Speaker

Dwight K. Nelson

Dwight Nelson served as lead pastor of the Pioneer Memorial Church on the campus of Andrews University from 1983 to 2023. During his time at Pioneer he spoke on the “New Perceptions” telecast, taught at the theological seminary and has written books, including The Chosen. He and his wife, Karen, are blessed with two married children and 2 granddaughters.

Offering

Considering the Adventist Church's historical stance on the separation of Church and State, how do we respond to the increased attention and scrutiny brought on by the presidential candidacy of one of our prominent members? Where do we stand when it comes to the causes of our Evangelical nation? How can we best serve this nation that we love?
Saturday, November 07, 2015
Program: 
As We Begin
Be Not Afraid (from Elijah) • Felix Mendelssohn
Praise
Prayer
Don Dronen
"By the Word of Their Testimony" Baptism
Wayne Allen Smith with Rodlie Ortiz
Children's Story
Jesus Calls Us; O'er the Tumult • Emma Lou Diemer
Worship in Music
Be Thou Faithful Unto Death (from Paul) • Felix Mendelssohn
Sermon
“Mission Possible: What We Can Learn from Ben Carson, Evangelicals and America” • Dwight K. Nelson
Connect Cards, Tithes & Offerings
Hymn
America, the Beautiful
As We Depart
Allegro maestoso e vivace • Felix Mendelssohn

More In This Series

11/14/2015
The heartbreaking terrorist attacks in the streets of Paris only serve as a painful reminder that we live in a broken world. Our planet is filled with cities, and those cities are filled with hurting people who are in desperate need of a few inner city angels.
10/31/2015
Nearly 500 years ago, a young monk stood all alone before the the greatest assembly of powers, princes, and pontificates the world had ever seen. His courage would spark one of the greatest social revolutions in history. How can we tap into that same source of strength to start our own social revolution today?
10/24/2015
In a world where we are called to follow what is popular, Christ calls us to be "uncool." If we desire to follow Christ, we are called to deny self, and follow Him (Matthew 16:24).

“Mission Possible:

What We Can Learn from Ben Carson, Evangelicals and America”

www.pmchurch.tv

 

  • Ben Carson
    • North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists (May, 2015): “As the 2016 United States election cycle begins, the Seventh-day Adventist Church is aware of the increased interest in the presidential candidacy of Dr. Ben Carson. Dr. Carson’s story is well known to most Adventists, and he is a well-respected physician. The Adventist Church has a longstanding position of not supporting or opposing any candidate for elected office. This position is based both on our historical position of separation of church and state and the applicable federal law relating to the church’s tax-exempt status. While individual church members are free to support or oppose any candidate for office as they see fit, it is crucial that the church as an institution remain neutral on all candidates for office. Care should be taken that the pulpit and all church property remain a neutral space when it comes to elections.” (http://spectrummagazine.org/article/2015/05/04/adventist-church-issues-statement-ben-carsons-candidacy)

 

  • Evangelicals
    • George Barna:  Evangelicals (1) have made a personal commitment to Christ (“born again”), (2) believe that by faith in Him they will be in heaven one day, (3) say their faith is very important in their life today, (4) believe they have a personal responsibility to share their religious beliefs about Christ with non-Christians, (5) believe that Satan exists, (6) believe that eternal salvation is possible only through grace, not works, (7) believe that Jesus Christ lived a sinless life on earth, (8) assert that the Bible is accurate in all the principles it teaches, and (9) describe God as the all-knowing, all-powerful, perfect deity who created the universe and still rules it today. (https://www.barna.org/barna-update/faith-spirituality/648-is-evangelism-going-out-of-style#.Vjt4i7erTDc)
    • Proverbs 14:34 NLT—“Godliness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people.”
      • Proverbs 16:12; 20:28
      • Daniel 2:21; 4:25, 27; 5:27; 6:25; 7:26,27; 10:13; 11:36,45

 

  • And Us
    • Isaac Kramnick and R. Laurence Moore: “People attacked [Roger] Williams as a radical, a ‘church-ruinating’ anarchist, for laying the ideological foundation for a society that takes religion seriously but constructs a state without reference to any religious claims.  Such a society is not secular, if by that we mean that religion plays no role in public life. Its politics, however, is godless, and so, in their official functions, are its politicians. Williams reached his conclusions about the urgent need to separate church and state, not because he did not care about the future of Christianity, but because he sometimes appeared to care about nothing else. Williams’s main concern was always the purity of the church.” (The Godless Constitution: The Case Against Religious Correctness 52)
    • “No one who cares about civil peace would deny that morality is important. . . . The dispute is rather between those who argue that the content of morality is itself a question for public debate and those who argue that morality is an issue already settled by the religious views of the purported majority. To the latter, if public officials don’t profess religion, if they don’t make a link between proper citizenship and churchgoing, if they don’t see to it that schoolchildren pray, then the country is on its way to hell.” (Ibid 64)
    • Great Controversy: “[The Pilgrims] patiently endured the privations of the wilderness, watering the tree of liberty with their tears, and with the sweat of their brow, till it took deep root in the land. The Bible was held as the foundation of faith, the source of wisdom, and the charter of liberty. The Bible was held as the foundation of faith, the source of wisdom, and the charter of liberty.” (296)
    • “[The Bible’s] principles were diligently taught in the home, in the school, and in the church, and its fruits were manifest in thrift, intelligence, purity, and temperance. . . . It was demonstrated that the principles of the Bible are the surest safeguards of national greatness. The feeble and isolated colonies grew to a confederation of powerful states, and the world marked with wonder the peace and prosperity of ‘a church without a pope, and a state without a king.’” (Ibid emphasis supplied)
    • Ellen White to A. T. Jones April 9, 1893: “Dear Brother, There is a subject which greatly troubles my mind. While I do not see the justice nor right in enforcing by law the bringing the Bible to be read in the public schools: yet there are some things which burden my mind in regard to our people making prominent their ideas on this point. These things I am sure will place us in a wrong light before the world.” “If such a law were to go into effect the Lord would overrule it for good, that an argument should be placed in the hands of those who keep the Sabbath, in their favor, to stand on the Bible foundation in reference to the Sabbath of the fourth commandment. . . . My brother, this objecting to the passing of a law to bring the Bible into the schools will work against us . . . who are making so much of the Bible.” (The Ellen G. White 1888 Materials 1164)
    • 1 Peter 3:13—“Who is going to harm you, if you are eager to do good?”

