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The International Paper for Seventh-day AdventistsDecember 8, 2012Finding Them,,Keeping ThemEmbracing the challenge of disciplingnew members11CancerWorldwideJesus:Liar, Lunatic, or Lord?22 27 GrowingISSN 255003/09614inGrace

27December 2012The International Paper for Seventh-day Adventists11CancerWorldwideFinding Them,Keeping Them,811December 2012Embracing the challenge of disciplingnew members22Jesus:GrowingLiar, Lunatic, or Lord? inGraceC O V E R S T O R Y16Finding Them—Keeping ThemBy Benjamin D. SchounThe gospel commission is not only tobaptize, but also to teach.W O R L D V I S T ACalled to a Ministry ofReconciliationBy Ted N. C. WilsonIt started with Christ.S P E C I A L F E A T U R ECancer WorldwideBy Allan R. HandysidesHow to prevent it; how to fight it142224D E V O T I O N A LThe Lost DogBy Martin G. KlingbeilLost and alone, how would it survive?F U N D A M E N T A LB E L I E F SJesus: Liar, Lunatic, or Lord?By Oleg KostyukAt the center of our faith is One altogether unique.D I S C O V E R I N G T H ES P I R I T O F P R O P H E C YIn the Hands of the PeopleBy Stefan SerenaEllen White’s writings are now available in moreforms than ever.Community SchoolKit - $143A Breakfast a Day- $17SupplementaryVitamins- $13Clean Water - $48Looking to give a heartfeltgift this Christmas?Share the Christmas spirit with yourfamily and friends by giving them a Giftsfor Goodness Sake card. They’ll receive abeautiful card detailing your gift to them- a donation to support children in needthrough ICC Australia.There are gifts for every loved one thisChristmas, from a Self-reliant Farmer’sKit for Grandpa to a Back to School Kitfor your child’s school teacher. Give agift that means more this Christmas andshare the Christmas joy.You can find out more aboutGifts for Goodness Sake online atwww.iccaustralia.org.au/GFGSor by calling 02 9987 1136

An Act of ImaginationTry this experiment:Imagine for a moment that all of yourrelationships with fellow Adventists weresuddenly erased, leaving no residue of memoryor comfort.Imagine that no familiar smiles greetedyou at church, no one spoke your name, andno one put an arm around your shoulderwith affection.Imagine that no one invited you to sharea meal, or asked about your family, orlaughed with you at life’s little oddities.You are now beginning to see the church asthe newly baptized sometimes see it—a formidablestructure of vital truth but thin relationships,a “fellowship” organized around highideals and even higher expectations, but onetheir hearts find difficult to love. Little wonder,then, that a painfully large number of thosewho follow Jesus into the waters of baptismare somewhere else within a year—convincedof truth, but missing the human warmth thatmakes church more than doctrine.Now try this experiment.Imagine for a moment that you are standingat the doorway of your church, standingwhere Jesus would stand, wrapping all whomGod is calling into the warmth of His embrace.Imagine giving your name—and yourheart—to “strangers,” asking them to share ameal in your home, listening to their storiesof how grace conquers pain.Imagine introducing them to yourfriends, opening doors that someone onceopened for you, building networks of bothprayer and playfulness.This month’s cover feature opens up oneof Adventism’s most challenging dilemmas—howto welcome and hold the manywhom the Spirit is moving into this endtimeremnant faith. Like me, you’ll probablywince a bit as you read, for this is one placewe still are falling far short of the Savior’sexpectations for His people.And if you’re one of those who didn’t findthe companionship you needed on thefirst try, give us at least one morechance to get it right. We’vealready imagined doing amuch better job of welcomingyou next time we see you.PHOTOS BY ANSEL OLIVERWORLD REPORTAfter Debate,Annual Council VotesStatement on Church PolityLeft: OFFICIAL READING: GeneralConference vice president LowellCooper reads the statement.Right: READING STATEMENT:Annual Council delegates read the statement read the statementon church polity, procedures, and resolution of disagreements.■ Following three hours of respectful study and discussion, worldleaders of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists voted toapprove a “Statement on Church Polity, Procedures, and Resolutionof Disagreements in the Light of Recent Union Actions on MinisterialOrdination” on October 16, 2012, during the Annual Council of worldchurch leaders held in Silver Spring, Maryland, United States.The vote was 264 in favor and 25 opposed.The move comes after three local union conferences—the NorthGerman Union in the Inter-European Division, and the ColumbiaUnion and Pacific Union in the North American Division—separatelyvoted this year to permit ordination “without respect to gender,” somethingthe Adventist Church as a whole has twice rejected in votes at themovement’s quinquennial General Conference sessions.The voted statement expresses disapproval of the independentactions of the union conferences, appeals for all church units “to considerthoughtfully the impact and implications of decisions” made independentlyof the world community, and affirms the role of women in thechurch’s life and ministry. The document also points toward continuingstudies on the theology of ordination, the results of which are expectedto be ready in 2014, ahead of the following year’s sixtieth General Conferencesession. No sanctions are applied, or suggested, in the document.“This statement deals with church structure and procedures. It doesnot address the question of ministerial ordination practices per se,” theContinued on next pageDecember 2012 | Adventist World 3

WORLD REPORTstatement said. “The central issue is oneof church polity—how the churchdefines its organization, governance,and operations.”“Decisions to pursue a course ofaction not in harmony with the 1990and 1995 General Conference sessiondecisions (with respect to ministerialordination) represent not only anexpression of dissent but also a demonstrationof self-determination in amatter previously decided by the collectivechurch,” the statement said.“The General Conference ExecutiveCommittee regards these actions asserious mistakes.”The statement text continues: “Theworld church cannot legitimize practicesthat clearly contradict the intentof General Conference session actions.. . . Accordingly, the world church doesnot recognize actions authorizing orimplementing ministerial ordinationwithout regard to gender.”But the statement is also clear instating the Seventh-day AdventistChurch’s position on women: “TheGeneral Conference Executive Committeespecifically affirms the importantroles that women fill in the life ofthe church. Their giftedness and commitmentis a blessing to the wholechurch and a necessary part of itswork in mission.”The measure passed on a secret,paper ballot after the day’s discussion,which began with comments from TedN. C. Wilson, General Conferencepresident. Wilson expressed the hopethat the world church’s units wouldcontinue “focusing on the mission ofthe church, uniting in Christ, eventhough we will face some differencesand disagreements.”During an extended commentperiod, Daniel Jackson, North AmericanDivision president, sought to reassureworld church leaders that thedivision supported the church’s mission,despite the polity question discussedin the statement.“We want to make it abundantlyclear that the NAD without any hesitationexpresses our unity with theworld church,” Jackson said. “We arenot just an adjunct to the worldchurch; we are brothers and sisterswith every person in this room.”Speaking with Adventist World theday after the vote, Barry Oliver, SouthPacific Division president, said “manypeople” in that region “are hoping andpraying that our church will one daysoon find a way to fully recognize thespecial gifts God gives to all of Hispeople. In a global church, however,we need to work together and find away to meet all of our perspectives.”Audrey Andersson, executive secretaryof the Trans-European Division,also speaking after the vote, said herdivision has “a process in place, and atthe division we are committed to supportthe process.”—reported by Mark A. Kellner, newseditor, with Edwin Manuel Garcia,Adventist News NetworkJonathan Duffy to LeadADRA International■■Directors of the AdventistDevelopment and Relief Agency(ADRA) International electedJonathan Duffy, current CEO ofADRA Australia, to serve as presidentof the humanitarian arm of theSeventh-day Adventist Church. Aunanimous vote October 10, 2012,confirmed Duffy as the fourthpresident of the 28-year-old agency.According to Geoffrey Mbwana,board chair for ADRA Internationaland a general vice president of theFILE PHOTONEW ADRA PRESIDENT: JonathanDuffy, since 2008 CEO of ADRAAustralia, was elected president ofADRA International, the global humanitarianservice of the AdventistChurch, on October 10, 2012.Seventh-day Adventist world church,the search “was a very transparent, veryobjective process, one that gatheredinformation from all levels of the organization.This gave us a global inputleading us to get the best candidate,whom we believe will lead this organizationto the next level.”Mbwana said that Duffy “brings theleadership qualities we were looking for.He also has the managerial experienceand a very clear vision, as well as experiencein the organization.”Duffy said, “I am extremely honoredto be selected for this role. ADRA hasbeen a tremendously positive force inthe humanitarian arena, bringing hopeand healing to millions over the past 28years. I believe that we have such greatpotential to make an even larger difference,especially with the very dedicatedand talented staff around the globe. Ilook forward to working with theADRA International staff, the ADRANetwork, our board, organizationalpartners, and many supporters.”Before joining ADRA Australia in2008, Duffy served as director ofAdventist Health for the South PacificDivision, where he had extensiveexperience in health promotion andcommunity health development. Healso holds a Master of Public Healthdegree from Deakin University inMelbourne, Victoria, Australia.4 Adventist World | December 2012

—reported by Mark A. Kellner withinformation from Crister L. DelaCruz,ADRASouth AmericanPublishing CouncilRecognizes Editors’ Work■■Seventh-day Adventist editors attwo church-run publishing houses inSouth America are integrating theircommunication ministry.More than 40 editors from the SãoPaulo-based Brazil Publishing Houseand the South American Spanish PublishingHouse in Buenos Aries, Argentina,met in Brasilia in September2012 for the region’s first publishingcouncil in more than two decades.The council recognized the workof editors, encouraged collaborationbetween the two publishing houses,and provided resources and networkingopportunities, church leaders said.“Publishers are always offering somuch to people, but they don’t alwaysEDITORIAL MEETING: Dozens ofSeventh-day Adventist editors fromtwo church-run publishing housesin South America met at regionalchurch headquarters in Brasilia,Brazil, to integrate their efforts andnetwork with colleagues.PHOTO COURTESY BRAZIL PUBLISHING HOUSEreceive the support that they need inreturn,” said Erton Köhler, president ofthe church’s South American Division.Numerous prominent Adventisteditors led presentations during theconference. Former Adventist Reviewand Adventist World editor WilliamJohnsson shared lessons learned duringhis decades-long writing and editingcareer. Church historian, author,and editor George Knight offeredexamples from early church pioneerswho helped shape the Adventist ministryof communication.Alberto Timm, an associate directorof the White Estate, and WilmarHirle, associate director of publishingministries for the Adventist worldchurch, spoke on major cultural andecclesiological challenges the church iscurrently facing, and how editors canhelp offer clarity and context.To Almir Marroni, a vice presidentfor the South American Division, theconference served to motivate publishers,who, he said, play a key role inpreparing the world for Christ’s secondcoming.“The Seventh-day AdventistChurch recognizes the importance ofthe ministry of those who were calledby God to communicate the gospelthrough the written word in the lastdays of history,” Marroni said.—South American Division News withAdventist News NetworkAdventist Student Is“Best” in Nicaragua■■A Seventh-day Adventist studentwas named Nicaragua’s “best student”after earning first place in a nationalcompetition measuring proficiency inmath and science.Nathon Leopold Hilton, 16, wasrecognized by Nicaragua’s Ministry ofPHOTO COURTESY COVANICSTUDENT HONOR: Nicaragua AdventistVocational School student NathonLeopold Hilton (center) is awarded bythe country’s minister of educationfor scoring the highest in a nationalacademic competition at a ceremony inChiquilistagua Stadium in Managua onSeptember 13, 2012.Education as the country’s top-scoringstudent during a ceremony atChiquilistagua Stadium in Managuaon September 13, 2012. The honorwas based on Hilton’s performance ona national test covering mathematics,physics, biology, and chemistry.Leopold, an eleventh grader, is thefirst student from Nicaragua AdventistVocational School to receive such recognition,said school principal FelipeCordero.“We are excited for Nathon and thatthis recognition highlighted the school,”Cordero said, adding that school facultyand staff are committed to both strongacademics and spiritual growth.The school plans to hold a programto honor all the students whomade district finals in various subjects,Cordero said.More than 200 primary and secondarystudents are currently enrolledat Nicaragua Adventist VocationalSchool. The church’s Nicaragua Mission,headquartered in Managua,operates the school. Nearly 3,000 studentsattend 25 Adventist-run primaryand secondary schools in Nicaragua.There are roughly 62,000 Adventistsin Nicaragua, a country with apopulation of about 3.2 million.—reported by Javier Castrellon/IAD StaffDecember 2012 | Adventist World 5

