ANNUAL COUNCIL 2003

SECRETARY'S REPORT, October 11, 2003

 

Matthew A Bediako

Secretary, General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists

 

 

WELCOME! I extend a hearty welcome to all of you who have come to attend the 2003 Annual Council of the General Conference Executive Committee. Thank God that you have all arrived safely. We are happy to see you.

 

We were surprised by the many changes that have taken place among the committee members. There are two new division presidents attending this Council, several new pastors or front-line workers, and new lay representatives. I would like to appeal to the divisions and the unions to remember to inform us of the changes as they are made, so our information will be current and we can send invitations to new members in time for them to attend meetings.

 

I want to thank the staff of the Office of General Council for helping us to secure visas for some of you. Unfortunately, in some parts of the world letters from the General Conference no longer carry any weight due to past abuse of the immigration laws of the United States. For the General Conference Session in 2005, we need to receive the names of your delegates as early as possible. Without your full cooperation many of your delegates may not be able to attend.

 

The attendance at the business sessions of these Annual Councils is improving year by year. I hope we will soon have 100 percent attendance.

 

Once more, a hearty welcome to you!

 

This year we celebrate the 140^th anniversary of the formal organization of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. It was in May of 1863 that the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists was organized as the third level of organization. Preceding the formation of the General Conference local churches and state conferences had been organized.

 

We believe that the Lord's Spirit has led Seventh-day Adventists to a form of organization that carefully balances the need for local church authority with the need to effectively advance the gospel throughout the world.

 

Despite very definite needs within the Church, the system of organization embraced by Seventh-day Adventists was not completed without great reflection, discussion, and even opposition. Such prominent church leaders as J N Andrews, R F Cottrell, and Joseph H Waggoner opposed organizing beyond an extremely rudimentary level.

 

A major reason for the push for formal organization sprang from the vast influx of membership resulting from the major evangelistic efforts of Seventh-day Adventist ministers in the 1850s in midwestern America. How should these new members be organized so as to keep them in the faith?

 

The basic foundation of Seventh-day Adventist organizational structure centered upon the local church. By 1861 the need for a more formal organizational structure was quite apparent and the Adventist Review and Sabbath Herald urged all believers to "be aroused to the necessity of a proper organization, to prevent the loss of a large amount of the labor of our preachers, and confusion among believers."

 

The "Conference Address" prepared by J H Waggoner, James White, J N Loughborough, E W Shortridge, Joseph Bates, J B Frisbie, M E Cornell, Moses Hull, and John Byington was published in the Review of June 11, 1861. Under the topic "Order in the Churches" the committee illustrated the problem:

 

"It has been our lot to go into places as strangers and ask how many members there were, and it could not be told. Members seemed to come and go at their own pleasure, and when they became cold or disheartened, no one looked after them--no one knew their standing. . . . We have long felt the necessity of efficient action on this point. It should be definitely known at all times who are and who are not considered members, and then the welfare of all may be looked after, and the erring may be reclaimed by timely action."

 

The committee urged the necessity and value of maintaining such local church records as membership lists, reports of actions, "systematic benevolence" contributions, etc. The address concluded by stressing the dual responsibilities found in both the local and general church bodies. There were pastoral needs within the local church and there was a responsibility to present a message of salvation to the world.

 

The next step in the acceptance of a more general view of authority in the Seventh-day Adventist Church occurred when the Michigan General Conference met at Battle Creek on October 4 to 6, 1861, and "Resolved, that we recommend to the churches in the State of Michigan to unite in one Conference, with the name of The Michigan Conference of Seventh-day Adventists." At that same meeting an equally significant resolution related to the question of the organization of local churches. James White proposed the following resolution that was unanimously adopted:

 

"Resolved, That we refer this subject to the ministers present, instructing them to hold a Bible class on it and write an address to the brethren, to be published in the Review." After intense Scriptural study for a week, a second "Conference Address," prepared by J N Loughborough, Moses Hull and M E Cornell, outlined its understanding of local church organization. It stressed the close fellowship that was the purpose of the local church. It urged that new bodies of believers not immediately organize but come together for "social" or testimony meetings to enable the members to "become thoroughly acquainted with each other, and ascertain with whom they can have fellowship." The process would also allow the members to determine those qualified for the "important duties of officers of the church."

