THE SDA CHURCH ENDORSES BILL 7?

By Kellys Kaunda

THE SDA CHURCH ENDORSES BILL 7?

“As Seventh-day Adventists, we express our support for Bill 7- Midlands West Zambia Conference President, Pastor Gabriel Mulambwa”.#SunFmTvNews

One of the guidelines I have been acquainted with regarding the SDA and political questions is to ascertain whether the issue at hand affects religious liberty or a matter of social justice on which the Bible has expressly pronounced itself

Over the course of the church’s history since the mid 1800s, members from around the world have sought guidance on such issues as slavery, racism, combat roles in the military, etc.

Clearly, the church has no answers for every issue but has generally guided that individual persons or individual administrative regions take decisions that they see fit guided by their collective conscience.

This is because the issue in question may not necessarily be one of salvation or universal application.

The co-founder member of the SDA church, Ellen G. White experienced questions of a political nature during her time.

For instance, the church dealt with the question of the prohibition in respect of alcohol importation into the US.

She encouraged church members to go out and vote. The issue was so important that she said, shockingly, if it means voting on the Sabbath, so be it!

This issue meant so much to her, she even addressed some of the meetings organized by the Women’s Christian Temperance Union, a non-denominational body which had taken a lead in health issues and urging the enactment of the prohibition act.

She situated the prohibition issue in the context of the health message that she had been instructed by the Lord to disseminate, a message that forms part of the core messaging of the SDA church.

My advice to my fellow Adventists is that you are free to disagree with the position taken by your church on social issues but take comfort in the knowledge that the body of Christ still remains one.

Specifically, you are free to disagree with the church on the question of Bill 7, but move forward together with those you disagree with because the issue doesn’t affect your salvation or the fundamental reason for the existence of the church – to serve as an agency through which God is to save mankind.