Institute for Christian Teaching
Department of Education
General Conference of the Seventh-day Adventists
CONVEYING CHRISTIAN BELIEFS AND VALUES
TO STUDENTS ON CAMPUS THROUGH FAITH PARTNERS
By
Nathaniel M. Walemba
University of Eastern Africa, Baraton
Eldoret, Kenya
457-00 Institute for Christian Teaching
12501 Old Columbia Pike
Silver Spring, MD 20904 USA
Prepared for the
27th International Faith & Learning
Seminary
Held at Mission College, Muak Lek Campus, Thailand
December 3-15, 2000
INTRODUCTION
In Mark 16:15, God calls his church to action, "Go
ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature". For almost
one hundred fifty years, the Seventh-day Adventist Church has heeded this
command. The message of the soon coming
Son of God has been preached starting from one country expanding to about 200
countries of the world. The message of
salvation which was initially proclaimed in one language is now preached in
more than 700 languages and more than 1000 dialects throughout the globe.[1]
On every continent the Church has established
publishing houses, hospitals, and schools at primary, secondary, and tertiary
levels. All these institutions are
established for the purpose of reaching people with the good news of salvation. They are not intended to be an end in
themselves, but rather a means to an end.
Each institution is established, therefore with a mission; and even
though this mission may be expressed in varying terms from institution to
institution, the ultimate goal is the same--to convey the message of salvation
to mankind. A church institution is an
extended arm of the church[2]
intended to accomplish the great work of saving souls.[3]
While the goal of a Seventh-day Adventist academic institution is to integrate faith and learning, in line with the overall mission of the Church, often times the success of the program is less than desirable. It is the view of the writer that part of the problem is lack of participation by some of those whose responsibility according to the gospel commission, is to convey Adventist values and beliefs. There is a tendency on the part of some, to ascribe the responsibility to the pastor or chaplain. Yet the task belongs to all who confess Adventism, referred to in this essay as faith partners.
PURPOSE OF THE ESSAY
The purpose of this essay is to point out that all
Adventist groups (faith partners), on a given campus of an Adventist tertiary
institution, have the same responsibility of conveying Adventist values and
beliefs to the students. It is the
intention of this essay to explore ways these groups can work together to
achieve the overall goal of the institution in line with the overall mission of
the church.
Beliefs: In this essay, beliefs refers to the fundamental doctrines of the Seventh-day Adventist Church as they are found from the Bible, and elucidated by Ellen White.
Values:
Though the meaning of values may be expressed differently by different people,
the main concept remains the same. In
this essay, values means, that which is considered value-able, beneficial,
important, or desirable by an individual or community. Therefore, values means those things,
standards or ideas, which influence an Adventist lifestyle.
Faith: This
essay adopts the meaning of faith as given by the Seventh-day Adventist Bible
Dictionary which defines faith as "a confidence of heart and mind in God
and his ways that leads one to act in accordance with his will.
Partners: As
indicated above, "partners in this essay refers to all Adventist groups on
a given Adventist campus. These groups include administrators, academic staff,
non-academic staff, and the Adventist students.
The focus of this essay is a campus of an Adventist
institution which admits non-Adventist students; and which believes strongly in
the mission of the Seventh-day Adventist Church as a whole. It may also be culturally limited since
propagation of the gospel may be done differently depending on what method may be
culturally acceptable. The essay does
not exhaust all there is to be said even on those issues it attempts to
address.
Christ's call to action is a call to every believer to
reach every unbeliever with the good news of salvation. George Akers indicates
that nurturing faith in every aspect of the program is every body's business if
the institution is to be effective. It is not just a responsibility of the
Bible teacher or campus pastor/chaplain.[4]
It is the goal of this essay to point out that those
best suited to reach the non-Adventists on campus are those who are on campus
themselves: the Adventist students, the
teaching staff, the non-teaching staff, and the administrators. To all these groups, Jesus said, "You
are the light of the world. A city on a
hill cannot be hidden. Neither do
people light a lamp and put it under a bowl.
Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the
house. In the same way, let your light
shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in
heaven"(Matthew 5:14-16 NIV).
While the message is clear, there is a tendency on
some campuses, to leave the work of sharing the faith to the chaplain. As a result, the success is less than it
would have been had all groups been involved.
We, therefore, need to look at each group on campus and explore the role
it can play in conveying values and beliefs to non-Adventist students.
It has been observed that "ministry is based on
the necessity to communicate across the generation gap in order that the youth
may become aware of the relevance of the gospel for their day and generation,
and incorporate the meaning discovered in the gospel in their lives."[5]
Accordingly, the most qualified people to reach the
un-churched youth on campus are the Adventist youth. There is no generation gap between them. They understand their needs; and as Rowena
Ferguson indicates, any act or program of service to be valid must serve a real
need, not an imaginary one dreamed up by the people offering the service, which
must be acceptable to the persons being served.[6]
At the University of Eastern Africa where I work, over
the last five years, student baptisms have increased from 25 in 1996, to 76 in
2000. But the largest number of
baptisms in any given year was 98 when the guest speaker for the Week of
Spiritual Emphasis heavily and purposefully involved the Adventist students on
campus.
All students, Adventists and non-Adventists live
together, eat together, play together, and study together. Therefore, they have
more opportunities to share their faith.
As Richard Armstrong observes, "People respond much more readily
and positively to a faith sharing approach than to an intellectual
rationale. They are influenced more by
personal illustrations than by powerful logic."[7]
Arthur Holmes correctly
indicates that young people assimilate values "more from example than from
precept, more from their peers than from their elders and more by being
involved than being spectators."[8] This is the approach the apostle John uses
when he writes:
That which was from the
beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have
looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life--the life
was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you, that
you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the
Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.[9]
The apostle wrote as an eyewitness of the person and
ministry of Jesus Christ. He shared his personal testimony with those who had
not met Jesus. The Adventist youth on
campus are well placed to share their life changing testimony with their fellow
students in a way that no other person on campus can do. Rowena Ferguson observes: "The youth
should not be seen as preparing to be the Church of tomorrow. They are the Church today; they are full
members now and should enter into the total life and work of the Church with
its obligations and opportunities. They
are fully laity."[10]
Thus, the Adventist students on campus should be made
aware that God's plan calls for them to be on campus for use as instruments in
His hand to encourage other Christians and to share their faith with fellow
students in fulfillment of the gospel commission. They should be reminded that God will use them as a witness to
those who have not yet received Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour. The words of Jesus to his disciples: "And
you shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in Judea, and in Samaria and
to the utmost part of the earth" (Acts 1:8, RSV) apply to them also and
they must start with their fellow students.
Ellen White admonished: "In selecting teachers,
we should use every precaution, knowing that this is as solemn a matter as the
selecting of persons for ministry."[11] This is so because the work of education and
the work of redemption are one.[12]
Raymond Moore advises that selection of faculty and
other staff should not be made only on the basis of technical and academic
competence, but primarily conditional to the completeness of their faith in and
dedication to the Scriptures and the inspired word through Ellen White.[13]
Ellen White emphasized the careful selection of
teachers when she wrote, "I wish I could impress upon every teacher a full
sense of his responsibility for the influence which he exerts upon the young¼They should be men and women of religious experience, daily receiving
divine light to impart to their pupils."[14]
Holmes suggests that teachers should not be Christians who are also
scholars but Christian scholars.[15]
Only Christian teachers are capable of providing Christian education as opposed
to Christianity alongside education.
Having looked at what kind of a person a teacher
should be as a key element in the process of integration of faith and learning,
we need to look at how it can be done.
