March 11, 2004

World Edition

A conversation with General Conference president Jan Paulsen


Sow 1 Billion
As I read about all the work we are
doing in other countries (Bettina
Krause, “Sow 1
Billion,” Jan. 8), the
question comes to
mind: What about
our own United
States of America?
Who’s out on the
streets telling bikers,
teenagers, young adults, the homeless,
and yes, even the drunks sleeping in
cardboard boxes about Jesus?
My husband and I are one couple
out there. We ask questions: Do you
know Jesus? Are you saved? Most peo-
ple answer, “No.” But they want to
learn more.
This week my husband told me he
was talking to a young man at work who
thought he was going to hell because of
his sins. The young man never knew
what Jesus did for us. Can you imagine?
The young man came to him the next
day and said, “Thank you.”
We pray daily that the Holy Spirit
can touch these lives and change
them; please pray with us. We have
planted many seeds for the Lord, and
quite often people come back and
want to learn more. Praise the Lord!
—“Norene”
B E RW I C K , M A I N E
Please tell me where I can get a
copy of the Sow 1 Billion pamphlets
I’ve been reading about. It seems as if
it would be simple to include them in
the Review so everyone who wants to
copy them can just print them. I’ve
looked for them, and if they’re there,
2 (370) A D V E N T I S T R E V I E W,
LETTERS
they’re hard to find.
Also, it would be a great help to
include some instructions about how
to get them to people.
—B. J. Gheen
WA L D O R F, M A R Y L A N D
Sow 1 Billion Bible study invitations and
updates about the Sow 1 Billion initiative
are available at the Adventist Review Web
site: www.adventistreview.org/2004-1502/
story6.html. For pamphlets to distribute in
North America contact Seminars Unlimited
(1-800-482-3344 or 1-817-641-3643).
Radical Christianity
I read Skip Bell’s article “Radical
Christianity” with a great deal of inter-
est. I observed how Bell tried to fish an
answer from a number of young people
regarding the cause and the purpose of
the Advent movement in this world.
Some of the answers, “Be nice”; “Share
the gospel”; “Endure to the end,” etc.,
seem to be leaning on behaviorism.
What I understand and preached all
my life was and is Revelation 14:6-12.
In my opinion, here we find our identity
as a movement, the purpose for our exis-
tence, and our mission in this world.
The “everlasting gospel”—the good
news, properly understood and preached
to the whole world. In this gospel is the
power of God unto salvation. Able to
transform sinners into saints is Jesus
Christ and Him crucified. By beholding
Him daily, sinners are changed “from
glory to glory” by the Spirit of God.
—Jeremia Florea, retired pastor
SPRING LAKE, MICHIGAN
M A R C H 1 1 , 2 0 0 4
I am writing in response to the
article “Radical Christianity.” It was a
well-written article, and highlights a
problem that really shouldn’t exist
among our people: the lack of a vision
or purpose for the church. Our pio-
neers would be appalled. We should be
also.
Jesus said, “Go ye into the world,
and preach the gospel to every crea-
ture” (Mark 16:15). That sounds like
a mission to me. Paul calls the gospel
“the power of God unto salvation”
(Rom. 1:16). He goes on to say
“therein is the righteousness of God
revealed” (verse 17). And Paul warns
of those who have “a form of god-
liness, but denying the power thereof”
(2 Tim. 3:5). Could that apply to us?
Of course Christ is the power of God,
and so is the cross (1 Cor. 1:24, 18).
I should probably say the preaching of
the cross is, because Jesus said, “I, if
I be lifted up from the earth, will draw
all men unto me” (John 12:32). We
are told that Adventists should be
foremost in lifting up Jesus.
What we need is the true gospel as
was presented in 1889 that brought the
power of God into our churches and
camp meetings. See the descriptions in
the Review and Herald articles of that
year on pages 377, 286, 319, 325, and
329. We need this power today!
—Norwood Smith
GEO RGETOWN, TENNESSEE
The Beatitudes Project
I greatly appreciated this past fall’s
(2003) special issue “The Beatitudes
Project.” Most of the inspiring articles
were written by persons who don’t get tioned much in our church. I will try
published very often in church publi- to be more aware of these issues. But I
cations. Kimberly Luste Maran did an have one concern. In the sidebar
excellent job of finding these capable among all the items that are truly
writers and putting this special issue issues, this one crept in: “animal test-
together. I always enjoy articles, ser- ing.” On this issue, are we buying into COVER STORY
mons, and books on any part of the the idea that all life on planet Earth is 8 Evangelism and Mission:
Sermon on the Mount. of equal value? An Interview With Jan
All products are eventually tested Paulsen
—Bill Murrill on humans. Would we rather it first be We rejoice when we hear reports of
thousands being baptized. The next
D E LT O N A , F L O R I D A a monkey—or a human created in the step: discipleship.
image of God? I believe we should
In the special Review issue on the treat animals humanely and not use
Beatitudes there was an article written animal testing more than necessary, ARTICLES
by Ansel Oliver entitled “Me? Meek?” but many advances have been made 14 Baruch’s Answer
I was shocked and grieved by a state- through animal research. I would like Is your faith strong enough to
ment he made to Kimberly Luste to see an article on this subject from a survive life’s most perplexing
Maran about what she wanted him to biblical perspective. questions?
BY JENNIFER WILLIAMS
write. And I quote, “Take the most
profound statements of God on earth —Lee Davidson 22 Kenya on My Mind
and make light of them.” Her reply was BERRIEN SPRINGS, MICHIGAN Examples of dedication and faith
lead to self-examination.
“Yeah.” To me that is sacrilegious.
BY HOMER TRECARTIN
Needless to say, I did not read all of
the article. 26 A Stranger and a Friend
An impromptu friendship shines a
God is particular, and we should
spotlight on religious freedom.
reverence Him and His Word and not BY VIOLA HUGHES
make light of them. I think this is About the cover:
something we all as humans need to
watch. We need to think before we Theme: Different gifts, one task. DEPARTMENTS
speak or write. Left to right, top to bottom: 2 Letters
1. Picture Roll woman in
—Darleen Green Thailand ready for action. Photo: 7 Give & Take
HARRAH, OKLAHOMA Becky DeGraaff. 16 The View From Here
2. Man holds Bible, the major 17 Tuesday’s Child
I am truly sorry if you, and any other inspiration for evangelism and
readers, were offended by those few lines. mission, during Adventist world 18 World News & Perspectives
And while Mr. Oliver’s conversation with church meeting in Nairobi, 29 Bible Questions Answered
me did take on a “lighthearted” tone, Kenya. Photo: Athal Tolhurst. 30 Adventist World Radio
there was no disrespect intended, espe- 3. AWR announcer in action in
cially toward our Savior—it is unfortu- Costa Rica. Photo: Jennifer 31 Reflections
nate if the words used imply that in any Barizo.

MODIFIED
way. As the coordinating editor for that 4. The pastor begins “the
EDITORIALS
issue I take full responsibility, and I apolo- count” of offering collected for © P H O T O D I S C / D I G I T A L LY

gize—the article was not intended to be mission during a Perth, Australia, 5 Evangelism: Then
glib or to slight the important lessons Jesus camp meeting. Photo: Athal
and Now
gave us in the Beatitudes. Thank you for Tolhurst. 6 You Can Do Something
your comments.—Kimberly Luste 5. At an Adventist bakery in
to Make It Happen
Maran. Mexico an Adventist woman
makes bread for the needy. NEXT WEEK
BACKGROUND PHOTO

I was blessed by “The Beatitudes Photo: Global Mission.

Project” special issue. The article “The
Consuming Fire,” by Lauren Schwarz,
was excellent. I believe the issues there
are very relevant to our time. It is
6. Brazilian woman runs secu-
rity at Pathfinder camporee in
Germany. Photo: Ludi Leito.
Whom Can I Depend On?
Young Adam thought his mom would be
with him forever. Then she died.
COVER

something that has not been men-

A D V E N T I S T R E V I E W, M A R C H 1 1 , 2 0 0 4 (371) 3
 “Behold, I come quickly . . .”
Our mission is to uplift Jesus Christ through stories of
His matchless love, news of His present workings, help
for knowing Him better, and hope in His soon return.

Publisher General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists

Executive Publisher William G. Johnsson

Publishing Board: Jan Paulsen, chair; Ted N. C. Wilson,

vice chair; William G. Johnsson, secretary; Armando
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Vol. 181, No. 11

4 (372) A D V E N T I S T R E V I E W, M A R C H 1 1 , 2 0 0 4
 E D I T
Evangelism:
Then and Now
W
e learn by doing. And our mistakes are
often more instructional than our suc-
cesses. When we’re successful we contin-
ually go back to the tried and true, rarely
refining an idea to see if there’s a better
way to do it. But when we see diminishing returns, it’s time
to step back and reevaluate what works
and what doesn’t.
Take Adventist evangelism, for exam-
ple. There was a time when evangelistic
meetings lasted for six months or more. Successful
Over that time the evangelist didn’t just
present Adventist teachings once, but
several times; and not just Friday,
outreach boils
Saturday, and Wednesday evenings, but
often six or seven nights a week. Now
down to
it’s unusual for a full-blown evangelistic
series to last longer than three weeks. one thing.
Our society is constantly changing.
We can no more ask people to dedicate
six months of their evenings to Bible
lectures than we can ask them to do without electricity or
running water. If we want people to hear our message, we
have to package it and present it in a way that is appealing
and attractive, something that will make it unique.
Adventists were among the first to use radio and televi-
sion as evangelistic tools. Now most metropolitan areas have
religious radio and cable television offerings. Any time of
the day or night there’s someone preaching from one elec-
tronic pulpit or another.
The Internet has evolved as a way to reach vast numbers
of people in a short period of time, and, most important, on
their terms. You’ve seen the ads of people working at home
in their pajamas and fuzzy slippers, making airline or hotel
reservations in their underwear, doing their banking and bill
paying in the middle of the night. A technology that hardly
existed 10 years ago has drastically changed the way people
access information, and it only makes sense that Adventists
take advantage of it.
In the United Kingdom the Trans-European Division
(TED) is experimenting with the Internet and print tech-
nology to reach out to an increasingly secular society. This
bold initiative, lifedevelopment.info, is designed to meet
people where they are, with spiritual solutions to many of
life’s problems: grief, health, family life, economic security,
spiritual wholeness, etc. People who respond to the Web site
A D V E N T I S T
O R I A L
STEPHEN CHAVEZ
are then encouraged to contact small (Adventist) support
groups in their communities, where discussions are facili-
tated by local members.
This approach is, at the same time, vastly different and
remarkably similar to evangelism done 100 years ago. The
main difference is that people absorb information at their
own pace; there’s no concentrated trans-
fer of information, as in a public lecture.
People delve into topics that meet their
needs and interests. They make personal
contact only when and if they want to.
The great similarity is that at some
point, when people make the transition
from electronic communication to per-
sonal interaction, real, live Christians
are needed to model Christian values.
One of the reasons that evangelistic
meetings of yesteryear lasted so long was
that they gave the evangelist and local
church members time to bond with
those who came out each evening. Often
pastors and members followed up the evening meetings with
home visits.
Now people are generally less tolerant and more suspi-
cious of those who show up on their doorstep carrying reli-
gious pamphlets. Cautious about religious indoctrination,
they want answers only to questions they are asking, not
information about obscure prophecies or mystical symbols.
Successful evangelistic outreach in this age boils down to
one thing: the strength and vitality of the local congrega-
tion. The Internet is fine for doing research, but at some
point seekers are going to take the next step: personal con-
tact. What will they find? Will the local Adventist congre-
gation model Christian graces? Is diversity celebrated? Are
people of all ages, races, and lifestyles
welcomed and nurtured?
As civilization and society contin-
ues to evolve, the church will have to
tailor its evangelistic methods to
adapt to those changes. Not all
our efforts will be successful; but
at least we’ll have gained some
important experience at shar-
ing the best news ever.
R E V I E W, M A R C H 1 1 , 2 0 0 4 (373) 5
 G U E S T E D I T O R I A L

