PRES ID E NT'S REP O RT
Together in Mission: I Will Go By Ken Denslow
I once heard a guest lecturer at a preaching seminar. At the conclusion of his presentation, there was a time for Questions and Answers. One of the attendees asked if his church had a mission statement.
E Ken Denslow
4 MAY 2022
The speaker quickly responded that, indeed, they did have a mission statement and that it came from our Lord Himself: And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matt. 28:18–20 NKJV). In the opening chapter of his outstanding book, Mission Drift, Peter Greer writes: “Without careful attention, faith-based organizations will inevitably drift from their founding mission . . . Slowly, silently and with little fanfare, organizations routinely drift from their original purpose, and most will never return to their original intent.” Equally challenging is an unimaginative devotion to maintaining operational
traditions from the days of the founders. We find ourselves seeking that sweet spot between these two dangers. Every generation runs the risk of sliding off the slope. Mission must be identified and intentionally pursued in relevant and biblical ways. On the website of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, you can find the Mission Statement for the Seventh-day Adventist Church, to “Make disciples of Jesus Christ who live as His loving witnesses and proclaim to all people the everlasting gospel of the Three Angels’ Messages in preparation for His soon return (Matt. 28:18-20; Acts 1:8; Rev. 14:6-12). Historically, making disciples in the Adventist context has been through three general modalities: preaching, teaching and healing. In the reporting for the past quinquennium and as we look forward to plans for mission in the future, it will be in
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