September 2015

Volume 12

Issue 09

To reach London with the distinctive, Christ-centered, Seventh-day Adventist message of Hope and Wholeness.

NEWSLETTER

London, Ontario

In This Issue
Denominational Leaders Elected in San
Antonio: Comprehensive Overview.1
Lifestyle Habits to Keep Your Brain
Healthy...3
Adventists in Myanmar Aid Communities
Devastated by Flooding...4
Leaders in Malaysia use Bible School to
enhance adult evangelism.....5
A Conspiracy in North America (P. 2)....6
Adventist Doctor in Republican Party U.S.
Presidential Debate...7
First Adventist Named Chaplain of Jamaica's Police..8
Adventist Jailed for Sharing His Faith in
Kazakhstan...9
Adventurer Club Starts 6th Year of Operation.9

Denominational Leaders Elected in San Antonio: Comprehensive Overview

More than 125 individuals were elected to full-time, employed leadership
positions in the Seventh-day Adventist denomination during the General Conference (GC) convened in July in San Antonio, Texas. There have been many
announcements dribbled out over time in various media. Adventist Today has
brought the entire list together here with some general observations about the
overall group.

Western District schedule of

speakers..10

Lifestyle Habits to Keep

Your Brain Healthy
8 tips to give your brain a boost

Who are these people? We have tried to identify the background of each
individual and also describe the various entities within the overall structure. Of
the top 30 positions, the majority of those elected were ordained ministers,
while another 17 percent were educators and 27 percent were from other backgrounds, including business administration.
Only one in five were women. Nearly half (47 percent) were from North
America, 17 percent from Africa, 12 percent from Latin America, 10% each
from Asia and Europe, and six percent from Australia.
Continue on page 2

Continue on page 3

London Seventh Day Adventist Church, 805 Shelborne Street, London, Ontario N5Z 5C6 Canada, 519.680.1965

Continued from page 1.

Top Officers
Adventist Today has already reported on the three top officers of the denomination. Pastor Ted Wilson was reelected to another five-year term as
president, as was also Dr. G. T. Ng, the
secretary or number-two officer. Juan
Prestol-Puesan was elected treasurer;
he had been the undertreasurer or second-ranking officer in the GC treasury
and prior to that was treasurer of the
denominations North American Division.
Famously only six GC vice presidents were elected at the specific request of Wilson and over a number of
objections by delegates, dumping two
veteran top leaders while three new
men were elected. The new vice presidents are Pastor Guillermo Biaggi, who
was a missionary serving as president
of the Euro-Asia Division and originally
from Argentina; Pastor Abner de Los
Santos, who was vice president of the
Inter-American Division; and Pastor
Thomas Lemon, president of the MidAmerica Union Conference in North
America. Re-elected as vice presidents
were Dr. Ella Simmons, the only woman
serving at this level of the denominations leadership and a veteran educator in the United States; Pastor Geoffrey Mbwana who started denominational service in Africa; and Dr. Artur
Stele, director of the Biblical Research
Institute and formerly seminary dean in
Russia, currently most well known for
chairing the Theology of Ordination
Study Committee (TOSC).
The denominations general secretariat now includes Pastor Myron Iseminger who was re-elected as undersecretary or the second-ranking officer
in that unit. Before joining the GC officer group five years ago, he was a
church administrator in a local conference in the United States and a missionary in Egypt and the Southern AsiaPacific Division. Re-elected as associate secretaries were Pastor Gary
Krause, an Australian who directs the
GC Office of Global Mission and is
working on a doctoral degree in urban
ministry at the University of Queensland; Karen Porter, one of the few women who serve in the top ranks of the

denomination and has long coordinated

personnel policy related to missionaries; and John Thomas, a faculty member at Union College in Nebraska before joining the GC staff in 2010. New
associate secretaries elected were Pastor Hensley Moorooven, previously an
officer in the Southern Africa-Indian
Ocean Division; Pastor Claude Richli,
previously associate publisher of the
two official GC journals, Adventist Review and Adventist World; and Pastor
Gerson Santos, previously secretary of
the Greater New York Conference in
North America.
The treasury staff now includes J.
Raymond Wahlen as the new undertreasurer. He had previously been an
associate treasurer at the GC, directed
development of the denominations accounting software and was a missionary in Asia. George Egwakhe and Daisy
Orion were re-elected as associate
treasurers. Egwakhe has served for ten
years at the GC and was originally from
Nigeria although he has also served as
a missionary in Asia and a treasurer in
Africa. Orion is one of the few women
serving in the denominations top ranks
and entered denominational service in
the Asia-Pacific region. Timothy Aka
was also elected as an associate treasurer, having joined the GC staff in 2014
as an investment manager. He is a Canadian who previously worked in the
finance industry at Edward Jones and
at T.D. Waterhouse. And Pastor Delbert
Pearman was elected an associate
treasurer. He was director of planning
in the GC Office of Adventist Mission
and previously treasurer of the Adventist Church in Bermuda.
Directors of Departments and
Ministries
Three new directors were elected;
Dr. Ganoune Diop as director of Public
Affairs and Religious Liberty (PARL)
who has been an associate director
representing the denomination at the
United Nations; Pastor Duane McKey
as director of Sabbath School and Personal Ministries who was vice president
of the Southwestern Union Conference
in North America; and Pastor Almir
Mauricio Marroni as publishing director
who has been a vice president of the
South American Division.

