Alex Bryan graduated from Southern Adventist University in 1993 and earned a Master of Divinity from Andrews University in 1996. In 1996, he started a church called New Community Fellowship in Atlanta aimed at reaching secular young adults. He resigned from denominational employment in 2002 to pursue evangelism through this church. In 2007, Bryan and his wife felt called to reconnect with the Adventist Church. After discussions, he accepted a position as associate pastor at Collegedale Church in Tennessee.

1. 1

2. 2

3. 3

4. 



―Bryan graduated from Southern College (now Southern
Adventist University) in 1993. He earned a Master of Divinity
degree from Andrews University in 1996. …‖
―Bryan led an evangelistic initiative in Atlanta in 1996, the New
Community Fellowship, aimed at reaching secular young adults
with the Gospel. Bryan resigned from denominational
employment in 2002 to pursue this evangelistic passion, and not
without success.‖
―Earlier this year [2007], however, Bryan and his wife, Nicole,
came under increasing conviction to reconnect with the Seventhday Adventist Church. Months of candid dialog in various
settings culminated in a clear vote of support from the Executive
Committee of the Georgia-Cumberland conference October 24,
offering Bryan renewed employment and this position.‖
―Alex Bryan has been named the new associate pastor for the
Collegedale, Tenn., Seventh-day Adventist Church. … Bryan will
serve as Pastor for Mission and Ministry on the staff of the
Collegedale Church, led by John Nixon, D. Min., Senior Pastor. He
will begin responsibilities in early December, 2007.‖
4

5. 

―‘I learned many things through this experience,‘ reflected
Bryan. ‗Here are just two. First, I learned how to begin and
enjoy authentic relationships with people outside the
church, how to love them unconditionally, and how to have
spiritually significant conversations with non-Christians.
Second I learned to appreciate the unique gifts of Adventism
(the seventh-day Sabbath, global community, the consistent
grace of God) from unexpected vantage points.‘‖
―‗I believe Seventh-day Adventists are uniquely positioned
to address (the) three big issues of our times,‘ Bryan
continued: ‗stress, uncertainty, and ugly gods. God‘s
remedy for stress is Sabbatical life. God‘s remedy for
uncertainty is the surety of heaven. God‘s remedy for ugly
gods (visions of deities as terrorists, who torture people in
hell forever, or blow up buildings, for example) is a picture
of a graceful God, the desire of this and every age, Jesus
Christ.‘‖ (http://www.gccsda.com/_static_content/ Communication/Communique/200711_Communique-web.pdf)
5

6. 6

7. 



―How do you reach the generation of rock music and movies, cyberspace
and television? Alex Bryan thinks he might have an answer. In September
1995 Bryan, then a student at the Adventist Theological Seminary at
Andrews University, approached Gordon Bietz, president of the GeorgiaCumberland Conference, with his dream of starting a new kind of
church— a church that grabbed people's attention. …‖
―The town to be turned upside down is Atlanta—specifically, northeast
Atlanta, where a high concentration of young, unchurched people live,
work, and study. The new church, named the New Community, will
target the secular people of Generation X. …‖
―Bryan, the 26-year-old pastor, plans to incorporate multimedia,
contemporary music, and dramatic arts to build a worship service that is
very creative and authentic. ‗We will incorporate many different things
with excellence,‘ he says. …‖
―At the service Xers will be challenged spiritually without being
smothered with religion. ‗The big thing is we've got to allow the language
of our generation,‘ says Bryan, who credits many of his ideas to
leadership seminars he attended at Willow Creek Community Church, a
nondenominational church in northern Chicago.‖ (http://www.adventistarchives.org/
docs/RH/RH19970220-V174-08__C/index.djvu)
7

8. 8

9. 

―Granted, Alex, Victor, and Andy may all have quit piano
lessons when they were kids, but they have not plans to quit
this church. Oh, sure, they admit that being a young
Adventist can be a rough ride, full of unexpected twists and
turns. But the way they see it, the solution is hardly to
abandon the roller coaster. Instead they‘re following the
advice of Peter (the guy who knew all about religious
struggles) and discovering that the best way to build
momentum in the Adventist journey is to lean into the curves.
…‖
―Alex Bryan, 26, just received his M. Div. degree at Andrews
University. He spends most of his time planning for the
Atlanta project, a spiritual seeker-driven church soon to be
planted in—you guessed it—Atlanta.‖ (Back cover, The Ride of Your
Life: Being a Young Adventist is not for the Faint of Heart)
9

10. 10

11. 



―I believe excessive purity is often a dangerous tendency for
Seventh-day Adventists. A desire for theological perfection, rigid
adherence to Ellen White's writings, and a quest for ‗remnant‘
status frequently leave us vulnerable to religious intolerance in
our own ranks. This is dangerous. In today's Adventist world
there are at least four good reasons for us not to go down the road
of the Puritans and those critics whom Jesus encountered.‖
―First, an obsession with correctness creates an environment that
scandalizes freethinkers in both classrooms and churches. …‖
―Second, a purity-focused church fosters a climate for obsessed
perfection-seekers like David Koresh and the Branch Davidians. If
remnant status means that everything has to be just right, yet
reality tells us that everything isn't just right, what are our
options? …‖
―Third, structurally we will shatter into numerous little cities on a
hill if we don't allow latitude in many areas of church life. We
must, for example, allow churches to enjoy latitude in the way
they worship. For Adventism to hold together, styles will have to
vary across ethnic and generational frontiers. …‖ (cont.)
11

12. 


―We live in an incredibly diverse world; our
multigenerational, international church can survive only with
solid Seventh-day Adventism taking many forms. In short, we
don't all have to do it the same way.‖
―Fourth, a Puritan mind-set risks allowing trivial issues to
consume imperative issues. … While it's imperative that we
remember our prophetic calling, that we remain both united and
committed to the clear teachings of Scripture, the vast array of
personal decisions and beliefs that stem from these teachings
should be respected and encouraged. …‖
―The reality of Planet Earth is that a lot of things are neutral.
That's right. Neither sheep nor goat. Something may be less than
perfect or not what we'd prefer, but hardly worthy of an all-out
spiritual assault. Sometimes it's OK to relax, let live, chill out. We
often lose opportunities to do ministry and build community
when we each create our own 10,000 commandments in hopes of
perfection. Such excessive purity is toxic for God's bride on the
brink of a wedding.‖ (Alex Bryan, ―The Theology of Chilling Out,‖ Adventist
Review, June 19, 1997, pp. 8-11)
12

13. 13

14. 

―Fourth, we must begin a redistribution of financial resources to the
local church level. We have called upon the local church to support
Adventist academies and colleges, administrative programs,
publications, evangelistic initiatives, and a host of other worthy
projects. We must now support the local church itself. Our
‗dangerous illusion,‘ which has misdirected emphasis on the
parachurch over the church, is visualized most clearly in our
system of financial allocation. …‖
―If we wait 10 or 15 years to help the local church financially, it will
be too late. As a Seventh-day Adventist family we must together
discover ways to invest more money in local churches. We must ,
not allow a fear of Congregationalism to hinder this endeavor—for
congregations are ultimately the church. A worldwide church that
prioritizes its local church need not fear them. It will not see such
congregations breaking away. Well-cared-for Adventist local
churches will long to support Adventism. Ironically, the more we
support local congregations, the less likely it is that
Congregationalism will arise.‖ (Alex Bryan, ―The Local Church is the Church:
Period,‖ Adventist Review, March 19, 1998, p. 10)
14

15. 15

16. 

