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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