Ministries; Linda Mei Lin Koh, director

of Childrens Ministries; Pastor Williams
Costa, communication director; Dr. Lisa
Beardsley-Hardy, education director;
Dr. Willie Oliver, director of Family Ministries; Dr. Peter Landless, director of
Health Ministries; Pastor Jerry Page,
secretary of the Ministerial Association;
Heather-Dawn Small, director of Womens Ministries; and Pastor Gilbert
Cangy, director of Youth Ministries.
In two cases the incumbent was
asked to continue to function until the
end of the current calendar year so that
a replacement can be found. Pastor
Gary Dodge is director of planned giving and trust services for the GC and
Pastor Erika Puni is director of stewardship.
At least 29 individuals were voted as
associate directors in the GC departments of which six are new and the others were re-elected. Adventist Today
has not listed all of these nor included
them in the statistics in this story not
because the work they do is not important, but just because readers undoubtedly have a limit as to how much
detail they can think about.
Division Officers
The GC has 13 divisions or regional
field headquarters for the denomination
around the world. The leaders in this
units are elected at the GC Session
every five years, but the nominations
originate in caucuses that include the
members of the nominating committee
from each division and are then reported to the entire nominating committee
for vote before they go to the entire delegation for official confirmation.
Six new division presidents were
elected in San Antonio. Each has roots
within the region he now leads: Pastor
Leonardo Asoy was president of the
South Philippine Union Conference before being elected president of the
Southern Asia-Pacific Division. Pastor
Mario Brito was ministerial secretary in
the Inter-European Division before being elected president.

Re-elected were Pastor Mario Ceballos, director of Adventist Chaplaincy

This Newsletter is produced by the Communication department of the London Seventh-day Adventist Church

Continued from page 2.

Pastor Michael Kaminsky was secretary and vice president of the Euro-Asia Division before being elected president.
Pastor Ezras Lakra was president of the Northern India
Union Conference before being elected president of the
Southern Asia Division. Pastor Glenn Townend was president of the Trans-Pacific Union Mission and earlier president of the Western Australia Conference before becoming
president of the South Pacific Division. Dr. Elie Weick was
a department head in the West-Central Africa Division
when he was elected president. Seven of the division presidents were re-elected: Pastor Dan Jackson in North America, Pastor Raafat Kamal in the Trans-European Division;
Pastor Erton Kohler in South America; Pastor Jairyong Lee
in the Northern Asia-Pacific Division; Dr. Israel Leito in the
Inter-American Division; Dr. Paul Ratsara in the Southern
Africa-Indian Ocean Division; and Pastor Blasious Ruguri
in East-Central Africa.

Doral from the South American Division; Hyden Gittens, a

CPA who is a partner in the accounting firm Versant Accounts and Consultants in Saint Maarten where he was
appointed governor of the island of Saint Eustatius in the
Netherlands Antilles by Queen Beatrix; Phillip Ndlovu, a
Chartered Accountant and managing partner for P Ndlovu
and Associates in South Africa; Frensly Panneflek, regional
manager at Lloyds Register Nederland BV in the Netherlands; and Dr. John Stanley, principal consultant with Quintesse Consultants in India.

