ANR Bulletin
Adventist News Review
Trans-European Division of the
Seventh-day Adventist Church

29 March 2006

In this issue:
? Jordan: A meeting of brave Iraqis
? United States: Church awards professionals for communicating a life
with hope
? United States: Adventist Communicators Affirm Ethics, Professional
Development

A MEETING OF BRAVE IRAQIS

AMMAN, JORDAN [ANR] - On 19 March a delegation of Iraqi Seventh-day
Adventist leaders made the hazardous trip from Baghdad to Amman,
Jordan, to attend an executive committee discussing the work of the
Adventist Church in war-torn Iraq. This meeting had been rescheduled
since hostilities in Iraq prevented the group from meeting the new
president of the Adventist church in the Middle East Region, Dr Kjell
Aune.

?We discussed various alternatives to make the meetings happen,? said
Dr Aune. ?After the dangers of the various options were studied, the
Iraqi delegation decided that it was better for a group of nationals
to travel to Jordan rather than for me to travel to Baghdad alone.?
Foreigners are high profile targets for kidnappers. At the same time,
the short drive to the airport is hazardous for the Iraqi?s, passing
through some of the most notoriously dangerous sectors of the city.
As they stopped at six check points on their way to the airport, the
Iraqi group told the guards each time, ?We are the followers of Isa
[Jesus], ? and they were let through swiftly.

The oral report about the church members? daily lives was dramatic.
?Our Iraqi brothers and sisters told me how they leave their home as
little as possible. The other day a bomb went off in a market in
Baghdad, killing around 60 innocent people. It is impossible for them
to foresee where bombs can be placed and at what time of day they can
explode,? says Dr Aune.

The Iraqi Adventist Church used to number around 250 members. Because
of the embargo and ensuing wars, many of the members, like so many
other Iraqis, have fled the country. ?We are now down to about 150
members in the records, more likely around 100 in reality,? said
Basim Fargo, the newly elected president of the Adventist Church in
Iraq. Two people were baptized in 2005.

Last year, the church in Iraq sent a formal request to the Iraqi
government asking for money to renovate the church after car bombs
had caused significant damage. Other bomb-damaged churches applied to
the same government fund. To date, only the Adventist Church has been
granted any financial help with an amount of US$ 100,000, sufficient
to complete a total renovation.

?It is humbling and encouraging to be blessed by the faith and trust
expressed by our Iraqi brothers and sisters,? said Dr Aune. ?As we
met in Amman, we read together from Psalm 27, written by King David
for difficult times: ?The Lord is my light and my salvation - whom
shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life - of whom shall I
be afraid? When evil men advance against me to devour my flesh, when
my enemies and my foes attack me, they will stumble and fall. Though
an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out
against me, even then will I be confident. I am still confident of
this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.
Wait for the Lord, be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord'
(v.1-3,13-14). A text like this becomes so real when living under
conditions like they have in Iraq these days. May God bless our
Church in Iraq as they try to function and grow under the present
circumstances, and may the World Church of Seventh-day Adventists
continue to uphold their fellow Adventists in Iraq with their
intercessory prayers. I can assure you that they are dear to God.?

[Alex Elmadjian/ANR]


CHURCH AWARDS PROFESSIONALS FOR COMMUNICATING A LIFE WITH HOPE

WASHINGTON D.C, UNITED STATES [ANR] - Terry Benedict, Bradley Trevor
Greive, Jaroslaw Wajk, Allen and Andrea Steele are masters at
building bridges. No, they don't construct the physical structures
that connect landmasses but, rather, they assemble the tenuous,
fragile bridges of human relationships. Through film, music, stories
and public relations they touch lives, they inform, they share with
the world what it means to live a life of hope. And on March 23,
these five received the Bridge Award in recognition of their
outstanding communication achievements in sharing the church's
message of hope.

The only recipient able to accept in person at the awards ceremony in
Washington D.C. was filmmaker Terry Benedict. He was recognized for
his documentary, "The Conscientious Objector," which tells the story
of the late Desmond T. Doss, Sr., a Seventh-day Adventist who was a
non-combatant soldier in World War II, refusing to bear arms. Doss
served his country as a medic and became a hero when he saved the
lives of 75 of his fellow soldiers during a May 5, 1945 battle on the
island of Okinawa in Japan.

