Small groups for PMC, known as Grow Groups, are now beginning for the fall semester. Please text "JOIN" to 269-281-2345 to view the groups and choose one or more that interests you. If would would like to lead your own group, text "LEAD" to the same number, and complete and submit the form.
The Pugwash Factor:
How to Respond to the Supreme Court's Same-Sex Marriage Decision
Speaker
Dwight K. NelsonDwight 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
More In This Series
“The Pugwash Factor: How to Respond to the Supreme Court’s Same Sex Marriage Decision”
- The Supreme Court
- “No union is more profound than marriage, for it embodies the highest ideals of love, fidelity, devotion, sacrifice, and family. . . . It would misunderstand these [same sex] men and women to say they disrespect the idea of marriage. Their plea is that they do respect it, respect it so deeply that they seek to find its fulfillment for themselves. Their hope is not to be condemned to live in loneliness, excluded from one of civilization’s oldest institutions. They ask for equal dignity in the eyes of the law. The Constitution grants them that right.” (http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/14pdf/14-556_3204.pdf)
- The Creator
- Matthew 19:3-12
- Seventh-day Adventist Church: “Marriage was divinely established in Eden and affirmed by Jesus Christ to be both monogamous and heterosexual, a lifelong union of loving companionship between a man and a woman. In the culmination of His creative activity, God fashioned humankind as male and female in His own image; and He instituted marriage, a covenant-based union of the two genders physically, emotionally, and spiritually, spoken of in Scripture as ‘one flesh.’” (http://www.adventist.org/information/official-statements/statements/article/go/0/marriage/30/)
- S.D.A. Theological Seminary: “. . . a marriage between a man and a woman is the Edenic model for all time. This unique heterosexual marital form involving the sexual union of a man and a woman constitutes the divine paradigm, the ‘Creation order,’ for humanity from the beginning. This paradigm means that marriage cannot consist of the sexual union between a man and another man or a woman and another woman. This Creation pattern of marriage between a man and a woman remains the norm throughout Scripture.” (“Biblical View on Homosexual Practice and Pastoral Care,” draft 6 p 2)
- North American Division of S.D.A.: “The Seventh-day Adventist Church acknowledges the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision on Friday June 26, legalizing same-sex marriage across the United States. Even with the Supreme Court's decision, the Adventist Church maintains its fundamental belief that marriage was divinely established in Eden and affirmed by Jesus to be a lifelong union between a man and a woman. While the church respects the opinions of those who may differ, it will continue to teach and promote its biblically based belief of marriage between a man and a woman. The Seventh-day Adventist Church believes that all people, regardless of race, gender, and sexual orientation, are God’s children and should be treated with civility, compassion, and Christ-like love.” (http://www.nadadventist.org/article/1073743014/news/current-newspoints/newspoints-june-26-2015-supreme-court-on-same-sex-marriage)
- The Church
- Russell Moore: “We must embody a gospel marriage culture. We have done a poor job of that in the past. Too many of our marriages have been ravaged by divorce. Too often we’ve neglected church discipline in the cases of those who have unrepentantly destroyed their marriages. . . . We must hold our views and love those who hate us for them. We must not only speak Christian truths; we must speak with a Christian accent. We must say what Jesus has revealed, and we must say those things the way Jesus does—with mercy and with an invitation to live.” (https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2015/06/26/why-the-church-should-neither-cave-nor-panic-about-the-decision-on-gay-marriage/)
- Justin Lee: “I’ve talked to many single Christians who find the church a challenging place to be at times. But for single gay Christians, there are even bigger hurdles. . . . Single gay Christians face the difficulties of singleness alongside potential condemnation for their orientation. And while all single people face challenges in our culture, the challenges faced by people who are single by choice or because they haven’t yet found the right person are different from the challenges faced by those who eagerly desire companionship but believe God requires celibacy even if they should fall in love in the future.” (Torn: Rescuing the Gospel from the Gays-vs-Christians Debate 239-240)
- Seminary: “While being faithful to biblical teaching about homosexuality, we must also seek earnestly to understand and empathize with the struggles and challenges that face those who struggle with sexual immorality. . . . All persons, including practicing homosexuals, should be made to feel welcome to attend our churches while non-practicing gay persons should be welcomed into membership and church office. All should receive spiritual care from the church (Gal 6:1). We stand against any antipathy toward homosexuals as well as any cultural biases that fuel a lack of Christ-like love for them. . . . We strongly affirm that homosexual persons have a place in the Seventh-day Adventist Church.” (Ibid 16, 17)
- Henri Nouwen: “God, help me to see others not as my enemies or as ungodly but rather as thirsty people. And give me the courage and compassion to offer your Living Water, which alone quenches deep thirst.”
