Adventist World April 2023 English

The Fire’s Still Burning

GERALD A. KLINGBEIL

Mission has been the underlying narrative in my life and in the life of my family for the past five decades. It began when I joined the team of a café ministry as a teenager in the early eighties in a midsized town in Germany. It drove me to start a music ministry that sought to reach my nonchurched, secular friends. We spent hours talking to strangers in many European cities, inviting them to come to our concerts and begin a conversation about life, God, and the hole we all feel in our souls.

Later God called me to full-time ministry, and, after getting married, my wife, Chantal, and I spent 15 years teaching college-aged young adults in South America and Asia. Fourteen years ago I joined the editorial team of Adventist World as an associate editor, and my mission changed from being a teacher to being an author and editor. It was still the same mission.

This will be the last introduction I will be writing for Adventist World. During the past two years my wife and I have prayed about our mission and have since realized that our mission calls us back to Germany, where we will be able to be closer to my 84-year-old mother and minister to people living in a post-Christian, secular society. Mission is not limited by geography, our vision, opportunities, or even funding. We were drawn to cross-cultural mission because Humberto Rasi, former General Conference education director, took the time to sit, listen, and “infect” a young couple living in South Africa with the desire to serve God.

We left—and served under sometimes difficult circumstances. We had to learn a new language and were forced to decipher and understand new cultures. Mission changed us as we also changed those we ministered to.

This issue of Adventist World highlights an important pivot in Adventist mission away from a more administrative and structural approach toward investment in the difficult places and frontline workers who will, one small step at a time, understand, minister, transform, and be transformed by the cultures they will serve.

God’s mission throughout Scripture has never changed. He is still in the business of reaching the hearts of those who have never heard and transforming the minds of those who have been bound by Satan—even though our methods and circumstances may change.

Whether in northern Africa, the farthest reaches of Asia, the largest cities of Planet Earth, or the little town that you live in—are you ready to be part of God’s mission?

Erton C. Köhler

Cover image: John Cameron

David J. B. Trim

Karen Porter and German Lust

Gary Krause

We believe in the power of prayer, and we welcome prayer requests that can be shared at our weekly staff worship every Wednesday morning. Send your requests to prayer@adventistworld.org, and pray for us as we work together to advance God’s kingdom.

A young woman smiles as she shows an ADRA card that allows her to pay for food and basic needs items. The humanitarian arm of the Adventist Church is assisting thousands like her in eastern Africa who have been severely affected by years of unrelenting drought.

Photo: ADRA International

—Steve Creitz, Bible prophecy illustrator, about his artwork for the 2023 Creation Sabbath. Each year, as part of the lead-up to Creation Sabbath, a new work of art is produced. The story of salvation is laid out as a circular sequence of events starting with disaster in the Garden of Eden and leading to the new creation. This year’s art is inspired by the same salvation theme.

More Than 5,400

The number of church members and friends who participated in the first territory-wide 5K walk organized by the church in the East Venezuela Union. The 5K walk took place on January 22, 2023, and was preceded by eight days of healthy living promotions on the church’s social media platforms. The posts challenged readers to walk, do outdoor chores, and plant a tree, as well as doing aerobic and strength exercises. These activities and more highlight the eight natural remedies promoted by the “I Want to Live Healthy” initiative.

Engagement in Mission Service

N=56,397

Source: 2017-18 Global Church Member Survey

Data provided by the General Conference Office of Archives, Statistics, and Research

Church members were asked to evaluate their personal involvement in evangelistic outreach by their church to the local community.

3% Does not apply

Needs to decrease greatly

Needs to decrease somewhat

Is at the right level

Needs to increase somewhat

Needs to increase greatly

More Than 100

The number of educators who participated in a training workshop January 26-29 in Fiji. The program consisted of six sessions: living Adventist school wellness; initiating effective Bible teaching; developing the special character of Adventist schools; walking the Quality Adventist Schools Framework; valuing essential characteristics of the Adventist ethos that are declining in Adventist schools; and sharing best practices on how to effectively promote Adventist ethos in Adventist schools. Educators who successfully completed the workshop were encouraged to return to their respective schools and train their fellow staff on how to effectively promote and maintain an Adventist ethos and identity.

“As someone who has dedicated his life to helping others understand the biblical prophecies, I’m excited to be involved with Creation Sabbath. While prophecy gives us an informed understanding of history and our place in it, with all the change that occurs over time, there is a constant, the Sabbath, which God established at Creation and celebrates with the saints in the prophesied new creation. As a creative, I can’t wait to meet the Creator of all things!”

—Keira Bullock, New Zealand Sanitarium chaplain, during her spiritual reflection at the Adventist Health Food Association meeting, held February 12-17. The association connects food factories managed by the Seventh-day Adventist Church around the world. During the meetings attendees listened to performance reports, updates on best practices, challenges, and opportunities for the health food industry.

More Than 1,000

The number of Seventh-day Adventists who marched through the main streets of Guatemala City, Guatemala, on January 21. The march is part of the ongoing work of the Adventist Church to bring awareness of religious liberty to the public.

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—Marek Micyk, Polish Union Conference youth director, about the mission trip from Poland to Israel. Most of the participants were students of the Polish College of Theology and Humanities in Podkowa Leśna, and the main goals of the trip were to educate the students about biblical lands and also for them to serve the local community by cleaning up the shore of the Sea of Galilee.

Photo: Polish Union Conference

“No matter what storm we are going through, God is in our business, in our lives, and in our families. It’s hard, but when we are in the middle of the journey—a storm, a fearful darkness could be our invitation to come back to [His] light.”

“When we think of effective missionary work, the first things that come to mind are speaking to multitudes and converting and baptizing as many people as possible. God used our humble mission of picking up trash to send countless people our way so that we could talk to them. Who knows what will happen next? We just planted the seed.”

Nigerian State Welcomes More Than 10,000 New Members

After two weeks of public evangelism under the theme “Almost Home,” more than 10,000 people were baptized on January 22, 2023, in Aba, Abia State, Nigeria.

The 650 sites produced unprecedented results in the history of the Eastern Nigeria Union Conference (ENUC), leaders said. The event kicked off the centennial celebrations of the Adventist message in the region.

“We praise God for what He is doing,” ENUC president Bassey Udoh said. “We have well over 80,000 members gathered here. From what we see, we find it difficult to assess the number. It is impressive!”

Organizer Azukoye Amadi said he was expecting about 1,500 to be baptized, though the church had planned for 2,000. “But now, two out of the 16 conferences have reached 3,520 [people ready for baptism],” Amadi said. “When we entrust a project to God, He really does wonders. This is the result of the prayer we are seeing today.

We have rented 40,000 chairs, but today we are overwhelmed.”

West-Central Africa Division (WAD) president Robert OseiBonsu expressed his gratitude to God for the evangelistic results.

“We thank God for this well-organized day of prayer and fasting, which culminated in a phenomenal mass baptism of more than 10,000 people. The attendance was overwhelming and beyond expectations,” he said.

Speaking to the people attending the celebration, Osei-Bonsu commended the local union conference workers for “their visionary and innovative leadership.” He added, “It is wonderful in our eyes, and we have every cause to thank God.”

Pastors baptized in 34 mobile baptismal pools, and WAD department directors and Osei-Bonsu were among the speakers deployed across the 650 sites.

“I am happy with our baptism today. I discovered the truth about

Jesus and the Sabbath. I feel good because my life has changed,” Ngozi, a middle-aged man from Mewi and one of the baptized, said.

A woman in her 40s, Chioma, said, “I am very, very happy. My spirit is full of joy. I thank God for baptizing me today.” And a young girl named Grace couldn’t restrain her joy. “I feel happy because now I am a full member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. I saw that there is truth in this church.”

The message was clear to the people of the area who were affected by the recent floods that left more than 25,000 Adventists without homes and possessions. Many unreached villages have opened their doors to the Adventist message, and members have planted several companies and churches.

“Every union region can organize a similar program once a year,” Osei-Bonsu said. “Evangelism will thrive across the region, and many souls will be won for the kingdom.”

Abia State governor Okezie Victor Ikpeazu gave an official declaration. “I officially declare the centenary activities in this field open in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.” A show of fireworks accompanied his formal declaration. And the mass choir, made up of more than 1,000 members, sang Handel’s “Hallelujah Chorus.”

“This mass baptism sent a strong signal to the members that every person should gain a person by the end of the year,” Osei-Bonsu said. “The response from members is encouraging, and I believe the goal of 100,000 members by the end of the year is possible if we all work together.”

Abraham Bakari, West-Central Africa Division, and Adventist World

Ceremony kicks off centennial celebrations across the region.

West-Central Africa Division president Robert Osei-Bonsu baptizes one of the new converts.

Photo: West-Central Africa Division

Digital Evangelism Is Spreading Hope in Hard-to-Reach Places

Edward Rodriguez, Southern Asia-Pacific Division, and

In our world more than 3 billion people are considered least reached with the gospel, and more than 7,000 people groups are unreached. This is more than 40 percent of the total world population. How can the word of hope reach the whole globe with this huge problem that the world church is facing?

This is where the Digital Evangelism Initiative (DEI) comes into the picture. The online prayer and Bible study initiative driven by a young team seeks to use multimedia technology to make the gospel accessible in the digital environment.

