Power to Heal Summit Nudges Health Advocates Into Action

Marcos Paseggi, Adventist World

Approximately 200 Seventh-day Adventist Health Ministries leaders from across the North American Division (NAD) met in Lexington, Kentucky, United States, to reflect on best practices, get training and tips, and be inspired to action, from April 2 through 8.

The Power to Heal health summit connected leaders at local church, conference, and union levels, as well as lay members, who are using their expertise and knowledge to reach out to their communities wholistically for Jesus.

“God’s health laws and instructions originated in the environment and practices of Eden,” Adventist Health Ministries director Peter Landless reminded attendees in his opening-night keynote address. Also, “Jesus’ healing miracles included the spiritual, physical, and mental dimensions,” he added. “Salvation and healing are inextricably linked in Jesus’ ministry.” This idea is the basis of the wholistic health model that the Adventist Church champions, Landless emphasized.

The Adventist wholistic message is also based on the counsel of church cofounder Ellen G. White, who repeatedly emphasized the key role of health ministries in the denomination’s evangelistic endeavors. Quoting from one of White’s letters, Landless read, “No line is to be drawn between the genuine medical missionary work and the gospel ministry. These two must blend.”

NAD Health Ministries director Angeline Brauer agreed. “Health [ministry] works, because God works through healing,” she said.

HEALTH-RELATED INITIATIVES

The Power to Heal summit also served to highlight several ongoing programs and resources that align with the NAD theme “Health Everlasting.” Continuing education credit was also included for those interested in specific training courses.

Carmelo Mercado, a general vice president of the Lake Union Conference of the Adventist Church, reviewed some of the latest health-related initiatives that involved local church pastors and members. Among them, he mentioned Pathway to Health Indianapolis, an event that saw thousands of community residents receive free health care provided by hundreds of Adventist volunteers in April 2022. The initiative led to meaningful en- gagement with the community and ultimately brought new members to the Adventist Church.

North American Division event offers reflection, training, and inspiration.

The Power To Heal

Besides offering continuing education and training opportunities, the Power to Heal summit was a deeply spiritual event, which connected Bible principles with the practice of health-related initiatives in local churches and communities. Participants spent considerable daily time in Bible study, prayer, and worship.

International speaker Sebastien Braxton led the evening devotional messages, which focused on Bible-based principles to make health ministries initiatives more effective in reaching others for Christ.

In his April 3 presentation

Braxton explained that there is no question the Seventh-day Adventist Church has “unparalleled truth” as regards God-given health principles. “We are very good at having health knowledge and health truth,” Braxton said. But at the end of the day, people could potentially find that information anywhere, he said.

According to Braxton, what makes the Adventist health message different is to see it as a gift from the Holy Spirit, as detailed in 1 Corinthians 12. He emphasized that in verse 31 Paul tells us to “earnestly desire the best gifts.” And in 1 Corinthians 13 Paul makes very clear that without love, nothing has real value, Braxton said.

“Without love, you are going to attract a lot of attention, but its impact will not last,” Braxton told attendees interested in implementing health ministries initiatives in their communities. “The power to heal is in your love.”

6,426

“We have the joy and burden of sharing our beautiful message with more than 600 million people who do not know Jesus in the same way we do, but God is at work. Even though we labor in one of the most challenging environments in the world, almost every day we have the incredible opportunity to see the hand of God moving on the hearts of people. Our job is simple: to be personal lampposts in the populated places of the 20 countries we serve, to be diligent in our work, and to pray. When we join God where He is already at work, we get the joy of seeing lives changed. What is needed? More people to serve as lampposts all over the MENA region!”

The number of languages that Hope Channel MENA creates and shares content for. These languages are Arabic, Kabyle, Sudanese, Turkish, and Persian.

—Rick McEdward, president of MENA

20

The number of countries that make up MENA. Combined, these countries have a total population of 600 million, 95 percent of which are non-Christians, as of December 2022. The ratio between the population and Adventists is 1:93,370. In 2012 the ratio of Adventists to the general population was 1:172,000. Of the 20 countries, the Adventist Church has no frontline gospel workers serving in four of them, and 14 cities of more than 1 million people have not heard the gospel of the three angels’ messages.

Membership of the Middle East and North Africa Union Mission (MENA) as of March 24, 2023 (^-)

—Sara,* about how she ended up studying theology at Middle East University in Beirut, Lebanon. She grew up going to Sunday school with her grandfather. Through a series of events she received Bible studies and attended an It Is Written evangelistic series, which led to her baptism at 16. After high school she desired to go to university to learn how to better prepare for ministry.

*Last name withheld for safety reasons.