Global Mission volunteers are very active in the 10/40 window, said Bediako, resulting in a large percentage increase of members in previously unentered territories. He highlighted new building initiatives in West Indonesia and Myanmar with the construction of churches and schools, and stated that "Global Mission remains on track to reach its goal of establishing 25,000 new congregations by the year 2005."
Similarly, Adventist World Radio, whose "impact cannot be completely measured," is broadcasting to around 70 percent of the globe with 170 hours of programming every day. Five new transmitters are being installed in Guam, and AWR is also transmitting from the United Arab Emirates with a potential coverage of one quarter of the world's population, said Bediako.
Adventist Development and Relief Agency's is greatly appreciated, he said, highlighting food security in Azerbaijan, a bakery in North Korea, new rice-cultivating techniques in Indonesia, child survival projects in Cambodia and Nicaragua, humanitarian aid to Afghan refugees in Pakistan, literacy programs in Uganda, and school rebuilding in Afghanistan.
Bediako then focused on the issue of unity, and gave examples of Ethiopia where "many [breakaway] churches have reunited with our official church body," and Pakistan, where "the Issa Nagri church, the largest congregation in the southern region, has decided to reunite with the official church."
Despite wars and tensions and other challenges facing the church, evangelistic programs are continuing in all the church's world divisions.
Statistical Report
Bert Haloviak, director of the General Conference Archives and Statistics Department, provided a detailed picture of church membership. As of June 30, 2002, the world membership stood at nearly 12.6 million.
Within the past year, more than 996,000 persons joined the church. Since last Annual Council, the ratio of Adventists to the world population has gone from 1:535 to 1:493. In other words, for every 493 people in the world, one is an Adventist. On current projections, there will be nearly 61 million Adventists by the year 2030.
Despite strong growth, Haloviak noted that the growth rate has fallen to 4.64 percent, down 1.39 percent since the past year. This, he explained, was primarily due to major church audits that resulted in many adjustments to the current membership figures.
Haloviak also pointed out that the church's apostasy rate has increased significantly. In the past two years, the number of people leaving the church jumped from 23 to 39 for every 100 that join. Finally, the church's chief record keeper noted that Adventists are listed as the eighth largest international religious body, and ranked seventh among those bodies which have at least 30 percent of world membership living outside their "core country."
Volunteers
Speaking on the success of the church's volunteer program, Vernon Parmenter, an associate General Conference secretary, spoke of the huge contribution that volunteers have made to the work of the church. In the past year, volunteer contributions translated into some $7.5 million worth of donated wages, Parmenter said.
Farewell to the Undersecretary
Bediako led the farewell to GC undersecretary Athal Tolhurst and his wife, Linley. Elder Tohurst has been "an outstanding undersecretary," said Bediako, and then the associate secretaries brought in massive reams of paper that represented just one eighth of his output during his ten years at GC. Seeing all the paper, GC president Jan Paulsen said that Tolhurst was not only "a great wordsmith but also an invaluable colleague and senior member of administration." He recalled their weekly meetings, and the undersecretary's role in preparing not only the policies but also the agendas for major church committees.
In a brief but moving speech of thanks, Tolhurst spoke of his appreciation for his time at the GC. "It has been my pleasure, joy and privilege to serve my church and my God. Thank you so much."
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Jonathan Gallagher is the United Nations liaison director for the General Conference.
n Tuesday Oct. 8 General Conference secretary Matthew Bediako reported on a wide range of church activities around the world illustrating how the church is proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ.
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