Adventist president offers condolences at passing of Mandela Silver Spring, Maryland/USA | 11.12.2013 | International “The global Seventh-day Adventist Church joins the people of South Africa and the world in mourning the loss of Nelson Mandela”, wrote Seventh-day Adventist Church President Ted N. C. Wilson in a statement released December, 7, regarding the passing of statesman Nelson Mandela. “His life of forgiveness and reconciliation served as a light in a world that too often lives in the shadow of reprisal, anger and malice. May all reflect on his important efforts to bring people together in peace. What a
Human Rights Day – Clip about Religious Freedom by Adventists Zurich/Switzerland | 10.12.2013 | Religious Liberty On the occasion of the International Human Rights Day on 10th December, the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Switzerland published a movie clip on religious freedom in six languages. Using religious freedom as example it focuses on the universality of human rights. It was produced by young Adventists who are engaged in the film business either full or part time. Religious freedom also protects Atheists "Religious Liberty is an important concern for us Adventists," said Pastor Herbert Bodenman
Cyprus: Adventist Church celebrates one hundred years Nicosia/Cyprus | 06.12.2013 | International Over 150 members and friends of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Cyprus gathered end of October to celebrate the centenary of the arrival of Adventism on the eastern Mediterranean island. The first Adventists, Moses Boursalian and his family, came to Cyprus as refugees from Antioch in 1912 as tentmaker-style missionaries. Moses was not the typical missionary, he sold homemade combs, travelling by donkey from village to village telling people about his beliefs along the way. Moses’ son, J
Christmas card campaign to offer support for imprisoned Adventist church members | 04.12.2013 | International Silver Spring, Maryland/USA, 04.12.2013 (ANN/APD) Seventh-day Adventist human rights advocates are urging church members worldwide to send encouragement in the form of Christmas cards to three members in prison on what church officials say are false charges. More than a year and a half has passed since Seventh-day Adventist pastor Antonio Monteiro and church elder Bruno Amah were imprisoned in the West African country of Togo in a criminal case without evidence or a trial. Cards for Monte
First Country In The World To Grant Suffrage To Women, Celebrates Its 175th Anniversary Adamstown/Pitcairn Islands | 28.11.2013 | International When you’re small, as is the tiny, isolated Pacific isle called Pitcairn, its sweet to be “first.” That’s the distinction the women Pitcairn will celebrate on Friday, November 29, 2013, - the distinction of being the first “country” in the world to grant suffrage to women. In their own way, the men of this little South Pacific isle will be celebrating it too. It was in 1838, while calling at Pitcairn Island, that Captain Russell Elliott of the British warship H.M.S. Fly, answered pleas of the
US Seventh-day Adventist Tribal Chairman, Brian Cladoosby, Swinomish Indian Tribal Community elected new NCAI president Tulsa, Oklahoma/USA | 30.10.2013 | International On October 18, a Seventh-day Adventist Tribal Chairman, Brian Cladoosby, of the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, was elected president of the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI), at their 70th Annual Convention & Marketplace in Tulsa (Oklahoma/USA). Chairman Cladoosby is one of many tribal chairmen who are members of the Adventist Church. In his first statement after being sworn in as the 21st president of the NCAI Brian Cladoosby called for reduced thresholds for federal tribal d
Death Toll from Philippines Earthquake Rises to 222 - Sustained damage of Adventist properties Manila/Philippines | 30.10.2013 | International A hospital and several other properties owned by the Seventh-day Adventist Church in central Philippines sustained damage when a massive earthquake hit the island of Bohol last week. The 7.2-magnitude quake killed at least 222 people, injured hundreds more and reduced thousands of buildings to rubble and twisted metal. An estimated 500,000 families are displaced or affected, among them 14 Adventist families. More families, fearing powerful aftershocks, are living outside their homes in makesh
France: Adventists not involved in reported Exorcism incident Paris/France | 13.10.2013 | International Several News Agencies Mistakenly Identified Defandants as Members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church Four defendants on trial from October 7-11 in France for performing an alleged exorcism are not members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, as mistakenly reported by several news agencies. The defendants were arrested on charges of kidnapping, acts of torture and barbarism after French law enforcement officials discovered a teenage Cameroonian girl bound to a mattress in a southern suburb
Adventist family among victims of Nairobi terror attack Nairobi/Kenya | 25.09.2013 | International The husband of an Adventist church member from Nairobi lost a relative during the terrorist attack in Nairobi’s Westgate Shopping Mall in which more than 60 people were killed and more than 170 injured. Harun Oyieke, a lecturer at Co-operative University College of Kenya, was among those killed in the attack. He was the husband of Florence Awino, a professor at the University of Nairobi. The attack occurred at about 11 a.m. on Saturday. Between 10 and 15 terrorists armed with automatic weapon
