Southern Tidings for 1980
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by Norman L. Doss Photography by Mission Spotlight More than 1,000 groups have inadequate places in which to worship. Hundreds must gather in open fields, blistered by the hot sun or drenched by torrential rain. Across the plains, valleys, and mountains of Trans- experienced brick makers who will mold these by hand Africa live millions of waiting people. Today doors are in simple frames, they will burn them in kilns, then open as never before for sharing the gospel. Burgeoning gather foundation stones and carry them to building cities offer one of the century's great challenges to the sites along with many baskets of river sand. Also, they church. And throughout the countryside—we call them will hire the bricklayers and carpenters and provide all village areas—where most of Africa's people still live, other labor, most of it donated. Funds from world Sab- there are opportunities unlimited for preaching and bath schools will be used to purchase corrugated iron sharing the good news. sheets, door and window frames, and cement, which In order to keep up with these opening doors, the will be transported by any available means to building Trans-Africa Division has asked that the 13th Sabbath sites. offering, to be received December 20, be used to build When the neat brick chapels, with whitewashed in- village chapels-500 of them! It's a big task! But it is terior walls are completed, there will be dedication serv- decidedly possible through a cooperative, shared plan ices throughout the lands. Just imagine, if you will, of providing funds and materials! having 100 church dedications in a month! And what joy Here is the proposition: Congregations urgently will fill the hearts of homeland members to know that needing permanent church buildings (and there are members of Africa, with thousands of friends, gather in thousands of such congregations, not just hundreds) these tidy little chapels week by week to prepare for will provide the bricks, stones, sand, and labor. Hiring heaven! Could any project be more meaningful? TWO Brick for the 500 new chapels will be molded by hand, stacked into kilns, and baked. Many congregations must meet in tattered, badly weathered thatch shelters. The brick church buildings, complete with metal roofs and plastered interiors, provide simple, but attractive houses of worship. While conditions are relatively calm now, wars and civil strife have wracked much of southern Africa. In one union mission alone more than 100 village churches have been destroyed or seriously damaged. Norman L. Doss, associate lay activities director of the General Conference, is a former Sabbath school director of the Trans-Africa Division. Volume 74 SOUTHERN TIDINGS (USPS 507-000) Number 12 THREE Published monthly. Second-class postage paid at Collegedale, Tennessee 37315. Subscription rate—three dollars per year. POSTMASTER, send form 3579 to SOUTHERN TIDINGS, Box 849. Decatur, GA 30031. Nearly 1,500 were present for the Sabbath worship service. The 1980 The congress was held at the Gatlinburg Sheraton, located on a mountaintop over- Medical-Dental Congri SS looking the village. by George A. Powell January 7, 1897. Louis and Anna number, along with optometrists, Hansen paused in the oppressive more than 600, and growing. stillness beside the railroad tracks The 1980 congress, directed by H. in Vicksburg, Mississippi. Beyond F. Roll, health secretary of the the horizon in each direction lay a Southen Union, and Associate vast expanse of territory known as Health Secretaries Joe S. Cruise, the South. Neglected. Difficult. Still M.D., and J. Glen Linebarger, staggering from the economic, D.D.S., reflected the continued political, and psychological trauma growth and vitality of the church's of the Civil War and Reconstruc- medical community. tion. Continuing education was pro- Little did these recent graduates vided by Allen F. Bowyer, M.D., of from a special course in nursing East Carolina University, Bernard C. and hydrotherapy at Battle Creek Byrd, D.D.S., of Loma Linda Uni- Sanitarium realize the phenome- versity, and Harry Y. C. Wong, nal, almost invisible currents that Ph.D., of Howard University. flowed in this land and its Speaking for the religious meet- people—an indomitable, resilient ings were Louis and Morris Ven- Mezzo soprano Faith Esham, a native of spirit of growth and achievement. den, pastors of the Loma Linda Uni- Vanceburg, Kentucky, who has performed in numerous operas in the United States and October 30 - November 2, 1980. versity and Pacific Union College Europe, presented a sacred and secular More than 1,500 health profession- churches, respectively. concert. als, church leaders, family mem- bers, and friends gathered in Gat- linburg, Tennessee, for the eighth biennial Southern Union Confer- ence Medical-Dental Congress. They came