Adventist Review RSOUTHWIESTERIN UNIOd ecor Left to right, top row Max Martinez Richard W. Bendall E. Wayne Shepperd bottom row C. R. Pritchett Rex Bell b• Union Staff Assignments Announced See FOCUS ON THE COVER Page 12B RECORD REVIEW, October 31, 1985 — 12A FOCUS ON THE COVER Union Staff Assignments Announced A recent action of the Southwestern Union Conference pany, and will handle the Youth Action Line. Shepperd will Executive Committee named two vice presidents and made direct the youth work, and Martinez will direct the personal new departmental assignments. ministries and take a special interest in the Spanish work and Wayne Shepperd and Max Martinez, formerly associate the Native American work." secretaries of the Union were given the title of vice president. The Church Ministries Department, as organized at the A similar change was voted for Richard W. Bendall at an General Conference Session, draws together in one depart- earlier committee meeting. ment all of the activities formerly handled in the separate Per- The committee designated C. R. Pritchett, formerly per- sonal Ministries, Youth, and Sabbath School Departments. sonal ministries and Sabbath School director of the Union as This combination is intended to reduce overlapping and dupli- director of the new Church Ministries Department, and cation of materials and activities among those former depart- named Rex Bell director of the Public Affairs and Religious ments. The specialists in those various activities become a Liberty Department. Bell recently joined the Union staff as part of the new Church Ministries Department, with increased director of development. coordination of their program. Shepperd and Martinez will These changes have come about in the process of adjusting work with Pritchett in this way. to the structural changes voted at the recent General Confer. As director of development, Rex Bell is presently involved ence Session, according to B. E. Leach, Southwestern Union in exploratory and preparatory work toward the establish- president. He said, "The three vice presidents are officers of ment of a nursing home and a retirement center on property the Union. They are part of the administrative team. They will near the Huguley Memorial Hospital in Fort Worth. He will continue with many of the individual responsibilities they have now also carry the religious liberty work until recently carried been carrying. Bendall is still communication director, editor by William Wiist, who has become treasurer of the Texas of the Record, secretary-treasurer of the Argyle Land Com- Conference. tacts. One is the great need of the church's world mission program, which depends heavily on the millions of Ingathering General News dollars every year. The other is that the combination of the personal Christian touch and attractive, appealing literature makes friends for Christ and His church, often being the first Doorbell Rings; step toward conversion and a new life of witnessing, as it was Prayer is Answered for Sherri and Fred Rhoten. Someone may be waiting for you to ring their doorbell and Sherri Rhoten felt crushed by the word that her brother had bring them the answer to their prayer. Whether you solicit or been killed in an accident. She and her husband Fred had give from your own bank account or both, won't you do your been feeling that their spiritual resources were inadequate. full share in this great program of the church? Now this tragedy seemed more then they could cope with. Max Martinez, Not satisfied with the church they belonged to, they Personal Ministries Department. resorted to prayer together in their home. They asked for guidance and understanding, and for a more meaningful rela- tionship with Jesus. God soon answered their prayer. A visitor came to their door — a Seventh-day Adventist engaged in the Ingathering campaign. It was a routine contact. The Ingathering magazine and some literature were left, including an enrollment coupon for a Bible correspondence course. Sherri and Fred ordered the Bible lessons and studied them eagerly. As a result of the interest they manifested, an Advent- ist pastor called on them. Finding them to be serious searchers for truth, he arranged for Bible studies. Their open- ing minds and hearts led him to meet with them every night for a while. At his invitation, they went to his church on Sabbath, and the next Sabbath, Pastor Forrest Tenbrook baptized them in Durant, Oklahoma. That was in April, 1978. The Rhotens have been active in witnessing. They have helped in three Revelation Seminars. A total of 10 have been baptized through their efforts. Now it is Ingathering time again. All over the country church members will again ring doorbells and visit business people with winsome smiles telling people about the world- wide work of love carried on by Seventh-day Adventists, the caring church. There are two important reasons for making these con- The Rhoten family: Fred, Jessica, Samantha, and Sherri. 