Greetings in the wonderful name  of our Lord, Jesus Christ. I pray all is well with you and your family. I am writing this letter  to formally address a growing  trend  within  our  church that has become a concern to many, including myself. This is the issue of members attending graduation ceremonies on the Sabbath. This information applies to graduations on the Sabbath across the board, including in countries beyond the shores of the South Leeward Conference territories. I did send a note to the pastors earlier this week to give counsel on this matter. But this is my formal submission.

In recent  times,  I have been inundated  with  questions and  comments  about  attendance at graduations on Sabbaths. Since the advent of the UWI Antigua campus, this issue has become more prominent. With graduation coming up soon, questions from members have surfaced again.

I have learned that members are planning to attend graduations on the Sabbath; hence my letter. We have a lot of teachers who also work at UWI and other secular educational institutions who would need to be mindful of attending Sabbath graduations.

I am aware that there are many who look forward to a grand graduation ceremony after many years of hard work. You have earned it and deserve it. However, when it falls only on Sabbaths, it is always a question of whether receiving an earthly well-earned honor is comparable to honoring God our creator on His holy day.

Some may not have given this much thought before, but it is certainly a matter of whose honor supersedes on Sabbath. I have listened to many persons on this matter, and I have also reached out to at least one conference leader in another country with a UWI campus, and combined, I have received many excellent suggestions. Several persons have said that for those who graduated from a school that had graduation on Sabbaths, they simply took the gown and had pictures taken in the gown and avoided the Sabbath ceremonies; and others said that they spoke with other Seventh-day Adventist students and professors, and they do a mini ceremony among themselves. However, the vast majority said that they chose to graduate in absentia, since this is one of the offerings at most  universities  and  is of equal value to the in-person  graduation. Additionally, there are universities with evening graduations that Adventist students attend after the sun has set.

Finding alternative graduation  options is important. However,  maintaining the sanctity of the Sabbath hours is more important; especially when there are no alternatives. This is an important opportunity to witness to those in secular academic institutions about the primacy of the Sabbath to God and His creation. For example, we do not teach on Sabbaths, study on Sabbaths, sit exams on Sabbaths, and it stands to reason that we do not attend graduations on Sabbaths. They are all part of the same educational package and are all considered secular events planned and executed by secular institutions. For this reason, within our Seventh-day Adventist institutions of learning, the graduation ceremonies themselves are held on Sundays.  Hence, attending  graduations  on Sabbaths should be discouraged by all pastors and members of the church.

We believe in and seek to uphold the sanctity and honor of the Sabbath (Isaiah 58:13). Though we may not do it perfectly, we need to do more to keep it holy. Over the years, many have given up subjects at the high school level because the lessons are done on Sabbaths. Many more have refused to take exams on Sabbaths. We, at the Conference, have had to engage universities and schools in negotiations so that students do not have to sit exams on Sabbaths. Oftentimes, we have had success where students are willing to honor God first.

It is my hope and prayer that this letter has served as good counsel to those who are unsure of what to do or have needed clarity on this important matter. May God bless you as you continue to grow in your knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and prepare for His soon coming.

Yours in Christ’s service Wayne R. Knowles, DMin.

President, South Leeward Conference

This article was originally published by Antigua News Room. Read the original article here: Adventist leader urges members to avoid Sabbath graduation ceremonies.