 

Upon organization, the organizing minister would request those members who wanted to fellowship together to "stand upon their feet, till it is ascertained whether perfect fellowship exists among them." Then the members were to be received by unanimous vote. Following is the church covenant that became the basis of fellowship after baptism:

"We, the undersigned, hereby associate ourselves together, as a church, taking the name Seventh-day Adventists, covenanting to keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus Christ."

 

Organization was completed in May of 1863 with the formation of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists "for the purpose of securing unity and efficiency in labor, and promoting the general interests of the cause of present truth." The 1863 delegates formally accepted the ideas presented in the two 1861 Conference Addresses on local church organization. Seventh-day Adventists in 1863 indeed saw the importance of the local church in the advancement of the everlasting gospel.

 

In 1863 there were a total of 125 churches with a membership of 3,500. There were 22 ordained ministers and 8 licensed ministers. The total tithe was $8,000.

 

Restructuring

 

During last year's Annual Council we approved the restructuring of the church in Africa, south of the Sahara. A transition team was put in place to work with the church leaders in Africa. I am happy to report that the three divisions officially started functioning beginning January 1, 2003. The divisions are West-Central Africa, East-Central Africa and Southern Africa-Indian Ocean. Together there are about 4.3 million members in these divisions. We thank the transition team for the good job they did.

 

Other restructuring has taken place in some divisions. In the Inter-American Division, the Central American Union was divided into three unions. In Southern Asia, three new unions have been created as a result of the restructuring of the division territory.

 

I want to express my appreciation to the division secretaries for sending these reports to our office on time.

 

Inter-American Division

 

For many years the church in Mexico had been denied the dream of having a radio station. The laws in the country did not permit religious organizations to own and operate radio stations. But five months ago God opened the way. The government has informed the denominations that 40 permits will be issued to them. The church is now ready with plans to start eight stations.

The division is preparing for a major evangelistic campaign by satellite this month. The meetings will be conducted by district pastors from different unions within the division. The program has awakened great enthusiasm and is expected to reap a total baptism of 60,000 souls.

 

Through the hard work of the laity and workers, 140,102 people were baptized during the period under review.

 

South American Division

 

The mobilization of our brothers and sisters with the program Go One Million has surpassed our expectation. Our goal was to involve 250,000 workers in witnessing. The reports from the fields indicate that we have surpassed this number."

 

Promotional campaigns for the Year of World Evangelism 2004 are being accomplished through articles in the Adventist Review, Elder's Magazine, and Shepherdess magazine as well as in the newspapers. The program was launched on May 3, 2003 to instruct, encourage, and inspire elders, pastors, and administrators throughout the division.

 

Training seminars are currently taking place. The plan is to distribute 123 million Don't Be Afraid tracts.

 

Baptisms through June 2002 were 88,532. Baptisms through June 2003 were 114,373. That is an increase of 29%. The division has set a goal of 250,000 baptisms in 2004

 

The Austral Union intends to establish 622 preaching locations where pastors throughout the division and some guest speakers from America will conduct meetings.

 

The Caravan of Power initiative being conducted in Peru is expected to yield about 25,000 baptisms.

 

South Pacific Division

 

The first major accomplishment of the quinquennium was the reorganization of the unions that comprised the South Pacific Division. The reduction from five unions to four has resulted in ensuring the viability of the remaining units.

 

A strategic plan with six focus areas is in place. These are grace, faith and worship, community, witness, leadership, and identity.

 

An institute of public evangelism has been established to promote and resource the public preaching of the gospel to unchurched people. The institute has 18 members and 16 associate members. Already an amount of $420,251 has been given for evangelistic programs and about $60,000 for evangelistic equipment subsidies.

 

In February 2003 the first major Bible Conference to be held in many years was conducted at Avondale College. Guest speakers from Andrews University were invited as well as a number of the division's own Bible scholars who presented papers. These papers are currently being edited for publication.

