How the Church Works

A new podcast hosted by Nina Vallado and Kaleb Eisele, premiering this Fall. 

A sneak peak at this season of How the Church Works. 

At some point, most people have an identity crisis. A moment where you look in the mirror and ask, "Who am I?"

 

So we're looking in the mirror....What is Seventh-day Adventism?

 

Hosted by Kaleb Eisele and Nina Vallado

When traditions are passed from generation to generation, and their meaning is not, they often feel out of touch or obsolete. 

But there are reasons why Adventists do things the way they do. And some of them may surprise you. 

 

Hosted by Kaleb Eisele and Nina Vallado 

Guests: Pedrito Maynard-Reid and Kevin Burton

 

 

Despite its humble beginnings, the Seventh-day Adventist Church is now an institution with millions of members from a wide variety of backgrounds and diverse perspectives. So who gets to call the shots?

From the local church to the General Conference, we peek inside the room where it happens...and tell you how to get your foot in the door. 

 

Hosted by Kaleb Eisele and Nina Vallado

Guests: Pastor Bonita Shields, Lowell Cooper, George Knight, G. Alexander Bryant, Kyoshin Ahn

The Seventh-day Adventist pioneers had major issues with the idea of any kind of unchangeable creed. So how did we end up with a list called, “The 28 Fundamental Beliefs”?

 

Does someone have to know, understand, and believe all 28 to still be a part of the Seventh-day Adventist church?

 

And what does the early Adventist's pursuit of "present truth" mean for us today?

 

Hosted by Kaleb Eisele and Nina Vallado

Guests: Frank Hasel, Joseph Kidder, George Knight, Ken Denslow, Stan Patterson

 

CORRECTION: Ken Denslow is now serving as the President of the Lake Union Conference in Berrien Springs, Michigan.

The Seventh-day Adventist Church officially formed in May 1863, right in the throes of the American Civil War. Adventism was born into a tumultuous time for the country and for Christianity - American churches were splitting on the issue of slavery.

 

Adventists decided to take a clear moral stance - abolition. But for the Adventists, this belief was more than just lip service.

 

How deep do Adventism's abolitionist roots go? And what happened once the war was over?

In our last episode, A Better Way - Part 1, we learned of the strong connection between Adventism and the Abolitionist movement. So it's no surprise that after the American Civil War, Adventist churches were some of the very first to integrate.

 

But by the 1920s, the landscape of the Adventist church was extremely segregated. The General Conference had separate cafeterias for white and black employees; Black Adventist leadership was regularly denied seats at the table where important decisions were being made; and it wasn't until 1965 that Southern Adventist University officially desegregated - ten years after Brown vs. Board of Education, and five years after six-year-old Ruby Bridges marched with police protection into an all-white school, signaling the beginning of desegregation in public schools.

 

How did we get from abolition to segregation?

 

 

Guests: Dr. Calvin B. Rock, Claudia Allen, Pedrito Maynard-Reid, Kevin Burton, and Michael Campbell

There are two main ways the church is funded - through tithes and offerings. It's pretty easy to see where your local church budget offering goes - every time you turn on the lights, sing praise music through a wireless mic, and give aid to somebody in the church's local neighborhood - that's offering at work.

 

But what about tithe? If it's not used to keep the local church's lights on, where does it go? And how can we trust that the pastor isn't just pocketing the tithe money for their new Tesla, but that it's being spent in a way that benefits the local church?

 

Well, we follow the money.

 

Guests: Bonita Shields, Randy Robinson, Gary Thurber, Michael Campbell, Ken Denslow, Kevin Burton

There's no new episode this week, but we'll be back on Friday, December 10. 

In the meantime, want to help us out?

1. Rate us and leave a Review

2. Tell a friend about the podcast

3. Check out the bonus content on our website, howthechurchworks.com

That’s all for now. See you next week!