―2. Adventists should continue gleaning from Willow Creek.
Selective borrowing is an important part of our history. That a
person or church has different beliefs doesn‘t mean they can‘t
teach us something. As one religion professor put it, Willow Creek
has its place in prophecy too. Granted, it‘s a different place. But
we can learn from each other.‖
―3. Gleaning from Willow Creek‘s message doesn‘t mean
forfeiting our message. I join those disappointed to see some
Willow Creek-influenced churches blushing at our distinctive
beliefs, avoiding the word ―Adventist‖ in print and from the
pulpit, begging separation from the world body, planning shortterm only. This behavior isn‘t necessary. I think of Mountain View
church in Las Vegas; of the freshly planted New Community in
Atlanta; of my home church, New Hope, in Laurel, Maryland; and
of other churches mature enough to incorporate Willow Creek
principles without giving up their Adventist identity.‖ (Andy Nash,
―On Willow Creek,‖ Adventist Review, Dec. 18, 1997, p. 6)
16

17. 
―Alex Bryan‘s Background: [He] created a ‗Sunday service‘
church and left Seventh-day Adventist employment. Alex Bryan
began his ministry at the New Community Fellowship in Atlanta
in 1996 under the blessing of conference administration. However,
the methods used to reach secular young adults resulted in the
creation of a ‗Sunday service‘ and, as the conference
administration was considering his termination, Alex Bryan
resigned his denominational employment in 2002 and remained
independent for the next five years. The resulting Sunday
observing church still meets . … The church meets Sunday from
10:30 AM to 12:05 PM. The current pastor is Alex‘s brother, David
Bryan. … In 2004, meetings at this church occurred on both
Saturdays and Sundays; today the web site shows only Sunday
services. ‖ (http://cafesda.blogspot.com/)
17

18. 18

19. 

―Pastor Alex Bryan, a fellow graduate of Southern Adventist
University in Tennessee, was repeatedly featured in the Adventist
Review. His congregation, ‗The New Community,‘ broke away
over tithe and doctrinal issues. For awhile its website hung on the
net claiming it was a Protestant Church, although some of us had
difficulty seeing what it might be protesting. But it is gone off the
web, not even a Google-cache left to show it existed. …‖
―In Atlanta, Georgia, The New Community was also presented as
evidence of ‗other churches mature enough to incorporate Willow
Creek principles without giving up their Adventist identity‘ (Ibid).
However, the facts are that Alex Bryan's ‗New Community‘
church in Atlanta has since left the denomination and faded out of
existence.‖ (http://www.greatcontroversy.org/reportandreview/offshootpt1.php)
19

20. 
―Information came to us recently that former Seventh-day Adventist pastor
Alex Bryan‘s Church, which had apparently disappeared, still exists. Its
internet home is here: http://www.thenewcommunitychurch.com/. What
does this church stand for today?‖


―We are an independent, interdenominational, evangelical church.
‗Independent‘ means we are our own organization, not legally connected to
any other church. ‗Interdenominational‘ means we welcome people of all faith
traditions. ‗Evangelical‘ means we emphasize the gospel of forgiveness and life
transformation through personal faith in Jesus Christ, and we affirm orthodox
Bible doctrines. See our ‗Statement of Faith‘ for further details‖
(http://www.thenewcommunitychurch.com/phpBB2/faq.php#23, accessed
September 24, 2004. 3:42 PDT). ―
―Meetings at this church occur, according to its website, on both Saturdays
and Sundays. Will the path of The New Community be repeated in the
current or future offshoot movements? Only time will tell.‖
(http://www.greatcontroversy.org/reportandreview/offshootpt7.php)
20

21. 21

22. 22

23. 



―Who are we? The New Community Church is an interdenominational
congregation. This means our doors are wide open to people from all
backgrounds and denominations. We celebrate the contributions of
everyone who embraces this community as their spiritual family. We are
part of the Willow Creek Association of churches.‖
―What do we believe? The sole basis for our belief is the bible. We
embrace the story of the Holy Scriptures as God‘s relational interaction
with people over the course of history.‖
―What is our Sunday morning experience like? We gather on Sundays
from 10:30 a.m. to 12:05 p.m.‖ (http://thenewcommunitychurch.com/about-us/)
―On Saturday, October 27, about 100 of us gathered for a night of
pumpkin carving, hot chili, a huge kids‘ jump house, GA-FL football, live
bluegrass music, S‘mores over an open fire, dozens of pies and a pretty
amazing Happy Birthday bluegrass clogging dance (you had to be
there!). On Sunday morning, October 28, we concluded our teaching
series that has dug deep into Paul‘s letter, written from a prison cell in
Rome, to the people of Philippi (now preserved in the New Testament
book of Philippians). And then late Sunday night we gathered at a nearby
Taco Mac for a World Series/Sunday Night Football gathering and
laughed and cheered and told stories and finally went home around
midnight!‖ (http://thenewcommunitychurch.com/news/)
23

24. 24

25. 


―Five years ago Alex Bryan thought his days as an Adventist pastor were
finished. Bryan had resigned in 2002 following disagreements with his
employer, the Georgia-Cumberland Conference, over how to most
effectively reach unbelievers in the Atlanta area. …‖
―But on December 1 [2007], following months of dialogue, Bryan returned
to employment in the same conference. Bryan said he felt an increasing
conviction to minister again within the Adventist Church—and cited his
renewed appreciation for Adventist doctrines, such as Sabbath rest and
the rejection of eternal torment in hell. Bryan said he also missed the
global community of Adventism. ‗I‘m excited to once again serve my
spiritual family of origin,‘ said Bryan. …‖
―Following the decision of the Conference Executive Committee to
employ Bryan, the Church Board voted by a 16-14 margin to affirm the
decision. ‗I understand the nervousness some felt,‘ said Bryan. ‗I hope to
rebuild these relationships in the days to come.‘ During the
deliberations, said Senior Pastor John Nixon, the biblical story of John
Mark was considered. As told in Acts 15, John Mark had at one point
separated from Paul and Barnabas. Later, however, John Mark rejoined
the ministry.‖ (―Atlanta Pastor Reconciles With Georgia-Cumberland Conference,‖
Adventist Today, Jan. Feb., 2008, p. 8)
25

26. 26

27. 


―This week I'm attending the Willow Creek Leadership Summit
via satellite in Atlanta. My parents, brother, and a few friends
have made this an annual appointment each August for several
years now. While it is true that countless church leadership and
pastoral seminars are out there (you could probably attend one
after the next all year long), the Summit is about my favorite. …‖
―As I think about the heavy challenges facing the Christian church
in the days ahead (we are looking at 17.5% church attendance in
USA each weekend and heading lower every year) in is important
to remember that Jesus believes in his church, he trusts his church,
he empowers his church. My own denomination faces a daunting
reality: 62 is the mean age of a church member while 36 is the
mean age of an American citizen. …‖
―Whatever the many challenges and opportunities of postmodernism, post-fundamentalism, post-colonialism, and posttraditionalism, the church can be THE agent of change, the agent
of love, the agent of healing. The church can be, if it acts in the
Way of Jesus, a roaring success against evil in this world.‖
(http://breakfastfires.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2008-09-25T15:24:00-04:00&maxresults=7&start=7&by-date=false)
27

28. 28

29. 