WORLD REPORTMárcia Ebinger, South American DivisionIn South America,Seventh-day Adventist Web Evangelism RisesFor first time online viewers interactwith pastor during seriesFrom the Seventh-day AdventistChurch’s South Americanheadquarters in Brasilia,South American youth spent eightnights in “Countdown.” The webbasedevangelistic effort ran fromSeptember 20-23 in Portuguese, andfrom September 27-20 in Spanish.Transmitted on esperanca.com.br andesperanzaweb.com, the two events werecoordinated by the Youth MinistriesDepartment of the Seventh-dayAdventist Church in South America,along with the Evangelism, NovoTempo [Hope Channel] Network, andother departments. The initiative madepossible, for the first time, interactionbetween participants and the officialspeaker, Luís Gonçalves.The Public Identifies the TopicsThe general program coordinator,Areli Barbosa, explained youth-targetedevangelism efforts require differentlanguage and music, and anopportunity for interaction betweenparticipants and presenters. “We arekeeping up-to-date on modern mediathat reaches the youth, but the messagewe share is prophetic and biblical, thatis, the same message that has [already]transformed so many lives,” he said.According to Gonçalves, end-timetopics were covered for two main reasons:“People are focused on the Mayancalendar and the possibility of the worldending this year, so it’s time to clarify thefacts. In addition, we had a survey onthe Internet offering various topics. Ofall the options, prophetic subjects stoodout as the public’s preference.”For that matter, those who thinkyouth aren’t interested in last-day eventsare fooling themselves. In a YouthDepartment survey, topics related to theApocalypse and the end of the worldwere voted as being of greatest interestfor Internet presentations. With theseresults in hand, the four topics chosenwere “Signs of the Times,” “If there’s justone God, why so many religions?,” “Theseal of God and the mark of the beast,”and “The enigmatic number 666.”Another important impact of theseries sharing messages of biblicalprophecy was that the hashtag #ContagemRegressivamade it, at variousmoments, onto the Trend Topics Brazil,a real-time list of Twitter’s mostpublishedphrases. “We reached almost2,000 tweets per hour at the start ofthe program, which translates to 1.7million views (the number of timesthose tweets appeared on user timelines)per hour,” said Rogério Ferraz,the program’s technical coordinator.Other numbers also stand out.Over the four nights of programmingin Portuguese, 43,000 computers wereconnected with an estimated public of84,000 users. In Spanish, there were23,000 computers for some 45,000users. These numbers were calculatedwith a sample of Internet users whoresponded to the question “How manypeople are watching the program withyou?” Fifty-two percent watched theseries with one or more companions,while 48 percent watched alone.The average age of those watching“Countdown” in Portuguese wasbetween 25 and 34 years old, and inSpanish the most frequent users werebetween 18 and 24.Ferraz noted the program requireda team of more than 40 professionalswho, as he stated, “worked hard andheld nothing back from making surethat every programming detail wasdone right.”Besides the numbers, another thingthat stands out was the interest manyshowed for learning more about thetopics presented by Gonçcalves, theprogram speaker. Dozens of Internetusers, from South America and around6 Adventist World | December 2012

Left: ONLINE EVANGE-LISM: Luís Gonçalves(center) was the speakerfor “Countdown,” aregion-wide outreachof the church’s SouthAmerican Division. Right:YOUTH PARTICIPATION:Seventh-day Adventistyouth participate asvolunteers.PHOTOS COURTESY SOUTH AMERICAN DIVISIONthe world, sent questions about thesigns of the coming of Jesus Christ, themillennium, the number of those whowill be saved, etc. More than 50 countrieswere connected, including Mexico,the United States, Spain, Honduras,Costa Rica, El Salvador, Colombia,South Korea, Fiji, Slovakia, and theDominican Republic.“Countdown” Points to FutureInitiativesErton Köhler, president of the Seventh-dayAdventist Church in SouthAmerica, said about this new evangelisticformat, “The Internet-using publicis growing. As a church we have to gowhere the people are. And if they’re ontheir computers, we have to go to them,speaking a language they understand.”The project will have a sequel,Köhler said. “Once a year we will haveWeb evangelism in this same format.Beyond that, we will have video chatsand other initiatives.” He pointed outthat this first program will continue tobe enhanced and “growing, maturing,we will reach a better understandingof how we should move forward withthe Internet public.”Leaders celebrated the fact that1,869 people responded to the callsthat were made at the end of each program–anexample of technology beingused to convert hearts to Christ. nMembers Volunteer inWeb EvangelismIn Mogi das Cruzes, Sao Paulo, Carolina Rodrigues do Prado, 17, hopes thatthe program helped promote volunteer evangelism projects such as the one shehas been coordinating for two years, called Tweet KM. It’s a group of 400 youthfrom various parts of the country who gather virtually to pray for friends andto post videos and Bible materials in a language used by youth. It has just onemission: to share the gospel with everyone.“For us, Countdown was really important because it motivates us to use ourtalents to serve God,” says Rodrigues do Prado.What People Said AboutCountdownJohnatan Elías Adarme Rodríguez—Colombia: “This program has incrediblepotential, not just for South America, but for other areas, too. Here we have youthgathered in homes with groups of friends to watch “Countdown.” I suggest thatother countries copy the idea.”Fabiana Büchert Lerch—Venezuela: “Excellent initiative. There should bemore programs like this.”Silvia Fulchignoni—Brazil: “The program was really good. I wish we had liveBible studies online every day. I’m a businesswoman and my time is so limited.”Viviane Souza Paz - Brazil: “You deserve congratulations for the[presentations]. I’m from another religious denomination and I’ve neverunderstood the Bible as well as I do [now].”December 2012 | Adventist World 7

W O R L D V I S T AAs we come to the end of another year this is thetime many Christians around the world celebratethe birth of Christ. It is good for us to rememberthe great sacrifice Jesus made in coming to this earth, and Iwould like to invite you to take a few moments as togetherwe consider the greatest gift ever given—Jesus Christ.We read in 2 Corinthians 5:19 that “God was in Christreconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespassesto them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.”What a promise-packed verse this is! God was in Christreconciling us to Himself. Here we have an amazing pictureof the plan of salvation—a picture of a God who takes theinitiative to restore the relationship that He once had withhuman beings, a loss keenly felt when humankind chose toseparate themselves from their Creator.Imagine that night so long ago in the hillside town ofBethlehem. A baby is born: not in a comfortable bed, but in abarn—a stable, surrounded by creatures He Himself designed.Lying there in the manger, He appears to be just anotherinfant born into the humble life of a small Jewish family. Yetamazingly, He is both fully human and fully divine.We see God in Christ, reconciling the world to Himselfthrough the helplessness of an infant; through the innocenceof a child; by the faithfulness of a young carpenter; throughthe compassion of a great healer; in the wisdom of a respectedBy Ted N. C. Wilsonto theofCalledM inistryreconciliationOur sacred responsibility8 Adventist World | December 2012IMAGE BY ALBIN EGGER-LIENZ

teacher; and through the humility of an innocent man turningthe other cheek. We see Him on the cross, arms outstretched,seeking to reconcile the world to Himself.He came to a world that despised and rejected Him; aworld in which “He came to His own, and His own did notreceive Him” (John 1:11). What kind of God is this, whoseeks to save the lost, who loves His enemies, who remainsquiet in the face of fearsome attacks?This is a God who seeks reconciliationwith us. That’s what He wants—morethan anything. He longs for us to be withHim—not only in the future, but now.Reconciliation NowHis work of reconciliation did not endat the cross—it continues still, as Heserves as our high priest in the heavenlysanctuary, ministering in the Holy ofHolies, pleading His blood on our behalf.Christ is actively participating in thisimportant ministry right now. Howwonderful it is to know that the God of the universe, whowas willing to humble Himself and come to this world,where He experienced our trials and sorrows, is the sameJesus who is now our advocate and high priest ministeringfor us in a real heavenly sanctuary.We read in Hebrews 4:15, “For we do not have a HighPriest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, butwas in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.” Howwonderful it is that our Savior understands us completely.And perhaps that’s why He prayed 2,000 years ago, not onlyfor His disciples, but also for us when He asked His Fatherto “keep through Your name those whom You have givenme, that they may be one as We are” (John 17:11).Keys to ReconciliationJesus realized that there was a need not only for us tobe reconciled to Him, but that reconciliation would notbe complete unless we are also reconciled to each other.This is why He has given to us “the ministry of reconciliation”(2 Cor. 5:18). We are all called to this special ministry,and God has empowered us through His “word ofreconciliation” (verse 19), that is, the Bible. It is throughHis Word that we find the keys to reconciliation with oneanother—confession, forgiveness, hope, and healing.Whatever difficulties, disputes, and frustrations we arenow facing, the Lord has made a way for reconciliation,for unity among His believers.His humble yet focused life, His selfless ministry to others,His amazing sacrifice, are examples for us, encouragingus to set aside anything that keeps us from being reconciledto Him and to each other.New Every DayWhat amazing love Christ has shown to us, and what awonderful time this is to remember His birth and gift ofIt is through His Word thatwe find the keys to reconciliationwith one another.reconciliation. But while the warmth of the season mayembrace us today, how will things be in January—after thecelebrations have ended, after the new year has begun? Jesustells us, “Behold, I make all things new” (Rev. 21:5), and thatmiracle of re-creation, of reconciliation, is not limited toseasons. It is a free gift, offered to us each day. “The Lord’smercies” “are new every morning,” wrote the prophet Jeremiah.“Great is Your faithfulness” (Lam. 3:22, 23).How can we make certain that the reconciliationChrist offers is a real, 24/7, all-year-long experience foreach of us? By being connected to Him through His“word of reconciliation,” the Bible; and by building arelationship with Him in prayer. As we take the time toread and study His Word, we will become moreacquainted with His ways. And as we follow His example,we will become more like Him, taking on the ministry ofreconciliation.Just as prophecy made clear when the time of Christ’sfirst advent was near, we can, through the sure word ofprophecy found in the books of Daniel and Revelation,know that the time of His second coming is almost here. Theprophecies of these books trace with precision events thatwere centuries away when these prophecies were written.Looking Forward With HopeNow, in 2012, as we look back at how those prophecieswere fulfilled at precisely the right time, we can lookDecember 2012 | Adventist World 9

