Friday, May 15, 2009

letter by Pastor Asscherick

April 30, 2009
Pastors Jan Paulsen, Don C. Schneider, Ricardo Graham
General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
12501 Old Columbia Pike
Silver Spring, MD 20904

Dear Pastors Paulsen, Schneider, and Graham,

Greetings in the name of Jesus Christ. Like each of you, I am an ordained pastor of the worldwide Seventh-day Adventist Church. I write these words with my heart on full display--from pastor to pastor. This letter concerns the teaching of evolution at La Sierra University. While I am not a formally trained scientist, I am, however, familiar with many of the apologetic, philosophical, and theological issues surrounding the theories of naturalistic evolution. I have made this an area of special study in my life and ministry. So, I feel both comfortable and qualified to speak to the issue, especially in its ecclesiastical ramifications.

It is a matter of incontestable fact that naturalistic evolution is being taught at La Sierra University. This is not in and of itself a bad thing. Evolution should be taught at our denominational universities. But it should be taught as a competing and inimical worldview to the biblical worldview. We need our young people to know what it is they are up against, yes, but when naturalistic evolution is taught as fact or as the preferred and normative worldview, then we can be sure that the enemy has breached our lines.

There is no point in equivocating. I have seen the class materials with my own eyes. Frankly, I think every Seventh-day Adventist deserves to see them. Our people need to know what is happening. Many of them have heard various rumblings, but being the conscientious, confiding, and hopeful people they are, they have generally assumed the very best. We are making capital of their trust.

In 2003 I preached a two-week evangelistic meeting on the Loma Linda University campus. The event was student-led and university-sponsored. Many students from La Sierra University attended those meetings, and I personally visited with many of them. They told me what was being taught in some of their science classes. I shall never forget the looks and questions of unadorned incredulity that I witnessed among those students. I have talked to many more since. What should I do? Should I say something? Should I just attend a non-SDA school? Do our leaders know about this? How come these people are allowed to teach at a Seventh-day Adventist University? These young people, and many others like them, are justifiably nonplussed. Frankly, I share their confusion!

What deeply concerns me is that the faith of many students, who look up to their Adventist professors as more than just academic instructors, but also as spiritual leaders, is being undermined. Jesus' words in Luke 17:1, 2 about causing one of these little ones to stumble carry inestimable weight, and they should be reason enough to propel us to responsible action. Brethren, what are we doing and allowing? Will not God hold us accountable in our respective spheres for what happens on our watch?

I am aware, of course, that the church's governmental structure gives institutions like La Sierra University a necessary degree of administrative freedom. This is a good and wise arrangement. But this freedom, surely, is not synonymous with virtually unaccountable autonomy. La Sierra University is, after all, a denominational university. If the board has not yet adequately addressed this matter, then doesn't that evince a kind of complicity, if not outright mismanagement and denominational disloyalty? I genuinely ask, at what point is La Sierra University's board accountable and answerable to you men and the levels of church government that you represent? When, if ever, can someone step in and save our children and the institutions they attend?

Governing and administrative structures are not the church. The people are the church. The governing and administrative structures are the scaffolding of the church. Scaffolds are for building and strengthening a thing; they are not the thing itself. But what if some are using the scaffolding to tear down the very church they were commissioned and created to build up? What then? I genuinely want to know. Where does the buck stop?

Perhaps you feel that your hands are tied by policy and protocol. But surely they cannot be tied completely. What should I, as a church pastor, do if someone is teaching doctrine that undermines the church's biblical positions in one of my Sabbath School classes? Wouldn't it be expected of me, the pastor--shepherd--of the flock, to address it? To ask this question is to answer it. Of course, I would work through the Sabbath School council and the church board, but you can be sure that I would deal with the problem. My conference president, to say nothing of my Lord, would surely hold me in contempt
if I told him lamely that my hands were tied, no?

