AW NAD English - February 2017 by Adventist World Magazine

The International Paper for Seventh-day Adventists

Fe b r u a r y 2 01 7

20 Joined in Mission 38 Highest Education 42 The Sweet Smell of Salvation

Adventist Education

Rediscovering Our Mission

North American Division | n a d

Fe b r ua r y 2017

C O V E R

The International Paper for Seventh-day Adventists

Fe br uar y 2 01 7

Adventist Education: Rediscovering Our Mission

20 Joined in Mission 38 Highest Education 42 The Sweet Smell of Salvation

By Lisa Beardsley-Hardy

Adventist Education

A frank look at where Adventist education is, and where it has to go.

Rediscovering Our Mission

8 My Dream

W O R L D

V I S T A

F U N D A M E N T A L

D E V O T I O N A L

By Tom L. Evans

Our mandate to care for those who are left out by society

28 Church and School: Together Again

N A D

F E AT U R E

An interview with Larry Blackmer, vice president of education for the North American Division

36 Reaching the World

By Michael G. Hasel

20 Joined in Mission

Learning about God is the foundation of Adventist education.

22 God and the Needy

S T O R Y

B E L I E F S

By Shawn Brace

F E A T U R E

By Adam Fenner

Access to Adventist education is no longer a matter of geography.

40 Abandoned—But Not By God

What does the church offer those who think it’s irrelevant?

A D V E N T I S T L I F E

By Kyle Griffith and Albert Reyna

A mission initiative in Peru refuses to give up.

D E PA RT M E N T S 3 W O R

L D

R E P O R T

3 News Briefs 7 News Feature 10 FastChat 11 NAD News 14 NAD Update 17 NAD Perspective 18 NAD Letters

19 W O R L D H E A L T H More Medical Schools! 38 S

P I R I T O F P R O P H E C Y

Highest Education

42 B

I B L E Q U E S T I O N S A N S W E R E D

The Sweet Smell of Salvation 43 B I B L E S T U D Y Confident Assurance? Or False Hope? 44

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E X C H A N G E

www.adventistworld.org Available in 12 languages online The Adventist World® (ISSN 1557-5519), one of the Adventist Review® family of publications, is printed monthly by the Pacific Press® Publishing Association. Copyright © 2017. Send address changes to your local conference membership clerk. Contact information should be available through your local church. PRINTED IN THE U.S.A. Vol. 13, No. 2, February 2017.

Adventist World - nad | February 2017

Unshakable Commitment

WORLD REPORT By Gustavo Sidral, South American Division

Soccer Player Back on Field With

Sabbath-Off Contract

C O S TA

Adventist smooths way for Vítor Ressurreiçao to play professionally.

J A I M E

should offer a full disclosure: I am not at all neutral about Seventh-day Adventist education. Given my family heritage—and my personal commitments—that’s not at all surprising. One hundred years ago my grandparents, neither of whom had more than an eighthgrade education, settled on 60 acres of rock and thin soil in the Berkshire Mountains of western Massachusetts to raise a family. Five children were born to their union, including my father, the youngest. That family tree, planted as a sapling at the end of an unpaved road, has produced some remarkable fruit for Adventist education. By my latest count—and the data is still accumulating in the current generation—the three generations of my family that grew from that simple wood-frame house have now contributed nearly 350 years of teaching for Adventist schools—in North America, Africa, and Asia. In one-room schools, boarding academies, and college lecture halls the members of my extended family have shaped the lives of tens of thousands of children and adults by the persistent, challenging, and unglamorous ministry of teaching. No matter where I travel in the world—in Europe, the South Pacific, Africa, or anywhere in North America—the most frequent question I answer after a camp meeting sermon or a worship service is still “Are you by any chance David Knott’s son?” My father’s 50 years of teaching for Adventist schools has made a mark on countless lives—most of whom I’ll never meet until the kingdom. So don’t expect me to equivocate when it comes to the value of Adventist education. If it is within reach of Adventist parents, it should be grasped, held on to, cherished, and supported. Adventist schools have built this remnant movement more than any other global feature of our denominational experience. As you read the special collection of articles about Adventist education in this edition of Adventist World, pray for all who teach, for all who learn, for all who serve, and for all who are being discipled through a system our Saviour designed to restore in us the image of our Creator.

Seventh-day Adventist physiotherapist working at a soccer club in the Brazilian state of Paraná inadvertently smoothed the way for Carlos Vítor da Costa Ressurreição, a professional goalkeeper recently baptized into the Seventh-day Adventist Church, to return to the soccer field with a Sabbath-off contract. The Paraná Soccer Technical Months after his former team Center (PSTC), based in Cornélio declined a contract renewal, Procópio in the southern Brazilian state of Paraná, contacted Ressuprofessional Brazilian soccer reiçao with a ready-made proposal, goalie Carlos Vítor da Costa including a special clause allowing Ressurreição, a Seventh-day him to take Saturdays off. Adventist who said he wouldn’t Ressureiçao, 31, made national play or practice on the Sabbath headlines in Brazil when, after learnday, is back in professional ing and accepting the biblical teachcompetition. ing of the seventh-day Sabbath, he chose to stop training or playing on Saturdays. Following Jesus’ example, Seventh-day Adventists around the world refrain from secular activities on the seventh day of the week and devote those hours to worship God and nurture human relationships. The goalkeeper’s decision prompted the Londrina Esporte Clube, the soccer team on which he played, not to renew Ressureiçao’s contract, which ended in May 2016. “After what happened with my previous club, I did not expect to be back on the field so soon,” Ressureiçao said in an interview with the South American Division’s ASN news agency. “I actually thought it was rather impossible that someone would even offer me to play soccer professionally again.” However, Ressureiçao decided to make his seemingly far-fetched dream a matter of prayer. “I felt I could be a faithful Seventh-day Adventist athlete and at the same time be a light in the soccer environment,” Continued on next page

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WORLD REPORT Ressureiçao explained. “But I never got in touch with any club to ask for a job. I never contacted any agent; I talked to no one, but just prayed.” Ressureiçao never imagined how and how soon his prayers would be answered. For the goalkeeper it is clear he received an unambiguous answer from God. “A few days ago I got a call,” he shared. “It was the PSTC president, offering me a contract that included a Sabbaths-free clause. I accepted at once.” Ressureiçao thinks that what happened is a testimony of the power of prayer. “Other than praying, I did nothing for it to happen,” said Ressureiçao. “The club physiotherapist is also a Seventh-day Adventist, so the club knew very well what they were getting into.” Ressureiçao looks forward to make of his time playing for the PSTC an outreach opportunity. “My talent is my ministry,” the goalkeeper says. “Maybe God opened this door so that many others may get to know the gospel message and God’s Ten Commandments. If I follow in faith, there’s no limit to what God can do.”

Church Leader Expresses Condolences About Colombian Air Tragedy ■■ A leader of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in South America expressed his condolences after a plane carrying a Brazilian soccer team and a number of reporters crashed in a rugged area south of the Colombian city of Medellín November 28, 2016. Erton Köhler, president of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in South America, expressed regret over the tragic accident, which, according

Erton Kohler Seventh-day Adventists joined thousands at Brazil’s Chapecoense stadium to mourn those killed in the crash of a soccer team’s airplane and to share their hope in the resurrection. Dozens of coffins arrived at the team’s home stadium in Chapeco, following a possession through the city’s streets. Church members distributed copies of the book The Only Hope by Adventist evangelist Alejandro Bullón, as well as bottles of water and cards bearing the promise of Revelation 21:4: “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”

to media reports, claimed the lives of 71 people. Most of the passengers of the charter flight were players and managers of the Brazilian soccer team Chapecoense, on their way to play the first final of the South American Cup. “The Seventh-day Adventist family in South America is praying for the families affected by this horrendous tragedy,” said Köhler. “We sincerely pray that the peace and the hope that only God can give may strengthen the families of the players, reporters, and others traveling in the plane that crashed in Colombia.” The Adventist Review had reported back in January that Carlos Vítor da Costa Ressurreição, a professional goalkeeper who was baptized into the Seventh-day Adventist Church a year ago, had turned down a contract with the Chapecoense Series A team when

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it was unwilling to include a clause that would have allowed him to skip matches and training sessions on Saturdays, the biblical Sabbath. Had Ressurreição decided not to walk away from that contract, it is likely that he would have been among those who lost their lives in the tragedy. Investigators have since concluded that the crash resulted from the plane running out of fuel. The South American Division of the church, based in Brasilia, Brazil, comprises the eight southernmost nations in South America, including Brazil, which, with almost 1.7 million Seventh-day Adventist baptized members, is the country with the largest number of Adventist members in the world. —Marcos Paseggi, writing for Adventist World

Adventists Provide Child Protection Awareness, Training in Bangladesh

B I P L O B

R A H A M E N

■■ Bangladesh, a nation of 160 million located on the Bay of Bengal in South Asia, has the world’s highest rate of child marriage for girls younger than 15. A 2016 report from Human Rights Watch called the situation an “epidemic.” Overall, 65 percent of Bangladeshi girls are married by the age of 18. A Seventh-day Adventist group is among the key nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) steadily addressing this troubling issue. The Child Rights and Protection (CRP) unit of the Seventh-day Adventist church in Bangladesh offers awareness training and education for both children and adults to prevent child marriage and child abuse in the country. Together this team is making inroads among Adventist boarding schools and churches. CRP recently conducted training for Adventist boarding school principals at the Bangladesh Adventist Union Mission in

Dhaka. The training focused on child abuse and child marriage prevention, with a goal to help principals further spread prevention messages and methods to their staffs as well as community leaders. It is part of a strategic plan to reach communities through schools. The Adventist-backed CRP has been quietly forging a path with its extensive training and resources since 2014. Coordinator Ofelia Raksham and her staff of two, Rancy Biswas and Rony Sircar, have diligently worked to create awareness. Raksham’s previous experience in education and child advocacy has given her a wealth of experience and a passion to make lasting changes for children in Bangladesh. Biswas’ background as a boarding school student for 12 years provides the group with insight about the challenges and mind-sets of such students, particularly young girls. Sircar, the only male on the staff, has a vital role. In addition to providing a male presence during training and trips to rural areas where unaccompanied women are greeted with skepticism and might face reprisals,

Sircar explains the laws regarding marriage in Bangladesh. His previous job experience in the legal sector adds credibility when dealing with male leaders in given communities. The team’s focus on Adventist boarding schools and churches is proving successful, especially in rural areas where high poverty levels and strong cultural traditions contribute to greater incidences of child abuse and marriage. Because of the high community regard for Adventist education, the church’s boarding schools have a unique opportunity to use their influence to spread awareness and education regarding children’s issues. CRP is a part of the church’s Bangladesh Children’s Sponsorship Services (BCSS), under the umbrella of Bangladesh Adventist Union Mission (BAUM) through the donor agency of Asian Aid Australia. Bangladesh is one of the 14 countries in the Southern Asia-Pacific Division. BAUM has almost 29,000 members in this Muslim-majority nation. —Teresa Costello, Southern Asia-Pacific Division

Adventists in Bangladesh are working with other nongovernmental agencies to lower the percentage of girls under the age of 18 who are forced into marriage.

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WORLD REPORT

■■ Nigeria’s government has approved the opening of a new Seventh-day Adventist university named after Jesse Clifford, the first missionary to bring the Adventist message to the lower part of the Niger in 1923. Clifford University, which will be the second Adventist university in Nigeria, was granted a license along with seven other universities during a November 2016 meeting of the government’s Federal Executive Council in the capital, Abuja, Nigeria’s Premium Times newspaper reported. Located in the town of Ihie in eastern Nigeria, Clifford University will be established on land that belonged to an Adventist school until it was seized by the government following the country’s 1967-1970 civil war. The government returned the land to the church in 2013. “God moved in our favor through the influence of some people in 2013, when the Abia state government under the governorship of Theodore A. Orji returned the school and all the land to the Adventist Church,” Uzoma Nwosi, communication director for the Eastern Nigeria Union Conference, said. It took the federal government three years to approve the university. The other Adventist-owned university in Nigeria is Babcock University, which was founded in 1959 and is situated between the cities of Ibadan and Lagos. —Adventist World staff

P H O T O S : T E D N E W S

Nigeria Approves New Adventist University

Award Winner: Staff and friends of the Seventh-day Adventist publishing house Preporod in Serbia display award received for the book, ‘Mihajlo Pupin the biggest Christian among scientists.’

Publishing House Wins Award at International Book Fair ■■ Receiving awards is gratifying for everyone, publishers included, But when the publisher represents a minority faith community in its nation, that’s a particular honor. Such was the happy lot of the Serbian Adventist Publishing House, Preporod, which received a special award at the recent Belgrade International Book Fair. The volume Mihajlo Pupin—the Greatest Christian Among Scientists was recognized for its contributions to science. “The literature in your booth is quite different from most others,” said one of the judges. “I find many books here that interest me.” Dragan Pejovski, director of Preporod, said, “In a very strong compe-

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tition, among hundreds of publishers, our release was recognized because [the story of] Mihajlo Pupin clearly underlines that without spirituality and faith in God, there is no true science.” The Belgrade International Book Fair is a cultural event that draws approximately 150,000 visitors. For the Adventist Church this presents an excellent opportunity to share biblical values. Preporod traditionally participates, and over the years it has seen significant growth in sales, as well as an openness among visitors to have conversations about spiritual issues. That kind of interest during the fair is especially important, as it has become more difficult in recent years to get Adventist literature into general, secular bookstores. —Nikola Gruji, Trans-European Division

C O R P O R AT E

I M A G E

U P E U

Honoring Sabbath: Athletes from Peru Union University took second place in the 4-by-100 meters race at the national university games after keeping the Bible Sabbath. Left to right: Nilton Gil, Coach; Patricio Córdova, Lucas Pérez, Percy Ordinola, Axel Vásquez; Jose Nole, Professor.

