And brings to close weekend of awards and speeches

Brenton Stacey
Public relations officer
Cooranbong, New South Wales, Australia

Cast members of Son of Jesse take their final bow. Credit: Ann Stafford.

A choir-based musical about a Bible hero co-written by a lecturer made its Australian premiere at the Avondale College Alumni Association’s annual Homecoming.

Son of Jesse is Associate Professor Daniel Reynaud and former colleague Adrian Bell’s re-telling of the story of David. Daniel, dean of the Faculty of Arts, and Adrian wrote the musical in 1981 before revising it in 1983. This “deliberately anachronistic” new version included a newsreader as narrator, two psychiatrists discussing King Saul’s health, Absalom talking on his mobile phone and a boxing gloved-clad Goliath. Avondale staff members and students played most of the roles. Seventeen-year-old Justin Watson showed confidence and maturity in his acting and singing, bringing gravitas to the leading role. Senior music lecturer Dr Robb Dennis produced the musical with alumni Andrew Taylor, making his directorial debut, and Kristin Thiele.

The Avondale College Alumni Association kept the name of the recipient of its highest award secret until the presentation during the worship service on Saturday morning. The Outstanding Alumni of the Year recognises Erica Borgas’s commitment to Christian education—she would serve in the classroom, mostly at Avondale School, over almost 40 years—and her “friendliness, graciousness and willingness to help anyone, anywhere.”

Eight other alumni, one from each honour year, joined Erica as award recipients. Receiving citations from their classmates were: longtime Cooranbong community member Pearl Toepfer (1940); retired Seventh-day Adventist Church administrator and educator John Lee (1950); retired Adventist educator Richard Anderson (1960); Adventist minister and church planter Peter Roennfeldt (1970); businesswoman Cornelia Szeszeran (1980); musician Peter Dixon (1985); businessman Stephen Chan (1990); and Adventist minister Kylie Ward (2000).

Harwood Lockton, the international program director for the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) Australia, presented the annual Alumni Lecture on Friday morning. His paper, “Is the Seventh-day Adventist Church yet ready for social justice?” described the worldwide church’s strong voice for social justice as being muted at its local level. We give priority to evangelism and tolerate social involvement for its public relations value, reads the paper. This is despite the 2030 verses in the Bible addressing poverty and wealth and oppression and exploitation. “How have we missed it?” said Harwood. “[Social engagement] is a teaching that infuses the whole of the Bible.”

The alumni association dedicated the lecture to retired Adventist educator and former director of Cooranbong Community Services Centre Dr Tim Gorle, who presented a handmade bunya pine desk set to the association in return.

During the annual general meeting following the lecture, members of the association reelected Pr Des Hills and Jenny Laredo Hilder as their president and vice-president.

Adventist evangelist Pr John Carter, president of The Carter Report, preached the sermon during the worship service, challenging the congregation not to drink the wine of the world but rather the wine of Christ. “It still fills me with joy.” Freedom served as the theme of the other presentations, with Adventist minister Pr Sue Redman and retired Adventist educator Dr John Hammond comparing God’s picture of freedom with our birth into slavery. However, God will bring us out from under the yoke, said Sue. “We, like Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, have known God as El Shadday, the One who is able to fulfil His promise. God now wants us to know Him as Yahweh, the One who is faithful to fulfil His promise.”

Thirty-eight competitors entered the golf classic at the Toronto Country Club on Sunday morning. Ross and Mark Baines won the Ambrose format tournament with a five under par 66. Michael Hale and Mel Lemke won on handicap, 25 years after being among the first winners of the classic.

The Seventh-day Adventist Church and social justice

Joshua Zyderveld
Public relations editorial intern
Cooranbong, New South Wales, Australia

The worldwide Seventh-day Adventist Church’s strong voice for social justice is muted at its local level. Harwood Lockton noted what he called this “ambivalence” during his presentation of the Alumni Lecture, which is part of the Avondale College Alumni Association’s annual Homecoming.

Harwood is the international program director for the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) Australia and has been involved in international development for more than 20 years. His paper asked this question: “Is the Seventh-day Adventist Church yet ready for social justice?”

Referring to Zdravko Plantak’s book The Silent Church: Human Rights and Adventist Social Ethics, which studies the history of social justice within the church from its beginnings in the second half of the 19th century to the mid-1990s, Harwood noted how the church has with one exception—slavery—only advocated for social justice when issues such as gender discrimination and racism challenge the church itself. “There is a sense the Adventist Church does not fully embrace even social involvement, let alone social justice as a part of its mission,” reads Harwood’s paper. “Evangelism or conversion is given primacy and social involvement seems to be tolerated for its public relations value.”

Harwood outlined a theological foundation for social engagement, noting the 2030 verses in the Bible addressing poverty and wealth and oppression and exploitation. “How have we missed it?” he said. “We, like other Christians, have been known to build whole doctrines on less than 10 verses. Yet [social engagement] is a teaching that infuses the whole of the Bible.”

And Harwood argued the Adventist distinctive beliefs of wholeness and the Sabbath are a basis for social justice. From the Trinity triad (God the Father/Son/Spirit) he derived the human triad (mind/body/soul) then the Christian triad (God/me/others), the elements of which relate to each other through justice (me/others), mercy (God/others) and faith (me/God). Harwood also noted how the Sabbath commandment is the link between the first three commandments, which are concerned with our relationship with God, and the last six, which focus on our relationship with others. “It is the link between our theology and our ethics,” reads Harwood’s paper, and it “reminds us of the gospel value of inclusivity.”

In an interview after the lecture, Harwood suggested some simple ways for Christians to become more involved in social justice. “First, focus on either global issues such as poverty and slavery or local issues such as immigration and the needy in the community. Second, use something about which you’re passionate to make a difference. Third, join an established organisation rather than starting your own—you’ll work with experienced people and benefit from the community of skills.”

When asked, “If Jesus lived today, what job might he have?” Harwood responded, “He’d be a social worker or an activist. Look at the gospel accounts of his time on earth—He treated the needs of people through healing and teaching.”

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