Furthermore, the greater the errancy, the greater the urgency. As even a cursory analysis plainly reveals, few doctrines are at greater philosophical odds with Seventh-day Adventism than naturalistic evolution, the arguments of well-meaning theistic evolutionists notwithstanding. Our Magna Carta is Revelation 14:6-12. If naturalistic evolution is true, Creation is cremated, the Sabbath is sabotaged, and our very name is neutered. What becomes of Scripture? And of our unique eschatology? We are not talking about bongo drums, wedding bands, and Christmas trees here.

If our hands are tied, then surely we must let an unfaltering love for God, for His Word, and for His young people dash these fetters into so many deserved pieces! We must do something. You must do something.

Who knows but that you have come to your positions for such a time as this. My ministry places me in somewhat of a unique situation in the world church. In partnership with the Central California Conference, I run ARISE, a mission training school that has seen hundreds of young people over the last seven years. I also have the privilege of preaching regularly on 3ABN and the Hope Channel. Too, I travel all over the world holding evangelistic meetings and preaching at camp meetings, youth conferences, weeks of prayer, etc. I genuinely feel that I have my finger on the pulse of the average lay person in the Seventh-day Adventist church the world over. Especially the young people ages 15 to 30. I can say with unblinking confidence that God is working in His church! Praise Him!

I just arrived home from the Youth Mission Congress in Frankfurt, Germany. Over 1600 young people attended the meetings. Night after night I preached the Adventist message--I preached Christ! The theme chosen for the congress was Follow the Bible, and what an indescribable joy it was to see, at the end of my last sermon, hundreds and hundreds of young people streaming forward. All of them had personal decision cards in their hands. A beautiful, five-foot-tall wooden Bible had been constructed for just this moment. On the side of the Bible was a slot designed to receive the decision cards the young people clutched in their surrendered hands. One by one, each placed his or her card in the Bible. The symbolism was rich and thrillingly profound. It was impossible to not be moved at a fundamental level as each eager young person placed their decision, and thus their life in that wooden Bible. My translator openly wept at the sight. We will follow the Bible, they were each saying. All over the world, God's people--and in particular, it seems, His young people--are saying We will follow the Word--the Living Word, Jesus, and the Written Word, the Bible.

God has entrusted us with these young people. They are His. He has given us His wise counsel to raise up institutions of learning to educate, equip, and empower them. To build them up.

But what do we do when one of our institutions turns from this inestimably important responsibility, a responsibility that is fraught with eternal significance and involves the souls of those Jesus died to save? This is what I want to know.

And so do many, many others.

I thank each of you for your time, and, in advance, for your thoughtful responses.

Sincerely,
David Asscherick
Director, ARISE

10 comments:

Sean Pitman said...

Hello all.

David Asscherick is a personal friend of mine and I was the one who asked him to throw his hat in the ring on this issue. I confirm that this letter is his.

Also, regardless of if the SDA Church is right or wrong, it has in fact taken a very definite stand on this issue of the origin of life on this planet - even a scientifically testable, potentially falsifiable stand. A person may or may not agree with the logic or arguments behind this stand, but it should be clear to all that any organization is free to take such a stand in a free country. It is also free to hire representatives who will actually represent that stand accurately. In fact, if any organization failed to do this, it would soon crumble into non-existence.

Further information on the issue of Darwinian-style evolution being promoted at La Sierra University can be found at:

http://www.detectingdesign.com/videoclips.html#Review

Sean Pitman, M.D.
www.DetectingDesign.com

Thomson said...

on another blog: David Asscherick here. I can confirm that the letter is, in fact, mine. Wow, a true rumor, that's novel! And on the internet no less! Someone call the press…

While I did write the letter it was not originally written or sent as an open, public letter. I sent it to a few colleagues for review. From there it was passed on to a few others, and the rest is history. Bad news travels fast. If only we could get our people this excited about sharing the Good News…

I have mixed feelings about the wide circulation my letter has received. I am happy to see this serious issue receive the attention it needs and deserves, but I could wish that it wouldn’t have happened with a personal letter being made exceedingly public. I have already been in touch with one of the individuals to whom the letter was written. I explained to him that it was not my intent to undercut him by broadcasting a private letter. He was very gracious and understanding. I would’ve expected nothing less, after all he is a fine Christian and a friend.