HARRY SACKETT

You Can Do Something

to Make It Happen

I
f you ask me what I want more than anything else, my and I saw on the checkout belt food, clothes, and diapers for
immediate response will always be “to see Jesus come the child. Embarrassed as the cost of the items registered,
to rescue us from this sorry world.” she stopped the checkout clerk and pushed about three
As a child I heard Mother Sackett read from Early quarters of her intended purchase aside. “That’s all the
Writings the exciting description of Jesus coming. The money I have,” she said. It was obvious she needed the
little black cloud half the size of a man’s hand coming closer things she’d been forced to set aside.
and closer. Getting bigger and bigger, While she bagged the items, I
getting brighter and brighter. Eventually motioned to the cashier to include the
filling the entire sky with the glory of
Jesus. Jesus sitting on His golden throne “My live-in remaining articles on my credit card.
The mother looked up at the cashier in
surrounded by thousands of ministering confusion. “He paid,” she said. She fin-
angels. The picture is still thrilling to boyfriend ished bagging the rest of the articles
me even today. All my life I have impa- and then came back to me with tears in
tiently waited for that event. The closer
my retirement comes, the more urgent
left me today,” her eyes. “My live in boyfriend left me
today,” she said, “and that’s all the
my desire to see Jesus fulfill His promise.
I searched and researched the signs
she said, “and money I have.”
“Remember that Jesus cares about
chapters in Scripture in hopes of finding
answers, only to end in frustration. Must that’s all the you and your little girl,” I said. “This is
His gift to you. When you see a
we see the signs fulfilled in greater fre- Seventh-day Adventist church, remem-
quency and intensity? Must we witness
more wickedness surpassing the days of
money I have.” ber that they are real Christians that
care. I am one of them.” She squeezed
Noah? Must we witness more false my hand and left.
prophets lead even more to their doom? We shout, “Enough When I got home, my wife checked the printout tape of
already!” my purchases. She said, “What’s this baby food, diapers, and
We’ve studied, we’ve prayed and nothing seems to baby clothes?”
change. But then we read these two statements from Christ’s “Oops!” I said as I explained what happened that day.
Object Lessons, page 69: “It is the privilege of every Christian Why do I share this experience? Because while on earth
not only to look for but to hasten the coming of our Lord Jesus daily performed acts of kindness and mercy, and He has
Jesus Christ.” “Christ is waiting with a longing desire for the no one but us to carry on His ministry today. Just maybe by
manifestation of Himself in His church. When the character starting with these small acts of kindness in His name, we
of Christ shall be perfectly reproduced in His people, then can come to the place where He can trust us to do some big
He will come to claim them as His own.” acts of kindness—such as the one Peter performed when he
Incredible as it sounds, you and I can hasten the return of said, “Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I
Jesus! thee: In the name of Jesus . . . rise up and walk” (Acts 3:6).
How do we come to reflect the character of Christ when What a people we were destined to be! Let’s seize the
we are so far from that ideal? My study of Scripture leads me opportunity and fall on our knees begging our Lord to teach
to one conclusion: As we study God’s Word we must daily us how to really reflect His image.
focus on Jesus’ acts of kindness and mercy. Through our Want Jesus to come soon? You can do something to make
imagination we are to daily look for opportunities to demon- it happen.
strate through our own acts Jesus’ love for the hurting. What
would happen if we imitated the life of Christ daily? Harry Sackett is president of the British Columbia
Conference of Seventh-day Adventists in
Watching for Opportunities Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada. His article
I was in line at the superstore with my groceries. Ahead (shortened here) first appeared in the Canadian
of me was a young mother with her beautiful little daughter, Adventist Messenger, August 2003, p. 3.

6 (374) A D V E N T I S T R E V I E W, M A R C H 1 1 , 2 0 0 4
 ADVENTIST LIFE

GIVE
When our daughter
was just learning to say
her own prayers—
“Bless this . . . bless

TERRY CREWS
that,” etc.—my hus-
band and I would
patiently listen. Her

BY
prayers became longer

I L L U S T R AT I O N
and longer—because

& the longer she prayed,

the longer she could

TAKE
stall from going to bed.
One evening I
glanced up and saw a fly. Whispering to my husband in German, which my daugh-
ter could also speak, I said, “Get the flyswatter; there’s a fly [muck].”
Our daughter continued right on praying with her blessings, adding, “Dear
Jesus, bless the muck.” We both lost it—and she didn’t realize whom (or what!)
she had just prayed for. She is now a nurse with children of her own, but her
prayer still brings chuckles to us sometimes.
—Jehu and Delores Miller, Napoleon, North Dakota

We were staying one weekend with our 6-year-old granddaughter, Isabelle,

while her parents were away. Different games and play activities were planned,
and then Isabelle decided we should play Sabbath school in the living room. She
lined up all her dolls and also had to have their two cocker spaniel dogs present.
Isabelle played the song “Jesus Loves Me” on the piano, and then Grandma
POEM was chosen to read a story, which is usually done in Norwegian. Isabelle has been
raised with both the Norwegian and English lanugages in her home and around
Comfort us. I started to read but suddenly she interrupted. “Grandma, stop. You’d better
read the story in English,” she said, and pointed to her doll audience. “They don’t
You keep my time understand Norwegian.”
and sometimes —Inger Hoyven, Salem, Oregon
when wind is blowing
or water is falling PHOTO
I can feel it
passing with me KINDNESS HELPS
to meet You. BUILD LAB: Nine years
ago I met and befriended a
You hold my time British volunteer teacher
and I can feel seconds here in Bushenyi, Uganda.
transforming my heart Her name was Eileen Croft,
in a song and when she went back to
so I can see the U.K., we continued our
You. friendship through letters.
In 1999 her parents passed
You’re in my time away, and I received a let-
from first cry to last smile ter from Eileen that said:
and I know “My parents left me some
I will be together with inheritance money. I am sending you a bit of it because you have been so kind to
You me while I was in Bushenyi. Please use it for whatever project you have in mind.”
PHOTO © PHOTODISC

for ever.
—Esther J. Feher, Romania
The donation she sent was equivalent to $10,000, and we used it to build this
new laboratory training school block. More funds are needed to finish it, but it is
fully roofed and won’t fall apart, and we shall finish the building as Ugandans do,
“slowly by slowly, and room by room.”
—Leila J. Rocero, missionary in Bushenyi, Uganda

A D V E N T I S T R E V I E W, M A R C H 1 1 , 2 0 0 4 (375) 7
 C O V E
EVANGELISM? YES!
BUT ALSO MISSION
A conversation with General Conference president Jan Paulsen
The
General Conference
has declared 2004 the Year of
World Evangelism. One afternoon last December William
Johnsson and Roy Adams (editor and associate editor, respec-
tively, of the Adventist Review) sat down with Pastor Paulsen
in his office to explore his thinking on evangelism, mission, and
related issues.—Editors.
M
Y WISH FOR THE CHURCH RELATES
very closely to the church’s vision and drive,
and its capacity to be what God intended it
to be. The church should be focused on mis-
sion. It’s not to be simply a maintenance
society, a feel-good club, but an entity that has the drive,
purpose, and vision to say, ‘This one thing we’re busy about.’
This kind of focus has enormous consequences, so far as the
church’s use of resources is concerned. It has consequences
for us as administrators, who constantly must be prepared to
answer the question ‘Did you have clear objectives, well-
defined goals, as you made decisions for the use of the
church’s funds?’
8 (376) A D V E N T I S T R E V I E W, M A R C H 1 1 ,
R S T O R Y
“I also have wishes for the
church in regard to spirituality,
something very difficult to measure or
quantify, of course. We should mutually
accept one another, not feeling for any rea-
son that we have to measure one another.
That’s the spirit we need; that’s how it should be in
the family of God. Those are two of my wishes for the
church.”
With those preliminary remarks behind him Paulsen
opened himself up for questions.
AR: In regard to spirituality, do you have concerns for
the encroachment of the world upon the church?
JP: I have concerns for the church; the “encroachment of
the world” is difficult to measure, for we are surrounded by
the world and, in a sense, part of it. When I speak specifi-
cally of my concern for our spirituality as a community of
believers, I mean it in terms of our own personal lives with
God. I mean my own development, my own prayer life, my
own time to commune with my Maker.
This translates into what I bring to the congregation of
which I’m a part. Do I, in fact, bring a sense of richness in
Christ, a sense of assurance, a conviction about what I
believe, a sense that this church is my church, my home? I
love it, and I want to be here. In other words, are these the
dynamics that flow from me into the life of the church? If
they don’t, it’s a sign that something is very fundamentally
wrong with my own personal life. And that goes immedi-
ately back to my prayer life, my study life, and my fellowship
with God.
So that’s where my greater concerns are.
2 0 0 4
 You’re talking about your wish list without it. If we don’t engage in mis- after themselves. They don’t just hap-
for the church, and you’ve so far sion, we are a dying community. pen. They have to be nurtured and
touched on mission and on spiritual- Growth is the most visible result of caringly looked after. I strongly believe
ity. Are there others? engagement in mission. But growth it is the responsibility of those who
I do have wishes also for the world also brings challenges with it, which, accept positions of leadership, whether
in which we’re placed. We long for the incidentally, is not a bad thing. in the local church or in an adminis-
day when the Lord will return, and it’s Challenges are as natural as life itself, trative office, to place both of these
our assignment to be busy until that opportunities that might be shaped for high on their agenda. I believe that
happens. But this is where we live; the good of the church and those who loyalty to God will be tested here.
we’re not yet in Canaan. And the are part of our community. We gather you’re making a distinc-
church must feel a responsibility to do Can you expand a little on these tion between evangelism and mission.
what it can to make this world a better challenges, as you see them? You’re saying they’re not the same
place. I think we owe it to humanity; I think that the most immediate thing.
we owe it to the children. The church challenge to a rapidly growing church Evangelism—and here I’m referring
should address and be sensitive to the is whether we are able to care for our to public evangelism—has always been
glaring needs in the world, especially members. Do they have a church or an important part of witness and out-
those needs that have no one to speak chapel in which to worship? Do they reach. Persons with that gift of the
for them. The church must never tire have competent people to look after Spirit preach to the masses; lives are
of championing a cause, however their spiritual nurture? Do they have touched; and decisions for Christ are
unpopular it becomes. If we know our schools where their children can made. That, I am confident, will con-
position is right, we shouldn’t become receive an education in a Christian tinue to be part of the church’s out-
weary speaking out, even though peo- environment? Wherever there is rapid reach ministry until the Lord returns.
ple may be weary and tired of hearing growth, these questions are crucial. But mission is much more than
it. We’re to share Christ with every- But I also recognize two other far- that. We are not all called to be evan-
one, including those who are jaded reaching challenges, namely, our abil- gelists. There are large numbers of peo-
and cynical. So as we look at the ity, as a world community (1) to stay ple in our church around the world
world, whether in regard to poverty—a together; and (2) to remember who we who spend their lives and energies in
huge item—or HIV/AIDS, or whatever, are. Neither of these is easy to mea- mission as teachers, as healers of mind
the church should always be an instru- sure. And they are not good at looking and body, as writers, as feeders of those
ment of encourage-
ment and hope,
ALSO PART OF THE PICTURE: This Adventist construction worker goes over plans for a church building in Cuba.
bringing people a
sense of their value
in Christ. Christ
has called us to
serve Him in the
world.
Talk to us about
mission against the
background of the
church’s usual
focus on witnessing
and growth. What
challenges do you
see here?
I think it is so
important for the
church to remember
that we exist for
the primary pur-
GLOBAL MISSION

