Thread: Seventh-Day Adventist World Church Vote Statement on Transgender

Church leaders express the desire to bring people to the foot of the Cross, not chase them away from Christ.

The following statement on Transgender, or Gender Dysphoria, was voted by the executive committee of the Seventh-day Adventist Church during their annual Spring Meetings.

In his role as chair, Ted Wilson, president of the Seventh-day Adventist Church urged the statement be voted “with the understanding we may be able to adjust a little phrasing here or there that might make it less abstract.” He went on to say, “The last thing we want to do is chase people away from Christ and the Church. We want them to come to the foot of the cross and His changing grace.”
The Biblical Research Institute Ethics Committee, let by Ekkehardt Mueller, associate director of the Biblical Research Institute, along with ethicists, Biblical scholars, theologians, sociologists, psychologist and members of the medical community, was put in charge of writing the statement.

“Statement on Transgender”

The increasing awareness of the needs and challenges that transgender men and women experience and the rise of transgender issues to social prominence worldwide raise important questions not only for those affected by the transgender phenomenon but also for the Seventh-day Adventist Church. While the struggles and challenges of those identifying as transgender people have some elements in common with the struggles of all human beings, we recognize the uniqueness of their situation and the limitation of our knowledge in specific instances. Yet, we believe that Scripture provides principles for guidance and counsel to transgender people and the Church, transcending human conventions and culture.

https://news.adventist.org/en/all-ne...n-transgender/

I have some friends that are a part of the denomination and it is getting bad in some segments. The SDA is somewhat divided into a "Conservative" portion and a "Liberal" portion. The latter is starting to push acceptance of homosexuality into the denomination.

Seems like political correctness is infiltrating numerous Christian groups.

Originally Posted by Colonel

So what does that boil down to, gays who observe the Sabbath on Saturdays go to heaven, others who do so on Sundays do not ?

Within the SDA church you have a variety of beliefs concerning the Sabbath. The folks I fellowship with see me as their brother in Christ even though they like to teasingly refer to me as "A Sunday Keeper". But they do not believe that Saturday church service or Sunday church service determines one's salvation. Like me, it is accepting the redemptive work of Christ on our behalf and living a holy life. Their view is that since the Bible says that Christ is the Sabbath then the days we hold church services on are minor differences.

The SDA folks I fellowship with look down on the extreme legalistic SDAs who make Sabbath church service a requirement for salvation. They actually believe that us "Sunday Keepers" will make it into the kingdom before many of their fellow SDAs. This is why we can enjoy fellowship together.

Now, as far as the Liberal SDAs who embrace the homosexual community unconditionally, I think that they have thrown all ideas about holiness out the window, at least as far as sexual perversion is concerned. To them it is all about God's love without the holiness, just like protestant liberals.

Originally Posted by victoryword

I have some friends that are a part of the denomination and it is getting bad in some segments. The SDA is somewhat divided into a "Conservative" portion and a "Liberal" portion. The latter is starting to push acceptance of homosexuality into the denomination.

Seems like political correctness is infiltrating numerous Christian groups.

Oh my, (clutching pearls), that's unfortunate. I don't know any SDA personally, but I always thought the only differences were that they celebrate the Sabbath on Saturday.

Originally Posted by Valiant Woman

Oh my, (clutching pearls), that's unfortunate. I don't know any SDA personally, but I always thought the only differences were that they celebrate the Sabbath on Saturday.

Oh Val, I have learned a lot over the years of reading their material and fellowshipping with them. Just like Baptists and Pentecostals, there is no "one size fits all". For example, you know that most Pentecostals are Trinitarian (believe that Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are three person but one God). But you do have the One-ness (or "Jesus Only") Pentecostals. Baptists are divided into numerous categories but you have Arminian, Calvinist and Liberal Baptists (some of them deny the deity of Christ).

Well, you have much of the same going on with the SDA. Some are Liberal and some are conservative. Some are legalistic and some are grace. Some believe the Trinity and others are close to being like Jehovah Witnesses in their theology.

Their main source of Bible interpretation is Ellen G. White. Some put her writings on the same level as inspired Scripture. Some of them refer to her writings as "the Spirit of Prophecy" (meaning that the Holy Spirit was speaking thru her). For some, this places her statements on a level of infallibility that cannot be questioned. Most of my friends in the SDA believe that her writings are only "commentary" though I have had some discussions with ONE people who wanted to convince me that her stuff is equal to Scripture.

Some are strict legalistic holiness, some are grace filled holiness (like most of us here), and some are loose liberals. Almost all of the ones I know believe that Jesus is the only way to salvation, but some add legalistic requirements such as Sabbath worship.

They ALL hold to the belief that Saturday is the day for church services (some believe that this is a requirement for heaven and others like the ones I consider friends balk at that idea though they still think Saturday is the most Scriptural day), soul-sleep after death and annihilation after resurrection for those who rejected Christ (one of those things I wish were true but my study of Scripture over the years as well as the numerous testimonies of those who visited Heaven and hell cannot allow me to accept that position), and strict vegetarianism.

Perhaps I can give a summation of what I have learned about my Baptists friends

Heck, I have considered (and still considering) a Saturday service, but definitely not for an legalistic reasons. I just think that some might be drawn to a corporate worship service at the end of the week rather than at the beginning. Furthermore, some of my members who do the shift thing and have to skip a Sunday here and there might now have an opportunity to never miss service, or at least not have anymore excuses

One area that I agree with the SDAs for sure on is that the Sabbath did not change to Sunday after the resurrection of Christ. The sabbath is and always will be the seventh day. And while I think it is good to have corporate worship on Saturday, I also think that corporate worship is good on Sunday, Monday Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Now Friday, that's another story entirely (Just kidding)

Most of the SDAs that I fellowship with are a fringe group who embrace what is called the "Character of God" message and I have learned much from them that have shaped my own views on this subject. Their belief that God is a loving God who does not LITERALLY kill or destroy anyone is insightful.