Indiana

Dale Monnett and his wife Janet are recent additions to the Spencer Seventh-day Adventist Church. They first visited our church on September 3, 2005, and joined by profession of faith on May 27, 2006, with former pastor, David Fish, officiating.

A few years ago, Janet’s sister (a Christian of another faith) brought her some Signs of the Times magazines. Then Janet found the Three Angels Broadcasting Network (3ABN) and began to study along with the programs offered, telling her husband she had found something in these people she hadn’t seen before. It wasn’t about money or high lifestyles. Women were modestly dressed, the music was uplifting to the Lord, and testimonies were abundant about the goodness of the Lord. Some of the teachings were quite different than those of other churches Dale and Janet had attended, yet they were in keeping with how she had always believed.

When Janet prayed, she asked the Lord to show her the truth about the end times. She also began to question why they were going to church on the first day of the week and not on the true Sabbath. Her pastor at the time gave her some answers, but they were not acceptable to her. After reading Danny Shelton’s book, The Forgotten Commandment, Janet became convinced the seventh day (Saturday) was the true Sabbath. She began to observe Sabbath from that point on.

Janet sent off for It Is Written's Discover Bible study guides and then the Way of Life Bible study guides from The Quiet Hour, and found she was “bubbling inside with new truths and no one to share them with.” As Janet explained each discovery to her husband, he downplayed each one. However, Janet eventually informed Dale that “before I die I want to become an Adventist," although she knew she was already one in heart.

Dale began to watch 3ABN along with Janet. He says, “It started by my wife telling me these things that were completely different from how I believed. She would tell me something, and I would tell her that is completely wrong. The first thing was the Saturday Sabbath. What a place to start! All the time, in disagreeing with her, it got me thinking. When we would talk about these things, I would talk to my friend, Jeff, at work. We would study them, and then we would see these things were true. But I would still disagree with my wife. These beliefs were so foreign to me and to my own beliefs.”

Janet asked if they might visit the Spencer Church, telling him about the nice lady (Cathryn Kuszmaul) who was sending her the Discover studies, often with an encouraging note tucked inside. He told her they probably would never visit. Then one day, in total seriousness, he announced that Saturday is the Sabbath. “It was as though he didn’t know I’d ever mentioned it,” Janet says. Yet, she continued waiting to go to an Adventist church.

Finally, one Friday evening, he casually asked her if she would like to go to church in the morning. Janet reminded him what day it was, and he simply replied, “I know.” Janet was thrilled. That was September 2005. Dale says, “I observed my first Sabbath on September 3, 2005, and my walk with Jesus has never been the same. I had to question my own beliefs, but I couldn’t find Biblical evidence to back me up. The more I studied, the more I became convinced of the [Adventist] beliefs.”

Janet concludes by saying, “On May 27, 2006, we joined the church—one that we love very dearly. I am so happy and so blessed to say ‘Yes, finally, I am a Seventh-day Adventist!’ Although I believe God was preparing me from a child.”

As it turned out, the Bible stories that her mother used to read to Janet and her sister were from the Uncle Arthur's Bedtime Stories series. “Pastor Fish said that would explain why I had different beliefs all my life than many of my other Christian friends. I just never knew why. God did! He put them there! ‘And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free (John 8:32 KJV).’”

Sandra Culp, Spencer Church communication leader