0`4, 1:4\ ‘\ \'\N ZLOL ERIN ON oo!leoglod—lsod B!iellsnv Aq paJelsOat:i RECORD EDITORIAL Official Paper Learning to Fly Seventh-day Adventist Church South Pacific Division uring the past three or four group who ever push us on to new Editor James Coffin Associate Editors Gary Krause Ddecades the Seventh-day frontiers, who clamour for greater Bruce Manners Adventist Church in the Western consistency, who force us to re-evalu- Assistant Editor Joy Totenhofer world has changed dramatically. ate our mission, who ensure that we're Editorial Secretary Glenda Fairall Copy Editor Graeme Brown Today we see in the church a far speaking to and meeting the needs of Illustrator Wayne Louk broader range of ideas and behaviour people in our world today. Senior Consulting Editor Athal Tolhurst than would once have been tolerated. One group safeguards us from Correspondents Ray Baird, Lyn Bartlett, Terry Butler, Ray Combe, David Hay, Maua Kemo'o, Colin But not everyone feels comfortable going off on a tangent. The other safe- Winch, Neroli Zaska with the concept of tolerance. guards us from slipping into a rut. Regional Reporters George Drinkall, Chris Foote, Eric Greenwell, Colin House, Larry Laredo, Malcolm At the extremes, one group in our Each type of thinking has its merits. Potts, Leigh Rice, Lyndon Schick, Gordon Smith, church looks to the past and wishes For example, the more a message is Chester Stanley, Bill Townend. we could recapture a spiritual quality presented in black-and-white terms, Local Reporters Church Communication Secretaries Subscriptions South Pacific Division, $A31.00 they feel we have lost. The other the more likely it is to attract converts. $NZ43.40. group looks to the future and longs By contrast, tolerance makes great All other regions, $A64.00 $NZ89.60. Air mail postage for something they feel hasn't yet rates on application. Order from Signs Publishing friends, but it doesn't make people Company, Warburton, Victoria 3799, Australia. existed. sense that they must change or risk Manuscripts All copy for the paper should be sent to One group looks for more guide- damnation. The Editor, RECORD, Signs Publishing Company, Warburton, Victoria 3799. Phone (059) 66 9111. lines and clearer definitions. The Openness creates a healthy environ- Telefax (059) 66 9019. other group advocates focusing on ment for discussion and the exchange Printed weekly by Signs Publishing Company. principles and leaving most final deci- of ideas, but certainty gets people into sions to the individual. the baptismal font. Certainty also gets Directory of the South Pacific Division of the Seventh- One group rejoices when "the trum- them into tithing, giving generous day Adventist Church, 148 Fox Valley Road, Wahroonga, NSW 2076. pet is given a certain sound." The offerings and working long hours for Phone (02) 489 7122. (Legal Trustee: Australasian the church. Conference Association Limited. Secretary: Tom Andrews, Assistant Secretaries: Richard Milne, A bird needs a right Both aspects are important, and we Properties; Bruce Jackson, Finance.) need to keep the long term in mind as President Bryan Ball wing and a left wing. well as the short term. Subsequent Secretary Athal Tolhurst Treasurer Tom Andrews generations of Adventists (see last Assistant to President Gerald Clifford other group is heartened when some- week's editorial) need room to forge Associate Secretary Vern Parmenter one admits that we don't have all the their own faith. And unless they find a Associate Treasurers Owen Mason, Lynray Wilson answers. tolerant environment for their own Field Secretary One group emphasises traditional spiritual quest, they'll simply drop out. Departments and Services: evangelism, with its focus on prophecy So when I hear people on the left ADRA Harold Halliday (Director), Neil Hughes. Peter Truscott and its emphasis on propositional murmuring about the need to muzzle Adventist Health Percy Harrold (Director), Harley truth. The other group emphasises the the right, I become a champion of the Stanton need to love other people into a rela- right. And when those on the right Adventist Media Centre Nat Devenish (Manager) Archivist and Statistician Roy Clifford tionship with Christ. want to muzzle—or even disfran- Auditing Service Max Mitchell (Director), Eric Unfortunately, each group is leery chise—the left, I champion the left. Hokin, Ernie Moffitt, Neville Sawert, Robert Stratford of the other. Each tends to view the Rather than taking the narrow- Christian Services for the Blind and Hearing Impaired Ray Coombe other as the cause for the church's minded position that we would be bet- Church Ministries Bryan Craig, (Director and Family current relative lack of progress. But ter off if we eliminated "the