In this regard, Colon correctly observes that values are best
transmitted by the contagious example of the teacher. She indicates that an educator that has a genuine Christian
world view will focus on a personal growth with Christ leading to
redemption. He or she will be concerned
with integrating every subject with the mission and goals of the institution
and with the Biblical perspective.[16]
Thus Holmes concludes that "as
teachers inspire students and students infect other students a climate of
learning emerges. The teacher is the key to a climate of learning. His teaching is his ministry. His enthusiasm
about ideas, his scholarship, and the importance he places on teaching provides
a model."[17]
George Akers points out that, "A faculty that is
consciously and deliberately involved in God's one unified reality with no
compartmentalization, who really has it all together in God, can effect an
integration of faith and learning that is natural and believable and potently
effective."[18]
However, Myrna Colon correctly observes that "the
process of integration of faith, values and learning can be initiated only
through the work of the Holy Spirit working in us and through us. By using the Biblical perspective in every
one of our disciplines can we offer an education that will make man whole."[19]
Addressing the process of integration, Fresnel Charles
correctly observes that the habits and principles of a teacher are of greater
importance than his literary qualifications.
He must feel the necessity to have a balanced interest in the physical,
mental, spiritual, experimental, and social education of his or her students.[20] Therefore teachers in Adventist schools must
remember that they have a heavy responsibility to bear. They must be in words and character what we
wish our students to become: men and women that fear God and work
righteousness.[21]
On the campus where I work, more than two thirds of
all employees are non-academic staff.
For every teacher, there are at least two other employees of the
university. Therefore, it is impossible
for any University program to succeed without their participation and
support. Their role in the integration
of faith and learning is crucial. They
may not teach, but they serve the food.
Those who do not serve food work in the Registrar's office, which every
student visits at one time or another.
Those who are not associated with registration may be involved in
dormitory services. Others keep the
campus clean while others ensure that the campus is secure. The list goes on and on. The bottom line is that the non-teaching
staff are part of the campus team whose contribution is crucial to the success
of any campus program including integration of faith and learning.
A study conducted by Jane Thayer of Andrews University
revealed that work supervisors who befriend students contribute in important
ways to student spiritual growth. On
that point work supervisors ranked second to faculty in importance. Consequently, the researcher suggests that
when training events are designed to teach college personnel how to nurture
students spiritually, both faculty and work supervisors should be invited[22] It is my belief that such training should
include all other non-teaching who have anything with students.
The non-teaching staff have the opportunity to
demonstrate through situations, the impact of values in real life, and beliefs
that are conveyed to the students. They
have the privilege of showing impartiality in their service to the student. As they come in contact with them, they have
the opportunity to demonstrate that what they learn in class is actually
workable in real life. On the other,
hand if what students have learned in class is contradicted by what the staff
do, the impact of the effort put forth in teaching will be less successful than
desirable.
The non-teaching staff, like the academic staff, must
make a deliberate effort to assist in the fulfillment of this one objective of
the institution--to convey Adventist beliefs and values to every student they
come in contact with. Ellen White
wrote: "Our institutions should be missionary agencies in the highest
sense and the missionary work always begins with those nearest. In every institution there is missionary
work to be done. From the manager to
the humblest worker, all should feel a responsibility for the unconverted among
their own number. They should put forth
earnest effort to bring them to Christ."[23]
The chaplain or pastor, though in some instances he or
she may assist with teaching a class, belongs to this category of workers. It is he that the rest of us expect to
shoulder the responsibility of conveying beliefs and Christian values to
students. But as Raymond Moore
observes, that is a mistake.
Regardless of how excellent a pastor he or she is, thy cannot do it alone.[24]
Marlene Wilson correctly agrees and indicates that the
Bible gives support for the involvement of believers in ministry and quotes two
Bible texts: "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy
nation, God's own people, that you may declare the wonderful deeds of him who
called you out of darkness into His marvelous light" ( 1 Peter 2:9, RSV), and, "But be ye doers of the Word,
and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves" (James 1:22, KJV).