W O R L D V I S T AAOne -Day ChurchBatoka, Zambiaforward with great hope and assurancethat fulfillment of the fewremaining prophecies is very near. Ifyou need that hope and assurance, Iencourage you to study these prophecies,and read Ellen White’s bookThe Great Hope. It will amaze andinspire you. For a free downloadablecopy of this book in English, Spanish,French, or Portuguese, alongwith a study guide, visit www.thegreathope.org. For other languages,visit https://egwwritings.organd search for the book The GreatControversy.United in HimEven though more than 2,000years have passed since Jesus walkedthe dusty roads of Palestine, notmuch has really changed on thisearth. Nations still oppress othernations. Young and old still get sickand die. Crime still plagues theplanet. People still push for favorablepositions. Friends, enemies, lovedones, still quarrel. Yet God is thesame today as He was yesterday. He isstill in Christ, reaching His hand outin reconciliation, healing wounds,making people whole, offering eachof us the opportunity to be unitedtogether in Him.And one day very soon angels willagain appear in the sky, as they did solong ago above the hills of Bethlehem—thistime not to herald thebirth of the babe, but to accompanythe King in His glory, coming to takeHis people home. ■Ted N. C. Wilson ispresident of the SeventhdayAdventist Church.DICK DUERKSENFROM TREE TO CHURCH (top): Froma youth-led evangelistic series heldbeneath a tree, the believers in Batokanow have a building in which they canmeet regardless of the weather. HELPFROM AFAR (bottom left): Young menfrom another village help with some ofthe construction projects. READY FORTRAINING (bottom right): Women fromthe church’s Dorcas Society meet to plancommunity service projects—even beforethe building is completely finished.There was no Seventh-day Adventistchurch in Batoka, and a group of youthfrom the Dambwa Main church, 125 miles(200 kilometers) south in the Zambian townof Livingstone, decided to change that.Challenged by youth director WebsterSilungwe, the youth drove to Batoka,conducted an evangelistic crusade, andstarted a church beneath a tree.Maranatha and ASI have partneredto transform as many “tree churches”as possible in Africa, and Batoka got oneof the first new One-Day Churches inZambia. The new Batoka church, built bythe youth evangelists, opened for worshipin February 2011.On August 29, 2012, our Maranathateam dropped by to see what hashappened with the church in Batoka.What we found was truly amazing.Even though it was late Wednesdayafternoon, the Dorcas leader was alreadythere, preparing to conduct a Dorcastraining program in the church thatevening. Four other women were alsothere, each helping plan portions of thechurch’s community outreach.The church has a new concretefloor, red brick walls, cathedral windowsawaiting glass, and an additional platformarea prepared for steel roof panels. Themembers have taken full ownership of thebuilding and have turned their One-Day Church into a worship center for God.When we arrived, we were met by a couple young men tearing down theblockades they had placed in the church doorways.“The floor is finally dry and ready for tonight’s meeting,” they proudly told us.“This will be the first meeting on concrete!”The young contractors are not members of the Batoka congregation, but havecome from “way over beyond the big market” to help the members lay bricks andprepare the floor.The Seventh-day Adventist church in Batoka, Zambia, stands as a lighthouseon the Livingstone-Lusaka highway, a “youth-led” congregation that is growing andshining brighter every day.The One-Day Church program is a collaborative effortbetween the Seventh-day Adventist Church, Adventistlaymen’sServices and Industries (ASI), and MaranathaVolunteers International. These stories come to you eachmonth from Maranatha storyteller Dick Duerksen.10 Adventist World | December 2012

SPECIAL FEATURECancerBy Allan R. HandysidesWorldwideWhat’s the story in your region?Cancer is a major globaldisease. It’s estimated thatabout 13 million new casesand 7.6 million deaths from canceroccurred in 2008. This is an increasefrom 2003, when the World HealthOrganization’s World Cancer Reportnoted about 10 million new casesand some 6 million deaths. 1No region of the world is cancerfree.Age-standardized cancer ratesallow identification of particular geographicvariations, but not all databasesare of the same quality. Generalizations,however, can usually be madewith some degree of reliability.Regional differences in cancer ratesare very distinct. The United Statesrates high, with some 334 cases ofcancer per 100,000 men. Australia andNew Zealand, with 356.8 per 100,000,has worse statistics. Northern Europeat 303.5 and Western Europe at 337.4per 100,000 also have high rates. Therisk of dying from cancer is evenhigher in Central and Eastern Europe.Women in the same regions also havehigh rates of cancer, particularlybreast cancer.The lowest cancer rates occur inCentral and West Africa, and South-Central Asia for men and Central andNorth Africa for women. 2Affluent societies carry a higherburden of cancer, usually related totobacco smoking and other factorsassociated with a Western lifestyle.In developing countries, 25 percentof tumors are associated with chronicinfections such as hepatitis B (livercancer), human papilloma viruses(cervical cancer), and Helicobacterpylori (stomach cancer).In some Western countries therehas been a decline in cancer mortalityrates, because fewer people are smoking.Worldwide, lung cancer is themost common, followed by breastcancer and then colon cancer.Cancer deaths are most oftenrelated to lung, stomach, and livercancer. The increase in the world’spopulation is responsible for some ofthe gross increase in cancer statistics.Because some cancers are moreamenable to treatment, cancer ofbreast, prostate, and uterine/cervix,for example, are the cause of death inonly a minority of patients so affected.Causes of CancerMany factors impact the prevalenceof human cancer. These rangefrom cancer-inducing agents, or carcinogens,to chronic infections,dietary and lifestyle factors, alcoholconsumption, and genetic susceptibility.Some 20 percent of cancers areassociated with chronic infections.The most hazardous human carcinogensinclude tobacco, asbestos,aflatoxins, and ultraviolet light.TobaccoTobacco smoke is irrefutably causallyassociated with lung cancer. Lessrecognized is the association oftobacco with laryngeal, pancreatic,kidney, bladder, and—in conjunctionwith alcohol—oral and esophagealcancer.The age a person begins to smokeaffects incidence of cancer. Adultsaged 55 to 64 who smoke 21 to 39 cigarettesper day and commencedsmoking before age 15 are three timesmore at risk to die of lung cancer thanthose who started after age 25.Certain varieties of tobacco (e.g.,black tobacco) may be more dangerousthan others, but there is no safetobacco. 3AlcoholThe World Cancer Report 2003listed alcohol as second in its summaryof cancer causes. Heavy alcoholconsumption causes cancer of theoral cavity, pharynx, larynx, esophagus,and liver, and increases the riskof breast and colorectal cancer. Acausal relationship between alcoholand colon and rectal cancer is alsostrongly suggested, and the risk ofhead and neck cancers in heavydrinkers is some five to 10 timeshigher than in nondrinkers.The risk correlates to the amountof alcohol consumed. Changing pat-December 2012 | Adventist World 11

SPECIAL FEATUREFood ContaminationNot only the environment but alsoour food may be contaminated. Evennatural foods can be infected withnatural molds that can produce toxinssuch as aflatoxins. Residual pesticidescan also be a problem.In Africa and Asia fungal growthand aflatoxin production are recogternsof consumption suggestincreases in less developed countrieswith a decrease in more developedcountries. The actual carcinogeniceffect of habitual drinking, however, islikely underestimated.Alcohol is estimated to be involvedin causing 3 percent of all cancers (4percent in men and 2 percent in7.6millionpeople worldwidedied from cancer in2008, compared tomillion in 2003.6women). Of course, apart from its carcinogeniceffects, alcohol is associatedwith a plethora of other problems.Occupational ExposureSome industries expose workers toa variety of chemicals. The first casesof occupational cancer were identifiedin the eighteenth century amongchimney sweeps, who developed scrotalcancer. 4 Currently there are about25 chemicals, or groups of chemicals,for which occupational exposure hasbeen established as carcinogenic risk.In developed countries most suchrisks have been eliminated, especiallyfor asbestos, crystalline silica, andheavy metals, but there are hazardousmaterials that are probably carcinogensthat bring the total to nearly 50potentially carcinogenic chemicals.Awareness of such dangers is helpfulin assuring vigilance and regulation ofindustries.Some agents occur in the generalenvironment, such as chronic hepatitisB and C viruses, aflatoxins, radon,and solar radiation. Diesel exhaust hasbeen implicated in lung and bladdercancer.Environmental PollutionThe environment, with its pollutedsoil, water, and air, is responsible forup to 4 percent of all cancers. 5 The“environment” that we create withsmoking, drinking alcohol, dietaryfactors, lack of exercise, and excessivesun exposure may be implicated inthe majority of human cancers. 6Unavoidable nonoccupationaltoxic substances to which we areenvironmentally exposed include thefollowing:■ Asbestos, one of the best-documentedcauses of cancer, specificallymesothelioma. Asbestos dust maycontaminate not only the workplacebut the homes of asbestos workerswhen transported on their clothes.■ Air pollution, which includesindustrial work materials, not theleast of which are vehicular emissions.These emissions may contain suchproducts as benzene, toluene,xylenes, and acetylene—all knowncarcinogens. Urban populationshave a higher risk than ruralpopulations. Very high lungcancer rates have beennoted in nonindustrialworkers living at home.Studies show that nonsmokingChinese women,for example, are exposedto indoor air pollutionfrom their cooking andheating practices. Vaporsfrom hot oil may contributeto such cancers, along withthe smoke of their heatingsource and fuel. 7■ Water pollution, which can becombated with chlorination to reducebacterial and viral problems. Thechlorinating process, however, mayproduce harmful chlorination byproducts.Studies suggest a causal relationshipbetween chlorinated waterand bladder cancers. 8Contaminated water is a source ofarsenic exposure, which links to skincancer, lung cancer, and cancer ofother organs. High arsenic levels havebeen found in drinking water in severalareas of Argentina, Bangladesh,Chile, India, Mexico, Mongolia,Taiwan, Alaska, and other parts of theUnited States. 9Number of cancer casesper 100,000 men in 2008:356.8337.4334303.5Australia/New ZealandWestern EuropeUnited StatesNorthern Europe12 Adventist World | December 2012

nized problems. Animals consumingsuch foodstuffs, in turn, become problematic.When such contaminants areantibiotics, hormonal growth promoters,pesticides, and heavy metals, theymay be concentrated in the meat,milk, or eggs.Organochlorines, such as DDT,have been associated with increasedrisk of pancreatic and breast cancers,lymphoma, and leukemia. Attempts tocorrelate polychlorinated biphenyls(PCBs) with breast cancer have provedconclusive. 10Infection Agents and CancerEllen White spoke of cancerouseffects of flesh foods in unpublishedtestimonies in 1896. In 1905 she spokeof flesh that was “filled with tuberculosisand cancerous germs.” 11 It was notuntil Peyton Rous in 1911 published“Transmission of Malignant NewGrowth by Means of a Cell-free Filtrate”that an infection link to cancerwas first documented in scientific literature.12 Only in the 1980s didadvances in molecular biology permitthe detection of very small quantitiesof an infectious agent in biologicalspecimens. Since then at least eightdifferent viruses, four parasites, andone bacterium have been causallylinked to cancer.Hepatitis B and C and the humanpapilloma viruses are transmitted bysexual means and blood contamination.The Epstein-Barr virus is alsotransmitted by human-to-humancontact, as is HIV infection. Thehuman T-cell lymphotropic viruscauses lymphoma/leukemia, and issimilarly transmitted by human-tohumancontact.Human herpes virus 8 (HHV-8)has been associated with Kaposi’s sarcoma.Helicobacter pylori are associatedwith stomach cancer. Parasites ofthe liver fluke families, acquired byeating raw or undercooked fish, havebeen associated with liver cancer. Asyet there is no evidence of animalviruses causing human cancer, but theconcept of a cancer germ was dismissedin medical literature until thepast few decades.Diet and NutritionIt’s been estimated that some 30 percentof human cancers are related todiet and nutrition. The incidence ofvarious cancers differs by worldregion. There are many potentialcauses of such variation, but cancersof the breast, colorectum, prostate,endometrium, ovary, and lung aregenerally more common in developedcountries. Cancer of the digestivetract is more frequent in developingcountries.The most consistent finding is theassociation of reduced risk of variouscancers with the eating of fruits andvegetables. The Adventist Health Studiessupport these findings, particularlyshowing that meat eaters experience athreefold to fourfold increased risk forcolon cancers. There is a consistentassociation between red meat (pork,beef, and lamb) and processed meat,with increased risks being noted inmany studies.Simple sugar (mono- and disaccharides)may be associated withincreased colorectal cancer. Thehigher carbohydrate content of avegetarian diet, with its complex carbohydrates,appears to offer a protectiveeffect.Fat has been the focus of mosthypotheses about dietary factorsand cancer. Studies on ratios of polyunsaturatedand monounsaturatedfats have, as yet, not yielded clear data,although olive oil is associated withreduced risk.30 %of cancers are related todietandnutrition.A Gift From GodThe Adventist health message ofhealthful eating, exercise, fresh air, rest,and trust in God is a gift to us from ourloving, merciful Creator to help us tolive full, healthy lives while we await Hissoon return. Let’s thank and praise Himfor this bountiful gift. ■1World Health Organization, World Cancer Report 2008, www.iarc.fr/en/publications/pdfs-online/wcr/2008/.2International Journal of Cancer 127, no. 12 (Dec. 15, 2010):2893-2917.3World Health Organization, World Cancer Report 2003, pp.22-28.4P. Pott, ed. Chirurgical Observations (London: Hawes, Clark,and Collins, 1775).5Harvard Report on Cancer Prevention. Volume 1: Cancer Causesand Control 7 (suppl.): 53-59.6L. Tomatis, A. Aitio, N. E. Day, E. Heseltine, J. Kaldor, A. B.Miller, D. M. Parkin, E. Riboli, eds., Cancer: Causes, Occurrence,and Control, IARC Scientific Publication, no. 100 (Lyon: IARCPress, 1990).7“Carcinogens in Food: Priorities for Regulatory Action,”Human Experimental Toxicology 15:739-746.8“Chlorination, Chlorination By-products, and Cancer: AMeta-analysis,” American Journal of Public Health 82:955-963;Drinking Water and Cancer. Cancer Causes and Control 8:292-308.9Ibid.10Relevance to Human Cancer of N-Nitroso Compounds, TobaccoSmoke, and Mycotoxins, IARC Scientific Publications, no. 105(Lyon: IARC Press, 1991).11Ellen G. White, The Ministry of Healing (Mountain View,Calif.: Pacific Press Pub. Assn., 1905), p. 313.12Peyton Rous, in Journal of the American Medical Association56 (1911): 198.Allan R. Handysides, aboard-certified gynecologist,is director ofthe General ConferenceHealth Ministries Department.December 2012 | Adventist World 13

