Answering the concerns of some who wanted clearer language in the new belief statement, delegates to the 58th General Conference Session of the Seventh-day Adventist Church today approved two revisions to “Growing in Christ,” the fundamental belief statement approved a mere 48 hours earlier.

The revisions appear in the first and last sentences of the document. The first sentence now reads, “By His death on the cross Jesus triumphed over the forces of evil,” while the last now reads, “As we give ourselves in loving service to those around us and in witnessing to His salvation, His constant presence with us through the Spirit transforms every moment and every task into a spiritual experience.”

As reported here earlier, the revisions were made after delegates in several sessions expressed reservations about some phrases in the statement, which persons involved with outreach to Muslims and Jews said might introduce imagery that evokes negative feelings toward the Gospel message. The statement begins with a reference to the cross of Jesus Christ, which has been viewed by Muslims as a historic symbol of the Crusades, and by Jews as an emblem of persecution.

After several minutes of procedural discussions and furtive attempts at editing the statement from the floor, delegates voted to end discussion and overwhelmingly approved the changes.

“Growing in Christ” will be listed as the 11th statement of fundamental beliefs, after number 10, “The Experience of Salvation” and before “The Church,” which is number 11.