A Pastoral Reflection on Our Dear Sister Colleen Tinker’s Article, “What Do We Do with Calvinism?”

We thank the Lord for our dear sister in Christ, Colleen Tinker, and for her faithful service through Proclamation! Magazine and the Former Adventist Fellowship. Her recent article, “What Do We Do With Calvinism?” (November 27, 2025), reflects not only theological depth but also a humble desire to honor the authority of Scripture above human systems and traditions. For this, we express our deep appreciation and Christian love.

As believers who share the same Reformed heritage, we in Former Adventists Philippines resonate with Colleen’s heartfelt journey from Adventism to the full light of biblical grace. Like her, we once wrestled with questions of God’s sovereignty, human responsibility, and the mystery of salvation. These are not trivial matters; they are holy mysteries that remind us of our creaturely limits and of God’s infinite wisdom.

While our fellowship in the Philippines holds to a Reformed Arminian understanding of salvation, emphasizing both God’s prevenient grace and human responsibility, we rejoice that our brothers and sisters in the Former Adventist Fellowship in the U.S. uphold a Reformed Calvinist perspective. We recognize that these theological frameworks, though distinct in emphasis, are both rooted in the historic Christian faith and the authority of Scripture alone (Sola Scriptura).

Unity in the Essentials

Despite our different viewpoints on the finer points of election and atonement, we stand shoulder to shoulder on the great and unshakable truths of the gospel:

• Sola Scriptura – The Word of God alone is our final authority.

• Sola Fide – We are justified by faith alone.

• Sola Gratia – Salvation is by grace alone.

• Solus Christus – Christ alone is our Savior and Mediator.

• Soli Deo Gloria – To God alone be the glory.

These are the five solas that unite us as those who have been rescued from the bondage of legalism and brought into the glorious freedom of the gospel. We may differ on how divine sovereignty and human responsibility fit together, but we are one in proclaiming that salvation is entirely of God’s grace, through faith in Christ alone.

Embracing Mystery, Pursuing Fellowship

We deeply appreciate Colleen’s humility in confessing that “both are true” that God elects and predestines, and yet calls all to repentance and faith. This recognition of divine mystery is not a retreat from theology but a posture of worship. As she wisely reminds us, “We are asked to believe God’s word, not to resolve it.”

Indeed, the great 19th-century preacher Charles Spurgeon, himself a convinced Calvinist, once said of the tension between divine sovereignty and human responsibility:

“These two truths are not enemies. They are friends that have never yet been reconciled by man, but they are perfectly reconciled in the mind of God.”

This humility before divine mystery is something every Christian, whether Calvinist or Arminian, can share. We must resist the temptation to divide over what God has not fully revealed, and instead unite around what He has made gloriously clear:

“That Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” (1 Timothy 1:15)

Our Common Mission

As Former Adventists, whether in the U.S. or the Philippines, we are bound together by a mission that transcends theological nuances:

To proclaim the true gospel of grace, to call others out of the shadows of legalism, and to lead them to the rest that is found only in Christ.

In this mission, we are one. We share the same love for the Word, the same zeal for truth, and the same longing for every former Adventist to know the joy of assurance in Christ alone.

May our ongoing fellowship between Former Adventist Fellowship (U.S.) and Former Adventists Philippines serve as a living testimony of how believers can hold differing theological convictions while remaining united in Christ’s love and gospel purpose.

A Prayer for Unity and Wisdom

Father, we thank You for Your Word that reveals both Your sovereignty and Your mercy.

Thank You for saving us by grace through faith in Your Son.

Teach us to walk humbly with one another, to seek truth with charity, and to celebrate our unity in the essentials of the gospel.

May our love for Christ outshine our differences, and may our fellowship display the beauty of the body of Christ to a watching world.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

 

In Christ’s Love and Truth, 

The Leadership of Former Adventists Philippines

“For we are all one in Christ Jesus.” – Galatians 3:28

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Former Adventists Philippines

“Freed by the Gospel. Firm in the Word.”

For more inquiries, contact us:

Email: formeradventist.ph@gmail.com

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