Lifestyle Habits to Keep Your Brain

Healthy

Each division has a secretary and a treasurer. Only six

of these 26 individuals were new, with 18 people re-elected
and two vacancies yet to be filled. Among the 36 division
officers only three are missionaries; the others are all from
the region in which they serve.
General Conference Auditing Service (GCAS)
The auditors for the denomination operate from an internal auditing service which is structure to achieve a degree
of independence and is, in turn, audited by an outside firm.
Paul Douglas was re-elected as director of GCAS. He is a
native of Jamaica who first joined GCAS in 1997 and was
first elected director in 2007.
Twelve individuals were elected lay members of the
GCAS governing board. The GC Working Policy specifies
that there is to be one such person from each of the 13
world divisions who, along with four of the top GC officers,
make up the board. They are to be qualified auditors and/
or knowledgeable professionals in related fields who are
not denominational employees. Dr. Jack Krogstad serves
as chairman of the board. He holds an endowed faculty
chair in accounting and management and is an associate
dean of the business school at Creighton University, a
Catholic university in Omaha, Nebraska. He is an Adventist, a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and has served as
an academic fellow with the U.S. Securities Exchange
Commission.
New to the board, elected at this session, will be Esther
Abayo, chief executive officer of Penuel Financial Services
in Tanzania; Elirie Aransas, a CPA and business school
lecturer, in Cebu, Philippines; Lyudmila V. Chyzhevska
from the Euro-Asia Division; Margaret Dines, a CPA with
Super Forte, SMSF Auditing Service in Melbourne, Australia; Nnamdi Onyenmuru, managing partner at Martin
Onyenmuru and Company in Nigeria; and Masao Yanaga,
professor of law and accounting in the business school at
the University of Tsukuba in Japan.
Re-elected as lay members of the board were Ailton

Getting a restful sleep is essential for brain health.

How healthy is your brain? You might not think about it

much, but over time your lifestyle habits can have an impact on your brain. What you eat and drink and the activities you engage in make a difference. Here's what you can
do to keep your brain healthy.
1. Sleep well. Getting regular and restful sleep is essential
for brain health. Studies suggest that the process of sleep
actually restores and repairs the brain and helps it to function better. The National Sleep Foundation recommends
that adults get 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night. Brief naps
in the afternoon can help too.
2. Eat a whole foods, plant-based diet. Studies suggest
that food choices significantly impact brain health. Both
specific nutrients and overall dietary patterns have longterm effects on memory function as you age. Research
suggests that a whole foods, plant-based diet low in saturated fat and processed foods is best for your brain and
overall health.
3. Exercise your body for brain health. Exercising on a
regular basis can improve memory, learning ability, and
prevent or delay mental decline that comes with aging.
New research suggests that both aerobic exercise and resistance training performed regularly can help maintain
your ability to think and remember as you age.

Continued on page 4.

This Newsletter is produced by the Communication department , Email: newsletter@adventistontario.ca

Continued from page 3.

4. Combine healthy behaviors. Adopting one healthy
habit is a good start to protect your brain. Combining multiple healthy behaviors like a healthy diet, regular exercise,
and adequate sleep does more for your brain than just one
of these alone. If you need help with developing healthy
habits, a healthcare professional such as a physician, nurse,
or wellness coach can help.
5. Stimulate the brain. Your brain likes to have fun.
Make time to play board games, do crossword puzzles,
dance, read, and be social. Studies show that activities like
these help keep the brain stimulated, improve recall, and
prevent age-related memory loss.
6. Spend time in nature. Getting out in the great outdoors
can benefit mood, health, and overall well-being. Studies
show that too much time indoors can prevent you from enjoying the benefits breathing fresh air and spending time in
natural settings. Get outside for at least a few hours a week
for a brisk walk, fresh air, and a quiet, natural environment.
7. What to leave out. While there are many things you can
do to keep your brain healthy, there are some things you
should avoid. Don't smoke. Limit or avoid alcohol. Tobacco
use and alcohol have both been linked to dementia and agerelated memory loss.
8. See a doctor. Regular check-ups are important for mental and physical health. See a doctor to discuss preventive
measures for brain health.
While there are many things in life that you can't control, you
can choose to eat healthy, exercise regularly, get enough
sleep, and practice other healthy habits that will protect your
brain.
Sources:
Nature Reviews Neuroscience.
National Sleep Foundation.
Journal of Applied Physiology.

Adventists in Myanmar Aid

Communities Devastated by
Flooding
From ANN, August 18, 2015: As monsoon rains continue in flood-devastated Myanmar, Adventists throughout
the country are responding to the overwhelming needs. Current national news reports indicate the death toll has passed
100 and almost one million people have been affected, a
number of whom were already displaced before the flooding.
The Myanmar Union Mission (MYUM) has organized
the Central Emergency Disaster Response Committee
(CEDRC) to implement Adventist relief work through various
small groups.

