"Adventists have a unique contribution to make to public dialogue and to public service," says David Pendleton, Hawaii State Representative.
Seventh-day Adventist politician David Pendleton says there is room for more involvement by church members in the public realm. “Adventists have a unique contribution to make to public dialogue and to public service-especially in areas such as social justice, health care and care for the homeless,” says Pendleton, who points to the church’s long history of activism against smoking and its emphasis on humanitarian concerns.
As Minority Floor Leader in the Hawaii House of Representatives, Pendleton, 33, believes that Adventist Christians should not “get so caught up in the ‘coming kingdom of justice’ that we neglect public issues of social justice in the here and now.”
Pendleton, a Republican, is aware of the inevitable dangers of the partisan political process. “I always look at both sides of an issue, and I always vote on conscience-even when it goes against traditional Republican stances,” says Pendleton, who draws a distinction between “everyday political give-and-take,” and issues that can be decided only by reference to “rock-solid principles.”
A person considering a political career, says Pendleton, needs to “understand who they are, what their beliefs are, and have a strong sense of values-otherwise they will be compromised by the system [because] the pressures are so great.”
Pendleton says he hopes his work demonstrates that the phrase “Adventist politician” is not a contradiction in terms. “We need more Daniels, more Esthers, more Josephs.”
Pendleton, who earned a master of arts degree in theology from Loma Linda University before enrolling at the University of Southern California law school, is also a leader of the Adventist Church in Hawaii. He heads up the communication, special ministries, community services and public affairs and religious liberty departments, as well as functioning as in-house counsel.
“The Bible tells us, in Micah, that as Christians we are called to lives of public service-to do justice, and to love kindness and to walk humbly with our God,” says Pendleton. The proper relationship between church and state is another area in which Adventists have a distinctive and important message, he adds.
Pendleton has served in the Hawaii legislature since 1996. In an unprecedented move, the Republican caucus elected Pendleton House Minority Whip in the second year of his freshman term. As House Floor Minority leader, he currently holds the number two position in the Hawaii House Republican Caucus.
