Global Perspectives‘01
Adventist Education and its Growth
Potential for the New Millennium:
Is the Glass Half Empty or Half Full?
Paul Brantley
Andrews University
April, 2001
Larson’s Four Basic
Temperament Types
Over 1,000,000 students!
Is the glass half empty or half full?
12,000,000
10,000,000
8,000,000
6,000,000
4,000,000
2,000,000
0
1945
1950 1955
1960
1965
1970 1975
1980
1985
1990 1995
1999
Why?

Why is there flat
school growth?

What can we as a
global system do
about it?
How did we attempt to find
the answers?

Survey of union directors, world field







Purposes of Seventh-day Adventist Education
Proportion of SDA youth in SDA schools
Impediments to growth within their fields
Suggested solutions for increasing enrollment
Ideas about SDA philosophy and practice
Best uses of distance education
Survey of selected congregations
from around the world

Suggested solutions for increasing enrollment
Response Rate by Divisions
Union Directors of Education
Division
Total number
Number Retd
North American
9
9
100
No Asia Pacific
4
4
100
South African
1
1
100
Tran-European
16
14
88
So Asia Pacific
10
8
80
Southern Asia
4
3
75
Euro-Africa
14
10
71
South American
11
7
64
South Pacific
5
3
60
African-Indian
9
5
56
Inter-American
12
6
50
7
3
43
10
4
40
112
77
69
Euro-Asia
Eastern Africa
TOTAL
(3 more arrived as of
4-8-01 makes 72 or 71%)
% Return
What SDA Education Can Do to Increase School Enrollment?
World Education Directors of Union Conferences and Missions
Solutions
Elementary
Secondary
Higher
N
%
N
%
N
%
Access (3 items combined)
53
75
58
82
75
114*
Quality (4 items comb)
50
70
60
85
47
71
Finance
43
61
43
61
45
68
Promotion
39
55
36
51
23
35
Reform (Philosophy)
7
10
8
11
7
11
TOTAL
*total>100% mult choice
71
100
71
100
66
100
What SDA Education Can Do to Increase Elementary and Secondary
School Enrollment views from Selected Congregations
Suggested
Ideas
Church A
Holland,
MI, USA
Church B
Chicgo,
Korean
Church C
San Paulo,
Brazil
Church D
Australia
Church E
Mexico
City
Church F
Abijan
W. Africa
Excellence
45%
72%
58
52
57
51
Finance
87
50
72
67
58
71
Expand
25
31
38
39
44
38
Reform
(Philosophy)
29
34
27
37
53
34
Climate
32
34
40
62
41
22
Promote
45
19
33
25
25
25
The Big Six
 Finance
 Quality
 Promotion
 Access
 Reform
 Climate
(Philosophy)
PHILOSOPHY: What is the primary
purpose of SDA education (#1 Ranks)
Union Directors
To
evangelize
non-SDA
youth
Elem
9%
To
nurture
SDA
youth
To help
anyone
(SDA or
non-SDA)
TOTAL
51%
40%
100%
Sec
13
48
39
100
Higher
Educ
13
38
50
100
Ideas about PHILOSOPHY of Adventist Education
Union Education Directors: World Field

Is there a unique
PHILOSOPHY of
Adventist education that is
distinct from that of other
Christian churches?
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Yes
No
What is different about an Adventist philosophy of education –
distinct from other Christian churches? Union Directors
__________________________________________________






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22% Holistic, harmonious development
14% Salvation, preparation for heaven
14% Service
9% Lifestyle
9% Other explanations (manual work, temperance, etc)
8% Redemption, Restoration
8% Sabbath
7% Bible
4% Spirituality
3% E.G. White
IDEAS About Philosophy of Adventist Education
Union Education Directors, World Field

In general, has the Seventhday Adventist Church
articulated a clear
philosophy of education to
guide practice in schools
and colleges throughout the
world?
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Def Yes
Yes,
somewhat
Not really
IDEAS About Philosophy of Adventist Education
Union Education Directors, World Field

In general, do you feel
that Adventist schools
are putting their
educational philosophy
into practice?
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Def Yes
Yes,
somewhat
Not really
What is the most urgent need of Seventh-day Adventist
education in the world today? Union Directors

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17% Financial Support
17% Good dedicated teachers
15% To be guided by a philosophy, a faith
13% Put belief into practice
10% Other ideas
6% Parent/Church Commitment
6% Promotion
6% Expand curriculum
3% Help students accent Christ; form character
3% Leadership
Back to the Initial Question: Is the glass half
empty or half full when it comes to prospects
for Adventist education? My final answer?
On one hand—I believe the glass is half FULL when it
comes to Adventist education
•We have over 1,000,000 students around the world!!
•We’re the largest single system of Christian education
on the planet
•Children have a better ideas of salvation (Habenicht)
•Teens express higher levels of spirituality (Gane)
•Many Adventist young adults who stop attending
Church will return (Dudley)
•Adventist leaders, members agree on the importance of
academic quality—making our schools excellent
(Brantley).
On the other hand—I believe the glass is half EMPTY.
•Per Cent of SDA youth in SDA schools shrinking
•Too many SDA children come from broken homes
•Teens report reading the Bible less (Gane)
•Too many Adventist young adults feel estranged from
their local churches (Dudley)
•Adventist leaders fail to sufficiently promote Adventist
education (Brantley)
•Adventist teachers often feel isolated and alone
(Brantley)
Have you heard this conversation before?
THE REASON OUR SCHOOLS ARE IN TROUBLE IS:
•Pastors just don’t promote Christian education (promotion)
This assumes that Promotion-------------------->Growth
•SDA education has priced itself out the market! (finance)
This assumes that Finances----------------------->Growth
•We don’t have a SDA school or college here (access)
This assumes that Access------------------------->Growth
ALL of these are simplistic explanations.
WHAT is the best source of true growth?
Student
Outcomes
Operations
Leadership
Finance
Access
Philosophy
(reform)
Quality
Climate
Growth
Promotion
My proposal? A New Kind of Marketing
Model A Reform-based Marketing Model
Let’s fill up the glass!!
God has promised--
“Seek you first the kingdom of God, and all these things
shall be added unto you.”
“Ask and it shall be given unto you . . . Pressed down
and running over.”
An Appeal
Though in many respects our institutions of learning
have swung into worldly conformity, they
are prisoners of hope. . . P. 145
We need now to begin again. Reforms must be entered in
with heart and soul and will. . . . Test. Vol. 6, p. 142
It is the degree of moral power pervading a school that is
a test of its prosperity. . . p. 143
May God give us the wisdom to know His will
and the courage to do it!
Paul S. Brantley
2001