Adventist Voices by Spectrum: The Journal of the Adventist Forum

Happy Pride Month! Four years ago Alicia Johnston resigned from her job as an Adventist pastor due to her bisexual identity. This week she joins me to talk about her new book, The Bible and LGBTQ Adventists: A Theological Conversation About Same-Sex Marriage, Gender, and Identity.

We discuss why she aimed her book at Adventists with a conservative hermeneutic, what's bringing her joy these days, and how folks can support her project.

Alicia's Website

Alicia's Instagram

Alicia's Twitter

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A teacher at South Bay Christian School, near Los Angeles, and a grad student at La Sierra University, Raquel Mentor is also a social media expert who has written for Spectrum.

We discuss how she survived poverty while attending university, what she loves about Adventist education, and some tips she’s learned from her social media success.

Raquel Mentor's Instagram

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I interview Chris Blake, Lead Pastor of the San Luis Obispo Adventist Church, author of numerous books including Swimming Against the Current, Searching for a God to Love, and Reinvent Your Sabbath School, professor emeritus at Union College, and former editor of Insight magazine, about how he’s putting his vision for Adventism into action.

An always fun conversation partner, we discuss what he learned playing basketball at Cal Poly, how he joined the church, his longtime advocacy for LGBT+ equality, and what he enjoys about pastoring on California’s central coast these days.

Referenced Content:

Five Beliefs - SLO Adventist Church

Justin Lee Video

When Scripture Meets Life: Book Review of Unclobber

Enough Room Film

Swimming Against the Current by Chris Blake

Searching For A God To Love by Chris Blake

Reinvent Your Sabbath School by Chris Blake

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Spectrum's Interviews Editor Alita Byrd shares her conversation with composer James Lee III, whose works have been commissioned and premiered by the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, the Boston Symphony Chorus, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and others. His music has been played at Tanglewood and championed by famed conductor Leonard Slatkin.

Some of Lee’s biggest sources of inspiration are the books of Daniel and Revelation, the story of the great controversy, and the second coming of Jesus. Lee is a lifelong Adventist — he attended Andrews Academy and Andrews University before he went to the University of Michigan where he earned his first degree in piano performance and then his masters and doctorate in composition.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bonnie Dwyer, editor of Spectrum, shares key moments in her life that shaped her career as a journalist and leader in the Adventist community. Bonnie discusses her love for the local church, the key first decisions that created the iconic journal, and what she's learned from a career trusting in God and caring for community.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Abraham Joshua Heschel, Jewish rabbi and theologian, civil rights advocate, Holocaust survivor, and champion of interfaith dialogue, is the subject of a new documentary "Spiritual Audacity," produced and directed by Martin Doblmeier of Journey Films.

On Sabbath, May 1, Doblmeier discussed the making of the documentary during a special Adventist Forum/Spectrum webinar hosted by the St. Paul/Minneapolis Adventist Forum Chapter and the Minnetonka SDA Church.

Alexander Carpenter, host of the Adventist Voices podcast, interviewed Doblmeier and was joined by Loma Linda University theologian Richard Rice, St. Paul Forum Chapter President Gary Blount, and Spectrum editor Bonnie Dwyer.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bonnie Dwyer, Spectrum's editor, and I interview Oscar-nominated filmmaker Tomm Moore, director of The Secret of the Kells (2009) about his new animated movie, Wolfwalkers available to watch via Apple TV. The story takes place in 1650 and follows a spirited Irish girl who fights the control of civilization and finds transformative friendship and spiritual power in the forest among a pack of wolves.

We discuss Irish mythology, the beauty of Tomm Moore's hand drawn animation style and how stories connect humans to deeper spiritual truths.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Richard Osborn, PhD, talks about his missionary upbringing, early connection to Spectrum, and how he got his start leading educational institutions. Dick, who recently retired as the Vice President of the WASC Senior College and University Commission and was the former president of Pacific Union College shares some lessons about what’s worked and what hasn’t in schools and Adventist life.

Dr. Osborn is Board Advisor/Member: Loma Linda University Health, Los Angeles Pacific University, Pacifica Graduate Institute, The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, United States University, University of Silicon Andhra, Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA), Charles Weniger Foundation, NAD Higher Ed Task Force

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I interview a recent student of mine, Pacific Union College graduating senior Morgan Williamson on the state of Adventist education and the future of online learning. We discuss why Adventist and public education matters to her, how her student missionary teaching experience in Fiji influenced her career choice, as well as what she’s learned doing her student teaching online with elementary age students.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Back from a spring break in this weekly podcast, I interview Todd Leonard, Senior Pastor of the Glendale City Church, a beautiful Adventist church that’s been a sanctuary to generations of marginalized believers.

We talk about how Todd is transitioning back to in-person worship, how he journeyed from the South to Southern California, his love for community activism, and his new podcast UnCollared https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/uncollared/id1554375187  which he hosts with two other Los Angeles Christian pastors.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.