pose of mission.
The life of wit-
ness and service is
the heartbeat of
BY

the church. The

PHOTO

church has no life

A D V E N T I S T R E V I E W, M A R C H 1 1 , 2 0 0 4 (377) 9
who are hungry, and as friends to those
who are lonely and have no hope.
Mission means primarily to become
involved, to spend time, energy, and
resources so that a person may come to
know Jesus as Savior. Mission is to
facilitate a meeting between Jesus and
a human being. Mission is to be a wit-
ness; to tell someone about Jesus.
No, I don’t expect all to do evange-
lism, as we traditionally define it. But I
expect all to become involved in mis-
sion.
May we probe one detail here? We
gather you have a concern about
what might be called “trans-border”
evangelism. Can you spell that out
for us?
We’ve always had some of this, and
I expect it to continue to be part of
our life as an international church.
And clearly it has value as moments
when the “flag is publicly hoisted.” It
makes a statement to the public, and it
becomes a valuable moment of cele-
bration for the members. An interna-
tional evangelist can be very effective
in this.
A big public evangelistic campaign
is a necessary instrument by which the
church parades itself to the larger pub-
lic. To use one example, [South
American Division evangelist]
Alejandro Bullón holds a huge cam-
paign in Lima, Peru, with 40,000 to
50,000 people attending every
night, and lasting for a
10- to 14-day
period.
THEY ALSO SERVE: Volunteers move furniture
at the Parker Street Food and Furniture Bank in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
10 (378) A D V E N T I S T R E V I E W,
In a period of, say, two consecutive
Sabbaths, 25,000 to 30,000 are bap-
tized. When that happens, the evange-
list is taking the work done during the
previous six to nine months in hun-
dreds of local groups throughout the
country, bringing them together, giving
to those who have already been taught
and who have basically made their
decision a sense of “moment,” a sense
of celebration, a sense of the largeness
of the Adventist community. And it’s
also saying to the public, to the city:
“Look, the Seventh-day Adventist
Church is big! It’s full of life! Come,
take a look!” I see huge value in such
large campaigns.
But there is a downside?
Yes. This arises when we confine
such efforts essentially and exclusively
within a short period of time, with
hardly any preparation or follow-up. In
a particular environment or locality,
people—for whatever reasons (be they
political or social)—may be open to
the gospel, and find themselves drawn
into the church. Initially everything
may look great to them; but once the
evangelist leaves, they can find them-
selves with no mentor and no friends.
They lack a sense of belonging. And
with no church in which to worship,
they lose contact; within a very short
time, 12 to 15 months or so, 80 to 90
K U R T F AT T I C
BY
PHOTO
M A R C H 1 1 , 2 0 0 4
percent of them cannot be found.
Given the seriousness of what you
just said, what kind of action can the
church take, with teeth, to fix the
problem?
Whenever evangelism is exported
to any part of the world, it needs to
link up with the work that is done in
the area. There needs to be continuity
between the work that has been done in
that local area and the evangelism brought
in from outside. Furthermore, when the
reaping culminates and decisions are
made to join the church, there must be
provision for an infrastructure to care
for the new growth—I refer here, for
example, to a place for them to wor-
ship. That’s fundamental. A bush or an
orange grove will not do. In addition,
the evangelistic team needs to make
sure that there’s an ongoing ministry to
the people who come into the church,
and that they’re not being left to look
after themselves. Annual Council took
an action underscoring the need for
this to be cared for.
You’ve seen it done successfully?
About three or four years ago a few
leading laypersons from North
America—one of them a very good
preacher—went to a part of India
where we were very thin on the
ground. They selected about 50 vil-
lages and towns within a radius of
some 20 miles. They built a
church in each of
these and sta-
tioned
Global Mission volunteers in each for
a period of between six to 12 months.
Then came the big evangelistic
event, with congregations estab-
lished in each of those towns/vil-
lages. It also belongs to the story
that the one who paid for both
the building of the churches and
the expenses of the Global
Mission pioneers covered the
salary of those pioneers for some
five more years thereafter. That
person also built several elemen-
tary schools and a secondary
school at a central location to serve
the new believers. So there were
places for worship; there was pastoral
attention; and there was provision for
the education of the youth. The effort
saw 15,000 baptized that first year.
And you go back two years later to
find that that number has grown to
20,000.
This, to me, is a good illustration of
an effective way to do it.
This is very helpful in clarifying
your thinking.
1000 MISSIONARY MOVEMENT

In terms of building up the church,

there can be no doubt that real and
lasting growth takes place when the
church in the local community
becomes involved in their own people-
contact activities, inviting others to
meet Jesus as Savior and become a part
BY

of their church. It’s a process that usu-

PHOTO

ally stretches over a protracted period,

involving witness, study, and the nur-
GROWING THE CHURCH: Members of the 1000 Missionary Movement have found all kinds
turing of friendship. We all need of creative ways to obey our Lord’s command to baptize in His name, as in this barrel bap-
friends—after all, life in the church is tism ceremony in the Philippines.
also social. When someone is baptized
and joins our church, they need to
know they have friends in the church. kind of activity that the local church they do not sense that the Spirit has
They need to feel socially at home, finds its own meaning. And if the local given them the gift to function as pub-
that they belong to the family. This congregation is not involved in such lic evangelists. I want to say to them
creates an environment in which efforts, then there is reason to be con- that the mission of the church is very
people can grow among friends cerned about its life. broad, very complex, and that there’s a
who share a common faith. With your strong concern for mis- place for them—in keeping with their
It’s clear to me that this sion, does the declaration of 2004 as own spiritual gifts. I want to say: “You
kind of local ownership the Year of World Evangelism bring don’t all have to run public evangelis-
and network consti- you any discomfort? tic campaigns. But you all have to
tutes the most effec- Quite the contrary. But I do want to make it your business to minister to
tive instrument of send a message to the many who do someone, to be a partner with Christ
church growth. not feel they’re a natural fit in the pub- in mission, and thereby also taste for
I feel also that lic evangelism mode, and who may sit yourself the flavor of the 2004 out-
it’s precisely back feeling guilty, wondering whether reach.”
in this they are failing the church because I also know that there are going to

A D V E N T I S T R E V I E W, M A R C H 1 1 , 2 0 0 4 (379) 11
 He Stood in Pouring Rain
Evangelism takes many prayers,
many minds, many hands.
BY DON SCHNEIDER
I’ve gotten a lot of credit for conducting a series of
evangelistic meetings that tens of thousands attended and
that result in the baptism of thousands of people. That’s
wrong.
We had this series in Aba, Nigeria, last November.
(You may have read about it in the January issue of the
Review.) It was uplinked all over Africa, but all I did was
speak. Now, that was an important task, and a hard task.
I wanted to tell people about Jesus in the most winsome
way possible, so I spent a lot of time studying and praying.
But a guy named Warren Judd from the Adventist Media
Center was just as important. He ran the audio for the
event, and people wouldn’t have heard a word if he hadn’t
been an evangelist. Reini Blech from the media center is a
camera operator, and people wouldn’t have seen me if he
hadn’t been an evangelist too.
Now, this isn’t trivial. Reini stood in pouring rain one
night. He was so wet that he couldn’t have gotten wetter.
But he made sure the tarp was over the camera; it had to
stay dry; he could get wet. He’s an evangelist.
And the evangelistic series wouldn’t have been anything
without the Adventists in Aba and the surrounding region.
They held Bible studies with people, brought them to the
meetings, encouraged them in decisions for Jesus. They
too are evangelists—just not at the pulpit.
All this is important to remember for the Year of World
Evangelism in 2004.
You may not feel you’re ready to speak. That’s fine. The
person who greets people at the door is an evangelist; can
you do that? The person who enters the Bible study card
names into the computer is an evangelist; can you do
that? The person who runs the projection gear, or the per-
son who organizes the advertising, or the person who
makes sure the building is heated or cooled—they’re evan-
gelists.
Being an evangelist means you use your gift to help
people learn about Jesus. Will you be an evangelist this
year?
Don Schneider is president of the North
American Division of Seventh-day Adventists.

its way. It seems to me that the

church—I mean the church at the
level at which we serve it, the church
as a local congregation—should always
probe and explore these important
questions: What can we bring to the
world that is our immediate environment,
and to the world as a global community?
What can we create in it? The world
needs all the help it can get, and God
wants us to be a creative force within
it. That should be a matter of continu-
CONSUELO R. JACKSON

ing reflection for the church.

We’ve not talked about revival and
reformation, traditional Adventist
values. Are they important to you?
Oh yes, I think they’re very impor-
BY

tant. But I believe that spirituality is

PHOTO

nurtured in an environment that is

MAKING DO: Dr. Irineo Pantangco performs neck surgery by flashlight in the Philippines.
be many out there who will somehow
switch off because 2004 doesn’t fit
them. And I want to say to them, “Of
course it does. Just look at what you
can do also.”
Off the record you mentioned
something about your feelings about
the church. Can you state it for the
record?
Well, it has to do with the role of
the church as an instrument of mission
and evangelism in a world that has lost
alive and active in mission. When the
church is busy being the church, the
life of Bible study and prayer finds its
natural setting. Our prayer life and our
reading of the Word of God find their
strongest and clearest meaning when
placed within the practical and active
everyday life. The command of our
Lord was to go out and be a witness: to

12 (380) A D V E N T I S T R E V I E W, M A R C H 1 1 , 2 0 0 4
teach, to preach, to heal, and to learn unity is, it’s not going to be accom- make people strangers to their own
to love people. I believe that spiritual- plished by policies, constitutional pro- world. Rather, it brings with it a new
ity, as revival and reformation, is a by- visions, or committee actions. Our addition, a new flavor, found in the
product of obedience to the Lord. unity is primarily and essentially a spir- values and direction taught by the
You’ve often spoken about unity. itual one. It’s what we share in the Bible. But we shall all remain children
Do you see unity as being under Lord. It’s driven by the Holy Spirit. It’s of our own soil. It would be unnatural
threat in our church as it expands? the faith we hold in common. It’s our and unhealthy to expect otherwise.
No, not really. I see unity as some- shared heritage. Therefore, there will be diversity, espe-
thing one has to be very deliberate The practical leadership dynamics cially in worship styles and witnessing.
about. You have to think about it. of unity require an administrative style Unity as a world spiritual community
When you make certain decisions, you that is based on consultation and con- is not threatened by that.
have to ask: “What does this do to the sensus, with due deference being exer-
rest of our church?” You have to be cised, not on the authority of some
able to identify both the elements that hierarchical structure or on the exer-
support unity and those that don’t. cise of power from higher organiza-
What do you consider the single tions. The model for church leadership
most serious threat to the unity of is not found in the corporate world of
the church today? contemporary society, but in the Bible.
Becoming inward-looking and Our model is Christ.
parochial in one’s thinking and plan- But real people live in a real world, Willliam G.
ning. That’s not good for the unity of a and that world differs from one culture Johnsson is editor
global family. It’s so natural to see and to another. Unity of faith—unity as a and Roy Adams
feel for life and its needs in our imme- spiritual community—does not remove an associate
diate environment—this is where I people from their own local culture editor of the
live; this is where my family lives; this and traditions. Adventism does not Adventist Review.
is my local church; and why shouldn’t
it come first? These are important con-
siderations, not to be dismissed out of
hand.
But there’s another dimension,
equally important and in need of
attention. From our very beginning as
a church, created by God in these last
days, we were programmed for mission.
We think globally. We have always
made decisions about our own local
life as a church with an eye on how it
would impact the church in other parts
of the world. And we have had a won-
derful capacity to show deference. We
were taught by our pioneers to think
mission, to look away from ourselves,
and to sacrifice. The idea of “finishing
the work” has always been at the heart
of our global agenda, with the belief
that Christ would not return until that
is accomplished. It has always been a
hallmark of Seventh-day Adventists to
give to mission elsewhere—and to
come back and give again and again.
Given our strong growth, is it
realistic to think that we can con-
tinue to stay as one unified church
around the world?
I think that it is, and I think that’s
precisely God’s plan. But important as