Students Honor Sabbath at

Peruvian Games

Adventists win silver

Spiritual Impact: Preporod director Dragan Pejovski, said the award support’s the message of Pupin’s life, which “clearly underlines that without spirituality and faith in God, there is no true science.”

n a move that evoked images of Chariots of Fire, the 1981 motion picture centering on an Olympic athlete’s refusal to compete on his day of worship, students from the Seventhday Adventist Church-owned Peruvian Union University (UPeU) withdrew from Saturday competition at the recent National University Games in Chiclayo, Peru. The annual event is organized by the University Sports Federation of Peru (Federación Deportiva Universitaria del Perú, FEDUP). The move surprised officials, as well as those on the 34 other teams competing in the annual event. Two Adventist runners had qualified for finals in the 100-meter races, one having beaten the previous national record. While organizers of the games attempted to accommodate the Adventist students’ schedule—a gracious gesture—rules dictated the events proceed as scheduled. Observing the Bible Sabbath meant forfeiting almost certain wins in the Saturday-scheduled 100-meter races.

The student team held fast to its beliefs, and instead of running for a medal, they fellowshipped with members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church of San Carlos in Chiclayo. News of the UPeU team’s stand circulated quickly among Adventists in the city. On the following day the Adventist team returned to the competition for the 4 x 100-meter event. Spiritually strengthened, and cheered on by local Adventist youth in the stands, the student athletes achieved second place, receiving a silver medal, a worthy ending for UPeU. UPeU participates in FEDUP sports games in other categories and disciplines. Students consistently demonstrate good sportsmanship and standing up for their values. They concluded the recent competition with their heads held high, rejoicing at having been faithful witnesses for God, as well as for Peru Union University, the Seventh-day Adventist institution they represent. —Le-Roy Alomía, Peru Union University

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By Michael G. Hasel

F A U S T I N T U YA M B A Z E

Dream For Seventh-day Adventist Education

Last October a conference focusing on Seventh-day Adventist education was held at the church’s world headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland, and attended by church leaders from around the world. During my sermon, “Remembering God’s Plan,” I invited Michael Hasel to share his perspective regarding Adventist education. I’ve invited Hasel to share his message here.—Ted N. C. Wilson.

ome years ago the Baptist theologian Calvin Miller came to hold the Staley Lectureship at Southern Adventist University, where I teach in the School of Religion. He was impressed with our campus and had done some research about our church. He learned that Seventh-day Adventists are well known for their education system. In only 160 years we have grown exponentially into a worldwide movement that operates 8,200 schools, colleges, and universities, a system second only to that of the Roman Catholic Church. Then he asked us a question as we sat around the table over lunch: “To what do you attribute this great growth and success?” Jack Blanco, former dean of the School of Religion, replied, “It’s quite simple. We believe that Jesus is coming soon, and this sense of urgency drives our mission and our message.” Our mission is driven by our understanding and appreciation of the precious truths of the Bible.

Unprecedented Onslaught

Yet for the past two centuries, as our church has grown, the adversary has not been idle. The Bible and biblical authority have faced an unprecedented onslaught with the rise of modernism and postmodernism in the Western world. Since the French Revolution of the late eighteenth century, a new philosophy has sought to abolish the institution of the church, and with it the Bible, the living Word of God. In its place, philosophers established autonomous reason, with its spirit of criticism and doubt; human experience, with its emphasis on the present as the interpreter of the past; and philosophical naturalism, asserting that humanity should operate without any reference to the working of God. In 1844, just when our founders had experienced the Great Disappointment, the popular book Vestiges of the Natural History of Creation was published anonymously by Robert Chambers, and openly promoted the concept of evolution. That same year Charles Darwin completed his initial manuscript of On the Origin of Species. Chambers and Darwin did not write their influential works in a vacuum. Biblical scholars had begun deconstructing the Bible by redating its contents and denying the very fabric of its history. The unique nature of the Bible as a work constituted in history was removed. Today postmodern literary approaches have divorced the

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Bible from history and relegated it to the interpretations of the shifting sands of culture. As much of the Bible has been reinterpreted to fit these newer philosophical assumptions, its actual history was deconstructed, and predictive prophecy was deemed impossible. Because the Bible began to be studied merely as literature, and because these scholars came to believe that God did not inspire its writers through direct revelation, they asserted that biblical writers could not predict the future. Both history and prophecy were removed and reduced to metaphor and idealistic interpretations. The prophetic Word, which gave rise to the Reformation and gave its identity to our remnant church, has been reinterpreted today, leaving Adventists as almost the only church to still teach the books of Daniel and Revelation from a historicist perspective. The Dying of the Light

In my library I have a book of more than 850 pages entitled The Dying of the Light. It documents how great universities such as Harvard, Yale, and Princeton were founded by Protestant Reformers, and were bastions of biblical education and the historicist interpretation of prophecy. Its early presidents wrote volumes on the soon coming of Jesus. But today all vestiges of that history is gone. Both society and our church have

W O R L D

been beaten and battered by modernism and its challenges to the truths found in the Bible. Will we survive the moral, social, political, and religious deconstruction that surrounds us? How do we counteract that influence as a church? How do we accomplish revival and reformation in our schools? Our students are desperately searching for mission, for purpose, for meaning in a broken world. But there has been a growing disconnect between the mission and message of the Bible and its prophetic message that gave us that meaning and mission. How are we to instill this identity in a generation that will be empowered to finish the work? The apostle Peter wrote: “Desire the pure milk of the word. . . . Coming to Him as to a living stone . . . you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:2-5). Jesus is the Chief Cornerstone. And for Jesus, the Bible was the foundation. As an archaeologist I spend much of my time in Jerusalem. In the Old City is the Temple Mount, the location where the Temple once stood. It is the largest structure of its kind ever built in the Roman Empire, with a footprint six times larger than the Coliseum in Rome. On the southwestern corner of the Temple Mount is the cornerstone, placed there more than

2,000 years ago. It’s an enormous stone, weighing between 80 and 100 tons. The entire building project that Herod started, and that stretched over a period of almost a century, rests on the alignment of that one cornerstone. So I ask my brothers and sisters who make up the living stones of this spiritual house, how are we aligning ourselves with the living Word of God today? Are our schools, which are training this generation of young people to finish the work, aligned in mission? Are we aligned with Jesus, the Chief Cornerstone? My Dream

I dream that our entire educational curriculum will be based on a biblical foundation. That our courses in psychology, history, biology, business, and literature be taught from a foundation of biblical thinking and worldview. That we do more than simply have a prayer at the beginning of class and repeat the thoughts of Freud, Darwin, and “trickle-down economics.” That our students are trained not only for Harvard but for heaven. I dream that our students will be saturated in the Word of God, not in 12 hours of a 130-hour university education, but that in every class they encounter the living Word. That they leave our campuses not more confused about life than when they came, but with a greater sense of our mission, and a zeal for the work that God has called each of us to do in these closing moments of earth’s history. I dream that our young people, when they leave our campuses, not only accept the Word, but that one year, five years, and 10 years after they leave our institutions, they are those living stones that obey and live by the Word. I dream that we will educate as Seventh-day Adventists. Our name describes people who believe and

V I S T A

teach the entirety of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. The seventh-day in our name points back to Jesus, who was the Word at the beginning. “All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made” (John 1:3). We are a movement called to uphold Jesus and His creation in six literal days. Jesus said, “For if you believed Moses, you believed Me; for he wrote about Me” (John 5:46). The word Adventist in our name points forward to a prophetic voice called for this time to proclaim the three angels’ messages. We are a movement that proclaims the words of Jesus: “Behold, I am coming quickly! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book” (Rev. 22:7). I dream that the words Ellen White will be fulfilled: “But God will have a people upon the earth to maintain the Bible, and the Bible only, as the standard of all doctrines and the basis of all reforms. The opinions of learned men, the deductions of science, the creeds or decisions of ecclesiastical councils, as numerous and discordant as are the churches which they represent, the voice of the majority—not one nor all of these should be regarded as evidence for or against any point of religious faith. Before accepting any doctrine or precept, we should demand a plain ‘Thus saith the Lord’ in its support.”* n * Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy (Mountain View, Calif.: Pacific Press Pub. Assn., 1911), p. 595.

Michael G. Hasel is professor of Near Eastern studies and archaeology, director of the Institute of Archaeology, and curator of the Lynn H. Wood Archaeological Museum at Southern Adventist University, Collegedale, Tennessee.

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HERITAGE HEALTH FOOD

Make It Healthful FASTCHAT is a monthly ministry feature/interview for Adventist World.

This month we had the pleasure of sitting down with Don Otis, founder and CEO of Heritage Health Food based in the United States.—Editors.

Don, you have a passion for health food and the impact it can have in the world. Tell us about the history and vision of Heritage. The name Heritage is close to my heart and has played a big part in my career. Dr. John Harvey Kellogg, a world-famous health advocate from the late 1800s, was the first to develop the beginnings of vegetarian meat substitutes for a mass market. Because I grew up as a vegetarian, I was familiar with Kellogg’s work. I eventually worked for the Kellogg Company as director of natural and specialty foods, working with vegetarian food brands such as MorningStar Farms, Worthington, and Gardenburger. I realized what a strong heritage Kellogg had begun, and it became my desire to continue his mission through the development of my own company, Heritage Health Food. From the beginning it has been my goal, and the goal of my company, to continue this heritage of health and join the leaders in the health movement. Our vision moving forward is not only to join the leaders but to forge new inroads into this ever-evolving field.

Is Heritage just about creating food, or is there more to it? For me, Heritage means getting back to the basics of nutrition and the foundations of eating well. It means revitalizing the original health message and unifying historic health brands that our company now owns.

What trends are you seeing in the health food space? To learn more about Heritage Health Food, visit its Web site: HeritageHealthfood.com.

We have been following opportunities opening up as consumer trends have changed from being just vegetarian to non-genetically modified organism (GMO),

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gluten-free, organic, all-natural, plantbased, etc. We are now creating a new portfolio of brands that address these emerging health needs. Our frozen Corn Dogs and Veggie Hot Dogs are two of our most popular 100 percent meatless and vegetarian, all natural, non-GMO products.

What brands are included in the Heritage Health Food family? Our brands include Heritage, Worthington, Cedar Lake, and Kim’s Simple Meals. We have more than 100 vegetarian meat alternative products. Of all of these, our flagship brand is Kim’s Simple Meals. Each shelf-stable meal is gluten-free, organic, non-GMO, and plant-based. Oh, and by the way, they are all Just Add Water!

What wakes you up in the morning? What drives your company’s mission? The mission of Heritage Health Foods is twofold. First, we produce high-quality, great-tasting, and healthy vegetarian products: “World’s Best!” We are both focusing on traditional vegetarian consumers and looking to expand the choices for those who are seeking a full-time or partial vegetarian, plantbased lifestyle. The second facet is our passion for development around the world. A portion of each purchase is donated to Heritage Wells, a partnership with Frontline Builders, a nonprofit organization dedicated to bettering the lives of people who live in Africa. We ensure that 100 percent of these allocated funds goes directly to providing freshwater wells to the people of Africa, as well as medical, educational, and agricultural support.

I N S T I T U T E

NAD NEWS

B I B L I C A L

Longtime Adventist Church Administrator

101 J E S U S

Attorneys Conference Provides Networking, Growth Opportunities

Juan Carlos Viera

Passes at 78 conference and union president. Viera later served in various capacities at the White Estate, eventually becoming its director, a position he held until his retirement. For his daughter, Elizabeth Viera Talbot, Viera’s legacy is personal: “My dad’s integrity, as a Christian and a person, is what I personally admired. One of the reasons I am a minister and working for the church is his integrity and example,” Talbot told Adventist Review.

D A N

W E B E R

uan Carlos Viera, former director of the Ellen G. White Estate and father of Elizabeth Viera Talbot, as well as director of the Jesus 101 Biblical Institute, a North American Division media ministry, passed away on November 25, 2016, at his home in Beaumont, California. Viera, who had been ill, was 78. Viera served the Seventh-day Adventist Church for more than 40 years: first in South America as a pastor and evangelist, then in the roles of

Phil Hiroshima (center) receives the lifetime achievement award for more than 45 years of service, which included providing legal services to the Seventh-day Adventist Church. With Hiroshima is General Conference general counsel Karnik Doukmetzian (left), Hiroshima’s wife, Sachi, and NAD vice president Alvin Kibble.

■■ From October 20 to 23, 2016, Seventh-day Adventist attorneys from across the United States and Canada gathered for the Seventhday Adventist Attorneys Conference and Retreat in Henderson, Nevada. More than 90 attorneys attended continuing education classes on such topics as attorney ethics and complex commercial transactions. The conference, coordinated by the North American Division (NAD) and General Conference, also included a judicial panel where Adventist judges provided observations from the bench. In all, attorneys were provided with more than 15 presentations to attend. Orlan Johnson, NAD Office of Public Affairs and Religious Liberty director and one of the coordinators of the retreat, said the event gave attorneys the opportunity not only to learn more about their craft, but also to “meet more people who have a similar background. . . . Just hearing those experiences is much encouragement.” During the awards dinner two attorneys were presented with special honors. Avis Buchanan, the director of the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia, was presented with the public service award for more than 35 years of dedicated public service. Phil Hiroshima, a partner at the Hiroshima Daggett Law Offices, was presented with the lifetime achievement award for more than 45 years of service, including providing substantial legal services to the Seventh-day Adventist Church. —Jennifer Gray, with additional reporting by the NAD Communication Office Continued on next page

February 2017 | Adventist World - nad

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Offices and classrooms at Union Springs Academy were destroyed in a fire on December 3, 2016.

