Why do we need Adventist Ed

Why  Keep Adventist Ed?
We like to brag that we are the second largest parochial school system in the world. And we have reason to brag. If I were to poll my pastor/youth pastor peers, I can guarantee that they would like to have the amount of hours discipling students that we, as Adventists, have with students that go to our schools. The trade off of student's being able to do evangelism on public school campuses pales in comparison to the foundation that 6 hours a day, 5 days a week can build in students taught by Christian teachers.

A book came out a few years ago, How to Kill Adventist Education by Shane Anderson, as well as a book by George Knight, The Apocalyptic Vision and the Neutering of Adventism that came to similar conclusions. While I didn't agree with all of their findings, I do agree that we as Adventists have a reason to exist. We do offer something to the 'body' of Christ, which is his Church (all denominations.) The Christian world would be worse off if Adventists didn't exist. Just as it would be worse off if Baptists, Lutherans, or Methodists cease to exist. Our distinctness adds value to the picture of God that is portrayed to the world.

Adventist Education, in my mind, is the key to holding that together in North America. Think about it, without Adventist Education my fear is that the church will cease to exist. In other words if all our schools closed today I don't think we'd have a church for my grandchildren to go to. The friends and peers that are made in school last a life time, if those relationships: friends, spouses are not Adventist or tied to the church somehow, all of the sudden we cease to exist...

Next...some ways to improve on the system.