Myanmar in its region by TUBS Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
Last week they assisted 110 families in upper Myanmar, and this week relief teams are in the areas surrounding
Yangon and in the hard-hit Ayeyarwaddy region.
Adventist schools, churches and individual members
are also contributing through fundraising, relief supply donations and on-site relief efforts.
Yangon Adventist Seminary (YAS) students collected
$400 USD in funds for students at their sister institution, Upper Myanmar Adventist Seminary, located in Kalaymo,
which is in one of the regions declared under a state of
emergency. Local churches across Myanmar have donated
funds, food items, clothing and ready-to-eat meals. An Adventist restauranteur donated food boxes for all relief teams
so they could continue their work in disaster areas.
A team from Adventist World Radio has also joined the
efforts by partnering with YAS teachers and students. On
August 13 they delivered relief supplies and provide support
to an isolated village 170 miles from the nations capital of
Yangon. Water continues to cover the villages roads, houses, schools and jetty. Of the 109 families there, more than
500 people have been affected. The flood destroyed their
homes as well as the rice paddy fields which serve as their
source of livelihood. According to the villagers, the Adventist
group was the first to arrive with assistance.
Meanwhile, on the same day in southern Mynamar,
Ayeyarwaddy Mission (AM) President Khin Maung Latt, Executive Secretary A One Thein and other relief team members also distributed food items. As part of a MYUMs overall
strategic plan to assist both community and church members, the AM team focused that days efforts on a village
where more than 70 members live.
With the effects of the flood devastation challenging
relief efforts, groups such as the Adventist denomination
and ADRA have enormous opportunities to assist as many
survivors as they can. While it may seem that the response
is limited in comparison to the overwhelming needs, Adventist church leaders in Myanmar believe that Adventists there
can still make a powerful impact in survivors lives through
an organized, compassionate response.

This Newsletter is produced by the Communication department of the London Seventh-day Adventist Church

Continued from page 4.

Myanmar is one of the 14 countries within the Southern
Asia-Pacific Division. With Buddhism as the main religion, it
is home to 230 Adventist churches and over 28,000 Adventists.
For current news about ADRA Myanmars activities, please
go tohttps://www.facebook.com/
AdventistDevelopmentAndReliefAgencyMyanmar.
Donations can be given through ADRA International
at www.adra.org.

LEADERS IN MALAYSIA USE

VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL TO
ENHANCE ADULT EVANGELISM

dren to attend the final program the next day, they werent
sure how many would actually come because it would be on
Sabbath morning.
To their surprise, 179 children came with many of the
regular participants bringing friends and relatives who had
not previously attended. As surprising as this was to the
leaders, the responses of the children brought even more
joy. The children shared that they were very happy to have
this kind of program because it was active and they felt they
had a special part. The children expressed hope that there
would be another program like this next year.
Their responses made an impact upon leaders. I was
happy to share in the joy and celebration that we had during
our recent Womens Ministries and VBS evangelism, commented Pastor Joggery Gelu, Childrens Ministries director
for the Sarawak Mission. He added, Every night the attendance of both the children and adults increased until the average attendance was 300-350 in spite of their busy schedules. Really though, it is not the attendance totals that are
most important but the experience and things that they learn
for their future life and a spiritual connection to the Creator
and Lord Jesus Christ.
With a total of 69 baptisms from the evangelistic series,
organizers have learned that family-centered programming
with a particular emphasis on childrens ministry can be a
vital tool in religiously diverse areas.
Kampung Simboh is located approximately 23 kilometers from the Sarawak Mission headquarters in Kuching.
Malaysia is a predominantly Islamic country but Buddhism,
Hinduism, Sikhism, various Chinese religions, indigenous
religions and Christianity are also freely practiced among its
population of over 23 million people. It is home to 28 Adventist churches and over 5,500 members.

Evangelistic series in Sarawak

A recent Adventist evangelistic series in Sarawak, Malaysia featured a unique variation on ministry to children. As
church leaders in Kampung Simboh prepared for the August
2-8 evangelistic series, the original plan focused on adult
programming. However, they soon realized childrens programming was also needed to more fully reach families in
the surrounding communities.
When it was suggested that they run a nightly Vacation
Bible School (VBS) for the children, the rest of the organizers enthusiastically agreed. Although VBS is more traditionally used during the daytime hours of summer seasons or
school breaks, the leaders discovered that it complimented
the adult programming well with few adjustments needed.
How did the children respond? The first night 89 children attended, but the following night the attendance among
both the children and adults increased. The theme Kids of
the King a Royal Adventure seemed to enthral the children as they learned through games, crafts and interactive
stories.
VBS attendance increased each night until it reached
135 on Friday night. When the VBS leaders invited the chil-

This Newsletter is produced by the Communication department , Email: newsletter@adventistontario.ca

A Conspiracy in North
America (Part 2)

When there is hunger in your community, how can your

church be relevant?