D E V O T I O N A LBy Martin G. KlingbeilIt was day 24 after we had lost Bella, our faithfullittle dachshund.She had been a cheerful member of our familyfor the past 15 months, playing with the childrenand adoring my wife, Thandi, as the alpha animal ofthe family pack. We had planned a one-week familyvacation, and the night before we were due to leave, achurch member had come over to pick her up andlook after her during our absence. She’d taken care ofBella before, and so we were surprised to hear thephone ring a half hour later and our friend telling usthat Bella had run off and was nowhere to be found.“No problem,” my wife said. “I’ll go over and call her;she always listens to me and will come.” Little did weknow that this moment would be the beginning of manyunsuccessful searches, tears, and disappointed hopes, andwould test our family’s collective faith.A story of family faith“Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24).I need to explain that we live in rural Tennessee, U.S.A.,close to Southern Adventist University. The area where Bellahad gone missing is surrounded by seemingly endless forests,dotted by small houses, farms, and estates—backcountry.Three hours passed before my wife returned exhausted,frustrated, anxious, and mosquito-bitten. She had roamedthe woods until after sundown, dodging poison ivy andunfriendly big dogs, calling out for Bella, who had apparentlywalked into the green unknown without leaving atrace. What had happened? It seemed so out of character.“Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”The next morning saw me bright and early, togetherwith our oldest son, Jonathan, returning to the scene ofBella’s disappearance. We walked hill and dale in search ofthe beloved canine member of our family. We returnedempty-handed, decided to postpone our departure further,phoned the animal shelters in the area, printed “Lost Dog”posters, stapled them onto electricity poles, and talked toneighbors in the area. Everyone was alerted and everyonewas praying, including our three sons, ages 10, 8, and 4.How was I going to explain to them God’s way of dealingwith our crisis if Bella never showed up again? The questionkept nagging at the back of my mind as we finally set outon our 10-hour journey to our vacation destination.Everybody in the car was unusually subdued.14 Adventist World | December 2012

I begin to ponder the question of howwe can process the loss of Bella.“Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”Three weeks have passed since Bella has disappeared.We’ve returned from our vacation, and the house seemsempty without her. No flapping ears flying through thebackyard, no friendly bark when I return from the office,no permanent vacuum cleaner under the dinner table, noconstant sidekick following Thandi around the house. Theanimal shelters by now are used to our calls and visits,we’ve been repeatedly back at the spot, our Sabbath schoolclass is praying—but still nothing. What are the chances ofsurvival for a 7.5-pound (3.4-kilogram) little house doglost in the huge forests of Tennessee? The question pops uprepeatedly during our family worships. We talk of sparrowsfalling to the ground, the numbered hairs on our head, andGod’s care for all of the above (Matt. 10:29, 30). But aftermore than three weeks, I’m not so sure who in our familycircle would score highest on the faith scale right now—most likely it wouldn’t be me. I begin to ponder the questionof how we can process the loss of Bella.“Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”On the morning of day 24 our youngest, Matthias,prays a simple earnest prayer: “Lord, please help us findBella.” And when my wife tells me about it, I’m touched—and worried about the effects of an unanswered prayer onhis tender soul. Then, in the evening, the phone rings, andmy wife answers the phone. We just hear her say incredulously:“You found her?” before she closes the door behindher to be able to listen to the caller without the noisy interferencefrom her four men. Someone, a half mile fromwhere she ran away, has seen Bella scrounging for foodaround a workshop high on a hill in the forest. In a flashwe are in the car, racing toward the venue. The storyunfolds: she’s been seen almost daily up there, and eventuallyone of the workers has made the connection betweenthe handmade posters on the electricity pole straight acrossthe entrance to his driveway and the forlorn little dog. Weare so excited. Could it really be her? The description fits,and my wife sets off into the woods once more calling outfor her as I stay with the children at the car.“Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”Day 25 of our search for Bella, and still she is nothome. After two hours of searching into the night andbeing drenched in a thunderstorm we’ve returned home.A feeling of déjà vu sets in. Was it just a mirage? Somebodysuggests we should try trapping her, and so a goodfriend and I build an improvised trap. In the afternoonour two families head out once more into the woods.While we try to set the precarious trap, Thandi and thechildren comb the woods behind the workshop callingout Bella’s name. Suddenly there is a different ring toher voice, and as she comes within earshot we hear thelong-awaited words: “I’ve found her; I’ve got Bella!”Everybody scrambles over, and there she is: a little bundleof fur in Thandi’s arms, flea- and tick-ridden, onlyskin and bone, with crusted blood covering her chest,pain-filled eyes—but our Bella. Unmistakably andmiraculously! This is a moment where everything runstogether: tears and laughter, anxiety and relief, doubtsand a newly strengthened faith. Our little dog is home.“Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”The emphasis in this familiar verse has changed: Ibelieve! I feel joy over this faith-building experience for mychildren, who are beginning to grow a relationship withChrist. But this is not just about Christian pedagogics—this is about me. My thoughts wander from lost dogs tolost sheep and, finally, to the prodigal sons and daughtersout there. The elements are all there: the wandering off intoa hostile world, the father’s search, the devastation of thechild, the excruciating wait, the long-awaited return, and,finally, the joyous celebration in each other’s arms. Maybethe scale is 1:10 as we are talking canines versus people. Butthere’s new meaning for me, and it has to do with thefather. Was it 25 days or years he spent watching the windingroad leading up to the estate? Against all the realisticrationalizations and careful compensations of my lack offaith, there is the sharp image of the father leaning againstthe window frame, still waiting for his sons and daughtersto return: “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” ■Martin G. Klingbeil lives with his family anda completely restored Bella in Collegedale,Tennessee, U.S.A., where he teachesarchaeology and biblical studies at SouthernAdventist University.December 2012 | Adventist World 15

FindingThem—I once was lost,Baptism is a spiritual highlight inthe life of an individual and thelarger church community.It is a public testimony of theacceptance of Jesus Christ as personalSavior and the commitment to followbiblical truth. It is also a symbol of anew direction in life and practicallymeans that one now is a member ofthe body of Christ and His church(Eph. 1:22, 23; 1 Cor. 12:13). Throughthe church there is ample provision forinstructing, strengthening, protecting,and organizing the followers ofJesus—so that they will be ready toTheLong RoadHome“Where have you been all theseyears?” Patty asked while staring intentlyinto Paul’s eyes.* It had been a long time—almost three decades. Paul had been anenthusiastic new convert who had pouredhimself into the life of the church. Butsomehow he had slipped away. Over timehe had become disengaged, and eventuallythe church lost track of his whereabouts.Some people would have been offendedby this seemingly nosy question. For some,it would have come across as arrogant,as if to say, “Well, I have my act together,By Glenn P. Hillwhat’s wrong with you?” But that was notthe way Paul took it. Somehow, he couldsense that Patty really cared and wantedhim to come back.During the past five years I have beenserving as the pastor of the ElmhurstSeventh-day Adventist Church nearChicago, U.S.A. Along the way I havewatched people interact with each other,asked questions, and listened as peopledescribed where they were in life and whythey were involved, or not involved, in thelife of the church. Some of these peopleno longer attend our church. Others are ontheir way back after being gone for a while.I wish that all churches could makesome kind of simple change that wouldcause nonattending people to comeback. But it isn’t quite that easy. It is truethat there are things we can do to makeour churches safe to visit—and safe forpeople to come back. But that is only partof the story. Each person is different. Whatattracts one person repels another. Inconversations with nonattending membersI have been startled to hear specific nameslisted as reasons to stay away from church.And then, other people list those samenames as reasons for returning to church.A common theme in those who returnis people who take a personal interestin them. Chiquita mentioned one couplethat “wouldn’t let go.” She rememberedspecific contacts from these individuals:16 Adventist World | December 2012

COVER STORYcommunity, as has been noted byMichael Green, well-known seminaryprofessor and church leader: “There arefew areas in the Christian church wherewe fail more catastrophically than inthe care we give to new believers.” 2The need for nurture, or makingstrongly committed disciples, beginsthe moment a person is baptized.“People,” adds Green, “need a lot ofhelp at this watershed of their liveswhen they may have entrusted themselvesto Christ but are very confusedabout what they have done andunclear about what it will involve tolive as His disciples in a world that haslittle time for Him. They need information.They need encouragement.They need to be drawn into the communityof Christians. They need to getto know people in the church. Theyneed help in developing a devotionallife. They need to get into the habit ofworshipping and to know what theyare doing. They need to learn thereason for the hope that is withinthem. They need to be nourished bythe Word. . . . They need someone tolook after them and help them overthe initial hurdles. They need examplesof Christian living to emulate.They need, above all, to be loved.” 3Lyle Schaller, another authorresearching this important area,points out that churches tend to havetwo circles—a membership circle anda fellowship circle. By joining thechurch, people automatically becomepart of the membership circle. Butthat does not mean that they are alsoautomatically part of the fellowshipcircle. In the fellowship circle peopleknow each other well, and they have astrong sense of belonging. Most of theleaders come from the fellowship circle.They refer to the church usingpronouns such as “we” and “us.”Unfortunately, there are too manymembers who do not see themselvesas part of the fellowship circle, and insome cases even the membership circle.They still feel like outsiders eventhough they technically are members.They tend to use pronouns such as“they” or “them.” The transition frommembership to fellowship oftenbegins with a simple invitation to participatein smaller circles in whichpeople are more directly involved withothers in study, sharing, ministrytasks, or leadership roles. Schaller’sresearch suggests that it is necessary tohave six or seven groups or circles foreach 100 members who are 13 or 14years of age or older. 4 This is animportant way to assimilate newmembers into the church and tostrengthen them and keep them.Reaching OutSometimes long-standing membersget discouraged, suffer an unkindword from another member, have aconflict with a leader, face a deep personalcrisis, or are overcome by temptation.They no longer attend servicesregularly and slowly begin to fadefrom active participation in thechurch. This should be cause foralarm and should set into motionministry activities that aim at reclaim-By Galina I. StelePrayThem HomeAfter the collapse of the Soviet Union,evangelistic campaigns were conductedall over the territory of the former SovietUnion, and people were baptized bythe thousands. In the context of theserapid political and economic changes,the Seventh-day Adventist Churchmembership grew tremendously from37,388 in 1990 to 109,889 in 1995—in justfive years. 1 Unfortunately, the growth rateslowed down as the years passed by—butnot the rate of those who were leaving.The challenge of retention became a partof life in the Euro-Asia Division (ESD).Why Do They Leave?Many factors can contribute toapostasy as well as to retention. Alongwith other studies, a survey focusingupon retention was conducted by theInstitute of Missiology in the ESD in 2007.Based on the opinions expressed by thepastors and administrators targeted in thesurvey, the most significant loss factorwas lack of friends or a limited number offriends in church. The second and thirdfactors involved inadequate preparationfor baptism, especially during publiccampaigns, and noninvolvement in the lifeand ministry of the church. The followingreasons were also mentioned: influenceor persecution from relatives and friends;lack of pastoral care; absence of churchbuildings; frequent change of rentedfacilities; difficulties with Sabbathkeeping;consolidation of local religions andtraditions; economic crisis and instability.When respondents were askedhow best to retain the newly baptized18 Adventist World | December 2012PHOTO BY ADRIAN VAN LEEN