It Is Written Sends Hacksaw Ridge Response Evangelism Resource Kit ■■ The Desmond Doss Council has produced and mailed an Bible study booklet to all Seventh-day Adventist churches in North America as an opportunity to follow up on the Hollywood movie Hacksaw Ridge, about Desmond Doss and his heroism on Okinawa, Japan. Beyond Hacksaw Ridge: An Order of Battle, is 32-page study guide with unique World War II stories that capture interest, then lead into an easy-to-follow Bible study with discussion questions for use by individuals or groups.

The Doss Council asked Richard Stenbakken to author the booklet. Stenbakken served 24 years on active duty as an Army chaplain, retiring as a full colonel. Following his military career, he served as director of Adventist Chaplaincy Ministries at the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. In writing the booklet, Stenbakken said that his goal was to prepare materials that would catch and hold interest while at the same time be very user-friendly. “What I intended to do was a presentation of Christianity 101 with the assumption that many people who will see the movie might have limited, if any, exposure to the Bible. The goal was to engage readers with the World War II stories, then transition into biblical materials that are applicable to everyday life,” he said.

Fire Destroys Classrooms at Union Springs Academy ■■ A fire broke out at Union Springs Academy (USA) in New York on December 3, 2016, as students were finishing Sabbath lunch. No one was inside the USA administration/ classroom building, where the fire occurred. A maintenance worker called 9-1-1 after he noticed smoke

pouring from the building. Firefighters from eight companies helped put out the fire, and no one— faculty, students, or firefighters—was injured. The building suffered smoke and fire damage. Makeshift classrooms were set up for USA’s 48 students inside the nearby Union Springs Seventh-day Adventist Church in time for classes on Monday, December 5. Administrators said the church will be their home for the rest of the school year. According to a statement, the flashpoint occurred exactly four minutes prior to 9-1-1 being called. Students and staff spotted smoke as they left the cafeteria following lunch. If the flashpoint had occurred at the beginning of the meal and the smoke went unnoticed, or if it had occurred in the middle of the night, the administration building would have likely been beyond repair. The Union Springs church has been assisting from the start, offering support and encouragement—and help with covering windows, cleaning up, and providing a place for classes. For updates on rebuilding efforts, visit Union Springs Academy’s Facebook page or the school’s Web site: UnionSpringsAcademy.org. —Kimberly Luste Maran

February 2017 | Adventist World - nad

N A D U P D AT E Terry Benedict (right) confers with Desmond Doss during the filming of Conscientious Objector, the award-winning documentary Benedict filmed.

few days before the November 4, 2016, release of Hacksaw Ridge, Julio Muñoz and Kimberly Luste Maran from the NAD Office of Communication interviewed Terry Benedict, a producer on the film, who also produced and directed the award-winning documentary The Conscientious Objector, about the life of Desmond Doss. Here are excerpts of that interview.—Editors.

Adventist Filmmaker Talks About

Desmond Doss and

What stood out when you first heard about the life of Desmond Doss?

I read The Unlikeliest Hero, by Booton Herndon, when I was about 10 years old. That was my first brush with Desmond’s story. It was unlike any other book I had ever read, any other hero I had ever read about. It got me thinking differently about what heroes were all about. Then I met Desmond a couple years later at a summer camp; and that was pretty amazing for me too. I was incredibly impressed, and I felt as though he cared about every single person, every single kid who was there in the group with me. He was very down-to-earth, and I truly admired him. Desmond Doss is not what most consider a “typical” hero. Why is his story so powerful?

The first thing that makes Desmond stand out—and I saw this demonstrated at Medal of Honor reunions

New Film

I’ve been to when he was alive, and just seeing him around people in general—is that he was a very unassuming man, yet as solid as a rock in his faith and his relationship with God. One of the primary reasons he agreed to let me tell his story was that there are universal things that everyone can find useful in their lives. One of these was that no matter how tough things may be in your life, if you have spiritual underpinnings, your faith can always carry the day. You tend to care less about consequences because you are trusting in your faith in God, and ultimately God will take care of you. Desmond felt that planting seeds by telling his story would let people know that there are spiritual options available to them always, no matter where they are in life—good, bad, or ugly.

Adventist World - nad | February 2017

The second thing is about serving others. Desmond combined his faith in God with living that faith by serving others, especially the men up on Hacksaw Ridge. You were on the set during much of the filming of Hacksaw Ridge, and you took Andrew Garfield around Lynchburg, Virginia. Some have said you were instrumental in making this film.

I promised Desmond I would protect the essence of his character, so I was happy that Andrew came on board wanting to take ownership of the role and crawl into Desmond’s skin . . . in a way that gives his character depth. Bringing Andrew to Tennessee, then taking him into Virginia, gave us time for Andrew to learn about Desmond through his five

P H O T O

C O U R T E S Y

O F T E R R Y

B E N E D I C T

senses—then work on his accent. Andrew was full of questions about things, even little things, that Desmond would do, little gestures or little tweaks and twitches. If you watch the documentary, then see Hacksaw, it’s uncanny the transition—it’s almost seamless— from seeing the real Desmond into seeing Andrew’s performance of Desmond. It’s rare for an actor to have that kind of resource available. I fulfilled what I promised Desmond. That was super-important to me. . . . Even though he’s not with us any longer, I know that the mission has been completed. So how has this journey been for you, a Seventh-day Adventist filmmaker, telling this story about a man

you admired and respected, a man you were close to?

When I was a little boy, my dad would say, “What would the world be if everybody behaved just like me?” That’s one of the reasons Desmond’s story is so powerful. What would the world be like if everyone behaved like Desmond? . . . Desmond wasn’t perfect, but certainly this world would be a better place if we all acted like him. When we [see his story], that reflective part of us looks at it and evaluates, and we say to ourselves, “Maybe there are some things I can improve upon in how I treat others, how I serve others. What are my beliefs? Am I a faith person? Am I really? How am I demonstrating that?” This has been a once-in-a-lifetime

ALL YOUR MINISTRY NEEDS FROM

experience. Reading a book as a kid, seeing it come to fruition as a major motion picture (and the documentary between all that), and making the promises that I made to Desmond and having my relationship with Desmond—he was very grandfatherly to me through the years. It just brings a great deal of satisfaction to me that I know that the mission’s been completed. I used to joke around with [Desmond] and say, “Listen, when you kick the bucket, your story’s going to live on because of this stuff we’re doing, these films we’re making.” For me, that’s incredibly satisfying.

Visit http://ow.ly/AVxJ307clKc to read the rest of the interview.

Whether you’re looking for resources for your Pathfinder Club or you need new ideas for family ministries, stewardship or the youth group, AdventSource has you covered.

February 2017 | Adventist World - nad

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NAD PERSPECTIVE

What would be required of me in the coming minutes . . . hours . . . days?

By Daniel Weber

Feelings Y

ou know the phone call will come at some point, but when it does you’re never ready. It was 5:30 a.m., and my house phone was ringing. Loudly. I struggled to figure out what time it was and where I had left the phone. I reached over to see if my wife had woken up, and remembered that I’d left her at the hospital a few hours earlier where she had been admitted for a sudden illness. In a fog I pushed the button on the phone. “Hello,” I mumbled. My twin brother’s voice felt like ice water thrown in my face. “Dad’s neighbor just called. Dad’s fallen, and they can’t revive him. The fire department is there. They’re working on him.” I paused to clear my head. I said, “Let’s wait for them to call back and give us an update.” I explained that my wife had been admitted to the hospital, and that I had to check on her. We agreed to keep each other updated, and I hung up the phone. Then it hit me. Dread. My father’s health wasn’t the best. He had triple-bypass heart surgery several years ago, so part of me knew this day was coming. Not that I ever wanted it, but I expected it. To be honest, I dreaded it; I avoided it. Now adrenaline surged through my veins. What should I do next? I thought, only to have my cell phone ring. The number on the screen was

from my dad’s cell phone. The voice on the line said, “Mr. Weber, this is the fire department. We did all we could, but your father has passed. Do you have a funeral home we can take his body to?” Pain. It tugged at my heart as I struggled to respond to the unexpected question. We went over several options, then came up with one that was close to my dad’s house. The firefighter offered his condolences again, and hung up. I suddenly felt very alone. Even though my daughters were sleeping in the next room, I might as well have been on an island. Fear. What should I do next? What is the proper response at such a time as this? What would be required of me in the coming minutes . . . hours . . . days? I wish I could say that I dropped to my knees and asked for guidance, but such wisdom avoided me that morning. I called my brother, shared the sad news, and agreed that I would make sure my wife’s situation was better before I met him at our father’s place. The next 24 hours were a blur as I worried about my wife, and tended to her needs at the hospital as best I could. A new sensation pulled at me. Helplessness. Prayer finally seemed like the natural thing to do, and it brought peace, even though I still didn’t have answers to many of my questions. The next morning I dropped my

girls off for their last day of school before Christmas break. As I drove to the hospital, by habit I reached for my cell phone. One of my Friday morning traditions was to call my father after dropping the girls at school. We would discuss his week, the weather, plans for the weekend. This time reality hit hard. I wouldn’t be making that phone call anymore. Dread. Pain. Fear. Helplessness. They all visited me again as I drove down a lonely road. Peace. I received an epiphany that helped clear my emotions. Why hadn’t I turned to God in prayer when those first emotions hit me? Why had I waited? I decided that I had to be more habitual about prayer, just as I had been about my weekly conversation with my earthly father. Prayer needed to be a bigger part of my routine. I needed a stronger bond with my heavenly Father. This sudden revelation made the pain just a little easier to bear. I knew that in the end my heavenly Father would make all things right. I just had to have a “little talk with Jesus.” n

Daniel Weber is communication director for the North American Division.

February 2017 | Adventist World - nad

INTELLECTUAL RESERVE, INC. LDS MEDIA

NAD Letters

Creative Outreach

Adventist World for All

After reading e-mails asking to make our Adventist World a more Seventhday Adventist Christian journal than just an Adventist journal for Adventists only, I applaud you for including two articles related to Jesus’ birth in the December 2016 edition. Thank you. Justin Singh Grand Terrace, California Pavel and Vanya

Regarding “Angel in a KGB Uniform,” parts 1 and 2: I enjoyed Pavel Liberanskiy’s testimony about life in the Soviet military in the late 1970s (November and December 2016). I have a book about a young Baptist soldier who served in the Soviet military a few years earlier. Vanya served from 1970 to July 16, 1972, when he was martyred for his faith in God by KGB officers who could not get him to become an atheist. Vanya did not have his own Bible. Pavel was spared. Might that outcome have been related to Vanya’s story? I highly recommend this book to all Adventists and other Christians. Ann Pulley Willow Springs, Missouri

I was inspired by the creative ways Seventh-day Adventists around the world are reaching out to their communities as reported in the November 2016 edition of Adventist World. Especially intriguing was the “Sabbath Sofa” project, apparently started in London and replicated in the Netherlands. And the Brazilian “We Care” church plant that involved dividing up into small groups to serve as “pastors” for specific city blocks, handing out water around nightclubs and pubs on Saturday nights, and setting up stools on busy sidewalks offering passersby the opportunity to “open up.” And what a thrilling story about Galina Moskalenko in Ukraine! She and her husband treat the entire population of Bugskoe as family, and this has become the mind-set of their church. No wonder so many have joined and found a home there. Thank you for making church planting the special feature. It fanned my excitement to be part of Christ’s incredible movement, and motivated me to try some imaginative methods for touching lives in my own community. Sandy Clark Spencer, Indiana

Adventist World - nad | February 2017

That’s News?

Of the four NAD news stories that appeared in the November Adventist World, three of them had something to do with free medical and dental care offered in different communities. I get it: they are outgrowths of the free health clinics Adventists offered in the San Francisco Bay Area, San Antonio, and Los Angeles in recent years. And while I’m excited for the opportunities to serve our communities and raise the profile of Seventh-day Adventists, I have to ask: Isn’t this what we should have been doing for decades? For more than 100 years our emphasis as a denomination has been on whole health—physical, emotional, spiritual. Yet only in the past few years have we been intentional about taking our health message to the streets. I look forward to when health outreaches to our communities are as commonplace and well-known and highly regarded as are our Adventist hospitals. This should not be news; it should be something we do all the time. Lewis Taylor Oakland, California

L A K E U N I O N C O N F E R E N C E C O M M U N I C AT I O N D E PA R T M E N T

I was inspired by the creative ways Seventh-day Adventists around the world are reaching out to their communities...

B A B C O C K

U N I V E R S I T Y

W O R L D

By P eter N. Landless and Zeno L. Charles-Marcel

Medical Schools!

Should we support such endeavors?