The film was originally intended for the church's Pathfinders, said
Reger Smith Jr., an associate communication director who presented
the award. Benedict went above and beyond the allotted budget for the
documentary, however, and made the story worthy of a national
audience.

The film has won awards at several film festivals, and Benedict is
now part of a team that will turn Doss' story into a major motion
picture.

"[Terry] Benedict created a film that can be shown to the whole
world.
The story has gone beyond boundaries ... and has touched soldiers and
pacifists alike. This is a story that truly builds bridges," Smith
said.

Accepting the award, Benedict said, "making this documentary was not
just about reporting facts, it is about getting to the heart of
matter, touching and influencing people with our message. Evangelism
is not just about preaching from a podium in a sanctuary. It is about
going out and reaching people, which this story gave me an
opportunity to do.

Most denominations for decades, hundreds of years even, have not
embraced the arts as a tool of evangelism. And that is the way to
reach the human condition on the inside [of the church] but on the
outside as well. I thank God to be able to build bridges to the
outside [of the church] using the arts."

On the day that Benedict accepted the award, Doss died at the age of
87.

Australian author Bradley Trevor Greive, was recognized for his
books. Greive, a New York Times best selling author, has written 16
books that have sold 12 million copies around the world. He is also
an international wildlife conservationist.

Greive sent a recorded acceptance speech: "I thank my parents for
sharing their Christian beliefs with me. I once wasn't a devout
churchgoer but when I joined the [Australian] army those Christian
values proved vital especially in dark times. Those Christian values
have led to so many opportunities for a Christian sense of
brotherhood all over the world."

For their years of work in public relations and at Adventist World
Radio (AWR) in the United Kingdom, Allen and Andrea Steele received a
Bridge Award. The Steeles moved from AWR to Avondale College in
Australia in 2000 where Allen helped to develop the college's
communication program. He is currently assistant to the president for
advancement. Andrea, who works as a receptionist at the school, is
considered the "director of first impressions."

The final Bridge Award recipient, Jaroslaw Wajk from Warsaw, Poland,
has used his expertise in music to reach out to the hearing impaired.
He started a music project with the hearing impaired from his church,
called "Bogu" or as it is translated in English, "For God." The group
combines aural music with music through actions. Many of the group's
works have appeared in music festivals. With "Bogu" or with a smaller
ensemble, Wajk is on the road 20 days a month, singing to audiences
of thousands of people.

Wajk who was a prominent rock star in his country in the 1980s and
1990s, later met and married Lidia. He joined the Adventist Church
and is now focused on reaching out to drunks, drug addicts, and the
homeless. He invites them to church, gives them a hot meal and offers
to help them clean up their lives.

"I sing in images," he said in a written statement accepting the
award. "These songs are like photographs from the mind. In my country
people are not asking what day is holy but whether God exists, and
what a prayer is."

He said he hopes the church will reform the way it presents its
message because "religious customs have driven people away. There are
too many mediocre projects and plans that are realized just because
there is a stamp of approval of 'churchiness.' It's like a stamp of
'happy Christians' who do not have to go into the world, to meet
people or speak their language."

The Bridge Award was established by the Communication Department at
the Seventh-day Adventist Church's World Headquarters. It recognizes
meritorious contribution to Seventh-day Adventist communication
through avenues of public church awareness, visionary thinking,
excellence in responsible journalism and professional mentoring, in
addition to outstanding achievements in media, public relations and
public affairs.

The award is offered in harmony with the vision statement of the
Church's communication strategy: "Seventh-day Adventists will
communicate hope by focusing on the quality of life that is complete
in Christ." The first Bridge awards were presented on April 5, 2001
at the Seventh-day Adventist World Headquarters in Silver Spring,
Maryland, United States.

Addressing the awards gathering was one of last year's Bridge Award
recipients, Dr. Bert B. Beach, a long-time church leader and also
considered a consummate bridge builder addressed the importance of
bridge building. Beach explained that being a communicator included
finding ways to bridge the distance between the church and the
community. "To do this you can't be hidden in the inner sanctum of
the church," he said.