COVER STORYFor many, membership matters areabout statistics, not ministry. How doyou see keeping updated records as aministry to the church that will helpus serve our members better?First of all, auditing membershipand member retention are not mutuallyexclusive. This is very importantto realize. Membership audit is anexercise in which we use a redemptiveapproach to locate those who havebeen missing. There are three majorways we lose members: through apostasy,through those missing fromchurch attendance, and throughdeath. Second, membership audit is aredemptive process. We need to locatemissing members. No stone should gounturned as we try to locate those weno longer see at worship. This maygo as far as publishing a list of namesof missing members and circulatingthis list in the local church, district,and probably both conference-wideand union-wide. We should work diligentlyto ascertain their whereabouts.If they have emigrated to other countries,we need to write to them. Sothis is a long and tedious processbecause we depend on the local networkof church members. Third,regarding those who have been distohelp churches and church membersto more effectively “reachacross” to those who have become orare in the process of becoming inactive.One of the most simple buteffective ways to reach across is tovisit those who are not attendinganymore. That was the basic strategyof one of the foremost evangelists ofour denomination who focused onreaching the prodigals. FordyceDetamore visited, and visited, anddid more visiting of those who hadleft. His visits brought back many. Itis something that does not need specialtraining or advanced studies. Itjust requires a large dose of love,patience, and the capacity to listen.Small group fellowship is a morecontemporary way to cultivate interactionand friendships. These can bestudy groups, sharing groups, oractivity groups of various kinds.Every new convert needs at least sevenfriendships in the church if he or sheis to be well assimilated in the church.The underlying goal of small groupfellowship is to develop relationshipsand build trust with new converts orthose who are becoming or havebecome inactive.Along with these relationships,people need to be involved in the lifeof the church. They must be given aresponsibility. Their participation in aministry of the church nurtures commitmentto and identification withthe church.There are many new resourcesavailable as tools to cultivate discipleshipamong new members. One curriculumis called “Growing FruitfulDisciples,” prepared by the GeneralConference Sabbath School Department.7 Another initiative, called“Churches of Refuge,” has beenlaunched by the Center for YouthEvangelism. It seeks to nurture safe,loving, and accepting spiritual communitiesthat welcome young people. 8An academic course, “Discipling, Nurturing,and Reclaiming,” will beoffered in many of our colleges andseminaries to help future pastors,church leaders, and members becomeaware of the needs, strategies, andresources in this area. 9As we begin to take note of thosewho have left, Ellen White has thesewords of exhortation and encouragementfor us. “Hunt up the [prodigals],those who once knew whatreligion was, and give them the messageof mercy. The story of Christ’slove will touch a chord in theirhearts. Christ draws human beingsto himself with the chord which Godhas let down from heaven to save therace.” 10 What a privilege to catch aglimpse of the joy that fills all ofheaven when one prodigal son ordaughter returns. n1Part of this number was influenced by failure to update recordsof people who had died. Others had moved away and joinedanother Adventist church by profession of faith or rebaptism,resulting in duplicate records.2Michael Green, Evangelism Through the Local Church: AComprehensive Guide to All Aspects of Evangelism (Nashville:Thomas Nelson, 1992), p. 292.3Ibid., p. 293.4Lyle E. Schaller, Assimilating New Members (Nashville:Abingdon, 1978), pp. 67-98.5All Scripture quotations in this article are from the Holy Bible,New International Version. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.6Paul Tompkins, “Never Give Up,” Leadership DevelopmentJournal, Trans-European Division (May 2012), summarizingconclusions from his D.Min. research; idem, “Bringing HomeOur Adventist Prodigals: A Strategic Plan to Reclaim Youthin the Trans-European Division” (D.Min. project, AndrewsUniversity, 2009).7Visit www.growingfruitfuldisciples.com for more information.8Check these Web sites: www.cye.org/cor/about.html. ForEurope: www.churchofrefuge.eu/. Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/CYECOR.9Additional resources devoted to reclaiming ministries includethe following two Web sites, which are independently fundedbut staffed by Adventist members: www.creativeministry.org/article/67/store/reconnecting-ministries, part ofCreativeMinistry, reflecting the work of Paul Richardson andothers. Operation Reconnect is a Web site operated by MikeJones. Jones went through his own experience of leaving thechurch and coming back. The site lists books, DVDs, a blog,and other ideas and resources, and can be found at www.reconnectnow.org.10Ellen G. White, in General Conference Bulletin, Apr. 12, 1901.Ellen White used the commonly employed word “backsliders.”Today this word is considered offensive and is avoided.Benjamin D. Schoun isa general vice presidentof the General Conferenceof Seventh-dayAdventists and lives with his wife, Carol, inLaurel, Maryland, U.S.A.MembershipIs a R edeAdventist World executive editorBill Knott recently sat down with G. T.Ng, secretary of the General Conferenceof Seventh-day Adventists, to speakabout membership audits and theirimportance for member retention.20 Adventist World | December 2012

Auditmptive ProcessG. T. Ngcouraged, we need to organize ourelders and deacons to visit them on aregular basis, redeeming them,because they have actually been losttwice—once before coming to Christ,and once after joining His church. Ifeventually after a year of sustainedappeals, they say, “No, don’t botherme,” then we have to say, “You know,my brother or my sister, the doors ofthe church are always open. TheFather’s arms are always open. If everyou want to return to the church, youare always welcome. We can alwaysrebaptize you, and we will restoreyour name. But for now, after a yearof work, we need to take your nameoff the membership book.”So you suggest that the audit processis designed to motivate the church togo looking for the lost?Yes, and many of the union conferencesaround the world are discoveringjust that. They say, “Look how we havedone evangelism. We have not done agood job. Look at the number of missing[members]. We have been remiss inour responsibility of nurturing thesepeople. We have to do a better job.”It really is not for the sake of just therecord, is it? It’s to motivate thechurch to do its evangelism and itsmission better.It’s part of the revival and reformationprocess.How is this ministry connected to therevival and reformation process?How could it not be? We can’t getaway from it. By doing the audit, wewill understand that follow-up shouldbe part of evangelism. Often in thepast, after evangelism was over, wedidn’t follow up. We have to use a betterand more productive methodology.As some South American countrieshave discovered, by highlightingsmall-group ministry they have a betterrate of success in retaining membersafter baptism because these individualshave already been incorporatedinto the church before they areever baptized.Have you found that some places arefearful of doing audits because it willsomehow change their reputation?The fear has been substantial insome regions, but I have good newsto tell you. The fear is now subsidingin many parts of the world. WestAfrica is taking the bull by thehorns. They are very serious. It isalso an ethical issue. When we submitstatistical reports, can we vouchthat the figures that we submit arereally valid figures?Is this an ongoing process, or do yousee this happening once in a windowof three to five years?We are in this for the long haul,because we haven’t been doing auditsfor the past 60 years of the life of thechurch. I think it will take more thanthree or five years to achieve an accuraterecord. Moreover, I think one ofthe more resisting factors are theadministrators themselves, becausethe quota at a constituency meetingdepends on membership figures. Wehave actually learned of executive secretariesbeing told by their presidents,“Do nothing; I don’t want a membershipaudit to be conducted in myquinquennium on my watch.”When the church is actively involvedin the steps you describe, going outand finding the missing, invitingthem to return, is this doing somethingspiritually for the membersthemselves?That is why this process is part ofrevival. We are caring for people. I’mafraid that many times we are guilty ofinfanticide, unfortunately. We leavethe baby to sink or to swim, and manytimes they die. We ignore our responsibilities,and that’s really a crime.Scripture calls us to “grow up intoChrist.” Doing that means helpingeach other, caring about each other,and keeping each other spirituallyaccountable. nPHOTO BY SANDRA BLACKMER December 2012 | Adventist World 21

orLord?three Gospels. 5 So are they right? Is the divinity of Jesussimply an invention of early church founders?The Gospel according to Mark is generally regarded asthe first written account of Jesus’ life. From its very beginningwe can see clear claims that Jesus was in fact God.Mark 2 tells the story of Jesus healing the paralytic. What isinteresting to note in this story is that Jesus does not justheal the man, but forgives his sins. The crowd’s reaction tothis statement is remarkable: “Why does this fellow talk likethat? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but Godalone?” (Mark 2:7, NIV). 6 Those who witnessed this actknew that the forgiveness of sins is a prerogative only ofGod. But here Jesus clearly demonstrated His divinity bywords and by action. In the same chapter Jesus goes on todeclare that He is “the Lord of the Sabbath” (Mark 2:28).This was truly a bold statement. Even God Himselfrespected the Sabbath; so with this proclamation, Jesus wasputting Himself on equal ground with God.In the very next chapter we find another clear exampleof the divinity of Jesus. The scribes accused Jesus of castingout demons by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons (Mark3:22). But Jesus’ response presents another divine claim:“In fact, no one can enter a strong man’s house withoutfirst tying him up. Then he can plunder the strong man’shouse” (verse 27, NIV). Satan is a strong man of this world,but Jesus is stronger, and He releases the hostages of satanicbondage. Only God has the authority to bind Satan.A careful reading of the first few chapters of the first recordedGospel suggests that (1) Jesus had authority to forgive sins; (2) Hewas the Lord of the Sabbath; and (3) He had authority over Satan.All of these are characteristics of God and God only.Perhaps C. S. Lewis said it best in his book Mere Christianity:“I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the reallyfoolish thing that people often say about Him: ‘I’m ready toaccept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept Hisclaim to be God.’ That is the one thing we must not say. Aman who was merely a man and said the sort of thingsJesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He wouldeither be a lunatic—on a level with the man who says he isa poached egg—or else he would be the Devil of Hell. Youmust make your choice. Either this man was, and is, theSon of God: or else a madman or something worse. Youcan shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and killHim as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call HimLord and God. But let us not come with any patronisingnonsense about His being a great human teacher. He hasnot left that open to us. He did not intend to.” 7We live in a world in which very smart and learned peopleclaim that Christ was no more than a wise teacher whowas only later tagged as “divine” by His followers. Yet wesee that even the earliest account of Jesus’ life has clear andovert references to His divinity. If God (in Jesus) was willingto come to our rescue, we can but give ourselves to Himin exchange—heart, warts, and everything. His atoningsacrifice is our only hope. His presence fills the hole left inour hearts when Adam and Eve listened to the serpent. Hisvictory will be ours. n1There are at least eight undisputable facts about Jesus: (1) Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist;(2) Jesus was a Galilean who preached and healed; (3) Jesus called disciples and spoke of therebeing 12; (4) Jesus confined His activity to Israel; (5) Jesus engaged in controversy about theTemple; (6) Jesus was crucified outside Jerusalem by the Roman authorities; (7) after His deathJesus’ followers continued as an identifiable movement; (8) at least some Jews persecuted at leastparts of the new movement (Gal. 1:13, 22; Phil. 3:6), and it appears that this persecution enduredat least to a time near the end of Paul’s career (2 Cor. 11:24; Gal. 5:11; 6:12; cf. Matt. 23:34; 10:17).Cf. E. P. Sanders, Jesus and Judaism (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1985), p. 11.2Scholars who suggest this viewpoint include John Dominic Crossan, Robert Funk, Burton Mack,and Stephen J. Patterson.3Bart Ehrman, Paula Fredriksen, Gerd Lüdemann, John P. Meier, and E. P. Sanders adhere to thistheory.4Some representatives of the Jesus the Savior theory include Luke Timothy Johnson, Robert H.Stein, and N. T. Wright.5Bart D. Ehrman, Jesus, Interrupted: Revealing the Hidden Contradictions in the Bible (and Why WeDon’t Know About Them) (New York: Harper Collins, 2009), p. 249.6Texts credited to NIV are from the Holy Bible, New International Version. Copyright © 1973, 1978,1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.7C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity (New York: Macmillan, 1952), pp. 40, 41.Oleg Kostyuk, a native of Ukraine, is thewriter and host of CrossConnection, a weeklylive program focusing upon the New TestamentGospels that airs on Hope Channel. Helives with his wife, Julia, in Columbia, Maryland, U.S.A. You canwatch him every Tuesday on hopetv.org/crossconnection.December 2012 | Adventist World 23

