February 2008 Next on the Agenda . Quoi de Neuf? Adventist Education Youth Connections ¿Qué Está Pasando? FEBRUARY To faithfully chronicle the work and progress of the church in the Atlantic Union territory and inform, 2008 instruct, and inspire our church members. i s s i o n t a t e M e n t M s Editorial 3 Adventist Education 8 inside Positions of Our Faith 9 4 Next on the YouthDe PConnectionsARTM ENTS 10 e aAgenda t u r. e. s Quoi de Neuf? 24 F o v e r t o r y ¿Qué Está Pasando? 25 C s : Greater New York 11 7 Bible Conference Atlantic Union College 12 Focuses on Prayer New York 14 NEBermudaW s 16 Northeastern 18 Northern New England 20 God, the Great Ecologist 8 Southern New England 22 Target 2010 10 Bulletin Board 27 Classifieds 29 Sonscreen Film 3 1 INForMATION Festival Hosts April 2008 February 8 Sixth Film Event May 2008 March 14 June 2008 April 11 DTheEA GLEANERDL deadlineINES schedule is available online at www.atlantic-union.org/gleaner4.htm. Adventist® and Seventh-day Adventist® are registered trademarks of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.® It’s 2008. Can you believe it? Where has the time gone? Where have we been and where are we going on our journey through life? “With time seemingly dissipating into vapor, it is important for us to reflect on past accomplishments, February 2008, Vol. 107, No. 2. The Atlantic Union GLEANER is published reevaluate our mission and goals, and recommit to the work that is next on monthly by the Atlantic Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists,® ourn agendas.”t h i sIn thiss sissue, u e we take a moment to ponder these thoughts, in the 400 Main Street, South Lancaster, MA 01561. Printed by Review and cover story beginning on page 4. Also in this issue are our regular features: Herald® Publishing Association, 55 West Oak Ridge Drive, Hagerstown, i i … MD 21740. Standard postage paid at Hagerstown, MD 21740. Annual Adventist Education, Positions of Our Faith, and Youth Connections. The cover subscription price, $8.50. Postmaster: Send address changes to design uses an image from iStockphoto. Review and Herald® Publishing Association, 55 West Oak Ridge Drive, Hagerstown, MD 21740. 2 Atlantic Union GLEANER , February 2008 Visit the Atlantic Union Web site EDITORIAL The Joy of Witnessing for Jesus picked up a 30-year-old photograph effective in the great enterprise of partner- that shows a group of people in a class- ing with Jesus to save people, this is your I room setting. Among the people is a opportunity. There will be 15 tracks and young man who, at the time, had recently 65 seminars, given in English, French, become an Adventist. This young man Portuguese, and Spanish. The presenters The Atlantic was anxious to witness for Jesus, and his are very experienced soul winners and will church had emphasized the need for every- enrich your lives and equip you for your Union Conference one to win souls for Jesus. After all, the heaven-inspired role for Jesus. Word of God says, “He who wins souls is The Atlantic Union Conference Festival wise” (Proverbs 11:30) and “Let your light of the Laity SEEDS Conference will be a Festival of the shine before men, that they may see your historic meeting as this will be the first time good deeds and praise your Father in heav- our lay people have been united union-wide Laity SEEDS en” (Matthew 5:16). to train in the art of soul winning. This will The young man, along with much more be a time to meet local church soul winners Conference will be mature or older Seventh-day Adventists, and leaders, and enable you to network and had enlisted in a lay Bible instructor’s perhaps learn strategies that are making a a historic meeting class taught by the local church’s Bible difference in individual congregations. worker. The young man was very shy, but The personal ministries leaders and as this will be the found the class very valuable in preparing administrators of all the conferences in the him to share God’s Word. Subsequently, Atlantic Union support this important initia- first time our lay he witnessed to many people, including tive for Jesus and look forward to seeing you his family members, some of whom were in March at the festival. people have been baptized and are looking forward to seeing The young man in that picture was me. their blessed Lord soon. Some of these new It gives me much joy as I reflect on that lay members have also become soul winners Bible instruction that helped me to be a soul united union-wide and are continuing to help others get ready winner. As a pastor, I have baptized many for heaven. Others who were baptized whom I look forward to seeing on that great to train in the art are serving in various capacities in their day of the Lord when the trumpet shall respective churches. sound and we who are alive will be changed of soul winning. The Atlantic Union Conference Festival of and join those who will be raised from the the Laity SEEDS Conference will take place dusty grave to be with our loving Jesus. March 28-30 in Stamford, Connecticut. It is I encourage you to be a soul winner and being coordinated by the North American experience the joy of seeing a person saved Division Evangelism Institute (NADEI). The in God’s kingdom. Come to the Festival of conference will offer a powerful opportunity the Laity in March 2008. to help prepare you to be a soul winner, church planter, and a church nurturer. If Trevor Forbes is the personal ministries director and the you want to be effective or become more associate treasurer for the Atlantic Union Conference. at www.atlantic-union.org Atlantic Union GLEANER , February 2008 3 by Ednor A. P. Davison Next on the Agenda . the memorial service. She wanted the information so she could say a special “thank you” to him for calling and talking with her husband when he was alive and for taking charge of the service. I had no idea when I asked David Taylor to officiate at the service that he had ever been in contact with my brother, by phone or any other means. He had just graciously con- sented to do the service and drove two hours from Loma Linda to San Diego to be with us that day. Before leaving California, I asked him to clarify what my sister-in-law shared with me. And, with a smile on his face, he admitted it was true. He had been in touch with my brother. He said he had heard me talk so much about him iStockphoto and his medical challenges that he was impressed to contact him and pray with ate last November, several him. He never said a word about it and “Teach us to days into an overseas trip to neither did my brother. In his schedule, New Zealand and Australia, Taylor made time to perform a random I received word that my act of kindness that has made a lasting Lbrother had suffered a massive cerebral impression. realize the hemorrhage and was not expected So, why do I share this with you? to last 12 hours. I immediately made With time seemingly dissipating into brevity of life, plans to return to the United States; vapor, it is important for us to reflect and in less than 12 hours after noti- on past accomplishments, reevaluate fication of his grave situation, word our mission and goals, and recommit so that we came again that he had died. It seemed to the work that is next on our agen- almost like a dream as I prepared to fly das. Are we able to recall the inten- to California. Nowhere on my agenda tional acts of kindness that expressed may grow in when this trip was placed on my Christ’s witness through us during the schedule was there an item that said, past 12 months? Are our agendas for wisdom” “Notification of your brother’s death.” 2008 planned with intentionality to As I was preparing to leave include building relationships as we California for my home, my sister-in- minister to others? The New Living —Psalm 90:12 (NLT) law asked me for the address for David Translation presents Psalm 90:12 this Taylor, the pastor who officiated at way, “Teach us to realize the brevity of 4 Atlantic Union GLEANER , February 2008 Visit the Atlantic Union Web site life, so that we may grow in wisdom.” As we face each new day, what’s next on our agenda? There were many items on the Atlantic Union’s agenda during 2007. Some have been completed, others are in progress. Many were reported in the GLEANER and many were not. Some items called for opening doors to new relationships, others were to help strengthen old ones. Following are four summaries of agenda items covered recently in the Atlantic Union. Prayer for the leader of the state of Massachusetts On October 24, 2007, a delegation of Ednor A. P. Davison P. A. Ednor 10 individuals from the Atlantic Union After the meeting with the governor, Leon Thomassian, left, Carlyle Simmons, background left, Donald King, center, and Ray led by the president, Donald King, who Daniels (back to camera), spoke with Senator Robert Antonioni, second from right, out on the balcony of the state house.