‖Dear Max, … Regarding my Atlanta history: The experience there
had nothing to do with theology, but rather evangelistic strategy. The
Georgia-Cumberland Conference established our church as a creative
approach to evangelism towards Adventist young adults who had left
the church and also non-churched young adults. Our strategy
included implementation of a Sunday evangelistic meeting. The
church found this idea from Testimonies to the Church, Volume 9, page
233, where Ellen G. White suggest Sunday for evangelistic purposes.‖
―The evangelism did not work out as we had hoped, and I have since
discouraged this approach. While I remain passionate about
evangelism, I have learned that greater caution and wisdom in
methodology is critical for success.‖
―Throughout my tenure in Atlanta, our church remained committed
to Seventh-day Adventist theology, while part of the sisterhood of
churches we faithfully returned tithe through denominational
channels, and we maintained our Sabbath services and all that
implies. Both doctrinally and culturally we remained Seventh-day
Adventists. I have never taught or practiced Sunday-keeping—any
assertion to this is false.‖ (cont.)
29

30. 

―Max, I‘m uncomfortable both personally and as a pastor at pointing
towards events that affirm my nearly 20 years of global ministry and
leadership in the Seventh--‐day Adventist Church. This is not in my
nature. However, perhaps this will be of use as you respond to those
that question my credibility within mainstream Adventism.‖
“AFTER my Atlanta experience:
 Georgia--‐Cumberland Conference called me back into full--time
ministry on the campus of Southern Adventist University, in the
largest church in their conference (fully aware of my Atlanta
experience).
 Bob Folkenberg and the Upper Columbia Conference called me to
full--‐time ministry at WWUC, the largest church in the NPUC
(fully aware of my Atlanta experience).‖ (http://spiritualformationsda.files.
wordpress.com/ 2009/05/alex-bryans-response-to-concerns.pdf)
30

31. 31

32. 
―ALEX BRYAN is senior pastor of the Walla Walla
University Church, where he also serves as adjunct
professor in the schools of religion and business at
Walla Walla University. Previously, he pastored
churches in Tennessee and Georgia. He studied at
Southern Adventist University (B.A.
History, Religion), Andrews University (M.Div.), and
George Fox University (D.Min.). The largest portion of
his ministry (11 years) was spent planting and
pastoring a church in Atlanta – a congregational
mission to reach young adults disinclined to
participate in traditional church settings.‖
(http://the1project.org/assets/documents/top_gathering_book_ chicago_2013.pdf; p.
28)
32

33. 33

34. 


―While the Global South and East are exploding, we in the
West, including America, are imploding. … I don‘t suspect many
Christians (and Adventists) understand just how quickly and
decisively we are headed in this direction. …‖
―In the meantime, however, the Christian Church is losing its
market share. The societal thirst for spiritual meaning is intense.
But somehow, even though we hold the Water of Life, we are not
able to quench our generation‘s thirst. Culture‘s spiritual sex drive
is high. Sadly, bookings for the heavenly wedding chapel—those
pledging to join the bride of Christ and marry the God Groom—
are low. The baptismal tank is running dry.‖
―Adventism is geriatric. We are not the hospital maternity
ward, but hospice. We are graying local churches headed for the
grave. If advertising in denominational publications is any
indication, planned Adventist retirement communities are now
big business. Meanwhile, the young seem not to be our business.
Has anybody noticed the age demographic of camp meeting?
How about the predominant patrons of the Adventist Book
Center? Who subscribes to denominational magazines? Who tunes
in to 3ABN? With all due respect, old people.‖ (cont.)
34

35. 

―‘White Adventist Americans are one generation away from near
disappearance, and African-American Adventists are probably two
generations away.‘ The demographic demise of the Adventist Church in
America is hard to overstate. Seventh-day Adventism, birthed on this
continent some 160 years ago, by young people, has now lost its young. Unless
our heading changes, we are traveling down an ever shorter road into a
sunset of our own making.‖
―Local Churches are Losing It: Friends of mine faced an unnerving dilemma a
year ago. Having just moved to a major (million-plus) American city, they
were trying to choose a church. The final choice came down to: (a) a
congregation with a preferable (Adventist) statement of theological beliefs
that met for worship on Sabbath (but other than that was pretty dead) or (b) a
church with a vibrant worship environment, culturally connected
atmosphere, enthusiastic missional energy, deep relational health, thoroughly
grace-centered pulpit, and an overall and potent sense of Holy Spirit-bathed
ministry. The only significant problems with this church were a less appealing
theology (not Adventist) and no public gatherings on Sabbath. My friends
chose the Seventh-day Adventist congregation. But it hasn‘t been easy. The
fellowship is old. Philosophy of ministry is harsh. Relationships are shallow
and cold. Sense of purpose is kaput. The church believes truth but ‗hath not the
spirit.‘‖ (cont.)
35

36. 

―What Should We Do? First, we need a crate load of candor. …I long for a
division, union, or local conference leader to speak with such candor. We
claim 1.1 million Adventist members in America. But that de facto number
may be more like 600,000- 700,000. I long for the Adventist Review to speak
honestly about the dire situation we find ourselves in, as well as the
present successes and future hopes. I long for the General Conference
Session in 2010 to be more than cheers, pom-poms, one-liners. ...‖
―What if a Georgia Dome acceptance sermon, 18 months from now [2010
GC] , by the newly elected North American Division president, started
like this:


My fellow Adventists, I want to begin with a confession. We have chased the
children from the lap of Jesus. And so, for the next five years, we must pledge our
lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor to the task of revolutionizing our schools,
our churches, our organizational structure, and, most of all, our spirituality. …‖
―Second, we must re-claim the local church as the church. Nearly 11 years
ago (in the spring of 1998), I wrote an article for Adventist Review titled,
―The Local Church Is the Church. Period‖ about what I perceived to be
the plight of local congregations in Adventist America. I wrote that in
comparison to Adventist hospitals, colleges, and conference offices, local
congregations are dangerously under-resourced. I suggested that the
health of the entire Advent Movement in North America rested on the
health of local churches. I still believe this to be true.‖ (cont.)
36

37. 


