India: Largest Christian House of Worship to be Dedicated in Pune Pune/India | 28.02.2006 | International A new and spacious house of worship, considered as the largest Christian church in the city of Pune, is being completed on the campus of the Seventh-day Adventist college there. It seems that "we have talked about it for generations, but now we are about ready to open it," says Dr. Justus Devadas, president of Spicer Memorial College. "It will seat 2,000 worshippers and will be the largest such [church] structure in this city," he explained. Illusion, however, suggests the place feels smalle
Adventist Church Plans Live Satellite, Webcast Preaching Seminar for Christian Clergy Members Silver Spring, Maryland/USA | 22.02.2006 | International Thousands of Christian clergy members from around the world -- from a variety of denominations -- are expected to unite in a global audience for "Here We Grow Again," a professional development seminar due March 21 from the Adventist Church's Ministerial Association. The broadcast will originate from the Sligo Seventh-day Adventist Church in Takoma Park, Maryland (U.S.A.) and will commence at 1 p.m. (1800 hrs GMT). Distinguished preachers will talk about the importance of spiritual growth ce
Adventist President Joins Russian Adventist Church in 120th Anniversary Celebrations Moscow/Russia | 21.02.2006 | International For many years we in the West were encouraged by the faith and courage of Russian Adventists," Pastor Jan Paulsen, world president of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, told members and leaders during a Moscow visit to share in the celebrations of 120 years of Adventism in Russia. During the five-day trip, he also met with officials of the Russian Federation, including representatives of President Vladimir Putin. Heading the Russian Federation delegation was Michael Ostrovsky, the associate t
Russia: Adventist World Church President Greeted at Start of Anniversary Visit Moscow/Russia | 19.02.2006 | International Seventh-day Adventist world church president Pastor Jan Paulsen and his wife, Kari, received an enthusiastic welcome at Mocscow's Sheremetyevo airport on February 16. The Paulsen's are visiting in part to inaugurate celebrations of 120 years of the Adventist movement in Russia. Leaders of church's Euro-Asia region, including president Artur Stele, secretary Michael Kaminsky, and treasurer Bill Biaggi were among those who greeted the Paulsens. Among the anniversary celebrations will be a
Israel: Adventists and Jewish Scholars Meet in Friendship Conference Jerusalem, Israel | 10.02.2006 | International Seventh-day Adventists from 23 countries gathered February 6 for a six-day "Adventist Jewish Friendship Conference" aimed at building bridges between Adventists and Jews. In his opening address to the 140 delegates, Dr. Bertil Wiklander, president of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the Trans-European region, noted several Adventist beliefs that suggest a close connection with Judaism and Jewish people. "We have the Sabbath in common and with it a high regard for God's law as an ethic
New Adventist Church Leader for Egypt Field Cairo/Egypt | 15.02.2006 | International Pastor Samir Berbawy has been elected as the new President of the Egypt Field of Seventh-Day Adventists. He succeeds Dr. Kjell Aune, who was called to be President of the Adventist Church Middle East Union in last November . Samir Berbawy is Egyptian by birth, and spent childhood years there and in Lebanon, before his family emigrated to the US. Samir was a teacher and school administrator for over 26 years in the Middle East and the U.S.A. He worked as local church elder and church educator, an
USA: Peace Conference Talks About Peacemaking in Adventism Riverside, California/USA | 14.02.2006 | International At the first formal conference of its kind to be held on a Seventh-day Adventist university campus, some 170 people gathered to talk about ways to increase peacemaking. The one-day conference, "Talking Peace, Making Peace: An Adventist Conversation," was held on the campus of La Sierra University, an Adventist institution, on January 28. "The purpose of the peace conference was to widen a local dialog on Adventism and peace/war, and identify individuals who were interested in pursuing the di
Cuba: New Adventist Church Dedication Planned in Pilon Havana/Cuba | 15.02.2006 | International Excitement is growing among Seventh-day Adventists in Pilon, Cuba, as their new house of worship is nearing completion for a March 25 dedication. Adventist pastor Israel Leito, president of the church's Inter-America region, is expected to preside at the ceremony. According to church sources in Havana, in addition to the dedication celebration, the weekend will also include a special event Friday March 24 at La Vibora Church in Havana, on the opposite side of the island from Pilon.
