ONE of the most avid Adventist readers of religious and theological journals is Chris P. Sorensen, former president of the Far Eastern Division of Seventh-day Adventists. Some of the "crumbs," as he labels them, are shared with us. Fortunate are those who are on the receiving end of his carbon-copy digest of journals ranging from the Southeast Asia Journal of Theology to the Christian Herald.
One interesting tidbit recently received was a resume of an article appearing in the September 11, 1968, Christian Century titled "The Meaning of Membership." The idea is that church members would be able to hold what we might call a "credit card," good in almost any member church of the National Council of Churches.
For years we have known that individuals could transfer from one denomination to another by a mere letter, certifying that they were in good and regular standing. Pastor Sorensen referred to a case that he knew of years ago where an Adventist joined another church, and the pastor merely suggested that she ask for her letter. When the Adventist pastor replied that we didn't do this, some misunderstanding naturally developed. In those days we considered such an individual as an apostate, and for that matter we still do.
This interesting outgrowth of ecumenism, where membership credit cards would be recognized by almost any other church, presents definite complications for the Advent Movement. You can imagine how popular we will be when we refuse membership to those who seek it through this method. Satan's noose of religious federation is being drawn tighter. Before stranglehold measures are taken by the enemy, shouldn't we be preaching the everlasting gospel in an unprecedented way?
