Blast rocks Kabul foreign quarter Kabul, Afghanistan | 29.08.2004 | International At least seven people have been killed by a powerful explosion building in the Shar-e-Naw area in central Kabul, where aid agencies are also located, Afghan officials say. The blast went off near a building housing a private US security firm that works for Afghan President Hamid Karzai, the officials said. The blast also destroyed several vehicles and damaged buildings in the area, housing a number of aid agencies, including two buildings of the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA
Australian Christians launch election website Box Hill, Victoria Australia | 26.08.2004 | Ecumenism The Australian Evangelical Alliance (AEA) has launched a website to help Christians think biblically about political and social issues before voting in the Federal election. The website, at www.evangelicalalliance.org.au features articles about social issues, comparisons of the values of political parties, discussions about policies released by the parties, prayers, reflections on Christian responsibilities, song suggestions and statements from Christian politicians. [img id=228 align=righ
Adventist Member of Parliament speaks in Fiji Suva Fiji | 26.08.2004 | International A Seventh-day Adventist minister who is also a Member of Parliament in Hawaii has shared his testimony with church members holding public office in Fiji. Pastor David Pendelton spoke at a seminar for Adventists in government about balancing the demands of ministry and of politics. "He has survived four election campaigns in his eight years in parliament," says Pastor Ray Coombe, the director of public affairs and religious liberty for the church in the South Pacific. Pastor Pendelton co
Australia: Adventist Church leader affirms church, state separation Wahroonga, New South Wales, Australia | 26.08.2004 | Religion + State A Seventh-day Adventist Church leader says other denominations should be congratulated for refusing to sponsor political parties or candidates in the upcoming Federal election. Pastor Ray Coombe's comment comes in response to criticism from the director of the Christian Democratic Party in New South Wales, Phil Lamb. According to Mr Lamb, most church leaders privately support a bid by the Reverend Fred Nile for a seat in the Senate, "but in a recent request for a public statement of suppor
Russia: Adventist Church Burns In Midnight Blaze; Investigation Continues Rostov-on-Don, North Caucasus, Russia | 26.08.2004 | International An investigation is continuing into the middle-of-the-night August 20 blaze that destroyed a Seventh-day Adventist Church in the city of Rostov-on-Don in the Northern Caucasus region. The fire, which started at or near midnight, saw the arrival of firefighters 10 minutes later. However, efforts to contain the blaze took more than four hours, and were not totally successful: after pronouncing the fire "liquidated" at 4:30 a.m. local time, the roof reignited four and one-half hours later. Fire
ADRA Provides Afghan Schools With Water, Sanitation Kabul, Afghanistan | 23.08.2004 | ADRA The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) office in Afghanistan is implementing a project funded by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to improve access to clean water and promote safe hygiene practices in Jawzjan province, northern Afghanistan. The project aims to decrease the prevalence of diarrhea-type diseases by targeting 50 schools attended by 13,500 students. “Clean water and sanitation is a serious problem in Afghanistan,” said Fabiano Franz, projects director for AD
Cuba/Florida: Adventists Aid Community In Hurricane Charley's Aftermath Punta Gorda, Florida, USA | 23.08.2004 | International Seventh-day Adventists and their neighbours are teaming up to provide relief and comfort to victims of Hurricane Charley, which struck August 12 in Cuba and the next day, August 13, in Florida (USA). At least 22 people are confirmed dead in that state, with another five reported dead in the Caribbean. Estimates of property damage are in the billions of U.S. dollars, as the hurricane flattened entire communities. "We plan to be here for three weeks at least and plan to rebuild people's lives
Refugees Baptized In Switzerland; Adventist Church Gains Notice For New International Congregations Berne, Switzerland | 19.08.2004 | Switzerland Many Christian denominations -- and congregations -- talk about diversity and the need to reach across cultural boundaries. In Switzerland, Seventh-day Adventists are living out such goals. Recently, in the town of Fribourg, Switzerland, 21 miles (34 km) southeast of Berne, two refugees -- an Iraqi and a Rwandan -- were baptized as members of the church. The local minister, Pastor Dominik Frikart, met the two, studied the Bible with them and accompanied them in their decision to follow Chris
West Africa: 3,000 Adventist Women Gather For International Congress Grand Bassam, Ivory Coast | 19.08.2004 | International More than 3,000 women from countries in West and Central Africa gathered in Grand Bassam, Ivory Coast, for a first-ever international congress of Seventh-day Adventist women from the region. The event was held August 8 to 15. About 30 tents were set up in the city stadium but even these cannot house all of the women who came to Grand Bassam to take part. Fasting, prayer and a communion service were the essence of the first day's events. "I have never seen such a great number of people pa
Russia: Youth Congress Draws 1,000 With A Renewal of Christian Commitment Zaoksky, Tula Region, Russia | 19.08.2004 | International An estimated 1,000 young adults from the 12 nations of the of the Seventh-day Adventist Church's Euro-Asia region gathered in the town of Zaoksky, approximately 80 miles (100 km) south of Moscow, for a youth congress that ended with a massive renewal of Christian commitment. "During this congress I realized that I love my church and saw that the church loves me and does many things for me," said one young man. Others came forward for baptism and to serve as pastors or bible instructors. Stil