I read with interest of the increase in number of Seventh-day Adventist schools of medicine around the world, with even more in the pipeline. Should we be spending money on such expensive initiatives when established schools are often more affordable for our young people? Can the General Conference afford to pay for these institutions?

t is with excitement and keen anticipation that we await the establishment of our seventh denominational school of medicine (SOM) in Kigali, Rwanda. The EastCentral Africa Division is hard at work raising the funds, building the facilities, and searching for faculty to realize the dream of a new Adventist school of medicine in the region, the second on the continent of Africa. Equally exciting is the fact that the first cohort from the Benjamin S. Carson School of Medicine at Babcock University will be graduating in June 2017. This is a wonderful milestone, and we praise the Lord for dedicated teachers and leaders. The Adventist University of the Philippines SOM recently held the White Coat Ceremony for its second intake of students and is progressing well. Our schools of medicine in Peru (Universidad Peruana Unión), Argentina (Universidad Adventista del Plata), Mexico (Universidad de Montemorelos), and California (Loma Linda University) are thriving and striving to

train competent clinicians. All our schools enjoy excellent reputations in the regions they serve. It is true that there are more Adventist schools of medicine in the pipeline, and it is exciting to see divisions set their sights on creating institutions to encourage and teach the blended ministry. Can the General Conference afford to pay for these institutions? It cannot, and it does not. Each division receives its appropriation and works with these funds according to their strategic plans and needs. When a project such as a medical school is envisaged, a division may choose to make such an initiative the beneficiary of a Thirteenth Sabbath Offering (as EastCentral Africa Division has just done with the planned Adventist University of Central Africa’s new SOM). Why do we as a church open and run medical schools? And should we? The mission of the Seventh-day Adventist Church is grounded on four pillars: preaching, teaching, healing, and discipling. From the record of Scripture and insight of Ellen G. White, we under-

H E A L T H

stand that Christ spent more time healing than preaching. He is our great example, the Master Preacher, Master Teacher, and Master Physician. We are to extend the healing ministry of Jesus Christ through the blended ministry of well-trained Christian medical missionaries. They touch the lives of millions of patients around the world every year. As a church, we are not a franchise in the business of medical education. We purpose to train physicians who will address the whole being, attending to the physical, mental, emotional, social, and spiritual needs of human brokenness! Ellen White wrote, “The physician should reveal the higher education in his ability to point to the Savior of the world as one who can heal and save the soul and the body. This gives the afflicted an encouragement that is of the highest value. The ministry to the physical and the spiritual are to blend, leading the afflicted ones to trust in the power of the heavenly Physician. Those who, while giving the proper treatments, will also pray for the healing grace of Christ, will inspire faith in the minds of the patients. Their own course will be an inspiration to those who supposed their cases to be hopeless.”* So yes—by His grace we should, and will continue to, encourage the establishment of schools to train blended ministers until He comes. Maranatha. n * Ellen G. White, Medical Ministry (Mountain View, Calif.: Pacific Press Pub. Assn., 1932), p. 248.

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.

February 2017 | Adventist World - nad

F U N D A M E N T A L

B E L I E F S

NUMBER 12

By Shawn Brace

Joined in

What God asks for is

e are in the midst of a seismic ecclesiological shift. The church, as we have known it for the past 1,800 years, may not bear much resemblance to the church of the future.

Some Things to Consider

Over the past decade, the number of adults in the United States who attend a house church on a weekly basis has gone from 1 percent of the population to 9 percent.1 Worldwide, 394 million people affirm the tenets of the Christian faith, seek a life focused on Jesus, but reject historic denominationalism and organization, and gather in communities of various sizes. By 2025 estimates say that this number will balloon to 581 million people worldwide, or roughly 120 million more than all Protestant denominations combined.2 At the same time, some countries have grown increasingly secular. A 2007 survey in the United Kingdom found that nearly 70 percent of the population has no intention of attending a church service at any time in the future.3 In the United States only 4 percent of millennials (those born roughly between 1980 and 2000) attend a church service on any given weekend.4 Interpreting the Numbers

For some, these statistics are frightening and cause for great alarm. Others, however, see them as an opportunity to get the church back to its simple, authentic New Testament roots, free from the clutter and nonessential baggage that Christianity has accumulated since the days of Constantine. When China’s Chairman Mao rose to power, he “proceeded to perpetrate one of the cruelest persecutions of Christians on historical record.”5 Yet the approximately 2 million Christians in China when the purge began had

Adventist World - nad | February 2017

become 60 million when the ban was lifted some 40 years later. Today scholars estimate that there are some 120 million Christians in China. Christianity in China may achieve its prophetic destiny by distilling Christian faith down to its most fundamental and core elements. Adventism’s Context

As the world becomes both increasingly nonreligious yet increasingly spiritual, Seventh-day Adventists have an unparalleled opportunity to speak into the lives and hearts of people all around by being what God designed them to be: “the community of believers who confess Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior” (fundamental belief 12). That the church is a “community of believers” is key. This has been God’s missional approach since the beginning of time: working in and for and through a body of people who are committed to His character and ways. Paul pulls back the curtain on this staggering and eternal mission: “God’s purpose in all this,” he writes to the Ephesians, “was to use the church to display his wisdom in its rich variety to all the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places” (Eph. 3:10, NLT).6 In order to “display his wisdom” through the church, God simply asks for a living, breathing, organic group of people who, compelled by His love, are surrendered to Him and living out His love; surrendered people who are willing to pursue authentic, biblical, Godhead-like community, and to disciple “all the nations” (Matt. 28:19). “The church,” Ellen White explains, “is God’s appointed agency for the salvation of men. It was organized for service, and its mission is to carry the gospel to the world. From the beginning it has been God’s plan that through His church shall be reflected to the world His fullness and His sufficiency.”7

Mission

not too much. Finishing the Task

This will be accomplished when this community understands the width and depth and height of the gospel, and its claims on our lives, both personally and corporately; when the community recognizes that God’s wisdom and love is chiefly proclaimed through relational integrity—the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-24)—toward people both within and without the community; when we all understand that Christ desires for every person to be a disciple of His in all of life. Terence E. Fretheim notes that God chooses a community as “an initially exclusive move for the sake of a maximally inclusive end.”8 In other words, God devotes His chief attention to His bride, the church, in order to work in and through it as a means to reach the maximum number of people with His love, that all may personally see and encounter His grace through an organic community of disciples, and be invited to join the family. Some day soon Christ will return to claim His bride,

the church and present her to the universe, “a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle . . . , but . . . holy and without blemish” (Eph. 5:27). n 1

Cited in Alan Hirsch, The Forgotten Ways (Grand Rapids: BrazosPress, 2016), p. 65. Ibid., p. 67. Tim Chester and Steve Timmis, Everyday Church: Gospel Communities on Mission (Wheaton, Ill.: Crossway, 2012), p. 17. 4 Mike Breen and Alex Absolom, Launching Missional Communities (Pawleys Island, N.C.: 3DM, 2010), “Introduction.” 5 Hirsch, p. 6. 6 Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. 7 Ellen G. White, The Acts of the Apostles (Mountain View, Calif.: Pacific Press Pub. Asson., 1911), p. 9. 8 Terence E. Fretheim, God and World in the Old Testament (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2005), p. 19. 2 3

Shawn Brace is a pastor in the state of Maine, United States.

Fundamental Belief

The church is the community of believers who confess Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. In continuity with the people of God in Old Testament times, we are called out from the world; and we join together for worship, for fellowship, for instruction in the Word, for the celebration of the Lord’s Supper, for service to humanity, and for the worldwide proclamation of the gospel. The church derives its authority from Christ, who is the incarnate Word revealed in the Scriptures. The church is God’s family; adopted by Him as children, its members live on the basis of the new covenant. The church is the body of Christ, a community of faith of which Christ Himself is the Head. The church is the bride for whom Christ died that He might sanctify and cleanse her. At His return in triumph, He will present her to Himself a glorious church, the faithful of all the ages, the purchase of His blood, not having spot or wrinkle, but holy and without blemish. (Gen. 12:1-3; Exod. 19:3-7; Matt. 16:13-20; 18:18; 28:19, 20; Acts 2:38-42; 7:38; 1 Cor. 1:2; Eph. 1:22, 23; 2:19-22; 3:8-11; 5:23-27; Col. 1:17, 18; 1 Peter 2:9.)

February 2017 | Adventist World - nad

D E V O T I O N A L

By Tom L. Evans

God

euteronomy 10:18 articulates God’s particular passion about a special trio of groups He is obsessed about: “He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner.”1

and the

Needy

Caring for God’s Trio

How does He provide for them? The answer implicates every one of us. The verse just quoted seems to show Him handling their need on His own, “giving them food and clothing” (verse 18). But continued reading that notes all 11 occurrences of the trio in Deuteronomy shows that God expects us to be directly and intentionally involved in the providence that ministers to members of His trio. Deuteronomy 14 lays out His expectation as well as the contours of the program by which His people would supply the lack of those in need: “Do not neglect the Levites living in your towns,” He admonishes. “At the end of every three years, bring all the tithes of that year’s produce and store it in your towns so that the Levites (who have no allotment or inheritance of their own) and the foreigners, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns may come and eat and be satisfied” (Deut. 14:27-29). God directly linked His blessing to how Israel responded as agents of providence to His special trio, as well as others— the Levites, in this instance. God’s instruction concerning the treatment of His special trio of foreigners, orphans, and widows was quite specific. His people were not to take advantage of them, such as depriving foreigners and orphans of justice or taking the cloak of widows as a pledge (Deut. 24:17). They were not to thoroughly harvest their farms at harvesttime, but were to leave olives, grapes, and wheat available for harvesting by foreigners, orphans, and widows (verses 19-21). “The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your nativeborn. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt” (Lev. 19:34). A tenth of the harvest was to be given to the Levites as a special tithe, from which foreigners, orphans, and widows were also to be cared for (Deut. 26:12). God’s preoccupation with His special trio stands contrary to the idea that society’s marginalized are people on whom providence does not smile. For God has ordained that the smile of His providence be seen in our care for them. They, too, are His children, our own sisters and brothers.

Adventist World - nad | February 2017

S P R AT T

Orphans, the group referred to as “fatherless,” appears 18 times in the Old Testament as part of the trilogy of foreigners, fatherless, and widows, and an additional 23 times in the Old Testament. Perhaps their best known reference

A N N I E

One Example: the Fatherless

Foreigners, orphans, and widows are members of God’s special trio.

is Psalm 68:5: “A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.” Psalm 27:10 sheds further light on God’s passion for the fatherless, “When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take care of me” (NKJV). Fathers in the ancient Near East were their family’s main economic support. The loss of a father through death in war, accident, or disease could place his children and widow in a frightening economic plight. The desperate financial situation that could overtake a widow upon the loss of her husband is highlighted in 2 Kings 4:1-7. Ruthless creditors could take the widow’s children away as slaves to pay their lost father’s debt. The miraculous delivery granted to the woman in this story seems to have become necessary either because of no neighborly help, or because inadequate support came to her. She was obliged to call upon God Himself to do what neighbors had not done. Heaven’s Expectation

God clearly indicates His expectation for His followers today: “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress” (James 1:27). According to the Christian Alliance for Orphans, 17.6 million children are “double orphans,” having lost both parents; 150 million children have lost one or both parents. These numbers do not include children living in institutions (orphanages) or on the streets. These children are known as “social orphans.”2 The God of heaven designs and expects that the benevolence of His church to their neighbors will teach the world how divine providence functions to minister to the needs of all His children. A Personal Testimony

In 2014 our family decided to host two orphan brothers at Christmas through an organization called Project 143. Since then we have hosted them four times and also visited their orphanage in Eastern Europe. They have learned English, and one of our biological sons communicates with them in their language. We are in the process of adopting them. Spending time with them made me wonder how two such amazing boys could be abandoned by their parents. They have such promise for the future, but desperately need a family who will love them and raise them to make a difference in this world for God. They come from what is considered the most secular part of the world. Praying, going to church, family worship, even the name of Jesus are all new concepts for them. It is exciting to see the transformation in their lives during their short time with us. The older boy, who was 7 at the time, came up to me one Sabbath after hearing me preach and said in broken

God has ordained that the smile of His providence be seen in our care for the poor. English, “I help for God.” Needless to say, I was overcome with emotion. Our experience shows but one of the myriad ways in which we may minister to the needy all around. You may ask God to show you yours. Ellen White took personally the biblical injunction to assist orphans. She comments on her experience: “After my marriage I was instructed that I must show a special interest in motherless and fatherless children, taking some under my own charge for a time, and then finding homes for them. Thus I would be giving others an example of what they could do.”3 Especially because she traveled as much as she did, her action in caring for, educating, and training 3- to 5-yearolds speaks to how much we may all serve as God’s providence to the many all around who are still members of His special trio of foreigners, orphans, and widows. It is a service that she felt her duty “to bring before our people,” a matter in which “every church should feel a responsibility.”4 For Jesus, it is a matter of definitive significance: it guides His decision in the day of final accountability because of how personally He is affected by our cooperation with His providence: “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me” (Matt. 25:35, 36). n 1 Unless

otherwise noted, Bible texts in this article are from the New International Version. https://cafo.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Christian-Alliance-for-Orphans-OnUnderstanding-Orphan-Statistics_.pdf 3 Ellen G. White, Selected Messages (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Pub. Assn., 1958, 1980), book 1, p. 34. 4 Ibid. 2

Tom L. Evans is associate director of the

North American Evangelism Institute, Berrien Springs, Michigan, United States.

February 2017 | Adventist World - nad

C OV E R S T O RY

ithout data, they say, you’re just another person with an opinion. Seventh-day Adventist education around the world runs better because we deal with good data.