A D V E N T I S T R E V I E W, M A R C H 1 1 , 2 0 0 4 (381) 13
 D E V O
Baruch’s Answer
Like Jeremiah’s assistant, I too had questions. Big questions.
And God answered me.
T
BY JENNIFER WILLIAMS
T
HERE WAS A TIME WHEN THE WORLD
was overrun by fire and destruction, a time
when God’s people had to put aside their own
lives and plans and take up a pen, a sword, or a
cross.
A pen. Like Jeremiah’s scribe, Baruch, son of Neriah.
Jeremiah was the prophet. The message was his to pro-
claim. But Baruch wrote it down, message after message—of
disaster, fire, destruction, and lamentation. Messages that
denied peace and safety and foretold doom.
Baruch had written it all down and had gone into the
Temple courts to proclaim it to the people. He’d then hid-
den away with Jeremiah, while the king sliced away his care-
fully penned document, line by line, burning the scroll in
the fire. And then he wrote it all again.
Baruch, son of Neriah. No wonder he said, “Woe to me!
The Lord has added sorrow to my pain; I am worn out with
groaning and find no rest” (Jer. 45:3).*
On a clear day Mount Zion shone white in the morning
sunlight, and the city of Jerusalem, like a polished gem.
Baruch had hurried with the crowds through the narrow city
streets and alleys as the gates of Jerusalem were busy with
marketgoers carrying wares and worshipers leading animals
to sacrifice. He’d hoped they would listen—hoped he would
see a new age, a rejuvenation of the worship of the true
God. But Baruch had seen through Jeremiah’s eyes fire burn-
ing in those gates and the people going into exile. This
would not be the first time there’d been war, but this time
destruction would be devastating and complete. Baruch must
have wondered, Why this in my time?
In my time, after hearing a sermon heavy with warning
about the time of the end, I gathered with my friends in my
dormitory room. Sprawled out across the beds and on the
floor, we passed around a bag of Doritos, talking easily, let-
ting the complacency of normalcy ease away feelings of trep-
idation brought on by the preacher’s prophecy.
14 (382) A D V E N T I S T R E V I E W, M A R C H 1 1 ,
T I O N A L
“I want God to come,” my roommate said, then admitted,
“but not now. My parents grew up; they married and had
kids. Why can’t I?”
We all agreed. We’d been waiting to grow up our whole
short lives. Yes, we knew the world was a wicked place, but
our dreams were good.
We Felt Fear
In May of 2001 I sat in a courtyard in modern Jerusalem,
somewhere near the place where Baruch had walked and
written and lamented. But the fear of impending doom was
far from my mind. I was enjoying a study tour to Israel with
a group from my school. We’d shopped in the Old City and
swum in the Sea of Galilee, and now, late at night (we still
weren’t tired), a group of us were laughing and playing
games outside our rooms. From beyond our snug courtyard
walls came a sound like a sonic boom, causing us to pause
momentarily in our play. “It’s a bomb,” I joked in mock fear,
sure that it wasn’t. We laughed and resumed our game. Then
we heard the sirens, and we didn’t laugh anymore.
A car bomb had exploded in west Jerusalem. As we heard
excited voices yelling in Arabic in the street outside our
building, we felt real fear of a danger we had never encoun-
tered before.
From inside the walls of our Jerusalem courtyard we
remembered newspaper accounts of the tensions between
East and West Jerusalem—factual, faraway accounts. Now
the stories were real. Were people dying out in the darkness
beyond our walls? Would war break out in the streets around
us?
But the next morning came clear and sunny and calm.
The Arabs were out in the streets, going to work and school
as always. In West Jerusalem the Jews were doing the same.
The violence and distress, so foreign to us, was common to
them. They lived with it—the fear, the pain, the groaning—
every day.
2 0 0 4
 While I’d wished in my dorm room
that the end of the world would be
delayed until I’d lived my life, the
Palestinian and Israeli parents and
children saw their lives stretching into
a future punctuated by violence, per-
meated by dread.
My Epiphany
Two months after my world glimpse
I was back in the security of
Pennsylvania. Jerusalem had faded
from my mind, and I’d resumed plans
for my life. But one stage of life for me
was ending, as I stood on the porch of
a cabin where I’d played since child-
hood, knowing I’d never return. My
college graduation and the “real
world” of adulthood beckoned.
I ran away through mossy
woods where I’d hunted wild-
flowers and bears, where I’d
camped and played. A tree
curved out like a seat was a
good place to have a long
cry, and I indulged myself
there, remembering a past I
both wanted to escape and
hold on to. I cried over the
ungranted wishes and childhood
regrets and the fear of the future
and goodbyes.
When I’d wrung all the tears out of
me, I didn’t feel comforted, only done.
Lifting my head, I took a real look at
the woods surrounding me. A number
of tall stately trunks made a large cir-
cle, two trunks twisting toward each
other like a gateway. I was sitting in
the arcade of a natural cathedral, high
branches reaching above me like spired
ceilings, and archways with rose win-
dows showing the clear blue sky. I
should be on my knees in this place, I
realized, worshiping God. And in that
moment I knew what the purpose of
my life was—not to marry and have
children and seek fame and a great
name, but to glorify God.
In all my life—wherever I was
headed and whatever I’d left behind—
PHOTO © PHOTODISC
my only reason for living, the highest
goal there could be, was to bring glory
to God’s name.
Suddenly it was all clear. I was a
team with God, and my first responsi-
bility was to God, as I left my stately
cathedral and stepped into a tomorrow
I did not know.
Jesus was equal with God when He
left it all to become part of a struggling
little people on the one fallen planet
in the universe. Born as a human
being, He lived His whole life for oth-
ers, for us. And when the final
moments and the greatest sacrifice
were upon Him, He said: “Now my
heart is troubled, and what shall I say?
‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it
was for this very reason I came to this
hour. Father, glorify your name!” (John
12:27, 28).
Thousands of years ago when the
old Jerusalem sat polished and precari-
ous on Mount Zion, Baruch groaned
and found no rest. But God heard his
cry. And through Jeremiah, the God of
Israel answered that cry. “The Lord
said, ‘Say this to him: “This is what
the Lord says: I will overthrow what I
have built and uproot what I have
planted, throughout the land. Should
you then seek great things for yourself?
Seek them not. For I will bring disaster
on all people, declares the Lord, but
wherever you go I will let you escape
with your life”’” (Jer. 45:4, 5).
A D V E N T I S T
Trusting When We Cannot See
Baruch had been born in a time of
decision, to seek not for himself, but
for God. It was a time when God
would have to take the people He had
brought from the womb—who had
rejected Him, their salvation—and
uproot them. God had chosen Baruch
for His work, and Baruch’s life would
be saved because he’d chosen God.
It is easy to want to do great things
for God, but it is not easy to bear a
cross.
“Of all the gifts that heaven can
bestow upon men, fellowship with
Christ in His sufferings is the most
weighty trust and the highest
honor. Not Enoch, who was
translated to heaven, not Elijah,
who ascended in a chariot of
fire, was greater or more hon-
ored than John the Baptist,
who perished alone in the
dungeon” (The Ministry of
Healing, p. 478).
Baruch lived to see the
destruction of Jerusalem and
the exile of his people. But he
probably did not live to see the
day, years later, when the captives
returned to Israel and rebuilt the
Temple of their God. And Baruch also
never knew the day, later still, when
the “desire of all nations” came to that
Temple, to fulfill all things.
Baruch never saw these answers to
the prayers of generations, but he bore
a “most weighty trust and the highest
honor” in his time.
And so, as I emerge from the woods
of my childhood, I realize that my life
will not be, cannot be, like the one I
dreamed of with my dolls as a child.
God has a higher purpose and a bigger
picture, and it’s time to seek His
answers.
*All Scripture quotations in this article are
from the New International Version.
Jennifer Williams is from
Walnutport, Pennsylvania.
When she wrote this piece,
she was attending the
School of Visual Arts in
New York City.
R E V I E W, M A R C H 1 1 , 2 0 0 4 (383) 15
 T H E V I E
Ecuador
★ Guayaquil
aniel finishes his meal by clutching the sides of
D his soup bowl and turning it over. Delighted
with the river of green that fills his high chair
tray, he raises his hands to complete the master-
piece, à la Jackson Pollock, on the nearby wall.
My husband jumps to the rescue while I, patiently and for
the umpteenth time, give my little discourse on mealtime
etiquette. After all, Daniel’s barely 2.
I wish I could be that patient with myself and with those
around me who are still growing in Christ. I wish I could be
more like Hilda.
When Hilda learned that Pastor Alejandro Bullón was
coming to town, she began calling on every unchurched
friend and relative she knew. As South America’s most
famous Adventist evangelist, Bullón is known for his effec-
tive proclamation of God’s transforming grace. Along with
at least 300 other church members from her district, Hilda
went to work. But, strangely, she met with nothing but
rejection.
Hilda was feeling somewhat defeated as she started out
for the first meeting. Then she noticed a young ceviche*
vendor perched on the seat of his three-wheeled food cart.
Out of what felt like desperation, but proved to be more an
impulse of the Holy Spirit, Hilda blurted out an invitation
to the meeting. To her shock the young man accepted.
When his vending buddy began to ridicule him, he just
replied, “My life’s a mess; I’m ready to try anything!”
Francisco received the message like a drowning man
grasping at a life ring, and asked to be baptized on the final
Sabbath of the campaign. He didn’t show up. It is about this
time that, for many of us, there is a strong temptation to
question the methods of public evangelism and perhaps
even the authenticity of responses to altar calls. Hilda’s only
concern was to find her “lost lamb.” Her search ended at the
local jail, where Francisco had been imprisoned for selling
his uncle’s ceviche cart and using the proceeds to buy
drugs—that very morning.
“Pastor Torres,” Hilda pleaded with her local pastor,
“God has great plans for Francisco, and I intend to see this
through. Please come with me to visit him!” And they went.
Francisco gave no excuses, and his remorse, along with the
M A P S © C A RT E S I A
prodding of Hilda and Pastor Torres, moved his uncle to
drop charges and pitch in $100 to bail him out.
Things were picture-perfect for a while as Francisco
actively participated in church activities and prepared for
16 (384) A D V E N T I S T R E V I E W, M A R C H 1 1 ,
W F R O M H E R E
ALICIA WORLEY DE PALACIOS
Only Just Begun
baptism. His uncle and aunt were so impressed with his
turnaround that they began to attend church themselves.
But then late one night Francisco showed up on Hilda’s
doorstep completely drunk. “Sister, help me!” he cried. “I
cannot help myself. How can I go home like this?”
Hilda prayed with him, assuring him that God was going
to deliver him, then made arrangements for him to spend
the night with the Pathfinder leader, who called Francisco’s
uncle to tell him that Francisco was staying with him.
Hilda did a little research and then went to the church.
“Brothers and sisters,” she said, “this young man needs our
help.” She told them that God had great plans for Francisco
and that He’d only just begun to work them out. She begged
them to help her come up with the $400 to cover the first
month at the best rehab program in town (an amount repre-
senting a monthly income for many of the members). The
church family rallied around Francisco and raised the money
by selling food after its Saturday evening youth programs.
It’s been more than three months now, and Francisco
lives at the rehab center, gratis. The director offered him
free room and board after the first month if he would con-
tinue to give Bible studies and encourage the other partici-
pants. Francisco is an inspiration to all, perhaps most of all
to his relatives, three of whom are now active members of
the local church.
As long as Daniel is 1, going on 2, I’m going to have to
help him with his table manners. Sometimes I grit my teeth,
but I choose to be patient and loving. According to the
experts, that will go a long way toward helping him develop
into a happy and healthy adult.
And, inspired by Hilda’s example, I’m determined to
share that same encouragement and patience with my fellow
believers.
*Ceviche is a zesty seafood dish, seasoned with lime juice, tomatoes,
onions, and cilantro; served with popcorn or corn nuts.
Alicia Worley de Palacios writes from Ecuador, where stories of
redemption rarely fit on one page.
I wish I could be
more like Hilda.
2 0 0 4
 BONNIE WALKER

