O' Rourke - Toward a Seventh-Day Adventist Biblical Theology of Prophetic Social Engagement: Social Justice and Social Righteousness at Bethanie Seventh-Day Adventist Church in Almere Netherlands.

2020·0.55 MB·English

by  Jason Alphonso O'Rourke

TOWARD A SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST BIBLICAL THEOLOGY OF
PROPHETIC SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT: SOCIAL JUSTICE AND SOCIAL
RIGHTEOUSNESS
AT BETHANIE SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH
IN ALMERE NETHERLANDS

A Professional Project
presented to
the Faculty of
Claremont School of Theology

In Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Degree
Doctor of Ministry

by
Jason Alphonso O’Rourke
May 2020
Copyright © 2020 by Jason Alphonso O’Rourke
This Practical Research Project completed by

Jason Alphonso O’Rourke
has been presented to and accepted by
the Faculty of the Claremont School of Theology
in partial fulfillment of the requirements
of the degree

Doctor of Ministry

Faculty Advisor
Karen Dalton, D.Min.

Dean of the Faculty
Rev. Dr. Sheryl A. Kujawa-Holbrook, Ed.D, Ph.D

May 2020
This professional project completed by

NAME

has been presented to and accepted by
the Faculty of the Claremont School of Theology
in partial fulfillment of the requirements
of the degree

DOCTOR OF MINISTRY

Faculty Committee
Rev. Dr. Karen Dalton, Chairperson
Rev. Dr. Lincoln Galloway
Rev. Dr. Nicholas Grier