DEI joined the Communication and Digital Evangelism Initiative Conference in Pasay City, Philippines, from January 26 to 29, 2023. The team was officially presented to the delegation from the Southern Asia-Pacific Division of the Adventist Church to encourage colleague communicators in how the media work has thrived and reached new heights for church evangelism efforts online.

The initiative is designed to immerse Internet searchers in Adventist information and introduce them to the Adventist lifestyle, leaders explained.

“The General Conference Communication Department funded an initiative in 2019 to increase the reach of the Adventist Church’s social media platforms,” DEI Philippines project manager Ace Sintos said. “This gave birth to the Digital Evangelism Initiative, a diverse group of visionary creatives tasked with sharing Jesus and His love via prayer advertising, web designs, essays, video clips, reels, online Bible study, and various other media.”

DEI is a testing ground for innovative means of making the gospel accessible across several media platforms, leaders explained. A team of specialized digital evangelists working remotely from the Philippines manages the global church’s social media network, boosting search engine optimization (SEO) and improving organic reach. The initiative works around the clock to create material, design visuals, and create web movies that provide important information about the church through the digital environment.

“The Digital Evangelism Initiative aims to use the full potential of digital technology to reach the globe via multiple media channels,” DEI digital production unit manager Daniel Reyes said. According to Reyes, the connection between creatives and Scripture represents a great instrument in this age for reaching billions of individuals yearning for hope and healing online.

The DEI project was presented to participants at the conference so they could fully understand the efficiency of its methods and how

it is making a difference in the lives of those whom this project has touched via digital assets, online prayers, and pastoral care.

“We got a random prayer request from a Spanish online visitor,” Roenna Sintos, DEI online pastoral care and community management unit manager, said. “A few days later the same person called back to say her prayer had been answered. Since then, she has participated in prayer gatherings and has actively prayed for others.” Sintos said that it didn’t stop there. “Last year the same woman called us again, telling us that she had embraced Christ, been baptized, and is now a member of the Adventist Church.”

“DEI continuously discovers new ideas in digital ministry as it explores new strategies to reach people for Jesus,” leaders explained. “As the world shifts full gear, transitioning to the most advanced technology available, this team of creative missionaries will never cease to create an influence on the world’s vast digital space,” they said.

Cutting-edge technology is helping Adventists to share Jesus.

Adventist World

The Digital Evangelism Initiative joined Adventist communication leaders in Pasay City, Philippines.

Photo: North Philippine Union Conference

1,234,397

Membership of the North American Division (NAD) as of December 31, 2022

—NAD president G. Alexander Bryant, in emphasizing the region’s focus on mission during 2023.

The number of city-based chapters across the NAD that Adventist Young Professionals would like to launch by Summer 2023. The organization began in 2019 as a way to engage young professionals in the Mid-America Union Conference. From their humble beginnings, the organization has grown steadily, currently connecting about 7,000 young Adventist professionals in the NAD.

—Jonathan Scriven, Model United Nations director of the Honors College at Washington Adventist University, about The Hague International Model United Nations Conference held in the Netherlands in January. Seventeen students from Highland View Academy, Pine Forge Academy, Spencerville Adventist Academy, and Takoma Academy participated.

—Tamara Thomas, dean of Loma Linda University School of Medicine, about a new regional campus partnership with AdventHealth Orlando. The Loma Linda University School of Medicine–AdventHealth Orlando campus offers medical students the opportunity to train in central Florida to diversify their clinical education across a variety of patient-care settings and environments.

Photo: Jarrod Lutz

“Matthew 28:18-20 promises us power and authority, sends us into the world, and gives the promise of God’s presence. It’s Jesus’ micdrop moment—we never go alone. And so we must go.”

“I was so proud of each of the students, as they almost immediately began contributing to the debate at the conference. . . . Columbia Union academies were very well represented in a conference that included students from more than 200 schools from around the world.”

“A cohort of [medical] students are learning in a setting that shares similar visions and common values with an emphasis on whole-person care, just like Loma Linda University Health.”

When Disaster Strikes

As Seventh-day Adventists, what is our duty?

Bible-believing Christians are not of the world, but live in the world (see John 17:14, 15). As such, they are impacted by the events that impact our world. Earthquakes, floods, fires, and wars affect people beyond any distinction of race, nationality, or social status.

When disaster strikes, Christians are reminded that Jesus’ return to this earth is nearer than ever. But instead of prompting them to an inconsequential reflection, they know they have the responsibility of being the hands and feet of Jesus on this suffering planet. Christians, and specifically Seventh-day Adventists, are ready to show Jesus’ love by assisting those who suffer the consequences of living in a sinful world.

One of the latest major iterations of that urgent call to help took place after a devastating earthquake battered an area of Türkiye and Syria on February 6, 2023. Amid the atrocious human toll, church members in the region rushed to help.

Middle East and North Africa

Union managing director Jean Jack Kareh reports:

“Soon after the earthquake a handful of Seventh-day Adventist church members in west Türkiye paid for a semitruck carrying drinking water. Within days of the disaster the group had quickly combined their resources to purchase water for those in the stricken area. In the hours the group spent traveling together on a highway congested with vehicles sending aid, conversation brought the members together. Their driver, a local businessman who owned the semi, had volunteered his truck for transporting the water.

“One member accompanying the shipment recalled, ‘At one point he started crying, as he told us how encouraged he was that even though we weren’t Turks, we were there to help his people.’

“While most of the world watched in disbelief, Adventist members in more than two dozen sites in Türkiye met online the day after the quake to wrestle with what they could do in the middle of such a catastrophe. Because of logistical difficulties in the region, they knew it would not be possible to assist them officially. They wrestled with how to help, asking, What can we do? What resources do we have? What can we give?

“They asked those questions with the sobering realization that every Adventist member in Türkiye had been accounted for. Considering the responsibility, one member observed, ‘We cannot just stand by and watch. We are here to offer whatever we have.’

“Within days one group had raised money among themselves to buy 30 blankets. Others had collected food, blankets, and warm clothes from their own shelves and closets and delivered them to government distribution centers.

“Across Türkiye, Adventist members invested their time and money, joining efforts with others, cooperating with government projects, and crying with those who cry. ‘Everything is broken. Death is everywhere. We can do so little,’ one member said as he drove a load of food boxes toward one of the devastated areas. ‘But certainly we can pray,’ he added.

“One church member, who is heavily involved in around-theclock assistance, explained, ‘We are working closely with the government to contribute what we can, but the most affected areas are closed to civilians like us.’ Their comfort—and hope—is in knowing that God can reach beyond every restriction, every limitation. ‘So we pray and work,’ he said.”

Photo: Mahmoud Sulaiman

Adventist World, and Middle East and Northern Africa Union

Mission Is a Miracle

Reaching all requires all of us.

will 22 million Adventists reach 8 billion people? Every year the world’s population grows by about 72 million people, but we average only 1 million accessions.

When we look at world languages, the challenge gets even bigger. Scholars estimate the existence of around 7,100 languages in the world, but the Adventist Church works in only 496. Of course, these 496 languages include the main language groups of the world, but have you ever thought about the 6,600 languages in which we are not able to communicate the biblical message of hope?

Our number-one missiological challenge is the 10/40 window. It represents an imaginary rectangle stretching between 10 and 40 degrees north latitude on the world map, where most of the world’s population is concentrated. But now missiologists are expanding the number of challenging “windows,” including the 10/40 window, a post-Christian window, and an urban window.

BY ERTON C. KÖHLER

Thinking about mission in our local communities and, at the same time, catching a vision for a global church can be a great challenge. But when we realize that our call is to be “glocal,” involving not only local responsibility but also global needs, it can appear to be impossible. Our mission is to act locally and support globally, because, as noted by Ellen White, “the world is our field of missionary toil.”1 Every nation, tribe, and language group needs salvation, so we are called to preach the gospel of the kingdom to all the world (Matt. 24:14).

BIG CHALLENGES

Global mission is huge. This is easily understood when we compare the world population with current Seventh-day Adventist membership. Planet Earth reached 8 billion people in November 2022, and our denomination reached 22 million members in 2022. We can celebrate our great family, but it’s almost insignificant when compared to the size of the global population. How

The 10/40 window, an area including almost 60 percent of the world population, boasts approximately 5.2 billion people—out of a total of 8 billion! This area is the birthplace of three great world religions: Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism. The 10 most dangerous countries for Christians and a great number of countries where religion and state are the same lie inside this missiological window. Eight out of 10 people in the 10/40 window live in extreme poverty. The reality of the Adventist Church in this region is complex. Our membership stands around 3 million, with the remaining 19 million Adventists living outside the 10/40 window.

The post-Christian window doesn’t fit in a rectangle on a map as the 10/40 window, but it can be geographically delimited. This window includes Europe, the

Photo: Global Mission

United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and many other countries of the world that are rapidly moving away from a Christian worldview. The contrast between Christianity and post-Christianity is very clear: Christianity believes that the best is in the life to come, while post-Christian or secular philosophy defends that the best is in the present life. Christianity teaches that believing in the supernatural demonstrates faith, while a post-Christian culture thinks that belief in the supernatural demonstrates cultural limitations and intellectual backwardness. Secularism strongly impacts the growth of the church.