As for Ron's comments here, I am surprised that he fails to see the utter illogic of his position. The point is not whether or not Darwinian evolution is true (I don't believe it is, but that is another issue altogether). The point is an ecclesiastical one, not a scientific one: Like it or not (and I take it that Ron doesn't like it), the official, endorsed, published, voted, endorsed, sanctioned, (add your own synonyms here _____________) position of the world-wide Seventh-day Adventist Church is that the Genesis creation account is to be literally understood as communicating an actual, literal, solar Six Day Creation.

Unknown said...

Seventh-Day Adventist: Someone who beleives that Jesus is coming again to save us and that the seventh day of the week is holy because God hallowed it after 6 days of creation as mentioned in Genesis. This antedates the fall of man and cannot be attached to the redemptive work of Jesus with man. "The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath."

Evolutionist: Someone who beleives that the current species of animals on earth evoloved over millions of years from a single celled organism. The complexity of which is constantly increasing to high levels eg. Human.

Comment: Evolution necessarily takes a long time and it negates a 6 day creation. This directly negates a Sabbath Rest (one of the very core ideas of being an SDA). Also it precludes the need for a saviour since we are doing quite fine (thank you very much), as we have been able to go from a cell to a complex thinking human being and who knows where we'll be in another million years. (perhaps like God - sound familiar?)

Someone please tell me how these two ideas can be beleived at the same time by the same person? Also tell me how a SDA institution could allow evolution to be taught as the truth?

seo marketing said...

Very interesting and nice blog, thanks for all the input.

I noticed there was another site on the topic as well: http://lasierrauniversity.net

Thomson said...

Part A (La Sierra´s Response)
May 18, 2009
Board of Trustees, La Sierra University
Faculty & Staff, La Sierra University
Leadership Team, La Sierra University Church
Dear friends,
I am writing to share with you my concern and disappointment about a recent letter regarding La
Sierra University (“to Adventist church leaders about La Sierra University”) that has received
wide distribution on the Internet. This letter undercuts the educational work and ministry of La
Sierra University, and indeed the broader system of Adventist higher education, rather than
seeking better understanding and clarification of the concerns noted by the writer.
As president I take seriously any charge that La Sierra University is not fulfilling its sacred task
and great responsibility to educate our students to be strong, thoughtful individuals whose
worldview and hope is grounded in a close relationship with God.
In particular, this letter charges that “naturalistic evolution” is taught at La Sierra University —
even while suggesting that evolution should be taught at our Adventist colleges and universities
so that our students can better understand the world in which they live. “Naturalistic evolution”
is a phrase that either in code or direct definition implies a perspective of “atheistic evolution.”
We reject this implied atheistic charge. Every one of our science faculty share the goal of
students experiencing a vibrant Adventist Christian faith while pursuing their education in the
sciences.
At La Sierra University, we take seriously the challenge of how to best integrate science
education and faith development. Ultimately, our goal is to help students develop a personal
relationship with their Creator. We are deeply committed to helping our students find during
their experience at La Sierra University a vibrant faith that will deepen throughout their lives and
lead them to the life to come. Our success in achieving that goal is demonstrated every year as
we watch students being baptized into Adventist Church membership and see our students and
graduates engage in lives of Christian service.
We expect that students will be introduced to the prevailing scientific views within a supportive
classroom environment that values the Seventh-day Adventist Church’s contribution to the
understanding of biblical creation. It is our commitment to our students and to their families that
our professors will continue to support learning and encourage conversation in a spirit of
openness. In this way we live out our university’s commitment to responsibly address difficult
issues and our willingness to consider a variety of views. This grows from our church’s
commitment to ever be open to new light.
As an institution of higher education, a Seventh-day Adventist university provides an excellent
setting for examining evolutionary process — a subject that is foundational to the modern
biological and behavioral sciences. This broad topic will recur throughout our students’
educational experience if they continue on to graduate studies and basic research in these fields,
and is of growing importance in biomedical applications. At La Sierra, students investigate this
process surrounded by faculty, staff, and peers who care about their whole person, not just their
academic life. They have opportunities to ask hard questions and to address these issues in a
supportive Adventist Christian environment.
People of faith who look at scientific data can reach differing conclusions and still be collegial as
brothers and sisters in the church. The Seventh-day Adventist Church has always benefited from
debate and indeed has matured because of it. Faculty in Adventist institutions of higher learning
have played an important and sometimes courageous role in extending the boundaries of
knowledge in many fields.
We at La Sierra University are continuing to examine how we teach the science relevant to
origins in a supportive, Adventist Christian environment.

