eventh-day Adventist Church leaders are expressing concern over a trend toward intolerance and persecution aimed at Christians in the central Asian countries of the former Soviet Union.

Responding to news that two bombs damaged churches in the capital city of Dushanbe, Tajikistan, John Graz, director of public affairs and religious liberty General Conference, says, "It may be a kind of warning from extremist groups to gain attention."

A bomb destroyed two buildings annexed to the Orthodox Church of St. Nicholas and blew out windows in the Sunday school and baptistry. Another bomb blew windows out of the Adventist church. The explosions occurred minutes apart on December 31, 2000.

In this impoverished country the target of violence and terrorism, churches are not necessarily safe harbors. Last October, a Korean Christian mission suffered a bombing that killed seven and injured 50.

Graz expresses the regret that such actions "put a lot of pressure on Christians" and that acts of aggression to destroy and persecute people are committed through religion. He adds, "We are concerned because we see a trend toward violence in some states of the former Soviet Union, and we hope that the governments and the international communities will act on behalf of human rights to send a clear signal that this behavior cannot be accepted."

This past year, churches were destroyed and Christians threatened in the nearby country of Turkmenistan. Among the destroyed churches in Ashgabat was the only Adventist house of worship in the country.

Bible Lessons Bring 9,300 Baptisms in Uganda
More than 9,300 persons were baptized as a result of the "Building A Happy Home" Bible lessons last year in Uganda, reports Witson Mwamakamba, publishing director of the Eastern Africa Division.

The announcement of the baptisms was made January 6 at the Nakivubo National Stadium in Kampala during an evangelistic series. More than 40,000 persons attended the day-long meetings at the stadium.

Literature ministry played an essential part of Uganda's evangelism thrust, Mwamakamba says. Literature evangelists distributed 20,000 Bible lessons in and around Kampala and 3,000 Bibles were distributed at the meetings.

During the Sabbath services 9,545 persons graduated from the "Secrets of a Happy Home" Bible lessons, which taught all the essential Adventist doctrines and beliefs. Some 530 couples renewed their marriage vows and 17 couples were married. The Kampala series was the result of a cooperative effort of 56 literature evangelists, 24 pastors, 46 teachers, and hundreds of lay members, reports General Conference publishing director Jose Campos, who gave the Sabbath morning message.

OC Opens Business and Technology Complex
On January 9, officials at Oakwood College in Huntsville, Alabama, held grand opening ceremonies for the school's new $4 million business and technology complex.

The two-story complex is the first newly constructed facility on the campus within the past 11 years, according to Tim Allston, college spokesperson. The 40,000 square foot structure includes offices and classrooms, a computer laboratory, conferences rooms, and auditorium. The building is the first stage of a 20-year, $84 million master plan to restructure the 104-year-old college into Oakwood Adventist University by July 1, 2003.

Are You a Whitecoat Volunteer?
All U.S. Army servicemen who are participated in Project Whitecoat between 1954 and 1973 in Fort Detrick, Maryland, are invited to a special reunion in San Antonio, Texas, March 16-18, 2001. San Antonio is where the Whitecoat servicemen took their basic training.

The U.S. Army wants to contact all volunteers who participated in the project so that they may receive their certificates of appreciation and medals from the U.S. Congress, the U.S. Army, and the General Conference. Project Whitecoat was recently featured in the History Channel documentary "Suicide Mission–Human Guinea Pigs."

Whitecoat volunteers or other persons with information about participants may write Whitecoat liaison Frank Damazo at 700 Montclaire Ave., Frederick, Maryland, 21701; call (301) 662-4502; or e-mail thedamazos@aol.com.