Jos Cortes, Jr. an Associate Ministerial Director and Leads

Evangelism for the Adventist Church in North America.

When obesity is prevalent in the neighborhood, how can

your church be relevant?

I envision the day when our church will

be known for our Compassion and
Love for humanity rather than for the
things we oppose. The day when this
happens we will be in great historic
company, well be in the company of
Jesus. Jesus was known for loving
people of all walks of life and backgrounds, as He walked this earth.
Once, while talking to His disciples Jesus said: By this everyone will know
Jos Cortes, Jr.
that you are my disciples, if you love
one another (John 13:35). This is not
just a call for church unity among believers, this pronouncement extends His love way beyond that, and explains why
people felt drawn to Him. People gravitated towards Jesus
because they felt safe and loved in His presence.
I have a deep conviction that a Conspiracy of Compassion is perhaps one of the biggest needs of the Adventist
Church in North America.
For the conspiracy to become a reality, it takes all of us,
collaborating together, in all of our churches, institutions,
and organizations, consistently, as if we had all planned to
do it together, all at the same time. Can you imagine what
would happen if Adventism in North America became a synonym of Compassion? What if, as people walked and drove
by our churches they would see open doors and our beautiful visible signs outlining our services to meet the physical
and spiritual needs of the community? What if people could
see us, Adventists, outside of our church buildings on a regular basis doing good, like Jesus did?
There are a few concepts to keep in mind as your church
becomes the Eyes, Heart, Hands, and Feet of Jesus in your
community. Take a look:
Relevance: After last months blog Conspiracy in North
America someone asked, what is your definition of Relevance? Relevance is being there when you are needed. A
church that is there for its members and its community
when they are in need is a relevant church.
When there is a storm in your area, how can your church
be relevant?
When a house burns down on your street, how can your
church be relevant?
When there is a death in a community family (see Obituary Section in Newspaper), how can your church be relevant?

When civil unrest is taking place in your town, how can

your church be relevant?

When there is a Marathon, a Street Market, a Parade

happening in your city, how can your church be relevant?
When there are thousands playing basketball, soccer,
and softball across city parks and playgrounds, how can
your church be relevant?
When there is a need for new leadership in your city or
state, how can your church be relevant? Could a church
member run for office and help make a change?
When thousands of people walk right pass your church
building on a regular basis, how can your church be relevant to them?
Consistency: Blessing the community with acts of love
and compassion once in a while is not enough. Just last
Saturday, as I was talking to John, a homeless man, in
downtown Troy, New York, he told me: People dont trust
some churches because they come out and help us and
then disappear and we dont hear from them again Does
this sound familiar? A one time Compassion event although
it may help, is not enough. People will not trust someone
they only see once in a while. Churches that care keep
coming back, they stick with it, they just dont come once a
year right before the public evangelistic meetings begin,
people see right through that. It is time that our Adventist
Churches become a permanent and active fixture in the
public spaces of our communities, where they are
needed. Compassion was not an event in the life of Jesus,
it was a lifestyle. The same applies to His church.
Identity: It is vital that people know who we are, as we
minister to them in our communities. If they dont know who
we are, how will they ever come back to us when they have
a need? How will they contact us when they need a prayer
or feel the Holy Spirit leading them to worship, or to inquire
more about spiritual things? When ministering, keep in
mind to have a card, which includes your Church name,
address, telephone #, and e-mail, this way people know
whom to contact when they have a physical or spiritual
need in the future.
Objective: People will ask why are you doing this?
Many will be suspicious that you are doing this because
there is an ulterior motive. It must be clear that our ultimate
desire is the salvation of every individual that we come in
contact with and making them disciples so they can join us
in sharing Gods love in this dying world. However, we must
learn from Jesus who on a regular basis showed His love in
practical ways with no strings attached. Jesus did not enlist
everyone He fed, healed, and blessed, as a disciple or a
member of his early church plant, but He fed, healed, and
blessed them anyway.
Continue on page 7

This Newsletter is produced by the Communication department , Email: newsletter@adventistontario.ca

Continue from page 6

inee for president of the United States of America.