―A majority of pastors say they often feel lonely and isolated in
their local church leadership. Promotions in professional
Adventist ministry are almost always viewed as calls to one of the
Adventist mega-centers. And so, local congregations are left
starving for both material and visionary leadership. …‖
―We need to decentralize with our best and brightest. I pray the
Holy Spirit would storm the castle of our grandest academies and
universities, hospitals and conference offices, plundering the
personnel and taking prisoner those who could rock the world of
American Babylon. We also need, in this local church revolution, a
major transfer of funds from the many layers of governance back
into local settings. …‖
“Third, we need to lower the spiritual driving age. I believe our
Adventist colleges and universities (of which I am currently a
pastoral part) must play a significant role in the redemption and
renewal of Adventism. Simply put, we need young, 20-something
graduates who are prepared, upon graduation, to flood local
congregations with energy, spirituality, relational passion, and
missional skill.‖ (Alex Bryant, ―The End of American Adventism?‖ Adventist Today,
Winter 2009, pp. 7-10)
37

38. 
―In July 2010, five simple Jesus followers (Alex Bryan, Japhet De
Oliveira, Sam Leonor, Tim Gillespie and Terry Swenson) got together
… in Denver. … After two days of prayer, fasting, communion and
reflection we looked across the room at each other and acknowledged
again that Jesus was number one. …‖ (Japhet De Oliveira, ―The One Project: Our
Purpose and Mission,‖ http://the1project.org/ assets/documents/the-one-project.pdf)


―Look, it happened one day in Denver, that we got together, broke
and hurting people—people that a lot of people looked at and said;
Oh their great, their fine, life is good. But we are hurting and burnt
out, and dreaming dreams that we don‘t want to think about
anymore, because you just want to put them in a box and hide them
cause it hurts to treasure them anymore. And we came together as
friends and we really just wanted to escape for a while. …‖
―And I was so broken and hungry, that I said guys, we‘ve got to open
up. … And then it happened. And we said, It happened. And we
walked away and said can it get bigger? Can the circle expand? Could
it be that we could tear down the walls? I don‘t want to fight the
battle anymore! I‘m through! I am tired of seeing members and
beautiful people, leaders like you, who crash and burn and die. I‘m
tired of seeing honey but it turns to ashes in my mouth. It‘s about
Jesus. If people want to march over here, ‗well, we‘re the church,‘
okay fine, but I‘m going to follow Jesus.‖ (Terry Swenson, ―Jesus in our Experience,‖ talk
given Feb. 8, 2011, Atlanta One Project; http://the1project.org/media/listen.html)
38

39. 39

40. 
―Bryan graduated from Southern College (now Southern
Adventist University) in 1993. He earned a Master of
Divinity degree from Andrews University in 1996, and is
currently a Doctor of Ministry student at George Fox
University in Portland, OR.‖ (http://www.gccsda.com/_static_content/
Communication/Communique/2007-11_Communique-web.pdf)

―Bryan graduated from Southern Adventist University in
1993 with degrees in history and religion. He then earned
his Master‘s of Divinity from Andrews University in
1996, and his doctoral degree in ministry from George Fox
University in 2009. Currently he is pastoring at the Southern
Adventist University Church, where he has served for
nearly 2 years.‖ (http://www.wallawalla.edu/about-wwu/news/article/view/university
-church-welcomes-new-pastor/)
40

41. 41

42. 
―Alex Bryan is the Senior Pastor of the Walla Walla University
Church. He was formerly the pastor of an interdenominational
church in Atlanta, Georgia. His work has included frequent
contributions to the Adventist Review, blogging for Adventist Today
as well as speaking (Adventist colleges, camp meetings,
progressive local church environments), church planting, and
creative leadership for mission to emerging cultures. Alex
received a masters of divinity degree from Andrews University,
and is currently in the midst of a doctor of ministry program at
George Fox University, where he is studying ‗Leadership in the
Emerging Culture‘ with Dr. Leonard Sweet.‖ (http://www.slideshare.net/
EmergingOmega/spiritually-experiencing-god-part-2)

―Dear Max, … The assertion that my doctoral degree is in
‗emergent church spiritual formation‘ is false. My degree is in
church leadership, not spiritual practice.‖ (http://spiritualformationsda.
files.wordpress.com/2009/05/alex-bryans-response-to-concerns.pdf)
42

43. 43

44. 


―Anticipate change. Proactive leadership in Google
Culture with Len Sweet.‖
―The Leadership in Emerging Culture Doctor of Ministry (DMin)
tracks explore the character and shape of effective Christian
leadership in the emerging culture. The … program with Dr.
Leonard (Len) Sweet prepares an advance guard of Jesus
semioticians, leaders adept at seeing signs of Jesus‘ work in the
world. These followers of Jesus are not afraid of the future but are
excited about its possibilities and promises, while aware of its
perils and pitfalls.‖
―The approach is an ancient-future one of MRI
(Missional, Relational, Incarnational) discipleship, using an EPIC
(Experiential, Participatory, Image-Rich, Connective) interface.
Students explore how to transition the church from its current
default of APC (Attractional, Propositional, Colonial) to MRI, and
play with a variety of EPIC interfaces.‖ (cont.)
44

45. 

Advances
―Students participate in three face-to-face 'advance' experiences in
Portland, OR, Oxford, UK, and Orcas Island, WA. They meet for a
research course, visit in-person with their advisor, and join
Leonard Sweet for a number of learning sessions. Learn more....‖
Online and Hybrid
―The delivery system for the track utilizes a hybrid delivery
model. Students participate in several conferences, receive
personal mentoring from Dr. Sweet and select faculty advisors,
engage in ongoing online interactivity with cohort members and
professors, and engage in reading, reflection, research, and
writing. Students meet weekly with Len Sweet for synchronous
chats in SpotOn3D at an island online learning community called
‗Mag Mell‘.‖ (http://www.georgefox.edu/seminary/programs/dmin-sfs/index.html)
45

46. 46

47. 47

48. 
―Tuesday, February 3, 2009, Timely Material. …
2. Leonard Sweet gave three powerful ‗meditations‘ on
mission and contemporary challenges to the church. These
sermons were given at my home church last weekend --on
the campus of Southern Adventist University. They are
entitled: A Theology of Football; The Perfect Storm; and The
Music of Life. Access them with the links above.‖
(breakfastfires.blogspot.com/2009_02_03_archive.com)
48

49. 49

50. 


―The omnipresence of coffee at our social appointments intrigues the cultural
critic Leonard Sweet. Coffee, he argues, is a ‗conversational drink‘ and the
more we drink the more we talk with one another! In fact, coffee invites us to
draw others to the table. We somehow know that the ‗experience [of coffee] is
enhanced far beyond the ordinary simply by sharing it with someone else.‘54
Could it be that food and drink in general (and coffee, in particular) is God‘s
mysterious elixir, luring us to hear and be heard by one another? Could it be
that food‘s purpose is both fueling the body and The Body? Frederick
Buechner thinks so, writing, ‗to eat is to acknowledge our dependence—both
on food and on each other.‘‖55
―Sweet is direct: ‗Starbucks knows that conversations need ―third places‖ in
which to thrive.‘ And Starbucks is thriving with six thousand U.S. locations
and four thousand internationally.69 …‖
―The nutritional value of the food and the quality of conversational experience
are not important factors in choosing a fast food meal. The pressing
dilemma, according to Ritzer, is, ‗how much time it will take‖ to get the food
on the table and into the stomach. 72 And so, even as Starbucks (and other
quality companies) have made an effort to brew good coffee, in an attractive
environment, and even in a place where the barista knows you by name, we
must ask: What is the conversational quality of these places? Are people
connecting food and fellowship? Are they, as Oldenburg envisions, places of
laughter, healing, and joy?73‖
50

51. 51

52. 
―My sonnets are not generally finished till I see them again after
forgetting them.‖ So wrote Dante Gabriel Rossetti in 1854. The
following doctoral students helped me see this manuscript afresh
after forgetting it: Sarah Baldwin, Michael Berry, William
Alexander (Alex) Bryan, … I feel honored to be studying with
each and every one of them and wish more criticism came my way
with such admirable amenity. … Leonard Sweet, Thanksgiving
Eve, 2007‖ (Leonard Sweet, 11: Indispensible Relationships You Can’t Be Without, p. 11:
http://www.google.com/search?q=11%3A+Indispensable+Relationships+You+Can%27
t+Be+Without&btnG=Search+Books&tbm=bks&tbo=1)
52

53. 


