wfn.org | Titlle: Salvation Army, Adventist Theologians Meet in Dialogue

["Christian B. Schäffler (APD Schweiz)" <APD@stanet.ch>]

Titlle: Salvation Army, Adventist Theologians Meet in Dialogue

January, 14, 2004
Adventist Press Service (APD)
Christian B. Schaeffler, Editor-in-chief APD
Fax +41-61-261 61 18
APD@stanet.ch
http://www.stanet.ch/APD
CH-4003 Basel, Schweiz

Salvation Army, Adventist Theologians Meet in Dialogue

Silver Spring, Maryland, USA.         Culminating a quarter century
of informal contacts, theologians from the Seventh-day Adventist
Church and The Salvation Army met for four days of theological
dialogue January 5 to 8, 2004.

"As with relationships with other Christian world communions, we
recognize there are more things that unite us than divide us,"
declared Colonel Earl Robinson, secretary of The Salvation Army's
Office for Spiritual Life Development and International External
Relations. Both delegations, the seven-member Salvationist and
the eight-member Adventist panel, were grateful for the
opportunity to develop "a better understanding of each other," and
an awareness of ways in which the two "might partner together in
Christ," Col. Robinson added.

Dr. Bert B. Beach, director of Inter-Church Relations for the
Adventist world church, said he was very pleased that the long-
sought dialogue came about.

"It was most important to see the very similar approaches to the
Gospel message that we have; very compatible lifestyles and
Christ-centeredness in The Salvation Army and the Seventh-day
Adventist Church," Dr. Beach told Adventist News Network
(ANN). "Adventists have always had considerable respect for the
work of Salvationists, and I hope that in the future we would
increase our knowledge of each other and our cooperation in
meeting many of humanity's crying spiritual and material needs."

The dialogue between the two worldwide Christian movements
brings together two organizations that were each founded in the
19th century; Seventh-day Adventists in America and The
Salvation Army in London, where it was originally called the
Christian Revival Association, and, later, the East London
Christian Mission. Each organization had a married couple as
formative influences: Ellen and James White for the Adventists
and Catherine and William Booth for the Salvationists. And, each
group traces its roots back to the Methodist movement started by
John Wesley.

Representing the Adventist Church were Dr. Beach; William G.
Johnsson, editor of the Adventist Review; Dr. Niels-Erik
Andreasen, president of Andrews University; Dr. Andrea Luxton,
associate education director for the world church; Biblical
Research Institute director Dr. Angel Manuel Rodrmguez and
former director Dr. George W. Reid; Dr. John Graz, director of
Public Affairs and Religious Liberty for the world church, and Dr.
Woodrow Whidden, professor of historical theology at Andrews
University.

In addition to Col. Earl Robinson, the Salvationist delegation
included: Col. Benita Robinson, associate secretary for
International External Relations; Maj. Karen Shakespeare, assistant
training program director, William Booth College, London,
England; Maj. Lester Fergusson, a Salvation Army pastor in
Nassau, Bahamas; Maj. Edwin Okorougo, principal of The
Salvation Army Training College, Lagos, Nigeria; Dr. Roger
Green, professor and chair of Biblical and Theological Studies,
Gordon College, Wenham, Massachusetts, United States; and Lars
Lydholm, information director, The Salvation Army, Copenhagen,
Denmark.

During the course of the four-day meeting, Adventists presented
papers and talks introducing the Adventist Church and its
fundamental beliefs, as well as the Wesleyan roots of Adventist
theology. Also presented was a paper on "Adventist Biblical
Interpretation," also known as hermeneutics. Salvationist delegates
said each of these papers was interesting and informative, and they
offered many questions and comments about the papers' contents.

 From The Salvation Army side came papers on the way the
Army's holistic mission. These papers introduced Adventist leaders
host Adventist churches.
movement is organized and governed; Salvationist doctrine; a
survey of Salvation Army history; and an introduction to the
to become a global mission active in many of the same nations that

The dialogue sessions are expected to continue in 2005 at The
Salvation Army's Sunbury Court Conference Center near London.
Among possible topics for discussion are the relationship between
the Gospel and social services; the formative roles of Catherine
and William Booth for Salvationists and Ellen and James White for
Adventists; the Church and the Sacraments; and theological
anthropology.

"This was a very interesting and very friendly dialogue between
two groups that are involved in helping others, and who have
respect for each other," commented Dr. Graz. "Traditionally, it
takes some time to 'break the ice,' but in this dialogue we felt very
comfortable with each other from the start, as part of the same
extended family."

The Adventist church is a mainstream Protestant church with more
than 13 million members in more than 200 countries. The
Salvation Army, an international movement, is an Evangelical part
of the Universal Christian Church. Worldwide, The Salvation
Army has 26 630 officers and cadets (ministers), 107 724
employees, more than 1,6 million soldiers (members) and 15 456
corps (churches) and outposts.	[Editor: Mark A. Kellner and
Christian B. Schdffler for ANN/APD]