Help!
esus, help us!” I cried. of empty cans floated near us. Katherine and I each grabbed

J My sister Katherine hugged me as we sat huddled in

the middle seat of the camp boat during a wild storm on
Babine Lake, in British Columbia, Canada. Huge waves
one and began bailing out the water that was fast filling the
boat. I could see Ron at the back, steering the boat, his hat
pulled down over his ears. Another mighty wave sloshed
splashed over the sides, drenching us with every slap. over us.
We’d taken the long, wide camp boat to pick up supplies “Jesus, help us!” I prayed again. “We’re going to drown!”
at the general store, many miles from the camp where we After what seemed like hours, we finally arrived at the
lived. About 4:00 our boat was loaded, the old motor sheltered bay where the camp was anchored. The houses
started, and we headed back to our logging camp. It was rested on logs, and though the water was much calmer here
turning cloudy and dark, but my brother-in-law, Ron, didn’t in the bay, the houses still rocked on the choppy water.
seem worried. He knew all about boats and the moods of the Staggering out of the boat, we dragged the groceries up the
large wilderness lake. plank into our house.
At first Katherine and I giggled nervously at the choppy Ron started a fire in the cookstove while Katherine and I
waves, then shivered as the air became colder. Katherine changed into warm pajamas and housecoats. Then Ron
dug out two pairs of Ron’s newly purchased long underwear. changed into dry clothes. We opened a large can of stewed
We pulled them on over our clothes and howled with laugh- tomatoes and dumped them into the cast-iron frying pan.
ter at our costumes. Ron isn’t afraid, I reassured myself, so After they began to bubble, Katherine cracked a few eggs into
why should I be? them. We made toast by putting bread on top of the stove.
Then the wind began to howl. White-capped waves Katherine and I were still shaking from exhaustion and
rocked our boat. We pushed against each other as the storm fright. But it wasn’t until we all sat around the old wooden
beat on us. I must have been nuts to come to this wild place, I plank table that we noticed how pale and quiet Ron was.
decided, crouching in the old boat. “That was the worst storm I’ve ever experienced,” he said,
Two months ago Katherine had married Ron and moved hugging Katherine. “I feared we would drown—I really did!
with him to a new campsite where he’d be camp supervisor Thank God we’re here.”
and she’d cook. When they came to visit our family just The gas lamp hissed and flickered, and the wood in the
before school started, my folks gave me permission to go stove crackled. It was good to be home. “O, Lord,” I prayed,
home with them until Christmas. I’d be Katherine’s helper “thank You for getting us here safely. Thank You! Thank
when I wasn’t doing my school lessons by correspondence. You!”
Splash! Another giant wave
enveloped us. Grabbing the corner
of the tarp that covered the week’s
grocery supplies, Katherine pulled
some of the canvas over our backs.
Family Time
During your family worship, ask if anyone was ever in a storm.
We knew the mighty granite
cliff of Black Point was on our
Talk about the fear they felt.
right, but it was too dark to tell ☛ Jonah went for an unusual ride in a fish that God pro-
where the cliff ended and the vided. What might it have been like inside the fish? When did
water began. How can Ron possibly Jonah start talking to God? What did he say?
know where to steer the boat? I won-
dered. ☛ Have you ever run away and then gotten into bigger
Our boat lumbered up massive trouble than you had expected?
waves, then plunged deep into ☛ Where is God when we hide?
angry valleys of water. I was terri-
☛ Sing together number 551, “Jesus, Savior, Pilot Me,” in
✃

fied, sure that one more gigantic

wave would capsize us. A couple
your Seventh-day Adventist Hymnal.

A D V E N T I S T R E V I E W, M A R C H 1 1 , 2 0 0 4 (385) 17
 W O R L
Working Hand in Hand in Mali
ADRA/Mali complements the Adventist Church’s mission in West Africa.
H
ave you ever heard of
Timbuktu? It’s a peculiar
town, known in history
for being an important
crossway for camel cara-
vans transporting salt and other com-
mercial goods through the Sahara.
Timbuktu is located in Mali, a small
country in western Africa, where
David and Fiorentina Ferraro have
been directing the Adventist work
since 1999. David is president of the
Mali Mission, and Fiorentina directs
the Adventist Development and Relief
Agency/Mali.
Both institutions started their activ-
ities in Mali during the mid-1980s,
when sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ
and community development worked
side by side.
Deep Islamic Roots
Ninety percent of the Malian peo-
ple profess the Islamic religion, 9 per-
cent are animists, and only 1 percent
are Christian.
Organized in 1982, the Mali
Mission has one indigenous pastor,
three district churches, seven village
chapels, and 22 groups. In the past five
years, with the combined efforts of
Global Mission and Gospel Outreach
workers, the church membership has
grown from 500 to 1,143 as of
December 31, 2003.
Last year the mission began working
in a fourth district, the city of Ségou,
and in October it opened the doors of
its first primary school in Gouana, a
village bordering the capital city of
Bamako.
With an annual per capita income
of US$265, Mali is listed as one of the
five poorest countries on earth, accord-
ing to a report from the United
Nations Development Program. It’s an
arid land that barely supports grazing
18 (386) A D V E N T I S T R E V I E W,
D N E W S & P E R S
for cattle, sheep, and goats. Eighty per-
cent of the population is rural, depend-
ing on agriculture that is possible only
in the 2 percent of arable and fertile
land in the south. The main crops are
millet, corn, rice, cotton, and peanuts.
The country’s capacity to produce
sufficient food has been continuously
undermined by progressing desertifica-
tion and inappropriate management of
natural resources.
Mali’s poverty is mainly felt in the
inadequate food supply, with dry-land
farmers and urban poor being the most
vulnerable.
ADRA/Mali came to the country in
1985 with relief and development
interventions in response to a pro-
longed famine caused by drought.
Since then, the humanitarian agency
has implemented various projects rang-
ing from basic education, literacy, and
health, to natural resource manage-
ment and economic development.
Currently ADRA/Mali is imple-
menting a three-year development pro-
gram focusing on natural resource
management, water and sanitation,
microenterprise, literacy, health and
hygiene, and community organization.
Community Education
Another initiative is the commu-
nity education program funded by
ADRA/Sweden and the Swedish
Mission Council. Through this pro-
gram ADRA/Mali educates Malian cit-
izens in health, hygiene, and basic
community development.
This long-term primary education
program is funded by REACH/Italy
(Render Effective Aid to Children)
and serves more than 50 villages in the
same three districts in which the mis-
sion operates: Kolokani, Bamako, and
Ségou.
The project opened two primary
M A R C H 1 1 , 2 0 0 4
P E C T I V E S
schools in Sion and Eden in the first
two districts; a third one named
Maranatha is planned to open in
Ségou this year. Quality education is
being offered to nearly 3,700 school
children in such areas basic educa-
tion, school materials, health assis-
tance, nurturing school gardens, food
distribution, and mud school rehabili-
tation.
Getting Down to Business
With a Feminine Touch
A third program, for women’s eco-
nomic development, is funded by
ADRA International.
This project focuses on women in
Bamako and assists them in starting
and managing small businesses such as
chair renting, dyeing clothes for sale,
and small commerce. The project
improves the family’s access to food
and a better living environment, and
empowers women to participate more
actively in the decision-making process
of their family and groups.
ADRA’s development programs
have changed the lives of many indige-
nous Malians by enhancing their pro-
ductive capacity and their access to
food, making available water for irriga-
tion and drinking, and increasing
knowledge in health practices and
adult literacy.
One of the participants declared, “I
was like a blind person in the middle
of the market when I was illiterate. But
now, thanks to ADRA, I can read and
write and easily bargain in the market.
What a great change it is for me.”
ADRA focuses on the participatory
approach to implement and sustain
economic development. This approach
has been a proven success in moving
the disadvantaged from dependence to
self-reliance and autonomy.
With the serious level of poverty in
 W O R L D N E W S &
Mali, there is increased pressure on ADRA to expand its
initiatives. Many leaders and villagers, particularly
women, request assistance in literacy, microcredit, digging
wells, building classrooms, planting vegetable gardens, or
help with their children’s education.
These programs have won the respect of local authori-
ties and beneficiaries alike.
To assess the needs of this small West African country
better, ADRA/Mali is planning to conduct extensive
research. Officials want to evaluate the feasibility of
expanding existing projects to touch other needy popula-
tions of the country, finding financial partners willing to
promote equity for these vulnerable and disadvantaged
people, implementing programs to alleviate poverty and
enhance food security, building organizational capacity to
meet the ever-changing procedures and competences of
the development field, and improving methods of sustain-
ing current development programs once ADRA/Mali
pulls out.
The Mali Mission and ADRA look forward to the
advancement of the gospel and the development of the
Malian people, trusting in the assistance of our mighty
God and the love of men and women of goodwill.
N E W S
South Pacific Adventist
Volunteers Set New Record
ore than 1,000 Adventists in the South Pacific
M Division donated their time last year in service to
others, up from the previous record of 881 in 2000.
More than half of the 1,035 volunteers were members
of StormCo (Service to Others Really Matters) teams,
serving in local communities only in response to invita-
tions to do so. “More and more young adults want to do
practical things for God,” says Pastor Mel Lemke, direc-
tor of the church’s Adventist Volunteer Service. “They
enjoy . . . taking religion out of the church and into the
community.”
Not included in the record figure are 342 others who
participated in Volunteers in Action last year. This inde-
pendent supporting ministry, founded and directed by
Queensland-based retirees Cliff and Val Morgan, spon-
sors volunteer missionaries from the Pacific islands to
grow churches in isolated areas of their countries.—
Adventist News Network.
Dominican Republic Adjusting to Growth
Responding to rapidly growing church membership,
P E R S P E C T I V E S
Did You Know?
Gallup Polls Show Slight Rise
in U.S. Religious Indicators
Religiosity among North Americans is on the rise after
hitting an all-time low last year, according to the annual
Gallup poll of leading religious indicators.
The index compiles survey answers about religious habits
and preferences into a comprehensive score, with a maxi-
mum of 1,000 points. The score of 648 for 2003 is a seven-
point jump over 641 in 2002—the lowest religious index in
the poll’s 60-year history. The highest score came in 1956,
with an index of 746.
The index—drawn from a variety of Gallup polls through-
out the year—surveys Americans on seven measurements of
religious practice, including church attendance, confidence
in organized religion, and the ethical standards of clergy.
Pollsters attribute 2002’s record low to the continuing
sexual abuse scandal in the Catholic Church, which
emerged in early 2002.
The impact of the scandal may have been short-term,
since last year’s 30-point drop from the 2001 religious index
was not repeated in 2003.—Religion News Service.
B R E A K
Dominican Union officials decided at a recent session,
to return nearly all departmental directors to the union
office, and to add two associate ministerial secretaries
for the union territory.
After nearly doubling its new membership in the
present quinquennium (88,341 new members, compared
with 45,061 in the previous five years), the Dominican
Republic also increased its pastoral staff by 20 percent.
Organized churches grew from 417 to 552; companies
increased from 311 to 521; and actual membership grew
from 111,455 in 2000 to 200,253—an 80 percent
increase in less than five years.
Located between the Caribbean Sea and the North
Atlantic Ocean, the Dominican Republic has a popula-
tion of 8.8 million, with one Seventh-day Adventist for
every 44 inhabitants.
Adventist U.N. Liaison Condemns
Death Penalty for Conversion
Juan Perla, United Nations (U.N.) liaison officer for
the Adventist Church, delivered a statement calling on
member organizations of the Committee of Nongovern-
mental Agencies on Freedom of Religion and Belief to
cosign a joint statement denouncing the death penalty
for apostasy (conversion to another religion). The state-
A D V E N T I S T R E V I E W, M A R C H 1 1 , 2 0 0 4 (387) 19
 W O R L D N E W
Too Busy for Church?
BY MYRNA TETZ, WRITING FROM D U R H A M , N O RT H C A R O L I N A
A
s the Anglican Church contemplates moving the
day of worship from Sunday in response to a modern
culture that is too busy to go to church on week-
ends, Douglas Todd reported the reaction of two Anglican
bishops in the Vancouver (British
Columbia, Canada) Sun, February 7,
2004. N E W S C O M M E N TA
Richard Leggett, a professor of litur-
gics at the Vancouver School of Theology, suggests that it’s a
big issue for families. His 13-year-old son plays rugby every
Sunday morning, but that means he can no longer attend
Sunday morning worship.
“My son is feeling the pressure,” says Leggett, “but right
now he’s practicing rugby on Sunday, and we’re trying to
find other items and places he can get fed spiritually.”
According to Leggett, many Anglican, United, Catholic,
and other Christian churches have been scheduling services
other than Sunday mornings in an effort to deal with the
problems hyperbusy families face with scheduled weekend
N E
ment averred that “enforcing the death penalty for
changing one’s religion or belief is the most extreme form
of religious intolerance.”
“At the dawn of the twenty-first century the death
penalty is considered by most civilized nations as an
unacceptable punishment,” says Jonathan Gallagher,
U.N. liaison director for the church. “The freedom to
change one’s religion or belief is supported in Article 18
of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; however,
some states continue to enforce the death penalty for
conversion in their legal codes.”
The Adventist Church and the International
Religious Liberty Association expect to raise the issue
again at the U.N. Human Rights Commission’s sixtieth
session in late March.
La Sierra University Collecting
Computers for Ethiopia
During the month of January La Sierra University
(LSU) Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE), with the School
of Business and Management, collected 3,000 computers,
2,560 printers, and 1,086 monitors from businesses and the
community to share with public and community schools in
Ethiopia. The ongoing project at the Riverside, California,
university is called Connect Ethiopia.
20 (388) A D V E N T I S T R E V I E W, M A R C H 1 1 ,
S & P E R S P E C T I V E S
sports, for instance. Leggett attends the St. Faith church in
Kerrisdale, British Columbia, where his wife, Paula, is a priest.
Anglican bishop David Murray, from Perth, Australia,
believes that Australian churches “must adapt to the times if
they expect to survive.” He can even
imagine a future in which there is no
R Y such thing as a traditional Sunday
church service.
However, Leggett doesn’t think that doing away with
Sunday morning worship services will necessarily fly in
North America or the worldwide Anglican Church.
“Sunday worship is critical to Christian belief because it’s
the day Christians proclaim Christ is risen,” claims Leggett.
Somehow I don’t think Seventh-day Adventists will
practice hockey or basketball instead of Saturday worship
gatherings, or change the day of worship, for that matter.
But we’ll have to admit that moving away from any of God’s
10 expressed commands does make it easy to fall into the
ditch of our own secular desires.
W S B R E A K
“The developed world has such a surplus of tech-
nology,” says Heather Miller of SIFE. “Yet schools in
Ethiopia don’t have even one computer, let alone
access to the Internet. . . . What we do with the Connect
project is one small way of helping children in Ethiopia
and other places catch up to the rest of the world.”
A California company will examine, refurbish, and/or
recycle the computers and related equipment. When the
first shipment arrives in Ethiopia in March, “SIFE stu-
dent teams will teach groupings of Ethiopian teachers
how to use the computers and how to utilize the
Internet,” says Miller.
SIFE is an international organization started in 1975
by corporate America as a way to give college students
hands-on experience in learning, practicing, and teach-
ing the principles of free enterprise. The LSU SIFE team
was organized during the 1991-1992 school year.
Netherlands Antilles Launches
Religious Freedom Association
During meetings in Curacao in January, the
Netherlands Antilles Religious Liberty Association
(NARLA) was formed as an affiliate of the International
Religious Liberty Association (IRLA) with headquarters
in Silver Spring, Maryland. (The IRLA was founded in
2 0 0 4
 W O R L D N E W S & P E R S P E C T I V E S

