he General Conference Executive Committee members voted Wednesday (April 17) to approve a new division in southern Africa. The plan, proposed by the Africa Commission, will realign the existing divisions within Africa and create a new organization composed of Angola, South Africa, Lesotho, Swaziland, Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Madagascar, Mozambique, and the Indian Ocean Islands.
The new Southern Africa Division brings the total number of world divisions in the Seventh-day Adventist Church to 13.
Introducing the proposal, GC president Jan Paulsen emphasized the importance of Africa. "The church in Africa and the continent of Africa have enormous potential, and enormous requirements," he said. The question for the committee was, "Are the current church structures still adequate for the future, for they only serve the mission of the church, they have no self-existent right. Now, after extensive consultations, a well-studied proposal is brought to this body."
Chair of the Africa Commission, GC vice president Lowell Cooper, outlined both the reasons for the proposal and the factors considered in developing the new alignments. "One third of our total world family are in Africa," he noted. "Changes have occurred in the political aspects, as well as the economic situation. Most importantly, there have been changes in the church."
Cooper listed the values that the Africa Commission had used in evaluating different scenarios for the structure of the church in Africa:
- Geographical compactness
- Cultural and linguistic similarities
- International political and economic structures
- Future church development
- Listening to the "voice of church in Africa"
- Avoid the dividing of countries
Additionally, said Cooper, a third division in Africa will mean that the Southern Africa Union, which is currently under the direct oversight of the General Conference, will once more be part of a division structure.
Claude Sabot, commission secretary, read out the full proposal, which also involves a realignment of the current Africa-Indian Ocean Division and the Eastern Africa Division, which become the Western Africa Division and the East-Central Africa Division respectively.
Committee laymember Mack Tennyson asked whether the plan was "trying to solve problems by forming new divisions." Responding, Cooper explained the advantages of South Africa being part of a division instead of a Union directly attached to the GC, since "the unique circumstances [in the country] have now changed.." Additionally, in bringing in the Angola and Mozambique Unions, the new division would be geographically more compact and thus the considerable cost of travel would be reduced.
GC Secretary Matthew Bediako endorsed the plan, saying that "South Africa has been isolated for far too long." Pardon Mwansa, East Africa Division president commented, "This is a question of structure--how to do mission in the most effective manner," and supported the new alignments. Similarly Luka Daniel, president of the Africa-Indian Ocean Division, said that the new plan "would only enhance the three focus issues of growth, unity, and quality of life on the continent of Africa." Another African voice--Peter Mensah, Ghana Union Conference president--commended the commission and called the proposal "very important--a good thing. We will begin with these three divisions, but we look for more!"
After confirmation from GC associate treasurer Steven Rose that the financial aspects would be viable, the decision was also made to introduce the new structure as of January 1, 2003. The final vote was unanimous.
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Jonathan Gallagher is the UN Liaison director of the General Conference.
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