The urban window also challenges our mission. This window reaches every continent and is growing rapidly. The list of the top-10 large urban areas in the world includes such cities as Tokyo, Delhi, Shanghai, Dhaka, Cairo, Beijing, Mumbai, and Osaka. In this list only São Paulo and Mexico City have a significant Adventist presence. More than 500 cities of the world have 1 million inhabitants or more, with an average of one Adventist for every 89,000 inhabitants, while the global average is 1 Adventist for every 358 inhabitants. Among these cities, there are 49 cities with fewer than 10 Adventists, and 43 with no Adventist presence whatsoever. How can we reach these overwhelming numbers of people?

GOD NEEDS ALL OF US

To face this huge missiological challenge and reach everyone, we need everybody. Our major investment in mission projects should move from areas of the world with more missional capacity to regions with less capacity. Some regions need to be helpers, while others need to be helped. This is

the beauty of a world church with a global structure and unity.

Gorden Doss, professor emeritus in the mission department of the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary at Andrews University, suggests that the producers of mission resources can help the consumers of mission resources. He organized all divisions and unions attached to the General Conference in two groups: the “Big 6” (including the North American Division, Inter-American Division, South American Division, East-Central Africa Division, Southern Africa-Indian Ocean Division, and South Pacific Division) and the “Diverse 8+” (including the Euro-Asia Division, Inter-European Division, Trans-European Division, Northern Asia-Pacific Division, Southern Asia Division, Southern Asia-Pacific Division, West-Central Africa Division, Ukrainian Union Conference, Chinese Union Mission, Middle East and North Africa Union Mission, and Israel Field).

The “Big 6” divisions have 77.4 percent of all Seventh-day Adventist membership and just 21.1 percent of the global population. They can be considered areas of low strategic need. Despite many challenges, they have the needed tools to fulfill the mission in their areas. The “Diverse 8+” have 78.9 percent of all the global population, but only 22.6 percent of our membership. They really represent a high strategic need.2

Only a reorganization of our mission resources, strategies, and missionary sending will help us to be more efficient to face the immense challenge of our global mission. We are calling this initiative Mission Refocus. It’s an appeal for some regions that in the past received foreign missionaries to start the work, and today are vibrant and strong, to start to do the

same for other challenging areas of the world. “Think of our missions in foreign countries. Some of them are struggling to gain even a foothold; they are destitute of even the most meager facilities. Instead of adding to facilities already abundant, build up the work in these destitute fields,” wrote Ellen White years ago.3

Jesus will return not only to the territory of the “Big 6,” but also to the territory of the “Diverse 8+.” That means that the entire Adventist family, together, needs to take the responsibility to bring “salvation to the ends of the earth” (Acts 13:47). Ellen White is clear when she states that “His kingdom will not come until the good tidings of His grace have been carried to all the earth.”4

The global mission before us is humanly impossible. But it’s not ours. We are just instruments for a mission that belongs to God. All our projects, strategies, and mission offerings are important, but only His miracles will make it possible to reach every corner of this globe. Mission is not a human process; mission is a miracle. Only through the power of the Holy Spirit and the latter rain will doors be opened, will miracles happen, and will we together be able to fulfill the mission “unto the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1:8, KJV).

1 Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church (Mountain View, Calif.: Pacific Press Pub. Assn., 1948), vol. 7, p. 12.

2 Gorden Doss, Introduction to Adventist Mission (Silver Spring, Md.: Institute of World Mission, 2018), pp. 279-283.

3 E. G. White, Testimonies, vol. 6, p. 450.

4 Ellen G. White, Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing (Mountain View, Calif.: Pacific Press Pub. Assn., 1956), pp. 108, 109.

Erton C. Köhler serves as executive secretary of the General Conference.

Mission is not a human process; mission is a miracle.

The Advent Message to All the World

A brief history of the Adventist missionary enterprise1

BY DAVID J. B. TRIM

At the 1901 and 1903 General Conference sessions the Seventh-day Adventist Church underwent a dramatic reorganization to ensure it could reach out to all the world. Often when we tell the story of the early-twentieth-century reform of our church we tell it as chiefly a story of administrative restructuring. But I suggest that just as important, if not more so, was the mentality of the men elected as General Conference (GC) officers in 1901 and 1903.

Arthur Daniells served as president from 1901 to 1922; William Spicer served as GC secretary from 1903 to 1922 and then president until 1930. Both were visionaries of worldwide mission. Their joint passion, and that of the GC treasurers and vice presidents who served alongside them, and of the Secretariat team that Spicer gathered around him, was taking the Adventist message into unentered territories and to unreached

peoples. As Spicer told the 1922 GC Session, which elected him president: “The cause of worldwide missions is not something in addition to the regular work of the church. . . . To carry the one message of salvation to all peoples . . . is the aim of every conference, every church, every believer.”

Thus, to restructuring was added the collective passion of General Conference leaders to expand the boundaries of mission; together these factors had a dramatic impact.

GOING TO ALL THE WORLD

From 1901 the number of new church workers dispatched from the homelands to the mission field gradually increased up to the start of World War I.

Missionaries Dispatched 1901-1940

In 1909 and 1910 the number sent out exceeded 150—triple the number sent in 1901. The number of new mission appointees plateaued during World War I, but then spiked in 1920 at 310, twice the number 10 years earlier. In all, during the first 20 years after

the 1901 reforms, the Seventh-day Adventist Church sent out 2,257 new missionaries. One result was global expansion. In 1920 the North American membership was 51.7 percent of the total, and the rest of the world’s share was 48.3 percent; the corresponding figures in 1921 were 49.83 and 50.17 percent. Thus, 1921 was the year that membership beyond North America finally exceeded that within the continent. That was undoubtedly largely because of the number of missionaries and the frontline, incarnational ministry that missionaries of that era performed.

While the figure of 300 new missionaries was not matched again until after World War II, throughout the 1920s the number of new missionaries each year was more than 150. The Great Depression caused a dramatic decline, with numbers falling below 100 per annum for three years—but then, for the rest of the 1930s, more than 100 new missionaries were sent out every year, despite the severe financial constraints the church faced. This number dropped again with the start of World War II, but even before the war ended it was climbing, thanks to remarkably bold and visionary planning by General Conference president J. Lamar McElhany and secretary Ernest D. Dick in the darkest moments of the war. It’s striking that even in the 15 years from the start of the Great Depression until the end of World War II, there were 1,597 new missionary appointees.

The quarter century following the war—1946–1970— was the golden age of the Adventist Church’s foreign missionary program: in these 25 years the number of “workers sent to mission fields” (which was the church’s official terminology) totaled 7,385.

New Missionaries Dispatched 1940-1970

In 1969–1970 new missionaries totaled 970—by far the largest number of new missionaries sent into service in any two-year period in the church’s history. But as the chart illustrates, it is no coincidence that 1969–1970 marked the high point of the missionary enterprise, for 1970 concluded a quarter century of mostly steady growth in missionary numbers. High numbers were sent abroad during 1945–1947, which were artificially inflated by the dispatch of large numbers of appointees who had been waiting for improvements in world conditions to travel, which in part led to the decline of 1948–1950, whose other cause was the collapse of the church in China. Then there were occasional peaks and troughs in the 1950s and 1960s—yet overall the trajectory was up, and after 1950, sustainably so. The second chart shows more than the annual numbers: it includes a fourth-order polynomial trendline, which reveals more clearly the steadily upward trajectory in this era.

RISING AND FALLING

The rise of Adventist mission in the 25 years after the end of World War II was the result of a huge, concerted team effort by church administrators, educators, medical leaders, and, of course, members in North America, Europe, Southern Africa, and Australasia. But leadership was important. The growth of the post-World War II years, like the dramatic expansion of the three decades after the 1901 reorganization, owed much to the commitment of the GC officers to mission. Reuben R. Figuhr, president from 1954 to 1966, and Robert H. Pierson, who succeeded him, had both served many years far from their American homeland as missionaries. Walter Beach, who served as GC secretary from 1954 to 1970, had also been a missionary, and he could not have been clearer at the 1964 Annual Council when he declared: “We are a world missionary church—not just a church with missions in all the world.”

Let’s go back to 1969 and 1970, however, which saw the highest and second-highest numbers of new appoin-

Photo: Global Mission

tees in our history: 473 and 470, respectively. These two years were the apogee. Since then the story quantitatively, if not qualitatively, has been one of decline.

In sum, during the 120 years since the 1901 reorganization, there was steady growth in the numbers of new appointees, checked only by the Great Depression and Second World War. This was followed by remarkable growth, which plateaued at the end of the 1960s. Since that point, the number of long-term missionaries being appointed has gone steadily and inexorably down.

Yet this has happened as membership is growing. The proportion of resources the church commits to worldwide mission, expressed as a proportion of the membership, has fallen more steeply and for longer than the decline in actual numbers of long-term missionaries. Furthermore, the nature of the work that missionaries do has changed as well; and they also are not as longterm as they used to be.

INCARNATIONAL MINISTRY

Here are just a few examples of missionaries and their service.

