PRESENTS FULL TRAVEL PACKAGE for Seventh-Day Adventist Church 55Th WORLD SESSIO JULY 5Th 15Th, 1990 • INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA
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Itst Cr (1) The Canadian Union D. Douglas Devnich (Seventh-day Adventist IV Church in Canada) has the least membership (38,679) of any of the North American T IS GOOD to be summarized, and after America showed a tithe gain Union Conferences. philosophical and making the normal that percentage amount. (2) The Canadian Union visionary but it is very adjustments to secure the Canada is the leader. brought in more money for goodI to perform in practical prescribed operating and However, the great need Ingathering from non- ways. capital reserves, the Priority of our Church in Canada is Adventist contacts than any In this column I have in Purse entry in the books that we become more of the other eight unions recent months set out shows a sum of $42,000. effective in winning and which are all greater in certain idealisms for the life This means that out of the keeping new members. membership. and work of the Church in faithful stewardship of the While we thank God for our All manner of Canada. While I don't members of the Church in new brothers and sisters congratulations, accolades expect every idea to Canada this sum of money who have joined us in 1989, and expressions of respect translate into reality, I do is now available, in we think that the actual were extended toward myself continue to be hopeful that, advance, for some special gain in membership of 814 in that meeting. However, I over time, concrete evidence evangelistic project or is short of what we should must say that no credit is of change in the Church projects which ordinarily be seeing in any given year. due to me for this because it will be visible. would not be conducted. Of Worse still is the recorded was you, dear members of Several months ago I course, the other budgetary fact that 374 members left the Church in Canada, who reported that the Executive distributions for Christian our fellowship by apostasy. deserve the thanks and Committee of the Church in education, worker In fact, in one specific local commendation. I am proud Canada had voted into remuneration, ministerial conference, the exact of being a Canadian and I being what we called the scholarships, regular number of newly baptized am proud of our humble "Priority Purse." This was evangelistic appropriations members was and dedicated membership our way of making a to local conferences, and counterbalanced by the in Canada who know what commitment that we intend administrative costs, etc. are same number of recorded it is to reach out and touch to prioritize our primary all in place as usual. apostasies. How important other people's lives and mission in the church "that The year 1989 was a great it is that all of us must build invite them to participate repentance and forgiveness year for the Seventh-day up the quality of our church with us in the grand of sins should be preached Adventist Church in Canada life so that everyone may mission which Jesus Christ in his name to all nations" in the matter of finance. grow and flourish in our gave to His Church. (Luke 24:47). We resolved to Our tithe receipts for the fellowship. In the days ahead of us, be frugal in our year showed an increase of Recently, I was in a let us continue to sort out management of the funds of nearly 12% over 1988. This meeting of the officers of our priorities. May we see the Church with the says that our members the North American division the Church in Canada as a purpose of putting our continue to have confidence of the General Conference vibrant church, ready, not savings into the Priority in the Church and its and Union Conference only to receive God's great Purse for the expressed future, and it shows that in Presidents. A printed report blessings, but also to share purpose of advancing direct changing times Seventh-day was produced which gave His blessings with others. evangelism. Adventists in Canada the figures on Ingathering With your continued I am most happy to report remain faithful to God even funds brought in in 1989. In participation and support, to you that, as the National as He is faithful in blessing a particular way, attention 1990 will even be a better Headquarter's financial them. No other Union was drawn to the following year than was 1989. Praise records for 1989 were Conference in North information: God! 2 MESSENGER/MARCH 1990 Cover Photo—The "Streeter Ranch" on Willow Creek, Alberta, by Deryk Bodington CANADIAN ADVENTIST Vol. 59, No. 3, March 1990, Oshawa, ON June Polishuk/Editor June Ulett-CulmorelAssociate Editor Allan Colleran/Art Director