Seventh-day Adventists have a legitimate role to play in political leadership say a large majority of those responding to a recent online poll conducted by Adventist News Network.  The poll, in which visitors to the Adventist Church’s web site registered their opinion on the question “Should an Adventist run for political office” drew some 2,800 responses. Sixty-six percent of respondents said that Adventists should run for office; 28 percent disagreed, and 6 percent were undecided.

Dr. Angel Rodriguez, an associate in the Adventist Church’s Biblical Research Institute, says that there is no official Adventist Church position on whether individual church members should, or should not, run for political office.  “It is a matter for the individual, and his or her conscience,” adds Rodriguez.  He says that some elements of political life can prove difficult for people of faith and for Adventists in particular. 

“Campaigning doesn’t automatically stop on Sabbath [or Saturday],” says Rodriguez, who adds that an individual’s commitment to Sabbathkeeping may often be challenged by the demands of political office. He also points out that truth is often perceived to be a casualty in the political process, and that the culture of political give-and-take and compromise may also make it difficult for people of faith to maintain allegiance to their principles in some circumstances.

Tim Poirier, an associate in the Ellen G. White Estate located at the Adventist Church’s world headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland, points out that Ellen White, a pioneer of the Adventist Church, counseled against the church as an institution becoming involved in partisan politics.  He adds, however, that she did not take the position that individuals should refrain from playing a role within the political sphere.

Addressing Adventist teachers and students in Battle Creek, Michigan, in 1883, White said: “Have you thoughts that you dare not express, that you may one day . . . sit in deliberative and legislative councils, and help to enact laws for the nation? There is nothing wrong in these aspirations.”

According to Rodriguez, the Adventist Church’s caution regarding partisan politics does not indicate social apathy; the church has a long history of engaging in social issues that have political significance, he says. He cites the strong anti-slavery position taken by many founders of the Adventist Church. The church also subsequently became known for its global anti-tobacco push, long before the issue became a popular political agenda item.

“Today, the church continues to release official statements on issues ranging from gambling, to religious liberty, to public health; statements that clearly show that the Adventist Church is engaged with social realities, and that it seeks to have its voice heard in the public sphere,” says Rodriguez.

“One can cite many countries where Adventists have played a sometimes prominent role in legislative activity including Uganda, Papua New Guinea, and the United States, to name just a few,” says Ray Dabrowski, communication director for the Adventist Church worldwide. “Some church members feel strongly that they have a responsibility as Adventist Christians to get involved and make a difference in the public life of their country.” 

John Beckett, an assistant director in the Adventist Church’s communication department and webmaster for its site, says that ANN’s poll results do not reflect a scientific sampling.  The exercise, he says, is intended to raise questions that are of interest to Christians and to “get a sense of what our site visitors feel about the issue.”