Adventist Book Center Christmas Special EDITORIAL
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Columbia Union December 1, 1991 Adventist Book Center Christmas Special EDITORIAL VISITOR STAFF Editor: Richard Duerksen Managing Editor: Charlotte Pedersen Coe Assistant Editor: Randy Hall Communication Intern: Elaine Hamilton ile on our way Circulation Manager: "PRAY to the Annual Council in Australia, my wife, Dolo- Dianne Liversid,ge Pasteup Artist: FOR THE res, and I had the privilege of spending Sabbath, Diane Baier September 21, at Fulton College near Suva, Fiji. The VISITOR is the Seventh-day Advent- MISSIONARIES" ist publication for the people in the Columbia During the lesson study, we met with the fac- Union territory. The different backgrounds and spiritual gifts of these people mean that ulty and staff, who were mostly from Australia and the VISITOR should inspire confidence in the New Zealand. Admittedly, we didn't spend much Saviour and His church and should serve as a networking tool to share methods that mem- time on the lesson because they wanted to talk and bers, churches and institutions can use in ministry. Address all editorial correspon we wanted to listen. And it didn't take long to fig- dence to: Columbia Union VISITOR, 5427 Twin Knolls Road, Columbia, MD 21045. ure out that these folk are real, live missionaries. One-year subscription price—S7.50. They are concerned about their 50-year-old col- COLUMBIA UNION CONFERENCE lege and its current needs, plus the opportunities (301) 596-0800 (410) 997-3414 President RM. Wisbey that will be lost if they can't keep the doors open to Secretary, ASI H.M. Wright Treasurer D.J. Russell students coming from many South Pacific islands. Undertreanurer R.J. Jensen Senior Accountant C. Wright As we were leaving after a delightful worship Revolving Fund P. Lee experience, a woman from New Zealand asked, Church Ministries J. Clemente Associate B. Manspeaker "When you go home, will you do something for us? Communication— R. Duerksen Assistant C. Pedersen Coe Please ask the people to pray for the missionaries." Data Processing M. Connor Associates B. Rowe, N. Lamoreaux RON M. WISBEY Her simple request impacted profoundly on me, Education R. Osborn Associates F. Hoffer, A. Westney President and has been ringing in my ears ever since. As a Ministerial F. Ottati Columbia Union Conference Publishing—HHES S.D. Pangborn Seventh-day Adventist child, I learned early to Associates . R LaGrone, G. Sunderland pray, "Bless the missionaries and the colporteurs." Treasurer D. Griffiths Assistant D. Trimarchi Perhaps you did, too. But for many of us, those Religious Liberty A. Westney childhood prayers have slipped away. Trust Services J. Lastine COLUMBIA UNION CONFERENCE There was a time when most Adventists were ASSOCIATION President RM. Wisbey related to or knew a missionary. But no more! We Vice President DJ. Russell Secretary J. Lastine don't even see or hear them at camp meetings. Treasurer R.J. Jensen But all over the world today, there are Adventist LOCAL CONFERENCES missionaries carrying on in the footsteps of Eric ALLEGHENY EAST: Alvin M. Kibble, Pres- ident; Robert Booker, Visitor Correspondent; Hare, Harry Miller, Leo Halliwell, Fernando Stall P.O. Box 266, Pme Forge, PA 19548. Tele- phone: (215) 326-4610. and Paul Quimby. There is a whole new breed of A ILEr HENY WEST: Wil lie J. Lewis, Pres- church ambassadors—people like ADRA workers ident; Robert C. Lewis, Visitor Correspon- dent; 1339 E. Broad SL , Columbus, OH 43205. and engineers with specialties other than the tra- Telephone: (814) 252-5271. CHESAPEAKE J.W. Coulter, President; ditional "preacher types" of earlier years—bringing Neville Haroombe, Visitor Correspondent; 66(X) Martin Rd., Columbia, MD 21044. Tele- skills and materials, plus spiritual encouragement, phone: (410) 995.1910; Washington, D.C., to areas of the world in need of the caring church. area, 596-5600. MOUNTAIN VIEW: Randy Murphy, Presi- When you meet these people, something hap- dent; Ruth Wright, Visitor Correspondent; 1400 Liberty St., Parkersburg, WV 26101. pens inside. Priorities are narrowed, and you real- Telephone: (304) 422-4581. ize that these dear people are representing Jesus NEW JERSEY: Robert W. Boggess, Pres- ident and VisitorCorrespondent; 2160 Bruns- Christ and His kingdom in a very powerful way. wick Ave., Trenton, NJ 08648. Telephone: As you prepare for this Christmas season, I in- (609) 392-7131. OHIO: Ed Motechiedler, President and Vi8 vite you and your family to join ours in a special tor Correspondent; Box 831, Mount Vernon, OH 43050. Telephone: (614) 397-4665. time of thoughtful prayer for all of God's mission- PENNSYLVANIA: Jerry Page, President; aries who are serving far away from their homes Gloria Bentzinger, Visitor Correspondent; 720 Museum Rd., Reading, PA 19611. Tele- during this