Thomson said...

Part B (La Sierra´s Response)

We continue to welcome input made in
a spirit of constructive Christian fellowship and which is respectful of scientific integrity —
recognizing that while we may not fully agree on everything, our mutual concern is always for
unity in love to our Lord and in service to His children. We are also committed to be of ongoing
service to our church in this important conversation of science and faith. A number of our faculty
have presented papers and have been involved in recent meetings that our church has called to
give study to this challenging area.
As the Valuegenesis research spearheaded at La Sierra University has discovered, the ability to
ask questions in a caring, open environment is one of the main factors in the decision of Adventist
young people to stay in the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
These charges made against us, sadly, are not unique to La Sierra University. Some in our church
continue to challenge and question our entire system of universities and colleges. They question
our commitment to the important work of Adventist education. They challenge the orthodoxy of
those who take on the important and God-inspired task of educating our students in transforming
ways that have lifelong impact.
I want it to be clearly understood that those of us who teach, those of us who have the privilege of
serving at an Adventist university, take our mission and our responsibilities towards our students
seriously. Our faculty and campus community give their lives, and the best of their intellect and
service, to God through their academic preparation, ongoing research, teaching and mentoring.
La Sierra is a vibrant academic and spiritual community that forever transforms our students for
God and for a life of faithful service.
La Sierra University is a place where academic investigation, Christian faith, and service to others
unite. We support the mission of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in powerful ways, such as:
• The Valuegenesis and CognitiveGenesis studies that originated at La Sierra help us to
understand the young people we effectively minister to and with.
• LSU sponsored 11 mission projects this academic year in Costa Rica, Egypt, Hawaii,
Honduras, India, Malawi, Mexico, Navajo Nation, Philippines, Tanzania, and Texas.
Dozens of students have been involved in Share Him evangelism, and 15 student
literature evangelists reach families in our community every day.

Thomson said...

Part C (La Sierra´s Respnse)
Hundreds of students
have served overseas, from Afghanistan to Vietnam, as student missionaries in recent
years.
• La Sierra students and faculty, this past year, provided more than 45,000 hours of caring
service to our local community. We earned the coveted community engagement
designation from the Carnegie Foundation—one of only 118 institutions in North
America to be so recognized.
• The La Sierra University Students in Free Enterprise team recently brought major
recognition to the Seventh-day Adventist Church as they progressed to the final round at
the 2009 SIFE National Competition in Philadelphia. Their projects helped people in
Ethiopia, Thailand, and the United States.
• We will soon have the privilege of participating in the baptism of a number of our
students who have been studying this year with our Chaplain and with members of our
School of Religion. A few days ago I listened as the father of one of these students who
stood before the Pacific Union Executive Committee and thanked God that his daughter
was at La Sierra and that she had decided to be baptized.
Finally, as the president of La Sierra University, and as a parent of one of our 1,900 students, I
am grateful that La Sierra is a place that is recognized for its commitment to Adventist faith and
learning. Every day we dedicate this campus to the Lord. Like the father with his arms open
wide in the Alan Collins’ sculpture, The Glory of God’s Grace, that stands at the entrance to our
campus, it is our privilege to welcome young people in an attitude of grace and love that
characterizes our Father’s deep love and passion for each of us. When I talk with parents who
send their children to us, often at great sacrifice, they tell me they do so because they deeply
believe in our commitment, as faculty and staff, to provide the very finest Adventist education.
As one parent noted, at a recent alumni event in Northern California, the monthly check she
writes for her student’s education is the most satisfying investment she makes.
May we, as a campus community, affirm God’s powerful work that is daily revealed in our
teaching, research, and service.
Sincerely,
Randal Wisbey
President