 

In August of 2002 the first division-wide Women's Ministry Conference was conducted. It attracted over 700 women for the four days, with an additional 300 women attending on Sabbath.

 

In 2002 the division organized two seminars for Adventists employed in public affairs positions. In all, about 45 politicians, judges, and public servants attended.

 

In 2002 there were 9,178 accessions to the church. This was less than the accessions in 2000.

 

Euro-Asia Division

 

The first phase of the "300-300-300" Project in the Euro-Asia Division is almost completed in the two largest unions. One hundred sixty-five new pastors have completed their studies and have been sent to unentered towns and cities within the unions. In each place in which they are working, a new congregation has been established and a new church building has been acquired. About 292 church buildings have been acquired under this project. To date more than 3,000 people have been baptized and about 2,000 Bible study groups are being conducted.

 

In other unions, the first stage of the "300-300-300" Project is to be finalized in November of 2003.

 

About 2,300 leaders of small groups have attended a congress in Kiev. Each leader has pledged to lead at least 10 individuals to Christ. We expect thousands of new believers to join the church family in the near future.

 

Euro-Africa Division

 

The report of this division indicates that 2,246 people were baptized during the first quarter of this year. As part of the centenary celebration, the Spanish Union decided to hold 100 evangelistic campaigns in churches and companies. These meetings involved the laymembers, pastors, and administrators.

 

A baptism celebration was held on June 21, 2003 and 178 precious souls were baptized. Others who expressed interest are still studying for baptism. Church members who thought public campaigns were something of the past have had a change of mind.

 

In several unions, social-oriented but mission-focused summer camps have been conducted for our youth. In Portugal the camps attracted a large group of committed youth who wanted to experience frontline evangelistic outreach.

In Germany many young people have been motivated and have applied for travel abroad to participate in the proclamation of the gospel.

 

Southern Asia-Pacific Division

 

The division's report begins with the heading "Breakthrough in Indonesia." The first evangelistic meetings ever conducted by a Seventh-day Adventist evangelist on the island of Bali were held in June 2003. The Balinese are predominantly Buddhist and for years the Adventist church has made little headway among them. However, after the Bali bombing in 2002, in which more than 200 people were killed, the peace and tranquility of the land were badly shaken, as was the contented psyche of the people. This was apparent by the nightly attendance. People flocked to the auditorium as if searching for answers to the tragedy and the meaning of life. The hunger and thirst of the soul for the gospel were very much in evidence. More than 100 people were baptized.

 

The first evangelistic campaign ever held in Cambodia was conducted by General Conference President, Jan Paulsen, and Global Mission Director, Michael L Ryan. It was a rare sight in a staunch Buddhist country to have people turn up at Christian meetings. More than 800 people were baptized.

 

Cambodia has gone through traumatic times through the years, especially during the genocide in the 1970s. Before these troubles there were only 33 church members in Cambodia. Thirty years later there are four organized churches and 45 companies with 3,000 members.

 

On July 19 and 20, 2002, 17 pastors, 15 elders, and other members of Sunday-keeping churches in Thailand sought audience with the Adventist leaders. Their goal was to debate Adventists on the 27 fundamental beliefs and prove them wrong. This challenge proved fatal to the cause of those pastors and elders. At the end of this long debate and discussion, four of the pastors joined the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Shortly after this the congregations of these pastors requested that they too be given the privilege to learn what their pastors had learned. As a result they also joined the Adventist church.

 

These new developments in Thailand have caused some uneasiness among the Sunday-keeping churches. More people continue to study with our leaders. One of the four pastors who became an Adventist made this comment, "I have been wandering in the wilderness for 40 years and now I found the promised land."

 

Northern Asia-Pacific Division

 

This year five pastors from Korea were sponsored to work in Japan for six years. They will study the language and do cross-cultural church planting in unentered territories. In 2004 five more pastors will go to Japan and five to Taiwan. The goal is that in seven years the division will sponsor 100 pioneer missionaries to plant churches throughout the division.