When people ask why are you doing this? We must be

able to tell them We are showing Gods love in praccal

As the debate unfolded with millions of Americans

tuned in, Carson was given six opportunities to speak, each
about 90 seconds long. The first question he was asked
was about how he would conduct war against Muslim terrorists in the Middle East and he stated that he thought a
politically correct war was impossible and seemed to indicate that he was not afraid of violating the Geneva Conventions in such a conflict. He was later asked about the Assad
regimes use of chemical weapons in the Syrian civil war
and stated that he saw a need for the U.S. to build up its
military in order to make more credible threats in that kind
of situation.

ways and be willing to connue to be Jesus to them. Just

like Jesus, we will not bapze all, but at least we will take
their hunger away and give them hope.
Partnership: As a Church, we must remember that we
are not an island. There are governmental, private, and
faith based organizations and institutions which are already
making a difference in the community. They have access to
plenty of resources and at times are lacking the most important resource, which is not funding, but people. Partnering with the entities can be a blessing for the community,
for the organization, and for our church. Do not be afraid
to partner, you do not have to reinvent the wheel, our
Church loses nothing when we partner with others to
help. There are also wealthy individuals and families who
are looking for people to partner with, they may not want to
come to your church, but they want to invest some of their
money benefitting people and communities. The poverty"
of the wealthy is the need to use their expertise and
finances in the improving of lives and communities. They may be willing to partner with your church in an
after school mentoring program, food distribution, health
clinics, counseling clinics, single mothers outreach, community fitness programs, home makeovers, and others.
And this may be the only way for them to ever get to know
Jesus and our church.
Lets join together in the Conspiracy of Compassion
across North America!

Adventist Doctor in Republican

Party U.S. Presidential Debate

Dr. Ben Carson

Dr. Ben Carson, a retired brain surgeon who is an active member of the Adventist denomination, participated
last night in a major political debate produced by Fox News
and Facebook. This was the first Republican presidential
primary debate for politicians bidding to be the partys nom-

Carson used the Bible principle of tithing to explain his

approach to tax policy in answer to another question. He
stated that Americans should pay a flat tax of an unspecified percentage no matter what their level of income instead of the graduated income tax that has been in place
for nearly a century. This is a favorite idea of conservatives
in the U.S., although it is not used in any of the industrialized countries because it is generally viewed as benefiting
people with higher incomes and hurting those with lower
incomes. Asked specifically about poverty in America, Carson answered that he believes that the secular, progressive movement is causing the problem because of the $18
trillion national debt. Toward the end of the two-hour program, he was asked specifically about what you believe God tells you to do about race issues in America. His
answer again focused on those he disagrees with in U.S.
politics, stating dont take every incident and use it to divide Americans, but work for unity.
In the run-up to the debate a Fox News poll, placed
Carson fourth (7 percent) among nearly 20 possible candidates, behind Donald Trump (26 percent), the billionaire
reality TV star; Jeb Bush (15 percent), former governor of
Florida and the son and brother of former U.S. presidents; and Scott Walker (9 percent), governor of Wisconsin. Seventeen key Republicans have joined the presidential race; however, only ten were asked to be part of the
debate. In May, Fox News released the criteria for selecting
participants. They must meet all constitutional requirements; must announce and register a formal campaign;
must file all required paperwork with the Federal Election
Commission; and must place in the top 10 in an average of
the five most recent, recognized national polls leading up to
Aug. 4.
Carson is well-known within the Adventist community
for his books Gifted Hands(1992) and Think Big (1996),
though he has also written more recent books, such asAmerica the Beautiful, One Nation and One Vote. Carson
began to receive national media attention after promoting
conservative policies and denouncing political correctness
at the 2013 National Prayer Breakfast, an annual event
hosted by the White House. Now retired, Carson was a noted neurosurgeon at Johns Hopkins University Hospital,
where he completed the first successful surgery to separate
conjoined twins who were joined at the head.

Continue on page 8
This Newsletter is produced by the Communication department , Email: newsletter@adventistontario.ca

Continue from page 7

Carson was director of pediatric
neurosurgery and also co-director of
the Johns Hopkins Craniofacial Center. President George W. Bush awarded Carson the Presidential Medal of
Freedom in 2008. If he gets the party
nomination and then wins the general
election, Carson would be the first Adventist to become leader of one of the
most powerful nations on earth.
Texas Senator Ted
Cruz also participated in the debate.
He received six percent of the votes in
the Fox News poll, falling one place
behind Carson. Cruzs wife, Heidi, is
an Adventist. She recently stepped
down from her position as a vice president at Goldman Sachs in order to
support her husbands presidential bid.

First Adventist
Named Chaplain
of Jamaica's
Police
Gary Anthony Buddoo-Fletcher will
counsel, train, supervise and assess
police officers.
By Jamaica Union and IAD staff

Jamaicas national police

In a first, a Seventh-day Adventist
pastor has been appointed as chaplain
of Jamaicas national police force.
Gary Anthony Buddoo-Fletcher,
most recently executive secretary of
the Adventist Churchs North Jamaica
Conference, was named to the position and assigned the honorary rank of

assistant police commissioner of the

Jamaica Constabulary Force, or JCF,
last week.
As chaplain, Buddoo-Fletcher is a
member of the International Conference of Police Chaplaincy and has
direct supervision over seven assistant
chaplains island-wide. His job includes
counseling, training, supervising and
assessing police officers.

