Does BarelyAdventist Hate the Church?

Between the satire, the memes, the open questions, the essays, the sharp takes, and everything else we publish, there are people who genuinely believe BarelyAdventist has an agenda against the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

So let’s address that directly.

No.

But we do believe something that makes some people uncomfortable: I have never seen a healthy relationship that doesn’t allow for back-and-forth conversation. I have never seen a power structure that grows stronger by refusing feedback. And I have never met a happy family that didn’t joke about its own quirks, foibles, and contradictions.

If you can’t critique something, you don’t actually love it. You’re just afraid of it.

A faith community that demands only praise and silence is not strong—it’s fragile. That kind of posture isn’t grounded in reality, Scripture, or lived human experience. It’s spin. It’s fear. And it’s very weak PR.

That is not what BarelyAdventist is about.

We’re here for real conversation. We’re here for real community. We’re here because we love the Seventh-day Adventist Church enough to believe it can handle honesty, humor, and hard questions without falling apart.

The name BarelyAdventist itself matters. Yes, there’s the joke—barely, as in “not quite.” But there’s also the older meaning: barely as in openly, plainly, in full view. Nothing hidden. Nothing whispered. Nothing buried under institutional polish.

That’s the commitment.

A healthier, more vibrant, more self-reflective Adventism—driven by Jesus, sustained by relationships, strengthened through open dialogue, humor, candor, and cooperation.

We don’t mock because we hate.
We ask questions because we care.
We joke because we belong.

If that makes you uncomfortable, that’s okay. Growth usually is.

But let’s be clear: BarelyAdventist isn’t against the church.
We’re for a church that’s alive enough to talk back.

If BarelyAdventist matters to you, consider supporting the work.

This platform exists because people believe the church is worth honest conversation—out in the open, without fear, and without spin. Patreon support helps keep the lights on, the questions coming, and the community growing.

If you value thoughtful critique, humor with conviction, and Adventism that’s strong enough to talk back, you’re invited to stand with us.