12B — REVIEW, October 31, 1985 RECORD Southwesterners Attend ASI Convention Heading a delegation from the Southwest to the annual convention of Adventist-laymen's Services and Industries at Big Sky, Montana, was Fred Murray, ASI secretary for the Southwestern Union, and Duane Tucker of Keene, Texas, president of the Southwestern chapter. There were 17 in the group. The convention reelected Philip Winsted, manager of Ker- nersville Kare Home #2 in Kernersville, North Carolina, as president. Conn Arnold, a departmental director in the Kentucky-Tennessee Confer- ence for the past 13 years, was elected executive secretary/treasurer of the organi- zation, replacing Kenneth Livesay, who has retired. As chapter president, Duane Tucker, president of Texas Healthcare Facilities, is a member of the ASI executive committee. John Weidner (center), accompanied by his wife, Naomi, responds to tributes made by Kenneth Livesay on behalf of President Ronald Rea- One of three members of the committee, gan and the ASI organization. named by the General Conference to Conn Arnold represent conference administration is Ben Leach, president of the Southwestern Union Conference. One highlight of the convention was the presentation of the Christian Service Award of the Seventh-day Adventist Church to John Weidner of Monterey Park, California, a manufacturer of vitamins and owner of a chain of health food stores. A commendation by President Ronald Reagan was presented to him on the same occasion. Weidner has been the recipient of many honors, including the Medal of the Right- eous Gentile by the Government of Israel, for his heroic work during World War II, saving 1,000 people — Jewish persons, Catholic priests, political refugees, and 100 Allied airmen through his Dutch-Paris Underground. Adventist-laymen Services and Industries, begun nearly 40 years ago as an organization of well-supporting medical and educational institutions, now has more than 700 member organizations. Its members are businesses, services, and insti- tutions operated by Adventist laymen with Christian objectives. The Southwestern Union delegation to the ASI convention. Front row, from left: Carl Sadau, Denton, Texas; Conn Arnold, new ASI executive secretary; Phil Winstead, ASI national president; Duane Tucker, Keene, Texas; Janet and Warren Skilton, Cleburne, Texas; and Shubert Sapian Week of Sacrifice of Denton, Texas. Back Row: Joe Ray, Texas Conference; Fred Murray, Southwestern Offering, November 9 Union; Jean Murray; Arlene Tucker, Keene, Texas; Merelyn Haddock, Ketchum, Oklahoma; Delmar Smith, Denton, Texas; and Clint Sturdi- What a beautiful philosophy of Christian living was vant, Vinita, Oklahoma. expressed by the Psalmist when he wrote: "Oh that men Others present, not pictured: B. E. Leach, Southwestern Union presi- dent; Clarance Kohler and Don Griffith, Alpena, Arkansas. would praise the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men! And let them sacrifice the sacri- fices of thanksgiving, and declare His works with rejoicing." (Ps. 107:21, 22) and as they see God's power changing the hearts of men and On Sabbath, November 9, as we close the Week of Prayer, women. God's Seventh-day Adventist family of nearly five million, From personal acquaintance, I think of a young doctor who, around the world, will join in a special offering of thanksgiving. with his beautiful wife and three children, left a thriving prac- As we reflect on the bounties we enjoy, it would be well for tice in the United States and went to a small hospital in the each of us to sing that old song, "Count your many blessings, jungles of Bolivia. I think of that prosperous builder in south- name them one by one; count your many blessings, see what ern California who, with his wife (a registered nurse) and four- God hath done." year-old daughter, went to an outpost mission station in the Through the years some have faithfully followed the prac- jungles of Peru. tice of dedicating a week's earnings to God as an offering of And there are so many, many more — dedicated and tal- gratitude for His manifold blessings. And we might ask our- ented, and certain that their greatest joy will be in serving selves, "Would such a gift be too large a sacrifice, considering others less fortunate and lifting them closer to our Saviour. the blessings we have received during the past year?" "What Giving starves covetousness to death. Giving is the founda- would such a gift mean toward the proclamation of God's tion principle of heaven. May God move mightily upon our message?" hearts as we plan for a sacrificial offering, November 9. Hundreds of missionary families are now on the front lines Don Christman, Former Associate Secretary, of mission service. Many are truly sacrificing as they witness General Conference, now Retired. RECORD REVIEW, October 31, 1985 — 12C Terrill Bailey instructs leaders on her "110 ideas" that deal with boys/- girls clubs.