Tanzanian government grants charter to Adventist university Arusha/Tanzania | 31.08.2013 | Education Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete granted a charter to the University of Arusha, giving the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the country an institution of higher learning with the highest academic accreditation. The ceremony took place at the State House in Dar es Salaam on August 20. Kikwete handed the certificate of approval to Chancellor Godwin Lekundayo, who also serves as president of the Adventist Church in Tanzania. “We thank God for this development and pray that the university wil
Seventh-day Adventist elected President of the Swiss Bible Society Aarau/Switzerland | 24.05.2013 | Switzerland On 24 May 2013 the meeting of the delegates of the Swiss Bible Society in Aarau elected unanimously Reto Mayer (Ittigen/BE) as new President and thanked outgoing President Protestant Pastor Jakob Bösch (Eschlikon/TG) who retired on his own accord after ten years of service. Reto Mayer served as member of the board of directors of the Swiss Bible Society for the past ten years and was its Vice-president when elected. The 52 year-old Reto Mayer, who started his career in the insurance industry
Central African Republic: Adventist church members mostly under radar amid coup Yaoundé, Cameroon | 03.04.2013 | International Sunday’s mass lootings in the capital of the Central African Republic have not affected Seventh-day Adventist Church operations, but several incidents in recent months have taken a toll on a few church employees amid the ongoing civil war. The Adventist Church in this landlocked African nation organized a peace procession earlier this month, but in January a mission worker was beaten and a pastor was arrested by rebel soldiers in a case of mistaken identity. Media reports indicate Central
Pakistan: Mob burns homes in anti-Christian violence Lahore/Pakistan | 12.03.2013 | International Residents of a Christian community in eastern Pakistan, among them Seventh-day Adventists, are reeling after a mob torched their homes and businesses in response to alleged insults against Muhammad. The unrest began last week after a report circulated that a young Christian man had committed blasphemy against Islam’s prophet. By March 9, the situation had escalated and thousands of protestors began setting fire to property owned by Christians in a Lahore neighborhood. While some residents
Renewable Energy: Biomass Feasibility Study for Chengdu, China Zurich/Switzerland | 07.02.2013 | ADRA The Adventist Development and Relief Agency ADRA Switzerland will prepare a feasibility study for biomass power plants in Chengdu/China, together with Europe's leading biogas expert Dr. Arthur Wellinger, President of the "European Biogas Association", project manager Marcel Wagner, ADRA China and local authorities. The planned study assesses the local situation and opportunities. It delivers both technical expertise and financial ratios for return on investment, which are important for inter
First Christmas gifts in life Zurich/Switzerland | 18.01.2013 | ADRA 2.525 Christmas packages of the campaign "Children helping Children" have been transported by train from Switzerland to Chisinau, capital of Moldova, and delivered to needy children aged 4 - 17 years according to Adventist Development and Relief Agency ADRA Switzerland. For a family with five children that gets assistance from social services, these packages have been the first Christmas gifts in their life, said Rachel Donald, project manager of ADRA Switzerland. She has accompanied the dis
Over 35.000 Christmas boxes for children in Eastern Europe Weiterstadt near Darmstadt/Germany | 17.01.2013 | ADRA Children with their parents, kindergartens, schools, scouts and church congregations throughout Germany have collected goods, toys, stationary and non-perishable food items in Christmas boxes for needy children in Eastern Europe. Over 35.000 Christmas packages have been delivered by truck to the following countries: Albania, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Kosovo, Lithuania, Macedonia, Moldova and Serbia. The annual campaign of the Adventist Development and Relief Agency ADRA Germany i
Change of Management at ADRA Germany Weiterstadt near Darmstadt/Germany | 17.01.2013 | ADRA "It is not difficult for me to retire from the management of ADRA Germany because I know that my successor Christian will meet the challenges of the international ADRA network", declared the former director of ADRA Germany, Erich Lischek. He is leaving after organizing and developing ADRA since 1986. "As relief agencies we have learned to join forces in major disasters. I am grateful that I was able to support these efforts." Pastor Lischek founded ADRA Germany in Darmstadt in 1987 starting w
Switzerland: Condolence for victims of shooting in Daillon Zurich/Switzerland | 03.01.2013 | unknow "I am deeply saddened! Our thoughts are with the injured and the bereaved”, said Pastor David Jennah, President of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Switzerland after the shooting in Daillon, canton Valais. On 2nd January a 33-year-old offender killed in the small village of Daillon three women and injured two men. According to media reports he aimed with an old army gun and later with a shotgun from his home at pedestrians on the street and on windows of neighbouring houses. “Another ou
