As the year comes to a close, we’re taking a look at the top stories that dominated the Adventist news cycle in 2017. From church and world politics to gender and sexuality, from a Michigan Conference book ban to a Puerto Rican self-proclaimed prophetess, here are the headlines that made waves this year:
From month to month, GENDER and SEXUALITY dominate the headlines.
In other words, MISERABLE MISOGYNY and HATEFUL HOMOPHOBIA are the
hallmarks of modern Adventism.
Time to leave a sinking ship !!
Maybe not time to leave the ship [in a lifeboat].
BUT Adventism IS Certainly way OFF COURSE. It is certainly NOT FOLLOWING the STAR of Bethlehem.
Other Denominations are Focused on Telling The Story Of Jesus to the World.
Other Denominations have settled the issue of INCLUSION of Women AND Men into the Gospel Ministry and proclaiming the Gospel to the world.
Other Denominations have settled the issue of INCLUSION OF ALL into the Kingdom of God, into The Body of Christ, Inclusion of ALL WELCOME around the Table Of Christ and share the Body and Blood of Christ as one Family, God’s Children.
IT IS TIME for the Adventist church to get out its SEXTON, its STAR CHART to see where it IS NOT in the Sea of Life. It is TIME to let ALL HANDS ON DECK to help man [and woman] the ship.
EDIT – YES! We need to follow Dr. George’s Command. Be like the BONNE HOMME – Don’t give up the ship.
Daisy Escalante would make a great Human Interest Story for us here. A follow-up on her Religious and Social where abouts. Any more predictions. Any Spiritual Writings?
EDIT-- Please go to the Lounge. “Homosexuality and the Church”, Ted Wilson.
Please read my post from an “anonymous” pastor friend in Southern Calif regarding the number of Pastor friends who have lost their position for being FRIENDLY to LGBQI persons in their city community. It is AWFUL!!! the way they were treated. Actually, we have been Facebook friends since about 2009 when he was here in the East.
I think that more than ever it’s necessary to stay on the ship. How can we abandon the ship when it needs us to be part of the fight against discrimination of women, which is more than 60% of the membership? Yes, 60% being victims of a few black suited old men that retain the power in Church!
No, no, no! No abandoning ship. I know there is no serious Captain in control at the GC for over 6 years now, this is why discrimination of women is still practiced. But this is not going to last forever. I am convinced that our Church will soon be rescued from the hands of people who want to keep us in the stone age.
@elmer_cupino @harrpa @vandieman @ageis711Oxyain @robert_sonter
I find it really quite distressing that Spectrum have not managed to keep up with the somewhat happy end to the story of the dismissal of Pastor Gary Kent, Speaker/ Director of It is Written Oceania.!
This saga was brought to a somewhat amicable conclusion in September 2017 after the South Pacific Division President and Pr Gary Kent sat down together and came to a workable resolution of seemingly intracable issues. Gary was set free from denominational employ and became a fully fledged independent ministry. This new ministry, ‘The Incredible Journey,’ now is on free to air Australian TV each Sunday morning.
At the official launch of this new media ministry on the weekend of October 28, 2017 Australian $1 million dollars was raised to fund it.
I’m with you, George.
I’d like to see an update on this lady. Has her tune changed since Hurricane Maria? Has she made more predictions with dates? Has she undergone psychiatric treatment?
@petersomerset, that sounds like a wonderful outcome, and one we would be happy for you to write about for Spectrum.
Union Conference Presidents Declare the Basis for Their Unity 53 replies
General Conference Meets with Union Presidents (and Timeline of Key Events Since San Antonio) 23 replies
An Open Letter to Adventists Who Voted for Trump 83 replies
A Sermon, an Apology, and a Rallying Cry at Andrews University 19 replies
#ItIsTimeAU: Listen. Dialogue. Change. Andrews University Responds to Viral Video18 replies
Dwight Nelson on #ItIsTimeAU Video: “They’re Right” 20 replies
In Landmark Sermon, Chris Oberg Discusses Science of Sex and Gender 22 replies
Adventist Pastor Alicia Johnston Comes Out as Bi, Announces Resignation 29 replies
Outspoken: Debbie and Kris Widmer Open Up About Trans Daughter 23 replies
Major Media Outlets Pick Up Adventist LGBT Stories 8 replies
With Apologies to Gary Kent, IIW Oceania Moves On 17 replies
Adventist Cookbook Named Best in the World 3 replies
World Cookbook Award Winner Spills the Beans on Her Food Philosophy 2 replies
London Unity Conference Set to Reframe Conversation about Church Authority 9 replies
Thursday at the London Unity Conference: Transformational Moments in the History of Church Authority 11 replies
Circumstances Change the Relations of Things 9 replies
Policy Matters—It Matters a Lot! 12 replies
The Steep and Narrow Path to Unity 3 replies
Friday at the Unity Conference: Refreshed Understandings of Unity 6 replies
Bruinsma on Adventists and Religious Freedom 7 replies
Sabbath at the Unity Conference: Justice Takes Center Stage 8 replies
New Adventist “Prophetess” Claims Dreams and Visions from God 26 replies
Nueva “Profetisa” adventista afirma recibir sueños y visiones de Dios 6 replies
Michigan Conference Bans George Knight’s Books from Its ABC Stores 49 replies
Michigan Conference President Jay Gallimore Announces Retirement 13 replies
The African Church Leadership and the GC President: An Unhealthy Relationship 55 replies
Australian Adventists Respond to Marriage Law Postal Survey 25 replies
Insight’s Twilight—What Killed Adventism’s Youth Magazine, and What We Should Do About It 29 replies
A Call to Action 44 replies
A New Building and a Renewed Hope: Day 1 at the NAD Meetings 10 replies
Architect Shares the Vision Behind the NAD’s New HQ 1 reply
Pacific Union Officials Decline Inclusion in SDA Yearbook; Stand in Solidarity with President Sandra Roberts 48 replies
Andrews University Approves Creation of Official LGBT Student Support Group 15 replies
President Ted Wilson Issues Statement on “Homosexuality and the Church” 50 replies
Andrews University Responds to Questions Regarding Its New Official LGBT Care Group 10 replies
Thanks, @sokingcoo, for pulling the number of replies to each of our top stories in 2017. It’s interesting to see how commenter numbers compare to the readership numbers presented in the article. Fortunately, we have quite a few more readers than we do commenters! 
Most conservative denominations have been struggling with this—we are behind the curve, though. And we’ll probably never be so retrograde as Southern Baptists, whose raison d’être was embedded in segregation. We need to replace our leaders, and that should not be that difficult to do: It’s called community organizing. This takes work, but not really hard work.