World Youth Impact Thailand Bangkok, Thailand
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FEBRUARY 7, 2004 RECORD In this issue Lives changed in PNG meetings Adventist mother forgives murderer Ellen White for today Leighton Heise (fourth from right) and other worship leaders and band from Australia worship with 1300 young people from 70 countries at the world youth conference in Thailand. World youth impact Thailand Bangkok, Thailand nd you thought you came here for a nice vacation, to visit a new country, to hang out with Ayour friends,” said Pastor José Rojas with a chuckle, addressing the more than 1300 delegates on the opening night of the World Conference on Youth and Community Service: Impact 10/40, held in Bangkok, Thailand, December 30 to January 3. Pastor Rojas, director of Volunteer Ministries for the North American Division, was the principal speaker for the event. The conference was the first international youth conference organised by the Adventist Church and attracted young people from more than 70 countries. Before arriving at the conference, most participants were involved in one of about 30 service projects across Thailand. According to Pastor Gilbert Cangy, director of Youth Ministries for the South Pacific Division, this was an integral part of planning this event. Statistics “What sparked the imagination of all the leaders was the notion that the conference would be located in a part of the world where there is hardly any Christian presence and that the whole exercise would be driven by service and evangelism,” he recalls. “Thailand was seen as a place that that would provide a great opportunity to make a difference for God.” Pastor Cangy reports that young people from around the world—including 170 young people from the South Pacific Division—were involved in a variety of service activities. count (Continued on page 5) ISSN 0819-5633 EDITORIAL An Ellen White reality check his week’s RECORD begins a series of called the traditional understanding of Ellen thousand others. Tfour articles entitled “Ellen White for White’s special role within the Adventist The conversations beginning in today’s today.” These articles coincide with a Church. The evidence is clear: we have to RECORD are an attempt to look at some of summit at Avondale College, which ran understand Ellen White differently from the these issues in a way that remains true to this past week, about the church’s way we have in the past. Ellen White’s own intention for her writings. understanding and application of Ellen For instance, it is now well documented No attempt has been made to answer every White’s writings. that she, at times, used historical sources question being asked, but the principles This is a series of interviews or, more that included factual errors in The Great involved should be helpful. Also helpful for correctly, conversations with Dr Arthur Controversy. She was not guided to correct those who want more information is the Patrick. A respected church historian those facts. But that admission must be Ellen G White/Seventh-day Adventist within and outside the Seventh-day followed by asking about her purpose. She Research Centre at Avondale College. You Adventist Church, Dr Patrick has served in did not intend to write history, but to will find contact details with each of the four a variety of capacities within the church, “unfold the scenes of the great controversy conversations. Their help is free. including: pastor-evangelist; chaplain; between truth and error” (The Great Before publishing these conversations, theology lecturer and, importantly, the Controversy, page xii). Having in mind the they were submitted to a broad range of director of the Ellen G White/Seventh-day overall picture she had of this controversy, people at various levels within the church. Adventist Research Centre. she then used the best Protestant sources The counsel we received has proved very As you will discover, he has confidence available to her, including their now- helpful, as was the desire that this in the God-given inspiration and leading in known factual errors. information should be published. the ministry of Ellen White. For those who have not kept abreast of However, we understand that this topic We asked him to speak with RECORD research into the writings of Ellen White, will prove difficult for some, and a few may because Ellen White’s ministry is coming that last paragraph may prove difficult. even see it as another attack on Ellen under sustained attack, particularly on the Errors of fact in inspired writings? Can that White’s ministry. Internet. Yet many of these attacks are be? While we, as a church, take the Even so, it is a topic that must be based on information that has been position that inspired writings are not addressed openly and sensitively. This is researched and known within the inerrant (that is, without error),* there has something we have attempted to do. What Adventist Church