International Temperance Role of Adventists to Continue Auckland, New Zealand | 12.08.2004 | Health & Ethics Seventh-day Adventists continue to influence the international temperance movement with the election of a church leader to the World Woman's Christian Temperance Union, or WWCTU. Joy Butler is the WWCTU's new director of Christian outreach. She accepted the position at the organization's 36th triennial convention, held recently in Auckland, New Zealand. "I have had misgivings about the WWCTU, but attending the convention has strengthened my commitment to it," says Butler, the director of
Christian Churches Bombed In Iraq –Adventists Spared But On High Alert Baghdad, Iraq | 11.08.2004 | International The world watches in stunned dismay at the carnage and chaos that continues to plague Iraq. Only the other week, several churches in different parts of Iraq were the targets of bomb attacks, killing a number of people. Seventh-day Adventist Churches were spared, but leaders remain on high alert. Threats against other churches have increased concerns which led to a decision to cancel worship services for Saturday (Sabbath) August 7. One week earlier, Adventist Church leaders had announced a speci
Iraq: Religious Affairs Ministry Officials Visit Adventist Headquarters In Baghdad Baghdad, Iraq | 11.08.2004 | Religion + State Church leaders of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Iraq met and hosted a visit from the newly formed Ministry of Religious Affairs. This ministry has three separate branches, one each for Shia, Suni and Christians. The ten-member team of Ministry officials visited the Church headquarters last week to discuss the future of the Adventist Church in Iraq. Basim Fargo, Secretary-Treasurer for the Church in Iraq commented that, "one of the officials had studied in the Adventist school in Mosul year
Turkmenistan: Arbitratry Rule at Police: Finding Nemo, Hunting Adventists Turkmenabad, Turkmenistan | 11.08.2004 | Religious Liberty Nine children were watching a video of the animated film Finding Nemo when police raided the home of an Adventist family in the eastern city of Turkmenabad (formerly Charjou) on August 7. "Without showing any warrant they immediately began confiscating all the literature they could find," a Protestant who preferred not to be identified told Norway based "Forum 18", an independent News Service promoting religious liberty. Police then put pressure on the owners to admit an "illegal" religious serv
Greece: Adventist Church Grows to 500 Members, Nine Churches Athens, Greece | 11.08.2004 | International With attention firmly focused on Greece in the midst of the Athens Olympic Games, the small Seventh-day Adventist Church community in Greece is planning renewed evangelistic energy as their nation winds down after this national and international event. "We decided not to have any special program during the Olympics," says Pastor Apostolos Maglis, president of the Adventist Greek Mission. "Those whose jobs will be affected by the Olympics will stay in the city and work 8 am to 9 pm every day.
Poland: European Youth Congress Draws 3,000 From 30 Countries Wroclaw, Poland | 11.08.2004 | International Over 3,000 young people from 30 nations converged on the 'Hala Ludowa' hall in Wroclaw, Poland, center for the European Youth Congress from August 4 to 8, 2004. The youth meeting was jointly organized by Paul Tompkins and Corrado Cozzi, Youth directors for the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the Trans-Europe and Euro-Africa regions together with a large team of helpers. Under the theme, 'Time 4 Action', it was a call for young people to commit themselves to the Lord. Bertil Wiklander, president
U.S. Wal-Mart Retailer Buys Almost 60'000 of The Passion of Love From Adventist Printer Bentonville, Arkansas/USA | 05.08.2004 | International By the end of August 2004, U.S. shoppers will be able to stop by their local Wal-Mart to pick up The Passion of Love, which is compiled from 13 of the last chapters of the book The Desire of Ages, written by the well-known Christian author and co-founder of world-wide mainstream protestant Seventh-day Adventist Church, Ellen G. White (1827-1915). The book was produced and printed by the privately owned printing company Remnant Publications, and it will soon be available in both English and Spani
Solomon Islands: Ecumenical Use of Adventist Sabbath School Material Buala, Santa Isabel Solomon Islands | 02.08.2004 | International Members of other Christian denominations on Santa Isabel in the Solomon Islands are using Seventh-day Adventist Church-produced materials in their children's Sunday schools. Deku Enoch introduced the new GraceLink Sabbath School curriculum at workshops organised by 200 Adventist women from Guadalcanal daily in the town of Buala and in villages along the coast during a visit to the island, June 7-12. The mission of the GraceLink Sabbath School curriculum is to help children joyfully experie
Report: Adventist Lay Ministers Lack Training In The Pacific Islands Wahroonga, New South Wales, Australia | 02.08.2004 | International More than half the volunteers who are serving as Seventh-day Adventist ministers in the Pacific islands are not equipped to fulfil the role expected of them, a new report shows. Author Dr Brad Kemp, the director of leadership and Pacific resources for the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the South Pacific, estimates that almost 70 per cent of the more than 470 church members serving as volunteer ministers in the Pacific islands need in-service training and that more than 50 per cent have recei
