Southern Asia

AUGUST 1,982 VOLUME 77, NO. 8 .11.111•1•11 SOUTHERN ASIA 10111•111MM. Our Mandate— the whole gospel to the whole world page 2 A Lie? page 4 Getting ready for Sabbath page 13 Suddenly the truth hit me: God missed my father more than I did! by did He take her? Why did He have to How does a take my little Laura ?" The words are spat out with anger and frustration. The Christian's death young mother's face shows intense anguish as she rocks affect God? back and forth wringing her hands. No amount of explain- ing at that moment can con- vince her that God under- Stephen Adessa stands. To page 5 Our Mandate— the whole gospel "Build up, build up, prepare the road! Remove the obstacles out of the way of my people." to the whole world John Y. Willmott For twenty-five years it has been my privilege really one. Christian unity is an instrument for to f ottow the evangettstie cart ytven to me as evangelism. Those who received the advent mes- a young man when .1 surrenaerea my tile to the sage should manifest their unity to the world, Lord Jesus Christ. There is no happier pace displaying a new solidarity which will stand on earth than in the fires of a great evangetisiic examination and analysis, showing to everyone campaign. I'm never happier than when I'm that what binds us as a people is God. The model challenging men and women to accept the ctaims of that unity is the Divine God Himself. of Jesus Christ. Whether it is preaching in an When the world begins to see such unity, ordinary pundal, in a community hall, they will sit up and take notice of our message. behind the sacred pulpit in our churches or in For when they hear us proclaim the message but the open air, I'm committed to the task of cannot see it in us, our behaviour negates our evangelism. message. Then they are not interested. The I've had the privilege of preaching in evan- world already has too many words. They want to gelistic campaigns throughout this land and over- see the message operative before their eyes. seas. I'm, however, increasingly persuaded about 3. The most e ffective evangelistic church will certain things and the burden of this editorial is have a sound financial base. If our work is to to express them to my fellow workers and be- be strong we need to increase our internal re- lievers in Southern Asia. sources and endeavour to utilize all appropriated 1. The most effective evangelistic method funds for special projects. God desires His people is not public evangelism (even though I'm com- to be faithful in the support of His work by re- mitted to public evangelism). but every member turning that which belongs to Him—the tithe— evangelism. It is the task of the whole Church to and by willing participation in generous giving take the whole Gospel to the whole world. And I to His cause. believe the task of the pastor, and especially the The Church needs to rethink through vital evangelist, is not to attempt the job alone but to concepts and seek to educate the local churches to teach the membership of the Church to do the build up a strong financial base rather than de- job of evangelism. The task of the Church is to pend upon funds received from elsewhere. We train members to become missionaries to enter should be willing to change the wage scale hitherto unentered places and seek to evangelize structure, organizational structure and other all those areas. The Holy Spirit desires to im- methods of operations to suit the condition of the press upon the Church that every member in places and the people for whom we are working. whose heart Christ dwells is a missionary and Leadership styles and departmental operation every person in whose heart Christ does not dwell must be geared to meet the needs of the local is a mission field. Let us tap the full resources church. All our activities must be service- of the Church for mission work. oriented and people-oriented. Local people, cul- 2. The most effective tool of evangelism is tures, languages must be recognized and valued unity. In John 17 we see this as one of the specific and they must be educated and encouraged to petitions in the Lord's high priestly prayer. He respect one another and cooperate with one realized that Satan would make God's special another in pushing forward the Lord's work people a target of constant attack, to divide and together. Unity in diversity must be our goal. to rob us of our joy in the family of God. He Total stewardship is the key to reaching this prayed not just for unity in the Spirit, a unity goal. inherent in the body, but for a visible demonstra- When God's work is carried forward according tion of it—that the world should see that we are to the instruction we have been given as a people, John Y. Willmott is division ministerial advisor residing at there will be no lack of men, money or methods Salisbury Park, Poona. to finish His work. ❑ 2 Southern Asia Tidings Every church member an evangelist Every Adventist home a church Every Adventist church an evangelistic centre 1000 DAYS OF REAPING Sept. 18 .... Union President Rex Riches rendering the keynote address on the theme, "Our High Calling", with P. S. A. A ranze and J. Gnanasekaran translating. Sri Lanka Camp Meeting Draws 500 Lowell C. Cooper Members from almost every Vellore, Dr. M. E. Cherian from was made for members to join Seventh-day Adventist Church Spicer Memorial College, and in a commitment with their pas- in Sri Lanka travelled to Lak- Lowell C. Cooper from the divi- tors for evangelism. As each pahana Adventist Seminary sion. church name was called out a and College for the Camp Facilities at Lakpahana were lay representative from that Meeting, April 28-May 1, 1982. used to the limit in accommo- church came forward to hold a Almost two years had passed dating the nearly five hundred banner with the church name since the last Camp Meeting. persons attending various meet- printed on it. This signified This lengthy interval created ings on the campus. the partnership of workers and strong desires for fellowship During the closing meeting members in witnessing and among the members who on Sabbath evening, an appeal evangelism. 0 came—and that is just what they did. From early morning till late at night groups, fam- ilies, relatives were reunited in conversation, worship and laughter. The Camp Meeting theme, "Our High Calling" was intro- duced by Union President Rex Riches at the opening meeting. Throughout the brief Camp Meeting speakers developed various facets of the theme, in- cluding redemption, demonstra- tion of God's character, witnessing and stewardship. Guest speakers for the session includ- ed : Pastor C. P. Jonahs from Lowell C. Cooper writes from Poona, where he serves as division lay activ- Children at Sri Lanka annual camp meeting enjoy lively Sabbath schools. De- ities advisor. voted ladies care for every Sabbath school children's division. August 1982 3 don't know where he stands—he does not deal with the challenge of the Ellen G. White pheno- A LIE? menon." Seminar attendees recognized that represen- Victor Cooper tatives of the Church have sometimes not clearly It had been promised for many months. presented the true Ellen G. White and have un- feinany it was published witnin a few days wisely encouraged cult-hero attitudes. To the of the opening in Washington, D.C. of the inter- extent we have perpetuated myth, counselled one national rropnetic Guidance vv orksnop. iviempers reviewer, we are party to a white lie. Another of the Vv lute hstate Board of Trustees, bran commented, "We must move away from the pro- _Members, Research Centre Directors, 'Overseas motion of a mythical, infallible saint, to the Division Spirit of Prophecy Coordinators and presentation of a person whose total commitment others met to discuss current issues relating to to God enabled her to be used fully for the up- the writings of Ellen G. White. building of a church and its people—in spite of "We knew The White Lie was coming," said her humanity, fallibility and limitations." one of the 70 delegates, "so it's no surprise." Mrs. White's use of printed materials has "Certainly not surprised," continued an- always been recognized by Church leaders. More other—"except perhaps in my degree of sadness recently, members of the White Estate have pub- regarding Walter's stridency and rancor." licly confirmed that evidence of some borrowing Walter Rea's 400-page book lists a large has been found in all types of Ellen G. White's number of parallels between Ellen G. White's writing except in autobiographical material. In- published works and those of other authors. He deed, White Estate secretary, Robert Olson, said also charges church leaders with suppression of in his Washington, D. C. office that their re- information about her writing methodology. searchers have evidence of additional materials In the foreward to the book, Associate Dean on which Ellen White was dependent but which and Professor of Law at the University of South- were not part of the Walter Rea research. ern California School of Law, Jerry Wiley, des- cribes the book as "deliberately harsh." Attendees Researchers for the White Estate, Ron Gray- at the Seminar who were asked for their initial bill, Warren H.

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