ANN Bulletin
Adventist News Network
Seventh-day Adventist Church World Headquarters
February 8, 2005
In This Issue:
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* Tsunami Response: Mission Awareness Appeal to Boost Church in
Tsunami Region
* World Church: Paulsen Cites Education, Health Care as Global
Adventist Essentials
* Canada: Government Proposes Marriage Redefinition; Adventist
Questions Clergy Protection
* Caribbean: Thousands Pledge to Avoid Tobacco, Alcohol and Other
Harmful Substances
* News Briefs
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Tsunami Response: Mission Awareness Appeal to Boost Church in Tsunami
Region
Silver Spring, Maryland, United States .... [ANN Staff]
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A special live satellite broadcast on Feb. 11 hosted by evangelist Mark
Finley will aim to strengthen the Seventh-day Adventist Church's
mission of helping others in the tsunami-ravaged areas of South Asia,
church officials say.
"In producing this program, we wish to raise awareness of the
post-tsunami needs and to help strengthen the Adventist Church in the
regions affected by the tragedy so they can be more effective in
helping their communities -- spiritually [and] physically," says Gary
Krause, director of the church's Office of Mission Awareness, which is
producing the program.
Adds Finley, director of the church's Office of Global Evangelism, "The
church must always be ready to meet the mental, physical, spiritual and
social needs wherever it ministers. Today, we must be where the hurt
is, and where people are asking, 'Where is God in the midst of human
suffering, where is He when I hurt?' That's why we're involved in
responding to those questions."
"It's a compassionate response to help the church in these areas be
more effective in doing what they should do in these communities,"
Krause adds. "The tsunami occurred in [a part of the world] where the
church is both weak and economically poor. We can help the church in
these regions to show Christian compassion to their communities in a
time of crisis."
Dubbed "Hope in Tragedy," the program will feature reports on how the
tsunami affected the church and the ongoing relief efforts. It will
also feature several Adventist leaders, including Pastor Jan Paulsen,
world church president, and will be interspersed with inspirational
music.
"This is an opportunity for the church to be more effective in helping
the general community," Krause says, noting that money raised could
fund "opportunities such as orphanages, health programs, hospital
community programs and more spiritual ventures the church in these
areas may wish to implement."
Both the Hope Channel, a Seventh-day Adventist Church satellite
broadcasting outreach, and 3ABN, a private ministry supportive of the
church, will carry the program. Donations can be made via the Internet
Web site,
www.adventistmission.org.-------------------------------------------------------
World Church: Paulsen Cites Education, Health Care as Global Adventist
Essentials
Orlando, Florida, United States .... [Mark A. Kellner/ANN]
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Continued growth of the Seventh-day Adventist Church is gaining the
attention of the general public and political leaders on a movement
once viewed as an "obscure little sect," said Pastor Jan Paulsen, world
church president, in a pair of addresses to delegates at the
International Health Summit just concluded in Orlando, Florida in the
United States. The North American and Inter-American regions of the
church sponsored the seven-day event, Jan. 30 to Feb. 5, attended by
500 church leaders, church members and health specialists. [See ANN,
Feb. 1, 2005.]
At the same time, Pastor Paulsen said, new believers in Africa and
India need to be provided with an infrastructure that includes a church
where they can find nurture and schools for the children of new
members. These, he said, are essential to keeping members who would
otherwise "be lost in 12 months after they are baptized."
"Here we are, as a family of faith, living in the end time, with a very
specific identity, a very specific profile," Paulsen told delegates
during the morning worship. "As we grow, people become increasingly
aware of who we are. Fifty years ago, we were an obscure little sect.
Today, people by and large know Seventh-day Adventists well."
That awareness in society brings rewards such as public esteem, he
said. During a recent convocation in Villahermosa, capital of the
Mexican state of Tabasco, an audience of perhaps as many as 10,000
worshippers attracted the attention of many neighbors, including the
city's mayor, who attended the entire service even though he is not an
Adventist.
"He wanted to see the people, and he wanted to deliver a message, which
he did very nicely," Paulsen said.
That mayor, he added, recognized the impact Adventists can have in a
community. "We are loyal citizens, we are creative members of the
community, we are known for many things that we stand for," Paulsen
said.
The Adventist emphasis on health is not merely for members, he
explained, but also "for the community." The church's long commitment
to religious freedom, he noted, "is not just for ourselves, but is for
everyone," and is appreciated by the world at large.
Such visibility magnifies the scripture's demand that Adventists
"consider what kind of people you ought to be," as reflected in the
second of Peter's epistles, or messages, to the church, Paulsen added.