„ George D. Keough and his wife, Mary Ann, served as missionaries from Britain to the Middle East on three separate occasions. Starting in 1908, their service in the region totaled 33 years, with another four years spent at the General Conference, for a total of 37 years of missionary service. They began their third tour of duty when George was 65, an age others would be retiring; and they returned to their homeland only for the final time, when George was 72.

„ George and Laura Appel went to eastern Asia in 1920 and spent the next 38 years in mission service, 30 in China and elsewhere in eastern Asia, and eight in the Middle East.

„ Dick and Jo Hayden also spent 38 years as missionaries, starting in 1930, working in the mountains and jungles of Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador.

„ Merritt and Wilma Warren served in China and the Philippines for 47 years, starting in 1913, and returned to their U.S. homeland (which must have no longer seemed like a home) only when Merritt was 69 and Wilma 72.

„ Ezra and Inez Longway spent 55 years as missionaries, starting in 1918: 30 years in the China Division and 25 in the Far East Division.

„ Keough, Appel, Warren, and Longway all served spells as union presidents, while Appel was Middle East Division president and Longway and Keough were division department directors. But all spent many years working first in frontline mission. For example, George Keough and his family spent most of their first 21 years as a missionary deep in the Egyptian hinterland, where George would go and sit on the earth floors of local people’s homes, eating whatever food they gave him, and winning them to Christ by representing Christ to them.2

In contrast, today’s missionaries tend to be based in institutions and administrative headquarters. Of course, there is a need for skilled medical practitioners, accountants, and IT professionals to serve the world church; but there is also still a need for people, today called from all around the world and sent all around the world, to represent Christ to people who do not know Him. It is GC Secretariat’s recognition of this fact that has led it to propose a Mission Refocus.

1 This article is largely based on A. L. Chism, D.J.B. Trim, and M. F. Younker, “We Aim at Nothing Less Than the Whole World”: The

from Amazon. 2 See D.J.B. Trim, “ ‘The Power of Real Christianity’: George and Mary Ann Keough’s ministry,” Adventist World, January 2021, pp. 24, 25.

Seventh-day Adventist Church’s Missionary Enterprise and the General Conference Secretariat, 1863–2019 (Silver Spring, Md.: Office of Archives, Statistics, and Research, 2021), available

David J. B. Trim is director of Archives, Statistics, and Research for the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists

The rise of Adventist mission in the 25 years after the end of World War II was the result of a huge, concerted team effort by church administrators, educators, medical leaders, and, of course, members in North America, Europe, Southern Africa, and Australasia. But leadership was important.

Missionaries Still Go!

BY KAREN PORTER AND GERMAN LUST

Missionaries still hear God’s call to take the message of salvation to every corner of the world, because every living person needs to hear about the love of Jesus!

The Adventist Church has several kinds of missionaries, including volunteers, Global Mission pioneers, Waldensian students, tentmakers, and fully funded international workers called international service employees (ISEs). It is the ISE missionaries that is the focus of this article.

During the past seven years 524 fully funded international missionary families left their homeland to work in other parts of the world. Even during the pandemic and despite difficult circumstances and many delays, missionary families continued to go. Miracles were witnessed as God worked to arrange visas, work permits, and travel at just the right time. Currently there are 349 missionary families serving across the globe.

These 349 families come from 64 countries and every division of the world church, and they are serving in 80 countries around the world.

MISSION REFOCUS GOALS AND PRIORITIES

The General Conference Mission Board voted at its April 2022 meeting to refocus mission resources. Six criteria will be used to assign international missionaries to positions funded by the General Conference. The aim is that in five years 35 percent of assignments will meet these criteria, and in 10 years 70 percent will meet these criteria.

The goals in voting to refocus mission resources are to:

1 Send more missionaries to nonentered areas of the world.

3 Encourage regions that currently have many missionaries to think about not only receiving missionaries, but to intentionally send missionaries to other parts of the world.

3 Use our best efforts to refocus mission resources.

4 Renew the church’s missionary movement to what it was when most missionaries were sent to unreached people groups and to unentered countries. The missionary assignments will be focused on six criteria:

„ Where the gospel is personally carried to people groups who have never heard about Jesus and where the organized church has little or no presence.

„ In areas of North Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, which include the majority of the world’s Muslims, Hindus, and Buddhists.

„ In large cities and nearby areas where more than 1 million people live.

„ In countries or regions where there has been a lack of religion for so long that any past Christian influence has been mostly lost.

„ In countries, regions, or people groups where there are very few Adventists.

„ To manage and train workers to personally carry the gospel and establish work among people groups who have never heard about Jesus and where the organized church has little or no presence. The time has come for a mission refocus; a time for aligning our hearts and minds, our people, our resources, to reach the unreached with hope. Refocusing mission priorities will be a challenge. We must think how each one can contribute to the mission of the church. This calls for a spirit of sacrifice. What sacrifices can you make so that those who have not yet heard about Jesus may learn of Him and His sacrifice for them? Will you join us and accept this challenge?

Karen Porter and German Lust codirect the International Personnel and Resources Services (IPRS) at the General Conference.

8 Billion Reasons

Five new trends in missions

BY GARY KRAUSE

On November 15, 2022, the cry of a newborn baby somewhere on Planet Earth signaled that the world’s population had reached 8 billion. Chances are, with current world population trends, the baby was born somewhere in Africa. Experts say that by 2050 most population growth will happen in just eight countries: Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Tanzania, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, and the Philippines.

Population data can be mind-boggling. Consider the island of Java. This relatively small Indonesian island has 148 million inhabitants. That’s more people than most countries of the world, including Russia, Canada, every single country in Europe, and every country on the continent of Africa except Nigeria.

Or think about Uttar Pradesh, just one of 28 states in India. Known to most of us as the home of the Taj Mahal, if Uttar Pradesh were a country, it would be the fifth most populous in the world.

THE POWER OF CITIES

Researchers tell us that in 2009 the world’s demographic center of gravity changed forever. For the first time in history, most people were living in cities. By 2050 two out of three people will be living in them. Cities cover only 3 percent of the earth’s surface. But their power and influence dominate the world. Consider, for example, America’s northeast megalopolis, which extends from Boston down to Washington, D.C. It’s a relatively small geographic area, but consider its impact in four areas:

Education: An education epicenter, it’s home to hundreds of colleges and universities, including many Ivy League schools, such as Harvard, Yale, and Princeton. This matters, because what’s taught in university classrooms today sets the agenda for popular culture and people’s lives tomorrow.

Economics: It has the largest economic output of any megalopolis in the world. It’s the headquarters of major finance companies, including a third of the Fortune 500 global companies.

Information and entertainment: It’s home to the headquarters of the major American TV networks, and some of the world’s most influential media conglomerates and newspapers.

Politics: It’s home to such political powerhouses as the White House, the Capitol, and the United Nations. Decisions by a few here affect the lives of billions everywhere.

Also consider the influence of California’s urban entertainment and media hubs:

Hollywood: Located in just a few square miles in Los Angeles are Universal Studios, Walt Disney, Warner Brothers, Paramount Pictures, and more. The TV programs and movies produced in this small urban area are watched all over the world, from massive Asian cities to small rural African villages.

Silicon Valley: A few hundred miles north of Hollywood is Silicon Valley, near San Francisco. This small urban space contains the headquarters of such giant tech and social media companies as Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, Alphabet, and Apple. Can you imagine the power and influence emanating from this small urban space? If Facebook alone were a country, it would be the most populous country in the world.

CURRENT MISSIOLOGICAL TRENDS

Against this demographic backdrop, we can see five key missiological trends:

1 Business as Mission: There’s growing recognition of the untapped potential of urban centers of influence, tentmakers,* and church members refocusing their businesses for mission.

The United Nations has recommended what they call the “15-minute city” concept. The goal is for urban residents to be able to meet most of their daily needs within a 15-minute travel time by foot, bicycle, or public transport. What if Adventists committed to their own “15-minute city” concept? The goal would be to have a church, a church plant, an urban center of influence, or an Adventist-owned mission-focused business within a 15-minute travel time for anybody living in the world’s great cities.

2 Wholistic Mission: This is part of our foundation as Seventh-day Adventists. There should be no artificial separation of evangelism and care for people—they should be integrated into a wholistic mission as demonstrated by Jesus. Of course, our care for people should be no-strings-attached, and never conditional on people accepting Jesus or becoming Seventh-day Adventists.

3 Indigenous Mission Workers: Increasingly, Adventists in various regions of the world are taking responsibility for mission in their own territories. Global Mission pioneers—local laypeople—are planting churches among their own people groups. Indigenous leaders are taking ownership of mission. Although we still need hundreds more cross-cultural missionaries, increasingly their role should be to help empower local workers and to reach “unreached” people groups.

4 Global South Missionaries: The number of missionaries from the global south is steadily rising. When we look at the Adventist Church worldwide, we can see where our personnel strength lies. If the Seventh-day Adventist Church were a village of 100 people, 89 of them would come from Africa, Asia, and Inter- and South America. Those whom missionaries have blessed in the past are now increasingly turning to bless others.

5 Growth in Secular and Post-Christian Population: On March 21, 2021, 46.2 percent of people checked the box “Christian” in the British census. That meant for the first time in history, less than half the British population identified as Christian. Britain and Europe are a warning of what’s coming to the rest of the world. In America, for example, it’s expected that by 2050, if not before, the “Nones”—people who profess no religious belief—will outnumber Christians.