World Budget (Radio Ministries)
Imagine learning about God through a message in a bottle!
That’s exactly what happened to a devout Muslim in Israel, who found a bottle containing a flyer for Adventist World Radio’s video Bible study series. It made him curious, so he, his wife, and their 10 children decided to watch. His daughter Sarah gasped during one of the videos. She’d recently started having dreams where she was learning about the Bible, and she exclaimed to her family, “The woman in this video is saying exactly what the man in my dream told me!”
After watching these videos, the entire family decided to get baptized.
This wasn’t an isolated incident. AWR’s radio station in Nazareth has started broadcasting programs in Israel, the West Bank, Palestine, and beyond, and hundreds have been contacting the station and studying the Bible as a result.
But the Middle East isn’t the only supposedly “impossible” place being reached with the gospel! Last year, in Europe, 1,530 churches across 38 European countries participated in AWR and Total Member Involvement’s Christ for Europe initiative. Attendees included everyone from refugees in Ukraine to people who found out about the meetings during Coronation celebrations in London.
We encourage you to give generously to support all the radio ministries of the Seventh-day Adventist Church Stewardship Ministries.
—North American Division Stewardship Ministries
It's time for children in Grade 5-12 to register to be part of the Evergreen Pathfinder Club for this school year. As we start our new year we hope you can join us as we have fun, learn about God and share the good news of salvation in a safe welcoming environment. Please text PMCEP to 269-281-2345 to receive the registration form. Questions please contact Errol.prentice@pmchurch.org
Everyone is invited to the overview of the Fourth Quarter Sabbath school lesseon presented by Dr. Rahel Wells on the Book of Joshua. We hope you can join us on October 4 at 4:00 PM in the Pioneer Youth Chapel. For further information contact Melchizedek Ponniah, 269-876-7476, melponniah@gmail.com.
You are invited to the last a hymn-sing for 2025 at The Old Rugged Cross Church on September 20, Sabbath, 4:00 - 5:15 PM. The Old Rugged Cross Church is located at 61041 Vermont Street, Pokagon, MI 49047. Please bring your Seventh-day Adventist Hymnal. A free will offering will help to maintain this historic church where the hymn, “The Old Rugged Cross,” was introduced to the public by the composer. For further information, please contact Melchizedek Ponniah, melponniah@gmail.com, or 269-876-7476.
Heritage Singers October 4, 2025, 8:00 PM. $30 Reserved, $20 Students, $10 Children < 5yrs Heritage Singers is a non-profit gospel music ministry based in California with a goal to bring people closer to Jesus by praising Him through music. When founders Max and Lucy Mace began this ministry, they never thought they would still be doing this 54 years later. Heritage Singers has had the opportunity to travel to over 80 different countries, travel over two million miles, and perform over 7,500 concerts. Max Mace believed that “If there ever was a time to share the Good News about Jesus, it’s now.”
This coming Sabbath, there will be the opportunity to view some of the newly installed pipes and insulation. The micro-tours start at the double doors that lead to the central hallway under the church in the downstairs Welcome Center. The tours will last about 5-10 minutes and will begin immediately after first and second service. The tours will end 30 minutes after each service. Most of the new piping will be hidden by ceiling tiles and behind closed doors so this may be your only chance to see what all the fuss and expense is about. See you there!
Cerus Quartet - Fischoff Competition Winners September 28, 2025, 7:00 PM. $20 General Seating, $10 Students, $5 Children < 5yrs Cerus Quartet is dedicated to showcasing the dynamic and versatile sound of the saxophone quartet. They champion both new music and timeless repertoire. With a repertoire spanning contemporary compositions and transcriptions of classical masterworks, the quartet seeks to establish the saxophone quartet as a leading voice in 21st century classical music. Among many other awards, the quartet has recently received the Gold Medal in the 2025 Fischoff Chamber Music Competition.
Overcoming Emotions that Destroy - a DVD series with Chip Ingram
We all struggle with angry feelings, brought on by tension, pressure, and the blocked goals and frustrations of day-to-day life. The broken and stressed relationships that result from these feelings can overwhelm us. But there is hope. With the right help, you too can overcome those emotions that destroy. Everyone is welcome to join us each Sabbath through October 11. We meet in Pioneer Board Room.
Pioneer Children and Family Discipleship is excited to embark on a special journey of intentionally experiencing the delight of the Sabbath during the 2025-2026 school year. Please sign up for occasional notices about Pioneer-sponsored Sabbath Delight events as well as ideas for things you and your family can do to cultivate a deeper appreciation for Sabbath. We will also look forward to hearing from you about what you and your family are doing each week to call the Sabbath a delight. All are welcome. To sign up for the challenge, please text SABBATH to 269-281-2345.