What Should the Future of Adventist Education Look Like?
At the heart of Adventist education, we hold a belief in the NEED to offer an alternative to secular education. That a child is more than a checklist of academic achievements. That the spiritual growth of kids is the first and most important goal of any curriculum. While the commitment to Adventist education still remains as a church, what kind of educational system do we want for our children and their children in 2021 and beyond?
What should our philosophy be as a church in transforming Adventist education in the 21st century? What should our philosophical views on Adventist education be in a world-changing so quickly? No matter our conversations, I believe our schools (and our church leadership) should realize and accept these three absolutes as bedrock principles to build upon:
1) Sin is real, and we need to teach our kids to rise above it
Christian education should be very clear on the fact that sin is based on pride and self-sufficiency. We shouldn't focus on teaching self-improvement in the secular sense. Students need to realize that any growth, whether it be academic, physical, or spiritual, comes from the devotion of our lives to Christ, which brings about the converting power of the Holy Spirit.
If self-improvement is taught through the scope of secular understanding, students will never reach the realization that sin starts with regard for our own personal interests above all else. In church and in homes our kids grow up hearing about sin, and that we need to flee from its presence. But what does sin look like in reality? Our schools need to teach this concept, and often!
2) The Essence of Love is Jesus
Christian education needs to be built on the principle that God is perfect, and at the same time, God is love. Even the 10 Commandments are based around the idea of God's perfect love; love for Him, and the love we should have for our fellow humans.
Love is a reflection of Christ, and without Christ at the center of any loving relationship, it cannot last long. Love is an oft-used word in our society, and its meaning can be confusing to our children. Our schools need to teach and model what true love is, with Christ as our example.
3) Christianity is a balance between legalism and personal relativity
The Christian is too often portrayed as one that gravitates towards extreme rule-keeping. The media portrays the Bible as a rule book where salvation can be obtained only through strict adherence to rules. Those rules are absolute and unbending, and can not be applied to one's personal situation.
On the other side of the spectrum are the person who rejects religious rules completely and bases spirituality on feelings and personal truth. This postmodern approach has become very popular amongst today's younger generation.
Both of these need to be seen as hazardous, and our students should realize this! We need to understand, as Jesus did, that God’s laws apply to us now and are still relevant - while at the same time realizing there is room for debate and discussion on issues of context and culture.
Whether Adventist education continues as an excellent alternative to secular education in the 21st century is up to us. Each one of us decides every hour, day, and year whether we support this ministry. Our church has continued this ministry for more than 125 years, may that commitment continue for 125 more (or until Christ takes us home!)
As we continue in our work as educators, let us look at all that is wrong so we can choose a better path forward. Let us focus not on why Adventist education exists, but how it should exist. Let’s keep engaging in constructive debate about how to continually improve our educational model. It starts with us, so let’s keep talking!