Robin Carby/Associate Art Director EDITORIAL COMMITTEE D. Devnich, Chairman, A. Colleran, J. Fox, D. Lawson, F. Maitland, T. Morgan, J. Polishuk, J. Ulett-Culmore CONFERENCE EDITORS Donald King/Alberta Ken Wiebe/British Columbia Mark Johnson/Manitoba-Saskatchewan Robert Schafer/Maritime David Crook/Newfoundland ADVENTIST WORLD RADIO James Fox/Ontario Sharing The Good News by Shortwave Radio: Gosnell Yorke/Quebec Praise The Lord, It Works! by Andrea Steele This Issue SILVER SPRING, MD—• Two hundred university students show up at an Adventist church on Sabbath in a city in northern China—all of them heard about Adventists through Adventist World Radio-Asia. 2/President's Perspective • In a small, remote mountain village in a certain country in Southeast D. Douglas Devnich Asia about 50 persons are studying the Adventist Bible correspondence course—all of them heard about it over Adventist World Radio-Asia. 4/ADRA UPDATE • A housechurch consisting of nearly 200 people meets on Sabbaths in a city in China. They have song service, Sabbath School and 6/Quebec Goes Forward church—all broadcast over Adventist World Radio-Asia. G.L. Herman • The pastor of a Pentecostal Church in India writes: "I have about 50 people in my congregation and the majority of them are not very 9/Health-Wise: Ozone Deficit —Can It well educated. To feed them spiritually, I listen to the AWR-Asia Telugu Hurt Us? Raymond 0. West, M.D. broadcast, and take notes and present them in devotionals." 10/SIGNS Is Like Velcro Yes, it works! Sharing the gospel by radio reaches into countries, provinces, towns, homes and hearts that we would have no other way of reaching. We dreamed about it as a church, we all contributed to the construc- PLUS tion of AWR-Asia, and members, through their contributions and Focus On 3 prayers, are keeping it on the air. From there the Holy Spirit takes over: Teacher Feature 7 People listen, find comfort, hope and joy, and best of all, share it with CUC 8-9 others! Pastors and laymen of other denominations use the radio pro- KC Korner 11 grams as the basis for sermons and seminars, and request printed Conference News 12-17 material to share with their congregations. Listeners ask for extra pro- Ads, Obituaries, Weddings, Notices 18-23 gram schedules to share with their friends, or invite them into their Kingsway College 24 homes to listen to the radio program. • From Sri Lanka: "I am born of a Hindu family of five members. Through the Tamil Bible messages of AWR-Asia we have come to know that Jesus is the true living God. We have repented from all the sins we have committed. We hope to be baptized soon. We are encourag- ing others to listen to the AWR programs." • From Indonesia a young man wrote that he had finished the Bible correspondence course and wanted "33 more sets" to share with all his friends. The Canadian Adventist MESSENGER is the official organ of the • From India: "The AWR Telugu programs are very beneficial to me. Seventh-day Adventist Church in Canada. Issued monthly, annual subscription price in Canada 85.00. Out of union $10.00. Printed They help me make the right decisions. I encouraged my friends to by Marocle Press Limited, Second class mail registration number sit along with me to listen. At least a dozen of us of the same age bracket 0912. Address all enquiries to 1148 King Street East, Oshawa, Ontario Ll H 1H8. Continued on page 7 ISSN 0702-5084 MESSENGER/MARCH 1990 3 FA II 1IUJ dPLV y DeBoer's itinerary included a stop at Solusi College, where ADRA, Canada drilled a well and installed J.W. Wilson piping for water and electricity for Development Education Secretary the pump. Adventist Development and DeBoer also visited Mukande Relief Agency (ADRA) in Canada Technical School where ADRA, Canada is funding a well project and a mill for grinding maize. Vern Langill, a Canadian builder is overseeing the construction of three new dormitory facilities funded by ADRA, Sweden and installing an electrical system funded by ADRA, Canada. When asked about overall impres- sions of his trip, DeBoer replied that he begins to appreciate turning on a faucet and having running water. "Water is so important," he com- mented, "but there are many people "Seeing It Firsthand" who walk kilometres to obtain it, then have to turn around and walk back again. This trip gave me a firsthand chance to really see the results of ADRA, Canada's partner- "I was impressed with the involve- Canada, will provide facilities for ship with the African people." ment that ADRA, Canada has in pro- support staff. jects and their contact with govern- Hospital personnel often walk Kirsten Bissell ment officials," stated Gary DeBoer, many kilometers to work and these for Jim Wilson ADRA, Canada's treasurer.