"What is it that God expects of us today?" Paulsen asked, answering, "
... He speaks for Himself and He has spoken through His word."
Referring to Peter, the Adventist leader exhorted his audience to be
found in God as people "in peace, without spot, and blameless."
He added that "your service as ministers of health care has an
assignment that is specifically tied to the second coming of Christ,"
citing the counsel of Ellen G. White, a founder of the Adventist
movement, who said "...our medical institutions are to stand as
witnesses for God. These institutions will be a means of bringing a
knowledge essential to prepare a people for the coming of the Lord."
In afternoon remarks, Dr. Paulsen noted the wide reach of the church in
Africa, in China and in India. In the last five years, membership in
India has soared from 300,000 to 900,000, and could hit 1 million
members by the June 29 opening of the 2005 quinquennial world church
session in St. Louis, Missouri in the United States. He said that if
sufficient resources of buildings and personnel were available, it's
possible that 8 million of India's one billion population could
affiliate with the church.
The summit's theme was "Empowering Health Leaders to Reach the
Unreached," and brought together an array of experts and approaches to
address the church's ministry of health. The courses offered at the
summit addressed healthy cuisine, emotional, mental, physical,
spiritual and financial health. Instruction and certification was also
offered on such topics as vegetarian cooking, forgiveness,
regeneration, depression, coronary health improvement, as well as
lifelong weight management, fitness training and other topics.
With this year's theme to "reach the unreached," church members and
their faith communities can follow Jesus' method of meeting community
needs before being involved in other outreach activities, according to
DeWitt Williams, director of the church's North American Health
Ministries department and coordinator of the event.
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Canada: Government Proposes Marriage Redefinition; Adventist Questions
Clergy Protection
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada .... [Mark A. Kellner/ANN]
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The Feb. 2 introduction of Bill C-38, the "Civil Marriage Act," by
Canadian Justice Minister Irwin Cotler has raised concerns for
religious freedom of clergy, congregations and individuals across
Canada, according to Barry W. Bussey, public affairs and religious
liberty director for the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Canada.
The bill, which is expected to pass the federal Parliament before June,
redefines marriage as "the lawful union of two persons to the exclusion
of all others," as opposed to a union of one man and one woman. And
while the legislation stipulates clergy are "free to refuse to perform
marriages that are not in accordance with their religious beliefs,"
Bussey told ANN in a telephone interview that such protection can't
come from the federal lawmaking branch.
"Our concern has always been that of maintaining freedom for our
religious expression of faith," said Bussey, who is also an attorney.
"The government's bill appears to protect clergy from having to perform
marriages against their conscience. However, the Supreme Court in
December stated very clearly that the federal parliament has no
authority to grant such protection -- it is the role of the provincial
legislatures."
The Canadian constitution has divided jurisdiction over marriage
between the federal and provincial governments -- the federal
government has jurisdiction over the "capacity" of marriage, whereas
the provincial governments are responsible for the "solemnization" of
marriage, he explained.
"The federal government's insertion of those religious exemption
clauses really has no legal weight. It must be said that given the
current climate, it is unlikely that any province would require clergy
to go against their conscience in the performance of marriages.
However, at least two provinces have stated that all non-clergy
marriage commissioners must marry same-sex couples even if it violates
their conscience," Bussey explained.
Four days of hearings were held last week at the British Columbia Human
Rights Tribunal in a case involving a local Knights of Columbus
chapter, part of a Roman Catholic laymen's organization. The chapter
refused to rent its social hall to a same-sex couple wishing to hold
their wedding reception there.
"The bottom line is that of maintaining religious freedom," Bussey
said. "We're not interested in foisting our moral view on anyone else,
but we are concerned that we will still be able to continue with our
faith."
According to media reports, some 66 percent of Canadians surveyed say
they would vote against same-sex marriage if a plebiscite were held.
According to the "National Post," Cotler said the government would not
put issues of "fundamental human rights" before voters.
And, the same newspaper earlier reported that Foreign Minister Pierre
Stewart Pettigrew told a New Brunswick, Canada, audience that the Roman
Catholic Church should not be involved in the debate over Bill C-38: "I
find that the separation of the Church and State is one of the most
beautiful inventions of modern times," he was quoted as saying.
There are 329 Seventh-day Adventist congregations in Canada where
53,000 baptized members are among weekly worshippers.
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Caribbean: Thousands Pledge to Avoid Tobacco, Alcohol and Other Harmful
Substances
Silver Spring, Maryland, United States .... [Taashi Rowe/ANN Staff]
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The word "temperance" may bring to mind the 1920s prohibition era in
the United States where the government instituted laws against the sale
and consumption of alcohol, but for members of the Seventh-day
Adventist church, the practice is still relevant today.
