Hope International was an independent organization, operated by members of the

Seventh-day Adventist Church The Seventh-day Adventist Church is an Adventist Protestant Christian denomination which is distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the seventh day of the week in the Christian (Gregorian) and the Hebrew calendar, as the Sabbath, and ...

. It published ''Our Firm Foundation'' magazine and ran camp meetings focused on conservative Adventist messages, originally based on

Eatonville, WA Eatonville is a town in Pierce County, Washington, United States. It is south of Tacoma. The population was 2,845 at the 2020 census. The town motto is "Better Together". History For centuries, Nisqually people roamed the rivers and streams o ...

, then Knoxville, IL. The magazine has ceased and the website is inactive. A commercial website claiming Hope International's legacy sells “natural” health supplements and advice out of Marshall, NC. In its heyday, Hope International was criticized by the official Adventist church for being disruptive.

History

Hope International was founded in 1964 by church lay members from the Seattle, Washington area."Hope International" in ''Historical Dictionary of Seventh-day Adventists'' by

Gary Land Gary may refer to: *Gary (given name), a common masculine given name, including a list of people and fictional characters with the name *Gary, Indiana, the largest city named Gary Places ;Iran * Gary, Iran, Sistan and Baluchestan Province ;Uni ...

, p.137–38 They were concerned about the future of Adventist beliefs, following discussions with conservative Christians and the resulting publication of '' Questions on Doctrine'' in the mid-1950s. They purchased land near

Eatonville Eatonville may refer to: * Eatonville, Florida, United States * Eatonville, Minnesota, United States, an alternative name for the former Dakota village Ḣeyate Otuŋwe * Eatonville, Mississippi, United States * Eatonville, Ontario, a neighbourhood ...

. According to historian

, the organization "had no real impact on Adventism" until a retired minister named Ron Spear became actively involved as a leader in 1985. He initiated the magazine ''Our Firm Foundation'', wrote several books, and organized the group's own annual

camp meetings The camp meeting is a form of Protestant Christian religious service originating in England and Scotland as an evangelical event in association with the communion season. It was held for worship, preaching and communion on the American frontier ...

. The writings promoted historic Adventism. The Seventh-day Adventist church issued statements of concern about Hope International in 1992 and 2000.

''Our Firm Foundation''

Hope International published the bimonthly magazine ''Our Firm Foundation''. According to

Alden Thompson Alden Lloyd Thompson is a Seventh-day Adventist Christian theologian, author, and seminar presenter. He is also a professor of biblical studies at Walla Walla University in Washington, United States. Biography He graduated from Walla Walla Co ...

, it "is the theological heir to the perfectionism of the 'old' ''

Adventist Review The General Conference Corporation of Seventh-day Adventists is the governing organization of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Its headquarters is located in Silver Spring, Maryland and oversees the church in directing its various divisions and ...

'' (era of

Kenneth H. Wood Kenneth H. Wood, Jr. (November 5, 1917 – May 25, 2008) was a Seventh-day Adventist minister, author and editor. Since 1980 he served as chairman of the Ellen G. White Estate board of trustees. By virtue of this position he also served as an ''e ...

), though its strident criticism of mainstream Adventism has alienated many who would share its theological perspective."

References

External links

* *
''Our Firm Foundation'' magazine
including archives * "Report on Hope International and Associated Groups", a statement of concern by the Adventist General Conference. Published in the ''

'' i
August 31, 2000
''

Ministry Ministry may refer to: Government * Ministry (collective executive), the complete body of government ministers under the leadership of a prime minister * Ministry (government department), a department of a government Religion * Christian ...

'' i
August 2000
and by the Biblical Research Institute on thei
website
Independent ministries of the Seventh-day Adventist Church Christian organizations established in 1964 Adventist organizations established in the 20th century {{SeventhdayAdventist-stub

History

''Our Firm Foundation''

See also

References

External links