WRAP-UP

Jesus promised us that “this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world” (Matt. 24:14). He didn’t say “hopefully,” or “perhaps,” or “maybe.” He said it will be preached. And God has invited us to participate in His mission of sharing love, hope, and salvation with all the world.

As we look at the demographic and mission trends around us, may we be like the men of Issachar, who “understood the times” (1 Chron. 12:32, NIV). And may the Holy Spirit guide us to refocus our mission priorities, adapt our methods, and use our resources wisely.

* A tentmaker uses his or her profession to work in a restricted area of the world and share the good news about Jesus.

Gary Krause is director of the General Conference Office of Adventist Mission.

Increasingly, Adventists in various regions of the world are taking responsibility for mission in their own territories. Global Mission pioneers—local laypeople— are planting churches among their own people groups.

The Three Angels’ Messages in Non-Christian Contexts

BY JAIMIE ECKERT

In the beginning Zamira1 was just a language study partner, but soon we became close friends. When we started studying the Bible together, her family looked on approvingly, even allowing her to place an Arabic Bible on the same shelf beside the Qur’an.

At first Zamira liked to pick and choose from Scripture. She loved the stories, but I noticed she blacked out large sections of the Gospel of John with a Sharpie marker. Anything that insinuated the divinity of Christ was problematic for her.

We took it slow and studied step by step. Eventually she accepted the inspiration of Scripture. Then she accepted the truth of Jesus’ death on the cross for her sins—a major step for a Muslim.

But as we studied the divinity of Jesus, she began to realize that there is a point of disjuncture between Islam and Christianity. She drove our studies with intense, searching questions, and I did my best to answer them. I can still remember the day we finished our last study about the divinity of Christ.

“I understand it,” she said very quietly. “It all makes sense.” There was a long pause.

“If the things we are studying are true,” I asked gently, “What should be our logical response to Jesus?”

“We should worship Him,” she said without hesitation.

“Zamira, would you like to worship Jesus—not just as a great prophet from history, but as your Savior . . . and your God?”

For a moment her eyes filled with tears. I could sense conviction, fear, and earnestness. But Zamira did not decide for Christ that day. Instead she inexplicably and painfully ended our Bible studies and our friendship. A few weeks later she left the country, and I’ve never seen her again.

WHAT WENT WRONG?

In our God-given task of sharing the three angels’ messages with the world, we engage in the important process of “missional optimization,” sometimes called “critical contextualization.” This is a theology-driven attempt to develop better explanations and practices for mission.

My own experience with Zamira gave me a deep interest in missional optimization. I wanted to know what I could have done better. Could I have explained the message more clearly? Should I have spent more time addressing Zamira’s social concerns with accepting the truth? Were there deep, worldview-level objections to Trinitarian theology that she could not articulate and I could not answer? Most likely the truth involved all these and more.

Perhaps you have your own story of unsuccessful witnessing. Certainly, only God fully understands how

a person will be impacted by our witness, and many non-Christians have been drawn to Christ through awkward and poorly presented explanations of the gospel. The Holy Spirit works despite our failures. Nevertheless, almost everyone engaged in frontline evangelism can think of times we have walked away saying, “That did not go well!”

How can we improve our witness? More specifically, how can we improve our presentation of the vital truths of the three angels’ messages for the people groups who need it most—the world’s Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Jewish people, and post-Christians? Perhaps a key for all of us can be found in the principles of missional optimization.

WHY DO WE NEED TO “IMPROVE” MISSION?

Did you know that most of our converts come from other Christian churches? Even in the 10/40 window, where we plant churches in the heart of Buddhist, Hindu, and Muslim nations, very high percentages of our indigenous church members have joined our church from other Christian denominations.

This is not surprising. A zoomedout look at our missional methods reveals a plethora of books, tracts, evangelistic sermons, and Bible study guides created by Christians for Christians. When we share literature or preach about the three angels’ messages, we tend to assume our audience already knows how to find the book of Revelation, what an “angel” is, how creation happened, and what the commandments of God are. These assumptions reveal our hidden audience: Christians.

Imagine you are a non-Christian living in the 10/40 window, where you have grown up without the slightest exposure to biblical ideas.

You, along with hundreds of millions of others, do not know who Jesus is. You do not know what a Bible is, or how to find its individual books, chapters, or verses. You don’t know the meaning of such terms as gospel, salvation, or remnant. And many of Christianity’s richest symbols— such as eating Christ’s body and crucifying self—seem downright strange and repulsive to you!

It is not only the faraway non-Christians in the 10/40 window who are confused by our teachings. Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, Jewish people, and post-Christians are now living in Western countries. They are beside us, in our gyms, our grocery stores, our workplaces, and our neighborhoods. Wherever we are, whoever we are, there is a need for us to engage in missional optimization.

Ellen White wrote, “The people of every country have their own peculiar, distinctive characteristics, and it is necessary that men should be wise in order that they may know how to adapt themselves to the peculiar ideas of the people, and so introduce the truth that they may do them good.”2

MISSIONAL SCAFFOLDING: THE INTELLIGENT SEQUENCING OF TOPICS

As we seek to optimize our witness to non-Christians, we begin with three crucial principles. The first principle is sequence. It’s important to choose an appropriate order for sharing new spiritual topics with our non-Christian friends. Witnessing works best when we start with “common ground” topics and build upward to “testing truths.” Intuitively, we use a type of missional scaffolding, which starts where they are and builds upward to where we wish to take them.3

Such scaffolding can be seen in the predictable order of resources

designed by Christians for Christians. Often the first sequence of studies or sermons will include such common ground topics as:

The validity of Scripture

Salvation through faith in Jesus’ death and resurrection

The character and love of the triune God

While these themes build rapport with fellow Christians, imagine following this sequence with a Muslim friend. These three “opener” Bible studies, perfectly sequenced for use with Protestants, introduce Islam’s top three testing truths. To share these at the outset seems calculated to prejudice a Muslim’s mind against the message. Ellen White seemed to suggest that topic sequencing is important in mission. She wrote, “Do not at the outset press before the people the most objectionable features of our faith, lest you close the ears of those to whom these things come as a new revelation.”4

As we attempt to sequence topics progressively, let’s beware of two common errors in missional scaffolding. The first error is ending too low, remaining stuck in commonalities. We fail to present the three angels’ messages in their fullness, which produces weak believers and a watered-down church. The opposite error is perhaps just as bad— starting too high on the scaffolding, presenting truth in such a way that even a basic understanding is out of reach to our target audience. When we fail to come down close enough, making the edges of truth “reachable” to people who have never heard it before, the damage can be irreversible. Ellen White writes, “Let such portions of truth be dealt out to them as they may be able to grasp and appreciate. . . . If truth were presented in so large a measure that they could not receive

it, some would go away and never come again.”5

An important part of missional optimization involves ordering our topics in progressive, manageable steps, neither beginning too high nor ending too low, so they can reach a full understanding of our message.

WORDS THEY UNDERSTAND: SENSITIVE TERMINOLOGY

A second way that we can optimize our witness to non-Christians is by adjusting the religious terminology we use. “Christian-ese” is hard to understand. Simple words that make sense in our Western, Judeo-Christian worldview may be profoundly foreign for the world’s non-Christians.

Take, for example, the word salvation. In many of the languages in India, there is no precise translation for salvation. One of the closest parallels is the word moksha, which literally means “liberation.” But this term comes with baggage, for moksha is understood as liberation from the cycle of reincarnation, when a person’s soul joins the divine unity of all life, living forever in blissful nothingness. This is clearly not what we mean when we speak to a Hindu about salvation! Using generalized terms without explanation can lead to confusion and religious syncretism.

Furthermore, just because a Hindu has emigrated to a Western nation and speaks fluent English does not mean he or she understands what we mean when we use the word salvation. Words are interpreted through the person’s underlying worldview. Unless you explain what you mean when you say salvation, the Hindu’s default is to interpret it with the mental schemata that already exist in his or her mind. Being mindful of the terminology we use is vital for opti-

mizing mission. If in doubt, always feel free to ask your non-Christian friend, “When I say ———, what do you understand it to mean?”

CHOOSING MEANINGFUL TOPICS FOR THEM, NOT US

A third important principle for missional optimization involves the selection of topics in our evangelistic tracts, Bible studies, and evangelistic sermons. The topics we tend to emphasize reveal, once again, our hidden audience: Christians. For example, our Christian-to-Christian evangelistic resources emphasize the truth that hell is not a place of eternal torment—a teaching that plagues many conscientious Christians. But Buddhists and Hindus aren’t primarily asking about hell; they’re wondering how they can be reincarnated into a higher sphere. Do we have any Bible studies that address reincarnation in a kind, sensitive, biblical way? No? Then this is an opportunity for missional optimization.

Here is another example. Most Adventist evangelistic resources emphasize the manner and timing of Jesus’ return. In part, this is to address rapture myths, an Evangelical concern. But Muslims already believe Jesus is coming back liter-

ally and visibly. They don’t believe in a secret rapture. What they need is a study addressing the purpose of why Jesus is coming back. For them, Jesus will return as a great prophet who will kill all the pigs, break all the crosses, and make all Christians convert to Islam. Part of missional optimization involves informing ourselves on the major objections and viewpoints held by people of other faiths so that we can speak on relevant topics. We must be ready, in season and out of season, to answer their questions, not ours.

