WORLD NEWS & PERSPECTIVES

rmed troops opposed to the Congonese government captured the town of Bukavu in the Eastern Congo in early June 2004, and in the process ransacked the Church's administrative facilities for the South Kivu Field, as well as the president's home. No one was injured during these incidents.

The offices of the West Congo Union Mission, known as the American House because of its previous ownership by an American businessman, were also attacked by a mob of youth and children. Stones were thrown at the building and windows were destroyed. Leadership reported no injuries.

These events took place just as leaders from the East-Central Africa Division were about to launch evangelistic campaigns in the Congo. Some of the campaigns had to be postponed.

Calm is returning to Eastern Congo, as the rebel troops have left Bukavu, but at the time of printing, the border to Rwanda remained closed.                                   --East-Central Africa Division Newsline

Jonathan Gallagher, U.N. liaison director for the General Conference Public Affairs and Religious Liberty Department (PARL), has recently been appointed secretary for the U.N. NGO (non-governmental organization) Committee on Freedom of Religion or Belief. The Adventist Review asked Gallagher about his appointment.

AR: Jonathan, can you tell me a little bit about this United Nations NGO Committee?
JG: The committee is composed of representatives of non-governmental organizations working in the U.N. community who seek to strengthen U.N. efforts to promote tolerance and respect for diverse religions or beliefs. It was formed to support the 1981 U.N. Declaration on Religious Freedom. Some of our activities include appealing to the U.N. Sub-Commission on the Prevention of Discrimination and the Protection of Minorities and the U.N. Commission on Human Rights to take appropriate actions against intolerance and discrimination based on religion or belief.

Participation in Committee activities is open to any non-governmental organization, religious or secular, interested in the worldwide advancement of freedom of religion or belief.

How did you first get involved with this Committee?
In its May 2003 election of officers, Viola Hughes, our U.N. liaison specialist, submitted background information about the Adventist church and the activities of the International Religious Liberty Association (IRLA). In her submission, she also included background information about me and my role as U.N. Liaison Director and Deputy Secretary General for the IRLA. My name was then recommended as a nominee by Antonios Kireopoulos from the Greek Orthodox Archdiocesan Council, who was president of the Committee at the time.

Describe several positive outcomes since your involvement with this Committee and its activities?
It has been a thrill to be able to share our perspective on religious freedom with a wider circle. We've had the privilege of recommending and arranging Adventist speakers for Committee meetings, such as Mitchell Tyner from the G.C. Office of General Counsel, and John Graz and Viola Hughes from PARL. Through the Committee it's been possible to meet and talk with ambassadors, such as those from the Ivory Coast and the Organization of Islamic Conference, as well as U.S. representatives from Congress. Meeting with ambassadors and other religious leaders provides an opportunity to talk about our church and what we do. We discuss topics of similar interest and seek to partner where appropriate in some of these interests, such as human rights education, children's issues, AIDS programs, and combating intolerance.

As secretary, what is your role?
As one of the executive officers, there's a major role in organizing and directing the Committee as we seek to highlight issues of freedom of religion or belief. There are also the administrative functions, which include recording and distributing minutes, and maintaining the membership lists. I send out mailings about various events that the Committee organizes, and assist in the planning of the Committee's yearly event held in November. Last year, our office helped with making phone calls to various ambassadors inviting them to sponsor the November event on "Partners for Progress on Freedom of Religion or Belief."

Who are some of the other member organizations?
The United Methodist Church, Presbyterian U.N. Office, Baha'i International Community, World Union for Progressive Judaism, Brahma Kumari, Sisters of Loretto, United Church of Christ, Metro New York Christian Life Community, International Humanist & Ethical Union, Union of American Hebrew Congregations, and some others.

What do you see as the main objective for your involvement?
Most of all, I believe we can give much higher visibility to the issues of freedom of religion or belief and how they have an impact on so many situations in our world today. All too often religion is misused and beliefs hijacked to carry out terrible violations of human rights. We need to alert people all round the world of the vital importance of freedom of conscience and the right to choose beliefs without coercion. In this way we truly speak for the God who values our human freedom and gives to all the right to choose.

