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Welcome
I would like to take this opportunity once more to welcome all who are attending this
Annual Council. We thank the Almighty Father who has brought us safely to this place.
Our special welcome goes to the division lay representatives. We are glad to see that
many of you managed to get here. Because of the short time we had between the actions of the
divisions and the General Conference Committee approval, we were not sure that you would
receive the invitation in time to secure visas to travel. We had to rely on the telephone, e-mail,
and faxes instead of the normal mail to contact some of you.
Since we have your addresses now, we believe we will be able to reach you much faster
in the future. Please remember to inform us whenever there is a change of address. We know
changes take place on the union level after a General Conference Session. Again, we appeal to
the division administration to inform us if there are changes.
With the exception of a few of you who have been reappointed as General Conference
Executive Committee members, the rest of you are attending Annual Council for the first time.
There is a plan to have an orientation session for all of you. It will be on September 27 in the GC
cafeteria at 5:30 p.m. We are determined to make you feel at home and to assist you in
discharging your responsibilities as members of the Executive Committee.
Attendance
At the last General Conference Session it was a real embarrassment to all of us when
fewer than 30 percent of the delegates were present during the business sessions. We want to
encourage all members of the Executive Committee to attend all the meetings. The Church has
placed great confidence in you as a representative who will speak on her behalf at these meetings.
A lot of expenses are being incurred for you to be here. We appeal to you all to arrive promptly
and stay throughout these meetings.
We were all blessed by the Lord at the recent General Conference Session in Toronto.
On behalf of the administration, we want to thank all of you who worked so hard to make it a
success. I received a letter from a friend which stated:
"The General Conference Session is now a memory. In many ways the results are
positive and hopeful. Now is the time for the real planning, work, and implementation. What we
do every moment now at our post of duty will affect Adventist identity for years to come and
maybe forever. What a frightening thought! People in and outside of the church watch and discern the times and pray for us. God watches and provides His grace for the tasks ahead so we
can face the unknown with confidence."
Theme
The theme for this Annual Council, as you have noticed, is "United by the Word of God."
Since our president was elected in 1999, he has identified "unity" as the greatest
challenge facing our Church. You have heard him state this in all his public statements and his
sermons. This quinquennium unity will be our first priority. We will talk about it, work for it,
and pray for it.
There will be five devotional presentations dealing with:
- The Unity of the Word of God
- The Meaning of Unity in the Word of God
- The Word of God and Unity of Doctrine
- The Word of God and Unity of Decision
- The Word of God and Unity in Diversity
I invite you to be present for every one of these devotional messages.
Tribute and Introduction of Secretariat Staff
During the last General Conference Session, several changes took place within both the
General Conference and Division Secretariats.
Before I introduce our new staff, I would like to take the opportunity to pay special tribute
to those who are no longer working in Secretariat.
- G Ralph Thompson. An outstanding statesman and spiritual leader, he served for
20 years as Secretary of the General Conference. During those years he built a strong Secretariat
team, to the point that it became the favorite ground for Presidential to recruit its staff. Thank
you, Elder Thompson, for your dedication and hard work. As I mentioned at the Session, the
shoes you have left behind are still too big for me.
- Maurice T Battle. How can we get along at the Secretariat without the "duty
officer"? He spent 52½ years of his life working for the Church, serving as a missionary in
Africa, the Middle East, and England and then as an associate secretary of the General
Conference for the last 22 years. Elder Battle will retire next month.
- Mario Veloso. Before coming to the General Conference, he served as Secretary
in the South American Division. In 1990 he was elected as an Associate Secretary at the General
Conference. He will be remembered for the work he did with the Church Manual. He was never
satisfied until the final product came off the press. He has accepted a call to the Euro-Asia
Division as a special assistant to the division.
- Larry R Colburn. He has not left the General Conference, but he was drafted by
Presidential to serve as Administrative Assistant to the president. Larry was responsible for the
Northern Asia-Pacific and Southern Asi-Pacific Divisions. He was also responsible for arranging
committee meetings during Spring Meeting and Annual Council and gave us directives during
those meetings.