Global Mission Prayer Ministry

Please pray for people in Romania who
have yet to hear the Adventist message,
and for dedicated pioneers such as Hotnog
Titi, who are sharing the good news.
local religious leader was
working against him. One
very cold night a drunken
Romania man was found dead on the
sidewalk. This religious leader

G
lobal Mission pioneer Hotnog
Titi arrived in the village of
Tupilati with high hopes of
what he would accomplish for God.
He started a mobile library to lend reli-
gious books to people, and visited peo-
ple in their homes. He also started a
Bible study class in one of the homes.
One day two of the men from the class
got drunk, beat a local policeman, and
were arrested. The other students were
sure that this would close their meet-
ings. When Titi came for the Bible
study, he found five frightened students
waiting. News soon spread that the
class would continue, and other stu-
dents came back. Tupilati group
One student
said he could never read the Bible—it
was too hard to understand. Titi prayed
and encouraged him. That night in a
dream the man heard a voice: “From
now on, you can start studying the
Bible by yourself.” The next morning
he woke up and started studying his
Bible, and he was able to fill in the
four blanks in his study questionnaire.
Soon his behavior and vocabulary
changed too.
While Titi was quietly working, a
called some of his followers,
gave them alcohol, and had
them put the body in the
Adventist church. The dis-
covery of the body caused a negative
attitude toward the Adventists. When
the authorities started an official
inquiry, one of the men who had
moved the body was bothered by his
conscience and confessed. When the
truth came out, the villagers changed
their opinion of the Adventists and
their leader.
For more information about Global
Mission work, visit www.global-
mission.org or call 1-800-648-5824.

N E W S B R E A K

1893 by Adventist leaders and has developed into a non-
sectarian organization dedicated to safeguarding religious
civil rights around the world.)
“Here in Curacao we have had religious liberty since
the sixteenth century,” says the new NARLA president,
Errol Maduro. “But because we have not had to fight for
it, . . . it is not in the consciousness of the people.” The
need for the association became evident when the neigh-
boring island of Aruba adopted a law to enforce Sunday
business closings, and discussions began in Curacao about
implementing a similar law.
Daniel Duffis, president of the Netherlands-Antilles
Conference, believes in the value of a national movement
to help people of all faiths understand what religious free-
dom means. He said the NARLA will help “educate the
people and anticipate the problems of tomorrow . . . so
that we can freely express our consciences.”
Nearly 5,150 Adventists worship weekly in 28 congre-
gations throughout the Netherlands Antilles region.—
Adventist News Network.
Australians Tithe via Internet
Adventist members in South Australia can now
return their tithe, give offerings, and pay school fees on
the Internet or by phone using BPAY, an Australia-wide
bill payment service.
Robert T. Louk, South Australian Conference accoun-
tant and director of stewardship, developed the new pro-
gram, which even allows members to give anonymously if
they wish. He says the BPAY system will “give our mem-
bers and the parents of the students at our schools the
widest range of options to choose from.”
The church paid AUD1,000 to establish BPAY, but
has already received more than AUD14,000 in tithes,
offerings, and school fees since its establishment last
November.—Adventist News Network.
News Notes
✓ The Inter-American Division recently organized a
new mission in the Commonwealth of the Bahamas,
with headquarters in Freeport, Grand Bahama. The
North Bahamas Mission officers are: Keith Albury, presi-
dent; Errol Tinker, executive secretary; and Roderick
Sands, treasurer. Territory includes the Grand Bahama,
Abaco, Bimini, and Berry islands.
✓ David Trim, an Adventist lecturer in history at
Newbold College in the United Kingdom, was recently
elected by academic peers to be a fellow of the Royal
Historical Society. He is the first Adventist and first
teacher from Newbold to achieve the fellowship.

