Church Leaders Take a Closer Look at Adventist Education BY WENDI ROGERS, a correspondent for Adventist News Network, and MARK KELLNER, General Conference news director
perating one of the largest church-supported educational systems in the world, the Seventh-day Adventist Church is faces challenges on several fronts: How many non-Adventist students does it take to put a school, college, or university at risk losing its Adventist culture? What factors keep Adventist youth from attending Adventist schools?
Addressing such issues has been the mission of the General Conference Commission on Higher Education, which began its work early in 2001. The panel met April 1-2 at the world church headquarters seeking answers to these and other questions.
The Seventh-day Adventist Seminary at Andrews University.
Acceptance of Adventist education by those who are not members of the Adventist Church is both an opportunity and a challenge, according to Garland Dulan, General Conference education director. Between 2000 and 2001 more than 60 percent of new students enrolled in Adventist schools were not members of the Adventist Church, he says. "This indicates that the quality of our educational system is considered very, very important. But then we have to ask the question, 'Why is it that we are not getting more Adventists into our schools?' It's not enough to have almost all Adventist teachers. We need to have Adventist students as well."
Adventist education is experiencing substantial growth within a system that has more than 6,350 primary schools, colleges, and universities in 145 countries. Considering the current growth rate of the church, Adventist educators are assessing the need for a global plan for the future growth of higher education worldwide.
Hudson Kibuuka, education director for the East-Central Africa Division, agrees with Dulan's evaluation of the issues. "It's only an opportunity if we do it right," he says. The commission is looking at the global objective for Adventist education as a united body, moving together. We will analyze and understand the data we have received [from the world regions] and take steps toward that direction."
Kibuuka explained that some of the challenges come with the church's decisions to establish schools of higher learning in cooperation with government entities. In several countries the church, because of its quality of education, is encouraged to establish new schools. The cost is yet another factor.
To some church members, cost of education prohibits them from sending their children to Adventist schools. In the territories Kibbuka oversees, the ratio of Adventists to those of other religious persuasions is about even. He also expressed a concern that some church members may be limited in their appreciation of the philosophy of Adventist education. "To go to Adventist schools is more than just having a Sabbath free from educational work," Kibuuka says.
Dulan indicated that several issues must be faced first. This includes how the panel would go about meeting their six terms of reference: making recommendations as to what will be involved in developing a global plan; collecting data from all the higher educational institutions around the world that relate to strength, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats facing them; looking for any duplications of programs to see whether schools are competing with each other, rather than assisting each other; looking at what's necessary to begin new programs; financial viability; and developing the administration to ensure that as the system grows, it remains a unified system.
The commission collected data from Adventist higher educational institutions worldwide to develop a profile of the school system in each division. They also looked at how much money the General Conference has appropriated for education between 1996 and 2000. "The idea was to put them [profiles] side by side so one could see all the programs being offered and how much money is coming in," Dulan says.
Sahmyook University is the largest Adventist university in the world.
The commission also hopes to discover areas of the world where there are new church members but no Adventist schools. "We need to think about where we'll build our next school," Dulan says. There has to be dialogue between the various levels of church organization, he explains.
Data collected from the divisions was passed on to researchers Werner Vyhmeister, an assistant secretary of the commission; and LeVerne Bissell, commission statistician, who have synthesized the information into a report that will explains "what is really happening in higher education and to recommend ways by which the global plan of higher education can be developed." Education leaders from the church's 13 world divisions studied a preliminary draft of the report.
Dulan explains that the hope of the meetings is for members to ask, "What is it we would like the church to know about higher education around the world? What are the major issues, major challenges it faces? What recommendations do we have so that the mission of the church will be carried out in the future in light of the changes taking place around the world?"
According to commission secretary Roy Ryan, the final report should be one that "sets forth what Seventh-day Adventist education reaffirms, what it's all about. Its central focus is redemption, and [its] links to the church are strengthened."
The report will be revised and presented to world church leaders in October at the General Conference Executive Committee's Annual Council meeting.
--Adventist News Network
Former North Koreans Baptized in South Korea Four former residents of North Korea were baptized March 11 in Seoul, one of the most significant events for the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the south since the 1950-1953 war that split the peninsula. Additional such baptisms are anticipated, church officials say. The four were baptized at the headquarters church of the Adventist Language Institute.
The event originated from the witness of one person, born into an Adventist family in North Korea, who had secretly kept the Sabbath during their years in the communist state. He later witnessed to others in the Hanawon training center, an institute established to help escapees become assimilated into South Korean society.
One of the three pastors who baptized the believers says, "I hope that this event will be a signal for the gospel reaching into North Korea. One of these new members decided to study theology and enroll in Sahmyook University to evangelize the North Koreans [just] as he was saved by the Lord."
