Adventist Healthcare Is About 'Whole Person Care,' says Loma Linda University Chief Loma Linda, California/USA | 26.04.2006 | Health & Ethics Dr. Lyn Behrens relies on a host of people to do her job. As president of Loma Linda University's (LLU)Adventist Health Sciences Center, she has recognized her strengths as well as the ones she lacks. "I don't try [to] be someone that I'm not," she says, explaining that she relies on a team with "expertise in the areas I don't [have expertise]. "I don't ever hire or invite people to be part of our team that aren't the best we can possibly find to help fulfill the mission here. And it makes a
South America: Largest Adventist Church Dedicated in Brazil Campinas, Brazil | 26.04.2006 | International What is recognized as the largest Seventh-day Adventist house of worship in South America was dedicated and officially opened on the campus of the São Paulo Adventist University, (UNASP) near the city of Campinas, Brazil. "In this part of the world we do not build large churches," commented Williams Costa Jr., communication director for the church in the region. "We are more inclined to have smaller congregations, and have more congregations at the same time. But this one is different. This
Brazil: Adventist Television Dramatically Expands Under New License São Paulo/Brazil | 24.04.2006 | International Seventh-day Adventists in Brazil are dramatically increasing their public outreach possibilities after acquiring a license to rebroadcast television programming through the so-called High and Low Power rebroadcast stations. A broadcasting agreement, called Geradora, was signed with the Brazilian government on April 20, and grants the church authority to retransmit TV programs throughout the country. In practical terms, the Geradora license will give the Adventist broadcasting company, SISTEM
Diversity, Growth and Youth on Agenda During Adventist World Church's Spring Meeting Loma Linda, California/USA | 23.04.2006 | International Approval for a second world youth conference, how to deal with rapid church growth in the world's most challenging areas, and leadership elections were discussed during the Seventh-day Adventist Church's Spring Meeting April 12 to 13. The meeting concluded at noon local time on April 13. The committee approved a proposal to convene a second World Conference on Youth and Community Service to be held July 14 to 26, 2008, in an area of the 10/40 Window -- an imaginary rectangular area covering
Web Sites for Adventist Congregations Worldwide are Church Goal Silver Spring, Maryland/USA | 18.04.2006 | Media Seventh-day Adventist local congregations around the world will soon be able to have their own Web page on the Internet, based on a consistent format including dynamic content, video feeds and podcasts. Already, the netAdventist.org service is available in the United States of America, and other world church regions have expressed interest in utilizing that service. At the same time, the church's North American region is offering AdventistChurchConnect.org , a hosted service that provides a
Fire Destroys Adventist Church Dormitory in Thailand Chiang Mai/Thailand, | 13.04.2006 | International On April 7 a fire destroyed half of a dormitory that houses up to 30 women in Chiang Mai, Thailand on April 7. The night of the fire there were six women in the dormitory as well as a three-year-old toddler. Thai schools are currently on summer holiday so the dormitory was not full. During the school year the dormitory can house up to 30 women. Wanpen Sanyang woke to discover that there was a fire burning in the building directly across from her second story window. Within minutes the fire j
Adventist Church Affirm Role of Ten Commandments Loma Linda, California/USA | 13.04.2006 | International Noting recent public interest in the Ten Commandments, the Seventh-day Adventist Church voted April 12 to affirm the Decalogue's importance in society. "The Seventh-day Adventist Church applauds interest in the role of the Ten Commandments in public life. The Decalogue, as given on Mount Sinai, is a reflection of God's character. It contains universal and unchanging principles of morality and describes our relationship to God and our fellow human beings," a statement voted by the Spring Meet
Adventist Church Spring Meeting Opens, Emphasis on Mission, Tithe, Offerings Increase Loma Linda, California/USA | 13.04.2006 | International The Seventh-day Adventist Church's first Spring Meeting session opened April 12 with an emphasis on the church's mission activities, focusing on the Tell the World vision. During the world church session in 2005, delegates voted seven specific areas of emphasis for the current quinquennium: spiritual growth, community involvement, personal witness, city outreach, church planting, evangelistic programming and media ministry. "The challenge for us is to keep this vision before our people," sai
Adventist World Church Spring Meeting Set to Begin at Loma Linda Loma Linda, California | 12.04.2006 | International Financial trends and reports on church growth are on the planned agenda for the Seventh-day Adventist world church's executive Spring Meeting, held this year at Loma Linda University in California. The meetings, which will include elections for world church leadership positions including that of the editor of the church's official paper, the Adventist Review, and the reorganization of the church in Peru, are being held at the conclusion of centennial celebrations for Loma Linda University.