A D V E N T I S T R E V I E W, M A R C H 1 1 , 2 0 0 4 (389) 21
 L I F E
Kenya
on My
Mind
Personal experiences
in Kenya leave
unanswered
questions.
BY HOMER TRECARTIN
Homer and Barbara arrived in Nairobi, Kenya, in May
1999, where Homer took up his responsibilities as finance
director for ADRA/South Sudan. Sudan is one of 14 countries in
the Middle East Union Mission, which is part of the Trans-
European Division. But because of the continuing civil war and
lack of infrastructure in southern Sudan, the ADRA/South
Sudan office is located in Nairobi, part of the East-Central
Africa Division.—Editors.
The Family Makes the Person
Kiziah, my head accountant, stepped into my office and
said, “I was wondering if I could take off Friday through
Tuesday.”
We were midway through a two-week seminar on
accounting and finance put on by someone from ADRA
headquarters. I knew it was something Kiziah very much
wanted to be a part of, and I paused, trying to think why he
might be asking this. He shifted his feet and went on. “My
cousin died, and I am responsible to get the body back to
our hometown. We have been trying to collect the money
for two weeks. Finally we have it, and the family feels I need
to take the body right away. We will go Friday by matatu
22 (390) A D V E N T I S T R E V I E W, M A R C H 1 1 ,
S T Y L E
[mini-bus jam-packed with people], and the
funeral will be on Monday. I will use some of
my annual leave days.”
As I said “Yes” my mind began piecing
together some other parts of a puzzle picture Kiziah
had been painting for me. I remembered how he had told
me of several nieces and nephews that he and his wife help
to sponsor in school. I thought of how he works on his off-
time as a contractor/salesperson for some of the furniture
makers in the area to earn more money to help with their
tuition. Kiziah makes excellent wages for Nairobi. He and
his wife have no children, but they still live in one of the
sprawling “estates” (inexpensive apartment complexes) that
surround the city. Because they have good jobs and no chil-
dren, they are expected to help with many of the needs of
the extended family. And they don’t even seem to question
their role. That is part of life. If they were in need, someone
would just as quickly come to their rescue.
That brief glimpse could be multiplied many times just
M A P © C A RT E S I A
among our ADRA staff. The family is the basis of life. One’s
identity grows out of the family, much more so than out of
the job, the house, or the social standing. Allegiance to the
family runs deeper than to a country, a boss, or even a spouse.
2 0 0 4
 Barbara and I have been quite well
accepted by our staff. However, if we
ever really became one of them (and
both reading and experience seem to
indicate they would accept us quite
readily), we would also need to accept
the responsibilities of being part of the
family. That would include people
stopping for a night (or a month),
expecting help with tuition, wanting
special favors in regard to jobs, loans,
gifts, etc. You can’t be involved only
when you want to be.
Within the family structure, the
leader (usually an older person, but
more and more often a young person,
like Kiziah, who demonstrates good
sense and leadership ability) will make
the decisions, but only after carefully
listening to the thoughts and feelings
of everyone else. The decision will be
based on the consensus he can see
building among the members (and he
may even be keen enough to antici-
pate that consensus before they realize
they have reached it).
Within this type of social climate,
storytelling plays a very important part
in bringing about consensus and in
helping the family to realize its iden-
tity. The old and the young are tied
together by stories. New situations are
MODIFIED
P H O T O © A P W I D E W O R L D / E PA / S T E P H E N M O R R I S O N / D I G I T A L LY
evaluated against the backdrop of old
stories, and old stories are adapted to
fit new situations. For the most part,
even in Nairobi it seems more impor-
tant for the family to know who they
are than for the person to know who
he or she is.
Education Hurts
Meshak’s eyes sparkle, and he excit-
edly opens the gate when I come in to
the office on a Sunday morning. He is
always happy to see me (or anyone
else, for that matter), but especially so
on the weekends. He longs for some-
one to talk with, and devours any read-
ing material I can loan him. Meshak is
hired by the security company we have
contracted to provide 24-hour security
for our office. He is a guard—near the
bottom of the pay scale in Nairobi. It
is boring work, and his keen mind
longs for something better, something
more in line with the training he has
had, but there isn’t anything.
At 4:30 a.m. every morning, seven
days a week, 365 days a year, Meshak
leaves his wife and children in one of
the slums surrounding Nairobi and
walks an hour and a half to be at the
office just as it starts to get light at
6:00 a.m. He works until 6:00 p.m. and
A D V E N T I S T R E V I E W,
returns to his family in the slums,
arriving there about 7:30 p.m. with the
knowledge that he has nine hours to
eat, sleep, talk with his wife and kids,
and do anything around the house that
needs doing. Sometimes he has to use
part of that time to stop by his uncle’s
place and help his aging mother. For
all that work he makes 5,000 Kenyan
shillings (about US$67) a month .
When he finally gets his annual leave,
it is without pay which means he
either doesn’t take it, or spends it try-
ing to work another job so he can pay
his rent.
Of course, I don’t really believe that
education hurts—or do I? ADRA/
Kenya and ADRA/South Sudan oper-
ate a number of educational programs.
ADRA/South Sudan gives its employ-
ees (mostly Kenyans) an educational
allowance to help them educate their
children, and often pays for the
employee to get more education as
well. So how could I say education
hurts?
Kenya has the highest growth rate
in the world, and one of the highest
literacy rates in Africa. But those two
factors have combined to make some
very difficult situations. First, with
such a high growth rate, the families
M A R C H 1 1 , 2 0 0 4 (391) 23
are running out of land to divide was married, and he said no, but there be married.”
among their children. The alternative: was a slight hesitation. So I asked if he I didn’t say any more, and I haven’t
“We will give you an education had someone in mind. He grinned at asked him about it since, but I know
instead!” But then, armed with a pri- what he meant. He and his family
mary or secondary education, those were trying to come up with the neces-
young people leave the home villages sary cows (or money) for the bride
and pour into the cities looking for price. Because of that, I give a
jobs. More than 500 per day larger tip than I would oth-
come to Nairobi. Most end erwise.
up living in the slums. And I wonder if it is
Very few find the jobs fair to tip so gener-
they were hoping for, ously in order to
and many find no job get your groceries
at all. Prostitution, bagged carefully.
theft, begging, and In Nairobi, tip-
angry unrest ping and brib-
increase. But the ing might be
government hard to tell
seems paralyzed in apart some-

P H O T O © A P W I D E W O R L D / A P P H O T O S / S AY Y I D A Z I M
its efforts to times. Gift
change anything. giving, among
What would you members of a
change, anyway? family-ori-
Would you quit ented society,
educating the may happen
young? before a trans-
action, or
Bribes and afterward. It
Brides doesn’t really
Johnson bags matter, and in
my groceries their eyes it
whenever I go to isn’t to buy a
Uchumi’s. Oh, favor, but to
there are dozens help keep the
of people bagging family
at the long row of together and
checkouts, but I working
always look smoothly. It is
JOEL D. SPRINGER

around and find true that the

which one boundaries
Johnson is work- become a bit
ing. Then I get in fuzzy when
BY

line and wait—no you move

PHOTO

matter how long it from a local

is. It started when
I noticed how care-
ful he was in bagging
our things the first time
(much different than most
of the baggers). He was care-
ful to make sure the bread and
bananas weren’t under the avocados
and ugali (maize meal).
That day we talked as he wheeled
the loaded cart down to the ground
floor and out to our Jeep. I asked if he
me and said, “Yes, but we haven’t set a
date. I am still trying to get things
together. Maybe by next year we can
family to a
conglomeration
of families in and
around a fast-paced
city. It is also true that
desperation and greed
affect the way gift giving is
used.
But just as in a western family, some
well-timed gifts can do much to keep
things moving smoothly. Let’s face it:
flowers brought home in the evening

24 (392) A D V E N T I S T R E V I E W, M A R C H 1 1 , 2 0 0 4
aren’t a bribe by a husband wanting
supper, but they certainly may have
something to do with the atmosphere
that pervades the constant negotiating
we call marriage.
Back to Johnson. If the girl he has
his eye on can wait, I think she will be
one lucky woman. However, if she is
like many young women, her desperate
needs and the lack of her family’s abil-
ity to support her may drive her into
becoming the third wife of a middle-
aged, well-to-do businessman instead.
Maybe my tip/bribe is not so selfish
after all. Maybe I am really doing more
than ensuring that my tomatoes don’t
get squashed under my laundry soap.
Maybe I am helping Johnson keep a
young woman from becoming a life-
long slave of an older man looking for
another fling.
And to make the education prob-
lem just a little more complicated, a
recent study showed that girls given an
education were less likely to become a
second or third wife. The reason: it
delayed the need for them to be out on
their own, and gave the young men of
their own age a few extra years to get
established and be able to afford a wife.

Unanswered Questions
To bribe or not to bribe? To educate
or not to educate? To become totally
immersed or not quite in a family-ori-
ented society? These are questions that
I haven’t completely answered yet.
Maybe I never will, but I know that
the reading and research I have done
here at the mission institute have
helped to sensitize me to a work that
can only be done under the constant
guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Homer Trecartin is the sec-

retary-treasurer of the
Middle East Union. He
and his wife, Barbara, live
in Nicosia, Cyprus. If you
would like to receive his weekly
e-mail,“MEU Musings,” e-mail him at
HTrecartin@aol.com.

A D V E N T I S T R E V I E W, M A R C H 1 1 , 2 0 0 4 (393) 25
 S T
Culturally and religiously worlds apart, we share a commitment to freedom.
BY VIOLA HUGHES
T
HE NAME ON HIS NAME TAG, ISMAIL
Osman, caught my attention. But I couldn’t read
beyond his name from where I stood. From a dis-
tance he seemed a little lost in the crowd, but
there was something distinguished about him. I
decided to approach him and greet him in Malay, hoping he
was either Indonesian or Malaysian.
He was neither Malaysian nor Indonesian, but
Cambodian. Not only that, but he was undersecretary of
Muslim Affairs for the government of Cambodia. My mind
began to race.
Humanity on Display
Cambodia brings back a flood of memories. As a child I’d
heard many stories about the atrocities of the Khmer Rouge.
As a young adult I visited Cambodian and Vietnamese
refugees near the border of Thailand and Cambodia. The
experience prompted me to read the book on which the
movie The Killing Fields is based. The book left me shocked.
I was aghast that people could inflict such cruelty and pain
on fellow human beings. Children were torn from the arms
of their mothers; wives and husbands were separated with no
hope of a reunion. I could hardly imagine the suffering
26 (394) A D V E N T I S T R E V I E W, M A R C H 1 1 ,
O R Y
endured by the Cambodian people, 2 million of whom
perished.
Yet here I was, at the Westin Philippine Plaza hotel in
Manila, attending a congress to combat religious intoler-
ance, with a man who not only had witnessed such cruelty,
but survived the Khmer Rouge’s legacy of death, starvation,
and suffering.
Through the help of his interpreter, Im Touch, and his
wife, Hawa Abdul Menet, Osman explained that he was
there at the invitation of Daniel Walter, former president of
the Cambodia Adventist Mission.
Osman began to tell me his story of surviving the reign of
Pol Pot and his Khmer Rouge command, and what he
thought of religion and religious tolerance. After fleeing
Cambodia, Osman received refugee status in Malaysia,
where he lived from 1975 to 1988. Osman was a name he
adopted legally after arriving in Malaysia. While there he
operated his own business and joined the FUNCINPEC
party, a Cambodian political movement that promotes free-
dom and justice for its citizens.
Osman went on to explain his support of the
International Religious Liberty Association (IRLA) and the
Seventh-day Adventist Church’s mission to promote reli-
2 0 0 4

