southeast asia union May-June 1978, M. C. (P) No. 196/1/78 CHANGE IN THE PRESIDENCY SET FOR SAUM Together during a re/axed moment at home are teenager Debbie with her Backed by books is this informal family portrait of the Heislers. From parents, Audrey and SAUM's president, Wendell. For news and views of left is SAUM's president-elect Robert, big son Rick, SAUM's Child the Wilcoxes during their tenure in the Far East, turn to page 6. Evangelism director Anita, teenager Rachelle and young Hal. 24 Years in the Far East by SAUM President Elder and Mrs. Wendell L. Wilcox are going home on permanent return to the United States after having served in the Far East for 24 years, crowded with many interesting experiences. The Far East will always have special meaning to the Wilcoxes for many reasons. It was in Hong Kong, on July 14, 1927, that Wendell was born, while his father, Elder L. C. Wilcox, was serving as a missionary there. He is the youngest of three children. While in his teens, during World War II, Wendell suffered with his parents the privations of concentration camps in the Philippines. He still recalls with thrill, the liberation of Manila by the forces of General Douglas MacArthur. While earning his way to take the ministerial course at Pacific Union College, California, Wendell met and mar- ried Audrey Fuller who has been his faithful and devoted companion during all the years of his ministry. They have four children: Mrs. Wendy Barlow who is a nurse in Portland, Oregon; Paul who is completing his Industrial Arts degree at Pacific Union College; Dan who is in the US Air Force and Debbie who will be graduating from Far Eastern Academy in Singapore this May. Elder and Mrs. Wilcox had served in the Central California Conference for three years prior to their coming to the Far East in 1954. They laboured in Indonesia for about 15 years. During the last six years of their stay in Indo- nesia, Elder Wilcox served as President of the Union which then consisted of the whole Indonesian archipelago. From Indonesia, they went to Korea where Wendell served as Union President for another four years. In 1971, they joined Southeast Asia Union, first with Wendell as President of the Sabah Mission and then later as Acting Union Secretary. Finally, in 1975, he was elected President of Southeast Asia Union Mission. The many friends and associates of Elder and Mrs. Wendell L. Wilcox in the Far East will miss them greatly. We all wish them God's abundant blessings as they leave to continue their faithful and dedicated service in the Lord's work in their homeland.— Bernie Donato Inside: YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE PULPIT See page 5 FIRST UNION RETREAT—TO TURTLE BEACH View pages 8 Et 9 asurardiemmer THE WHY AND HOW OF CHRISTIAN EDUCATION Published bi-monthly as the official organ of the South- east Asia Union Mission of Seventh-day Adventists, 251 Upper Serangoon Road, Singapore 13. by Donald R. Halenz Yearly Subscription Price S2.50 (U.S.) President Editor Jill Warden Parchment Southeast Asia Union College Circulation Manager Esther Donato "Contributing Editors" throughout our Union field are: MISSIONS: Sabah Miss Hon Yin Kong The alert Messenger reader already realizes that 1978 is Adventist educa- Sarawak Paull Dixon tion year. The last issue discussed the cost of Adventist education; here we Thailand W. Malaysia-Singapore Jonathan Ng wish to examine the why and the how. Our schools were established for several purposes. Early in the work of the Seventh-day Adventist church it INSTITUTIONS: Southeast Asia Union College Juanita Bissell was recognized that if we are to hold our young people in the church, it is Bangkok Adventist Hospital Myrtle Fitzgerald essential that we provide a Christian educational system for them. Accord- Head Yai Mission Hospital Penang Adventist Hospital Edward Heisler ingly, our schools were established first for the salvation of our young Phuket Mission Hospital Jane Crider people. Secondly, they are to provide the church with a supply of workers Youngberg Mem. Adventist Hospital Chiengmai Academy Helton Fisher that the church will have the qualified talent needed to carry on the work on its many lines. Finally, the church is strengthened by having a body of 1978, M. C. (P) No. 196/1/78 educated laymen who strengthen the church in each local mission. At the SOUTHEAST ASIA UNION MISSION same time, the constitutency is served by having schools available for its OF SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISTS young people. DIRECTORY President wenaeli L. vviicax Some will always ask why it is not possible to allow our young people to Secretary Wu Chook Ying attend local public schools which are more convenient and frequently less