―Dear Max, … I am absolutely opposed to any form of Eastern
mysticism, mantras, centering prayer, or other non-biblical forms of
spiritual exercises. At no time have I taught or practiced non-biblical
spiritual practice. Any suggestion to the contrary is simply false.‖
―My degree from George Fox University, where Leonard Sweet is a
visiting professor, in no way means that I agree with everything
taught at GFU, including everything taught by Leonard Sweet, or
anyone else. It is important to note that our current and past General
Conference Presidents both hold doctoral degrees from nonAdventist universities. This fact in no way indicates that they agree
with everything taught at those institutions. …‖
―Leonard Sweet is not my ‗mentor,‘ as the document indicates. I have
no regular contact with him whatsoever. Multiple Adventist
gatherings have headlined Sweet as a guest, including: General
Conference, NAD, union conference, and local conference gatherings.
His primary work is as a missiologist.‖ (Alex Bryan, http://spiritualformationsda.files.
wordpress.com/2009/05/alex-bryans-response-to-concerns.pdf)
53

54. 54

55. 


―George Fox Evangelical Seminary: October 25 [2012] via
HootSuite. Check out The One Project, being led by 3 of our
D.Min alums: Terry Swenson, Alex Bryan, and Tim
Gillespie: http://bit.ly/Mj0MR‖
―Jim Carlson: The link doesn't seem to work right now and I
wanna see it cause these are my boys. October 25 at 5:40pm
via mobile‖
―George Fox Evangelical Seminary: The One project Celebrating the supremacy of Jesus in the Seventh-day
Adventist Church—Home: the1project.org‖
(https://www.facebook.com/georgefoxevangelicalseminary/timeline?filter=1)
55

56. 56

57. 


“Eat This Book by Eugene Peterson: … Eat This Book is like a key that
opens up the limitless potential of the Scriptural experience.‖
“Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell: If you believe theology is something people
did in the past … but something we cannot do today … because it has
already all been done …. you must read this little book! While Peterson‘s
book left me pumped about reading the Bible, Bell‘s book left me angry
that no one ever told me (or perhaps I wasn‘t listening) that our job is not
simply to affirm the affirmations of dead people. Theology is living,
breathing, and requires every generation‘s engagement. …‖
”A Generous Orthodoxy by Brian McLaren: I‘ll admit I‘m a little late to
the game as this was published a couple years back. But as I finish
reading this masterpiece I find myself recommending it again and again. …
But this is perhaps the single most important book I‘ve read in the past
five years. McLaren artfully surveys the landscape of theology in America
and argues for a humility and open-mindedness that seeks to learn from
others‘ relationship with God, rather than pointing out the errors of
everyone else. This book embraces courtship over courtroom in compelling
fashion. Love the Bible (Peterson), do theology (Bell), and celebrate the
theological discoveries of others instead of championing your conclusions
as The Truth, The Whole Truth, and Nothing But The Truth (McLaren).‖
(Alex Bryan, http://breakfastfires.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2007-1110T10:40:00-05:00&max-results=7&start=21&by-date=false)
57

58. 

―Book Description: Eat This Book challenges us to read the
Scriptures on their own terms, as God‘s revelation, and to live
them as we read them. With warmth and wisdom Peterson offers
greatly needed, down-to-earth counsel on spiritual reading. In
these pages he draws readers into a fascinating conversation on
the nature of language, the ancient practice of lectio divina, and
the role of Scripture translations; included here is the ‗inside story‘
behind Peterson‘s own popular Bible translation, The Message.‖
―Editorial Review: Christians are to absorb, imbibe, feed on and
digest Scripture. Peterson recommends a type of Bible-based
prayer called lectio divina, in which the person praying meditates
on a short passage of Scripture and listens for God to speak
through the text. Peterson's exposition of lectio divina is one of the
fullest to appear in recent years. Throughout, he cautions that
lectio is not a systematic way of reading, but a ‗developed habit of
living the text in Jesus' name.‘‖ (http://www.amazon.com/Eat-This-Book-ConversationSpiritual/dp/0802864902/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1350845103&sr=8-1&keywords=eat+this+book+
peterson#_)
58

59. 


Customer Review: ―How you read a book is certainly important
and plays a major role in what you get out of it. …
Furthermore, many people do not approach the Bible without a
certain set of presuppositions. Peterson is not exempt. He tells the
story in the book about what led him to paraphrase the Bible and
how it came about that he wrote ‗The Message.‘ … The problem is
that Peterson would consider his paraphrase a translation, but if it
is a translation, we obviously have two different opinions on
accuracy.‖
―The risk with any translation is adding, subtracting, or narrowing
a particular meaning from the original author's intent. While
Peterson's intentions may be pure, his process does not make
proper provision for his own limitations. In the end, Peterson's
premises bypass proper syntax in translating the text. …‖
―Where you begin matters. If you think of the Bible
allegorically, your paraphrase will reflect personal identity more
than contextual accuracy. … I wouldn't recommend it to anyone
without a clear understanding of orthodoxy and hermeneutics.‖
(Adam Miller, http://www.amazon.com/Eat-This-Book-Conversation-Spiritual/productreviews/0802864902/ref=cm_cr_pr_hist_3?ie=UTF8&filterBy=addThreeStar&showViewpoints=0)
59

60. 

Customer Review: ―It is a rather strange and wandering book in which
Peterson meanders through a wide variety of topics having to do with the
theme of Scripture. At heart, though, the book is an attempt to convince
the reader of the importance of reading Scripture in order to promote life
change. Peterson feels this is best done through the ancient practice of
lectio divina. In many respects, then, this book is a beginner's guide to
that practice. …‖
―Having laid the foundation, Peterson provides an overview of lectio
divina. He breaks the practice into its component parts: … Throughout
the book Peterson suggests that lectio divina is a biblical practice and one
that has been practiced since the dawn of the church. This is not strictly
true, as it is the product of a particular form of Christianity: Catholic
mysticism. The way Peterson presents it is quite innocuous, almost as if
he is deliberately avoiding the deeper practices and even potential
problems associated with it. … Peterson does little to help the reader
understand that this is a practice more associated with Catholic mysticism
than with Protestantism. Many of the most notable teachers of lectio
divina would lead readers into practices that are unbiblical.‖(Tim Challies,
http://www.amazon.com/Eat-This-Book-Conversation-Spiritual/product-reviews/0802864902/ref=cm_cr_pr_hist_3?ie=
UTF8&filterBy=addThreeStar&showViewpoints=0)
60

61. 