D I S C O V E R I N G T H E S P I R I T O F P R O P H E C YBy Stefan SerenaHandsIn theof thePeopleAccessibility for allThe life of Ellen White was remarkable in many ways.God allowed her to see and experience the historyof the universe firsthand—providing sweeping yetdetailed views of heaven and earth, the battle between goodand evil—ranging from the fall of Lucifer all the way downthe millennia until the time when peace will be restored.She was chosen to communicate God’s divine counsel to afledgling movement destined to reach the entire world withHis love. What may be even more intriguing, however, isthat people remembered her as someone who indeed livedwhat she preached.Unfortunately, time would last longer than she hoped.One Sabbath in February 1915, at the age of 87, EllenWhite fell, breaking her hip as she walked into her study.She would not recover. On March 3 she received whatwould prove to be her last vision. It emphasized once morethe importance of going “deeper and deeper into the studyof the things of God” (Advent Review and Sabbath Herald,Apr. 15, 1915, p. 3). As she brought her last testimony to aclose, she wrote:“I have no assurance that my life will last long, but I feelthat I am accepted of the Lord. . . . I have felt that it wasimperative that the truth should be seen in my life, andthat my testimony should go to the people. I want that youshould do all you can to have my writings placed in thehands of the people in foreign lands. . . . I am impressedthat it is my special duty to say these things” (ibid.).A Pivotal TimeAs we draw closer to the culmination of all earthlythings, our need of divine wisdom is greater than ever. Atthis pivotal time in earth’s history, growth of and access toglobal interconnectivity have soared dramatically, particularlywith the development of the Internet and WorldWide Web, smartphones and a huge array of applications,better known as “apps.” By the end of 2011 one third of theworld’s population had access to the World Wide Web,with an 11-year growth of 1,000 to 3,000 percent in manyparts of the world, such as Africa, the Middle East, andLatin America, and a 528 percent increase globally (www.internetworldstats.com/stats.htm).Despite their potential dangers, these recent developmentsin the technological world enable us to followEllen White’s instructions much more effectively than24 Adventist World | December 2012

MODERN TECHNOLOGY: Electronic communicationdevices make Ellen White'scounsels available to more people in moreformats than ever before.ever before; and the Ellen G. White Estate is making greatefforts to seize these opportunities. At the newly createdWeb site, http://egwwritings.org, anyone anywhere withan Internet connection can read, hear, and download thewritings of Ellen White, currently available online inmore than 60 languages, at no cost to the user. This Website is the beginning of an ambitious project to ultimatelyprovide online all of the Ellen White books in 2,500 differenttranslations.Wide Range of Free ResourcesThe Web site itself offers a wide diversity of tools andmaterials, such as advanced search functions, integrationwith social networks, a host of research documents andadditional resources, as well as a topical and scripture index(to find quotations based on topics or Bible references), toname only a few. The site also offers the ability to jumpfrom a paragraph in one language to the same paragraph inanother, and to read and scroll both simultaneously, whichmay be particularly helpful for many who speak languagesother than English.Books can be downloaded in a variety of formats to beread offline. More than 120 audio books, currently availableonline in nine languages, are available free of charge.Besides their usual uses, the audio books can be used tofurther the gospel in areas with low literacy rates. To furtherenhance accessibility, a scaled-down, text-only versionof the Web site (http://text.egwwritings.org) enables userswith slow Internet connections to easily read and studyEllen White’s writings online.Users of smartphones running iOS or Android willappreciate the free apps to be found on the Apple Storeor Google Play, respectively. While the apps provide thebest experience and even feature a built-in study centerto highlight passages and take notes, a mobile version ofthe Web site (http://m.egwwritings.org) is available aswell, taking into account the screen and bandwidthrestrictions of phones.Digital Resource CenterWhether we are in need of divine counsel or simplyhave questions pertaining to Ellen White’s life and legacy,Adventist history or the Bible, the White Estate DigitalResource Center (http://drc.whiteestate.org) providesresponses to questions on a wide range of issues that havecome to the Ellen G. White Estate dating from the 1920s upto the present, such as “What does Ellen White say aboutmarriage? true Sabbath observance? last-day events?heaven?” This is an invaluable resource for answers tomany questions asked today.Photos AvailableRecently the White Estate made available more than2,100 downloadable high-quality photos of Adventist pioneersand important institutions. The photos can beaccessed at http://photo.egwwritings.org. Not only willthese add to the interest in Adventist history in general, butthey can also be used freely for noncommercial purposessuch as in nonprofit publications.*Helping HandsThe Ellen G. White Estate is striving to place the importantwritings that they have been entrusted with into “thehands of the people in foreign lands” and to make themmore accessible to everyone. However, everyone is invitedpersonally to support these efforts in a variety of ways, themost important one being prayer. Other options includesimply spreading the word or donating at http://partner.egwwritings.org, which will help with the digitization ofbooks to be made available online.Many great achievements in history were possible onlybecause of the collective efforts of many individuals. FulfillingGod’s vision for His church is no exception. EllenWhite wrote, “We have nothing to fear for the future,except as we shall forget the way the Lord has led us, andHis teaching in our past history” (Life Sketches, p. 196). ■* If usage (judged on the honor system) is for-profit publication/Web site/video production, etc., aUS$60 donation is requested by the E. G. White Estate.Stefan Serena, a native of Switzerland,serves as technical coordinator at the EllenG. White Estate in Silver Spring, Maryland,U.S.A.December 2012 | Adventist World 25

B I B L E Q U E S T I O N S A N S W E R E DDoes the Bibleteach that theNoah’s floodwas universal?An unbiased reading ofGenesis 6-8 unquestionablydemonstrates thatNoah’s flood was universal.Reasons for its denialare located in sources fromoutside the Scriptures, such asscientific arguments and themythology of the ancient Near East.Universal catastrophism can no longer beignored. For instance, those who argue that thetemperature on the planet is rising know very well that thisphenomenon will result in catastrophes of a global nature.We may not be able to prove beyond a reasonable doubtthat the flood was universal, but we can clearly argue thatthis is what the Bible teaches. We will summarize heresome of the biblical data.1. Universality of Sin: The first two chapters of Genesisare mainly interested in the creation of our planet and allforms of life within it. It has a clearly universal outlook.Although the fall into sin takes place in the Garden ofEden, sin itself soon became a universal phenomenon(Rom. 5:12). By the time of Noah the human heart wascorrupt beyond repair and “every inclination of thethoughts” of the human heart “was only evil all the time”(Gen. 6:5). “The earth was corrupt in God’s sight and wasfull of violence” (verse 11). Humans had corrupted theirways and, in order to correct this situation, the Lord wasready “to destroy both them and the earth” (verse 13). Thisemphasis on the universality of the problem points to theuniversality of the means used by the Lord to deal with it.2. All Humans: The language used to refer to humansis also universal and all-inclusive: “My Spirit will not contendwith humans forever, for they are mortal”; God wasgrieved “that he had made human beings on the earth”(verses 3, 6). It is obvious that the phrase “that he hadmade” is referring to the creation of humans in Genesis1:26-28. In other words, God is bringing to an end thelives, not of certain ethnic groups, but of the humankindHe had originally created. The Lord’s preservation ofNoah and his family demonstrates that the rest of humanityperished in the Flood: “Only Noah was left” (Gen. 7:23).3. All Living Things: The language used to refer to theanimals is also universal. God is bringing to an end “all life26 Adventist World | December 2012A UniversalFloodunder the heavens, every creature that has the breath of lifein it” (Gen. 6:17; cf. Gen. 7:22). The language used heregoes back to the Creation account (Gen. 1:30). In otherpassages we read: “Every living thing that moved on landperished—birds, livestock, wild animals, all the creaturesthat swarm over the earth” (Gen. 7:21). The Lord was to“wipe from the face of the earth every living creature I havemade” (verse 4). Again, the language points back to Creation(Gen. 2:6; 1:25). This is “the end,” the eschatologicalend of that generation. During the Flood God judgedhumankind: He gave humans a probationary time (Gen.6:3), investigated the evidence (verse 5—“the Lord saw”),concluded that the earth was filled with violence (verse 13),pronounced a sentence (verse 7), and executed judgmentagainst His creation (Gen. 7:11-24).4. All the Waters: The Hebrew word mabbul is usedexclusively to refer to the flood of Noah and not to localfloods. Its waters destroyed all living things, includinghumans (Gen. 6:17), and covered the highest mountains ofthe earth (Gen. 7:20). The torrential rain and the breakingof the fountains of water of the earth lasted 40 days (verse17). Noah had to wait inside the ark one year and 10 days(verse 11; Gen. 8:13, 14).The Flood was a divine act that perhaps we’ll never beable to explain through the study of the natural world. Itwas a divine act of de-creation—almost returning the earthto its original condition—followed by the divine act of recreationthrough an eternal covenant with humans andnature. When sin had apparently conquered the world,God preserved for Himself a faithful remnant throughwhom He would fulfill His plan for the human race. Thisuniversal judgment against human sin became a type ofthe universal judgment at the return of Christ (Matt. 24:38,39). At that moment He will preserve His end-time remnantpeople. n* Scripture quotations in this article are from the Holy Bible, New International Version. Copyright© 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.Angel Manuel Rodríguez is retired, living inTexas, United States, after having served thechurch as a pastor, professor, and scholar.

B I B L E S T U D YGrowingin G raceAGNES SCHOLIERSBy Mark A. FinleyJesus invites us to come to Him just as we are. It is notnecessary to change before we come; as we respond tothe invitation, by the convicting power of His Holy Spiritwe will be changed. We come to Jesus just as we are, butwe don’t stay as we are. The same grace that pardons usempowers us; it’s all of grace. His grace enables us togrow as Christians. There’s no such thing as a genuinelycommitted Christian who is not a growing Christian. Jesusdaily imparts the grace we need to grow. In this lesson wewill study how to keep growing in grace.1 Read 2 Peter 3:17, 18. What solemn warning andearnest appeal does the apostle Peter give to eachone of us?2 As a result of Adam and Eve’s fall in the Gardenof Eden, our planet was plunged into sin. ReadRomans 5:17, 20. What does Jesus offer to counteractthe ultimate consequences of the Fall?What incredible good news! God’s grace is greater than oursin. Where sin abounds, God’s grace abounds much more.Through grace the chains of sin are broken. Through graceSatan is a defeated foe. Through grace we are victorious overthe wiles of the evil one. Whatever hold sin has upon us, as wedaily grow in grace the stranglehold of sin is broken.3 Read James 4:6. What is one of the basicconditions of receiving God’s life-changing grace?Humility of heart is a fundamental prerequisite of receivingChrist’s transforming grace. Pride shuts us out fromHis grace. It is our acknowledgment of our basic need forJesus and His grace that prepares us to receive it.4 Read Titus 2:11-14. According to the apostlePaul, what does this grace of God, which hasappeared to all humanity, accomplish in our lives?5 Read Romans 6:14; 8:14-17. How is the bondageof sin broken in our lives? What does it mean to beunder law? What does it mean to be under grace?God’s grace breaks the bondage of sin in our lives. We areno longer under the condemnation of the law we have broken.To be “under the law” means to be under the law as amethod of salvation. If this is true for us, we will daily feelthe pangs of guilt over breaking the law; we will be inbondage. Filled with condemnation, we will feel hopelessof ever being saved. But if we are under grace, it is a differentstory altogether. To be under grace means that grace isour method of salvation. His grace pardons us, empowersus, and transforms us.6 Read 2 Peter 1:2-4 and James 1:21. When willwe grow in grace daily? How can growth in gracetake place in our daily lives?God reveals His grace in His Word. As we fill our mindswith the Word of God, His grace will flow into our lives. Aswe meditate upon His Word, we will have fresh glimpses ofJesus and His life-changing power.7 What promise does the apostle Paul give aboutreceiving His life-changing grace in 2 Corinthians3:17, 18?As we behold the glory of God in the selfless sacrifice ofChrist upon the cross, our hearts are changed. We cannotremain the same in the light of God’s love streamingfrom Calvary. Growth in grace occurs as we spend timewith Jesus. Beholding Him, we become like the One wemost admire. Why not make a decision today that youwill spend time with Jesus every day and watch what Hedoes in your life? nDecember 2012 | Adventist World 27

