Adventist Journey 09/20
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09 20 INSPIRATION & INFORMATION FOR NORTH AMERICA INCLUDED Adventist Journey Contents 04 Feature 13 Perspective Meet the New NAD President Until All Lives Matter . 08 NAD News Briefs My Journey In my administrative role at the NAD, I still do evangelism. I do at least one [series] a year and I still love it. Sometimes, through all the different committees and policies and that part of church life, you have to work to keep connected to the front-line ministries—where people are being transformed by the power of the gospel. Visit vimeo.com/nadadventist/ajalexbryant for more of Bryant’s story. G. ALEXANDER BRYANT, new president of the North American Division Cover Photo by Dan Weber Dear Reader: The publication in your hands represents the collaborative efforts of the ADVENTIST JOURNEY North American Division and Adventist World magazine, which follows Adventist Journey Editor Kimberly Luste Maran (after page 16). Please enjoy both magazines! Senior Editorial Assistant Georgia Damsteegt Art Direction & Design Types & Symbols Adventist Journey (ISSN 1557-5519) is the journal of the North American Division of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. The Northern Asia-Pacific Division of the General Conference of Seventh-day Consultants G. Earl Knight, Mark Johnson, Dave Weigley, Adventists is the publisher. It is printed monthly by the Pacific Press® Publishing Association. Copyright Maurice Valentine, Gary Thurber, John Freedman, © 2020. Send address changes to your local conference membership clerk. Contact information should be available through your local church. Ricardo Graham, Ron C. Smith, Larry Moore Executive Editor, Adventist World Bill Knott PRINTED IN THE U.S.A. Vol. 3, No. 9. September 2020. Adventist Journey Publication Board G. Alexander Bryant (chair), Kimberly Luste Maran (secretary), Curtis Randolph Robinson, Tony Anobile, Paul Brantley, Alvin M. Kibble, Arne Nielson, Gordon Pifher, Bonita J. Shields, Kenneth Denslow, Daniel Weber, Julio Muñoz, Karnik Doukmetzian, legal advisor Scripture References Unless otherwise noted, all Bible references are taken from the The Holy Bible, New International Version. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Email: [email protected] | Web site: nadadventist.org 09 / 20 ADVENTIST 03 FEATURE G. Alexander BY KIMBERLY LUSTE MARAN Named Bryant he Seventh-day Adventist Church’s General Confer- ence Executive Committee met on July 9, 2020, to North American Division President Treceive the name of G. Alexander Bryant, the recommendation for division president, from both the North American Division’s nom- inating committee and executive committee. Bryant was confirmed in a vote of 153 to 5. Ted N. C. Wilson, General Confer- ence president and, as policy indi- cates for the vote of division presi- dent, chair of the NAD nominating and executive committees held on July 6 and July 7, said, “Elder Bryant is a mission-focused individual. He is someone who is a careful listener to people. He will take [these cares] to the Lord and ask for guidance. I believe that God can use him in a very special way.” “I am first indebted to God for His call to ministry, and second, to those who have poured into my life over the years,” said Bryant in response to the vote. “I am deeply humbled by the confidence Elder Wilson, our chair, and the NAD and GC executive committees have placed in me with this assignment. This task is too big for one individ- ual or office. It is abundantly clear to me that it takes all of us working together to advance God’s kingdom. I deeply covet your prayers.” He added, “Hopefully, by our efforts together, we can hasten the coming of the Lord through our mission work throughout our territory and beyond.” G. Alexander Bryant becomes Policy and Process the fifth president of the North American Division. Dan Weber All world division executive offi- cers serve as elected officers of the FEATURE GC; their nomination and election by the region they represent must be approved by the General Con- ference Executive Committee. The division’s nominating committee is termed a standing committee. It was appointed by the NAD exec- utive committee in 2015. During the past five years the nominating committee has recommended the names of individuals to the execu- tive committee for vote in order to fill division vacancies. Following an outlined process disclosed this past spring, the divi- sion’s nominating committee met on July 6 and selected the name of Bryant, which was presented and voted on by the NAD executive committee on July 7. Bryant’s name Alex Bryant and wife, Desiree, on was sent as a recommendation to July 9, 2020, the day Bryant was the GC Executive Committee. All named NAD president. Dan Weber meetings