Treasurer Marshall Chase Assistant Treasurer Jonathan Kong expensive. A little reflection on the objectives outlined above provides the Auditor Edmund Ho answer. If we want to make engineers, we send a student to an engineer- Child Evangelism Anita Heisler Lay Activities & S.S. Robert L. Heisler ing school. Physicians to a medical school and Christians to a Christian Publishing Ralph M. Sellers school. There is more to education than simply obtaining the technical Education & Stewardship LeVerne Bissell M.V., P.R. & Temperance Bernie Donato knowledge needed. Mrs. White has said, "True education means more Health Marshall Chase than a pursual of a certain course of study. It means more than a prepara- tion for the life that now is. It has to do with the whole being and the SABAH MISSION whole period of existence possible to man."— Education, page 13. Seen President James Thurman from this perspective we see that man must be educated for more than Secretary Charles S. Gaban making a livelihood on this earth. It must also prepare him for eternity. The Treasurer & Auditor Peter Wong P. 0. Box 7, Tamparuli, Sabah, East Malaysia Adventist school, with its emphasis on the spiritual, mental and physical aspects of man is the best place for the Adventist youth to gain this edu- SARAWAK MISSION President Paull Dixon cation. We view man as a whole being, integrated and non-divisible. To try Secretary Geoffrey Pauner to educate just one facet of him is to give an incomplete education, thus Treasurer & Auditor Gilbert Maju P. 0. Box 41, Kuching, Sarawak short-changing him and leaving him unable to successfully cope with the stress of modern society. THAILAND MISSION (INCLUDING LAOS) Our church has thus developed an entire system of education from the President Sunti Sorajjakool primary or kindergarten level through to the University. Our schools seek to Sec-Treasurer & Auditor H. I. Lukman mold the student through placing him in an environment where spiritual P. 0. Box 11-234, Bangkok, Thailand values prevail, where right doing and right thinking is the accepted norm of WEST MALAYSIA-SINGAPORE MISSION life, where the Bible is held as the revelation of God and in a sense, is at President T. K. Chong the heart of the curriculum. We recognize also the necessity of having Sec-Treasurer & Auditor C. B. Lim Seventh-day Adventist teachers in every classroom. 166-A Jalan Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur 06-26 Selangor, Peninsular Malaysia You are already familiar with the Seventh-day Adventist schools in your mission. Southeast Asia Union College and the Southeast Asia Adventist In appreciation, Photo Credits by page numbers go to: Seminary are the Union's schools for higher education of our youth. We Dennis Tidwell 7; B. Sellers 6; Dottie Bascom 16; Anita Heisler 1 & 7; Paull Dixon 4 & 5; Jison Mun 3 & More on page 16 ... 13; Irene Ng 9 & 15; Bernie Donato 8, 9 & 15; Christian Lee 10; Mary Eastman 12; Albert Khor 12; Denise Halenz 8; Matthew Hutabarat 9; Daniel Yea 9; Editorial advisors and assistants: Audrey Wilcox, Lucy Ho, Alwin and Lisa Lisa Parchment 5 & 9; Elaine Halenz 2; Peter Foo 14; Parchment, Elaine Halenz Audrey Wilcox 1 & 6; Arnold Poey 10; Alfred Low 14; Lee Yoke Leng 11; Wes Amundson 11; P. Parks 16. May-June THE MESSENGER 3 When campbreak came, every- body wished work could be extend- SABAH ed for a week. But they all promised to be back for the mission-wide Sabah Youth Clear youth camp which will be held in April. —Jison Mun Campsite Kapa Church Holds Sabah Mission is blessed to own PERKENALKAN DIA SONGRIS MIKAN SASAT *HEW First Investiture Service a beautiful seaside 191/2 acre camp- Sathen, Sabah site located in Dantai, near Ambong April 25.25,153 Bay, which is about 18 miles away were sent to the churches. Eighty from the mission headquarters. strong responded, young men and Three-fourths of the way to the women who came with their long place is by road and the rest is by "parang" knives and other tools! Among those who volunteered ONIY 171ROvEN was Dr. LeVerne Bissell, Union Edu- H cational and Stewardship Director, who had just concluded a number A knot-tying exhibitionist at Kapa's investiture. of workshops in the mission terri- The MV Society of Kapa Church, tory. He was a real example and Sabah Mission, was the first society inspiration to the young people as to hold an investiture this year 1978. they cleared the forest and dug a Stephen Dungin, MV Leader of Pitching in with the men were girl forest-cleer- ers. Kapa Church, invited the writer to the mission-owned 33-foot boat conduct the service on January 21. driven by a 35-horsepower Johnson The MV Society had about fifty engine. members, thirty of whom were Since becoming Sabah Mission Pathfinders.