NOTICE BOARDSOUTH PACIFICPACIFICNSW), were married 30.9.12 atAanuka Beach Resort surroundedby beautiful tropical gardens,with the sound of the ocean inthe background.Gordon SmithTaituave—Williams.Jeremy Taituave,son of Faafofolaand Lowinga Taituave andVeremine and William Patton,and Sarina May Williams,daughter of Gavin and ChristineWilliams, were married 8.10.12at Albert River Wines,Tamborine, Qld. Jeremy isstudying theology and Sarina isworking for ADRA. They haveset up their home on the CentralCoast, NSW.Andre van RensburgTipple—Martin.Anthony JamesTipple, son ofStuart andCherie Tipple, and Katie DianneMartin, daughter of Steve andChris Martin, were married30.9.12 at Gosford church, NSW.The nautical decorations blendedtastefully with an hour-longcruise on Brisbane Watersfollowed by the reception in theWoy Woy Boathouse. We wishthem God’s blessing as they starttheir lives together.Ken MartinVan derMade—Koy.Peter AdrianusJohannes vander Made, son of the lateAdrianus and Agnes van derMade, and Molly Koy, daughterof Mintha Koy (Adelaide, SA)and Khorn Pich (Qld), were married7.10.12 at Belmont church,Perth, WA. Peter is from TheNetherlands and Molly is fromCambodia, having escapedduring the Pol Pot regime. Theyhave set up their home inGosnells, WA.Don FehlbergOBITUARIESBateman, Ernest ArthurSomerton Henry, born 25.8.1933at Elong Elong; died 19.9.12 atNowra Hospital, four days afterbeing diagnosed with cancer. Heis predeceased by Betty Keys,Dorothy Griffiths and DaphneSullivan. He is survived by CatherineBurraston (Brisbane, Qld),James Oliver, Dulcie Deleeuw,Denise Dunn and Dianne Mouldsand Valerie Houldsworth (all ofNowra, NSW). His artwork willbe treasured; his smile and generousspirit will never be forgotten.He quietly slipped awaywith his family around him.Jim TonkinBrogden, Eric Ross, born8.9.1926 in Sydney, NSW;died 9.9.12 at Noosa, Qld. On26.1.1951, he married RaeGardner, who predeceased himon 7.12.11. He was baptised in1986 by Pastor W Stewart inWaitara, NSW. He is survived byhis daughter, Debbie and GaryMartin (Kin Kin, Qld); and grandchildren,Clint and Teresa Martin(Sippy Downs), Giselle and ToddAlford (Kin Kin) and Amber andAidan Chamberlain (Point Headland,WA); and six great-grandchildren.Eric loved his Saviourand was awed by His gracioussacrifice for him. He preparedpreliminaries for Sabbath Schooland volunteered at Sanctuary 7on the Gold Coast. He attendedBurleigh Gardens church andthen Caloundra church. Eric wasa wonderful father, protector,provider. He was fun and loving.Just before he died he said, “Iam amazed how much God hasblessed my family.”Gary Roberts, John RabbasCeic, Ljubica (Ljuba), born17.6.1922 in Croatia; died 1.10.12at Wodonga, Vic from a heartattack. Ljuba was devoted toher God and her church family.She lived by her faith by helpingmany people both in Australiaand overseas. Wodonga Slavicchurch members miss her.Dragan KanazirDodds, David Leslie (Les) Alexander,born 22.2.1926 at Murwillumbah,NSW; died 29.7.12peacefully in MurwillumbahHospital. He was baptised on3.11.1953 by Pastor Parker. Hewas married to Olive Parmenterin Lismore by Pastor Tom Kent.He is survived by his wife; fivechildren, Garry Dodds (Launceston,Tas), David and WendyDodds, Leanne and Peter Dawes(all of Murwillumbah), Juliemaeand Robert Hanby (Terranora),Janelle and Peter Skennar (Murwillumbah);15 grandchildren;and 20 great-grandchildren. Leswas a faithful church member,working as a deacon and elderof both Murwillumbah and BrayPark churches. He worked withPastor Calvyn Townend approximately30 years ago to build theBray Park church.Vern Parmenter, Darryl GrovesDowling, Dulce Milbree (neeRosendahl), born 11.2.1925 inCarmel, WA; died 17.9.12 in SydneyAdventist Hospital, NSW.Milbree was studying music atAvondale College where shemet Wynstan Dowling, who wasstudying business and theology.They graduated in 1945 andwere married at Cooranbong in1947. Milbree’s musical talentwas put to good use in manychurches supporting Wynstanaround Australia, NZ and Fiji.Over the years she took aspecial interest in working withintellectually impaired children.She is survived by her daughtersJulie Gilmore and Beverley Tilland their spouses; four grandchildren,Shaun, Carla, Sharleneand Jay and their spouses; sixgreat-grandchildren, Lachlan,Java, Hamilton, Skye, Rachel,and Jack; and her sister, MavisNeedham. Milbree was gentle,loving and humble, and devotedher life to others.Kevin PriceEdser, Alfred (Eric), born11.1.1912 at Ipswich, Qld; died1.8.12 at Toowoomba. Hemarried Daphane Richter whopredeceased him on 18.7.05. Heis survived by his six childrenand spouses, Cliff and Rose,Graham and Shirley, Valerie andCliff Jull, Trevor and Christine,Delmai and Barry Rosendahland Malcome and Janelle; 23grandchildren, (three deceased);35 great-grandchildren; and astep-great-grandchild. A keengardener, creative handyman,inventor of equipment and puzzles,he served the Church inmany ways.Clive Butcher, Casey WolvertonGow, Mary Joan (nee Kraft),born 18.8.1930 at Sunnybank,Qld; died 18.9.12 in PrincessAlexandra Hospital, Woolloongabba.On 29.3.1952 she marriedRobert Charles Gow. She issurvived by her children, MarylynHam (Petersburg, USA), ChristineStehn (Caboolture, Qld), MichelleMorton (Thagoona) and Robert(Sydney, NSW); and her sister,May Green (Sunnybank Hills,Qld). Joan loved needlework,Contactinformation foradvertising inAdventist WorldEditor:James StandishEmail: editor@record.net.auAssistant Editor:Jarrod StackelrothAssistant Editor:Kent KingstonSales & Marketing:Theodora AmuimuiaCopyeditor:Tracey BridcuttEditorial Assistant:Linden ChuangGraphic DesignerKym JacksonEmail @ RecordNoticeboard: ads@record.net.auwww.record.net.auMail: Adventist Media NetworkLocked bag 1115Wahroonga, NSW 2076, AustraliaPhone: (02) 9847 2222Fax: (02) 9847 2200ABN 59 093 117 689Note: Neither the editor, Adventist MediaNetwork, nor the Seventh-day AdventistChurch is responsible for the quality ofgoods or services advertised. Publicationdoes not indicate endorsement of aproduct or service. Advertisementsapproved by the editor will be inserted atthe following rates: first 30 words or less,$A60 +GST; each additional word, $A1.98+GST. For your advertisement to appear,payment must be enclosed. Classifiedadvertisements in RECORD are availableto Seventh-day Adventist members,churches and institutions only. Seemasthead (above) for contact details.December 2012 | Adventist World 29

NOTICE BOARDfood and helping people. Butmore than this she loved her familyand she loved her Lord. Shenow awaits His return. “Preciousin the sight of the Lord is thedeath of one of His saints”.Neil TylerGray, Ronald Wilfred,born 13.4.1913 in NZ;died 11.9.12 at VictoriaPoint Adventist AgedCare, aged 99. He was predeceasedby his wife, Mary. He issurvived by his daughters, JennyGray Haskins and Dr Sue Gray; hisgrandchildren, Jason, Simon,Sammie, Kate, Nick and Chris; andgreat-grandchildren, Harvey,Cooper-Jay, Zoey and Frankie. TheGray family in Adelaide werefounding members of theAdventist Church, holding servicesin their home for many years inthe early 1900s. Ron is rememberedas a person who lived outhis Christian faith in practicalservice to others and commitmentto the Church. He successfullycompleted studies in theology, buttook up work at Sanitarium,holding positions as a driver, storeand restaurant manager and statemanager, altogether giving 44years of faithful service.Kara DaleHutton, Lorna (nee Finnis), born2.1.1921; died 16.9.12 in BrisbaneAdventist Retirement Village,Qld. Lorna loved to sing. In 1941,she married Ben Hutton in StAndrews Presbyterian church,Bundaberg, where they joinedthe choir and began to sing ineisteddfods. In 1949, they werebaptised in the Albion church andboth played active roles in churchKARALUNDIlife for many years. Ben predeceasedher in September 2010.Lorna loved God, church, familyand friends, her garden, and pets.She will be remembered for herwarm smile and friendly manner.She still enjoyed singing to the“oldies” when she moved into thehostel aged 86. She is survived byRod and Kathy Hutton, Chris andJohn Kemp; grandsons, Simon,Tim (and Anthea); and greatgrandchild,Annabelle, and byeveryone at ARV. We can’t waitto see her again.Judy FuaKirkman, Wray, born 13.12.1924at Millthorpe, Vic; died 3.9.12 atSuffolk Park, NSW. On 19.8.1947,he married June Morley. He waspredeceased by his daughter,Jenny on 4.7.11. He is survivedby his wife (Mullumbimby), sister,Loris Mitchell (Carboor, Vic); son,Barry, and wife, Clare (Mullumbimby,NSW); and grandson,Hayden. After returning from warservice, Wray married June andtogether they enjoyed 65 yearsof marriage. His working lifevaried from joiner, plasterer, tilerto banana grower and telecommunicationsinstaller. Wray was ahappy man who loved gardeningand the outdoors. His liferevolved around God, church,family and helping others.Ernie Krause, Cranville TooleyArthur WinterMcKendrick, James (Jim) Watt,born 29.6.1925 in Edinburgh,Scotland; died 21.3.12 in TownsvilleGeneral Hospital, Qld. Hewas predeceased by his wife,Beryl, in 1995. Jim is survived byhis daughters, Alix and Virginia,Two male and two female house parents 2013 (Meekatharra,WA). Develop and facilitate an out-of-school-hours program forstudents aged 10—17, including camps and excursions, music,sports and weekend activities. A focus on health and hygiene,respect, and responsibility are priorities in achieving personal andgroup development outcomes and creating a caring and supportivecommunity within the dormitories. Chief financial officer—responsibefor all accounting functions and systems. Karalundi is an oasisin the outback and includes a swimming pool, staff gymnasium andother recreational activities. Salary package includes subsidisedon-site housing and utilities with salary sacrifice available. Salaries/wages based on the Federal Education Services Award. Contact theCEO or principal for further information on (08) 9981 2000, email or or post your CV with three work-related references to The CEO,PMB 6, Meekatharra, WA 6642.Karalundi is independent of the Seventh-day Adventist Church organisation but issupportive of the Church.his son, Angus; and grandson,Ross. Jim saw active duty as arear-gunner in the RAF duringWorld War II. Post-war, Jimtrained as a pilot in the RAF andserved at home and abroad. Aperiod as a commercial pilotwith British Overseas AirwaysCorporation and West AfricanAirways ensued. Jim broughthis family to Australia in 1961,operating businesses in Brisbaneand Townsville, where the familymoved in 1969. Jim was baptisedin Townsville in 1996 and diedpeacefully in the blessed hope.Barry Harker, Brent JonesMoffitt, Nola Gertrude (neeCollett), born 14.1.1920 inChristchurch, NZ; died 23.7.12 atSherwin Lodge, Rossmoyne, WA.In November 1947, she marriedWattie Moffitt, who predeceasedher in 1986. She is survived byAlistair and Kim, Malcolm andPaula (all of Perth), Bronwyn(Melbourne, Vic) and Kevin(Vancouver, Canada). Nola was agentle and caring lady who lovedGod, her family and the church.She lived her faith and nowawaits Jesus, the One in whomher hopes have been centred.Richard ReynoldsMotto, Oliver Ralph William, died2.4.12, aged 72. He is survivedby his sister, Belva Grace Motto(Sarina, Qld). His funeral servicewas held 12.4.12 at the Mackaychurch, and he was laid to rest atthe Walkerston Cemetery.Tom OsborneNowland, Jean Olive (nee Palmer),born 1.7.1916 at Boonah, Qld;died 9.10.12 at Monto. In 1941,VOLUNTEERSAssistant deans for boththe men’s and women’sdorms for Longburn AdventistCollege in New Zealandneeded. Duties include: lookingafter the students in theirdormitories, being responsiblefor vespers, Friday nightworships etc. You would berequired from mid-Januarythrough to mid-December.For more information visit or contact AVS (02) 9847 3278—Anna Downing.she married Claude Nowland.She was predeceased by herhusband in 1992 and her children,Marjorie in 2005, Brian in 1996and Johnny in 1978. She is survivedby her children, Betty, Robert,Bernice, Glenn, Malcolm andRussell (all of Qld); 23 grandchildren;23 great-grandchildren andone great-great-grandchild. Jeansupported the family after herfather was crippled. She was anavid reader, who loved animalsand had a good sense of humour.She enjoyed the football, but wasvery spiritually minded and livedfor her family giving good adviceto keep them on track. Her softblue eyes twinkled with love andcompassion.Phil DowningPage, Irene Joyce (neeDubrich), born5.2.1946 at Rose Park,SA; died 30.9.12 atShoalhaven Hospital, Nowra,NSW. On 15.3.1981, she wasmarried to David Page atLakemba church, by Pastor MaxHatton. She is survived by TraceyCope, Dean Coleman (both ofNowra), David Page (Cooranbong)and Aimee Page (Brisbane,Qld). Irene loved God, her familyand her church. She wasbaptised in the Nowra churchwith her husband in 1984 byPastor Cyril Brown, and becamea very active member. While sheis greatly missed by her family,they hold on to the knowledgethat they will be reunited whenJesus returns.Bruce CampbellRaethal, Pastor Elwyn Albert,born 24.10.1924 at Glen Huon,Tas; died 14.9.12 at AdventistAged Care, Cooranbong, NSW.On 29.11.1950, he married PhylisRhae Ford, who predeceasedhim on 14.10.10. He is survivedby his children, Colin and LoeenRaethel (Central Coast), Beverlyand George Ferguson (Mt Isa,Qld) and Heather and JonathonButcher (Cooranbong, NSW). Hisministry commenced at Milduraand Geelong, then 23 years inPapua New Guinea in severallocations and roles, includingmission pilot. Pastor Raethelcontinued flying on his return toAustralia where he worked in theNNSW Conference at AvondaleMemorial, Hillview, Brightwatersand Kyogle churches.Adrian Raethel, Bert CousinsMark Venz30 Adventist World | December 2012

