Faithful Stewards of
God's Blessings
Report of the North American Division, presented July 2, 2005

Don Schneider, President

I want our members in the North American Division (NAD) to be focused on the mission of Christ as reflected in Jesus' words: "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." (Mark 10:45, NIV).

During the past five years church members helped pastors baptize 153,000 new converts into the Seventh-day Adventist family in the 5,066 churches and 613 companies spread across North America. The division passed the one-million members milestone at the end of 2004.

New members feel it is an answer to their prayers to join the Adventist family. "The Lord has blessed me with a lot, and I love Him and owe the whole world to Him," said Rene Rodriguez, who joined the church in 2004. "That's why I am committing my life to Him."

Sow 1 Billion
Adventist Church leaders declared 2004 as the Year of World Evangelism and challenged its constituency to distribute 25 million Bible study invitation cards as part of the world church's Sow 1 Billion project. From the first two cards received from the Carolina Conference to the Wisconsin Conference's mailing 500,000 tracts and handing out an additional 100,000, the program saw results.

The Voice of Prophecy, the California-based ministry coordinating the Sow 1 Billion responses for North America, received during the first week of March 2004 an average of 20 calls and 120 cards per day requesting Bible studies. This is the result of many churches and members adopting this project. For instance, a three-church district in northwest Montana mailed 15,000 Sow 1 Billion cards to their entire district and then coordinated newspaper advertising and evangelistic meetings as a part of the follow-up to those expressing interest. In a Houston, Texas, suburb, 2,300 people gathered at a conference center for lay training and equipping--which included various evangelism seminars for Sow 1 Billion. By the end of 2004 the Voice of Prophecy had received via mail and telephone approximately 27,360 invitations for Bible study. The request cards from churches and conferences also included materials in different languages.

Net Evangelism
In addition to the efforts of the Sow 1 Billion initiative, Net 2004 planners also contributed to bringing more people to the church. "Experience the Power," the NET 2004 evangelistic series presented by the Breath of Life telecast director and speaker, Walter L. Pearson, Jr., became a powerful force during the Year of World Evangelism. The 21-day series was uplinked from Baltimore, Maryland, to approximately 1,600 downlink sites all over the world and translated into Spanish, Portuguese, and Swahili. At the "home site" in Baltimore, Maryland, ministers baptized 149 people.

Taking Advantage of Unique Opportunities
The increase in membership can also be attributed to unique evangelistic opportunities in 2004. Mel Gibson's movie The Passion of the Christ, which depicts the last hours in Christ's life, grossed more than $370 million in the U.S. and Canada, awakening many spiritually. Realizing the impact this film was having on moviegoers, many Adventists in North America distributed the booklets Passion of the Ages, printed by the Review and Herald, and The Passion of the Messiah, published by Pacific Press and Signs of the Times, both comprised of material excerpted from Ellen White's book The Desire of Ages. To date, more than 800,000 copies of the The Passion of the Messiah booklets have been distributed, and Pacific Press will be printing 50,000 more. Each book takes its readers on a journey through the Garden of Gethsemane to the ascension of Jesus. Members engaged movie patrons in conversations about the book and movie while providing Bible studies at their local churches.

Adventist Chaplains
Approximately 21 Adventist military chaplains served in Iraq in 2004. These reserve chaplains served as pastors, teachers, or other religious workers until their units were activated. Ten active duty Adventist chaplains were deployed, serving at airfields, on ships, at command headquarters, or undisclosed locations. Currently, the Seventh-day Adventist Church has 50 chaplains serving on active duty, with another 34 in the reserve forces in North America.

In November 2004 Arthur Branner, pastor of the Fairfield, California, church, was one of these chaplains assigned for duty in Iraq. He considered his move to Iraq as a transition into a different phase of his personal ministry. "I feel that the two most important positions in the army are the medic and the chaplain," said Branner before he left. "While the medic works on the physical injuries, the chaplain works on the injured souls to make sure they are equipped to make the most important decision of their lives."

Embracing Service
Inspired by those committed to serving throughout the world, many NAD programs within the past five years similarly embraced the idea of service. This included the Pathfinder Camporee, held August 10-14, 2004, at the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) Campgrounds in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Approximately 30,000 Pathfinders attended the Faith on Fire Camporee and participated in pin trading, honor learning, marching/drilling exhibitions, archery, a talent showcase, and sporting activities. Perhaps more important, they impacted the local community through service assignments. Pathfinders helped in neighborhood cleanup initiatives, painting, and restoration projects.

As a result of nightly spiritual meetings 130 pastors baptized more than 290 Pathfinders on the Sabbath of the camporee. Thousands more committed themselves to study toward baptism.

For an Adventist Church committed to service, the Faith on Fire theme applied equally well a few months later. When the terrible tsunami hit southern Asia, Adventists in North America opened their hearts and wallets, contributing more than $500,000 through their local church in January and February alone to aid those affected by this tragedy. The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) received millions of dollars from others throughout North America.

You can't tell people about salvation and Jesus Christ until you address their practical needs, states DeWitt Williams, director of the Health Ministries Department. "That's why we have trained and certified more than 5,000 members for community health outreach. We lift up Jesus in health by learning how to care for our bodies," says Williams. "There is a need for ministering to those who are not aware of the advantages of good health. We've had four national Health Summit training sessions with the Inter-American Division and will be having the second Health Summit West this year."