[Taashi Rowe/ANN]


ADVENTIST COMMUNICATORS AFFIRM ETHICS, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

SILVER SPRINGS, MARYLAND, UNITED STATES [ANR] - Seventh-day Adventist
world church communication directors, representing each of the
church's 13 global regions, voted to approve a statement of ethics
for church communicators, a key conclusion of a five-day advisory
session held March 20 to 24. The group also learned about a new
certificate program for communicators, which is being developed by
faculty at Andrews University and the world headquarters.

"To glorify God is the ultimate intent of all communication," the
ethics statement begins. "The context of all messages should be the
good news of the love of God and the hope of the Second Coming of
Jesus Christ," it continues.

The ethics statement-- a recommendation and not a mandate -- is
designed to encourage a high standard of responsibility for Adventist
Church communication. As the statement notes, "Freedom to communicate
with integrity, openness, objectivity, honesty, sensitivity,
diversity, and excellence is a priority; employers and constituencies
are to be informed of a need for transparent, honest and open
communication."

According to Rajmund Dabrowski, communication director for the world
church, "Such a statement was perhaps long overdue. Adventist
communicators on all levels of church service will do all that is
within the framework of legality, but will also be ethical and
sensitive to cultural values and beliefs. The statement makes clear
as to where we base our communication vocation, and where our point
of reference is."

He added, "As an Adventist and a communicator, I will endeavour to
engage myself in truthful, accurate and fair communication -- one
that facilitates respect and mutual understanding between people. In
the statement we have articulated the framework of our conduct as
professionals, and as members of the Adventist Church. We know who we
are and we know our mission."

Another element of the ethics statement concerns the manner in which
church communication business is to be conducted: "Communication
activities should be free from conflicts of interest; nepotism and
favouritism have no place in hiring and promotion of communicators
and their staffs; contracts should be awarded fairly, and not on the
basis of undue influences," the statement notes.

Along with the ethics activity, communication directors from the
church's world regions heard a range of presentations on subjects.
One of the more important presentations was news of the certificate
program which aims to help church communication leaders develop and
sharpen their skills.

The 12-credit, three-year program, which can also be the beginning of
a master's degree in interdisciplinary studies, can consist of
"intensive" class sessions at Andrews, the church's flagship
university, located in Berrien Springs, Michigan, United States, or,
on sufficient demand, at other locations worldwide. Issues involving
specific skills, ethical matters, and communications topics, will
comprise the curriculum.

"This will help the world [church] to benefit from up-to-date ideas,
courses and technology relative to communication," said Dr.
Melchizedek Ponniah, an assistant communication professor at Andrews.
"I believe this will help to take the whole communication ministry to
a greater level of professionalism."

In other actions, the regional directors heard from staff of the
world church's communication department on topics including media
relations, public relations and news reporting and photography.
Discussions included the Ground7News podcast, as well as Adventist
News Network.

The meeting also focused on a need for intentional communication with
church members in local congregations. The "Tell the World" vision,
adopted by the church at the world church session in St. Louis,
Missouri, in July 2006, "requires clear messages to be communicated
with our own people," said Michael Ryan, a general vice president of
the world church, and advisor to the communication department.

Special attention was paid to the Internet and its use for evangelism
and building communities of faith. Speakers who discussed Internet
issues included Mark Finley, a general vice president of the world
church, and Michael Dabrowski, a lay member who is an Internet
professional. Finley spoke on the potential of the Internet for
outreach, while Dabrowski emphasized the need to create Web sites
that help meet the needs of visitors. The advisory meeting also
included a presentation about the netAdventist service, an
Internet-based system which combines localized Web content with live
streams of information from the global Adventist Church.

Pastor Jan Paulsen, world president of the Seventh-day Adventist
church, visited the meeting and told communicators that their
department exists "to serve all the other departments" at a church
headquarters, as well as church administration.

Paulsen also stressed the relationship between communication and the
mission of the church, saying that communicators need to "reach out
to your communities" in sharing a message of hope.

The world communication advisory will be followed by regional
meetings over the course of the next year, as well as special visits
by church staff to help local communicators.

[Mark A. Kellner/ANN]