Gary Anthony Buddoo-Fletcher

We are very happy that the Seventh-day Adventist Church could provide someone in the person of Pastor
Buddoo-Fletcher to serve at this time
in this position at the national level,
said Everett Brown, president of the
church in Jamaica. He has given outstanding service to the church in Jamaica, and we believe that with his
experience and commitment to serving
his fellow men, he will be an asset to
the JCF and the wider society.
Buddoo-Fletcher is the first Adventist to occupy this position and the fifth
police chaplain. He succeeds the Reverend Gordon Evans, who served as
acting chaplain in 2014 and 2015, and
Bishop Gary Welsh, who served from
2010 to 2014.
I am particularly pleased that the
appointment has gone to someone
from the Seventh-day Adventist
Church, said Welsh, who now works
as regional director for the International Conference of Police Chaplains.

began in the 1950s and was pioneered

by the Reverend Hugh Smythe, who
served for 37 years before handing
over the baton to the Reverend Vivian
Panton in 1991. Panton served for 19
years.
Buddoo Fletcher, who enrolled as a
volunteer chaplain in 2012, entered
church work 22 years ago as an intern
and chaplain in central Jamaica in
1993. He was ordained in 2000 and
later became a senior pastor working
in the parishes of St. Mary, Manchester, and St. Catherine. He then served
in northern Jamaica as a district pastor, youth director, and director of communication, family ministries, stewardship, and finally executive secretary.
Pastor Buddoo-Fletchers departure is a significant loss to the conference, said Karl Archer, president of
the North Jamaica Conference. We
are confident that he will be a notable
asset to his new position, and we will
ever keep him before our God in prayer.
Buddoo-Fletcher has baptized
about 2,000 people. Under his pastoral
care, two churches were dedicated,
two were organized, and three new
congregations were started.
Currently, Buddoo-Fletcher is pursuing a doctorial degree in ministry
from the Inter-American Theological
Seminary, an accredited Seventh-day
Adventist institution based in Miami,
Florida. He is married to Dyhann, and
they have two children.
It is a privilege to serve God and
my country in this capacity, BuddooFletcher said of his appointment. I will
do my best to give ethical, moral and
spiritual support to the men and women of the JCF, their families and the
auxiliary members who serve, protect,
and reassure citizens of our country.

The Adventist community is a long

supporter of police chaplaincy and the
professional counseling of police officers through the Northern Caribbean
University. Of the 425 volunteers who
serve as police station chaplains nationwide, more than 60 percent are
Adventist ministers.
The police forces chaplaincy unit

This Newsletter is produced by the Communication department , Email: newsletter@adventistontario.ca

Adventist Jailed for Sharing His

Faith in Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan police arrested Yklas Kabduakasov, an
Adventist church member, on the evening of Friday, August
14, after searching his home in the capital Astana and confiscating religious books. The local church where he is a
member was also searched the same day. On Sabbath,
August 15, an Astana court ordered that he be held in pretrial detention for up to two months at the police Investigation Prison, the court chancellery told Forum 18 News Service. Forum 18 is a human rights organization based in Oslo, Norway.
Kabduakasov challenged this detention at a hearing
yesterday morning (August 21), his lawyer, Gulmira Shaldykova, told Forum 18. The secret police claim he was
spreading religious discord by discussing his faith with and
offering Christian books to individuals in the community. If
convicted, the Adventist church member could face a prison
sentence of five to ten years.
Kabduakasovs arrest was mentioned at the weekly
service of his Adventist congregation in Astana on Sabbath,
August 15, a member told Forum 18. Members also prayed
for him yesterday.
Kabduakasov, who works for an Astana-based building
company Stroiinvest, was stopped by the traffic police in
Astana on August 14 and taken back to his home in the city,
those close to him told Forum 18. Once there, police officers searched his home and confiscated several Christian
books. At about 6 pm, at the end of the search, the officers
arrested him. The church in Astana where Kabduakasov
attends was also searched on August 14.
Kazakhstans tight restrictions on exercising the right to
freedom of belief include a ban on anyone apart from individuals appointed specifically by registered religious communities and who have personal registration with the state
as missionaries (whether local citizens or foreigners) from
conducting missionary activity. Any religious literature
such state-approved missionaries use also requires specific state approval. Anyone else who talks to another person about their faith or gives them a book on a religious
topic risks punishment. The police are believed to have
been keeping Kabduakasov under surveillance in recent
months, including through the use of video surveillance,
because he made it a practice to discussing his faith with
others. In May the police apparently gave him a written
warning about his missionary activity which they insisted
was illegal, sources close to him told Forum 18.
The police were investigating Kabduakasov for
incitement of social, national, clan, racial, or religious discord under the nations Criminal Code Article 174, Part 2,
the court chancellery and Kabduakasovs lawyer separately
confirmed to Forum 18. This law prescribes punishment for
repeat offenders, with prison terms of between five and
ten years.
On July 2 a court in Kazakhstans commercial capital,
Almaty, sentenced a Sunni Muslim prisoner, Saken
Tulbayev, to four years and eight months in a labor camp