 

 

 

When you seek common good,

you share common ground.

 

 

Help Us Welcome New Students

Many new faces will soon join us as they begin their academic journey at Andrews University. We are preparing to welcome them with our traditional Welcome Picnic on Sabbath, August 23. You can support Belong by signing up to be a table host, preparing food, becoming a general volunteer—or all of the above! Text the word “PICNIC” to 269-281-2345

Primary & Junior Sabbath School Relocations

As we begin essential pipe and HVAC renovations in the Primary and Junior Sabbath School (SS) wings, we want to thank you in advance for your patience and flexibility. To ensure all our children and young people continue to have a meaningful Sabbath School experience, several classes will be temporarily relocated beginning Sabbath, July 5, 2025:

New Sabbath School Locations During Renovations Kindergarten 5 & 6 Sabbath School will now include Grade 1 children until the Primary Grade 1 room is ready. Primary Grades 2 & 3 will meet together in the Kindergarten room used by the Something in Common class. Junior Grades 4 & 5 will meet together in the center section of the Commons. Junior Grade 6 will meet in the sanctuary end of the Commons. Young Adults Sabbath School will meet in the Youth Chapel end of the Commons. Something in Common will meet in the Board Room.

Facilities Use During Construction During renovation months, the Commons and kitchen, Primary and Junior SS rooms will be unavailable for reservations, and the central hallway will be closed under the Sanctuary. We are grateful for your continued prayers, understanding, and support during this important project. Your generosity is helping provide a safe and comfortable environment for all ages to worship and grow in faith. 

Register Now for Andrews Academy

Andrews Academy is now enrolling students in grades 9 - 12 for the 2025/2026 school year. We invite you to join the AA family! You will be blessed by what Andrews Academy has to offer. Students consistently score above state and national levels on standardized testing, they are involved in many spiritual and service activities throughout the school year. Our Seventh-day Adventist school’s mission is to inspire our students to think deeply, live fully, serve unselfishly and to honor God completely. School begins August 18. Registration day is August 13. Financial assistance may be available. Call 269-471-3138 for more information or visit https://www.andrews.edu/aa/ and click on “apply today”. 

District Nine Family Camp

Register soon for an uplifting and spirit-filled weekend at Camp Au Sable. The annual District Nine Family Camp is Labor Day weekend, August 29 - September 1, 2025. For the first time this year, registration will be available online at www.midistrictnine.com,  beginning July 20, at 10:00 AM through August 17, at 12:00 PM.

Offering for July 19, 2025

Pioneer Operating Budget

Someone came to their pastor and complained, “Pastor, we can’t afford to give our tithes and offerings. We’re just barely making it from week to week. I wish we just had extra money to give, but we don’t.”

When finances are tight, it requires more faith to return your tithes and offerings. Some will rationalize, “God really does not need my funds.” That’s true, our God is wealthy. But it is especially important to remember that when funds are tight, that is when it is critical that you return your tithe and offerings. We can’t expect to steal from God and be blessed. We all need God’s blessings.

Tough times force us to demonstrate our faith that God as our Partner will come through to provide even when it seems impossible. This is His part of the covenant. Trust in the Lord that He will provide as He promised.

"The more we bring to God's treasure house, the more we shall have to bring; for He will open ways before us, increasing our substance"(Our High Calling, p. 197).

Millions of Christians have put their faith into action with God. Not once has He failed to make it possible. Let’s live in faith so that God can bless us beyond our wildest imagination!

North American Division Stewardship Ministries

God's Hands 4 Kids

 "Love on the Move" is more than just a slogan. It is a way of life. It is at least for God's Hands 4 Kids. We work closely with Berrien County Department of Health and Human Services as well as other area agencies. We extend our caring to other counties as well. There are many ways you as a caring person can make a difference in our community. Today I will suggest two ways you can make that difference. You can do respite, take care of foster kid(s) for a few hours or a few days. No foster license required. Or you could offer to drive someone to an appointment. For more information email Godshands4kids@gmail.com

Hymnsing at The Old Rugged Cross Church

 You are invited to a hymn sing on July 19 from 4:00 to 5:30 PM at The Old Rugged Cross Church, 61041 Vermont St., Pokagon, MI 49047. Please bring your Seventh-day Adventist Hymnal. A freewill offering will help support the church. For more information, please contact Melchizedek Ponniah at 269-876-7476 or melponniah@gmail.com.

Looking for a Prayer Group to Join?

Join us for the Midweek House of Prayer, held online every Wednesday morning from 7:00 to 8:00 AM. We are currently studying the Gospel of Mark. Come and see how your contributions can benefit everyone in the group! The Zoom link is https://andrews.zoom.us/j/9889172131.

Fellowship Dinner
Pioneer Commons

 There will not be a fellowship dinner during the months of July and August, 2025.