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Atholton Seventh-Day Adventist Church by Ellis Robert |
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I chose to visit a Seventh Day Adventist church for my additional western encounter and dialogue. The name of the church was the Atholton Seventh-Day Adventist Church and it was located in Columbia, Maryland. I have always wanted to know the difference between a Seventh Day Adventist and my non-denominational Christian beliefs. I called the church during the week to see if I could meet with a follower willing to discuss issues and visitation. As I expected the church had people specifically designated to talk with interested parties. I meet with the follower on a Friday and attended service the following Saturday. When I drove up to the church to meet the follower the ground was slightly covered in snow. The parking was empty with the exception of a few cars. I was not surprised to see a fairly newly designed building with a very clean and neat overtone because Columbia is a moderately clean city (this was slightly obscured because of the snow). I met the follower at the doors (large metal double-doors) of the church. As we entered the church I noticed the smell of shampooed carpet. The carpet was maroon in color and the walls were fairly plain. The follower I met with told me that the church was originally constructed 44 years ago and had several additions since that time. As we made our way to his office I got the impression that he was very interested in giving me information about the church. I did not tell him that I was a Christian, I only told him that I was a part-time college student. When we sat down the first question I asked was about the difference between his beliefs and traditional Christian beliefs. He told me that the differences were small and that I would be surprised. He was not entirely correct. I learned that Seventh Day Adventists believe that salvation is covered by the grace of God. This is the belief that if you obey and believe in God, then you will go to heaven. This is different from traditional Christian beliefs because it leads to the "once saved always saved" thought. This makes a big difference because in my mind judgment by God is based on this belief. If they are wrong, then they will not enter into heaven (I guess you could say that about a lot of religions). He told me that they believe that a person can still go to heaven and serve God even if they have a different Christian denomination. This is interesting because the same does not hold true for all other Christian denominations. He also told me that they observe the Sabbath on Saturday, consequently Saturday is when the hold service. They share the same beliefs in the Holy Trinity, the bible, sin, baptism, tithes, Jesus, and the second coming. The role of women in the Seventh Day Adventist church is similar to today's non-denominational church in that they can minister and teach just as men can. I was happy that we discussed these issues and looked forward to service the following day. When I arrived that Saturday I met the follower at the church doors once again. This time there were approximately 300 men, women, and children in the church. The follower told me that the church has about 450 members. Everyone was dressed in suits, dresses, and casual clothes. I attended "Bible Study" as did the other members based on age. I sat quietly in the main sanctuary and listened to the minister discuss the importance of tithes and offering and how it affects Christians lives. When bible study was over everyone reconvened in the main sanctuary except for the children who went to "children ministries" service. The main sanctuary was very nice looking. They had a clear podium for a speaker with a section for pianos, drums, and bongos. The also had a separate section for the pastor and senior members to sit. The congregation sat in wooden pews with cloth cushions. Service began by people singing and playing music to different songs praising Jesus. This was familiar because the process and flow of service is very similar to my father's non-denominational Christian service. After "praise and worship service", the church collected the tithes and offerings. This is when people give money to the church by walking up to the front in a line and placing money in baskets. I felt as though I was in the church I grew up in except ten times smaller. The senior pastor of the church came to the podium after the tithes and offering and led the church in prayer. I just bowed my head and listened to him ask God to give church members tolerance and obedience. The pastor then began to teach about God's desire for the marriage covenant. I had heard a similar service previously. He mainly used the book of Ephesians as a reference. He talked about the importance of trust in each other and faith in God. The service ended with another prayer. As we left the church people hugged and shook hands. I thanked the follower and left the church. I enjoyed the experience and learned several lessons including how we all could learn to tolerate one another a little more. |
| Created by Laura Ellen Shulman |
Last updated: March 2003
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