―Biography: Rob Bell lives with his family in Grand Rapids, Michigan,
where he's the founding pastor of Mars Hill Bible Church. He also teaches
in a short film format called NOOMA, and his books include Velvet Elvis:
Repainting the Christian Faith, Sex God: Exploring the Endless Connections
Between Sexuality and Spirituality. …”
―Book Description: ‗This book is for those who need a fresh take on Jesus
and what it means for us to live the kind of life he teaches us to live,‘
writes Rob Bell. ‗This pursuit of Jesus is leading us backward as much as
forward ... I am learning that what seems brand new is often just the
discovery of something that has been there all along—it just got lost
somewhere and it needs to be picked up, dusted off, and reclaimed.‘ …
‗Don't swallow it uncritically. Think about it. Wrestle with it. Just because
I'm a Christian and I'm trying to articulate a Christian worldview doesn't
mean I've got it nailed. I'm contributing to the discussion. God has
spoken, and the rest is commentary, right?‘‖ (cont.)
61

62. 
Official Editorial Review: ―Bell … offers an innovative and intriguing, if
uneven, first book. This introduction to the Christian faith is definitely
outside the usual evangelical box. Bell wants to offer ‗a fresh take on
Jesus‘—a riff that begins with the assertion that Jesus wanted to ‗call
people to live in tune with reality‘ and that he ‗had no use for religion.‘
Bell invites seekers into a Christianity that has room for doubts. … He
mocks literalists whose faith seems to depend on a six-day creation, …He
cites his church as a place of forgiveness, mystery, community and
transformation. Bell is well-versed in Jewish teachings and draws from
rabbinic wisdom and stories freely. … Still, this is faithful, creative
Christianity, and Gen-Xers especially will find Bell a welcome guide to
the Christian faith.‖ (http://www.amazon.com/Velvet-Elvis-Repainting-ChristianFaith/dp/B0057D8RU0/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1350850997&sr=1-2&keywords
=velvet+elvis#_)
62

63. 
Customer Reviews: ―Rob Bell makes me mad because he preaches an
anti-gospel. … Rob Bell makes me mad because he writes off the virgin
birth of Jesus as non-essential (pp. 26-27). You heard right, he writes off
the virgin birth of Jesus as not essential! . … Rob Bell makes me mad
because he downplays the vital role of conversion. … Rob Bell makes me
mad because he does violence to the clear words of Jesus. … If J. Gresham
Machen were alive today, I suspect he would do what he did with Bell's
theological predecessors. Machen would remind him that while he has
the freedom to start a new religion, he really should call it something
other than Christian given that his religion does not resemble what Christ
actually established as recorded in the Christian book, the Bible.‖ (Pastor
Patrick Abendroth)

―I truly wanted to like the book. … But it wasn't written for someone like
me at all. It made me uncomfortable. … But I didn't feel close to God after
reading Rob's book. Not at all. What I felt was that my faith was being
undermined and I was being laughed at for believing certain things. In
the end, I felt as if I knew more about Rob Bell than I did about God. And
certainly more than I knew about the Bible.‖ (Sarah) (cont.)
63

64. 

Customer Reviews: ―If I did not know my Bible better and had not saving
faith or the Holy Spirit helping me to discern, I might have been swept
away by this type of teaching - especially having been educated at a
secular university, where my professors were all questioning the
doctrines of the Bible and constantly shipwrecking the faith of many a
Christian-raised child. … I say again, that the worst thing this author
does, which ruins the book for me, is that he exchanges the teachings of
the Bible for open-ended discussions, worldly science, and feel-good poppsychology.‖ (E.A. Fisher– Food for goats not for sheep)
“Velvet Elvis: 1. Is anti-orthodoxy, 2. Is light on biblical content, 3. Seems
to promote Rob Bell and his church more than Jesus, 4. Causes people to
doubt their faith, 5. Divides Christians against one another, 6. Is so ‗hip‘
and ‗cool‘ that even non-Christians love it, 7. Ridicules people who hold a
solid view of Scripture and who seek to defend it; such people are guilty
of ‗brickianity‘ in Bell-speak, 8. Allows contemporary culture to interpret
and set the standards for the Bible rather than letting the Bible interpret
and set the standards for contemporary culture, 9. Promotes (and even
rewards!) a lack of critical thinking; instead it praises emotion and
feelings above all else.‖ (Renae, http://www.amazon.com/Velvet-Elvis-RepaintingChristian-Faith/product-reviews/B0057D8RU0/ref=cm_cr_pr_btm_ link_2?ie=UTF8&filterBy
=addOneStar&pageNumber=2&showViewpoints=0)
64

65. 

―Brian D. McLaren (born 1956) is a prominent Christian pastor, author,
activist and speaker and leading figure in the emerging church movement.
McLaren is also associated with postmodern Christianity and progressive
Christianity and is a major figure in post-evangelical thought. He has often
been named one of the most influential Christian leaders in America and
was recognized by Time Magazine as one of the 25 Most Influential
Evangelicals in America in 2005. … Brian McLaren graduated from the
University of Maryland, College Park with degrees in English (BA, summa
cum laude, 1978, and MA, 1981). His academic interests include medieval
drama, romantic poets, modern philosophical literature, and the novels of
Dr. Walker Percy. …‖
―McLaren believes this theology enables him to approach faith from what
he considers a more Jewish perspective which allows faith to exist without
objective, propositional truth to believe. He has also challenged traditional
evangelicals' emphasis on individual salvation, end-times theology, …
McLaren suggests … that new Christian converts should remain within
their specific contexts: ‗I don‘t believe making disciples must equal
making adherents to the Christian religion. It may be advisable in many
(not all!) circumstances to help people become followers of Jesus and
remain within their Buddhist, Hindu or Jewish contexts. …‘‖ (cont.)
65

66. 
―Often McLaren's postmodern approach to hermeneutics and
Biblical understanding prompts him to take a less traditional
approach towards issues considered controversial by
fundamentalists, such as homosexuality. McLaren encourages
what he calls a humble approach to controversial issues to enable
dialog with others in a productive way.‖
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_McLaren)

―Book Description: A confession and manifesto from a senior
leader in the emerging church movement. A Generous Orthodoxy
calls for a radical, Christ-centered orthodoxy of faith and practice
in a missional, generous spirit. Brian McLaren argues for a postliberal, post-conservative, post-protestant convergence, which
will stimulate lively interest and global conversation among
thoughtful Christians from all traditions. In a sweeping
exploration of belief, author Brian McLaren takes us across the
landscape of faith, envisioning an orthodoxy that aims for Jesus,
is driven by love, and is defined by missional intent.‖
(http://www.amazon.com/Generous-Orthodoxy-evangelical-conservative-contemplative/dp/0310
258030/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1350856640&sr=1-1&keywords=a+generous+orthodoxy)
66

