Others vowed never to bother with the Office of Regional Conference Ministries in the future-that it was their first, and decidedly last, event. Many wondered what was the point of having Wilson come if it was going to result in no actual substantive exchange. Some expressed that they felt they had been subjected to clickbait. In a debrief of sorts that followed the forum, many finally received the much-needed place to have their voices acknowledged. They were initially populated mostly by questions. The comments were fascinating to view in real time. Yet he was never challenged by the interviewer. And those rare direct questions were dodged with deftness. Instead, Wilson was lobbed several softballs about his family and his missionary background.
Despite a flood of questions regarding structural issues such as equity and inclusion, and questions of mission regarding social justice, the concerns of the audience went largely unheard. So, while the interview itself did indeed take place, the anticipated chance to be heard did not materialize.
On Facebook alone, there were 444 comments, and the YouTube livestream garnered over 1,000 views. Hosted by the president of the Office for Regional Conference Ministries, Dana Edmond, the forum was attended by several hundred people on Facebook and YouTube. Advertised to take place on January 29, talk of the interview grew as people from regional conferences and beyond were eager to get a chance to have questions answered and to voice areas of concern. This is why the Office for Regional Conference Ministries’ recent interview with Ted Wilson presented a hopeful opportunity for so many. It’s imperative to foster environments where church members-of all ages-are valued and heard. Not listening to the cries of those who are begging to be heard will eventually result in consequences that bring frustrations to a head. The shaking, you know.īut these are stories that churches tell themselves to avoid confronting the hard reality that they bear some culpability in facilitating the departure of those who leave. They tell themselves that either those who leave are too immature now but will eventually return as they age or that they were simply not mature enough to be committed to the gospel and their departure only revealed their fickleness toward spiritual matters.
Those who remain may soothe themselves by chalking up these mass exoduses to immaturity. Young people who have felt unheard simply opt to leave. Instead of making their presence unmistakable, sometimes people will use their absence to make the point.įrequently, harrowing statistics about the rate of young adult attrition from Adventism are passed around. Rioting is one way to accomplish that, but there are other ways. When they aren’t, they often do things to make themselves impossible to ignore. famously described riots as the language of the unheard. Many decry riots as simply a product of unruly people.
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