Numbers and Purpose

Adventist

As of December 31, 2015, the Adventist Church was operating 5,705 primary schools, 2,336 secondary schools, 53 training schools— such as hospital-based nursing programs and some nondegree ministerial training schools— and 114 tertiary colleges and universities. In our 8,208 schools around the world, 102,779 teachers educated nearly 2 million students (1,922,990). What is the mission of these schools? Or, as put by church historian George Knight: “Education for what?”1 Adventist existence and purpose are biblically grounded. While education must develop students mentally, socially, physically, and vocationally, this goal is shared by all schools, religious or not. Christian education aims higher, seeking to restore the image of God in students and to prepare them for service in this life and the next. Its aim is to return to God’s original purpose in creating humans. Adventist education shares this spiritual and redemptive goal with other Christian schools. But a third aspect of education makes Adventist education unique: it is the denomination’s apocalyptic mission to the world. George Knight observes that the denomination’s two schools in 1880 became 16 in 1890, rapidly expanding to 245 in 1900, more than 600 in 1910, and 2,178 by 1930. Adventist mission, he says, grew exactly the same way, showing “a growth curve that goes nearly straight up beginning in the 1890s. . . . Both the birth and the expansion of Seventh-day Adventist education were stimulated by the explosive fuel of apocalyptic mission as the denomination sought to educate the coming generation of young people not only about that apocalyptic mission but [also] to dedicate their lives to it.”2 Today, more than 140 years later, we still believe that mission and education are one, that the work of redemption and education are one, and that the Adventist Church is a movement of prophecy with an end-time mission to all the world. Our enrollment patterns present a great challenge to such belief. As of December 31, 2015, Adventist Church membership stood at more than 19 million members, but less than half of them (47 percent) have had some Adventist education. Fifty-two percent have had none. Enrollment varies by division. Contrast, for example, the North American

Adventist World - nad | February 2017

By Lisa Beardsley-Hardy

Education Rediscovering Our

Mission

Division (NAD), where only 29 percent of members have never attended Adventist schools, with the Southern Africa-Indian Ocean Division (SID), where 76 percent have had no Adventist education; or the Inter-American (IAD) and West-Central Africa (WAD) divisions, where 66 percent report having no Adventist education. This is partly explained by the numbers of adults who join the church in these places. We could hope that children of these adults are benefiting from being enrolled in Adventist education, preparing them for service and mission. This is an opportunity for enrollment growth. Of Seventh-day Adventist pastors, 36 percent report having only five to eight years of Seventh-day Adventist education. Only 14 percent reported having completed 13 or more years of Adventist education. Astonishingly, 8 percent of Adventist pastors report no Adventist education, which raises the question of where their ministerial education was from. Were there that many pastors of other denominations who became Seventh-day Adventists? Overall, most Adventist pastors have less than eight years of Adventist education,3 a factor that may help explain our members’ increasing diversity of views on the church’s fundamental beliefs. Too many Adventist pastors have not benefited from a distinctively Seventh-day Adventist education.

Strengthening the Gates

The General Conference Department of Education has set Adventist identity and mission as its principal priority for the quinquennium 2015-2020. It is one of four priorities designed to secure the gates that safeguard the mission focus of education. By “Adventist mission and identity” we mean both capacity and evidence that Adventist education functions within a biblical worldview and that it pursues a meaningful integration of faith and learning in all disciplines and all levels. It means that teachers and administrators give the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy their foundational role in the school’s operation, and that we are educating not just the mind, but the whole person, within a balanced, redemptive framework that develops the ability to think and to do. We aim to restore in our students the image of their Creator, holding ourselves accountable for Adventist mission and identity through processes such as the Adventist Accrediting Association (AAA), where we perform audits of schools, provide recommendations for improvement, and give commendations for what is going very well.

Percentage of church members worldwide with some Adventist education

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Through the functions of the International Board of Education (IBE) we establish general guidelines and direction of the church’s education program. The International Board of Ministerial and Theological Education (IBMTE) cooperates with world divisions to provide overall guidance and standards for the professional training of pastors, theologians, teachers of Bible and religion, chaplains, and other denominational employees involved in ministerial and religious formation. Beyond promoting and guarding Adventist essentials in all levels of education, we have recently focused on graduate and professional programs, because that is where there is growth. In the past quinquennium we opened three medical and two dental schools: in Nigeria, Peru, the Philippines, Argentina, and Brazil, respectively. In technology our challenge is to adhere to the Adventist philosophy of education in distance learning. How do we do Adventist education when we never see the student? when they live in their own homes and communities? How do we do it when they just come for an intensive, are in a cohort, or attend an urban campus while living in urban surroundings? To foster academic excellence, focusing on measurable goals for quality culture is not enough. Mission must be integrated with traditional measures of academic excellence. Andrews University and the Adventist Learning Community (see pages 20, 21) are at the forefront of developing distance education that is distinctly Adventist. But in every school, technology needs to be baptized for our purposes. We assess our schools on their implementation of a spiritual master plan appropriate for each level and type of student. Key performance indicators include such evidence as that students are studying their Bible, or using textbooks in harmony with the Adventist philosophy of education. Using the same books that every other school uses will not carry out our purposes. Our textbooks are being integrated with and be based on the biblical worldview. These are examples of what it means to strengthen Adventist identity and mission in education today. Student Access

Our second priority is to increase student access to Adventist education. Parents agree that Adventist education is desirable, but many struggle to afford it. Adventist education needs to be affordable, but it has to be sustainable. No margin, no mission. We need to partner with other departments, and with the divisions, to increase student access. Barriers to enrollment need to be identified and removed or lowered. To the best of our knowledge, 30 to 31 percent of our members are estimated to be 16-30 years of age. Of these 6 million members, 74,000, or 1 percent, attend a Seventh-day Adventist tertiary institution. Evidently we have a problem. Of course, not everybody in that age group is in school. February 2017 | Adventist World - nad

C OV E R S T O RY Some are working, some are at home, others are in rural populations farming or caring for family. Yet if the UNESCO higher education enrollment rate of 26 percent is applied to that 6 million, an estimated 1.5 million who could be in Adventist higher education are studying somewhere else. We now estimate that 5 percent of all of those Adventists who are studying in higher education attend one of our schools. Our schools cannot possibly offer every degree, but we still need a better enrollment ratio. Mission-focused Teachers

Our third priority is mission-focused teachers. Annual Statistical Report data show that this is the area of greatest concern. All teachers need to develop their capacity to achieve the redemptive purpose of Adventist education and to model Adventist values and lifestyle. The data show that we also need systems and deliberate effort to increase, where needed, the percentage of Seventh-day Adventist teachers who Adventist teachers work in the system. worldwide The past 14 years show a clear downward trend for primary, secondary, and tertiary teachers. We increasingly employ people of other faiths, or no faith at all. As of 2014 almost 30 percent of teachers were not Seventh-day Adventists. The annual decrease is on average 1 percent per year, sometimes more. Thus, of our 100,000 teachers, we have been exchanging 1,000 Adventists every year for 1,000 who have not committed to our faith by baptism. As Knight has asked: “What is Christian education without Christian teachers?” “What is Adventist education without Adventist teachers?” Teaching is an incarnational professors with specialized degrees. But we have not found process. It’s not just teaching how to add numbers, but also enough Seventh-day Adventists to supply that need. how to live a life of faith and carry out the unique mission The Adventist Professional Network (APN) is one iniof Seventh-day Adventist education. tiative to monitor the preparation of future teachers, and a Percentages of Adventist students are declining; less tool to recruit teachers and other personnel. Every Adventhan half of enrollment is Adventist. We might celebrate tist with at least a bachelor’s degree, is invited to the simple this as an evangelism opportunity! But the two trends are 10-minute task of registering in the database APN.advengoing down together. Some say that these teachers are more tist.org. It gives us a way to find you and help you with your caring or better role models than Seventh-day Adventist own professional development. Mission-focused teachers is teachers. They may indeed have superior academic qualifian area where the walls are broken and the gates burned. cations, and be effective educators in their discipline. They But you can help us redouble our efforts so that Adventist may even be warm Christians who share the love of Christ education can achieve its unique apocalyptic purpose. with students. But how can these teachers share the unique vision and mission of Seventh-day Adventist education if Educational Leadership they do not subscribe to it themselves? Our fourth and final priority is to strengthen educaThe expansive proliferation of degree offerings—a tional leadership. Principals, presidents of colleges and uniwhole alphabet soup just at the graduate level, going all the versities, and boards carry local responsibility for overseeway to medicine, pharmacy, doctors of theology, and ing more than 8,200 schools, colleges, and universities Ph.D.s in a variety of areas—has required employment of around the world. In a hand-poll of the 2016 General Con-

100,000

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1,922,990

Reaching Cities Through Education

In a final consideration, the role of education as a means of mission to big cities cannot be overstudents attend stated. Of the global urban population, approximate Adventist schools 1.7 billion people live in cities. Three million of them (primary through are Adventist. In the cities there are 547 people for college/university) every single Seventh-day Adventist.4 Viewed on a map, there is a correlation between educational institutions and where the membership is 20,000 or more. There are two features to note in the demographic distribution of membership. The larger concentrations are located on coasts, reflecting the early efforts of pioneering missionaries who went out not by airplanes in those days, but by ships, where they established the work in coastal areas. Where educational work was established, the church is strong. Memberships of 20,000 or more are virtually a map of our educational system. Education has proved to be a stable foundation on which Seventh-day Adventist work has grown from strength to strength. The many places in Europe and the 10/40 window, where membership is between zero and 125 members, should see Adventist education as a major approach for work in these challenging areas. In doing so, they continue the work of the Master Teacher and fulfill Adventism’s apocalyptic mission to the world. n 1

George R. Knight, “Education for What? Thoughts on the Purpose and Identity of Adventist Education,” The Journal of Adventist Education, October/November 2016, pp. 6-12. Ibid., pp. 11, 12. 3 https://www.adventist.org/en/information/statistics/article/go/-/seventh-day-adventist-worldchurch-statistics-2015/ 4 Thanks to Jerry Chase, Rick McEdwards, David Trim, and the annual reports compiled by the Office of Archives, Statistics and Research, Silver Spring, Maryland, for the data, maps and charts used in this report. 2

ference Executive Committee, about 20 percent were new to their positions. For that reason, we stage an annual leadership conference to equip new officers for the responsibilities they must carry out in the field. At the institutional level, demonstrating accountability and effective governance requires robust institutional decision-making processes and structures. We provide support for this through journal articles, board training, the 2016 General Conference LEAD conference on education, and board retreats. Formal means include graduate training for church leadership at Andrews University, the Adventist International Institute of Advanced Studies (AIIAS), and the Adventist University of Africa (AUA), which celebrated its tenth birthday this year. Over the past year the IBMTE Handbook was updated to strengthen ministerial and theological education. Regional LEAD conferences on education are scheduled for 2017, but more needs to be done to develop leadership, particularly for the preschool/kindergarten, primary, and secondary levels. P H O T O S :

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Lisa Beardsley-Hardy is director of the Department of Education at the General Conference world headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland, United States.

Raising the Standard Here are four recommendations that will significantly contribute to reaching God’s ideal for your school. Make it a place of genuine welcome. Make it a home that values every member’s story, be they students, employees, or administrators. Make it an educational institution known for its creativity and innovation. Make it a place where participation is born of personal spiritual commitment.

—From the inaugural address of Andrea Luxton, October 25, 2016, as sixth president of Andrews University, a leading institution of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

February 2017 | Adventist World - nad

N A D F E AT U R E

Church & School

Together

Again

hree special committees, or task forces, created in 2014 at the historic Dulles meetings, produced follow-up reports that included recommendations to be voted at the 2016 North American Division (NAD) year-end meeting. The NAD Education Taskforce (NADET) was tasked with discovering ways of Advancing Christian Education in North America. Larry Blackmer, vice president for education for the Seventh-day Adventist Church in North America, explains the significance of the voted recommendations. â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Editors.

Adventist World

W E B E R / N A D D A N

[NAD President] Dan Jackson called a meeting of all the division administrators in Dulles, Virginia, in May 2014. The open agenda asked: What are the issues in the church that need to be addressed in the next five years? Out of that came three major initiatives: one on the mission of the churchâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;mission effectiveness; one on the structure of the church; and one on education. We asked Elissa Kido, author of the CognitiveGenesis research, to be the chair. I was vice chair and secretary. After a year of work we came to the 2015 NAD year-end meeting with 18 recommendations. The NAD executive committee voted its top five preferences. We took those recommendations and enhanced them. We also added finance. We started with about 30 dif-

C O M M U N I C AT I O N

Give us a brief history of the committee.

Larry Blackmer, vice president of Education for the Adventist Church in North America, presents the NADET report during the 2016 NAD yearend meeting. Its recommendations will shape the future of Adventist education.

Eight recommendations geared toward bringing the ecclesiastical and educational sides of the Adventist Church together for mission.

ferent topics that the committee deemed important. We began to find out what was important, grouping them into areas. We ended up with eight different topics in the 2016 report. Please describe the topics.

The eight topics are: the importance of mission of Adventist education; collaboration between pastors and educators; finances (financial stability); school quality and accountability (systems); leadership development; school personnel quality and accountability (including teacher/professional development); distance learning, extending the reach of Adventist education through distance education; and marketing and public relations. It took almost a year to get it down to those eight. Who was part of the committee?

Last year we had a group of about 20 on the task force, then another 50 L A R R Y

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were on what we called a resource team. We’d send our ideas to that team and get feedback so that we were connecting to the field. When we moved to eight different recommendations, and this year particularly in finance, we knew we had to reconfigure our membership a bit to put more finance people on—and to put more distance education people on the committee—to strengthen the areas we knew we were going to work on. While many of the people who were part of the original committee stayed on, we have added more pastors, and we’ve endeavored to make sure the committee is ethnically diverse. In 2016 we had about nine GoToMeeting and two face-to-face meetings. We looked, first of all, at boiling down to find out what the major topics were. Then we built subcommittees on those areas. And those subcommittees then worked and brought recommendations back to the full committee. Quite a bit of research was conducted.

There is extensive research— research we did—and also something called SAE, which is Strengthening Adventist Education, from Andrews University. Research professors Anneris Coria-Navia and Jerome Thayer interviewed 27 different people across the division in many different areas: administrators from conferences, union conferences, and the

division, pastors, teachers, parents, etc. They did both group interviews and individual interviews. The researchers also conducted 16 focus groups with 184 educators and 108 officers. Which recommendations are you most excited about? Which ones do you think might be most challenging?

I was absolutely amazed that we got the buy-in from the leadership of the division that we did on the entire document. There was only one minor tweak made by the executive committee. I am pleased that the leadership of the church is taking Seventh-day Adventist education seriously. We’ve had a divide that has grown between the ecclesiastical side of the church and education over the past 20 years. . . . Not with any malice—I think it was just benign neglect since education back then was doing very well. The first recommendation is on mission: how we reengage the ecclesiastical side back to the educational system. We have one mission: the whole idea of the church is to make sure everyone knows Jesus and has a personal relationship with Him. We want students to have a strong academic environment, and a safe environment where they know Jesus as their personal Savior within the context of the Adventist Church. That’s what we’re trying to bring out in this document: attempting to merge the school and church back together again.

