Columbia Union Visitor for 1991
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Columbia Union propelled by Vision 2000, Valuegenesis; constituency session report —pages 3-5 EDITORIAL VISITOR STAFF Editor: Kermit Netteburg Managing Editor: Charlotte Pedersen Coe Assistant Editor: Randy Hall Communication Intern: THE Elaine Hamilton od said, "Be Circulation Manager: COURAGE strong and of good courage,"—JoshuaG 1:6. Not Dianne Liversidge Pasteup Artist: OF only does the Lord want us to know what is right, Diane Baier but He also wants to give us the courage to do The VISITOR is the Seventh-day Advent- FAITH what is right. ist publication for the people in the Columbia Union territory. The different backgrounds One attribute of courageous people is that they and spiritual gifts of these people mean that the VISITOR should inspire confidence in have the ability to control themselves emotionally the Saviour and His church and should serve as a networking tool to share methods that when under stress. Someone once said, "The trick members, churches and institutions can use in ministry. Address all editorial correspon- isn't to rid your stomach of butterflies, but to make dence to: Columbia Union VISITOR, 5427 them fly in formation." Twin Knolls Road, Columbia, MD 21045. One-year subscription price—$7.50. Courage bridges the gap between good ideas and COLUMBIA UNION CONFERENCE action. Anyone can have good ideas, but it takes a Washington, D.C. (301) 598-0800 courageous person who believes in his or her ideas Baltimore (301) 997-3414 President RM. Wisbey to put them into action. Secretary, ASI H.M. Wright Treasurer D.J. Russell Recently I read a unique book entitled Holy Undertreasurer R.J. Jensen Assistant J. Cullum Sweat. The author, Tim Hansel, related a story Church Ministries J. Clements Associate B. Manspeaker that illustrates faith and courage. Communication K. Netteburg Data Processing M. Connor A man crossing a desert was weakened by the Associate N. Lamoreaux heat and thirst. About the time he was ready to Education R Osborn JAMES BURNS Associates F. Hoffer, A. Westney Professor, Physical Education give up, he discovered a well. He found a note in a Ministerial F. Ottati Publishing—HHES S.D. Pangborn Columbia Union College can close to the well. Associates.... R. LaGrone, G. Sunderland Treasurer D. Griffiths Takoma Park, Maryland The note read, "Dear friend: There is enough Assistant D. Trimarchi Religious Liberty A. Westney water in this well, enough for all, but sometimes Trust Services J. Lastine the leather washer gets dried up and you have to COLUMBIA UNION CONFERENCE prime the pump. If you look underneath the rock ASSOCIATION President RM. Wisbey just west of the well, you'll find a corked bottle full Vice President DJ. Russell Secretary J. Lastine of water. Please don't drink that water. What you Treasurer R.J. Jensen have got to do is take the bottle of water and pour LOCAL CONFERENCES the first half very slowly into the well to loosen up Al I Fri IENY EAST: Alvin M. Kibble, Pres- ident; Robert Booker, Visitor Correspondent; the leather washer. Then pour the rest in very fast P.O. Box 266, Pine Forge, PA 19548. Tele- and pump like crazy. You will get water. The well phone: (215) 326-4610. ALLEGHENY WEST: Willie J. Lewis, Pres- has never run dry. Have faith, and when you're ident; Robert C. Lewis, Visitor Correspon- dent; 1339 E. Broad St., Columbus, OH done, don't forget to put the note back, fill up the 43205. Telephone: (814) 252-5271. CHESAPEAKE: J.W. Coulter, President; bottle and put it back under the rock. Good luck. Tom Lemon, Visitor Correspondent; 6600 Sincerely, your friend, Desert Pete." Martin Rd., Columbia, MD 21044. Tele- phone: (301) 995-1910; Washington, D.C., What would you have done? Imagine you are area, 596-5600. MOUNTAIN VIEW: Randy Murphy, Presi- hot, dry and weak, ready to collapse and you read, dent; Ruth Wright, Visitor Correspondent; 1400 Liberty St., Parkersburg, WV 26101. "Don't drink the water." It takes real courage to Telephone: (304) 422-4581. take the leap of faith needed in this situation. NEW JERSEY: Robert W. Boggess, Pres- ident and Visitor Correspondent; 2160 Bruns- Jesus tells us that if we follow His instructions, wick Ave., Trenton, NJ 08648. Telephone: (609) 392-7131. take the risk and get to work, He will quench our 011I0: Ed Motschiedler, President and Vis- itor Correspondent; Box 831, Mount Vernon, thirst and help us quench the thirst of others. Be OH 43050. Telephone: (614) 397-4665. strong and of good courage. PENNSYLVANIA: Jerry Page, President; Gloria Bentzinger, Visitor Correspondent; 720 Museum Rd., Reading, PA 19611. Tele- phone: (215)374-8331. ABC, P.O. Box 3641, Hamburg, PA 19526. Telephone: (215) 562- 5156. COVER: Conference Communication Director Tom Lemon POTOMAC: Ralph W. Martin, President; P.O. Box 1208, Staunton, VA 24401. Tele- photographed the baptism of Theresa Stirn during Chesa- phone: (703) 888-0771. ABC, 8400 