11 May, 2017

In Spain, “Zero Church” Adds Up to Reaching the Secular Mind

An innovative church plant project geared to reach the secular mind is adding up to the mission of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Madrid, the capital city of Spain. The “Zero Church” initiative—or simply “Zero,” as its members and supporters know it—looks to connect people who may have never been in a church with their inner need for a Bible-based spiritual experience. “People may think that they do not need to develop their spirituality, but I think human beings have always been the same,” said church member Ana Lugo. “They need a spiritual life, but we need to connect with them by using their language, and I think ‘Zero’ is fulfilling that role.”

9 May, 2017

“We Are Committed to the Protestant Reformation”

Almost 500 years and 7,000 miles (11,300 kilometers) apart from the time and place Martin Luther chose to nail his 95 “theses”—or arguments on justification by faith—to the door of the Wittenberg Castle church, hundreds of South American Seventh-day Adventist theologians passed a consensus statement on the same topic. On the closing day of the 12th South American Theological Symposium in Libertador San Martin, Argentina, regional theologians reaffirmed “the great principles of God’s gospel” as stated by Paul in his epistle to the Romans.

8 May, 2017

In South Korea, Facebook Group Nurtures Young Adventists

South Koreans are among the most diligent Seventh-day Adventist gospel workers. Visit the Middle East, and you will find faithful Koreans in Turkey and Lebanon. Koreans live in Africa and South America. Even remote places in Bangladesh and India have an active Korean presence. But despite this mission spirit, many young people in South Korea are struggling, local church leaders say. The problem is connected to a cultural generation gap and career challenges in a country where Saturday is a workday.

5 May, 2017

In Jamaica, Adventist Taxi Driver Rescues Father and Son from Flooded Home

When flash-flood waters rushed into Owen Taylor’s church, the Palmetto Gardens Seventh-day Adventist Church in Clarendon, central Jamaica, he took swift action. He swam through the rising waters to the home next door, where Henry Blair and his adult son were trapped. Taylor, a taxi driver, and Junior George Wilson, a member of the same church, carried out this rescue operation just after lunch on Sabbath, April 22, 2017.

4 May, 2017

In Inter-America, Church Leaders Honor Church Elders, Report Growth and Vote Initiatives

The Seventh-day Adventist Church in Inter-America concluded its first business meetings of the year by praising the work of thousands of pastors, church elders, and laypersons in expanding the membership throughout the territory. Dozens of executive committee members from the Inter-American Division (IAD) and its 24 union administrative offices met in Miami, Florida, on May 1, to a approve initiatives, activities and policies, and commit to nurturing the spiritual health of its constituents and motivate them to spread the gospel.

2 May, 2017

From Rasta to Role Model

An official prison chaplain. A successful community gardener. A civic leader. A radio speaker, evangelist, and lecturer. Every one of these titles somehow seems to define what he is, though not fully. Santucci is the driving force behind “Marketplace Ministry,” a multi-faceted loosely-connected set of programs designed to make a positive impact in the communities of the Caribbean nation of Bermuda. “If [pastors and Bible instructors] are the only ones doing what the church is paying them to do, then it is not ministry,” said Santucci in an interview with Adventist Review. “But what type of ministry did Jesus do that caused people to run to him?” he asked before answering himself, “A marketplace ministry!”

28 April, 2017

In Inter-America, Top Leaders Vote on Evangelism Initiatives for Greater Member Involvement

Top Seventh-day Adventist officials and board members of the Inter-American Division (IAD) Executive Committee met yesterday to vote on numerous initiatives, activities and events that will mark the direction of the church during the next year and beyond. Nearly 100 church administrators connected from their regional headquarter offices to review activities during the past year and vote on 42 items on growth, evangelism, and planning.

27 April, 2017

Adventist Church in Cuba trains literature evangelists for the first time in 59 years

For the first time in 59 years, the Seventh-day Adventist in Cuba gathered dozens of colporteurs for an historic three-day congress in La Vibora Adventist Church in Havana, Cuba, last month. The event, themed “Bringing Hope”, was a step toward reshaping the publishing ministries in Cuba from the ground up, said Pastor Erwin Gonzalez, publishing ministries director for the church in Inter-America.

25 April, 2017

After Decades of Prayer, Adventists Dedicate State-of-the-Art Church in Cuba

Years of earnest prayer came to a happy ending for the 200 members of the Cardenas Seventh-day Adventist Church in Cardenas, Cuba, as they dedicated a new church building in a special ceremony on April 22. Over 1,200 church leaders, members, government representatives and guests from across the island and other countries met for a special 3-hour dedication program of the new facilities, which included uplifting music, inspiring testimonies, and a baptism.