67. 
Customer Reviews: ―It appears the strategy of the author is to deal
with post-modernism by becoming post-modern oneself. What this
means is that doctrine really doesn't matter, that a person can
believe pretty much whatever he wishes, and all for the sake of
what? Meaningless gobbley-gook, a faith that has no meaning
whatsoever. It's difficult to pin McLaren down to much of anything,
as his subtitle indicates. What bothers me is that doctrine really does
matter. … and let me be a ‗prophet‘ for a minute--it's the beginning
of the end for the Christian church if we head down this road,
because the destination is more than just inclusivism. In fact, it leads
to pure pluralism (universalism), where everyone who is sincere
should be considered a child of God. The attitude of don't criticize,
‗just love‘ negates the message that the Bible consistently preaches,
that there can be other gospels (Gal. 1:8), that false Jesuses can exist
(2 Cor. 11:4), and that it could be possible to call yourself a Christian
yet not have a true relationship with God.‖ (E. Johnson) (cont.)
67

68. 
―Let me alarm the reader immediately by stating bluntly the
premise of this thesis. … I think this book is one of the bestwritten, well thought-out, and most cleverly presented deceptions
I've ever come across. McLaren is good... really good!
Unfortunately he has wrapped some really good points, some of
which I can agree with, around some very dangerous theological
errors. … I liken refuting some important issues in this book to the
task of ferreting out and destroying cancer in an otherwise healthy
body. Doctors are often frustrated in their attempts to kill
cancerous tumors within living people without damaging the
healthy tissue around the thing that is killing the patient.‖ (Bruce R.
Porter, D. D.)

―[M]y general impressions of this book. In short, it is awful. I consider it,
in terms of content, one of the worst I have ever read and it stands as
damning evidence of what passes for Christian reading in our day.‖ (Tim
Challies) (cont. )
68

69. 

―Take various 'truths' as you perceive them from your personalized
perspective. Add other ingredients from various religious systems to
taste. Place in spiritual blender. Turn setting to puree. Pour contents
into the styrofoam cup that's just right for you. Make sure it tastes
good. Don't worry about nutritional value, health benefit or potential
toxicity. Call it: neochristian smoothie. Share recipe with other thirsty
souls. But don't be rigid or exacting. Let them mix & match & alter the
recipe to suit individual preference. Allow absolute latitude to decide
for themselves what tastes best. …‖
―Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.
Jesus said to his skeptical seeking audience: ‗They have Moses & the
Prophets (Scripture). Let them hear them.‘ The response? ‗No, but if
someone rises from the dead (experiential evidence, conclusive proof,
subjective signs) they will repent.‘ Jesus' loving response? ‗If they will
not listen to Moses & Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if
someone resurrects before their very eyes.‘‖ (Chuck, smorgasbord spirituality,
http://www.amazon.com/Generous-Orthodoxy-evangelical-conservative-contemplative/productreviews/0310258030/ref=cm_cr_dp_qt_hist_one?ie=UTF8&filterBy=addOneStar&showViewpoints=)
69

70. 70

71. ―The Christian church is falling apart and in desperate
need of a revival. According to Professor Sweet and
bestselling author Viola, what is lacking is a
groundbreaking revelation of Christ that boggles the
mind and enraptures the heart. … The authors urge
churches to focus on the man who embodies the entire
religion. To do so, readers must learn the subtle
distinction between following Christ and realizing Christ
already lives within them. Some may find this message
controversial, even pantheistic.‖ (http://www.amazon.com/Jesus-Manifesto-RestoringSupremacy-Sovereignty/dp/1596443855/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1322412894&sr=1-1)
71

72. 
―About the Author: N. T. Wright is the former Bishop of
Durham in the Church of England and one of the world‘s
leading Bible scholars. He is now serving as the chair of
New Testament and Early Christianity at the School of
Divinity at the University of St. Andrews.‖
(http://www.amazon.com/Simply-Jesus-Vision-What-Matters/dp/0062084399)

―Nicholas Thomas Wright is considered by many to be
the most influential New Testament scholar in the world.
As a former graduate and professor at Oxford University,
a former Bishop in the Church of England, and as a writer
of many thick academic books about Jesus and Paul that
have been widely circulated; N. T. Wright demands the
attention of anyone who is seeking to understand current
theological Pauline scholarship.‖ (Piper, The Future of Justification, p. 15).
72

73. 73

74. 

―At any rate, over on the Reformation21 blog, Justin Taylor made the
observation that N.T. Wright's recent book on the authority of Scripture
carries endorsements by two emerging church figures, Brian McLaren
and John Franke, and solicited comments on what affinities there might
be between Wright and the emergent folks. While I suspect endorsements
on the backs of the books have much more to do with marketing than
theology, several figures associated with the emerging church have
admiringly cited Wright as influential, …‖
I find it difficult to ignore Richard D. Phillips's comments on the matter of
Wright and the emergent church. Phillips writes:
 Both Wright and the Emergents have set their sails to catch the wind
of post-modernity, so despite any differences, they are being blown
into the same port. The emergents are enraptured by new paradigms
(e.g. Maclaren's New Kind of Christian), and Wright is the champion of
the New Perspective. New wine and new wineskins go together. In
this respect, I would suspect that the Emergents are attracted to
NTW's rhetoric more than anything else. Imagine the emergent glow
when Wright compares today's theological conservatives to soldiers
who long after the war has ended are "still hiding in the
jungle, unaware that the world has moved on to other matters"
(Challenge of Jesus, 99). (http://sacradoctrina.blogspot.com/2006/01/wright-and-emerging-churchregarding.html)
74

75. 75

76. 

―John MacArthur Attacks the Emergent Church For
Questioning the Clarity of the Scriptures. I listened to John
MacArthur on the Emergent Church today. Masters
Seminary (whose motto is ‗We Train Men as if Lives
Depended on It!‘) is doing a 5 week series of critique on the
Emergent Church. You can find the series of lectures to
listen to here. The first talk was given by MacArthur who
explained that the problem with the Emergent Church is
that they question the perpescuity (or clarity or
intelligibility) of Scripture. …‖
―MacArthur's Concern Regarding Tom Wright and Why
Emergent Folks Actually Like Tom Wright. MacArthur is
concerned that many Emergent people are reading Tom
Wright and praising him. He is concerned that N.T. Wright's
view of the atonement is not orthodox.‖ (http://www.andyrowell.net
/andy_rowell/2006/02/john_macarthur_.html)
76

77. 
Customer Review: ―I consider myself a classic Protestant
Evangelical, and I found that Wright offers many profound, even
brilliant insights on the ministry and message of Jesus. …All that
said, the book leaves me cold. The concluding chapter seemed to
me not a call to personal relationship and discipleship, but mainly
a rallying cry for social action, much of which reflected a left of
center political perspective more than clearly thought out biblical
values. In sum, I think the ‗kingdom more than personal piety‘
theme in the book just goes too far. Most troubling was the way
that Wright seems to pass off and even denigrate the traditional
view of what it means to say ‗Christ died for our sins.‘ It seems to
me that Wright's view of the atonement (if we can even call it that)
is that Christ died more for the failures of the nation of Israel to
fulfill its role in establishing the Kingdom of God than for my sins
and yours. I can't imagine that the hymn Rock of Ages would fit
into Wright's views at all.‖ (http://www.amazon.com/Simply-Jesus-Vision-What-Matters/
product-reviews/0062084399/ref=cm_cr_pr_hist_3?ie=UTF8&filterBy=addThreeStar&showViewpoints=0)
77

78. 78

79. 