Some of our colleagues on the division level either retired or accepted different
assignments. Please convey our appreciation to these individuals for their contribution to the
cause of God and especially to Secretariat.
Now I have the privilege to introduce to you our elected and appointed staff at the
General Conference Secretariat.
Agustin Galicia Inter-American Division
(Rowena J Moore) South American Division
Aviation
Theodore T Jones Eastern Africa Division
(Suwarnalata Borge) Southern Asia Division
Vernon B Parmenter Adventist Volunteer Center
(Lilian Han) Mission Emphasis
(Rowena J Moore) Church Manual
Claude A Sabot Africa-Indian Ocean Division
(Sherry L Lemon) Euro-Asia Division
Trans-European Division
Donald R Sahly Euro-Africa Division
(Susan Wolfe) Northern Asia-Pacific Division
Southern Asia-Pacific Division
Adventist International Institute of Advanced Studies
Athal H Tolhurst South Pacific Division
(Dian Lawrence) General Conference Working Policy
Institute of World Mission Coordinator
ADRA Activities
In 1999 ADRA was active in more than 120 countries and benefitted 19,310,324 people.
More than 2,000 projects were implemented, with about $160,000,000 of aid or assistance given.
Over $38,000,000 worth of food and commodities were distributed.
ADRA joined seven other American humanitarian and development agencies in 1999 to
undertake a pilot initiative to boost potato production and improve food security in North Korea.
ADRA is also playing a large part in organizing food-for-work activities there.
At the request of the North Korean government, ADRA Switzerland is sponsoring a
project to build and install solar kitchens for cooking. The kitchens are being installed in various
children's institutions, including orphanages, hospitals, and daycare centers.
ADRA continues to provide shelter, food, water, and other items to those still coping with
the effects of the series of earthquakes and after shocks that rocked Turkey and left thousands
homeless.
Adventist World Radio
The past year has been a time of unprecedented growth for Adventist World Radio, the
international radio ministry of the Church.
In one Southeast Asia country a group of more than 20,000 people, along with 114 of
their pastors, have begun keeping the Sabbath and have stated their desire to become members of
the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Their only contact with the Church thus far has been through
AWR radio programs which are broadcast daily into their country. On October 23 church
leaders will meet with the leaders of these people to discuss how this large group of individuals
can move into membership with us.
Responding to the government's desire for assurance that the large antennas will not
adversely affect bird migration patterns in the region, final discussions continue between AWR's
attorneys and government officials in Argenta, Italy. This is an unexpected delay in the
implementation of the agreement reached in July 2000. The Euro-Africa Division and the Italian
Union continue to provide strong assistance. We anticipate that satisfactory terms for this new
provision of the agreement will be in place within the next few weeks and construction can
begin.
This new station will reach a total of 47 countries and allow programs to be broadcast in
15 new languages. This will bring the list of broadcast languages to nearly 75. The Argenta
station footprint reaches into the heart of the 10/40 window. One out of every three people on
the globe will be able to hear the new station.
Global Mission
In the past 10 years over 33,000 new churches and congregations have been established.
Of this number, Global Mission Pioneers have established more than 22,000. There are more
than 27,000 Global Mission Pioneers planting churches around the world. By the end of 2002, it
is hoped that there will be more than 40,000 Pioneers planting churches.
On September 11, 2000, a contractor with Maranatha Volunteers International entered
Afghanistan to supervise construction of a Loma Linda University Center, located in the heart of
Kabul University Medical School. He will also construct housing for Loma Linda personnel who
will teach in the medical school, hold clinics, provide humanitarian programs, and teach English.
The construction is expected to be completed early next year.
Global Mission reports, "Thousands of places around the world now have Seventh-day
Adventist worshipers where previously there were none. We have just begun. There are millions
more to be reached by the gospel. Who can estimate the challenges and opportunities of the
10/40 window? However, we have nothing to fear as we have ample evidence that God is
blessing our Global Mission program. This we do know, as long as we have been willing to go,
God has provided the people, the method, and the means. He will not fail us because it is His
work."
