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Ted Wilson and Africa
Like many General Conference presidents before him including Ole Olsen, William Spicer, William Branson, Robert Pierson, and his father Neal Wilson, Ted Wilson was molded by ministerial tenure in Africa. Now home to one third of the approximately 17 million Seventh-day Adventists worldwide, continental Africa has shaped the global church in profound ways, notably among them providing a training ground for its premier leaders.
Wilson was born in 1950 to parents serving as missionaries in Africa. Spending his childhood in Egypt during the storied era of Gamal Nasser, the young Wilson witnessed the collapse of British hegemony and rise of Arab nationalism in the secular realm, and unprecedented organizational development—much of it still in place today—in Egyptian and Middle Eastern Adventism.
Ted Wilson held several positions of leadership in Africa for the length of the 1980s, including Ministerial and Stewardship Secretary of the Africa-Indian Ocean Division (1981-1985); Health & Temperance Director, Africa-Indian Ocean Division (1981-1984); and Secretary, Africa-Indian Ocean Division (1985-1990). During this exciting era in African Adventism, Wilson contributed to the prolific baptisms, humanitarian efforts, innovative programs and administrative and organizational restructuring. Indeed, Wilson witnessed firsthand the great shift of Seventh-day Adventism eastward that has completely transformed the denomination.
One of the many challenges Ted Wilson will face as president of the Seventh-day Adventist world church is to more fully incorporate people of color into denominational leadership and utilize their evangelistic passion and expertise in regions of little or nonexistent growth. His theme of “Revival and Reformation” is undoubtedly informed by his time in Africa, and his challenge will be to reproduce that experience on a global scale.
Such an outcome will transform Adventism’s often Western-rooted sensibilities of individualism, smug ease and spectatorship to communal responsibility, informed humanitarianism, and evangelistic preoccupation. Being Seventh-day Adventist will mean more than simply sporting a title—it will embrace a radical commitment to rescuing a sinking globe.
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Benjamin Baker is pursuing a doctorate in history at Howard University. He is the author of six books and the creator of blacksdahistory.org, where this essay first appeared.
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Exactly why should anyone be "incorporated" into church positions because of ethnicity?
Gender and ethnicity should *never* be a factor in determining the composition of church boards, leadership positions or any other position except that of ordained Pastor. This latter requirement for a male is Biblically based and read Prove All Things if you don't agree.
I don't recall anyone ever attempting to refute the preponderance of evidence in the well documented book mentioned above.
Isn't it time to stress the importance of the SDA church and its constituency rather than making ethnicity an overwhelming factor in our relationships?
Ah how easy it is to start the ethnicity wars. It always thrills me to witness, as I did at our Amesbury Seventh day Adventist School's inspiring and inspired performance of "Hark" last night, the natural ethnic mingling we Adventists do better than any other denomination in the world.
And, as a matter of fact, in that same drama, Gabriel explains to Hark about our loving Father: "It saddens Him that the people He created have turned out so badly. He realizes that man is by nature a sinner." Hence the aberrations we find reaching here and there among His church for the end times - things such as the 'black conferences' and the 'white GC' - which also sadden our Lord's divine heart. And this is why the writer sighs gently when he too can't help noticing the lack of diversity in some areas of the church's leadership, especially when all the signs point to a desperate need for spiritual vitality where ever it is to be found.
Your Friend, your comment shows an overwhelming lack of understanding of race and gender issues. The effects of doctrine and policy (racism and sexism) are just as important as the reasons for why churches do things one way or another. The fact that you're fine with racist or sexist effects of an institution as a result of narrow interpretations of Scripture is ridiculous. Women and other groups don't deserve to be marginalized within their own churches.
The arguments in Prove All Things were refuted a long time ago by very well informed people.
People of "color" (whatever that means) are more segregated in Adventist churches than any others. Meeting on the same campus, we have churches for every color imaginable, who wants to get a congregation going. So we, don't mix. How many Black churches (Adventist) are there in Riverside, CA alone? Many! How crazy is that. We have a church for every color under the sun. No need to mingle!
Your Friend wrote,
"Exactly why should anyone be "incorporated" into church positions because of ethnicity?"
__________________________
There is not the slightest hint of ethnicity in Paul's letter to Titus, educating him in his responsibility of laying hands upon and choosing elders individually who would be "husband of one wife", "blameless", ruling well his household after him etc. etc. Affirmative action in spiritual matters is not a directive of the Scriptures. This imaginary entitlement is spiritual nepotism and would frustrate the church to no end.
It is God's will to have Spirit-filled leaders from all nations, but the Spirit-filling would be the qualification and not respective nations, as racists in the past and present well-demonstrate!
God bless,
Rich
God bless,
Rich
Your Friend,
Please note that an "ordained pastor" is not even a biblical concept.
It's funny how, in your opinion, gender and ethnicity should never be a factor, unless - how you half-admit yourself - they threaten the white male domination...
