Alisa Williams Profile picture
Jun 6, 2023 14 tweets 7 min read Read on X
I'm on my lunch break and back for Part 2 of the Seventh-day Adventist connection to/endorsement of Bill Gothard's teachings, brought to you by my weekend viewing of #ShinyHappyPeople. If you haven't read Part 1 of my findings, that is here 1/13:
So, as I mentioned in Part 1, by 1974 Gothard's popularity within Adventism was enough that the Review & Herald editors wrote a two-part series addressing his teachings. Their analysis listed both pros and cons to his message. 2/13
The articles are lengthy so I'll just pull some highlights from each one. In Part 1, the editors state they have never attended a Gothard seminar themselves nor have they met him, but they've talked with Adventists who have and they've read some reports about the seminars. 3/13
Based on that, the R&H editors state, "It seems clear that any program as successful as Gothard's must be meeting a real need." 4/13 documents.adventistarchives.org/Periodicals/RH… Image
In part 2, the editors state, "Does Gothard have something to offer Seventh-day Adventists? Perhaps, but not necessarily. In our opinion, the Bible and the writings of Ellen G. White contain every true principle that Gothard sets forth, and more." 5/13 documents.adventistarchives.org/Periodicals/RH… Image
They continue, saying basically that Adventists are attracted to Gothard's message because Adventist churches don't currently offer this type of structured program that provides community-building and also, essentially, Adventists are lazy in their Bible and EGW studies. 6/13 Image
The editors listed 2 overarching objections to Gothard's teachings, specifically his simplistic view of Scripture and his "chain of command" (that infamous "umbrella of protection" mentioned in #ShinyHappyPeople). But no, the R&H editors don't object to wifely subservience. 7/13 ImageImage
The editors didn't like that Gothard instructed a young Christian woman to obey her non-Christian parents who forbid she marry a Christian. They wrote "...we cannot see how the judgment of a non-Christian should be accepted over that of two consecrated, of-age young people." 8/13 ImageImage
But, the editors conclude that Gothard's seminars are not "sinister," and their biggest lament seems to be that Adventists are giving Gothard their money instead of the Adventist Church, the true "fount of living water." They encourage pastors to create better programming. 9/13 Image
In 1975, It is Written began Revelation Seminars following "the popular approach also used by...the recent Gothard Basic Youth Conflicts series." This same announcement appeared numerous times in several official Adventist Church publications. 10/13 documents.adventistarchives.org/Periodicals/CU… Image
In 1977 Ministry Magazine promoted "a spinoff of Gothard's Institute of Basic Youth Conflicts, using much of his basic concepts." They add "The basic stance is conservative, fundamentally Protestant, with woman in an active but male-submissive role." 11/13 documents.adventistarchives.org/Periodicals/MI… ImageImage
In the March 1981 issue of These Times, concern was expressed about Gothard's belief in the sacredness of Sunday and that this could lead to national Sunday laws. 12/13 documents.adventistarchives.org/Periodicals/WM… Image
Despite the Sunday law concern, Adventism embraced and promoted Gothard's teachings, as we can see from the above examples. My lunch break is over so after work, I'll do a Part 3 where I discuss the connection between Gothard, Adventism, and homeschooling. 13/13

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More from @AWWritesStories

Jun 6, 2023
I'm back for Part 3 on what #ShinyHappyPeople has to do with Adventism, and in this part I'll talk specifically about how Adventists, Bill Gothard, and homeschooling intersect. If you missed the first two parts, here you go: 1/20
First we need to talk about Raymond Moore and his wife Dorothy Moore, a Seventh-day Adventist couple whose interest in homeschooling began as they were raising their 9 children. Dorothy felt children were sent to school too young and Raymond agreed. 2/20 curate.nd.edu/downloads/7h14… ImageImageImage
Raymond Moore was working for the U.S. Department of Education but resigned in 1967 to pursue research to support his theory that "schooling of any sort was patently detrimental to young children." 3/20 Image
Read 20 tweets
Jun 6, 2023
If, like me, you were raised #Adventist and watching the docuseries #ShinyHappyPeople struck a familiar cord with you, there's a reason. 🧵 1/12
If you haven't watched #ShinyHappyPeople yet, I recommend it. It's a well done docuseries on Amazon Prime about the Duggar Family and Bill Gothard and his Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP). 2/12
I was born and raised in the Michigan Conference of Seventh-day Adventists which is known as one of the most conservative conferences in Adventism. And hearing the testimonies in #ShinyHappyPeople from people who survived Gothard's orbit reminded me so much of my upbringing. 3/12
Read 13 tweets
Nov 23, 2021
One of the problems that comes along with videos like the one making the rounds right now, where an #Adventist pastor takes it upon himself to say the quiet, shadowy, dirty parts of the Adventist Church out loud… (1/15)
Is that inevitably, one of the biggest, loudest (and I suppose I should add well meaning though it doesn’t feel that way) responses is something along the lines of… (2/15)
“I’m an Adventist and he /his beliefs don’t represent me!” “I’m an Adventist and I disagree with him! What he said is vile!” “That pastor doesn’t speak for the official church, here’s a 28-point lecture on what the church officially believes!” (3/15)
Read 16 tweets
Jan 10, 2021
Ted Wilson is not stupid. So he must know that when he refuses to directly address the Capitol attack and instead says insipid things like this, it will be seen as affirmation by the Adventists who took part in/supported the attack on the Capitol, right?
Let's break it down. White supremacist Adventists (and yeah, there are a lot of those), can easily read this as Satan's obstacles = bicycle barricades/Capitol police/democrats, but the GC president is here, encouraging them to hold fast to their faith & stay strong. How nice.
And before some of you start wailing that that "CLEARLY" wasn't the intent of his tweet, I'll say intent has very little to do with interpretation, and how do any of us know his intent anyway when he has been COMPLETELY SILENT about Wednesday's attack?
Read 12 tweets
Jul 25, 2020
*taps mic* Hello, Adventist Twitter, and welcome to the inaugural Adventist storytime. I invite you to gather ‘round, for today we will be learning about self-proclaimed prophet and attempted murderer, Margaret Matilda Wright Rowen. 1/27
The year was 1916. The place? Southern California (you know how those California Adventists be). 2/27
Our dear Sister Ellen G. White, prophetess extraordinaire, has been dead less than one year when 35-year-old Margaret Rowen enters stage left. I will henceforth call her Mags, because I’m telling the story, and I want to. 3/27
Read 27 tweets
Oct 15, 2019
I wouldn’t mind all the energy spent on lectures about the evils of caffeine if the Adventist Church spent the same energy (or any energy, really) discussing things like racism and sexism that are killing POC and women faster and at much higher rates than a cup of coffee #GCAC19
Where are the worship thoughts about dismantling systemic racism, starting right here in our church? Where are the lectures about how the church should respond to and care for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault? #GCAC19
If you don’t want us to drink caffeine, fine. But why hasn’t our health message been expanded to include the health threats we’re now more aware of as 21st century Adventists? #GCAC19
Read 4 tweets

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