Impact Toronto 2000
Representing more than 35 countries, 250 young adults from all the divisions of the world
participated in Impact Toronto 2000, a young adult evangelism training event which was held
during the General Conference Session. They had two main goals for this event:
- To train young adults in ministry.
- To inspire young adults to take their work home with them.
For ten days these young adults learned street evangelism skills in 17 different ministries.
Training took place in the morning, and in the afternoon they went out to serve. In the evening
the young adults participated in two evangelistic meetings. From these meetings, as well as the
door-to-door and prayer ministry, over 90 people requested Bible study and baptism.
At the youth rally on July 8, youth and young adults contributed more than CDN$4,500 in
order to retain two individuals to do a follow-up.
Evangelistic Activities
Mark Finley and his team continue to hold the ACTS 2000 series. So far the series has
been held in the Philippines, Ghana, Brazil, Romania, Chile, India, and Los Angeles, California.
Over 1.25 million people have attended these meetings, and about 125,000 of them have been
baptized. The next ACTS 2000 series is scheduled for South Korea.
Net New York '99 featured Doug Batchelor of Amazing Facts. There have been other
satellite evangelistic meetings in other divisions.
The explosion of interest in evangelism has not been limited to satellite series alone.
There is rekindled interest in evangelism among pastors and members throughout the world.
Pastors are holding meetings in local churches. Full-time evangelists are working in cities. Tent
meetings are being conducted by workers and laypersons. Schools and colleges are leading their
students to Christ. People are engaged in door-to-door visitation and Bible studies. The two
African divisions report of very successful women's ministry campaigns.
The North American Division had a good harvest of souls. For the first time, more than
40,700 people joined the Church during one calendar year.
The gospel is going to more people and more places than ever before, and the result is a
growing Church.
World Membership--1999
"The time has come when through God's messengers the scroll is being unrolled to the
world. The truth contained in the first, second, and third angels' messages must go to every
nation, kindred, tongue, and people; it must lighten the darkness of every continent, and extend to
the islands of the sea. There must be no delay in this work.
"Our watchword is to be, Onward, ever onward! Angels of heaven will go before us to
prepare the way. Our burden for the regions beyond can never be laid down till the whole earth
is lightened with the glory of the Lord." -- GW 470
Seventh-day Adventists have taken this challenge seriously and have claimed the
promises of God. As a result of the combined efforts of ministers and laity, men and women,
young and old, the Lord has blessed us in a wonderful way. The report given to me indicates that
world church membership as of December 31, 1999 was 10,939,182. Total accessions - baptisms
and professions of faith for the year was 1,090,848, giving us accessions per day of 2,988.62
souls added to the Church.
Membership--July 1,1999 to June 30, 2000
As of June 30, 2000, our total world membership was 11,336,026.
Baptisms and professions of faith for the past four quarters were 1,160,065. This means
that on the average 3,176 people joined the remnant Church each day.
Last year at Annual Council it was reported that there was one Seventh-day Adventist for
every 570 people in the world. Currently, there is one Seventh-day Adventist for every 535
people now living.
While we praise God for leading His church for this achievement, we should be mindful
that over 182,000 individuals were dropped or reported missing. We need to pray for them, love
them, and encourage them to come back.
While we rejoice in the growth of the Church we need to be reminded that growth is
happening in many regions which are considered Christian regions. We are yet to have any
meaningful impact in the 10/40 window. The work among these people groups and other
religions does not belong to any particular division. It is the challenge of the world Church. Our
mission is not accomplished until the 10/40 window is saturated with the gospel. It calls for a
united effort of the world Church in personnel and resources to achieve this noble objective.
The Inter-American Division has already surpassed the two million member mark. It is
hoped that the Eastern Africa Division will reach the two million member mark this month.
