Our Adventist sense of mission and our self-image as the faithful remnant drive us to evangelize the world with a last-day message aimed at “preparing a people ready to meet the Lord.” Therefore, accurate understanding of prophecy, careful delineation of doctrine, and specific application of standards have been essential in our process of instructing new believers.
While we desire great numbers of new believers who become truly grounded disciples, a quantity versus qualitydebate sometimes has been fueled by those who believe insufficient preparation has preceded baptism. Those concerned that numbers have become the primary objective stress the need for less quantity and more quality. Miscomprehension of a remnant concept has contributed to this debate. While there is clear biblical basis for remnant theology—God’s faithful followers in an age of overwhelming secularism and evil—this must never be used to justify lack of growth.
Here’s the danger: If such a remnant view becomes directed toward justifying lack of growth, not only might we excuse little growth, we actually might glorify declining numbers as quality over quantity. Donald McGavran says, “Remnant theology proves attractive. A glorification of littleness prevails, in which to be small is to be holy. Slow growth is adjudged good growth.” He points out various slogans which give false support to this type of remnant theology:
“The tiny minority suffering for its belief is the true church.”
“To create this minority is the highest success known to missions.”
“The persecuted church—the church under the Cross—is the true church.”
“The power of a small group of individuals, with God, must never be underestimated.”
“The creative minority is what the church must ever strive to be.”1
In general, Adventists today would reject a view which stresses smallness in favor of a triumphant remnant concept. However, we might embrace an equally dangerous “remnant” theology of exclusivity or superiority based on a knowledge of “truth” because we want our new members to be on the inside of this truth track. Typically, we expect new believers to have been instructed thoroughly in all points of doctrine—28 fundamental points, to be exact. Furthermore, we expect not only that the information has been conveyed and comprehended, we also want it to be operative within the behavior of the individual at the occasion of baptism.
Of course, there is nothing wrong with adequate instruction or thorough preparation of candidates for church membership. The perils of a casual acknowledgment of the gospel without a corresponding impact on the life of the believer are so abundantly visible in our denomination, and others as well, that no serious challenge could be sustained which calls for less thorough biblical instruction of new believers. In fact, just the opposite is needed—more thorough and in-depth teaching. Teaching that takes hold!
Jo Lewis and Gordon Palmer demonstrate that “core” spiritual knowledge is lacking in the American society that prides itself on being Christian. They cite a 20-year-old Gallup poll that found many professing believers woefully ignorant about basic facts of Christianity. For example, 85 percent of Americans assent to the validity of the Ten Commandments and believe that someday everyone will answer to God for how they have obeyed or disobeyed them. Unbelievably, however, these same people don’t know what the Ten Commandments state. Only a few can name as many as five and, of course, even fewer obey them.2
Worst of all, Gallup found that evangelical Christians are little better than the general populace. “Young people today know Genesis as the name of a rock band or a planetary project in a Star Trek film, but not as the first book of the Bible. They know Pepsi and the new generation, but not heaven and the everlasting generation; L. A. Law, but not God’s law. They know who makes 180 Z’s but not the Alpha and Omega who made them. They know Nike and the winning team, but not victory in Jesus. They know how to look at Days of Our Lives, but not how to look into the days of their lives.”3
Two decades later, the situation is no better. Timothy Renick’s recent review of current literature, “Dumbed Down,” demonstrates the relentless decline of basic biblical understanding among even professing believers. He says, “America has become a nation that is at once deeply religious and profoundly ignorant about religion.”4
Real church growth refers not merely to an outer measurable expansion, but also to an inner experience within the body of Christ. “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Pet. 3:18, NIV). We must move beyond information to lifestyle.
Additional information alone is not the key. We need instruction, but we need more instruction in righteousness. We need more thorough spiritual and practical application as well as intellectual indoctrination for new believers. This is one of the ingredients of discipleship— perhaps the most basic.