She concludes that the biblical evidence is clear that
we have been created, called, and equipped to be God's people and are therefore
expected to act accordingly. These and
other passages form the cornerstone of our theology relating to Christian
involvement.[25]
The work of a pastor, therefore, is to assist, equip,
or facilitate the work of others who may not be professionally trained as he
is. Leighton Ford sums it well when he
says, "We shall never fulfill the great commission until we realize that
evangelism is every one's job."[26]
Referring to leaders, Ellen White wrote: "The
greater the responsibility, the greater the ruin in the case of
unfaithfulness. If leading brethren do
not faithfully perform their duty, those who are led will not do theirs."[27] Paul Brantley indicates that Adventist
educational administrators must be the driving force behind the integration of
faith and learning. They must put it at
the top of the agenda.[28]
This places an awesome
responsibility on the leaders in the process of integration of faith and learning. While they may not come into contact with
students as regularly as teachers and those who provide essential services,
they do have a responsibility to create a favourable environment, among other
things, to facilitate the process.
One of the things administrators can do to enhance the
process is to provide each teacher with some tools such as books, which address
the subject of a Christian institution and its mission.[29] After the acquisition of books, time should
be created for meetings at which faculty and qualifying staff can discuss
assigned chapters from a chosen book.[30]
The administrators must make their position clear
regarding the integration of faith and learning. This clarified position should
be reflected in the institutional mission statement. The spiritual aspect of
the mission statement should then be broken down into a Spiritual Master Plan,
which should be at the heart of the mission of Adventist education.[31]
Another responsibility of the administrators relative
to integration of faith and learning is the recruitment of personnel both
teaching and non-teaching staff. If the
program is to attain satisfactory success, there must be workers who believe in
and are committed to the mission of the Church, and consequently of the
institution since the institution is an extended arm of the church. Hudson Kibuuka suggests that, "As the
institutional machinery goes about recruiting personnel, it is important to
integrate faith so that even in this more or less automatic function, the
observed behaviour should portray a Biblical World View."[32]
Additionally, the administrators could make a
contribution in the area of accommodation. The facilities for habitation of
both workers and students, as well as for instruction should reflect the values
we cherish as a church. Ellen White advocates healthful conditions of
institutional facilities whether for public purposes or as dwellings.[33]
From the church's perspective, administrators are also
church members who have a responsibility like every one else to personally
participate in church life activities which are intended to convey Adventist
beliefs and values to the non-Adventist students on campus. In this regard,
they must be prepared to carry out any responsibility assigned to them by the
chaplain who in most cases is responsible for the implementation of the
program.
Webster defines conveying as imparting or
communicating by statement, suggestion, gesture or appearance.[34]
Therefore, we convey beliefs and values by making statements–teaching, by
appearance–evidence, and by gesturing–demonstration, or illustration. This brings into focus Ellen White's
statement that, "What Jesus taught He lived, and more than that what He
taught, He was. His words were the
expression, not only of His own life experience, but of His own character. Not only did He teach the truth, He was the
truth."[35]
In trying to understand how values and beliefs are
conveyed, Jesus' command to his disciples is insightful, "For I have given
you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you." John
13:15). It is, therefore, evident that
one-way beliefs and values are conveyed is by doing. The things we do, the language we use, the way we dress, the food
we eat, the way we worship, the way we relate to one another, the way we talk,
all convey values and beliefs.
Therefore, all faith partners on campus have a duty to model what
Adventist values are. If it is modesty in dressing, we must dress modestly. If it is a temperate lifestyle, we must be
temperate. If it is church attendance,
we must attend church. If it is
honesty, we must be honest. Thus, the
most effective way to convey values and beliefs is by action. This means that we must avoid contradicting
what we say by what we do. As Charles S. McCoy correctly observes, "If the
words of our lips are the words of our life, we can witness verbally, however
inadequate may be our expressions."[36] Essentially, students are attracted to
teachers who have good inter-personal
relationship with them. Thus concern
for students by faculty members is another way of conveying values to students.
Fresnel Charles is right when he says that values do
not exist in isolation but are reflected in the judgments and claims we make.[37] Important as doctrines are, they may
not be attractive to a non-believer unless they effect a visible change in the
lives of those who claim to practice Christianity. People need truth which
is practiced by those who confess it.