were held virtually via Zoom with a previously used elec- tronic voting process. conference executive officers; orga- In addition to pastoring sev- Bryant replaces Daniel R. Jack- nized a division-wide diversity sum- eral churches early in his career, son, who served at the NAD helm mit; coordinated the digitalization of Bryant also served as a student since his election in June 2010 at the NAD Secretariat; and conducted missionary to Japan for one year. the GC Session in Atlanta, Georgia, annual evangelistic series. During his college years, Bryant’s and reelection in 2015 in San An- Before coming to the division, administrative abilities helped tonio, Texas, until his July 1 retire- Bryant served as president of the him serve as the Adventist Youth ment. Bryant is the second African Central States Conference in Kan- director at Oakwood College and American elected to serve as NAD sas City, Kansas. president of the Black Students president. Charles E. Bradford, the Bryant graduated with a double Association of the Seminary division’s first president, was also major in theology and business (BSAS) at Andrews University. African American. Previous pres- administration from Oakwood Bryant is married to the former idents include Alfred C. McClure, College (now Oakwood Universi- Desiree Wimbish, who served as Don C. Schneider, and Jackson. ty) in 1982. an associate superintendent of He began his ministry that same education for the Potomac Confer- About the New President year in Springfield, Missouri, and ence, as superintendent of educa- Glenward Alexander (“Alex”) Bry- Coffeyville and Independence, Kan- tion for Central States Conference, ant most recently served as executive sas. In 1986 Bryant was ordained, as well as former principal of the secretary of the NAD and associate and continued his education by V. Lindsay Seventh-day Adventist secretary of the GC, positions he’s earning a Master of Divinity from School in Kansas City. Desiree was held since October 2008, when Andrews University in 1988. The assistant director and projects elected at the GC Annual Council Central States Conference voted coordinator for Adventist educa- in Manila, Philippines. Bryant was Bryant to serve as youth/Pathfind- tion in the NAD before taking the reelected at the 2010 GC Session. ers/National Service Organization role of an associate director and While serving as the division’s sec- director, temperance director, and Ministerial Spouses coordinator. retary, Bryant conducted leadership superintendent of education in The Bryants have three adult sons seminars, training and orientation of 1990. He became president in 1997. and three grandchildren. 09 / 20 ADVENTIST 05 FEATURE How long after you became When you made the tran- An Interview an Adventist did you decide sition from pastoring to to go into pastoral ministry? being an administrator, With the New When I was a Baptist, I felt a what were some of the call to ministry. But after look- challenges? ing at some of the role models You are a little further NAD President I had, the urge just kind of left removed from the people. me. Maybe a year after I became With pastoring, all you do is an Adventist we had an evan- interact with people: helping Dan Weber: Let’s help our gelistic meeting and, after I saw them to work through their church members in North and heard our pastor preaching challenges, and helping to America get to know you. with fire and preaching evange- nurture and grow and disciple You became an Adventist as a listic sermons under the tent, people along the way. When teenager. What attracted you the sense that this is what God you get in administration, you to the Adventist message? wanted me to do returned. don’t get those opportunities Alex Bryant: To be honest, it as frequently. I miss that. was the people who attracted me. Is evangelism your favorite One of the benefits of ad- If you’ve always been an Adven- part of ministry? ministration is that you get a tist, this message is just part of your I love evangelism. I love more global view. As a pastor, bloodstream. You grew up with it. teaching. I love seeing the light your view is pretty singular to But if you had not been an Adven- in people’s eyes when they hear that local church, into what tist and you hear the message of the truth for the first time—especially you’re doing in that local com- Sabbath, the message of the state of when they grasp it and capture it. munity, and you don’t always the dead, the message that you don’t In my administrative role at see the connection to the go to heaven right away, and all that, the NAD, I still do evangelism. larger family, the larger call of it’s quite shocking. To read it from I do at least one [series] a year, the gospel, the larger mission Scripture and know that you’ve and I still love it.