February 2017 | Adventist World - nad

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ProphecyEncounter.com

N A D F E AT U R E

The second-largest issue is pastor and pastor-teacher relationships. Pastors are gatekeepers. We found out that 60 percent of seminary students are second career individuals. They’ve had little or no background in Adventist education. Therefore, you have these seminary students, many of them selfsponsored, who were not getting any subsidy when they got to the seminary to send their own kids to Seventh-day Adventist schools. And currently there are no classes on Adventist education in the seminary. There’s only an elective for youth ministry. So when those pastors leave the seminary, we send them to a threechurch district with a struggling church school and hold them accountable to tithe and membership growth. That’s their rubric for success. But this little church school over here on the side has 10 students and is taking 60 percent of the church’s combined budget. They see the church school as the P H O T O S :

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antithesis of their being able to be successful. In order to be successful, they have to get rid of the church school so that they have the finances to do evangelism and church growth so that they can be deemed successful by those who hold them accountable. We have this whole system that works against small schools. We’ve closed 274 schools in 15 years. Most of them are small schools; and many of the closings are traceable back to this issue. What if we were to combine the church and the school so that the pastor was intimately involved in the school, not in administration, but in support, in ministry? What if we made teachers and pastors partners in ministry? That’s the second recommendation. How could this recommendation become reality?

I spoke to Ji í Moskala, from the Seventh-day Adventist Theological

Seminary, about courses on Adventist education. He asked, “What do you think if we were to have a required course in the seminary on Adventist education?” I said, “That’s great.” He added, “Also, we think that every pastor ought to do a field school and actually do time in a school in which they observe how to partner in ministry with the teacher. Every single pastor would spend two weeks in a school.” I told him that would be fantastic, and I asked how we could make it happen. He answered: “I’ve already been to my faculty, and we voted it.” So right after NAD year-end meetings, I went to the seminary and actually began to work on the curriculum; and began the search committee to hire a full-time professor to do Adventist education at the seminary starting in August 2017. This is a long-term fix; it’s a systemic change. If we could strengthen our partnership with pastors . . . this isn’t a one-way street. Educators also need to be engaged in their local church. Too many pastors say, “You know I haven’t seen the principal in a year. They haven’t darkened the door of my church in a year.” I have a saying: I like to fish. And I made a decision a few years ago. It was tough, but I finally made the decision to never again fish in the swimming pool. Why? There’s nothing to catch.

February 2017 | Adventist World - nad

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N A D F E AT U R E

Spirituality is caught, not taught. . . . We can teach religiosity, but spirituality is caught. Spirituality is caught, not taught. With spirituality, teachers and preachers have to have something to catch; it has to be infectious. We can teach religiosity, but spirituality is caught. So it’s really important that we help our teachers and preachers have something to catch. And if that’s something they work on together, then it’s doubly infectious, because they catch it at the church and they catch it at the school. And we hope parents buy in and students catch it at home. ValueGenesis* tells us that if you have those three items working together, it’s like 86 percent more effective in the faith

development of children than any one by itself. You mentioned training for pastors and teachers to work together to accomplish the mission. What other ways can help Adventist education be more successful?

Distance education and systemness. Both of those are important if we pull together like the franchise model. When you go to McDonald’s, you know what to expect. Aspects of Adventist education ought to be this way. The curriculum ought to be a solid curriculum. If you go to an

Adventist school, this is the curriculum you know you’re going to get. If you go there, you know you’re going to get friendly faculty who care about your children. System-ness is pulling together in the same direction, all schools, pastors, and teachers building a system that ensures some basic standards in all schools. And system-ness isn’t just for our brick-and-mortar schools. We have to build a strong distance education program, too. We have about 12 distance learning programs across the division. We need to have one centralized, divisionsponsored, and low-cost distance education program for K-12. We’re not there yet, but that’s the goal. And that brings me to one of my biggest burdens: We have 30 percent of our children in Adventist education. That’s more than twice any other denomination in this country, but that’s still a terrible number for us; that leaves 70 percent out there. Pathfinders is great, but they aren’t talking about Adventist beliefs such as the sanctuary . . . and families aren’t talking about it at home, because we’ve already lost the generation who are raising their children on the sanctuary and other core messages we have in the church. So there’s no place for these kids to learn those foundational church values. We’re going to lose another generation if we don’t do something. We have the 30 percent plus the 70 percent, which we define as the 100

February 2017 | Adventist World - nad

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N A D F E AT U R E

percent. But I also want to redefine the 100 percent to include those mission-appropriate children in our community whom we should also be caring about and worrying about. We have to redefine the 100 percent to the larger 100 percent of the community: mission-appropriate children in our community. NADET has created a special task force, the North American Division All Children’s Taskforce (NADACT), to develop something for the 70 percent and for the larger 100 percent. We have to build that base, that missional base, in all of our children. So we’ve made this recommendation. The NADET committee reaffirmed this, as did the NAD executive committee. Although this wasn’t a specific part of our report, NADACT could be counted as the ninth recommendation, if you will. How do you define missionappropriate?

That’s a term that I’ve coined during the past 20 years. I’ve often said that we need to have all missionappropriate children in our schools. There are Seventh-day Adventists who are not mission-appropriate; they don’t believe in the values of the church, and they don’t believe in upholding the teacher. Or they may have severe learning disabilities that we cannot handle within the school. But then there are those outside our faith community who really buy P H O T O S :

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in even deeper than some of our own. They’re more supportive of the school, more supportive of the values and the safe environment. The point is that we have to know what our mission is before we can tell whether somebody is mission-appropriate. And that’s what we’re trying to get Adventist education to do: redefine its mission. To reemphasize the value of that mission, and operationalize that mission within the school. Only then can we determine whether someone is mission-appropriate. What does it mean for the future of Adventist education that the executive committee for North America endorsed these recommendations?

page in saying that education is vital to the success of the Adventist Church. After our presentation we talked about other business—tithe and spending— and I’ve heard this said during those sessions: “We need to make sure we protect education. We cannot let education get hurt in this process.” We’re going to remarry the ecclesiastical side with the educational side and begin to work together in mission. It’s not us and them. We’re in this together. n * ValueGenesis is a research study into the faith and values of youth attending Seventh-day Adventist high schools in North America in the three areas of family, school, and church. The first survey was conducted in 1990, a second survey was conducted in 2000, and the third survey was conducted in 2010.

We’ve turned a corner to some degree. Now we’re all on the same February 2017 | Adventist World - nad

F E A T U R E

Approximately 90 percent of the world’s data was created in the past two years. To put it another way, all but a tenth of humankind’s knowledge about the universe didn’t exist three years ago.1 By some estimates, human knowledge is doubling every 13 months, which means anyone’s advanced degree loses its relevancy at an ever-increasing rate.2 In the modern era the amount of data available is staggering. By one estimate, every 60 seconds 150 million e-mails are sent, nearly 70,000 hours of Netflix video are streamed, 2.78 million YouTube videos are viewed, and 347,222 tweets are made.3 What It Means

The extreme amount of information available, and the incredible amount of data growth, translate into profound impact on our cultural and societal thinking. It can be difficult for us, as individuals, to notice how much our thinking has changed. However, when we think about how rapidly society has changed, the importance of data and the speed of that difference is more apparent. Consider how society has shifted its thinking in recent years. World culture has gone through several phases, or perspectives, on several issues during the past decade alone. Historic changes include society’s collective thoughts—at least in some regions— regarding gay marriage, race, politics, higher education, immigration, reli-

F O U N D R Y

The Increase of Knowledge

C O M PA N Y

e live in a time of rapid change and nearly unimaginable exchange of information. Christian education must be attentive to the pace of change, as flexible as necessary in this dynamic environment, as well as firm as a rock in maintaining its principles that are as good for our changing world as they are for God’s eternity.

By Adam Fenner

Reaching

World

the

How technology can advance the gospel gion, and perhaps some other topic that we might name. The question that leaders of any organization should ask is how they will stay relevant and agile to keep pace with a world changing as fast as our own. There are many potential answers to the question, but if they fail to include constant personal growth, they are of little consequence. If the world’s knowledge is growing at exponential rates and having direct impact on society, we must be constantly aware of the most significant knowledge shifts and how they influence those around us. We must never stop learning. The moment we feel comfortable and fail to grow in any part of our lives, we risk falling behind and becoming irrelevant in that particular area. Both individuals and church orga-

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nizations are in danger of not meeting the needs of those they aim to serve if they don’t have a knowledge of whom they are serving or how to serve them. The Biblical Standard

According to the Bible, the true measure of a professional is the eagerness to continually improve. Biblical support for lifelong learning is unmistakable. Proverbs 1:5 states, “Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance.”4 Speaking directly to ministers, 2 Peter 1:8 states: “For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” In both of these texts the Bible speaks to the necessity of continually seeking knowledge and

Distance education technology can quickly communicate across vast distances and organizational boundaries. self-improvement. Ellen White expanded on this biblical principle: “Those who are chosen of God for the work of the ministry will . . . by every possible means . . . seek to develop into able workmen.”5 In a comment that makes plain the matter of continuing education for pastors, she wrote, “The gospel is not properly taught and represented . . . by [those] who have ceased to be students.”6 And the church is to help them in this endeavor. She wrote that as ministers “manifest earnestness in improving the talents entrusted to them, the church should help them judiciously.”7 Our church has a responsibility to communicate vision, strategy, policies, and procedures en masse. If we are to operate in solidarity, we must be able to cast our vision with all our believers and share the strategy, policies, and procedures necessary to realize that mission. Today’s church leaders have a responsibility to foster new leaders for discipleship, support new innovative methods of ministry, and creatively deal with new challenges as they arise. We need to do all of these things, again, en masse. If we fail to do so, we will not realize our members’ full potential for furthering the Great Commission. Equipping new ministers and disciples en masse with the skills they need to effectively carry out the

Great Commission should be a top priority of our church. With more than 19 million members, located in hundreds of countries, and with dozens of languages spoken, we must find new avenues to unleash our untapped potential in efficient and cost effective ways. Rather than operate in proverbial silos, not utilizing every tool at our disposal, we must collaborate, share, and constantly innovate, in order to unleash our church’s full potential. Distance Technology

By utilizing distance education technology, our church can quickly and with agility communicate across vast distances and organizational boundaries. Regardless of a person’s location, station in life, or ability to pay for education, if they desire to serve Christ, the church should provide them the resources and training necessary to do so. Through free online courses our church can communicate its vision and strategy, foster new leaders, and equip people for ministry en masse for relatively little investment. The North American Division’s Adventist Learning Community (adventistlearningcommunity.com) offers more than 60 free courses for teachers, pastors, administrators, believers, and those who seek Christ. Knowledge about Christ and how to serve him through ministry should be open and

readily available to all who desire it. This is why the Adventist Learning Community (ALC) offers free courses such as community service training, how to successfully witness to millennials, and the philosophy of Adventist education. By building an online course available to anyone willing to take it, we, as a church organization are able to replicate success across great distances and organizational hurdles. It is just as possible to share a free training resource online with one person as it is to share with 10,000 people. The ALC’s digital resources are also highly editable because they do not exist in hardcopy form. Updating and making editorial changes are done for the entire world instantly and do not require any printing presses. This means that as new developments arise, the church can respond with a previously impossible agility. Most importantly, the democratization of ministerial resources through free and open online courses means anyone and everyone wishing to serve the Lord can do so competently. No longer is ministerial training limited to the privileged few fortunate enough to enjoy the opportunity of access. Now it can be shared with all. n 1

https://www-01.ibm.com/software/data/bigdata/what-is-bigdata.html 2 www.industrytap.com/knowledge-doubling-every-12-monthssoon-to-be-every-12-hours/3950 3 www.visualcapitalist.com/what-happens-internetminute-2016/ 4 Scripture quotations in this article are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. 5 Ellen G. White, The Acts of the Apostles (Mountain View, Calif.: Pacific Press Pub. Assn., 1911), p. 353. 6 Ellen G. White, Pastoral Ministry (Silver Spring, Md.: Ministerial Association, General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, 1995), p. 48. 7 E.G. White, The Acts of the Apostles, pp. 353, 354.

Adam Fenner is director

of the Adventist Learning Community (ALC), a distance education service, and teaches world history online for Andrews University.

February 2017 | Adventist World - nad

S P I R I T

O F

P R O P H E C Y

dventist education owes a lot to the counsel of Ellen G. White. We imagined what it might be like to interview her about this important topic.—Editors.

What is the aim of true education?

True education means more than the perusal of a certain course of study. It means more than a preparation for the life that now is. It has to do with the whole being, and with the whole period of existence possible to [humanity]. It is the harmonious development of the physical, the mental, and the spiritual powers. It prepares the student for the joy of service in this world and for the higher joy of wider service in the world to come. . . . In order to understand what is comprehended in the work of education, we need to consider both the nature of man and the purpose of God in creating him. . . . When Adam came from the Creator’s hand, he bore, in his physical, mental, and spiritual nature, a likeness to his Maker. . . . Had he remained loyal to God, all this would have been his forever. Throughout eternal ages he would have continued to gain new treasures of knowledge. . . . To restore in man the image of his Maker, to bring him back to the perfection in which he was created, to promote the development of body, mind, and soul, that the divine purpose in his creation might be realized—this was to be the work of redemption. This is the object of education, the great object of life. How do you see the relationship between education and redemption?