George Akers observes, "What should really
stagger us is the realization that this aspect of Christian education is
caught, more than it is taught. Our highest duty and privilege then, is to
model this in our own lives, and make it irresistibly persuasive and compelling
to our students".[38]
Another way to convey values is through the
curriculum. The values we have as a
Church must be reflected in the curriculum of our schools at all levels. Fresnel Charles indicates how this can be done.[39]
CHALLENGES TO FAITH PARTNERS
There are many challenges that faith partners need to
overcome in order for them to be effective in conveying beliefs and
values. This essay addresses three of
them, namely, lackluster knowledge of what they believe, disharmony, and
lukewarmness.Lackluster Knowledge of Belief
It goes without saying that in order to be a conveyor,
one must have what to convey. The title
of this essay assumes that the Faith Partners--the conveyors, know what they
believe. Not only must they know what
they believe, but they must be committed to it in order for them to be
effective; for Christian education implies commitment to the Word of God, hence
those who provide must of necessity be students of the Word.
Such dedication to beliefs and values needs to be seen
in the lives of faith partners in order for their witness to be taken
seriously. Charles McCoy says it well: "When
we have been grasped by the Spirit of God, all that we say and do will reflect
this new centre of our existence."[40]
Partners of faith must understand and grow in their faith or they will
have nothing to witness to within the university or college community. This growth is accomplished through prayer,
worship, and Bible study.[41]
The apostle Paul admonished Timothy, "Study to
show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly
dividing the Word of truth"(2Timothy 2:15, KJV). The truth of the Bible cannot be properly presented unless the
presenter understands it well.
Moreover, one's understanding of truth must be harmonized with the
understanding of the rest of the members of the same community of faith. If that not be the case, there will be
contradictions in the value system and beliefs which they intend to pass on to
the students. It is helpful to remember
that the Adventist students are not all knowledgeable about Adventist
beliefs. Some of them are Adventists
because their parents are; not because they have taken keen interest in the
study of the Word resulting into baptism.
It therefore behooves those responsible for spiritual growth of students
to plan programmes which will enhance Bible study. Moreover the study conducted by Andrews University revealed that "reading
and studying the Bible is the best predictor (among spiritual disciplines) for
a student to make strong commitments to submit to God's will, to live by
biblical principles of sexual morality, to give systematic tithes and
offerings, to participate in the life and work of a local church, and to tell
others of the Christian message."[42] Thus the conclusion that every appropriate
opportunity should be taken to encourage students to read their Bibles.
Once in a while there develops some kind of
disharmony. Sometimes it comes about as
a result of "new light."
While it is true that revelation is progressive,[43]
any new light should be advanced in a way that will not jeopardize the
integration of faith and learning. In
his admonition to the Colossian believers, the apostle Paul stated, "See
to it that no one makes prey of you by philosophy and empty deceit, according
to the elemental spirits of the universe, and not according to Christ."(Colossians
2:8 RSV).
Ellen White advised, "No one has the right to
start out on his own responsibility and advance ideas in our papers on Bible
doctrines when it is known that others among us hold different opinions on the
subject and that it will create controversy.[44]
There is no question that in pursuit of knowledge, one
is likely to encounter some difficult passages of scripture. In this regard, Ellen White advises, "There
are mysteries to be unraveled, statements that human minds cannot
harmonize. And the enemy will seek to
arouse argument upon these points which might better remain un-discussed.[45] Moreover, it is helpful to be aware that not
all theological investigations are genuinely seeking for truth,[46]
and those who engage in such discussions generally lose their spirituality.[47] It is clear however, that in order for faith
partners to succeed in sharing their beliefs and values, they must avoid
doctrinal disharmony.
