In the face of ever evolving theories of how the world began, the Seventh-day Adventist Church is saying 'we still believe in the six-day Biblical creation.'
In the face of ever evolving theories of how the world began, the Seventh-day Adventist Church is saying ‘we still believe in the six-day Biblical creation.’ About two years ago the church’s General Conference put together a team of Bible-believing Adventist scientists, theologians and church leaders to ensure that the Adventist church makes a clear and unambiguous witness of its Bible-based faith in the Creator God. The team, called the Faith and Science Council, had its second annual meeting on April 18.
At this meeting of the Council, members voted to study and report on several topics from a theological and scientific point of view. They also voted to sponsor public conferences where theological and scientific experts in the field of Bible-based origins will make presentations on creation and other related subjects. And they voted to endorse the production of educational materials by the church’s Geoscience Research Institute for use by pastors and teachers in courses dealing with a Bible-centered approach to origins.
“As part of society church members are bombarded by evolutionary theories and concepts,” Ted Wilson, a vice president of the Adventist world church and vice-chair of the Council, acknowledged. “We need to be proactive in explaining what we believe. One of our challenges is how to help the academically-trained person dealing with this subject know how to relate their Bible-based faith with some scientific interpretations.”
He continued, “Although we do not have the answer to every question, we are sure of God’s Word as well as the inspired writings of Ellen G White. From those inspired writings and from scientific research by creation-believing scientists we have many credible and faith-affirming responses regarding God’s recent, literal creation of this world.”
“We are not ignoring the challenges science throws at us, but by faith we believe the Word of God,” said Gerald Karst, a vice president of the Adventist world church and chair of the Council. “By having the Council we are making an effort to discuss and provide materials that affirm Bible-centered creation.”
The Council came about after a three-year series of General Conference-sponsored Faith and Science meetings were held from 2002 to 2004. Out of those meetings came a document entitled “An Affirmation of Creation.” This document identified a need for clarification of the position of Seventh-day Adventists on the literal and historical nature of the six-day creation as recorded in the Bible. The Adventist church addressed this need by adopting a statement entitled “Response to an Affirmation of Creation” which established the Faith and Science Council with worldwide representation by Adventist scholars and leaders.
The first time the Council met, during 2006, the goals and way in which the Council would work were established. During this second recent meeting, specific questions that need study were prioritized and assignments were made. The Council also discussed how to ensure that the Seventh-day Adventist Church makes a clear and unambiguous witness of its faith in the Creator God, both to church members and the public.