Brazil continues to have the largest number of Seventh-day Adventists within any country, with a
membership of 936,575 at the end of 1999.
Interdivision Personnel Departures
In your agenda book you will find the statistics to which I now refer regarding
interdivision employees, appointees, and volunteers.
- Current calls as of August 31, 2000. You will notice the sections titled
Conference and Mission Organizations, Educational Organizations, Medical Organizations, and
Publishing Organizations. Beside each division, in these various categories listed, you will find
the number of current calls, adding up to a total of 100 for employees and 226 for volunteers.
- Departures for Interdivision Service Around the World - 1999. With the
exception of the North American Division, division figures include intradivision employees.
Adventist World Radio figures are included in respective divisions. Adventist International
Institute of Advanced Studies figures are included in the Northern Asia-Pacific Division, and
General Conference figures are included in the North American Division. Out of the total of
415, 149 are new and 266 are returning.
- Interdivision Departures--December 31, 1999. Let us look at the summary of
Interdivision Personnel Departures which includes both interdivision and intradivision
employees, as well as those working for Adventist Volunteer Service. There were 149 new
appointees and 266 returnees. In addition, there were 1,355 Adventist Volunteers, giving a grand
total of 1,770 departures.
- Division Source for Interdivision Personnel--December 31, 1999. This table tells
from which division they have come or from which they have gone to work.
- Current Interdivision Employees from NAD--December 31, 1999. The next two
tables give the total interdivision employees from the North American Division and their specific
assignments. There were a total of 533 interdivision employees from the North American
Division as of December 31, 1999.
- Current Employees from Divisions Others than NAD--December 31, 1999. The
next two tables give the total number of interdivision employees from other divisions and their
assignments. There were a total of 554 as of December 31, 1999. These statistics are a healthy
sign for the world Church--people going from everywhere to everywhere.
- Divisions Source of AVS Volunteers. The next two sheets give the source of
workers sent by Adventist Volunteer Service. We have the spread from 1981 to 1999.
Adventist Volunteer Center
The General Conference Adventist Volunteer Center has seen steady growth over the last
three years. It processed 1,355 interdivision volunteers in 1999, a 31 per cent increase over 1998
and nearly double the increase seen in the previous year. The North American Division and the
South Pacific Division stand out as leaders sharing the bulk of these figures. It is interesting to
note that the North American Division sent more volunteers overseas in 1999 than in any other
year on record.
However, it is encouraging to see that a number of the other divisions such as the Euro-
Africa Division, Trans-European Division, and Eastern Africa Division, as well as the South
African Union Conference, are beginning to send significant numbers of volunteers overseas to
serve. Future reports will include statistics showing the total number of volunteers serving in any
one year. Present statistics do not include volunteers choosing to extend their period of service
for an additional year.
Current challenges include the need for some divisions to see the value of using
volunteers and to submit requests for their services; and, at the same time, for churches to
sponsor the expenses of those willing to serve so that the financial burden is shifted from the
mission field to the home field. The former is probably dependent upon the latter. The program
will most definitely grow when divisions appoint individuals who have more time to devote to its
promotion.
Conclusion
I would like to introduce to you the division secretaries for the new quinquennium and ask them
a few questions.
Paul S Ratsara AID
Blasious Ruguri EAD
Carlos Puyol EUD
Michael F Kaminsky ESD
Juan O Perla IAD
Stanley Ng NSD
Raul Gomez SAD
Barry D Oliver SPD
K J Moses SUD
G T Ng SSD
Reinder Bruinsma TED
Questions:
- What were your responsibilities before becoming the secretary of the division?
- What other responsibilities do you now carry other than the role of division secretary?
- What plans do you have to assist new union and conference/mission secretaries in your
territories?
- Do you have enough interdivision employees to staff hospitals, colleges, and other aspects of
the work in your territories?
- Do you have intradivision positions available to encourage nationals to serve in other
countries or territories within your division?
- Please report on volunteerism in your division.
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