Sometimes disharmony comes about as a result of
misunderstanding of one another, or between an employee and the
administration. Whatever the cause may
be, lack of unity is detrimental to the mission of the church. Ellen White
indicates that union is strength, division is weakness. She states, "When those who believe and
present truth are united, they exert a telling influence. Satan well understands this. Never was he more determined than now to
make of no effect the truth of God by causing bitterness and dissension among
the Lord's people".[48]
In every situation it is helpful to remember that
Satan would not be happy to see young people surrender their lives to
Jesus. He therefore would do everything
to disrupt such a plan. Ellen White
states that, "Those who cause disunity are enlisted in his (Satan's)
service.[49] She then advises, "It is the purpose
of God that his children shall blend in unity¼ Union brings
strength, disunion weakness. United
with one another, we shall indeed be laborers together with God".[50]
Therefore, faith partners must guard against disharmony, for their own
spiritual well being and for the success of integration of faith and
learning. Non-Adventist students will
not be attracted to a value system, which does not unite its adherents
Enthusiasm is a sign of interest in a what a person
believes and does. Lack of it a sign of lukewarmness. Thus the message to the Laodicean Church[51]
is pertinent to many campuses today.
Lukewarm Christianity preserves enough of the form and even of the
content of the gospel, but makes no progress.[52] Faith partners must realize this
condition and get out of it. Ellen
White made some startling statements in regard to lukewarmness. She wrote:
It would be more pleasing to
God if lukewarm professors of religion had never named His name. They are a continual weight to those who
would be faithful followers of Jesus. They are a stumbling block to
unbelievers, and evil angels exalt over them, and taunt the angels of God with
their crooked course. Such are a curse
to the cause at home or abroad. They
draw nigh to God with their lips, while their heart is far from Him.[53]
While it reflects the situation then, the message is
applicable to all generations, especially ours. Faith partners need to heed the counsel of the True Witness and
buy gold so that they may be rich, white raiment that they may be clothed, and
eye salve that they may see[54].
Only when they do this will they be able to get rid of lukewarmness and be
enabled by the Spirit of God, to share their beliefs and convey to others the values
they cherish so much.[55]
The essay has attempted to show that the
responsibility of conveying Adventist beliefs and values to non-Adventist
students on any campus, belongs to all Adventist groups on that campus. These groups include Adventist students, the
teachers, the non-teaching staff, and the administrators.
However, in order for these groups, referred to as
faith partners, to convey their beliefs and values, they themselves must be
knowledgeable of what those belief are and be committed to them. One cannot convey what one does not have.
The essay has also suggested how conveyance of values
and beliefs can be done with special emphasis on value modeling. An attempt has also been made to point out
some of the challenges which faith partners must overcome in order for them to
be successful in sharing their beliefs and values. These challenges include lackluster knowledge of beliefs,
disharmony, and lukewarmness.
[1] Ralph Thompson, "Challenge from the Secretary,"
in God's International Family: A Parade of Nations, 57th
General Conference Session of Seventh-day Adventist Church, p. 69.
[2] Arthur Holmes, The Idea of a Christian College,
rev. ed. (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1987), p. 45
[3] Ellen G. White, Testimonies to the Church, vol.
4 (Mountain View, CA: Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1948), p. 427.
[4] George Akers, "Nurturing Faith in the Christian
School," Journal of Adventist Education, vol. 56 (December
1993/January 1994), p. 5.
[5] Rowena Ferguson, The Church's Ministry with the
Senior Highs, Edited by Henry Bullock (Nashville: Grades Press, 1968), p.
62.
[6] Ibid.
[7] Richard
Stoll Armstrong, Service Evangelism (Philadelphia: The Westminster
Press, 1979), p. 79.
[8] Holmes, p. 82.
[9] 1 John
1:1-3, NIV.
[10] Ferguson, p. 62.
[11] Ellen G. White, Counsels to Parents, Teachers and
Students (Mountain View, CA: Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1943),
p. 174.
[12] Ellen G. White, Education (Mountain View, CA:
Pacific Press, 1903), p. 30.
[13] Raymond S. Moore, Adventist Education at the
Crossroads (Mountain View, CA: Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1976),
p. 59.
[14] Ellen G. White, Testimonies to the Church, vol.
5, p. 28.
[15] Holmes, p.
7.
[16] Myrna
Colon, "A Course Development Plan on the Integration of Faith and
Learning," in Christ in the Classroom, vol. 10, 1994, p. 130.
[17] Holmes, p. 82.
