News February 2008

Adventists, Salvationists Complete Conversations

By William G. Johnsson, Assistant to the President for Interfaith Relations

Representatives of the Seventh-day Adventist church and The Salvation Army met February 25 - 27, 2008 at Adventist world headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland for conversations concerning theology and possible areas of cooperation.  The meeting completed a process that began in 2004, when the Adventists hosted Salvationists at the General Conference office.  A second round of conversations took place in 2005, at The Salvation Army conference center in Jackson's Point, Ontario, Canada.

Contacts between the Seventh-day Adventist church and the Salvation Army reach back many years.  Ellen White wrote positively about the work of Salvationists (Testimonies, vol. 8, pp. 184-185).  Over the years, various informal discussions have taken place, and in 2002 the administrative committee of the General Conference and The Salvation Army international headquarters administration authorized a more formal theological dialogue.

The Seventh-day Adventist church was organized in the United States in 1863, while the Salvation Army had its beginnings in London, England in 1865.  Married couples played a major role in the founding of each:  Ellen and James White for Adventists, and William and Catherine Booth for Salvationists.  Both churches have roots in the theology of John Wesley.

The recent meeting focused on ecclesiology, religious liberty, and law and gospel.  Papers were presented on a profile of Adventists (William G. Johnsson), the church (Denis Fortin and the draft statement on ecclesiology prepared by The Salvation Army),   religious freedom (John Graz and Lars Lydholm), and law and gospel (Ekkehardt Mueller and Gordon Sparks).

 Representing the General Conference were Dr. John Graz, director of the General Conference Public Affairs and Religious Liberty department (convener); Dr. William G. Johnsson (co-chair); Niels- Erik Andreasen, president of  Andrews University;   Dr. Bert  Beach; Dr. Lisa Beardsley, associate director of the  General Conference Education Department; Dr. Denis Fortin, dean of the theological seminary at Andrews University; Dr. Ekkehardt Mueller, associate director of the Biblical Research Institute; and Dr.Angel Rodriguez, director of the Biblical Research Institute.  The   Salvation Army team consisted of Commissioner Dr. William Francis, convener;  Lars Lydholm, theologian from Denmark (co-chair); Colonel Dr. Brian Tuck from South Africa; Commissioner Linda Bond from Canada; Major Karen Shakespeare from England; and Captain Gordon Sparks from the United States.

The conversations, which took place in an environment of openness, respect and empathy, revealed that the two world communions have many elements in common.  Both churches believe in righteousness by faith and sanctification through the indwelling work of the Holy Spirit in the believer's life.  Both are impelled by a sense of mission, which includes both evangelism and service to humanity.  Both emphasize a holistic gospel.

At the same time, significant differences exist between the two movements: concerning eschatology, the Sabbath, the writings of Ellen White, and baptism and the Lord's Supper.

The representatives to the conversation concluded that, despite these differences, the shared concerns allow for the possibility of cooperating together, as brothers and sisters in Christ, in selected endeavors as we seek to meet humanity’s crying spiritual and material needs.

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