A Theological Framework for Adventist Urban Ministry

Abstract

"Early Adventism typically advocated the need to flee the cities for simple rural living because cities were regarded as Babylon (Jer 50:1-3; Rev 18:2-3). Consequently, in those regions of the world where the church’s presence has the longest history with sometimes larger congregations, many church properties are located in the countryside or rural areas. A major reason why the Adventist Church is only so lately coming to terms with the exigency of urban ministries is the deficiency of a theological framework for engagement in missions to the cities. Stone (2015) agrees that the failure to develop a theology for the cities is a factor in the inadequacy of mission initiatives in urban areas. The objective of this paper is to present a theological framework for Adventist urban ministries that will provide an impetus for effective and sustained mission programs in urban settings. This framework will be developed from a biblical study of God and the city, an examination of Ellen White’s writings on mission to the cities, and an exploration of contemporary challenges cities pose to the church’s task of taking the gospel commission to all regions of the world. This framework follows Van Engen’s (1994:249) tripartite theology of mission model comprising an interface between the biblical text, the faith community, and the urban context."