Dean of the Faculty
Rev. Dr. Sheryl Kujawa-Holbrook

May 2020
Abstract

The project sought to explore the biblical and historical Adventist material in an effort to
present a theological basis for racial righteousness and racial justice praxis within the SDA
global church, so that the Bethanie SDA church may fulfill its international and community
mission in meaningful and relevant ways. This project was conducted at the Bethanie Seventh-
day Adventist Church, which is located in Almere, Netherlands. The church has a majority-black
membership from Curacao and Surinam, and is in a predominantly European community and
country. The goal was to empower members to greater social engagement through educating
them on the biblical themes of social justice and social righteousness. The project considered the
Seventh-day Adventist church’s history of missteps in regards to practiced racial justice during
the Civil War, post-Civil War, and Civil rights eras. The project explored the biblical literature
on the Sabbath, as the pinnacle of equity and equality under Hebrew law. Attention was given to
the biblical prophetic role and social engagement: Whether one was an Old Testament Prophet
and part of the people one prophesied to, or 2) whether one was the New Testament Jesus and
Apostles, and part of the oppressed people one prophesied to, or 3) whether one was part of an
elite upper class of oppressed people who had access and influence to the power structure. This
project is for Bethanie SDA Church, the global Seventh-day Adventist Church, and the greater
Christendom, to understand our gospel responsibility within a culture trending toward ethno-
nationalism and racialized politics, to have a theological framework for understanding and
applying racial justice policy and actions, and to accept our prophetic role in presenting the
gospel within a racialized oppressive system.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Thank you to God my Father, for his grace toward me, for giving me the eyes to see, the
ears to hear, the mind to reflect, the heart to understand, and the hands to write. Thank you for
health and longevity of life.
Thank you especially to my wife Melissa, for being my brainstorming partner, my
sounding board, and a spark when needed. Thank you for giving me isolation to write and think.
Thank you for your prayers, and for believing in me. Abrielle and Myla, Daddy loves you!
Thank you to my family: William A. O’Rourke, Jr., and Tosca Collette Stuckey for
putting in me a love of God, love of church, and a love of reading. Thank you, Dad, for the long
nights spent talking theology and reading with me after I returned from deployment. Thank you,
Mom for always being a voice of reason and of encouragement. Thank you, Phillip A. O’Rourke,
my brother, for being a constant symbol of resilience and God’s grace. You are an inspiration.
Thank you to my mentors and friends Dr. Lincoln Galloway, Dr. Karen Dalton, Dr. Jack
Jackson, Dr. Stephanie Rice, Dr. Sheryl Kujawa-Holbrook, Dr. Frank Rogers, and Dr. Andy
Dreitcer: You are truly the mother of all dissertation committees!
Thank you to the Netherlands Union Conference Administration: Elder Rob de Raad,
Elder Enrico Karg, Sr. Rozita Panneflek, Elder Jacob Englegeer, Elder Thijs de Reus, for
extending the call to Pastoral ministry, and for giving me space to complete my work.
Thank you, Advent Health Pastoral Care Leadership team: Elder Orlando Perez B.C.C.,
Elder Greg Ellis, Ramona Reynold B.C.C., for the training I received under your leadership.
Thank you, Chaplain and Elder Dr. Julian Johnson D.Min., Elder Pierre C. Quinn of The
Cardell Group, Elder Ingram London, Elder Christian Taylor, Elder Carl Ricketts, Elder Edsel
Cadet, and Elder Daniel Kelly for your constant brotherhood, support, critique, encouragement,
and accountability during this process.
Thank you, Dr. Tiffany Llewellyn, DSW, LCSW-C, Claudia Marion Allen, and Saba
Mwankpah for your constant sisterhood, support, critique, encouragement, and accountability
during this process.
Thank you to Elder Abraham Henry, Dmin., and Jon-Philippe Ruhumuliza for your
critique of my work, and your timely and sound advice. Thank you for not only walking with me
on this journey, but walking through it with me.
Thank you to Bethani SDA, Bon Notisia SDA, and Speranza SDA churches for your
support of I and my family as I worked to complete my project. Thank you specifically Bathanie
SDA church for hosting my project presentation. Much thanks to Dion and Illuminada Paula and
their team their support.
Thank you to the Bataviastad Starbucks crew, for allowing Starbucks to be my office for
the past year. Thank you for your smiles, encouragement, and the tea and coffee.
A final thank you goes to the host of other individuals who have encouraged and
supported me, too many to name. These include my fellow service men and women of the 75th
Ranger Regiment (Rangers, Lead The Way!) and the U.S. Army, Wright State University,
Oakwood University, Andrews University, Florida Hospital, Claremont School of Theology, and
Mt. Olive SDA church is Apopka, Florida, under the leadership of Pastor Carl Ware, Sr.
I stand on the shoulders of giants.
Table of Contents
1. Chapter 1: INTRODUCTION ............................................................................. 1
1.1. Context ....................................................................................................................................... 1
1.2. Audience ...................................................................................................................................... 2
1.3. Justification .................................................................................................................................. 2
1.4. Expectations from the Project ...................................................................................................... 3
1.5. Scope and Limitations ................................................................................................................. 3
1.6. Methodology ................................................................................................................................ 3
2. CHAPTER 2: Civil and Post-Civil War Eras ...................................................... 5
2.1. Civil War: The Nation ................................................................................................................. 5
2.2. Civil War: The Adventists ........................................................................................................... 6
2.3. Post-Civil War: The Nation ......................................................................................................... 8
2.4. Post-Civil War: The Adventists ................................................................................................. 11
2.5. Conclusion ................................................................................................................................. 18
3. CHAPTER 3: Civil Rights Era .......................................................................... 19
3.1. Civil Rights: Civil Religion ....................................................................................................... 19
3.2. Civil Rights: White Christians ................................................................................................... 20
3.3. Civil Rights: Black Christians ................................................................................................... 22
3.4. Civil Rights: Adventists............................................................................................................. 25
3.5. Conclusion ................................................................................................................................. 33
4. CHAPTER 4: Defintions ................................................................................... 34
4.1. Definitions ................................................................................................................................. 34
4.2. The Prophets .............................................................................................................................. 35
4.3. Foretelling .................................................................................................................................. 36
4.4. Forth-telling ............................................................................................................................... 37
4.5. Racism ....................................................................................................................................... 37
4.6. Social Justice ............................................................................................................................. 38
4.7. Social Righteousness ................................................................................................................. 39
5. Chapter 5: The Framework ................................................................................ 41
5.1. The Foundation: Sabbath and Social Justice ............................................................................. 41
5.2. The Prophets: Protest as Confrontation to Injustice .................................................................. 45
5.3. Jesus the Prophet: Protest as Kingdom Building ....................................................................... 50
5.4. The Apostles and the Kingdom ................................................................................................. 55
5.5. The Biblical Oppressed “Bourgeoisies” .................................................................................... 60
iv
5.6. Adventism and its Prophetic Eschatology Possibilities ............................................................. 62
5.7. Conclusion ................................................................................................................................. 64
6. CHAPTER 6: Methodology, Development, and Implementation .................... 66
6.1. METHODOLOGY, DEVELOPMENT, AND IMPLEMENTATION ..................................... 66
6.2. Motivation ................................................................................................................................. 67
6.3. Description and Limitations ...................................................................................................... 67
6.4. Project Promotion and Recruitment Process ............................................................................. 68
6.5. Part 1: A Racial Theology and Praxis Comparison: America vs. Adventism ........................... 68
6.6. Part 2: An SDA Sabbath-Prophetic Social Engagement Paradigm ........................................... 69
6.7. The Questionnaire Process ........................................................................................................ 70
7. CHAPTER 7: Outcomes, Conclusions, and Recommendations ....................... 72
7.1. OUTCOMES, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS ........................................... 72
7.2. Outcomes and Conclusions ....................................................................................................... 73
7.3. Lessons Learned ........................................................................................................................ 75
7.4. Recommendations ..................................................................................................................... 76
7.5. Replication of the Project .......................................................................................................... 77
8. Appendix A: Adventists Apologize (Rwanda and Genocide) .......................... 80
9. Appendix B: Adventists Apologize (South African Apartheid) ....................... 81
9.1. Appendix B1: Adventism and Aparthied (History) ................................................................... 81
10. Appendix C: Adventists Apologize (Nazism and Genocide) ............................ 82
10.1. Appendix C1: Adventist History (Germany and Nazisim) ........................................................ 82
11. Bibliography ...................................................................................................... 83
11.1. Background Readings ................................................................................................................ 86

