Do Adventist schools have to have Adventist teachers?

My daughter goes to what I can honestly say is an outstanding Adventist elementary school. In fact, it’s the only Adventist primary school in Britain ever to receive an “Outstanding” rating from
Ofsted
—the official inspectorate of schools. So this isn’t opinion or branding; it’s externally verified excellence.

What stands out most isn’t just the inspection result. It’s the atmosphere. It’s warm, relational, and genuinely feels like a family. Over the five years my daughter has been there, she has been consistently nurtured, known, and supported. I’m honestly quite sad she’s about to finish and move on to high school.

Here’s the interesting part: most of the teachers are not Seventh-day Adventist.

The leadership is Adventist. The principal is Adventist. Several staff members are Adventist, and there’s a strong, positive relationship with the local church. But many of the teachers are not—they are simply excellent educators who respect the ethos and contribute meaningfully to the culture.

And it works.

The school is growing. More non-Adventist families are enrolling their children. Rather than the familiar narrative of decline, this is a school that feels resilient, stable, and increasingly influential in its community.

So the question is: does everyone on the teaching staff have to be an Adventist for an Adventist school to thrive—and fulfil God’s mission for our unique brand of education?

Or is it enough that leadership is clear, the mission is intact, and the quality of teaching is strong?

❤️❤️❤️

BarelyAdventist exists for exactly this kind of conversation.

Because this isn’t really just about one school. It’s about a bigger question facing Adventism right now: what actually carries the mission forward in the real world—uniform identity, or faithful, excellent participation in a shared direction?

BarelyAdventist is a space where we can ask those questions without defensiveness. Where we don’t reduce Adventism to slogans or nostalgia, but treat it as something living—something that has to be tested in practice, in education, in community, and in culture.

And that’s why it matters.

If Adventism is going to speak to the next generation, it won’t be because everything looks identical. It will be because the core holds, while excellence, openness, and credibility expand its reach.

That’s what we’re building here. A place where Adventist thought doesn’t shrink to survive—it grows by engaging reality.

If you believe that kind of conversation is necessary, support BarelyAdventist on Patreon and help it continue to grow.