opposi- Ministries), Wilfred Bill (Stewardship), Colleen Buxton (Children's Ministries), Barry Gane (Youth), Alwyn are these perceptions correct? tion," we need to recognise that, even Salom (Personal Ministries), Eric Winter (Sabbath I believe that until we learn to though people with a differing view School) appreciate the strengths and weak- may cause us discomfort (ie they can Communication, Public Affairs and Religious Liberty Ray Coombe nesses of both approaches, the work be a real "thorn in the flesh"), they Education Les Devine (Director), Barry Hill, Ian of the church is going to suffer. As a play a vital role in keeping the church Howie, Owen Hughes, Bob Spoor colleague of mine puts it: In order to vibrant and on course. Health Food Eugene Grosser (Director), Greg Gambrill, Lance Rogers, Alan Staples, Ray Windus fly, a bird needs a right wing, a left Only when the right wing and the Ministerial Association John Gate wing, and a good body between. The left wing both exist, only when they Publishing Bruce Campbell same applies to the church. Risk Management Service Robert Smith (Manager) both recognise their need to stay firm- Trust Services Jim Lansdown The church needs a group of people ly attached to the body, only when who constantly question the wisdom they allow the love of God to soften Cover. A safari into the of change, who are deeply concerned their hearts and make them sensitive mountains of Santo gave many lest we lose sight of our church's origi- to others, will our church ever soar to opportunities for ministry. nal mission. the heights that God intended for it. Photos: Mike Brownhill. And the church equally needs a James Coffin. 2 RECORD October 19, 1991 LETTERS government workers of the same edu- readings in the recent Week of Prayer Sin is Sin cational standard get far better wages RECORD (September 7). I sincerely Thank you for your articles on child than their Adventist-employed thank the authors of both the adult abuse (August 17). I'm a mother of a conuterparts. The comparison with and children's presentations. teenager who was molested for years Adventist expatriates is too humiliat- As well as holding interest, there by her father. (I didn't find out until ing to mention. was a good balance between spiritual later.) This is a dangerous message our motivation and the stories themselves. After sexually abusing his daughter church is sending to the local island For a long time I've been reading and remarrying, he still teaches governments where Adventism is now Week of Prayer articles as a matter of Sabbath school classes. seen as a major religion and a reliable duty. But this time I did so with real Some will say that he may have workforce in the area of disaster relief appreciation and enjoyment. changed. If so, his daughter should be and health. These policies are long W. James Imrie, Vic. the first to know. But all she has had is overdue for rectification. a nasty letter, not even an apology. A. Talemaitoga, Scotland. No Lip Service We have had no support within the Re Austen Fletcher's article "Let's church. What is the church's stand Stunned? Celebrate the Ten Commandments" toward a man who molests his daugh- Re "Stunned" (Letters, August 31): (September 21): Thank you. The Ten ter? Doesn't God call sin sin? I find it hard to see why anyone Commandments, as the result of My daughter completed her educa- should be stunned regarding self-sup- grace, are the core of the Christian tion through Adventist schools and porting Adventist ministries. experience. left the church after she finished col- All this quarter we've been studying But wouldn't it be more effective if lege. The reason she gives is that the in our Sabbath school lessons the sermons more often pointed to the church would prefer to keep her words of a self-supporting apostle— importance of the Ten Command- father as a member. Name Supplied. Paul. "Surely you remember, broth- ments as a rule of faith? After all, ers," he writes, "our toil and hardship; they're the expression of God's char- Frustrated we worked night and day in order not acter. And there's the risk that merely Re "Why Do They Do It?" to be a burden to anyone while we chanting them will make them a mat- (September 14): Pastor Watts now preach the gospel of God to you" (1 ter of interest only for lips. feels like so many other church mem- Thessalonians 2:9, NIV). Gennaro Cozzi, NSW. bers—frustrated! It's a good thing to search the writ- From my experience as a young ings of Ellen White for advice. But Views expressed in Letters to the Editor do not person within the church, I've found let's not neglect the clear teaching of neccessarily represent those of the editors or the that "young ministers" rarely listen. scripture first! Doug Hamilton, NSW.