South Pacific Conference Explores Adventist Identity Cooranbong, New South Wales, Australia | 10.02.2006 | International "We preach a message that is distinct, but if it is not relevant it will not be perceived as part of my personal identity, which means when I am faced with a crisis it won't help me," declared Dr. Paul Petersen, field secretary for the Seventh-day Adventist Church's South Pacific region and coordinator of a recent four-day Bible conference that examined the question of Adventist identity. Representatives from the South Pacific church region gathered at Avondale College in Cooranbong, New Sou
ADRA Opens Training Center for Children in Tajikistan Silver Spring, Maryland/(USA | 08.02.2006 | ADRA On February 1, 2006, the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) opened the Children’s Educational Centre in the city of Dushanbe, in Tajikistan. The centre provides children between the ages of 10 and 16 the opportunity to study English and computer literacy. The centre was opened with the financial support of Dr. John Elloway. In 2006, 128 children will receive training at the centre. Each student will be charged a modest fee in exchange for training, allowing the centre to rema
Adventist Church Formed Internet Ministry Coordinating Committee Silver Spring, Maryland/USA | 08.02.2006 | International Leaders of the Seventh-day Adventist Church voted February 7 to establish a Coordinating Committee for Internet Ministries (CCIM), aimed at serving the Adventist world church and its regions. The committee, to be chaired by world church vice president Mark Finley, who heads the church's Centre for Global Evangelism, will focus on facilitating initiatives and services for global Internet evangelism and ministries, including allocation of funding as available, making recommendations to church
Israel: World Adventist Leaders Visit Knesset, Meet Parliamentarians Jerusalem/Israel, | 08.02.2006 | International Responding to an invitation from the Israeli Parliament's "Christian Allies Caucus," 12 leaders of the Seventh-day Adventist world church, including general vice presidents Armando Miranda and Michael L. Ryan and Trans-European regional church president Bertil Wiklander, visited the Israeli Parliament, known as the Knesset. Pastor Richard Elofer, president of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Israel, was also part of the group. "We are here to look for a better future and how we can work t
Adventist Development Agency Launches New Energy Policy Project in Somalia Silver Spring, Maryland/USA | 06.02.2006 | ADRA The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) has launched another energy project designed to reduce poverty and improve livelihoods through promoting accessible, cost-effective and environmentally sound energy services for the people of Somaliland, Somalia. The project, which is known as facilitating Somaliland’s Energy Policy Dialogue (SEPD) will have its main project office in Hargeisa, the capital city of Somaliland, with the specific objective of facilitating the development of an
Adventist World President Responds to Muslim Caricature Controversy Silver Spring, Maryland/USA | 03.02.2006 | International Following an increase in global tension surrounding the publication - in newspapers in Denmark and other European countries - of cartoons that some Muslims worldwide have found insulting, Pastor Jan Paulsen, world president of the Seventh-day Adventist church issued a call for the responsible use of the right of free expression. The drawings were first published in a Danish newspaper in September 2005. The appearance of the cartoons provoked emotions in the Muslim world because the Islamic t
Seventh-day Adventists Voted Biblical Research Committee Guidelines Silver Spring, Maryland/USA | 03.02.2006 | International Leaders of the Seventh-day Adventist world church voted a set of guidelines for regions considering the establishment of a Biblical Research Committee. These bodies are not mandatory, leaders say, but can be established in a world church region, known as a division, if the leadership there approves. The Seventh-day Adventist Church sponsors a Biblical Research Institute (BRI) at the world headquarters in the greater Washington D.C. area at Silver Spring, Maryland. Among its primary purposes
Brazilian President Lula will attend World Council of Churches 9th Assembly Brasilia/Brazil | 02.02.2006 | Ecumenism Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will attend the 9th Assembly of the World Council of Churches on February 17 in the city of Porto Alegre, speaking before an expected audience of more than 4,000 delegates, observers and journalists from 347 Protestant and Orthodox Churches from 120 countries around the world, the secretary of the office of the presidency said February 1. The Brazilian president received the WCC invitation in May 2003. The confirmation of Lula's presence was commu
Australia: Adventist Honoured for Mission Work in Thailand Canberra/Australia | 01.02.2006 | International An Australian educator involved in establishing schools for Karen refugees in Thailand has received one of her nation's top honours for public service. Helen Hall, a Seventh-day Adventist working in northwestern Thailand, has been named a recipient of the Medal of the Order of Australia, the Australian government announced on January 26. She is believed to be the first Adventist to receive the medal. Hall, founder and volunteer principal of Eden Valley Academy, is being recognized "for servic