A COMPLEX BUT BEAUTIFUL TASK

We can do our best to optimize our presentation of the three angels’ messages, but people may still misunderstand. We can build meaningful friendships, but still be rejected. We can try to mitigate social barriers to conversion as far as possible, but fail to bring our friends to Christ.

God created each person with freedom to choose, and even well-executed witnessing may, at times, fail to save a soul. But in most cases better mission practice will translate into better soul winning. Although there is no formula for mission, we do know that improved witnessing gives people improved

chances at accepting the last warning messages for our world.

You can begin optimizing your witness to non-Christians by developing a mindset of customization. Believe that the full truths of the three angels’ messages can be understood by non-Christians if we present the message intelligently and with love. Dedicate yourself to becoming informed about other religions so that you can use appropriate sequencing, terminology, and topics. And as we seek to do our best in the Lord’s vineyard, let us remember: “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase” (1 Cor. 3:6, 7).

1 Not her real name.

2 Ellen G. White, Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers (Mountain View, Calif.: Pacific Press Pub. Assn., 1923), p. 213.

3 For examples of how Jesus and the apostles used missional scaffolding, see Acts 2; John 16:12; The Acts of the Apostles (Mountain View, Calif.: Pacific Press Pub. Assn., 1911), p. 180; Gospel Workers (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Pub. Assn., 1915), p. 92; Christ’s Object Lessons (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Pub. Assn., 1900, 1941), p. 263.

4 Ellen G. White, Evangelism (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Pub. Assn., 1946), p. 141.

5 Ibid., p. 142.

Jaimie Eckert studied and experimented with missiological principles while working far from her home country. She and her husband, Michael, currently live in Maryland, United States.

“Improved witnessing gives people improved chances at accepting the last warning messages for our world.”

The Secular/ Post-Christian Challenge for Mission

BY KLEBER D. GONÇALVES

The mission is the same, but the people with whom we must share the good news of the “eternal gospel” (Rev. 14:6, NIV) are not. Sociocultural shifts during the past few decades have profoundly affected how people view and practice religion worldwide. For instance, God’s mission has been severely harmed by the continuous growth of secularism, which involves eliminating anything related to religion or spirituality. At the same time, many have developed attitudes of rejection of Christianity and the church as a whole—particularly against institutionalized religion.

THE SECULAR/POST-CHRISTIAN REALITY AROUND THE WORLD

Some of these shifts are greater than what we can see. Let’s consider the sheer number of people this group represents: approximately 1.1 billion people worldwide. In other words, one in every seven individuals on this planet identifies as “religiously unaffiliated.” This is a very diverse and complex group comprised of atheists, agnostics, nonreligious persons (i.e., “nones”), or anyone who does not espouse any particular religious tradition or faith.

We typically have the Western world in mind when we look at the secular/ post-Christian challenge. There are many reasons for this, including, the deliberate efforts in place to eliminate religion from public and social life. For example, according to research done by the Pew Research Center, about 3 in 10 adults in the United States consider themselves religiously unaffiliated, and a secular/nonreligious worldview is now embraced by roughly a quarter of the population. During the past 15 years the number of those who identify with Christianity has decreased by 15 percent. Those who claim no religious affiliation have increased by 13 percent. These figures are even higher when younger generations, such as Millennials and Gen Z, are included in the mix.

In some ways the issues related to irreligiosity in Western Europe are much more complex. Very few people

Are there still opportunities out there?

attend church regularly in what was once a Christian continent. The number of Europeans who are indifferent to Christianity and who consider religion irrelevant is constantly growing. A similar pattern is also emerging in Australia, where the rejection of religious faith is on the rise. Almost 10 million Australians, roughly 38 percent of the population, claim to have no religion whatsoever.

With the advancement of globalization and new communication technologies, the waves of irreligiosity are not just washing up on Western shores. In Euro-Asian regions this is an ever-growing tendency. For example, the rise of secularism as a social and political order coincided with the revival of religion in the post-Soviet regions. In Russia 28 percent of its citizens do not embrace any religious tradition, while 13 percent do not believe in God. Moreover, Asia has become home to five of the world’s 10 least religious countries: China, Japan, South Korea, North Korea, and Hong Kong. As a simple example, because of a lack of parishioners and priests, one in every three Buddhist temples in Japan will likely close during the next 25 years.

Similar attitudes are also perceivable among “cultural Muslims”—especially with young people—who identify with Islam in cultural and social ties but tend to disconnect from their parents’ faith. Jews are experiencing the same phenomenon. Among those who live in Israel, age 20 or older, 44 percent say they are secular. And in the United States, when asked to explain their relationship views, 25 percent identify themselves as agnostics, atheists, or believers in “nothing in particular.”

Waves of atheism, agnosticism, and secularism also show their impact on the African continent. More than 15 percent of people in South Africa consider themselves atheists. In Mozambique 14 percent declare themselves nonreligious, compared to 20 percent in Botswana. At least 30 million individuals in Sub-Saharan Africa identify as “religious nones,” affirming they do not follow any religious faith.

It is no surprise to find similar parallels in Latin America. With the downfall of Catholic authority in many countries in Central and South America, secularism is prevalent in various forms. In Uruguay, the least religious country in South America, about 47 percent of the population do not believe in God’s existence. Additionally, around 10 percent of Mexico’s people are now nonreligious, making it the fastest-growing secular group in Central America.

These are just a few examples of the worldwide reality caused by a secular/post-Christian attitude. What happens next? With the development of a relativistic view of religion, many are now attempting to create their own “spirituality” exclusively around

personal choices, leading to a gradual development of religious pluralism in which ultimately, any religion—or nonreligious attitude—is appropriate and acceptable. At the same time, there is a rising suspicion of institutional authority, which leads to rejection and alienation of any form of institutionalized religion.

But one question remains: Are there still opportunities for mission in secular/post-Christian contexts? It all depends on how we see and take advantage of them.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR MISSION IN SECULAR/POST-CHRISTIAN CONTEXTS

As Seventh-day Adventists, following Paul’s counsel in “making the most of every opportunity” (Eph. 5:16, NIV), we can develop intentional “contact points” to share God’s love with an unreligious world, mainly through our lifestyle.

Health concerns and care, family and community focus, and the Sabbath message of rest are some of these “contact points” we can use to connect and share the eternal gospel with religiously unaffiliated people. The implementation of the “third-place” concept— creating an option between first (home) and second (workplace) places—represents another tremendous opportunity to connect meaningfully with secular and post-Christian mindsets in which traditional approaches to mission are not as successful.

These and other approaches have been implemented and experimented on pilot projects supported by the Center for Secular and Post-Christian Mission (CSPM) at the Office of Adventist Mission.1 CSPM serves the Adventist Church worldwide to make disciples in secular and post-Christian societies in preparation for the second coming of Jesus Christ. We must not lose sight, however, of the fact that our message of hope must focus on the future reality of God’s kingdom and the hope that our secular and post-Christian friends urgently—and often without realizing it—need today. People change, but the mission remains the same: “The mission of the church of Christ is to save perishing sinners. It is to make known the love of God to men and to win them to Christ by the efficacy of that love.”2 Can God count on us in the fulfillment of His mission?

1 For further information on CSPM, visit: https://cspm.globalmissioncenters.org/.

2 Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church (Mountain View, Calif.: Pacific Press Pub. Assn., 1948), vol. 3, p. 381.

Kleber D. Gonçalves serves the world church as the director of the Center for Secular and Post-Christian Mission (CSPM) at the Office of Adventist Mission.

True to Our Calling

Focus on Mission

Have you ever noticed something out of focus? Perhaps, before the proliferation of cell phones, you used a 35-millimeter camera and had to turn the lens to bring an object into focus. Sometimes we need glasses to help us refocus—if you are nearsighted, for example, or farsighted. And most of us, as we get older, need glasses to help bring what we’re reading back into focus!

Sometimes mission is like that too. It’s easy to get distracted with this and that, while losing sight of what is most important—reaching people for Christ within the unique end-time framework of the three angels’ messages of Revelation 14.

A STRONG SENSE OF MISSION

The Seventh-day Adventist Church was born with a strong sense of mission—to tell the world Jesus is coming soon! And while we have grown tremendously throughout the world since those early years, there are still millions upon millions of people who have not yet heard the marvelous news we have to share. Perhaps now is the time, more than ever, for a mission refocus.

When we consider mission refocus, the Bible character of Joseph

comes to mind. Thinking about his life and mission that developed as he went along, we can understand why it was important for Joseph to refocus at certain times in his life.

A SHINING EXAMPLE

Growing up as a favored son, Joseph thought he knew what his mission would be. But then he received some strange dreams that caused his brothers to take offense and that even his father questioned. And yet Joseph held them, along with the spiritual lessons his father had taught him, in his heart.

After the trauma of being thrown into a pit and sold into slavery by his own brothers, Joseph was thrust into a frightening new reality. Rather than focusing on his trauma, however, Joseph refocused on his mission and determined to “serve the Lord with undivided heart; he would meet the trials of his lot with fortitude and perform every duty with fidelity.”1

When thrown into the dungeon because of Potiphar’s wife, Joseph, rather than focusing on his sorrows, chose to refocus on God’s mission and was faithful, even in prison. “Joseph’s real character shines out, even in the darkest of the dungeon.

