Medellin, Colombia….[Libna Stevens/IAD]
Fourteen finalists representing the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Inter-America competed for prizes at the Youth Bible Bowl, at Colombia Adventist University on Nov. 13. The grand prize went to Juan Carlos Correa, who represented the church in the North Mexican Union. Correa will travel to next year’s General Conference Session as a delegate in St. Louis, Missouri.
Second and third prize winners were Josue Herrera from the North Central American Union, who received a one-year grant to study at the Adventist University in Montemorelos, Mexico, and Juan Eudes Gallego from the Colombian Union, who was given the complete collection of Bible Commentary.
“All were winners at the contest,” says Pastor Bernardo Rodriguez, youth director for the church in Inter-America, who organized the event with local coordinators. Rodriguez says the bowl was implemented throughout Inter-America as a way to encourage the youth to study the Scriptures more. All participants received cash prizes, as well.
The contest, which was broadcast live through the internet on Sabbath afternoon was the first of its kind in the division.
The finalists were given a set of 50 questions on the Book of Daniel through a computer. The questions were given in blocks of five and ten in their respective language and the finalists with the quickest correct answers won. Participant’s answers were projected on a big screen in front of a panel of three judges as the more than 1,200 people in the congregation watched.
“It was an extraordinary event,” says Rodriguez. “In spite of the political concerns we had about holding the event in Medellin, everything ran smoothly, and the technology in serving the mission of the church was wonderful because there were no glitches with the software system.”
“What impressed me the most was the Bible knowledge of the young people,” he adds “They had to almost memorize the entire Book of Daniel to get to the finals…It is so important for the youth to know Bible Prophecy.”
The contest sprung from a youth survey that was done throughout the churches of Inter-America two years ago. The survey showed that the greatest need was for a greater study of the Scriptures. So the idea of a Bible bowl came as a way to fulfill this need, according to Rodriguez. The software programmers from Colombia Adventist University, devised a system that would have similar elements as the American television program Who Wants To Be A Millionaire.
The contest began throughout individual churches in the Division on July 3. Once the winner from each church was declared, that contestant moved on to the next round of questions to compete against the winners from all churches in each conference, or mission. The winner from each conference then advanced to the next round of questions, the outcome of which resulted in 14 finalists from each union in the territory, except for one union territory.
Before the contest, included a drama on the Book of Daniel, reports from every youth director of the programs and progress of the youth in their territory and musical selections.
Pastor Rodriguez says the enthusiasm has been so high among the youth throughout the churches that plans are underway for another Bible contest involving several books of the Bible. The next contest will likely take place after the beginning of the next quinquennium in 2006.
Copies of the Bible bowl event will be available soon. For more information go to www.interamerica.org or contact the Youth Department at 305.403.4566.