Part of recognizing the addictive and general harmful nature of alcohol
and smoking is signing a temperance pledge, church officials say. More
than 4,500 people signed the pledge in the Caribbean during the last
two weeks of January, says Dr. Peter N. Landless, associate director of
Health Ministries for the Adventist world church.
Landless visited St. Kitts, Antigua, Dominica, Barbados, St. Lucia,
Trinidad and St. Maarten, speaking to churches and groups about the
importance of signing the pledge, which states: "Recognizing the
responsibility to both myself and to others, by the grace of God, I
pledge to avoid alcohol and tobacco, as well as other harmful
substances and practices."
At one gathering the entire room stood and recited the pledge. Landless
says he was so moved that he renewed a personal decision to get the
message out to more people. "Research shows that people who sign
health contracts do better than those who don't," he says. "Some say
this is just old-fashioned, but modern science says otherwise."
He added that he was impressed by how open people in the Caribbean were
to the pledge. "Many had never heard of it before, but they signed it
anyway."
Landless admits that not many young people know of the pledge, but says
that growing up in South Africa, he and every Adventist he knew signed
the pledge.
In 2003 the Adventist Church reaffirmed the importance of the
temperance pledge at the church's spring business meeting with Jan
Paulsen, world church president, leading the way when he signed the
pledge card.
Ellen G. White, one of the founders of the church, encouraged every
church member to sign the pledge. "Temperance is the sacred duty of
all," she said.
Landless says that the Caribbean trip is not a first. Health Ministries
staff address the issue everywhere they visit.
"It's not just [about] smoking and drinking [alcohol], but there are
other serious addictions," he says, adding pornography and drugs as
examples.
Drinking is especially harmful to young people, Landless says. Those
who start drinking at a very young age are more likely to become
alcoholics, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and
Alcoholism (NIAAA) in the United States. About 1,400 students between
the ages of 18 and 24 die each year in the United States from
alcohol-related unintentional injuries, according to the NIAAA.
Landless adds that this is a problem on Adventist campuses as well, and
that ignoring the problem doesn't make it go away.
"The bottom line is this is not about a checklist of do's and don'ts.
But it is a part of a relationship with Jesus because we belong to
him," Landless says.
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News Briefs
Silver Spring, Maryland, United States .... [Compiled by ANN Staff]
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Zimbabwe's First Lady Donates Computers to University
Mrs. Grace Mugabe, wife of Zimbabwe's president Robert Mugabe, donated
computers, printers and software worth millions of Zimbabwean dollars
to Solusi University, a Seventh-day Adventist school, at a ceremony
Feb. 7.
Mrs. Mugabe said she was moved to make the donation to Solusi because
nearly every job required some skills in computer literacy. She
described her husband's vision in which education plays an important
role: "Education is a key factor in national development." The first
lady donated 20 computers, four printers and software. She also
pledged to fund two scholarships for needy students at Solusi. [George
Mwansa/ANN]
North America: Adventist Headquarters Funeral For Manuel Vásquez
Funeral services were held Feb. 7. for Pastor Manuel Vásquez, 67, vice
president of the Seventh-day Adventist church in North America and
director of its multilingual ministries department. The service was
held in the auditorium of the Church's world headquarters in Silver
Spring, Maryland. The pastor, known for his infectious smile, sharp
attire and devotion to Jesus, died of cancer on Jan. 29.
Before joining the North American leadership team in 1990, Vásquez was
a pastor for the Rocky Mountain church region's Spanish district,
personal ministries director and Adventist Development and Relief
Agency director for the Ecuador Union Mission, assistant to the
president for Hispanic Ministries in Arizona, and associate director
for Church Ministries and then vice president for the Pacific Union
church region. He was the author of several books, most notably "The
Subtle New Age Invasion and Unsuspecting Christians," and "The Untold
Story/La Historia aun no Contada," which detailed the growth of
Adventism among Hispanic peoples. He is survived by his wife, Nancy and
three daughters.
Mexico: Adventist Communicator Honored For Summit Coordination
The "Gold Microphone" award from Mexico's National Association of
Announcers was presented to Chilean-born Seventh-day Adventist Pastor
Baruc Lagos, communication director for the Inter-Oceanic Mexican
church region, on Jan. 25. He is the first Adventist to receive the
honor, and the ceremony was broadcast on national television.
Lagos was awarded for organizing the First International Summit of
Leaders and Communicators in November 2003. That event drew over 800
leaders from different denominations, as well as journalists,
professionals and students to workshops promoting spiritual and moral
values in communication.
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