Carroll peake camp meeting this past summer. Stirn studied the Ave., Takoma Park, MD 20912. Telephone: (301) 439-0700. Bible with Pastor Reggie Mattison before she was bap- tized. The mother of two, Stirn and her husband attend Printed by the Review and Herald Publishing Association in Hagerstown, MD 21740. the Westminster, Maryland, church. Mattison has since retired and is serving in Japan with his wife, Ellen. June 1,1991 Vol. 96, No. 11 2 VISITOR, June 1, 1991 Union constituency stresses planning, not elections Carlos Castillo, a veteran of the Persian Gulf conflict and son of union confer- ence employee Cathy Castillo, led the dele- gates in the pledge of alle- giance to open the 22nd session of the Columbia Union May 5. Editor's note: The Columbia Union And then to put the icing on the ment to Vision 2000 and finishing the Constituency Session on May 5 and 6 cake, our president, Pastor Ron Wis- Lord's work on this earth. in the Sligo church in Takoma Park, bey, presented a challenge and we all MAMIE CLEMONS Maryland, not only elected officers and came forward—union staff and con- Hillcrest church revised bylaws, it also had delegates stituency delegates alike—in commit- ' grappling with issues raised by the Valuegenesis report that studied Ad- NEW JERSEY ventist youth. Officers and My constituency work started The Visitor staff asked several peo- many months before the other dele- ple to relate their impressions of the directors elected gates' because I was a member of the two-day session. Their reports are pre- Officers: constitution and bylaws committee. sented here and on pages 4 and 5. Ron Wisbey, President Under the guidance of Henry Ik Henry Wright, Secretary Wright, union secretary and chairman Don Russell, Treasurer of the committee, the constitution was ALLEGHENY WEST Vice Presidents: discussed item by item in an open and My life has been enriched by at- Richard Osborn, Education free manner. The knowledge and in- tending this, the 22nd session of the Kermit Netteburg, Marketing sight shown by the members of the • Columbia Union Conference. and Communication committee were laudable. It would have been a blessing to Departmental Directors: The discussions were often lively • all—and blessing enough—just to James Clements, Church and views were held strongly, but have seen and heard Wintley Phipps Ministries when an issue was voted the commit- lead the congregation in singing "I've Frank Ottati, Ministerial tee would come together and formu- Just Come to Praise the Lord." Jerry Lastine, Planned Giving late a solution and a consensus. No ill I believe in Columbia Union Col- Woody Pangborn, Publishing will was present among the members , lege—I'm on the board—and what a Adrian Westney, Religious of the committee. special moment it was to hear the mu- Liberty A number of jokes were made at ., sical groups and the progress reports. the session about how uninteresting VISITOR, June 1, 1991 3 SPOTLIGHT ON THE COLUMBIA UNION constitution work is. But the dele- ments or amended the amendments or To God be the glory; great things gates showed an extreme interest— proposed new amendments. He has done for and through His chil- and the importance they attach to How wonderful it is that delegates dren in the Columbia Union. their constitution—as one by one they were informed enough to deal with the CLARENCE HODGES asked questions about the amend- many details of the constitution. Emmanuel Brinklow church JOHN BUTLER Woodbury church CHESAPEAKE New union committee The spirit of unity demonstrated in The Columbia Union Executive Com- OHIO union leadership via the unanimous mittee is the largest in North America, While business sessions with return to office of President Ron Wis- even though it was pared from 60 to 50. their reports can be boring, this bey, Secretary Henry Wright and Fourteen of the members are selected was not true Sunday afternoon. Treasurer Don Russell was inspiring. by virtue of their offices: Videos of activities throughout Perhaps the most meaningful of all Ron Wisbey, Columbia Union the union captivated the dele- that took place in this session was not Henry Wright, Columbia Union gates' attention. elections or constitutions. Shelby An- Bob Boggess, New Jersey Sensitive and controversial is- dress and Peter Benson from the Bryan Breckenridge, Adventist Health sues were discussed in an open Search Institute in Minneapolis, Min- System, Mid-Atlantic manner. Ron Wisbey's candor is nesota, directed an educational expe- Wayne Coulter, Chesapeake to be commended, especially in rience for the delegates. Alvin Kibble, Allegheny East the area of personnel decisions. Andress and Benson have led out in Willie Lewis, Allegheny West Without naming any names, the the denomination's Valuegenesis proj- Ralph Martin, Potomac painful matter of eliminating jobs ect, studying the faith of young Ad- Edward Motschiedler, Ohio Randy Murphy, Mountain View at the union office was disclosed ventists.