Outdoors. Everyone sitting in their lawn chairs. With loud music. A Praise Band, and singing. Continue the Choir. Give an invitation to all homes in the vicinity to join on Sabbaths for the outdoor Church.
Have Sabbath programs geared to the Community of friends attending.
I would plan to build a much Larger meeting place. A Community Church. A Community Campus.
This also provides, through insurance, money to purchase a Much Better Community Services Van. One that can do a multitude of activities.
Next, I would plan to change the name of the church. Phoenix Seventh day Adventist Church, with its LOGO of the Swan arising out of the ashes.
Isnât this always the case, let Justice do it? Throughout the gospels, Jesus admonishes his followers to DO justice and harangues the religious orders for not doing so.
These âprayersâ for justice are as meaningful as prayers for a righteous wife. As one must first be worthy of a righteous wife, and then court righteous women until one stands out from the crowd, not because of her recognised righteousness, but because of her willingness to love despite ones unrighteousness.
Justice is standing vigil through the night at The ONEproject meetings to be certain they are not disrupted by the Historic crowd. Justice is foregoing the glories of San Antonio to house-sit the double-wide of the Regional congregation in Hammond, Louisiana. âSilence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.â
Is this because the local pastor has shied away from discussing this? One of the âwe donât want to cause a stirâ kinds of situations? How could anyone not see what happened, here?
Hate and ignorance are the deepest shades of darkness. Prayers for these churches and their congregationsâŚmay they have peace despite all of this ugly side of humanity.
It was interesting watching the video news clip and seeing these dignified women defend their callings. It was also interesting to take a quick glance at the letter. The letter contains the same sort of argumentation we have read in various TOSC essays written by opponents of womenâs ordination. The white supremacist/male headship adherent who wrote the letter probably did so to make life more difficult for the women pastors, to disparage them, and to undermine their ministries. Damascus Road experiences are rare but sorely needed in the Seventh-day Adventist Church right now.
itâs such a pity that so many in our church havenât taken the time to think through the logical implications of headshipâŚit really is a very ugly perversion of husband headshipâŚ
Why was it necessary to expunge portions of Great Controversy? Wasnât it because those portions were hostile to segments of Christainity? Apostate was a frequent word. It carried a fear factor which is close to a hate. Spectrum seems to promote a different kind of view of diversity. thank you. Tom Z
This is totally unacceptable. @webEd how much of this type of incendiary language is going to be allowed? This is no better than those he is describing.
I read that post. It should have been removed. With the vicious comparisons you are making between white supremacists and headship adherents, I would not be surprised (actually, I would) if you were removed as a poster like many others have been in the past.