special time of the year. phone: (215) 374-8331. ABC, P.O. Box 3641, Hamburg, PA 19526. Telephone: (215) 562- 5156. POTOMAC: Ralph W. Martin, President and Visitor Correspondent; P.O. Box 1208, Staunton, VA 24401. Telephone: (703) 886- COVER: Christmas is a time for new friendships, as Car- 0771. ABC, 8400 Carrol I Ave., Takoma Park, rie Cover, elementary teacher at the Rocky Knoll church MD 20912. Telephone: (301) 439-0700. school in Martinsburg, West Virginia, learned while in- Printed by the Review and Herald Publishing troducing Pumpkin, her pet cat, to Cassie, her parents' Association in Hagerstown, MD 21740. Mastiff dog, in a photograph taken by Cheri Lovejoy. December 1,1991 Vol. 96, No. 23 2 VISITOR, December 1, 1991 =2510c• Vision I: The local church will be the central focus and driving force of the denomination. Vision 2: The joy and celebration of worship will attract people to our churches, allowing Crusade the Sabbath to become a major evangelis- tic tool. combines Vision 3: Church fellowship will be so vibrant that message member retention will improve and con- flict over lifestyle issues will decrease. with media The Capital Spanish church in Washington, D.C., blended while watching the accompanying visual presentation. Lis- old-fashioned preaching with today's technology into an evan- teners not attending the meetings were invited to call the sta- gelistic crusade that resulted in more than 20 baptisms. tion for material on the sermon of the day. Hundreds of names Under the guidance of Pastor Jorge Mayer, the members of and addresses have been received for further contact. this Potomac Conference congregation held a total of 45 Rev- During the final day of the crusade, a five-hour radio pro- elation seminars with a combined average attendance of 200 gram was aired by Hispanic pastors from throughout the met- people. Then everyone who attended the seminars was invited ropolitan Washington area. That broadcast resulted in about to meet in the church for a series of nightly meetings. 200 calls from people who wanted more information about the One unique aspect of this series was the use of sermons Seventh-day Adventist Church and its teachings. aired by the Spanish Voice of Prophecy program—La Voz de /a 'The evangelistic campaign held by the Capital Spanish Esperanza—during the meetings held at the church. While congregation is an example of what can happen when mem- the speaker was delivering his message, slides were projected bers and pastors take the first aspect of Vision 2000 seriously as illustrations for the sermon. and view the local church as the central focus and driving force An invitation was extended every night over the radio for of the denomination,* said Ron M. Wisbey, president of the Co- interested persons to visit the church to listen to the message lumbia Union. —RH FACE TO FACE: Profiles of newly baptized people Priscilla Helen Gail Jonathan Matthew Dorothy James Warren, Lidia Grana- Stone, Akron Landon, Car- Compton, Compton, Baker, Hights- Akron Bethel, dos, Martins- Bethel, Alle- ter Memorial, Danville, Poto- Danville, Poto- town, New Jer- Allegheny West. ville, Potomac. gheny West. Potomac. Helen mac. After mac. Matthew sey. July of James said that A native of 'Since my bap- was baptized in three months of and his older 1991 was when being baptized Peru, Lidia was tism in March June of 1990 af- Bible studies brother, Jona- Dorothy, who in March of 1991 baptized by of 1991, I've felt ter she attended with Pastor than, are stu- learned about "felt real good. Pastor Paul complete inside. a Revelation Paul McGraw, dents at the Adventism by Thank God for McGraw as God has washed Seminar. "I Jonathan and Danville church attending a Rev- leading me to Jesus was: in a my sins away, hope to love and his brother, school. They elation Seminar, this church. By river. She be- and now I'm in serve Him and Matthew, were were both bap- was baptized by the Lord's grace, came a member the newness of am glad to be in baptized in May tized during Pastor Robert I'm going to of the church in life in Jesus!" God's family." of 1991. May of 1991. Janssen. keep going on." June of 1991. VISITOR, December 1, 1991 3 SPOTLIGHT ON LIVING THE VISION adt, e a Prie, Remember Reepicheep? And Old DICK DUERKSEN job of providing quick and easy pro- Man Willow, Leatherstocking, Pub- grams for small groups whose mem- lius, Bathsheba, Silver and the hun- bers want to talk about where God fits dreds of other friends you met in books? "Publius," Eusebius asked, "What in their lives. You'll probably change I remember. And those memories would you do if you were thrown to some questions and add new ones, but are a major source of pleasure each day. the lions?" the book gives you an "easy-to-use" Visit our home and you will find "Do?" the helpless invalid answered pattern for successful meetings.