 

The first Mongolian radio programs for Adventist World Radio were produced in Mongolia and the broadcast is expected to be launched this month.

 

Four North Korean defectors were baptized in South Korea. This was the first time that North Koreans were baptized as a group in South Korea since the Korean War.

 

The division has accepted the challenge to distribute more than 58 million Don't Be Afraid pamphlets in its territory. The pamphlet has been translated into Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Mongolian. The division is contributing more funds to help in implementing the project.

 

In anticipation of receiving thousands of Bible study requests, the division has conducted a church-based Bible School Master Teachers Training Seminar to equip the members.

 

North American Division

 

Adventist Laymen's Services and Industries (ASI) has been involved with several evangelistic efforts during 2003. Both the Youth For Jesus evangelistic program and the ASI Youth Evangelism Initiative have been successful in promoting youth involvement in public evangelism. The Youth Evangelism Initiative sponsored ten programs in seven states.

 

In cooperation with ASI, the division plans to distribute 25 million Discover Bible Study Course lead cards. This distribution will be followed by Bible courses, Bible study classes, and reaping meetings throughout the division. These initiatives are designed to blend in with the General Conference led Year of World Evangelism 2004.

 

In the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Canada significant events have occurred this year. The Quebec Conference held an evangelistic series featuring Mark A Finley that resulted in 600 people requesting baptism. Three hundred fifty have been baptized already and the others continue to study for baptism. Twenty Bible workers have been employed to follow up with these interests. Quebec has traditionally been a difficult field.

 

The union president held a series of meetings in the Manitoba-Saskatchewan Conference that resulted in 50 baptisms, 19 of which were First Nations people.

 

The Alberta Conference has raised $400,000 to build a mission school for First Nations children.

 

The Columbia Union is sponsoring several evangelistic meetings in the greater Baltimore area in cooperation with the Andrews University Theological Seminary. In conjunction with these meetings a Seminary Field School of Evangelism is being conducted for 40 students. Initial reports indicate that about 1,200 non-Adventists are attending these meetings.

 

In the New York Project, the Northeastern and Greater New York Conferences are working closely with the division in several outreach programs following the terrorists' attack on September 11, 2001. Many of the projects have been successful and continue to bring productive results.

 

Trans-European Division

 

The war in Iraq has had dramatic consequences in that country. The members maintain a strong faith and are grateful for your prayers. The church members have been active in providing humanitarian aid. ADRA has also been actively involved in the country after the war. At first the activities were coordinated from Jordan but a few months ago ADRA opened a country office.

 

This summer more than 350 church planters from all over Europe met for a Church Planters X-Change in Finland. The week-long program benefited frontline church planters as well as their supporters. The Trans-European Division reports that in the Western Unions alone, there are between 65 and 70 new church plants, and the movement is growing.

 

Under the able leadership of Pastor Richard Elofer, the church in Israel is growing. At the beginning of 2000 there were 488 members in Israel. By the beginning of 2003 the membership had increased to 1,110. Sabbath School membership has likewise grown from 800 to 1500. One of the most recent groups organized is composed of newly-baptized Ethiopian Jews.

 

The Middle East is now putting the finishing touches on a training center for the South Sudan Field (located in Arua, Uganda). The first training session of pastors and church leaders is already being held.

 

The Life Development program developed in the British Union with input of the Trans-European division Communication Director is gaining momentum and is structured to reach the post-modern mind.

 

Southern Africa-Indian Ocean Division

 

This division was officially organized on November 14, 2002 and is comprised of seven unions and two attached fields. It is a vast area of the African continent and adjacent islands, and it has a very diverse population ranging from the hi-tech consumer society of South Africa to the nomadic bushman of the Kalahari Desert.

 

The division has adopted eight focus issues, namely: growth, spiritual nurture, unity, self-support, leadership training, ministry to and for minority groups, fight against HIV/AIDS, and Christian education.

 

During the month of April, leadership seminars were conducted in Angola and Mozambique. Similar programs are planned for the other unions.

 

Literature evangelism in this division is alive and well. In Zimbabwe over 1,275 people were baptized as a direct result of the activities of this ministry.