SIBERIA: Pastor, Church Members Die
in Car Crash; Bodies Found Months Later
A pastor's desire to help Adventists in Sayanogorsk, a city in the central Asian republic of Tuva, ended tragically with the mid-winter deaths of the pastor, a member of his congregation, and the member's daughter. The bodies of the victims, buried in a ravine under heavy winter snows, were only located at the end of May.

Dead are Pastor Alexey Sasov, 29, Natalia Soldatova, 40, and Soldatova's daughter, Tania, 14. The Soldatovas were being transported by Sasov to and from a medical appointment in Kyzyl. Returning from Kyzyl after heavy snowfalls, Sasov's car fell into a ravine. The actual details of the accident are not known.

Sasov and his wife, Vica, had three small children; Soldatova and her husband had three children in addition to Tania                                                               --Adventist News Network

Avoiding Loss Saves Church Millions, Author Says
A new book by William Taylor, The Church at Risk, details "the miraculous story of Adventist Risk Management," also known as ARM.

While the Adventist Church is well known for many pioneering efforts in bringing the gospel message to the world, Taylor's book tells a lesser-known story: how the church has saved hundreds of millions of dollars by preventing potential insurance losses.

The church's involvement in risk management goes back to the 1930s, making it perhaps one of the first large organizations to utilize this approach, says Taylor. Major businesses adopted the risk-management model in the 1960s, while the church's initial US$25,000 investment made it the first denomination to break into the insurance industry.

The book describes the ups and downs of the church's financial history, as well as how Taylor perceives the organization has been divinely blessed.

"Time and again when people had their backs against the wall, when people prayed for the Lord's leading, they succeeded. When they got cocky, the fortunes of the organization fell," Taylor said. "It's more than a financial story."

For more information about the book, visit www.adventistrisk.org.                                                               --Adventist News Network

SUDAN: ADRA and Partners
Airlift 35 Tons of Relief Items
On June 14, an aircraft loaded with 35 metric tons of relief items, including blankets, tarpaulins, therapeutic food, and medicine, left Berlin, Germany, en route to the Mukjar Refugee Camp in Darfur, Sudan. The aid, provided by the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) and nine other organizations that are members of Aktion Deutchland Hilft, a German alliance of non-government organizations, will benefit approximately 45,000 refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs). Additional funding was provided by the German Minister of Foreign Affairs.

According to Reuters, the United Nations estimates fighting in Darfur has affected more than two million people. More than half have been driven from their homes, with 130,000 fleeing into neighboring Chad. IDPs face potential epidemics due to scarce water, dry wells, and few health facilities. With the rainy season fast approaching, which renders roads to the area impassable, relief organizations have combined their efforts to coordinate this response. For more information, go to www.adra.org.                                                                      --ADRA News Update

Australian Youth Preach to Peers
Children at the Port Macquarie, New South Wales, congregation are showing the way with 2004 being the Year of Evangelism for the worldwide Adventist Church. Ten- to 15-year-olds planned and conducted a public evangelistic campaign during May and June entitled "The God Factor."

"This outreach series was a project of our very committed and visionary junior and teen Sabbath schools, although the whole church community gladly supported it," says Pastor Justin Lawman, who leads the congregation.

Four thousand youth-oriented postcards were distributed and the events were widely publicized in the local newspaper. Months beforehand the junior and teen Sabbath schools organized a prayer list, and then personally invited their friends from nearby schools.

"The target age group was the 10- to 15-year-olds," says junior Sabbath school leader Trish Campbell, "but parents were also welcomed." The average attendance was 135, 40 of whom were not church members.

The children who helped lead the program now have a new focus in life, as expressed by 11-year-old Lara: "You feel good inside with the feeling that you are sharing God's love with others."                                                             --Adventist News Network

News Notes