Russell, Sean PeterLlewellyn, died in August2012, aged 46. He is survivedby his wife, Amanda Russell(West Marian, Qld). Hisfuneral service was held on25.9.12 at the Mackay church.He has been laid to rest atthe Walkerston Cemetery.Tom OsborneShepherd, George, born13.10.1931 at Sazgotarjan,Hungary; died 19.9.12 inBrisbane, Qld. George arrivedin Australia in 1969 and beganwork with Sanitarium andlater moved to Queenslandwhere he was employed asa door-to-door salesman.George loved people and wasmoved by his love for Christto help them as best hecould. He was a happy Christianand was always on thelookout for those whom hecould influence for the Gospelwhich he loved. George willalways be remembered as akind and loving friend whosecheerful manner broughthappiness to others.Steve CinzioSimmonds, Sheila Fraser(nee Wilson), born 12.1.1913at Stockton, NSW; died4.8.12 at Elizabeth LodgeHostel, Normanhurst, NSW,five months short of her100th birthday. On 21.6.1942,she married Walter Simmonds.She was predeceasedby her husband andeldest daughter, LorettaSatchell. She is survived byher son, Peter (Martinsville),and daughter, Elizabeth deGuio (Turramurra); six grandchildren;and four greatgrandchildren.When Sheilawas nine, a swagman sharedseveral books with her familyabout the Sabbath, given tohim by the manager of theSanitarium factory. These ledto attendance at Hamiltonchurch and, for Sheila, atAvondale College. She willbe remembered for love offamily, loyalty to her churchand her friends, and hersingle-minded integrity.Ray Coombe, Claude JuddTrevor LloydSpeers, Geoff, born 4.9.1928in Sydney, NSW; died 19.9.12in Warwick hospital. Hemarried Lorna McCarty on2.7.1953 and they were happilytogether for 60 years. Heis survived by his wife; andchildren, Robin (Canberra,ACT), Sharon (BatesmansBay, NSW), Steven (Bowen,Qld), James (Toowoomba),Fay (Tin Can Bay), andSimon (Stanthorpe); and 17grandchildren. Geoff will besadly missed by his familyand friends. He liked hiswoodwork. Geoff loved hisLord very much.Humberto RiveraWillersdorf, Arthur Louis,born 27.2.1927 at Nambour,Qld; died 5.6.12 at Mackay.On 23.12.1950, he marriedWendy Norman at Sarina.He is survived by his wife;and his daughters, WendyPage-Dhu, Suzanne O’Sheaand Sheryl Willersdorf;seven grandchildren; threegreat-grandchildren; andtheir families. Arthur workedat the Australian NationalPower Alcohol Distillery as ashift chemist and the SugarResearch Institute in Mackayas a technical officer. Atthe institute he also helpedto dry Taipan venom in thelab for antivenin. The familymoved to Mackay in 1956after accepting the Adventistmessage. He enjoyed fishing,oil painting, gardening andgem fossickking and helpingfamily build their homes.Luke Stuart, Tom OsborneADVERTISEMENTSChristian Services for theBlind and Vision Impaired(CSFBHI) is wishing to createa register of “signers” for thedeaf in each conference geographicarea. These wouldbe available for individualchurches and church meetingsupon request. If youhave skills in this area andwould be willing to act as asigner at public meetings orspecial church services ineither a paid or voluntary capacity,contact Lee Dunstan,manager CSFBHI: phone +612 9847 2296; email ; post to PO Box 1115,Wahroonga NSW 2076.House for sale. BonnellsBay 3x2x3, 12km to AvondaleCollege. Lake and mountainviews, northerly aspect,excellent area. Full recentinternal renovation; qualitykitchen, hardwood flooring,new paint, tiles and carpet.Front & rear decks. $399,000Ph owner 0424530269 (A/H).Reduced price qualitysatellite kits for Adventisttelevision and radio. Fullinstructions for easy DIYinstallation, photos, technicalsupport. $235 plus freight.Australia only (02) 6361 3636.Projectors, screens,wireless microphones,amplifiers, speakers etc.Lower prices for Adventistinstitutions. Australiaonly. Contact Trish, or (02) 63613636.Large variety of non-alcoholicwines, beers, mixersand sparkling/still juices.Ideal for weddings, birthdays,functions or enjoy for a refreshingalternative. ContactDry Dock Cellars, Ph: 0450954 129 or email .Finally...Enjoy the little things,for one day you may lookback and realize theywere the big things.—Robert BraultThe RealChristmasCardSigns Ministry has a newGoodwill flyer for you toshare with your communitythis Christmas—in a churchprogram or to letterbox.Stock limited.TO ORDERPacks of 100 1 2-9 10+$AUD $22 $20 $18$NZ $28 $25 $221800 035 542 (Aus)CALL0800 770 565 (NZ)www.signsofthetimes.org.au/christmascard“Behold, I come quickly…”Our mission is to uplift Jesus Christ, unitingSeventh-day Adventists everywhere in beliefs,mission, life, and hope.PublisherThe Adventist World, an international periodical ofthe Seventh-day Adventist Church. The General Conference,Northern Asia-Pacific Division of Seventh-day Adventists ® ,is the publisher.Executive Publisher and Editor in ChiefBill KnottAssociate PublisherClaude RichliInternational Publishing ManagerChun, Pyung DukPublishing BoardTed N. C. Wilson, chair; Benjamin D. Schoun, vice chair;Bill Knott, secretary; Lisa Beardsley-Hardy; DanielR. Jackson; Robert Lemon; Geoffrey Mbwana; G. T. Ng;Daisy Orion; Juan Prestol; Michael Ryan; Ella Simmons;Mark Thomas; Karnik Doukmetzian, legal advisorAdventist World Coordinating CommitteeLee, Jairyong, chair; Akeri Suzuki; Kenneth Osborn;Guimo Sung; Chun, Pyung Duk; Han, Suk HeeEditors based in Silver Spring, MarylandLael Caesar, Gerald A. Klingbeil (associate editors),Sandra Blackmer, Stephen Chavez, Wilona Karimabadi,Mark A. Kellner, Kimberly Luste MaranEditors based in Seoul, KoreaChun, Pyung Duk; Chun, Jung Kwon; Park, Jae ManOnline EditorCarlos MedleyTechnical Coordinator and Reader ServicesMerle PoirierEditor-at-largeMark A. FinleySenior AdvisorE. Edward ZinkeFinancial ManagerRachel J. ChildEditorial AssistantMarvene Thorpe-BaptisteAssistant to the EditorGina WahlenManagement BoardJairyong Lee, chair; Bill Knott, secretary; P. D. Chun,Karnik Doukmetzian, Suk Hee Han, Kenneth Osborn,Juan Prestol, Claude Richli, Akeri Suzuki,Ex-officio: Robert Lemon, G. T. Ng, Ted N. C. WilsonArt Direction and DesignJeff Dever, Brett MelitiConsultantsTed N. C. Wilson, Robert E. Lemon, G. T. Ng,Guillermo E. Biaggi, Lowell C. Cooper, Daniel R. Jackson,Geoffrey Mbwana, Armando Miranda, Pardon K. Mwansa,Michael L. Ryan, Blasious M. Ruguri, Benjamin D. Schoun,Ella S. Simmons, Alberto C. Gulfan, Jr., Erton Köhler,Jairyong Lee, Israel Leito, John Rathinaraj, Paul S. Ratsara,Barry Oliver, Bruno Vertallier, Gilbert Wari, Bertil A. WiklanderTo Writers: We welcome unsolicited manuscripts. Addressall editorial correspondence to 12501 Old Columbia Pike,Silver Spring, MD 20904-6600, U.S.A. Editorial office faxnumber: (301) 680-6638E-mail: worldeditor@gc.adventist.orgWeb site: www.adventistworld.orgUnless otherwise indicated, all Bible references are takenfrom the New King James Version. Copyright © 1979, 1980,1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rightsreserved. Texts credited to NIV are from the Holy Bible,New International Version. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011by Biblica, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide. Used by permission.Adventist World is published monthly and printedsimultaneously in Korea, Brazil, Indonesia, Australia, Germany,Austria, and the United States.Vol. 8, No. 12December 2012 | Adventist World 31

MISSION- Powerful Mission Reports- Inspirational Testimonies- Seminars on Mission- Cultural Encounters- Music Performances- Golden Angels in Concert- Exhibition Arena for MissionBe inspired to recommit to Mission!Date : August 28-31, 2013Venue : Jeju International ConventionCenter, Jeju, KoreaSPEAKERSTed N. C. Wilson G. T. Ng Jairyong Lee Derek J. Morris Cheryl D. DossIMC website (GOIMC.ORG)IMC website (GOIMC.ORG)