By sin man was shut out from God. Except for the plan of redemption, eternal separation from God, the darkness of unending night, would have been his. Through the Savior’s sacrifice, communion with God is again made possible. We may not in person approach into His presence; in our sin we may not look upon His face; but we can behold Him and commune with Him in Jesus, the Savior. . . . And while Christ opens heaven to [humanity], the life which He imparts opens the heart of [humanity] to heaven. . . . In the highest sense the work of education and the work of redemption are one, for in education, as in redemption, “other foundation can no [one] lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” . . . The great principles of education are unchanged. . . . They are the principles of the character of God. To aid the student in comprehending these principles, and in entering into that relation with Christ which will make them a controlling power in the life, should be the teacher’s first effort and his constant aim.

By Ellen G. White

Highest

Education

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A look back at the founding principles of Adventist education L A R R Y

B L A C K M E R

What about the “Eden School”? What were God’s plans and expectations?

The system of education instituted at the beginning of the world was to be a model for [humanity] throughout all aftertime. As an illustration of its principles a model school was established in Eden, the home of our first parents. The Garden of Eden was the schoolroom, nature was the lesson book, the Creator Himself was the instructor, and the parents of the human family were the students.

able worlds in their orderly revolutions, “the balancings of the clouds” (Job 37:16), the mysteries of light and sound, of day and night—all were objects of study by the pupils of earth’s first school. How can parents use nature to teach their young ones?

To the little child, not yet capable of learning from the printed page or of being introduced to the routine of the schoolroom, nature presents an unfailing source of instruction and delight. The heart not yet hardened by contact with evil is quick to recognize the Presence that pervades all created things. The ear as yet undulled by the world’s clamor is attentive to the Voice that speaks through nature’s utterances. And for those of older years, needing continually its silent reminders of the spiritual and eternal, nature’s teaching will be no less a source of pleasure and of instruction. As the dwellers in Eden learned from nature’s pages . . . so the children of today may learn of Him. . . . So far as possible, let the [children] from [their] earliest years be placed where this wonderful lesson book shall be open before [them]. Let [them] behold the glorious scenes painted by the great Master Artist upon the shifting canvas of the heavens, let [them] become acquainted with the wonders of earth and sea, let [them] watch the unfolding mysteries of the changing seasons, and, in all His works, learn of the Creator. In no other way can the foundation of a true education be so firmly and surely laid.

Higher than the highest human thought can reach is God’s ideal for His children. Godliness— godlikeness—is the goal to be reached. Created to be “the image and glory of God” (1 Corinthians 11:7), Adam and Eve had received endowments not unworthy of their high destiny. . . . Every faculty of mind and soul reflected the Creator’s glory. Endowed with high mental and spiritual gifts, Adam and Eve were made but “little lower than the angels” (Hebrews 2:7), that they might not only discern the wonders of the visible universe, but comprehend moral responsibilities and obligations. . . . In His interest for His children, our heavenly Father personally directed their education. Often they were visited by His messengers, the holy angels, and from them received counsel and instruction. Often as they walked in the garden in the cool of the day they heard the voice of God, and face to face held communion with the Eternal. His thoughts toward them were “thoughts of peace, and not of evil.” Jeremiah 29:11. His every purpose was their highest good. To Adam and Eve was committed the care of the garden. . . . Useful occupation was appointed them as a blessing, to strengthen the body, to expand the mind, and to develop the character. The book of nature, which spread its living lessons before them, afforded an exhaustless source of instruction and delight. . . . God’s glory in the heavens, the innumer-

What single concept describes education as you know it?

Higher than the highest human thought can reach is God’s ideal for His children. Godliness—godlikeness—is the goal to be reached. n Seventh-day Adventists believe that Ellen G. White (1827-1915) exercised the biblical gift of prophecy during more than 70 years of public ministry. These excerpts were taken from her book Education, pp. 13-16; 28-30; 20, 21; 100, 101; 18

February 2017 | Adventist World - nad

A D V E N T I S T

L I F E

hile serving as a student missionary in Pucallpa, Peru, I found it amazing to see the various ways God can use so many different people to reach those who need to hear the gospel message. From September 2015 through July 2016, through Southern Adventist University, I had the opportunity to assist in full-time medical, educational, and spiritual evangelism at an Adventist nonprofit clinic named AMOR Projects. While there, I saw God working through me and my colleagues. One of the highlights of my mission service was helping with the evangelistic campaign called Mil Veces Más (A Thousand Voices More, organized by the South Peru Union. As a result of this series, more than 4,000 people gave their lives to Christ and were baptized. Months before the campaign began, our Bible workers and missionaries began going house to house teaching the people about healthful living and studying the Bible with those who were interested. They also offered them free medical treatment. A week before the campaign officially started, I preached a weeklong revival series to help motivate Adventists to become involved in the upcoming campaign. By the start of the meetings—which were held at various locations throughout the district—the seeds that we had been planting for months were ready to be harvested. Ten people in our district gave their lives to God, and many more expressed interest in beginning Bible studies to prepare for baptism.

By Kyle Griffith and Albert Reyna

ABANDONED BUT NOT BY God

A student missionary in Peru sees God at work

Meeting Josué

Although there are many powerful testimonies from the campaign, the story of Josué Miyanaga is especially

compelling. I first got to know Josué when he came to our clinic for treatment for his high blood pressure. As a premedical student who volunteered often at the clinic, I took his blood pressure, which was dangerously high. I saw many cases at the clinic that day, but Josué stood out because of his extreme condition. We provided Josué with continued care, which led to him taking Bible studies and giving his life to Christ. Bible worker Albert Reyna studied the Bible with Josué and got to know him well. The following is Josué’s testimony as told by Albert:

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MIYANAGA FAMILY: Josue Miyanaga and his family ORPHANAGE FAMILY: Kyle Griffith poses with two children at the Refugio de Esperanza Orphanage in Peru, where he and others from the clinic provided medical care.

FAMILY TIME: Albert Reyna and his son, Joel, out for a bike ride.

P H O T O S

C O U R T E S Y

O F T H E

Josué’s Story

A Changed Life

Even though he is only in his mid-30s, Josué Miyanaga Sanchez, who was born in Pucallpa, Peru, struggles with health issues. He also has family challenges. Josué has never met his father, who abandoned him when he was an infant. His mother raised him until he was 8 years old, but then her mental health rapidly deteriorated and she abandoned him as well, leaving him to struggle alone to survive. Not knowing what to do, Josué eventually went to an orphanage called San Juan in Pucallpa’s district of Yarinacocha and lived there for most of his childhood. He also attended elementary and high school there. When Josué turned 16, he left the orphanage and enlisted in the Peruvian Army. He trained hard, and after serving his allotted time in the army, he began working as a private security guard, which is still his occupation today. Josué then met a woman named Brigida, and the couple began living together. Together they had three beautiful children. When their oldest daughter, Kasandra, was 15, Brigida abandoned the family. Kasandra then took on the responsibility of caring for her two young brothers—Rayto and Kento—while Josué was working. Because of the constant workload at home, Kasandra was unable to attend even elementary school. Eventually she moved out of Josué’s home to live with her boyfriend. As well as raising his sons, Josué has also been trying to help his mother, who is homeless. She doesn’t recognize her son, however, and rejects any assistance he tries to provide.

This was Josué’s situation when he came to the Adventist free clinic and we began treating him for his extremely high blood pressure. Josué smoked cigarettes, a habit he had been unable to give up. He asked for help, saying he desperately wanted to quit smoking. I told him that above all, he needed God’s help. He began to weep. In that moment he accepted Jesus into his heart and signed up for Bible studies. After months of Bible studies and instructions on healthful living and the power to overcome bad habits through Christ, we could see many positive changes in Josué’s life. On June 24, 2016, the last night of the Mil Voces Más evangelistic meetings, Josué was baptized into the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Josué’s journey, however, has just begun. He will need ongoing support and prayers to strengthen him to face his many challenges and struggles. It’s been incredible, however, to see what the Lord has done, and is doing, in Josué’s life, because Jesus is the only one who can ease the pain and erase his emotional scars. Only Jesus can give him a hope-filled and victorious future. AMOR Projects is a nonprofit organization in Pucallpa, Peru, operating under the auspices of the nonprofit ACT Peru. To read more testimonies, learn about other current projects, and find out how you can help, visit their Web site at www.actperu.org or e-mail kyle@actperu.org. n

A U T H O R S

Kyle Griffith is a premedical student at Southern Adventist University. Albert Reyna is a Bible worker currently working with AMOR Projects.

February 2017 | Adventist World - nad

B I B L E

Q U E S T I O N S

A N S W E R E D

The

What was the purpose of burning incense in the Israelite sanctuary?

Sweet Smell of

Salvation

Incense was burned for several reasons in the tabernacle. Since incense was mainly a powder, fire was needed to release its fragrance. The altar of incense, placed before the veil that separated the holy place from the Most Holy Place, provided a place to burn incense. It was approximately a half meter (1.5 feet) wide, a half meter (1.5 feet) deep and one meter (three feet) high (Ex. 30:1-10). There was a horn on each of its upper four corners, and incense was probably burned on its surface. 1. Practical Reasons: Incense was common throughout the ancient Near East in nonreligious settings. For instance, in most houses animals were often kept nearby, and burning incense inside the house served to counteract some of the odors. The sanctuary was God’s residence among the Israelites; the sprinkling of blood and the killing of sacrificial animals would probably have resulted in some unpleasant odors. Respect for the resident deity required controlling that pollution. This would have been achieved by, among other things, burning incense on the altar in the holy place. However, the biblical text does not explicitly address this practical function, but emphasizes the symbolic meaning of the ritual. 2. Daily Services: The priest went into the holy place to burn incense every day. He was to burn it “every morning when he tends the lamps” and again when he “lights the lamps at twilight” (Ex. 30:7, 8). No particular reason is explicitly given for this ritual, but the context provides some hints as to its meaning. The incense used in the tabernacle was made from a recipe the Lord gave to Moses. The Israelites were not to produce their own incense using that recipe (30:34-38). Therefore, it was “most holy to you” (verse 36). We have here a product that, by being of divine origin and holy, could function as a means of approaching the Lord; it stood between God and the priest. It could mediate the presence of Aaron, as a representative of the people, before the Lord. In burning incense he came closer to the Lord than in any of the other daily services, because

Adventist World - nad | February 2017

behind the veil, in front of which was the altar, was the ark of the covenant (Ex. 40:26). It is then natural for the Bible to associate incense with prayer, a way of accessing the Lord, as that which makes prayer acceptable to Him (Ps. 141:2; Luke 1:10; Rev. 5:8; 8:3). Christians find in incense a symbol of the merits of Christ that make their prayers, and themselves, acceptable to God (John 16:23, 24). 3. Expression of Divine Compassion: The mediatorial role of incense reaches its peak during the Day of Atonement, when, before going into the Most Holy Place of the sanctuary, the high priest takes a censer and puts live coals in it to burn incense (Lev. 16:12, 13). In this case the meaning of the ritual is given: “The smoke of the incense will conceal the atonement cover above the tablets of the covenant law, so that he will not die” (verse 13, NIV). The glory of God was revealed on the cover of the ark of the covenant/testimony; as such it was life-threatening to human beings. In this particular case the cloud of incense has two main functions: It is the place where the Lord appears “in the cloud over the atonement cover” (verse 2, NIV). But it also envelops Aaron to protect him from divine wrath. The incense touches both the divine and human spheres, making it possible for both God and His servant to contact each other in an atmosphere of life-preserving love that makes it possible for Aaron to serve the Lord. The symbolism of the ritual finds its ultimate expression in the work of Christ. He is the divine incense that brings us into contact with God, while saving us from the wrath of the Lord (cf. Eph. 2:3, 4). He is the divine incense/ mediator for us. Those impregnated by the saving incense of Christ become also an expression of “the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved” (2 Cor. 2:15). n

Angel Manuel Rodríguez is retired, living in Texas, after serving the church as a pastor, professor, and theologian.

B I B L E

S T U D Y

By Mark A. Finley

Confident Assurance? Or

False Hope? C

an an individual have the assurance of salvation? Can we know that we are saved, or must we always live in doubt, wondering about our standing with God? If we can have the assurance of salvation now, does that guarantee we will always have it? If we are saved today, are we in some way always saved? These questions speak to the very heart of Christianity, and the Bible provides solid answers. Let’s explore the message of Scripture about the subject of the assurance of salvation.

1 Read God’s promise regarding salvation in 1 John 2:25. Can you think of any greater promise? God’s promise of eternal life gives each believer confidence that in Him salvation is secure.

2 Where is eternal life found? How do we receive it? Can we have assurance of eternal life? Study 1 John 5:11-13 carefully. Compare it with John 3:16. John’s letter is too plain to be misunderstood. “He who has the Son has life” (1 John 5:12). If we accept Jesus and commit our lives to Him, the gift of eternal life is ours. John wrote: “These things I have written to you . . . that you may know that you have eternal life” (verse 13). Eternal life is a gift offered to us in Christ. If we have Christ, we have the gift.

3 What assurance about our inheritance in Christ is found in the Gospel of John? Read John 1:12. When we receive Christ we become sons and daughters of God, members of the royal family of heaven. The title deed to our glorious inheritance in Christ is ours throughout eternity.

How does the Bible describe what God has done for us in Christ to enable us to gain this glorious inheritance? Read Ephesians 2:4-8.

B E N

W H I T E

5 Can this gift of salvation, this glorious inheritance, ever be lost once we have received it? Study the following passages to discover the answer: Hebrews 2:3; 3:6, 12-14. The book of Hebrews emphasizes the need to continue in the grace Christ so freely offers us. It instructs each believer not to “neglect so great a salvation”; to “hold fast”; and to be “firm to the end.” God respects our freedom of choice. We do not give up that freedom when we accept the gift of eternal life.

