"Growing in Christ," a proposed addition to the "Fundamental Beliefs of Seventh-day Adventists," will be studied by world church leaders, pastors and lay members in the coming months, the Adventist Church's spring meeting of leaders voted unanimously April 14.

A draft of the new statement will be presented to the Church's Annual Council, held in October. If approved, it will then be circulated for comment and discussion in advance of the 2005 General Conference Session to be held in St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.A., where delegates from around the world will vote to finalize its acceptance. The current "Fundamental Beliefs," an official statement of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, was adopted at the 1980 General Conference Session in Dallas, Texas, U.S.A.

Pastor Jan Paulsen, world president of the Adventist church, noted that the proposed addition is just that, and not the beginning of a new process.

"We are not intending to offer the 27 [existing beliefs] for revision. If you do, there is virtually no end to what will happen," Paulsen told delegates. "We will just deal with this one item."

"What brings us to this agenda?" asked Michael L. Ryan, a general vice president of the world church. The answer, he said, was "mission - that every person might come to know Jesus and claim his victory over sin and evil." Although such concepts may seem elemental to those raised in Christian traditions, they are viewed as revolutionary and emancipating for those living in cultures where the fight against "evil spirits" is a daily occurrence.

According to Neal C. Wilson, a former world president of the Adventist Church (1979 to 1990), "Today's motion ... does do something that perhaps we overlooked at that time; it wasn't a big issue at that time [in 1980]."

One purpose of the new statement is to address questions from those coming into the Adventist Christian faith from animist, spiritualist and other backgrounds in world religions. Another is to formally present concepts many believe are essential to a fulfilling Christian life, including prayer, Bible study and service.

"Growing in Christ" emphasizes the triumph of Jesus over the forces of evil, and the empowering of the Holy Spirit for the believer. Daily prayer, studying the Bible and meditating on its message, praising God and participating in the mission of the church are emphasized as new disciplines for the Christian. Through loving service to others and witnessing to God's salvation in our lives, Christians find every moment and task sanctified. (For the complete text of the statement, as well as a rationale for its creation and explanatory notes, see link at bottom)

"This new statement will sharpen the Adventist understanding of the nature of a constant growth in Christ," declared Angel Manuel Rodriguez, director of the church's Biblical Research Institute and member of a three-man panel that worked on the new doctrine. "This is indispensable at a time when some church members are more interested in theological discussion than in the spiritual impact of those doctrines in their daily lives."

Other members of the group who prepared the draft were Ryan and William G. Johnsson, Editor of the Adventist Review, the church's official paper.

Added Richard Osborn, president of Pacific Union College, a Seventh-day Adventist school in Angwin, California, "A lot of young people are more interested in the spiritual side [of our beliefs], rather than in the theological impact. There is a lot of spirituality among our young people, but not a commitment to the denomination. This statement will give even greater credibility to the entire fundamental beliefs of the church."

Ben Maxson, stewardship director for the world church, said "it's almost surprising to think that we've come this far and haven't included these core values in our statement of beliefs. ... Our own studies of the level of prayer life [among Adventists] show a painful struggle to make this real in our personal lives."

The current "Fundamental Beliefs" of the worldwide Seventh-day Adventist Church are available on the Internet at: http://www.adventist.org/beliefs/fundamental/index.html

The Adventists are a mainstream Protestant church, and one of the Christian World Communions, with more than 13 million adult baptised members in more than 200 countries. [Editors: Mark A. Kellner and Christian B. Schaeffler for ANN/APD]