He held fast his faith and patience; his years of faithful service had been most cruelly repaid, yet this did not render him morose or distrustful. He had the peace that comes from conscious innocence, and he trusted his case with God.”2

You know the story. Joseph was taken from prison to palace, and even there, as his mission refocused with his new reality, he remained faithful to God and true to His trust.

Today God is calling you and me to refocus on His mission. No matter what our circumstances may be, God invites us to participate in reaching others for Him.

All He needs is a willing heart and a determination, through His strength, to serve Him wherever He may call. “God gives opportunities; success depends upon the use made of them.”3

1 Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets (Mountain View, Calif.: Pacific Press Pub. Assn., 1890, 1908), p. 214.

2 Ibid., p. 218.

3 Ibid., p. 223.

Ted N. C. Wilson is president of the worldwide Seventh-day Adventist Church. Additional articles and commentaries are available from the president’s office on Twitter: @pastortedwilson and on Facebook: @Pastor Ted Wilson.

Photo: Petra Richli / iStock

Sitting at a Long Table

It was a long table with a young man from Brazil and a young woman from Kazakhstan sitting next to each other. He spoke Portuguese, she spoke Russian, and I spoke Spanish, but we managed to have our Bible study in English. They were foreigners in my country, but we saw how “God sets the lonely in families” (Ps. 68:6, NIV).

The time we spent praying and reading the Bible together showed us that the love of God truly moves beyond cultural barriers.

They had chosen to study the book of Nehemiah, and invited me to join their very small group. I found many precious lessons I had never seen.

We are now about to part ways because of our different plans, but our friendship has a special ingredient: it transcends distance and language, and it has its origin in the Word of God, which never returns empty. It’s never too late to cultivate such friendships.

Some of the topics we used to discuss were how family values are attacked on many fronts, how we should be careful with what we watch on social media, or how easily distracted we may become.

When Nehemiah and the Jewish returnees were rebuilding the wall after the exile, they faced many challenges. They became tired, discouraged, and an easy target for their enemies. At that point Nehemiah recounted: “Therefore I stationed some of the people behind the lowest points of the wall at the exposed places, posting them by families, with their swords, spears and bows” (Neh. 4:13, NIV).

Our darkest moments, our most vulnerable places, the situations that

make us defenseless, are to be guarded the most. These are the moments we, as families, need to pull together and prepare for the fight. This is when we “take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Eph. 6:17, NIV).

The Jewish people following the exile focused on the ruins, the rubble, and their enemies. Nehemiah encouraged them, first, to rebuild their family ties; second, not to be afraid; and, third, to remember the Lord—it’s as “simple” as that.

In our increasingly secular societies, it’s easy to lose sight of the values first established in Eden, to lose hope, and to doubt the great things God can do for us when we face different battles.

We may sometimes focus on the ruins, the rubble, and the enemies, too. We may believe the deceitful messages proclaimed in the streets, in books, on social media or TV.

The biblical message is not only for husbands and wives. It also applies to grandparents, children, singles, and those who are alone for other reasons. Wherever we are, we can fight for our families (for the ones we belong to and for the ones that are yet to be formed).

The many voices all around us may be loud and noisy, but God’s voice is greater and more awesome. At times He may speak in a small still voice—but He always has a plan, full of blessings and promises.

We are not to fight alone. We have our spiritual family by our side and in many different parts of the world.

Read the rest of Nehemiah’s story and discover some of the strategies used at that time, which can be effective today.

With my friends we were sitting at a long table. We long for God’s day of celebrating victory, when myriads more will be sitting at the longest table ever. We pray for our families and communities and know that He will fight for us once more!

Carolina Ramos studies translation, English teaching, and music education at River Plate Adventist University in Argentina

Our darkest moments, our most vulnerable places, the situations that make us defenseless, are to be guarded the most.

Completing Christ’s Sufferings

Let me quote the full verse: “I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ.” It is a difficult text for which many different interpretations have been provided, including the claim that the atoning death of Christ needs to be supplemented by the sufferings of believers.

NONATONING SUFFERINGS

We should immediately exclude the suggestion that the death of Christ is not sufficient to redeem us; that it needs to be supplemented through the sufferings of Paul. Throughout the New Testament it is clearly stated that by virtue of Christ’s suffering and death the problem of sin was resolved once and for all. In fact, in Colossians 1:20-22 it is categorically stated that the blood of Christ has brought reconciliation to us; we are already complete in Him (Col. 2:10). Nothing is lacking! His expiatory death is all that’s needed to be accepted by God (Rom. 3:24, 25), for Christ “put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself” (Heb. 9:26). In our passage Paul is not discussing the atoning sufferings of Christ.

CONTEXT

Colossians 1:24-29 forms a thought unit that could help us understand the meaning of verse 24. First, the main topic is the mission of the church, represented by the ministerial call of Paul to preach, teach, and warn every person about the gospel of salvation through Christ (verses 25-28; cf. Eph. 3:1-7). Second, in serving God, Paul experiences “sufferings” (Col. 1:24; Greek pathema, “suffering, misfortune”) for the benefit of

Jewish and Gentile believers that constitute the church (verses 24, 27; cf. Acts 9:16). He suffers for them in his own person (“in the flesh”) in the sense that as a result of bringing the gospel and ministering to them he was persecuted and afflicted, but the end result was their salvation through Christ (cf. Col. 1:5, 6; Eph. 3:13). Therefore, he can rejoice in his suffering. Paul knows that, like him, believers also suffer in their service to Christ (2 Cor. 1:6, 7)—they all suffer for Christ (cf. Acts 14:22; Rom. 8:17; 1 Thess. 3:3; 2 Tim. 3:12).

THE SUFFERING OF BELIEVERS AND CHRIST

It is in that context that Paul offers an understanding of Christian suffering that goes quite deep. We should take the text seriously when it states that in suffering for believers “I [Paul] . . . fill up [Greek antanapleroo, “to complete, finish”] . . . what is lacking [Greek husterema, “need, deficiency, lack] in the afflictions [Greek thlipsis, “affliction, hardship”)] of Christ” (Col. 1:24). Although many explanations have been provided, the text may indicate that Christ’s afflictions did not end after His ascension and that consequently He continues to identify Himself with the church (cf. Acts 9:4). There is something lacking in His work of mediation that is being completed through His interaction with the experiences of the church on earth, more specifically with the afflictions of believers. As they fulfill the mission of the church, Christ is now being afflicted by the afflictions of believers, suggesting that He is somehow experiencing them in Himself. This will come to an end at His return in glory (Rev. 21:3, 4).

Ángel Manuel Rodríguez, Th.D., is retired after a career serving as pastor, professor, and theologian.

What does Paul mean when he says that in his sufferings he was filling up “what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ” (Col. 1:24)?

Is Science Alone Our Guide?

I have heard that science has become our main health guide, replacing the Adventist health message. Is this true?

The Adventist health message has most certainly not been replaced by health science.

General Conference Working Policy affirms Scripture as foundational to our church’s health ministry and practice, stating that “practices without a firm evidence-base and not based on the Bible or the Spirit of Prophecy should be discouraged.”1

It emphasizes the illuminating blessing of the Spirit of Prophecy through the writings of Ellen White. Bearing in mind the counsel that “rightly understood, science and the written Word agree, and each sheds light on the other,”2 peer-reviewed, evidence-based health science has been included as an additional guide together with biblical and Spirit of Prophecy principles, not in place of

This policy including the role of peer-reviewed, evidence-based health science was voted at Annual Council in 2008 with overwhelming support. It has been very helpful, especially when questionable and even dangerous treatments and fringe philosophies masquerade as best practices and are promoted at times. (Peer review is the process of assessing the validity, accuracy, and integrity of research by experts working in the same field.)

Why include health science in our evaluation of optimal and safe health practices, education, and principles? Harmful and untested practices based on anecdotal evidence regarding dangerous traditional custom(s) have been promoted in various situations around the world. Lives have been lost, and the church has also been exposed to risk of litigation when unfounded and dangerous practices are promoted and taught as part of Adventist health ministry and education.

The health principles we teach and share in Health Ministries, and practice at every level of health care in our health institutions, should be safe and tested. The value of peer-reviewed, evidence-based health science is included to strongly encourage our health institutions and health initiatives to have proven and clear scientific guidelines that inform safe and best practices.

Documenting and sharing experiences, including adverse events and failures, leads to withdrawal of unsafe or dangerous approaches, safer

practice, better outcomes, and quality of life for all. Ongoing research and review have proved the many benefits of devices, surgeries, interventions, and medications, which save lives and even enhance longevity. Artificial heart valves, replacement insulin, pacemakers, corrective surgery for congenital heart disease, implantable lenses for cataracts, joint replacements, cancer treatments, and supplemental fluoride to prevent tooth decay are just a few examples.

The Seventh-day Adventist Church celebrates the blessing of the Adventist health style God has given us through His Word, amplified by His modern-day prophet, Ellen White, and confirmed by health science. How sad that many members are loath to embrace this grace-filled and effective blueprint for wholeness, despite our inevitable brokenness, as we await and proclaim His soon coming. May He “help our unbelief” (see Mark 9:24).