Thomson said...

I place this before you in awareness of an ongoing discussion in some quarters between faith and science, particularly as it relates to origins and creation.

For us as a community it has always been of utmost importance to stay close to the Scripture. Faith has that as its final point of reference. We must not allow ourselves to come adrift from the Bible in defining our values and in stating what we hold.

Our position as a church in the matter of origins is clearly although somewhat broadly stated in our Fundamental Beliefs. This position is further amplified in a statement voted by the General Conference Executive Committee at the 2004 Annual Council. To remind ourselves of the details of that action, I have included the wording in this appeal:

Thomson said...

* "We strongly endorse the document's affirmation of our historic, biblical position of belief in a literal, recent, six-day Creation.
* We urge that the document, accompanied by this response, be disseminated widely throughout the world Seventh-day Adventist Church, using all available communication channels and in the major languages of world membership.
* We reaffirm the Seventh-day Adventist understanding of the historicity of Genesis 1-11: that the seven days of the Creation account were literal 24-hour days forming a week identical in time to what we now experience as a week; and that the Flood was global in nature.
* We call on all boards and educators at Seventh-day Adventist institutions at all levels to continue upholding and advocating the church's position on origins. We, along with Seventh-day Adventist parents, expect students to receive a thorough, balanced, and scientifically rigorous exposure to and affirmation of our historic belief in a literal, recent six-day creation, even as they are educated to understand and assess competing philosophies of origins that dominate scientific discussion in the contemporary world.
* We urge church leaders throughout the world to seek ways to educate members, especially young people attending non-Seventh-day Adventist schools, in the issues involved in the doctrine of creation.
* We call on all members of the worldwide Seventh-day Adventist family to proclaim and teach the church's understanding of the biblical doctrine of Creation, living in its light, rejoicing in our status as sons and daughters of God, and praising our Lord Jesus Christ--our Creator and Redeemer."


I appeal to all engaged by our church in the ministries of administration, preaching, teaching, and writing to articulate and reflect our stand as a community on Creation. We are a faith-community, and the world of faith is the world in which God's creative powers are on constant display. Sometimes the findings of science may reflect some of this, but often not. Faith is certainly not subject to findings of science.

To those who teach at our colleges and universities, let me say that you have a demanding, often difficult, but sacred assignment. It is a ministry you hold in trust. It is understood that to care for your ministry responsibly you have to take your students on many a journey of findings into various disciplines of study. They need to know what they will meet in their profession and in life. As part of that exercise you will also expose them to the elements and concepts of evolution. That is understood.

As your pastor, however, I appeal to you that when you take your students out on the journey, you bring them safely back home before the day is over. And their home must always be in the world of faith. You owe it to the students, you owe it to God, you owe it to their parents, you owe it to the church, and you owe it to yourself as a believer to safely guide them through difficult moments on their journey.

This appeal comes with the greatest respect for your integrity and your professional skills. But you are also my sister and brother in faith, and we share a common commitment to God to whom we shall ultimately bring the fruits of our labor. I pray that he will give to each of us the strength that accompanies faithfulness.

Jan Paulsen

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