gious tolerance and basic human
rights, and said that he hoped to share
ideas from this congress with his gov-
ernment upon his return. “Everyone in
Cambodia is encouraged to join a reli-
gion, because I believe that religions
help maintain peace in a country,” he
said.
In fact, Osman helped Walter rereg-
ister the Adventist Church in 1993.
“Our only Adventist church in
Cambodia was bulldozed to the ground
during the tragic history of the Khmer
Rouge and our members slaughtered,
SUNSET / PHOTO © PHOTODISC
except for three individuals who sur-
vived and fled,” said Walter. The new
Cambodian constitution guarantees
religious freedom.
Bridging the Past
Curious to understand Osman’s sup-
port and desire to promote religious
AT
A N G K O R WA T
freedom in his country, I inquired more
deeply about his reasons. He told me
how his own father, also a Muslim, was
OF
SILHOUETTE
His father was
dragged away,
while praying,
and killed.
PHOTO © AP PHOTO / RICHARD VOGEL
Q
dragged away, while on his knees pray-
ing, and killed. I sensed sadness as he
spoke of his father; I could only imag- Questions for
ine his pain.
At the end of our conversation
Reflection
Osman extended an invitation for the or for Use in Your
Adventist Church to open schools in Small Group
his country. “Educating children about
1. Cite three examples (at
tolerance and respect begins at the
least one from recent news
lowest levels,” Osman said. Then he
releases) that show how reli-
asked me to visit his country and gave
gious and political bigotry poi-
me his personal contact information.
sons societies that nurture it.
I’d like to meet him and his wife again,
2. How do knowledge and
if only to share the message of our lov-
understanding serve to break
ing Savior and His plan for us.
down prejudice?
I’ve thought a lot about Osman’s
3. Brainstorm at least five
words, his gentle expression, and his
strategies that your congrega-
warmth since meeting him. Though
tion, or you as an individual,
worlds apart in our religious beliefs,
could use to break down preju-
culture, language, and experiences, I
dice in your community.
came away from this encounter with a
4. Why, for more than 100
greater understanding of the opportu-
years, have Adventists been in
nity we have to impact the people we
the forefront of the struggle to
come into contact with. I hope I left
preserve the religious freedoms
the undersecretary with a more posi-
of people around the world?
What are you doing to aid in
that struggle?
A D V E N T I S T R E V I E W, M A R C H 1 1 , 2 0 0 4 (395) 27
A NEW FRIENDSHIP: The author and Ismail Osman share a smile at the conference for reli-
gious freedom.
tive impression of the Seventh-day
Adventist Church, its members, and
what it stands for.
Jesus’ words “Thou shalt love thy
neighbor as thyself” (Matt. 19:19)
remind me that in a world torn apart
by hatred, bigotry, and violence, there
are people who cultivate love and tol-
erance, even in the most forbidding
28 (396) A D V E N T I S T R E V I E W,
circumstances. Ultimately, reflecting
Jesus’ love is the only thing that will
truly break down prejudice and win
the hearts of those who don’t know
Him.
Viola Hughes is United Nations liaison
special assistant for the Public Affairs and
Religious Liberty Department.
M A R C H 1 1 , 2 0 0 4
 B I B L E Q U E S T
The Bible
and Suicide
O
ne of my best friends committed suicide.
Since then I have wondered what the Bible
says about the topic.
Suicide is usually defined as the taking of
one’s own life. The emotional scars left to
family and friends are deep and produce not only feelings of
loneliness but particularly a sense of guilt and disorienta-
tion. In attempting to provide some guidance in answer-
ing your question, I must limit my comments to the fol-
lowing brief observations.
Let’s first distinguish between suicide and martyr-
dom, which is the willingness to surrender
our lives for fundamental convictions and
values that we hold nonnegotiable—and
heroic acts of self-sacrifice that result in
the preservation of other lives (a soldier
throws himself or herself on a grenade
to save others). While suicide is funda-
mentally a denial of the value of our
present life, the final solution to a life
perceived as unbearable, those other cases
are expressions of respect and love for life.
I will list the cases of suicide or
attempted suicide recorded in the Bible,
draw some conclusions, and make some
general comments.
1. Cases of Suicide in the Bible:
Abimelech, mortally wounded by a
millstone thrown at him by a woman,
asked his armor-bearer to kill him to escape
shame (Judges 9:54). Saul, after being
seriously wounded in battle, killed himself
(1 Sam. 31:4). Seeing what the king did, the
armor-bearer “fell on his own sword and died
with him” (verse 5, NIV). This was moti-
vated by fear of what the enemy would do
to them. Ahithophel, one of the counselors
of king Absalom, hanged himself after realiz-
ing that the king had rejected his advice
(2 Sam. 17:23). Zimri became king after a
coup d’état, but realizing that the people
did not support him he went into “the
citadel of the royal palace and set the
palace on fire around him,” killing himself
(1 Kings 16:18, NIV). Judas was so emo-
I O N S A N S W E R E D
tionally disturbed after betraying Jesus that he hanged him-
self (Matt. 27:5). Samson took his own life in battle against
the enemy (Judges 16:29, 30). After the earthquake the
Philippian jailer concluded that the prisoners had escaped,
and out of fear attempted to kill himself, but Paul persuaded
him to the contrary (Acts 16:26-28).
2. Comments on the Biblical Materials: From the incidents
listed above we notice several things.
First, most of the suicides took place in the context of
war, in which self-killing is the result of fear or shame.
Second, other cases are more personal and reflect, besides
fear, a low self-image. All of them take place in the context
of a highly emotional state of mind.
Third, suicide is mentioned without passing any judg-
ment on the morality of the action. That does not mean
that it is morally right; it indicates that the biblical writer
is simply describing what took place.
The moral impact of suicide is addressed
through a biblical understanding of human life:
God created it, and we are not the owners, to use
it and dispose of it as we please; the sixth com-
mandment has something to say about the
topic. Therefore, a Christian should not con-
sider suicide a morally valid solution to the
predicament of living in a world of physi-
cal and emotional pain.
3. Comments and Suggestions: How
then should we relate to the suicide of a
loved one?
First, psychology and psychiatry have
revealed that very often suicide is the
result of profound emotional upheaval or
biochemical imbalances associated with a deep
state of depression and fear. We should not pass
judgment on the person who, under those cir-
cumstances, opted for suicide.
Second, God’s justice takes into consideration
the intensity of our troubled minds; He under-
stands us better than anyone else. We must place
the future of our loved ones into His loving
hands.
Third, with God’s assistance we can face guilt in
a constructive way. Keep in mind that often those
who commit suicide needed professional help that
most of us were unable to provide.
Finally, if you are ever tempted to commit suicide,
there are medications that can help overcome depres-
sion, there are friends who love you and would do all
they can to help you, and there is a God who is will-
ing to work with you and through others to sustain
you as you walk through the valley of death. Never
give up hope!
Angel Manuel Rodríguez is director of the Biblical
Research Institute of the General Conference.
A D V E N T I S T R E V I E W, M A R C H 1 1 , 2 0 0 4 (397) 29
 A D V E N T I S T W O R L D R A D I O

KIRSTEN ØSTER-LUNDQVIST

Trekking in Thailand

M
ichael’s eyes smiled knowingly. He knew of of national costumes and a multitude of languages filled the
Adventist World Radio (AWR) and had conference center. The interviews collected at the service
heard our broadcasts. As the translator projects were highlighted daily at the conference.
introduced our team Michael’s face lit up AWR’s president, Ben Schoun, and Asia-Pacific Region
when he heard the words “Adventist World director, Akinori Kaibe, arrived to join me in presenting two
Radio.” seminars about AWR’s mis-
Michael was one of the sion and how radio ministry
reasons I had trekked out to works for a global audience.
this remote place, in the As a producer for AWR’s
midst of a group of school- global programs in English, I
children in a refugee camp had the task of describing
in Thailand, an unusual our philosophy and what
place to meet AWR listen- type of programs AWR
ers. This was the reason broadcasts. Our approach is
AWR broadcasts in lan- a deliberate choice of not
guages that most of us in the preaching, but rather, shar-
West don’t even know exist: ing in a format we call “gos-
people such as Michael need siping the gospel.” The
to hear the voice of hope. gospel is shared through tes-
As a producer, I was hum- timonies, features, travel-
bled. To bring hope to peo- ogues, and health programs.
ple is the reason for AWR’s Because radio work has
existence. changed dramatically as a
I was in Thailand on ON THE STREET: AWR producer Kirsten Øster-Lundqvist interviews a result of digital technology,
assignment: the Adventist volunteer taking part in the World Conference on Youth and the focus of producing radio
Church’s Youth Department Community Service held recently in Thailand. programs has shifted from a
had invited young people predominant need for tech-
from around the world to serve for 10 days in various com- nical knowledge to an emphasis on creativity and journalis-
munity outreach projects. So while the rest of my coworkers tic skills. This makes it possible to sit at your computer at
enjoyed Christmas dinner at home, I found myself in home and produce radio programs. Hearing this information
Thailand, visiting service projects and recording interviews at the seminar, several delegates showed an interest in join-
with volunteers. ing AWR’s International Correspondents program. They will
Some of the remote places chosen for projects required now be able to make a significant contribution to AWR’s
hiking into the jungle to meet the youth. Other locations work from wherever they live in the world. They are becom-
meant driving on a dirt road that challenged our four-wheel- ing part of the voice of hope.
drive vehicle. Yet whichever project I visited, I came across The next couple months will see a variety of features and
young people excited to do something for others. As I testimonies from the trip to Thailand in AWR program-
trekked around recording the stories of more than 500 youth ming, including Network 7 News, which is aired on the
from around the world who came to Thailand to serve, I majority of Adventist FM radio stations across the United
didn’t even miss my traditional Christmas celebration, for States. It is also possible to listen on the Internet at
what I saw were youth living the Christmas message in a http://english.awr.org/n7n/.
practical manner.
Following the service projects, the General Conference
Youth Department hosted a youth conference in Bangkok. Kirsten Øster-Lundqvist produces programming for Adventist
Approximately 1,300 people attended, and a colorful display World Radio.

30 (398) A D V E N T I S T R E V I E W, M A R C H 1 1 , 2 0 0 4
 R E F L
They Will Stand
H
e was in the depths of a deep forest, hunting
with little success, when a large grouse flut-
tered up from a spruce tree. He released an
arrow, and a moment later heard a metallic
sound, followed by the weak echo of a church
bell. Had he come upon an enchanted bird?
The huntsman followed the sound cautiously, and deep in
the forest he beheld his “prey”—a
church. His arrow had glanced off a
church bell. In keeping with the custom
of the times, the huntsman made the
sign of the cross and recited, “In the
sacred Name of Jesus . . .”
This is the ancient Norwegian leg-
end of the “discovery” of the Heddal
stave church in 1558. Heddal had
been deserted since the Black Death
swept through the country in the mid-
fourteenth century. The forest had
invaded the valley, concealing its
church, farms, and the settlements for
nearly 200 years.
A stave church could not be built
just anywhere. It demanded a high and
open location, one that nature itself
had prepared: conspicuous and promi-
nent. Churches were to be placed on locations bearing the
special imprint of God the Creator—on a peninsula, over-
looking a fjord, or at the turn of a river.
When the huntsman came upon the small, single-nave
stave church and saw its pentice and magnificent west portal
dating from the second half of the twelfth century, he real-
ized it was just as the priest and his congregation had left it
in the 1300s.
But other stave churches existed—and my Viking heart
sought to seek them out during a recent trip to Norway, the
birthplace of my maternal grandfather. Some stave churches
date to the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. Once 900 of
these “dark passages of wood” greeted traders and pilgrims as
they journeyed through the rugged countryside. Today less
than 50 remain.
Our five-place Cessna floatplane bounced over the lush
valleys and craggy mountains to photograph the best pre-
served of them, the Borgund stave church, which stands as a
crown jewel in the narrow valley at the head of the Son
fjord.
In the seventeenth century the fresh air of the
E C T I O N S
DICK RENTFRO
Reformation swept away the rites of the Catholic Church,
leaving the simple message of “the just shall live by faith.”
The stave churches took on a new meaning. The essential
corner posts were said to represent “the four Gospels, whose
teachings are the supporting foundation of all Christianity.”
The beams upon which the columns rest came to signify the
apostles. It was said that the floorboards represented “the
humble men who bow in honor; the
more they are exposed to the trampling
feet of the congregation, the more sup-
port they provide.” Even the roof was
said to “speak” the truth.
The stave churches resisted the attri-
tion of the centuries because of the
manner in which the columns, planks,
and supports were joined. Rather than
being nailed or glued, they were dove-
tailed, pegged, and wedged, lending flex-
ibility to the structure and allowing
each joint to expand or contract in
damp or dry weather.
A writer once described a stave
church weathering a storm: “In the
afternoon the weather changed, and
suddenly a . . . storm raged outside. It
creaked in the old church walls, as if
they were going to fall apart. It was as if each and every
plank in the stave construction would slide out of its place-
ment, break its very framework of masts and sills, and bury
everything beneath the vacillating columns. . . . But little by
little the raging wind blew more fitfully, became constant.
. . . Although the storm increased rather than declined, soon
no sound was heard in the church walls because the entire
structure had settled and was now steeled and strengthened
in the midst of the storm.”
The sun was shining as we flew back to the twenty-first
century, but my mind was on a storm—a storm that will
soon test another church whose eternal corner posts are
rooted in the Reformation. The winds will rage, and the
foundations will tremble. But they will stand. Yes, they will
stand.
Dick Rentfro, a retired minister, writes from
Thorpe, Washington.
A D V E N T I S T R E V I E W, M A R C H 1 1 , 2 0 0 4 (399) 31