[18] George
Akers, "The Measure of a School," Journal of Adventist Education, vol.
40, no. 2, (December 1977-1978), p. 9.
[19] Colon, p. 145.
[20] Fresnel Charles, "Conveying Christian Values to
Adolescents in Adventist Schools," in Christ in the Classroom, vol.
17, p. 53.
[21] Ellen White, Counsel to Teachers, Parents and
Students (Mountain View, CA: Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1943),
pp. 47, 48.
2 Jane Thayer, "Assessing Students Spirituality:
Andrews University Experience," in The Journal of Adventist Education
April/May 2000, p. 24.
[23] Ellen White, Testimonies to the Church, vol. 1,
p. 678.
[24] Moore, p. 116.
[25] Marlene
Wilson, How to Mobilize Church Volunteers (Minneapolis: Augsburg
Publishing House, 1983), p. 14.
[26] Leighton Ford, The Christian Persuader (New
York: Harper and Row Publishers, 1966), p. 17
[27] Ellen G. White, Testimonies to the Church, vol.
1, p. 678.
[28] Paul Brantley, "Administration: The Missing Link
in the Integration of Faith and Learning" Journal of Adventist
Education, Special Issue (February/March 1999), p. 15.
5 Such books could
include The Idea of Christian College by Arthur Holmes; Education, Fundamentals of Christian Education,
and Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students by Ellen White.
[31] "Spiritual Master Planning and Strategic
Planning," in Christ in the Classroom, vol. 23, 1999, p. 371.
[32] Hudson Kibuuka, "The Role of the Institution and
the Teacher in the Integration of Faith and Learning", in Christ in the
Classroom, vol. 12, p. 108.
[33] Ellen G. White, Ministry of Healing (Mountain
View, CA: Pacific Press, 1942), pp. 274-275.
[34] Merriam
Webster's Collegiate Dictionary 10th
ed., s.v. "convey."
[35] Ellen G. White, Education (Mountain View, CA:
Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1952), pp. 78-79.
[36] Charles McCoy, The Gospel on Campus: Rediscovering
Evangelism in the Academic Community (Richmond, Virginia: John Knox Press,
1959), p. 48.
[37] Charles, p.
45.
[38] Akers, "Nurturing Faith in the Christian School,"
p. 7.
[39] Charles,
pp. 41-49; See also Barry Hill, "Teaching Values in Adventist Education"
in Christ in the Classroom, vol. 6, pp. 303-320.
[40] McCoy, p.
46.
[43] Ellen G. White, Selected Messages, bk. 1
(Mountain View, CA: Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1958), p. 195.
[44] Ellen G. White, Testimonies to the Church, vol.
5, p. 535.
[45] Ellen G. White, Gospel Workers (Mountain View,
CA: Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1948), p. 312.
[46] Ellen G. White, Testimonies to the Church, vol.
3, p. 424
[47] Ibid., p. 215.
[48] Ellen G. White, Testimonies to the Church, vol.
5, p. 236.
[49] Ibid., p. 620.
[50] Ellen G. White, Testimonies to the Church, vol.
8, p. 240. The message to the Laodicean Church states, "I know your works:
you are neither cold nor hot. Would
that you were cold or hot! So, because
you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew out of my mouth. For you say, I am rich, I have prospered,
and I need nothing: not knowing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind,
and naked. Therefore I counsel you to
buy from me gold refined by fire, that you may be rich, and white garments to
clothe you and to keep the shame of your nakedness from being seen, and salve
to anoint your eyes that you may see," Rev. 3:15-18, RSV.
[52] Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 7,
p. 761.
[53] Ellen G.
White, Testimonies to the Church, vol. 1, p. 188.
7 The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
suggests that the buying refers to the invitation by God to the Laodicean
Church to give up her old way of life in order for her to be spiritually rich,
to be healed, and to be clothed. The
gold represents spiritual riches. The
figurative eyesalve represents heaven's antidote for spiritual blindness. This is the work of the Holy Spirit. The white raiment is the righteousness of
Christ.