under Criminal Code Article 174, Part 1. The court also

found him guilty under Criminal Code Article 405, Part 2 for
participation in a banned religious movement and punished
him with one year (to run concurrently) and a ban on
activity directed at meeting the religious needs of believers
for two additional years. His family insists that the publications used to prosecute him had been planted by police in
the family apartment.
The police detective leading the case against Kabduakasov has the first name Nurlan, his colleague Investigator Diyar Idrishov told Forum 18 from Astana on August
19. The man who answered the phone at Nurlans phone at
the Astana police office on Friday (August 20) did not give
his name and repeatedly put the phone down as soon as
Forum 18 asked about Kabduakasovs case. This Nurlan
is believed to be the officer in Astana with responsibility for
keeping the citys Christian congregations under surveillance, those familiar with his activity told Forum 18.
Reached on the evening of August 19, the duty officer
at the police Investigation Prison would not give his name
and repeatedly refused to give Forum 18 any information
about Kabduakasov, without giving any reason. The officer
would only confirm that Kabduakasov is still alive. The duty
officer on August 20 similarly refused to give any information.
For supporters who may wish to write to Kabduakasov,
his prison address is: SIZO KNB g. Astana, 010003 Astana, Ul. Shyntas 2, Kazakhstan

Adventurer Club Starts

6th Year of Operation

The South London Adventurer Club will be starting it's

6th year of operation on Sabbath, September 12th, 2015 at
4:00 p.m. Club meetings are held twice per month from
4:00 to 5:30 p.m.
This year's annual membership fee is $20.00 per child
to a maximum of $40.00 per family.
Please note that no child will be turned away if cost is
prohibitive. Age requirement is 4 - 9 years of age. Registration for those unable to attend on Sunday, August 23rd will
be held following the club meeting at 5:30 p.m.
For further information please contact Club Director, Lucy Simoes at lucysimoes2@gmail.com.

This Newsletter is produced by the Communication department , Email: newsletter@adventistontario.ca

Gloria

Rudy
Gordon

Johny
Beckles

Sept 19

Sept 26

SDA South London Church

visiting

Spanish

Brampton

Mendoza

Rene
Lopez

Nathaly
McNight

Sept 12

DATE

Rene
Lopez

Sheldon Bailey

Sep 30

Rene
Lopez

Lo Richards

Sep 23

Sept 5

Earl Biggs

Sep 16

London
Spanish
Company
649 King
Street

Pastor Golovenko

Sep 9

North
London
Church
800 Fleet
Street

Clara Baptiste

Sep 2

Health

PRAYING MEETINGS

Rudy
Gordon

Lars Muller

Roy West

Juan Carlos
Atencio

St.Thomas
Church
380
Manor
Road

519.680.1965

Angelina
Polihronova

Alex
Golovenko

Juan Carlos
Atencio

Alex
Golovenko

George Perez

London
Living Truth
Company
970 Oxford
Street W
Alex
Golovenko
Communion

Alex Golovenko
Communion

Cameron
Munro

London South
Church
805
Shelborne
Street

Juan Carlos
Atencio

Roy West

Juan Carlos
Atencio

Lars Muller

Woodstock
Church
594754 Oxford
Road

Marian
Kossovan

Marian
Kossovan

Simeon
Ndwaniye

Junior
Garcia

Windsor
Church
5350
Haig
Avenue

10

---

Junior
Garcia

Felix
Landeverd
e

---

----

Marian
Kossovan

Living Faith
Windsor
Group
868 Ellis
Street East

Junior
Garcia

Alex
Capote

Windsor
Spanish
Company
3325 Walker Road

www.adventistlondon.ca

Fred Stele

Fred Stele

Fred Stele

Fred Stele

Sarnia
Church
1620
Modeland
Road

Pulpit Speakers at Western Ontario District of Seventh-day Adventist Churches

Western District schedule of speakers, September 2015