Peter N. Landless, a board-certified nuclear cardiologist, is director of Adventist Health Ministries at the General Conference. Zeno L. Charles-Marcel, a board-certified internist, is an associate director of Adventist Health Ministries at the General Conference.

1 General Conference Working Policy, 2021/2022, p. 385

2 Ellen G. White, Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students (Mountain View, Calif.: Pacific Press Pub. Assn., 1913), p. 426.

A Psalm of Praise

I Tell You a Story?”

BY DICK DUERKSEN

It was impossible, like putting a jigsaw puzzle together with pieces from a dozen different boxes. We were about to give up, abandon the goals, pack our suitcases, and go home. We had borrowed a cabin high in the Rocky Mountains and settled in with certainty. We knew that the four of us could find a way to design a marketing plan 12 universities could use to recruit secondary school students “fairly.” We had been chosen by our peers, wise leaders who believed we could make a small miracle happen. But after several days and dozens of great ideas, our trash cans were filled with crumpled solutions. Nothing was working.

“We need a word from the Lord,” one said.

“When David couldn’t find an answer, he just wrote a psalm. Right?”

We spent Friday evening on the porch, watching a mountain sunset and reading the King’s psalms.

“You’ve lived in the mountains,” one of the men said to me. “So take us on a Sabbath journey to somewhere we can hear God’s voice.”

“I know just the place,” I replied with a hopeful smile. * * *

Sabbath was a day of rest. A time to put aside the work and celebrate God’s gift of grace. A perfect time to listen for His voice.

We packed a picnic of apples and peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches, tossed in a dozen bottles of water, and drove deeper into the Rockies.

“Mount Evans is one of 58 Colorado peaks that are more than 14,000 feet [4,267 meters] tall,” I told the guys. “This one’s 14,264 feet [4,347 meters], and it’s got a road that curls almost to the top.”

We drove up, beyond the crowds at Echo Lake, above a forest of stunted trees, around scores of “too-tight” corners, and past granite boulders arranged like the bones of resting dinosaurs. Mountain beasts—pika

and marmots—whistled warnings as we passed. Everywhere, the mountain offered thousand-mile views. We stopped often, speaking quietly, with reverence. Between stops, Serge read Psalm 98 aloud.

“Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for joy; let them sing before the Lord” (NIV).

Just below 13,000 feet (3,962 meters), Summit Lake nourishes families of wildflowers in a large area of Arctic tundra. We pulled into the parking lot, put on heavy jackets, hats, and gloves, and began walking the stony trail past the lake to a place where I have often found wild white mountain goats. It’s a dangerous spot on the mountain, with giant granite boulders and patches of green grass beside a 2,000-foot (609meter) drop into a dark canyon.

As we settled beside a couple large boulders, there was much wheezing and breath-catching from men who were unaccustomed to the elevation and exercise.

“Remind me why we’re way up here,” one of the men said, looking my way accusingly.

“You wanted to be in a place where we could hear God’s voice, and receive a word from the Lord,” I answered.

Our breathing slowly returned to something near normal, and we began to enjoy the view. That’s when a large mountain

“May

Photo: Alli Reefer

goat chose to make a grand entrance with her two bouncy kids. She knew we were there, yet walked fearlessly around us, guiding the two young ones to join her on a grassy plot beside our boulders. The kids noticed us, but followed Mom’s example of ignoring us as they turned bright-red flowers into dessert.

Serge spoke first. “I’ve never been this close to a wild animal!”

“Me neither,” the others chimed in.

“Are we safe?” “Can we talk?” “Will they bite?” Then the hillside went silent, except for the sounds of mountain goats chewing.

“Praise God from whom all blessings flow.”

I don’t remember who started the singing, but I do remember the song. It was the doxology, straight out of the hymnal. Maybe even on key. A solo quickly became a quartet as the rest of us joined in, doing a mountaintop imitation of the King’s Heralds.

The goats stopped chewing and stared; their heads tilted a bit to the side, as if trying to make out the words.

“Amazing Grace” was next, then “A Little Talk With Jesus,” “In the Garden,” followed by every hymn and chorus we could remember from Sabbath School, church, and family worship. We sang tenor, bass, baritone, melody, and other notes that sort of fit. Though I’m sure

it sounded terrible, the goats loved it. Mom tossed her head and told her kids to listen carefully. The kids ignored her and played tag around the boulders. Until we ran out of music.

“I can’t remember any more songs.” I think it was Serge who gave up first.

When we stopped singing, the kids bounded back to Mom’s side, lay down, and watched us. Carefully. As if wondering what our next awesome trick might be. Mom ignored them and just looked at us. Finally she spoke.

“Thank you for coming to our hillside cathedral and singing such lovely music for us.”

No, she didn’t use words, but the look in her eyes, the way her ears flickered, and the tones she chose as she “Baaa-ed” to us made her voice almost human. She had enjoyed the music, she said, and was thankful we had come. She was pleased that we had been kind to her kids. She was rejoicing that the Creator had brought us together for this time of worship.

We thanked her for her kindness, for listening, and for accepting—even though we had sung some wrong notes.

She laughed, at least that’s what it felt like, as she stood, called to the kids, and began to walk down the cliff into the canyon.

Then she stopped, two kids standing silently beside her, and spoke to us clearly. “Baaa,aaa,iet, baa,ump, ump, baaaw.”

In a moment they were gone.

We sat silently for a long while.

“Remember Psalm 98,” one of us whispered. “The mountains sing, the rivers clap their hands, and (maybe) even the mountain goats sing His praises! If the Shepherd King had been here today, the psalm would have included a line about mountain goats singing praises.”

When we got back to the cabin, it took about 30 minutes to write the perfect plan.

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Adventist World is published monthly and printed simultaneously in Korea, Brazil, Indonesia, Australia, Germany, Austria, Argentina, Mexico, South Africa, and the United States.

Vol. 19, No. 4

Dick Duerksen, a pastor and storyteller, lives in Portland, Oregon, United States.

Lost in the Dark

Have you ever gotten lost? Really, truly lost? If you have, then you understand how 5-year-old Katie felt when she got her directions mixed up at camp meeting.

It happened in the beautiful country of Botswana. Katie and her grandmother had gone to camp meeting in a large bush area, which was located near a dam. On Thursday afternoon Katie went to play with her friends near the dam, but later she decided to return to her grandmother’s tent. Somehow she got mixed up, and instead of walking toward their tent, she walked in the opposite direction. She didn’t realize she was walking away from the camp.

When the other children returned to their parents’ tents, Katie was not with them. Grandmother wondered where she could be, and when the sun began to set, she became

worried. Concerned, she went around the camp, asking if anyone had seen Katie, but no one could remember exactly when they had seen her last.

The days are hot in Botswana, but after the sun sets it can become cold very quickly. Grandmother knew that Katie could not stay warm in her T-shirt and skirt after dark.

During the evening meeting an announcement was made, asking for volunteers to help search for Katie. Everyone prayed that God would protect her and that she would be found safe. The campers spread out to search for the little girl. Some hurried to the lake where she had been seen last. Someone found a child’s shoeprint in the damp sand. Could it be Katie’s shoeprint? They followed the prints until they disappeared in the tall grass. By this time it was 10:00 p.m. The searchers were tired, but

they couldn’t sleep until the little girl was found. Eventually someone brought in a searchlight from town. Other searchers walked in front of a truck, using the headlights as a guide. They found more shoeprints and followed them across small streams and through more tall grass. Then the tracks led into a thick forest. They noticed the spot where the person they were following had taken off their shoes, and so then they followed footprints. Now the batteries of the lights were growing dim. Where was Katie? Finally, around 1:00 a.m. their faint flashlights shone on the little girl, sleeping on the ground in the middle of the path.

“Look!” one of the searchers whispered. “See how her head rests in her arms? And her shoes are lying neatly beside her. How tired she must be!”

Someone reached down and

gently touched Katie. She woke up and lifted her head and looked at the circle of concerned faces around her. She recognized her pastor and was not afraid. The searchers gently hugged the sleepy girl and wrapped her in a warm jacket, eager to reunite Katie with her worried grandmother.

Such a clatter of excitement arose when the searchers returned to camp with Katie! Everyone gathered at the big tent for a middle-of-the-night praise service. The campers listened to the searchers’ report and rejoiced with songs and prayers. Grandmother’s voice rang out loudest of all, thankful that little Katie had safely been found.

This story first appeared in KidsView in September 2015. It was provided by our friends at Adventist Mission at the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.

What Should You Do?

We hope this never happens, but if you ever find yourself lost and/ or separated from your parents or guardians, what should you do? Take this little quiz to make sure you are prepared.

1. The first thing to do is cry and scream hysterically.

True or False

2. Find a uniformed police officer or a woman/mother with children and ask for help.

True or False

3. Remain calm and immediately ask Jesus to help you.

True or False

4. Before going anywhere, tell your parents you are going to wander around on your own wherever you want to.

True or False

5. Ahead of time, talk with your grown-ups and agree on a place you will go to and wait for them if you should become separated. And stay there until they get to you.

True or False

“The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.”

Psalm 34:7, NIV

Bible Treasure