So far the head of both the Roman Catholic church and the
SDA church cannot be anything except elderly, white, and male. Not really a coincidence, is it? Is that a biblical ideal? We must be reading different Bibles. Ah, I forgot, you are referring to another book, "Prove All Things", not the Bible. Well so far you have failed to prove much, I'm afraid...
As I recall the SDA church once gave sort of an endorsement to self styled "intellectuals" in the matter of a Spectrum publication. Isn't it strange how so called intellectuals have twisted and turned what I wrote so that it is hardly recognizable?
Eventually the SDA church realized the endorsement was misguided and withdrew (when, pray tell) its endorsement of Spectrum. It's not difficult to see why.
I appreciate your temperate remarks, Rich.
Your Friend: The concept of a forum is to have a variety of view points over controversial issues. From different viewpoints come change. The church has made changes in the past and it will continue to make changes in the future.
If the church decides to cut off Spectrum, then many thinking and creative people will be driven away from the church.
Your Friend:
(Comment on your post of 18 December 2010 at 2:09)
I didn't know the SDA church had given then withdrawn an endorsement for Spectrum, but if that happened, it's easy to see why. Spectrum's early history was entirely respectable, and it's promoters and heroes, even while they were rocks in the shoes of many church administrators, were honest, articulate, educated and intelligent. (Consider Numbers, Rea, McAdam and many others.)
But that was then. Our current Spectrum luminaries seem enthralled with commercial pop culture, pop psychology, pop sociology and pop theology. In this issue, see a Spectrum luminary gushing over Committed and their "reality" show "victory." We've seen enthusiastic recommendations of trashy "Christian" rock groups; implied endorsements of junk-TV stars Colbert, O'Reilly, and Stewart; a kitchy poster of Jesus washing feet at the UN; and a silly discussion about whether Jesus was a liberal. And on it goes. Spectrum's heroes are demagogic preachers, muddle-headed professors, earnestly goofy students, and political shills. And no, it isn't (as you say) "strange how so called intellectuals have twisted and turned what I wrote so that it is hardly recognizable?" It's what they do.
If Spectrum ever had a SDA endorsement, it ought to have been withdrawn.
Fortunately, to make up for its innumerable deficiencies, Spectrum boasts Adventism's most adroit commenters who could do anything, but who instead graciously devote their lives to providing inordinately artful critiques of Spectrum's foibles. Right?
Even Jared will not admit when the SDA church withdrew its acceptance of Spectrum as a venue for the so called "intellectuals." C'mon, Jared, fess up.
What bewilders me is how so-called emotional worship has become more of a point of contention - than for example fornication, dishonesty, etc. in the Church.
What also is interesting is how people like Ted Wilson and others are so quick to link Christianity with secular labels such as Conservatism - although Conservatism has been linked with social injustice, rape, slavery etc.
This is because I'm led to beleive that Ted Wilson supports these injustices on some levels - and in reality - will seek alliances with ethnic groups in other parts of the globe, that share his "conservative" bonifides.
What I will never be able to understand - is how "drumming" or "clapping" in the church or being an "adventist" is more of a marker of Christianity than whether or not one is honest, or follows the 10 commandments.
Ted Wilson and other fundamentalists like him like to pretend that they are the true Christians.
But my opinion is that he and many of his followers - some of them from other parts of the globe - are really the back slidden ones - and are tolerant of such things as promiscuity, dishonesty, exploitation, racial bigotry, and yet expect the western world to pick up the tab for these abuses in other parts of the globe.
Ted Wilson and many of his followers have sought to merely smear true and real Christians merely on account of denominationalism - while embracing "adventists" merely on the basis of 'political labels" even if these "conservative" adventists believe in breaking the 10 commandments, in lies, promiscuity etc.
I'm not sure if I'm getting this correctly.
Am I to believe that this "dismissive" attitude against diversity is supposed to be condoned and the mission of Ted Wilson condemned? Miriam, who was turned leperous, because of her racism, is a prime example of what NOT to be in this age. Her predilection towards white skin led her to the most deadly disease known then -- leprosy. But we forget about Numbers 12, don't we? We also forget that our mutual Heavenly Father has a low tolerance for the spirit of dismissiveness, as in Cain to Abel, don't we?
It is clear there are still too many Miriams walking this Earth. Far too many of them profess to be Seventh-day Adventists!
We who are looking forward to Jesus's soon return will seek to do everything the holy spirit directs us to do. This includes openning doors of inclusion to every nation kindred tongue and people.
I am so proud to be a part of a church who believes,(even if not always practiced) that racism(in any form)is wrong.
It is also exciting to see the growth in membership that is occurring because people who speak the same languages and enjoy the same cultures are worshipping together. I am also happy to visit anyone of these worshipping congregations and be exposed to a different worship style.
We look forward to heaven when all of us will be able to worship together as one, where all visitors are welcomed, regardless of skintone, color or nationality. (I wonder what the inhabitants of the other planets look like?) "What a day that will be". Until then lets pray for the out pouring of the holy spirit.