―Alex Bryan displays his favorite Spiritual Formation books at the
Adventist Forum meeting held at Walla Walla University, October
2011. He described these books as ‗the most helpful.‘ Bryan
described how others, with differing views about Spiritual
Formation from his have spoken negatively against these ‗helpful‘
books.‖
―He says his favorite authors have been ‗lambasted in some very
poorly written books that are very popular in Adventism right
now by the way, there are three of four of them which I will not
name that are doing great destruction and are very poorly put
together‘ (he holds up the books shown above and reads the
names of his favorite authors;
Manning, Foster, Yaconelli, Foster, Willard, Eldredge, Foster, Man
ning) ‗so yea, I think the comments made about those authors – I
would disagree‘ and then shakes his head and speaks inaudibly
(From Adventist Forum DVD, time stamp 1:11:43 to 1:12:12).‖
―At the end of his statement, he is asked why the Seventh-day
Adventist church‘s president would speak negatively about the
content of those books, Alex is silent and does not answer the
question and goes to the next question.‖ (Taken from ―Concerns Regarding
Alex Bryan as WWU President‖ PDF file, p. 8)
79

80. 
―Dear Max, …. My use of books written by non-Seventh-day
Adventist authors, also, in no way suggests that I agree with
everything written therein. Indeed, all Seventh-day Adventist
schools of theology utilize such books, including our seminary. I
critically read and scrutinize all material to comport with the
fundamental beliefs of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.‖
(http://spiritualformationsda.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/alex-bryans-response-toconcerns.pdf)
80

81. 81

82. 

―Alex Bryan, Senior Pastor of the WWU University
Church has been added to the short list of candidates
invited to interview for WWU president. He joins
David Thomas and Linda Becker who were announced
as candidates last week.‖
―Thomas and Becker met with the search committee on
Tuesday May 1. Bryan will meet with the committee
this Friday May 4. The committee still plans to have a
recommendation for the WWU Board at their next
meeting on May 14.‖ (http://as.wallawalla.edu/collegian/main.php?article=757)
82

83. 83

84. 
―‗I am very pleased with the process that has brought us to this decision,‘
says Joe Galusha, a search committee member and WWU's associate vice
president for graduate studies. ‗Dr. Bryan is a very energetic and
visionary member of our academic community. His leadership will take
our university to a new level of ―excellence in thought, generosity in
service, beauty in expression, and faith in God.‖‘‖(WWU News Release, http://www.noodls.
com/viewNoodl/ 14792681/walla-walla-university/presidential-search-committee-makes-recommendation)

―Three of the most influential pulpits in the Seventh-day Adventist
Church in North America are in the process of losing the current senior
pastor. Pastor Mic Thurber at the Keene (Texas) Church, Pastor Tim
Mitchell at the Pacific Union College Church in Angwin (California) and
Pastor Alex Bryan at the University Church in Walla Walla (Washington)
are all leaving their leadership of three of the largest congregations in the
denomination. Bryan has been recommended by the search committee to
become the new president of Walla Walla University, the institution
where his church is located. He is willing to serve, according to members
of the church who have talked with him, and the chairman of the
university‘s governing board, Pastor Max Torkelson wants him to take
the position.‖ (http://www.atoday.org/article/1256/news/june-headlines/three-senior-pastorsleaving-major-adventist-campus-church-pulpits)
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85. 85

86. 
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―COLLEGE PLACE, Wash. - In a special meeting held
Sunday, July 1, 2012, the Walla Walla University Board of
Trustees, with 25 of 29 members present, decided with a
two-thirds vote to not approve the recommendation of Dr.
Alex Bryan as university president. The board also voted
unanimously to express their appreciation for and
affirmation of Dr. Bryan‘s continuing pastoral leadership
and ministry at the WWU Church.‖
―In forward-looking actions, the board approved a motion
to ask the Presidential Search Committee to continue the
process to recommend additional candidates for the
permanent position of president while it seeks to bring a
viable candidate for interim president to the board as soon
as possible.‖ (http://www.uccsda.org/News/news07032012b)
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87. 87

88. 
―Update on WWU Presidential Search Process: The recent vote of the
Walla Walla University (WWU) Board of Trustees has engendered a
great deal of discussion among the university community and
beyond. Alex Bryan, who currently serves as the WWU Church senior
pastor, was turned down for the president spot during the board‘s
July 1 meeting. But some are championing the cause for him to be
reconsidered. An expanded statement on the process from Max
Torkelsen, North Pacific Union Conference president and WWU
board chair, is available HERE. On-campus meetings will take up the
search process again this coming Monday.‖ (http://www.gleaneronline.org/news.
html?wsnID=11651 &newsCtr=10&newsTop=395&cat=12)

―A Facebook group created by a group of Walla Walla University
student leaders with the intent of sharing factual information about
the WWU presidential search process has attracted more than 2,700
members this week. Since the group was set up Monday evening,
organizers have been steadily building a library of documents
explaining each of the most significant developments of the search
process thus far.‖ (http://spectrummagazine.org/node/4593)
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89. 89

90. 
―It is my intention that [my new presidency] be much more focused on
four priorities that I believe are crucial for the next stage in our
institutional journey:






1. Vision, mission and strategic planning.
2. Building philanthropy.
3. Working closely with the vice presidents.
4. Communing and communicating with faculty, staff and students on all
our campuses. …‖
―I am pleased as well that Dr. Alex Bryan, who has brought so many
good things to WWU over the past few years, has agreed to serve as a
part-time adviser for strategy, mission and vision. Dr. Bryan will help us
vision a transforming and robust future for WWU that brings our
Seventh-day Adventist commitments into creative engagement with the
wider culture. …‖
―Walla Walla University is at an amazing moment of opportunity, by far
the most exciting moment that we have experienced in the last few years.
There will be some significant changes in the way we do things and the
emergence of new faces leading WWU.‖ (John McVay, ―A Renewed Call,‖ Westwind, Summer
2012, p. 4; http://www.wallawalla.edu/fileadmin/user_upload/college_relations/Westwind/summer_12/2012_
Westwind_Web.pdf)
90

91. 91

92. 

―The enemy of souls has sought to bring in the supposition that a
great reformation was to take place among Seventh-day
Adventists, and that this reformation would consist in giving up
the doctrines which stand as the pillars of our faith, and engaging
in a process of reorganization. Were this reformation to take place
what would result? The principles of truth that God in His
wisdom has given to the remnant church would be discarded. Our
religion would be changed. The fundamental principles that have
sustained the work for the last fifty years would be accounted as
error. A new organization would be established. Books of a new
order would be written. A system of intellectual philosophy
would be introduced.
The founders of this system would go into the cities, and do a
wonderful work. The Sabbath, of course would be lightly
regarded, as also the God who created it. Nothing would be
allowed to stand in the way of the new movement. The leaders
would teach that virtue is better than vice, but God being removed
they would place their dependence on human
power, which, without God, is worthless. Their foundation would
be built on the sand, and storm and tempest would sweep away
the structure. ― (Battle Creek Letters, pp. 79-81)
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