Vision
Seventh-day Adventists understand themselves to be a people with a unique mission in history, charged with carrying the Gospel of Christ around the world and living as faithful witnesses to the commandments and call of God. From its earliest roots, this has meant that Adventists are a people concerned with restoring personal and social wholeness through a commitment to justice and peace. We remember the Sabbath day not only as a memorial of creation, but also as a symbol of divine justice in the face of political and economic oppression. We hold fast to the faith of Jesus not only by proclaiming his Advent, but by refusing violence and coercion as tools to establish God's kingdom. The radical witness of the Adventist pioneers–who decried slavery, championed religious liberty, agitated against American imperialism, and refused to bear arms in the military–stands as a testament to these convictions.
Yet too often we have lost sight of the prophetic social and ethical vision of our founders and Founder. Instead of challenging society as radical witnesses for peace, we have often uncritically accepted its assumptions and moral reasoning. Alternatively, we have at times withdrawn from the work of peace into spiritual and communal isolation. Both impulses, it is clear, can only be fatal to our calling and commission.
We therefore appeal to all Adventists, as fellow disciples and followers of Christ, to join us in reclaiming our church's historic commitment to social action and radical dissent. We urge all Adventists to re-covenant to obey the high ethical call of the center cross: the call to active, nonviolent resistance to evil. And we challenge all Adventists to engage in the vital work of restoring community through active service to society.
