June 28, 2020 | Miami, Florida, United States | Libna Stevens, Inter-American Division News
The newest edition of the Seventh-day Adventist Church Encyclopedia is set to be released on July 1, 2020, during a special online launch.
The project, which has been part of a global church initiative to update the Encyclopedia of Seventh-day Adventists—an official publication and record of the history of the work of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, will feature thousands of new articles and essays on the growth of the church around the world.
“For the Inter-American Division, the new edition will mean a fresh look on the growth of the church since our territory has doubled in structural and membership growth,” said Pastor Elie Henry, president for the church in Inter-America. “We had 12 unions with nearly 80 local conferences and missions and today, Inter-America has 24 unions with 158 local fields, so there are many more stories about the rich heritage throughout our territory.”
Many of the articles will greatly benefit pastors and leaders as they incorporate the new resource into their sermons, Bible studies and church outreach activities, explained Pastor Henry. In the same way, church members will read about Adventist history in their own countries and around the world church. “This is a wonderful online tool that will continue to grow and serve as the basis to understand who we are as a church, who helped us be who we are today, and where we stand while we await the Second Coming of our Lord.”
Dr. Myrna Costa, former IAD vice president and consulting editor for the ESDA project for Inter-America, explained that 254 articles have been submitted to the editors of the ESDA for revision and approval.
“The new edition will include many feature articles on the educational, health, and outreach organizations that operate throughout Inter-America,” said Costa. “It also portrays the biographies and stories of those who helped spread the message to every corner of our vast and diverse division.”
The Encyclopedia will be released on July 1, 2020, during a launch program on the Seventh-day Adventist YouTube channel at 3.00 p.m. EST (or Miami Time).
For more information visit encyclopedia.adventist.org