A positive comment on the process of church registration, made by the head of the Eritrean Mission to the United Nations in Geneva, brought a welcome from the U.N. representative of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

"Only four have duly registered and, as you may have heard this morning from the representative of the Seventh-day Adventist Mission, the screening process of their respective applications will be finalized in the near future. We urge other groups to follow the good example," said Ambassador Amare Tekle in his April 5 "right of reply" during a meeting of the U.N.'s Commission on Human Rights, regarding registration by religious groups.

In response, Jonathan Gallagher, representative of the Adventist Church at the UN, commented, "We appreciate the ambassador's positive comments ... and await the completion of the registration process with great interest. We understand the process is not yet completed; however, we look forward to the renewed opportunity of serving in the country of Eritrea."

"This is good news," said Pastor Geoffrey G. Mbwana, president of the church in East-Central Africa. "We have been waiting a long time. Once registration is finalized, it will mean a lot for the church in Eritrea." Adventists have been under an official suspension since 2002, when the Eritrean government ordered the closure of all churches not belonging to the Orthodox, Roman Catholic or Evangelical Lutheran communions.

Mbwana said that registration, once completed, will allow "freer interaction" between Adventists in Eritrea and the world church, the exchange of church workers, and "more freedom to worship." There are approximately 500 Seventh-day Adventist church members who worship in three congregations in Eritrea.

Eritrea gained its independence in May 1993, but faces economic problems. The economy is largely based on subsistence agriculture, with 80 percent of the population involved in farming and herding.

Adventists operate two schools in Eritrea, Mbwana said, and resources will be released to build and operate a medical clinic. These facilities, he said, would provide an opportunity to train people to serve the church and the country.