Another three North Koreans requested baptism at the church on the same day and are undergoing Bible studies in preparation for this step. --Adventist News Network
Adventists Students Take a Stand for Religious Freedom On January 25, three Seventh-day Adventist students at Makerere University, a public university in Uganda, did not take their exams because the exams were scheduled on a Sabbath. The result of their choices, it has now become a legal matter and a fight for individual religious freedom.
The decision of Sharon Dimache, a senior law student, Luck Nansereko, a second-year urban planning major, and Gilphine Mokeira Omwega, a freshman law student, to miss the exams was not an easy one. They spoke with the faculty involved as well as the university deans to try to reschedule the exams on an alternate day. Regrettably, their request was denied.
Now all three students are now being asked to repeat an entire year of schooling. With the help of several lawyers, the students have now decided to file a case for redress against the university for not respecting their right to freedom of conscience and belief.
The Seventh-day Adventist Church leadership in Uganda supported the three women in standing up for their beliefs. "[We] assessed the situation of the students and were convinced that the path they chose in counsel with the Church was the right one," said Mutuku Mutinga, director for the public affairs and religious liberty (PARL) department in Uganda. "All other avenues had been exhausted."
Adventist leaders abroad also voiced approval of the students= actions and regret over their situation. "Over the years, many Adventist students in many parts of the world have faced similar situations, and we will continue to work with governments and educational institutions to help them promote understanding of religious tolerance," commented John Graz, General Conference PARL director.--General Conference, PARL
Update on Iraq
The Al Jazeera satellite television channel reported that Al Nidal Street, where the Baghdad Seventh-day Adventist Church is situated, was bombed Sunday, March 30. There is no indications as to which stretch of the three-kilometer road was hit.
Television has also shown pictures of the Al Mansour district being shelled. Several Adventists live in this residential neighborhood according to workers' families at the Middle East Union (MEU) in Cyprus.
Michael Porter, MEU and Iraq Field president, reports that dozens of phone calls, e-mails and faxes, in various languages, continue to be received at the office from around the world. "Our world church family is pledging their prayer support, expressing heartfelt
sentiments, and quoting powerful promises from scripture to encourage their brothers and sisters in Iraq," said Porter. "Many of these messages were faxed to Baghdad Church before the fax lines were cut off. The remainder will be collected at the office and sent on at the earliest opportunity."--Adventist News Review
The April 5 religion section of the Washington Post featured an article on Christians in Iraq in which Michael Porter, president of the Middle East Union was quoted. A photograph of the Baghdad Seventh-day Adventist Church also accompanied the feature.
"Radio Awaha," or "Radio Oasis," is a new radio programming service being created by the Middle East Union, according to Michael Porter, MEU president. "It's a new radio identity [for the church]," Porter says, "a pilot program where we are producing programming 'in context' for the region," including localized references.
Such Arabic-language programming is designed, Porter says, to reach listeners in North Africa, the Sudan, the Gulf States, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and even into Iraq. Adventist World Radio (AWR), is arranging transmission frequencies for the programs.--Adventist News Network
News Notes
With the help of the North American Division children's ministries, the Lake Region Conference children's ministries department has purchased a school bus that is being outfitted as a puppet theater for outreach ministry to children in public schools and housing projects. In the beginning, health and counseling topics will be addressed to allow the teams using the bus to build recognition and friendship with the communities they target. The bus will be made available for use in Chicago, Detroit, and other large cities of the conference.
Mount Vernon Academy was recently selected as the winner of the Adventist Alumni Achievement Award (AAAA) by the AAAA Foundation, a national organization of Adventist alumni who wish to promote value in Adventist education.
The award includes $40,000 in prize money and the opportunity to perform at the AAAA convention in Phoenix, Arizona. To qualify, the school had to submit a video and an in-depth report answering a number of questions about the academy's program and the support of its constituents.
Ken Bauer, president of Washington Adventist Hospital, a 332-bed hospital in Takoma Park, Maryland, was recently presented with a Governor's Citation by then Maryland governor Parris Glendening for his outstanding service and distinguished career in health care. Bauer has served as president since June 2001 and has more than 25 years of experience in hospital administration.
Paradise Valley Hospital, located in Phoenix, Arizona, received a Telly Award for a 30-second television commercial featuring photographs from the past as well as video of current programs and services. The Telly Awards is a national competition that recognizes outstanding non-network and cable commercials. Nearly 11,000 entries were received, and of that number, only 7-10 percent are chosen as winners.
North Hawaii Community Hospital, located in Kamuela on the Big Island of Hawaii, recently receive $1.5 million from the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation of Honolulu. The gift will be used for the hospital's new imaging wing.
perating one of the largest church-supported educational systems in the world, the Seventh-day Adventist Church is faces challenges on several fronts: How many non-Adventist students does it take to put a school, college, or university at risk losing its Adventist culture? What factors keep Adventist youth from attending Adventist schools?