 

In July Women's Ministry hosted a division-wide congress in Gabarone, Botswana. Over 2,000 women attended. The congress was opened by the president of Botswana.

 

Another Women's Ministry congress was recently held in Madagascar. They had a surprise visitor--the president of the country. He was visiting the region where the congress was being conducted and saw the large crowd at the sport stadium. He was curious as to who they were and what they were doing. When he was told that it was Adventist women, he decided to go and speak to them. He commended the women for the work they are doing in bringing HIV/AIDS awareness to the people. He donated an amount of $40,000 to assist their program. It is gratifying to note that this president felt enough at home with Adventists that he could join them without all the strict security.

 

During the Year of World Evangelism 2004, all administrators, department directors, pastors, and teachers will be conducting meetings throughout the division.

 

West-Central Africa Division

 

At the division's yearend meeting the last three missions in the Nigerian Union reached conference status. They were inaugurated in January of this year.

 

With this achievement the division has requested the General Conference to upgrade the Nigerian Union Mission to conference status and to study the possibility of dividing the union into two unions--namely the Eastern Nigeria Union Conference and the Northwest Nigeria Union Conferences.

 

At the triennial national convention of Nigeria Adventist Women's Ministries, the wife of the governor of Ondo State was the guest speaker. In her address she commended the Adventist women for their welfare programs that have, over the years, augmented the efforts of the government in providing a better life for the downtrodden and their effort to educate the youth on moral issues and HIV/AIDS awareness.

 

More than 90 percent of the Sahel Union territory lies in the 10/40 window. The people are mostly Muslim and illiterate. As the local church works with Global Mission, the gospel is gradually penetrating this territory. In 1995 there were 12,500 Adventist members in the union. By the end of 2002 the membership had more than doubled to 26,398.

 

Last year 33 people were baptized in Niger and another 30 were baptized in May this year.

 

About 200 people have joined the Adventist church through baptism in Mali. In Burkina Faso the membership has increased from 200 to 2,100. Thanks goes to Global Mission pioneers who are working in these countries.

The Valley View University in Ghana is the first chartered private institution in the country. Speaking at the recent graduation, the vice-president commended the Adventist church for its efforts to provide Christian education to the youth of the country. Five state ministers attended the graduation.

 

Southern Asia Division

 

At the end of the second quarter (June 20) 2003, the division's membership stood at 727,074. The number of members added during the second quarter alone was 15,632.

 

The United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization of South Asia recognized the Adventist church in India by inviting the editor of the Oriental Watchman Publishing House to deliver the "presidential address" on November 24, 2002. The theme for the year was "Relevance of World Religions in the Present Day Context."

 

In November 2002 the Northeast India Union and the Mizo Conference finalized an agreement for the establishment of a new radio production studio. The studio will produce programs in the languages of the northeastern states of India.

 

The India Nursing Council has approved the BSc Nursing program in Surat, India. The acquisition of the bachelor's degree program in nursing fulfills a long-felt need for the young people of the Southern Asia Division.

 

East-Central Africa Division

 

The East-Central Africa Division is the newest division--not even one year old. It is comprised of ten countries with its headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya. It is beginning to appreciate operating in two official languages, English and French, but is bonded by the indigenous

Ki-Swahili language. The division also appreciates the fact that it is easy to reach any part of its territory from the Nairobi headquarters office.

 

The major challenge is the prevailing unstable socio-political situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo. This has brought about insecurity, displacement of people, and harsh living conditions--especially in the East Congo. As a result of the war, the East Congo Union can no longer supervise the churches in the northeastern section of the union. This territory is organized as an attached field to the division. But the potential of growth in this area is such that it will likely lead to formation of a union.

 

With a strong membership of 2,005,320 the second challenge is to provide church buildings or places of worship to accommodate this tremendous growth.

 

The Ethiopia Union is a bright spot. After many years of fighting within the church, there is a strong desire among the members to dwell in unity. A union-wide seminar has been conducted to equip the members for action. A union-wide youth congress attracted over 1,000 young people coming from all the regions of the country. Evangelistic meetings held in the South Ethiopia Field resulted in the baptism of 137 people.

