MANILA, Philippines — An application for membership in the Seventh-day Adventist Church has been submitted by newly-elected Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte. The church has acknowledged receipt of the application and a character review of the baptismal candidate is under way.
President Duterte signalled his interest in the church in a recent interview with the Cebu Sun Star in which he said that if he was excommunicated from his own church he “might join the Seventh-day Adventists.”
Joining the Adventist Church would be a bit of an adjustment for the president, said University of the Philippines Anthropology specialist, Miguel Magnolia. “The Seventh-day Adventists don’t just baptize you on the spot. They want you to know what you are committing to. Plus, vegetarian chicken can be a shock to the system.”
So far Duterte has taken several steps to learn about the denomination. He signalled willingness to attend informational briefings on doctrinal teachings and character expectations of the church. He also has toured a number of Adventist educational and medical institutions in the Philippines. Perhaps most significantly, Duterte has pledged to eliminate pork consumption in the Asian nation.
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