6 Once individuals receive the gift of eternal life, their names are written in the book of life (Phil. 4:3). Can their names be blotted out of God’s book by their own choices? Read Revelation 3:5. 7 What cautions did both Peter and Paul give to all Christian believers? Read 2 Peter 2:20-22 and 1 Corinthians 9:27. Peter mentions people who have “escaped the pollutions of the world” (2 Peter 2:20). They were obviously saved by grace, but they turned away from God’s great salvation. Paul earnestly prayed that he would never become “disqualified.” In the original Greek this word means rejected or excluded. Bible writers cautioned us not to accept the false idea that once we experience salvation we are always saved. They urge us to live in God’s grace day by day.

8 What reassuring promise did Jesus give so we can stay in His grace and maintain the assurance of eternal life? Read John 10:27-30. What assurance to know that we are secure in Christ! But we are never secure apart from Christ. In Him eternal life is certain; and that’s good news. n

February 2017 | Adventist World - nad

IDEA EXCHANGE Visiting is something everyone can do. Sharing words about God comes as a result of spending time —Werner Prandstatter, Germany with others. Laymen’s Services and Industries, and ASAP represents Advocates for Southeast Asians and the Persecuted.—Editors

Letters

Pure Religion

Clarification Always Appreciated

In the article “ASI and Church Team Up on TMI” (October 2016) the acronyms TMI, ASI, ASAP appear, and only the TMI acronym is fully spelled out. The rest are to be guessed by the reader. Does ASAP stand for as soon as possible? Does ASI stand for Australian Students Institute? Such omissions leave otherwise interesting articles a bit lacking. Erwin Wegner Canberra, Australia Thank you for reminding us about our use of jargon that may be unfamiliar to our readers. ASI stands for Adventist

PrayerW

Regarding the “Two-Minute Testimony” (October 2016): I recently visited a friend who was a bit sad. She said she enjoyed my visit. On the way home I thought of the text: “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world” (James 1:27, KJV). Where is it written that we should have Bible lessons with orphans and widows, to invite them to sermons, or to heal them? Those can all be a result of visiting them. Visiting is something everyone can do. Sharing words about God comes as a result of spending time with others. Nearly everybody has contacts: old people, lonely people, people

without friends. This is pure religion! I always thought it was too complicated to do God’s will, but now I’ve found a way. Werner Prandstatter Germany Food for Thought

Regarding “What Jesus Told the Thief ” (October 2016): I happened to see another, and quite acceptable, explanation of Christ’s words to the repentant thief. In his excellent article “The Resurrection of the Body and Life Everlasting,” Stephen Perks notes that in Genesis 2:17 Adam is warned that the day he ate the fruit of the forbidden tree he would die. Yet as we read three chapters further on, He did not die for another 900 years! But when Adam ate the forbidden fruit and was subsequently denied access to the tree of life, Perks argues, death took hold of him! In the same way, when the thief recognized Jesus as the promised Mes-

PRAISE

Pray for my former boyfriend who suffers from depression. He has a good heart, and I want him to be happy. Andrea, Germany

Please pray for our town; it is not secure. We also ask God to help us have good weather for an upcoming program. M irenge, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Adventist World - nad | February 2017

I need financial help for my high school education. Issah, Ghana I’ve been married for three years, but I still don’t have a child. Please pray for the Lord to give me a child. Sylvia, Papua New Guinea

The Power of Forgiveness

I was touched by the article “Forgiving the Killers” (August 2016). The power of forgiveness is so profound, so intense, it’s a wonder we see so little of it in society around us, even in the church. Jesus specifically warned us that if we don’t forgive others, we can’t expect God to forgive us. What a solemn thought. Beatrice Keya Amsterdam, Netherlands

Letters Policy: Please send to: letters@adventistworld.org. Letters must be clearly written, 100-word maximum. Include the name of the article and the date of publication with your letter. Also include your name, the town/city, state, and country from which you are writing. Letters will be edited for space and clarity. Not all letters submitted will be published.

We have two daughters who cannot attend university for lack of finances. We hardly eat three meals a day, and now we have been evicted from our home. We are going through tough times, but we bless God for it. Charles, Nigeria

H O R S T T I N N E S

siah and himself as a sinner, it may be said that that day Paradise took hold of him. Even though he won’t go to heaven until the resurrection day, Paradise became his by his exercise of faith when all around seemed to say otherwise. Perks not only set out a biblical view of mortality, but condemns what he calls “the cannibalizing of pagan ideas,” to fill in the gaps. Not only did I find it good teaching material—when a Baptist friend asked about our beliefs, I transcribed both articles and sent them to him. He had been reading John Stott and Gordon Wenham on that very subject. Barry Gowland United Kingdom

This Is What

I Think

One Sabbath I was greeting at the front door of the

church. A little girl with butterfly barrettes asked if she could help. I answered, “Of course!” When I asked how old she was, she said 5. I suggested that she hold the bulletins in her left hand and shake hands with her right. There she was with her little hand outstretched before people even walked up the steps. She loved being a greeter, and people loved her. One week I asked a teen to help. She was happy to do so. We no sooner got started than she enthusiastically grabbed a friend and said, “May she help too?” “Of course.” Then another friend came by, and they put her to work also. One opened the door, another handed out bulletins, and the other shook hands. I made the mistake of shaking someone’s hand, and I was told that was their job. Young greeters range in age from 5 to their teens, and include both boys and girls. At an early age our young people make up their minds about what they think about the church, and what they believe the church thinks about them. If they are actively involved in church, if they form lifelong friends within our faith, they are more likely to know just how valuable, loved, and appreciated they are. Seventh-day Adventist churches should be the friendliest places on earth. Let’s acknowledge our children and young people with responsibilities in addition to a smile, a hello, a handshake, and, if appropriate, a hug. “Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these’ ” (Matt. 19:14, NIV).—Richard Speight, Takoma Park, Maryland, United States.

Please pray for my friend, Ofelia. She is not being treated well by her husband. Please also pray for her to find a job. Joan, Philippines

The Place of Prayer: Send prayer requests and praise (thanks for answered prayer) to prayer@adventistworld.org. Keep entries short and concise, 50-words or less. Items will be edited for space and clarity. Not all submissions will be printed. Please include your name and your country’s name. You may also fax requests to: 1-301-680-6638; or mail them to Adventist World, 12501 Old Columbia Pike, Silver Spring, MD 20904-6600 U.S.A.

February 2017 | Adventist World - nad

IDEA EXCHANGE

Happy Birthday,

“Behold, I come quickly…” Our mission is to uplift Jesus Christ, uniting Seventh-day Adventists everywhere in beliefs, mission, life, and hope.

G e orge !

E T T

M E L I T I

George Frideric Handel, who wrote the oratorio Messiah, was born in Halle, Germany, on February 23, 1685. His father wanted him to be a lawyer, so as a child Handel waited until his father went to sleep, then secretly practiced his instruments in the attic. By the age of 12 Handel was a skilled performer of the harpsichord and pipe organ. In 1741 he decided to write a new oratorio for a benefit performance in Dublin. He worked on it zealously, often neglecting to eat or sleep. In 25 days he had created the score for the Messiah, which was composed of 50 separate pieces. When he finished, he said, “God has visited me.”

The

Skinny

on Staying Skinny Our modern lifestyles make it increasingly difficult to stay trim and fit. Try these tips to stay physically, emotionally, and spiritually healthy. n

W ake up peacefully. Instead of using a regular alarm clock, use one that uses gradually stronger sound and/or light.

A void e-mails and electronics until you’ve collected your thoughts. nW eigh daily. But don’t be demoralized by minor fluctuations in weight. nL isten to/read something devotional every day. nE at breakfast. nA void refined carbohydrates for breakfast; balance proteins with n

wholegrain cereals.

B reathe deeply, 10 deep breaths at least three times a day. nW alk, walk, walk to maintain weight loss and increase mental clarity. n

V I D M I R

International Publishing Manager Chun, Pyung Duk Adventist World Coordinating Committee Jairyong Lee, chair; Yukata Inada; German Lust; Chun, Pyung Duk; Han, Suk Hee; Lyu, Dong Jin Editors based in Silver Spring, Maryland, USA André Brink, Lael Caesar, Gerald A. Klingbeil (associate editors), Sandra Blackmer, Stephen Chavez, Wilona Karimabadi Editors based in Seoul, Korea Chun, Pyung Duk; Park, Jae Man; Kim, Hyo-Jun Operations Manager Merle Poirier Editors-at-large Mark A. Finley, John M. Fowler Senior Advisor E. Edward Zinke Financial Manager Kimberly Brown Editorial Assistant Marvene Thorpe-Baptiste Management Board Jairyong Lee, chair; Bill Knott, secretary; Chun, Pyung Duk; Karnik Doukmetzian; Han, Suk Hee; Yutaka Inada; German Lust; Ray Wahlen; Ex-officio: Juan Prestol-Puesán; G. T. Ng; Ted N. C. Wilson Art Direction and Design Jeff Dever, Brett Meliti Consultants Ted N. C. Wilson, Juan Prestol-Puesán, G. T. Ng, Guillermo E. Biaggi, Mario Brito, Abner De Los Santos, Dan Jackson, Raafat A. Kamal, Michael F. Kaminskiy, Erton C. Köhler, Ezras Lakra, Jairyong Lee, Israel Leito, Thomas L. Lemon, Solomon Maphosa, Geoffrey G. Mbwana, Blasious M. Ruguri, Saw Samuel, Ella Simmons, Artur A. Stele, Glenn Townend, Elie Weick-Dido To Writers: We welcome unsolicited manuscripts. Address all editorial correspondence to 12501 Old Columbia Pike, Silver Spring, MD 20904-6600, U.S.A. Editorial office fax number: (301) 680-6638 E-mail: worldeditor@gc.adventist.org Web site: www.adventistworld.org Unless otherwise indicated, all Bible references are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Texts credited to NIV are from the Holy Bible, New International Version. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide. Used by permission. Adventist World is published monthly and printed simultaneously in Korea, Brazil, Indonesia, Australia, Germany, Austria, Argentina, Mexico, and the United States.

Vol. 13, No. 2

Source: Eatthis.com I M A G E :

Publisher The Adventist World, an international periodical of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. The General Conference, Northern Asia-Pacific Division of Seventh-day Adventists®, is the publisher. Adventist Review Ministries Board Ted N. C. Wilson, chair; Guillermo Biaggi, vice chair, Bill Knott, secretary; Lisa Beardsley-Hardy, Williams Costa, Daniel R. Jackson, Peter Landless, Robert Lemon, Geoffrey Mbwana, G. T. Ng, Daisy Orion, Juan Prestol-Puesán, Ella Simmons, Artur Stele, Ray Wahlen, Karnik Doukmetzian, legal advisor Executive Editor/Director of Adventist Review Ministries Bill Knott Associate Director of Adventist Review Ministries

R A I C

Adventist World - nad | February 2017

Shall We

Return to Rome?

Photo: Shutterstock

Photo: Wikipedia PD-US

Five hundred years ago Roman Catholic scholar Martin Luther provoked a schism in his beloved church. Millions of Protestants believe it is now time to return to the Mother Church. “We all think the same now, don’t we?” To millions, Jesuit Pope Francis is a gentle Christ-like figure, more interested in saving souls than pontificating dogmas. Shall we not accept his invitation to return? John Carter presents in a loving way the differences between his Protestant faith and the Catholic faith of the Pope.

Photo: Casa Rosada

You may receive the four-part TV series, “Shall We Return to Rome?” by writing to: The Carter Report, PO Box 1900, Thousand Oaks, CA 91358, USA. In Australia write to: John Carter, PO Box 861, Terrigal, NSW 2260. You may go online at: cartereport.org or call 805-532-0038 Monday-Thursday 9:00 a.m.– 6:00 p.m. (PST) USA. Scan this QR code on your smartphone.

Cost for two 60-minute DVDs: $30.00 USD. Free shipping and handling in the USA. The first 100 sets are FREE, SO CONTACT US TODAY!

Only CHRIST, Only SCRIPTURE, Only GRACE, Only FAITH

GENERAL CONFERENCE OF

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SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISTS

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12501 OLD COLUMBIA PIKE

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SILVER SPRING, MD 20904

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“We “Weall allthink thinkthe thesame samenow, now, don’t don’t we?” we?” Jesuit Jesuit Pope Francis Francisisisaacharismatic charismaticleader leader with with aa vision vision to to bind up the thewounds woundsof ofthe theChurch Church and and to to heal heal the the hurts hurts of a suffering sufferinghumanity. humanity.Shall Shall we we not not accept accept his his invitation invitation totoreturn? return?Millions Millions think think so. so. John John Carter Carter presents presents in aaloving lovingway way the the differences differences between between his his Protestant Protestant faith faithand andthe theCatholic Catholicfaith faith of of the the Pope. Pope. You Youmay mayobtain obtain the the four-part four-part TV TV series, series, “Shall “Shall We Return Returnto toRome?” Rome?” by by writing writing to: to: The The Carter Carter Report,

PO Box 1900, 1900, Thousand Thousand Oaks, Oaks, CA CA 91358, 91358, USA. USA. In Australia Australia write write to: to:The TheCarter CarterReport, Report,PO POBox Box861, 861, Terrigal, NSW NSW 2260. 2260. You You may mayalso alsorequest requestititonline online at: cartereport.org cartereport.org or or call: call: 805-532-0038 805-532-0038MondayMondayThursday Thursday 9:00 9:00 a.m.-6:00 a.m.-6:00p.m. p.m.(PST) (PST)Cost: Cost:$30.00 $30.00USD USD for two DVDs, DVDs, free free shipping shippingand andhandling handlingininthe theU.S.A. U.S.A.

The first 100 100 sets sets (two (two60-minute 60-minuteDVDs) DVDs) are free, so contact contact us us now. now.