from the thriving cities and rich farmlands of the new South. They came from churches which, together, form a union con- ference of nearly 100,000 members. Some came from the 12 hospitals and three satellites operated by the church in the eight southeastern states. Others arrived from suc- cessful, spiritually oriented private practices. Still others came from self-supporting hospitals and sanitariums. As recently as 1950 only 145 physicians and dentists resided in Louis (left) and Morris Venden teamed up to make four presentations, plus preside over a the Southern Union. Today they question-and-answer session. FOUR Photo by F. Clifford Port Cohutta Spring The summer of 1980 provided the first camping season at Georgia-Cumberland's new Cohutta Springs Youth Camp. An exciting, fulfilling camping experience was shared by almost 600 campers during six weeks of camp programs plus a special marriage enrichment air Registrations Anticipation fills the stay as campers arrNe for their first at Cohutta Springs. Ten beautiful cabins provide sleeping accommodations for 12 campers and two counselors each. The cabins contain two bathrooms and a wood stove. hole" provided "Ye aide swimmi fun as the almost as much ll lake soon-to- A "bucking barrel" introduced young cowpokes to the joys of rodeo riding. SIX GEORGIA-CUMBERLAND Scrapbook by F. Clifford Port family weekend. The Youth Ministries Department reports that in addition to fun, games, and sports activities, a strong spiritual emphasis was rewarded when 85 young people made decisions at camp to be baptized into church membership! Memorable meals the sparkling regularly new flow comfortably cafeteria whichfrom accommodates over 200. Horseback riding is always one of the more 'popular sports at any camp. The dam is beautiful still now completed convention waters will su and soon center rround the construction and scheduledcomplex nowfor under completion in 1982. A full camping program is planned for next summer with two "Basic Skills" camps, featuring special instruction in math and reading, a Fourth of July weekend family camp, A night in the woods at one of the outpost a senior youth retreat, as well as junior, cub, and earl iteen camps brings a special thrill! camps. Plan to put yourself in the Cohutta Springs picture! SEVEN HUVEN I lb I I-ItAL I I-I bYS I EM / SUM:3EL I City. The church there has a regular column in the local paper, and hopes soon to publish its own newsletter. A bakery is also in the planning stages. In Mississippi — a New Dimension A similar story is taking place in the small town of Lumberton, Missis- sippi, where three Adventist physi- cians have joined the work of the church in that community. Tom McFarland and Dan Stepp say their work in Lumberton has added a "new dimension" to the work of the church. Dr. McFarland, Dr. Stepp and a third Adventist physician are three of only four physicians in the town of 2,500 inhabitants, which serves a community area of some 10,000. "I feel we've helped create a posi- tive community attitude toward the Pastor Tom Schroer (left) and Dr. Gary Hullquist use a computer to calculate risk factors when giving free health appraisals to the public. church," McFarland says. "Our health-education programs, such as the Five-Day Plans, have had good response. "The thing we're excited about is sion to Sou, the quality of medical care we are able to provide from the experience by Melinda Howes we received in the Family Practice Residency. We've really improved when Gary Hullquist, M.D., successful, however. Especially the quality of life in this area." moved to Mountain City, Tennessee, popular are the cooking and bread- "church" was a room in the base- making classes, which Hullquist Influence for Good ment of his home. often helps teach. Exercise classes Throughout South Today, six years later, some 60 per- also are well-attended—and, slowly, These stories are only two of the sons attend services each week in the the community is being won to Ad- many which could be told as family church he and a handful of Advent- ventism. practice physicians have moved into ists helped build. One of the new members is the rural, often isolated counties Hullquist, a family practice physi- influential and respected former throughout the South, bringing with cian who received his training at superintendent of schools, now re- them the message of Adventism. Loma Linda University and in Florida tired. He became interested in the For Florida Hospital, the thrill is Hospital's Family Practice Residency church after an illness which piqued twofold. "We are able to be part of Program, is one of nearly 100 who his interest in Adventist health pro- the training for one of the most- completed their family practice train- grams, and says he "read himself into needed specialties—that of the fam- ing at Florida Hospital. the church" by studying inspired ily physician.