The articles on the Reformation in the September AR were timely and appreciated. First, as Nikolaus Satelmajer stated, the Word of God must be central in any reformation movement! It was my privilege to visit the church in Wittenberg where Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses, as well as the chapel in Prague where Jan Huss preached to bring the Word of God to the people. As incredible as it may seem, as a teenager in 1948 I saw a Bible for the first time. And as the Reformers fought for it, it changed the lives of people. My parents and I were transformed by the power of the Word of God as well! As Jesus approaches in the turbulent times we live, it is time to follow in their footsteps and take the Word of God to our people. It will be a revived church!
Leo Ranzolin, Sr.
Estero, Florida
Thanks for the excellent article “Fruitful Conversations” (September 2021). Your statement “Our opinions are less important than our willingness to reflect the character of Christ” led me to question my opinions and their relationship to Jesus. I was not happy with the answer. Time to reprioritize and refocus and make sure Jesus and reflecting His character is more important than what I think.
Bruce McClay
Battle Ground, Washington
Thank you for an outstanding issue and for recognizing the valuable contributions made by Seventh-day Adventist archaeologists (August 2021). Adventist archaeologists have helped me to have a better understanding of the Bible. These individuals have also impacted many others outside the Adventist Church.
Nikolaus Satelmajer
I read with great interest the article on James Kemuel Humphrey. Thank you for the candor and pointedness in applying a lens to this issue. As accurately posited: “Histories of the Seventh-day Adventist Church have not yet adequately noted the African American experience in Adventism.” A case series in the Review or a standing column, for that matter, would be most appropriate given the prevailing modern-day issues of race relations in our country and within our church. I am quite confident that there is more than sufficient fodder for such a work.
Robert A. L. Blake
Normal, Alabama
Congratulations to Tim Poirier! He deserves this honor and has given the years of his life to this church. Bless you, Tim!
Ruth Hoffer
Wow! I remember visiting the White Estate back in the 1980s. I don’t remember the conversation exactly, but what I remember was that as a young man, Tim took a genuine interest in our questions and field of interest. Now I see him again so many years later. I also remember Brother Olsen back in the Takoma Park location and how kind and accommodating he was. Good memories.
Gordon Jura
The Seventh-day Adventist Church today would not be what it is, absent the gift of God to us in the ministry of Ellen White. However, the role of Ellen White and the manner of her ministry can be subject to honest reflection that does not throw out the principles that God gave us.
Gregory Matthews
So sorry to hear of Marvin Moore’s death! I have read books authored by him and always thought of him as a great gospel hero of the Word and inspiring others to reach for something a little deeper and something more compelling to bind their souls to God and all that He has. I will plan to visit with Marvin Moore in the great new life God has planned—eternal life! I extend my condolences to his family and friends and assure you that God’s heaven is real, and you will see Marvin Moore again full of life!
Barbara Marsh
So bittersweet. We, his many friends, miss him now and will until the sweet morning when we can say an eternal hello to Marvin on the other side!
Ken McFarland
The Bible presents a unified message—it does not teach one thing in one place and the opposite thing in another place. We should also put our emphasis on the preponderance of the evidence, not on the rare outlier text that we may not understand. We should confer with a good concordance, Bible commentary, and Bible dictionary to help explain things we do not understand. All these tools help us to come to an objective, rather than subjective, understanding of the meaning of the passage. It is important to understand this objective meaning before we try to apply the message to a contemporary setting, which may be more subjective. “For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little” (Isa. 28:10).
Connie Dahlke