for some time. Unfor- always been the suspicion that God would encourages me is that in attempting to tunately, the more recent research into the somehow protect His writers from even the present Ellen White for today, we seem to life and writings of Ellen White and the simplest mistakes. be moving closer toward the role and discussion surrounding her ministry has This has tended, perhaps, to be the purpose she envisaged for herself. tended to be available only in a limited way. unspoken understanding of Ellen White’s That has made it difficult for church writings. We now need to face the reality *In Fundamental Belief 1, a members to respond to the sometimes that this is not so. phrase borrowed, probably, from Ellen White’s malicious attacks being made. With Ellen White two extremes are to be introduction to The Great Often these attacks are based on correct avoided. The first takes such a high view of Controversy is used to state information, but draw conclusions that her inspiration that it is unrealistic, that the Bible is the give little consideration for both the unworkable and unbiblical. The tempt- “infallible revelation of historical context and a mature under- ation here is to view her like a pope or to His will.” This claim is quite different standing of prophetic ministry. proclaim her Saint Ellen. The second takes from saying the The conversations with Dr Patrick are an a low view of her ministry and suggests she Bible is infallible or attempt to look at the findings that have was unethical, underhanded and unworthy inerrant. come to light in the past 30 years, and the of consideration. The temptation is to say challenges they raise for what could be her writings have no more value than a Bruce Manners OFFICIAL PAPER Editor Bruce Manners Mail: Signs Publishing Company South Pacific Division Editor-elect Nathan Brown 3485 Warburton Highway Seventh-day Adventist Senior assistant editor Lee Dunstan Warburton, Vic 3799, Australia Church Assistant editor Kellie Hancock Phone: (03) 5966 9111 Fax: (03) 5966 9019 ACN 000 003 930 Copyeditor Graeme Brown Email Letters: [email protected] Editorial secretary Meryl McDonald-Gough Email Newsfront: [email protected] Vol 109 No 4 Layout Peta Taylor Email Noticeboard: [email protected] Cover: Gilbert Cangy SPD news correspondent Brenton Stacey Subscriptions: South Pacific Division mailed within Senior consulting editor Barry Oliver Australia and to New Zealand, $A43.80 $NZ73.00. Web site www.record.net.au Other prices on application. Printed weekly. 2 February 7, 2004 FLASHPOINT • Videos impact isolated communities • New youth choir in SA • More broom in Broome • Stanmore church celebrates • First Adventist in Cook Islands to receive MBE • and more —Compiled by Kellie Hancock— ● The K175,000 the South licensing.—Newswest Pacific Division will give to New life for old mission boat ● The Stanmore church in help rebuild the New Britain Sydney, NSW, hosted a New Ireland Mission office double celebration on (announced in RECORD, fter seven months of November 8, recognising December 13, 2003) will Awork, retired engineer Stanmore’s 105th anniver- cover only the cost of pur- Cyril Vavozo has rebuilt sary and 150 years of chasing the land. The new and repaired the last of the Sabbath school. Built in office will be located in church’s 45-foot (14- 1898, Stanmore is one of Kokopo. metre) mission boats built Sydney’s oldest Adventist after World War II. churches. The Varivato is pictured The day of ● The Search videos are undergoing sea trials off celebration having an impact in isolated the Solomon Islands. climaxed parts of Australia with one Mr Vavozo replaced with a sacred couple in far northern WA several ribs and other timber work. The hull has been recoppered concert, becoming interested in Bible and a rebuilt Gardner engine installed. featuring correspondence courses after “This is a great credit to him,” says Geoff Harrington, a supporter musical talent from across watching the Search. A from Dundas, NSW. “It made a big impression on the government Sydney. In closing, church woman in an isolated part of marine surveyors who recently checked out the work.” minister Pastor Shane the Northern Australian Mr Vavozo thanks church members in Australia who sent parts Roberts thanked God for Conference has gone on to and funds for upgrading the boat. the blessings experienced at complete the Focus on “The future of this veteran mission vessel is in the hands of the Stanmore church. Prophecy correspondence Lord,” says Mr Harrington. “Let’s keep praying for the work in the course. “I’ve really been islands of the seas.”—Bruce Manners blessed by the videos you’ve ● Kiribati and Rabi sent,” she writes. “They have community members in Fiji opened my eyes and have helped me there was so much to do before the joined with Fulton College for a baptism understand God’s Word a lot better.” opening that it seemed impossible that it of six people from their islands.