Africa: Satellite Developer Hones Skills for Jesus, Not Riches Nairobi/Kenya, | 12.04.2006 | Media News Feature: Many of us have read stories about technological experts who start a business in their garage, and grow it to become billion-dollar successes. Hewlett-Packard Company and Apple Computer are two examples of small beginnings that have had huge results. You can add a young Kenyan Adventist, Enoch Mogusu, to the list of those who started their enterprises in a garage. Mogusu -- who is not a billionaire, by the way -- built his garage-based start-up into an enterprise. Only his
Adventist Scholars See 'Gospel of Judas' as Neither an Authentic Gospel Nor 'Good News' Silver Spring, Maryland/USA | 12.04.2006 | International News Feature: The discovery of a 1,700-year-old copy of the "Gospel of Judas," an early Gnostic text purporting to contain a dialogue between Jesus of Nazareth and Judas Iscariot, is neither an authentic Gospel nor is it good news, scholars in the Seventh-day Adventist Church say. "It was heresy then and it's heresy now," was the blunt assessment of Dr. Gerhard Pfandl, an associate director of the church's Biblical Research Institute who counts Near Eastern Archaeology among his professio
ADRA provides Shelter for Displaced Flood Survivors in Indonesia Silver Spring, Maryland/USA | 07.04.2006 | ADRA After flooding and landslides displaced more than 17,500 people in Indonesia during heavy rain in February, the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) provided relief for families whose homes have been severely damaged or destroyed to repair their homes, and regain their lives. The flooding and the landslides culminated on Tuesday, February 21, in Manado City on Sulawesi Island, in North East Indonesia. By the end of the flooding on February 23rd, 33 people had been killed. Nearly 18
UN Expert on Religious Freedom Calls for Greater Support Geneva/Switzerland | 07.04.2006 | Religious Liberty In an April 6 meeting with non-governmental organizations, United Nations special rapporteur for Freedom of Religion or Belief Asma Jahangir called for greater support of the fundamental liberties of conscience. Speaking in the context of the transition from the Commission on Human Rights to the new Human Rights Council, she argued for greater involvement from civil society to advance religious freedom. "Freedom of religion or belief for everyone is only possible in a world where there is
Adventist Leaders Meet U.S. President Bush at White House Washington, D.C.,/USA | 05.04.2006 | Religion + State Religious liberty and humanitarian concerns were the highlights of an April 4 meeting between leaders of the Seventh-day Adventist Church and U.S. President George W. Bush. At the invitation of the president, the 45-minute Oval Office session included Pastors Jan Paulsen, Adventist Church world president; Matthew Bediako, secretary of the world church; Don Schneider, who is both president of the Adventist Church in North America and a vice president of the world church; and with James D. Stan
New Christian Council of Norway spans all major churches Oslo/Norway | 04.04.2006 | Ecumenism Two Christian church councils in Norway have agreed to form a new national church body spanning all the major churches including Lutheran, Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Methodist, Baptist, Adventists and Pentecostal denominations The new national grouping will formally be inaugurated on September 1, 2006, and results from the merger of the "Christian Council of Norway" (NKR) and the "Norwegian Free Church Council" (NFR). This merger was agreed by both bodies in separate meetings on March 30. T
ADRA Responds to Food Crisis in Africa Nairobi/Kenya, | 02.04.2006 | ADRA In response to a food crisis sweeping through Africa, the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) is providing food for families in Niger, Mali, Zambia, and Kenya, who are fighting to survive in the face of hunger, suffering, and malnutrition. An ADRA assessment team arrived in the region on Sunday, March 26, to analyze the situation, and initiate an extensive relief effort. They are currently visiting Kenya, Ethiopia, Malawi, and Zambia as well as the ADRA office for Somalia, which is