v
1. Chapter 1: INTRODUCTION
1.1. Context
The Bethanie Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) church is 200-member congregation with a
predominantly Curacao and Surinamese membership. It is part of the sisterhood of churches
within the Netherlands Seventh-day Adventist Union of Churches. This union has historically
been Dutch and white. This Union is within the American-born and now global Seventh-day
Adventist denomination. This global denomination has historically struggled with its practical
gospel responsibilities and applications to race relations within its organization, and within the
greater society.
This project seeks to explore biblical and historical Adventist material in an effort to
present a theological basis for racial righteousness and justice praxis within the SDA church, so
that the Bethanie Seventh-day Adventist church may fulfill its international and community
mission in meaningful and relevant ways.
As a lifelong Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) who has served for 10 years as an Adventist
minister, I have found myself continually frustrated with the silence of my church concerning
racial injustice. As an African American male, my church’s silence during the countless deaths
of black people at the hands of police and others has been painful. This, in connection with this
denomination’s racial failures in its North American Division (NAD) organizational structure, its
European failures during World War II,1 its South African failures with regards to apartheid,2

1 Corrie Schroder, Seventh Day Adventists, USCB Holocaust Oral History Project, accessed March 9, 2020,
http://holocaust.projects.history.ucsb.edu/Research/Proseminar/corrieschroder.htm.
2 Ronald Lawson, In the Wake of the State: Seventh-day Adventism and Apartheid in South Africa, 2000,
accessed March 26, 2020, https://ronaldlawsonnet.files.wordpress.com/2019/07/seventh-day-adventism-and-
apartheid-in-south-africa.pdf.
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