 

The Tanzania Union Mission celebrated 100 years of Adventism in the country on June 23 to 28, 2003. The one-week celebration brought together former missionaries and church members. The leaders and those who gathered accepted the challenge of keeping the flame burning with the hope of passing it on to the next generation. With the Holy Spirit's leading, the union has resolved to be the first union conference in the East-Central Africa Division.

 

Nine months after the division began formal operation, a groundbreaking ceremony for the division's headquarters building took place on September 8, 2003. In attendance was the State Minister of Education, Science, and Technology. The General Conference was well represented by the Treasurer, Robert E Lemon, Vice President, Gerry D Karst, and Associate Treasurer, Roy E Ryan.

 

The Adventist Health Professionals in Africa Conference held in Kenya ended with a graduation exercise of 60 students from the continent who had completed the requirements for a Masters degree in Public Health. Loma Linda University conducted the program on the campus of the University of Eastern Africa-Baraton.

 

During the period under review, 958,222 people joined the Adventist church by baptism or profession of faith. This is less than the 2002 figure of 996,269. By the end of June 2003 the total membership stood at 13,166,801. This gave us an increase of 573,097 over the same period in 2002. But not all of them stayed, as 246,128 members left the church.

 

For the past three years the adjusted gain/loss ratio is on the increase. For example, in 2001, 28 out of 100 who joined the church eventually left it. In 2002, 36 out of 100. By June 30, 2003, 35 out of 100 left. This means that for every three individuals who accept the three angels' message, one leaves us. I am sure that with proper audits in every union this figure would be higher.

 

I want to thank the divisions who are auditing the membership list in their territories. The membership audit is as important as the financial audit. We should, therefore, encourage it since that is the only way we can find out the strength of the Church.

 

We also need to find out why they are leaving so that we can change this picture. Could it be that we are not keeping proper church membership records? Could it be lack of proper preparation before baptism, especially when mass baptisms are conducted? What plan is in place to nurture these new members? Are there pastors, evangelists, and trained layleaders to work with them? After the stadium or large hall meetings are ended, do we have a place of worship for them? I believe that during the planning meetings we should consider these important issues.

 

I have learned from personal experience that when these people leave the church it is very difficult to bring them back. More money must be spent to reclaim them. We take them from their big church buildings and offer them classrooms. They lose confidence in us and somehow feel deceived. Building their own place of worship is impossible in Africa, Asia, and other parts of the world. I am aware of some church building projects that started 10 to 15 years ago and still have not been completed.

 

I want to express appreciation to Maranatha International and other organizations that are providing places of worship in India and other places. I appeal to you leaders to make church buildings a high priority when you consider the budget.

 

Summary of Missionary Departures

 

In your Program/Agenda book you will find attached the statistics to which I now refer regarding interdivision employees and mission appointees, as well as volunteers.

 

Current Calls--In the current calls as of September 15, 2003, you will notice there are a total of 84 calls for interdivision employees and 351 calls for volunteers for the world field.

 

Departure for Interdivision Service--Let us take a look at the departures for interdivision service around the world for the year 2002. Out of a total of 452, you will notice that 152 are new and 300 are returning.

 

Summary of Interdivision Personnel Departures, December 31, 2002--There were 152 new appointees, 300 returnees (furloughees going back), and 1,413 Adventist volunteers, giving us a grand total of 1,865 people departing for service.

 

Conclusion

 

"So those who are the partakers of the grace of Christ will be ready to make any sacrifice, that others for whom He died may share the heavenly gift. They will do all they can to make the world better for their stay in it. This spirit is the sure outgrowth of a soul truly converted. No sooner does one come to Christ than there is born in his heart a desire to make known to others what a precious friend he has found in Jesus; the saving and sanctifying truth cannot be shut up in his heart. If we are clothed with the righteousness of Christ and are filled with the joy of His indwelling Spirit, we shall not be able to hold our peace. If we have tasted and seen that the Lord is good we shall have something to tell."--SC 78