Financial Support
This notion of service was also seen in members' tithing and offerings. In 2002 NAD tithe increased by 3.3 percent, compared to a 4.8 percent increase in 2004. Tithe for this quinquennium in the North American Division totaled more than $3.5 billion--58 percent of the total tithe for the worldwide church. Total giving to the church for 2004--including tithe, offerings for missions, and local church funds--approached $1.2 billion.

The conviction to help our neighbors in our communities encourages Seventh-day Adventist Church members to join national efforts. Each year the North American Division's philanthropic arm, Philanthropic Service for Institutions (PSI), invites employees at the General Conference complex to participate in a worthy cause through this national celebration.

"We want our colleagues to celebrate the spirit of the day that encourages others to give," said Ken Turpen, director of PSI. In 2003 proceeds went to fund a "goat bank" in Laos, Southeast Asia, and in 2004 to help Adventist World Radio send radios to rural areas in Madagascar, Cambodia, Masai lands, and the Philippines.

Committed to Global Mission
Other NAD ministries are dedicated to assisting globally as well. Adventist-laymen's Services and Industries (ASI) is an organization of Seventh-day Adventist business men and women, professionals, and lay ministries dedicated to sharing the love of Christ and supporting the global mission of the Seventh-day Adventist Church and its outreach programs. Members recognize their stewardship of time, talents, and treasures given them by God. Under the motto "Sharing Christ in the Marketplace," they continually look for ways to live the gospel commission in daily business dealings and personal contacts.

In addition to inspiring its members to service, ASI has made a tradition of taking a projects-centered offering at its annual convention. The offering in 2004 totaled $2.3 million to fund 45 different projects. During the past five years some 175 entities have received support. These included projects in nations as far away as China, Africa, Norway, Brazil, and Poland and places as close as Arkansas, Washington, Virginia, and Michigan. Examples include a clinic in Madagascar; a boys dormitory at Holbrook Indian School in Arizona; roofs for churches in Africa; billboards advertising Christian radio in South Carolina; an all-terrain vehicle for a school in the Dominican Republic; bicycles for Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, and the Congo.

Family Life
According to the National Center for Health Statistics, the total number of divorces in the United States reached 957,000 in 2000. The report also revealed that 43 percent of first marriages end in separation or divorce within 15 years.

During the quinquennium 18 From This Day Forward marriage conferences took place across North America. Hundreds of couples attended, many of them non-Adventists. More than 200 requested Bible studies after completing the conference. Some of the attendees shared that they were "on their way to divorce court but changed their plans because of the conference."

The Department of Family Ministries of the Seventh-day Adventist Church believes that stronger marriages develop into stronger families that form stronger churches and communities. "If our marriages are healthier, there is intentional discipleship of children taking place, more faithful stewardship practices, and a stronger witness to the world," says Willie Oliver, director of the Family Ministries Department.

Lay Involvement
The first-ever Festival of the Laity was held in April 2002 in Orlando, Florida. Attended by approximately 8,000 members, this convention affirmed and empowered the laity to continue witnessing and winning souls for Christ. The festival featured 150 seminars, including "Winning Souls via the Bible Marking Plan," "Eight Habits of Highly Successful Bible Students," "Creative Outreach and Discipleship," and "Soul Winning Made Easy."

Women's Ministries departments across the division held 1,832 full-day leadership events during 2004. Some 91,000 people attended, with 10 percent being individuals who were not members of the church. This department's belief in the power of prayer is demonstrated in its web site www.nadwm.org.

The Adventist Volunteer Ministries Network reached record numbers in 2004, with more than 70,000 people participating in volunteer ministries. The Adventist Volunteer Ministries Network is the official agency responsible for leadership and networking of volunteer outreach ministries in North America. This means that churches, schools, conferences, and supportive organizations deploying volunteers for ministry can be a part of the growing volunteer ministries movement both here in North America and abroad.

In an effort to tell other more-specialized groups about Jesus, the North American Adventist church launched a first-of-its-kind Bible study course geared toward Native Americans in the Pacific Northwest in March. The course introduces Native Americans to Christ and the Adventist church. Native Americans can request a free course packet, and the Voice of Prophecy will mail them the materials, including lessons and quizzes.

"This is the first time that there's ever been anything out there that is specifically [designed for] native people, and written for native people," said Monte Church, director of native ministries for the North Pacific Union and Canadian Union conferences.

Use of Media
Radio and television, and increasingly the Internet, continue to be effective evangelistic vehicles for the church. From Florida Hospital a Christmas special aired on more than 150 television stations in 2004, including worldwide distribution on the Trinity Broadcasting Network and the Adventist Television Network.

The number of churches using web sites showed dramatic increases in the past five years. The division recognizes one church per year for having the best web site. For 2004 the recipient was the Camelback Adventist Church in Phoenix, Arizona. You can view the church's site at www.camelbackchurch.net.

NAD's Adventist Media Center, located in southern California, houses the Voice of Prophecy, Faith for Today, La Voz de la Esperanza, It Is Written, and Breath of Life. Additional ministries such as LifeTalk Radio and Amazing Facts mean more people are reached with the excitement of the Adventist message.

The way that the North American Division continues to expand in such new and exciting ways shows God's incredible blessings. I know that the mission is not yet done, but I hope each of us will know that we have had a part when the final report is presented and we are told, "Well done, thou good and faithful servants."