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Tdf
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Username: Tdf

Post Number: 26
Registered: 11-2004
Posted on Monday, December 20, 2004 - 6:28 am:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

My wife and I recently got a message from a family member who is still an SDA and who indicated that she had taken her daughter out of the local SDA school and placed her daughter in the local public school so that her daughter could participate in an extra-curricular activity. Apparently, the family member was subsequently confronted by the pastor who indicated that, if she did not place her daughter in the local SDA school, the family member could no longer serve on the school board of the SDA school.

This reminded me of my days working for the SDA denomination during which it was made abudantly clear that all SDA employees must send their children to SDA schools (and must pay tithe to the SDA denomination).

At that point, I was not questioning Adventist doctrines, but I had a problem with this because I knew from personal experience that SDA schools are generally lacking in resources (at least in the areas where I worked). Most are small, one-room schools where the teacher is quite overwhelmed. It bothered me that children with special needs were being poorly served because the church insisted that all SDA children be sent to an SDA school.

My question is this: are you aware of any other denomination that requires its employees and/or lay leaders to send their children to the denomination's schools?
Melissa
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Username: Melissa

Post Number: 638
Registered: 7-2003
Posted on Monday, December 20, 2004 - 9:47 am:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I'm not aware of any denomination having that extensive of a school system. Catholics do. I grew up primarily in a baptist environment, and though some churches had their own school, it was because the local congregation wanted that option for their children. Our local "baptist" college has just lost support from the southern baptist board because it has started promoting some homosexual ideals within the school social structure, even making the news for going against typical SB positions. The board gave them opportunities to eliminate these non-Christian behaviors and let them know they could not continue to support the school if it continued. The college chose to lose the SB support. When they were still a SB supported school, I know pastors families received a discount if their children attended, but know more that went to non SB schools than took advantage of the offer. In general, the issue of education has never really been a church mandate quite as it is in Adventism, though they do support some colleges.

I'm now in a Christian church. We don't have elementary schools that are denominational, but there are universal Christian schools that some of our kids go to, some are home schooled, but most (including the pastor's kids) go to public schools. I don't know that I've ever met a PK who hasn't gone to a public school (AOG, Baptist or Christian churches). I guess the Luthern church has a school, but I only know that because I have a cousin that works there. It's only through 8th grade if I remember correctly.

B and I have had extensive disagreements on segregating my children from those pagan thoughts out there in the public schools, but he also commented when my son was 6-7 years old, he could read better than some older kids he knew. I thought that was an interesting admission.

I don't know if any of this helps with your question.
Colleentinker
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Username: Colleentinker

Post Number: 1119
Registered: 12-2003
Posted on Monday, December 20, 2004 - 9:59 am:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I agree, Melissa. I don't know any other denomination that requires its employees to send their kids to a denominational school. The only denomination with enough schools to make this an issue would probably be the Catholics, and I'm not aware of any attendance requirements. (For sure the priests couldn't be held to such a rule!)

I read an editorial in the Adventist Review about two or three years ago that outright stated that we need to encourage and keep sending our kids to SDA schools and universities so they can develop their minds and intellects so they can preceive the Holy Spirit. I was quite amazed that they actually put that in print--Paul is clear that spiritual things are SPIRITUALLY discerned, not intellectually.

I guess, however, that if you believe the spirit is merely breath, what else do you have but the mind to figure out spiritual things? It's really quite a helpless cycle--but I can see how they would be frantic about keeping people in Advenitst schools. It requires indoctrination to really embrace Adventism.

Colleen
Goldenbear
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Username: Goldenbear

Post Number: 22
Registered: 12-2004
Posted on Monday, December 20, 2004 - 10:55 am:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Unfortunately, spirituality has very little to do with this topic. Employees are encouraged (read mandated) to send their children to SDA schools because of: 1. Loss of revenue if they don't; 2. Loss of face (If the employees don't send them, why should the man in the pew); and 3. Indoctrination - Making more SDA's.

I know that there are pastors and other church workers who have been confronted and not been offered jobs or transferred because they haven't supported the church school program.

Tdf
having been a principal of several SDA schools, if I had a parent who was on the school board that withdrew their child from the school for whatever reason, I would ask for their resignation. The unpsoken communication it sends regarding the school is huge. People really lead by example in those situations. I believe that even in the public school arena, If you are on the school board and send your child to another school outside district or homeschool you may be asked to resign.
Tdf
Registered user
Username: Tdf

Post Number: 27
Registered: 11-2004
Posted on Monday, December 20, 2004 - 11:21 am:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Goldenbear,

It's interesting how different our experiences can be. I too was a principal in an SDA school and there were school board members who did not send their kids to the school. No one said anything about it. Within the SDA circles where I've lived and worked, it was always taken for granted that the nominating committee made its selections with divine inspiration and school board members were never asked to step down--for any reason.

tdf
Dd
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Username: Dd

Post Number: 269
Registered: 7-2004
Posted on Monday, December 20, 2004 - 11:29 am:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I have a strong, faithful Christian friend who teaches science at the local Catholic high school here in town. She was never asked to take her children out of public school to teach at their school or told she could only have the teaching position if she joined the Catholic church.
Susan_2
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Username: Susan_2

Post Number: 1247
Registered: 11-2002
Posted on Monday, December 20, 2004 - 7:19 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Besides Catholic I don't think there are any other demonational elementary and secondary schools except SDA of any great significance. I know there are numerous Lutheran schools but many are only K-6. Out here in California are many Christian schools where numerous churches of various denominations feed into the school. The Seventh Day Baptist minister of the church I attended for many years taught at one of these sorts of Christian schools. The pastor of the Lutheran church where I attend has sent all his children through the local public schools. The kindergarten teacher my little grandchild was taught by last year in a Southeran California SDA school switched to a different SDA school only around 60 miles away. When we asked her how come she was switching schools she told us it was because the school she was switching to pays $10,000.00 more per year than the one she was currently teaching at. I was appalled! This is the very same conference and these two SDA schools are only about 50 miles apart. It all comes down to money. I have heard through the grapevine that the conference would like to close the small SDA school my grandchild attends. It's just not a very economic viable school. Most the children are Spanish as a second language and are getting financial help so they can attend. The school the teacher switched to is in a middle to upper class predominately "white" area, so the SDA's who put their children in that school would be able to afford the expense. Many of the families whose children go to the school my grandchild attends were converted to SDA from Catholic. Again I have heard that the conference keeps this school going because when they mention shutting it down the families are very broken-hearted and distraught so the conference leaves it open. And, really the staff and the families who send their children to this school seem to all be wonderful people. I think alot of them don't really know much about Adventism except that they have been convinced of worshipping on Sabbath. I have some very good insightful reasons for coming to this conclusion but I won't post them here. I attended both public schools and SDA schools. I liked the public schools better, which does not address the topic of this thread at all.

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