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Presession Highlights Spiritual Priorities
BY STEPHEN CHAVEZ, MANAGING EDITOR, ADVENTIST REVIEW
Gerry Karst, a General Conference vice president and one of the planners of the presession, said the meetings were planned to meet the needs of a dynamic and growing church. Keynote presenters for the presession were Dwight Nelson, senior pastor of Pioneer Memorial Church in Berrien Springs, Michigan, speaking about the call to prayer; Randy Roberts, senior pastor of the Loma Linda University Church, focusing on worship; Rosa Banks, director of the Office of Human Relations for the North American Division, addressing the need to cultivate inclusive relationships; and Shawn Boonstra, speaker/director of the It Is Written television ministry, on Christ�s call to witness. Following the formal presentations by Nelson and Banks, participants in breakout groups were invited to pray for specific needs of the church. Leaders of the world church led out in settings where attendees prayed for the global challenges facing the church: the need for unity; safeguarding children, youth, and families; maintaining a personal devotional life; developing constructive relationships with other religious people and groups; creating a community that embraces cultural diversity; and being aware of the staggering needs of suffering humanity around the world. �If we could pray one prayer,� said Nelson during his presentation, �let it be for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.� After citing the challenge of explosive growth among the global population (a net growth of 60 million people per year), he observed, �Our only hope is for the glory of God to be poured out on His people by the Holy Spirit.� In his presentation Roberts highlighted the importance of worship, saying, �Whom we worship determines how we live.� He imagined citizens of St. Louis asking one another at the close of the General Conference session, �What do you know about those Adventists?� �They know how to worship,� one person might say. �How do you know?� That person might answer: �I saw the way they lived.� �We are a family of faith,� said Lowell Cooper, a vice president of the General Conference and one of the session�s organizers. �In light of God�s generosity to us, let�s find ways to be generous to our communities-here in St. Louis and wherever we live.�
BY BONITA JOYNER SHIELDS, ASSISTANT EDITOR, ADVENTIST REVIEW
According to Matthew Bediako, secretary of the GC, the church currently supports more than 1,000 missionaries. The cost of supporting these missionaries and their work is underwritten by the mission offerings that are given by church members. The Office of Global Mission, established in 1990, has identified five areas of greatest challenge: India, Middle East, China, urban areas, and the territory of the former USSR. Adventist missionaries have entered 203 out of the 228 countries of the world, including such areas as Sri Lanka, Chad, Cambodia, Madagascar, the Solomon Islands, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Mongolia, India, and Sudan.
According to Global Mission director Mike Ryan, Cambodia is part of the 10/40 window-the area of the world that has the least amount of Christian influence and reaches from North Africa through the Middle East and on to the eastern shores of Japan. Justin McNeilus, a young adult who in 2004 was part of The Elijah Project outreach in Cambodia--the largest one ever held by the Adventist Church in Southeast Asia--encouraged young adults to "take the initial step" in this important work. The Global Mission report paid tribute to the sacrifices made by Adventists involved in mission. Lance Gersbach, along with his wife, Jean, and two daughters, Anita and Louise, served in the Solomon Islands until Lance was tragically killed in 2003. When asked if her view of missions has changed since the death of her husband, Jean said, "Rather than seeking to make a contribution, the primary motivation of my life has become to seek and do God's will." The program ended with the stories of Pastor David and Clara Lin, and Pastor Mikhail and Anna Kulakov-representatives of those who have been persecuted for their faith. Both pastors were imprisoned because of their commitment to mission. The Lins and Kulakovs were officially thanked and honored by their world church for modeling commitment, sacrifice, and faithfulness. Richard Hart, chancellor of Loma Linda University, summed up the importance of the church's Global Mission effort: "The mission field doesn't need us; we need the mission field."
BY SANDRA BLACKMER, NEWS EDITOR, ADVENTIST REVIEW
According to Biblical Research Institute associate director Ekkehardt Mueller, who chaired a four-member subcommittee of the larger music committee, complementing the session�s theme �Transformation in Christ� played a large role in the decision. �Transformation has so many aspects-salvation, sanctification, and glorification-and we somehow wanted all three to be expressed,� explained Mueller. �In the end, they are not all explicitly addressed in the lyrics, but they are hinted at.� Mueller says the quality of the lyrics and music sent to them varied greatly. �Some submissions were just scribbled on a piece of paper, others were on a CD. They were all quite different. �Most submissions were from people who are not professional musicians,� he added. Smith, the song�s lyricist, is public relations director of the General Conference Communication Department, and has a musical background in playing piano, singing, and directing choirs. Jones is a professional composer and arranger who resides in Oregon in the United States. For a downloadable full-size version of the theme song, click here. |
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s Seventh-day Adventists from around the world convened in St. Louis, the first item of business, even before the session formally began, was a series of meetings designed to assist delegates and guests in �Hearing God�s Call.� Billed as a �time of spiritual emphasis,� four spiritual disciplines were highlighted and made a matter of prayer during the 24 hours prior to the official beginning of the session.
n Sabbath, July 2, the General Conference offices of Mission Awareness and Global Mission presented a multimedia survey of the church's mission work around the world. The afternoon program highlighted various countries, the missionaries working in these countries, and others who are supporting their work.
Mark Finley, General Conference field secretary for world evangelism, described the international scope of The Elijah Project-an initiative developed in conjunction with the Education, Personal Ministries, and Youth departments of the GC and Adventist-Laymen's Services and Industries (ASI). The project is training and sending out young adults between the ages of 15 and 30 to present God's last-day message. Thus far, 600,000 young adults have committed to hold 20,000 evangelistic meetings. According to preliminary reports, nearly 30,000 people have been baptized as a result of this initiative.
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