Europe: Church President Encourages Adventist Youth to ‘Become Owners, Take Responsibility’ in Church

Darmstadt, Germany …. [Mark A. Kellner/ANN]

Young adults in the Seventh-day Adventist Church must “become owners, take responsibility … in your church, in your congregation,” Pastor Jan Paulsen, world church president, told a multi-national audience of European Adventist students during a live broadcast April 26. The program was held at Marienhoehe Adventist Church on the campus of Marienhoehe College in Darmstadt, Germany.

Called “Let’s Talk — Europe,” the broadcast, hosted by Gabi Ziegler, an Adventist journalist, featured church youth from 12 European nations and was aired via the church’s Hope Channel television service. It will be rebroadcast globally in the next 24 hours and is available via the Let’s Talk Web site which is designed to connect young people with the church’s leadership.

“I care a lot about the church — and by the church I don’t mean buildings, I don’t mean elected people like myself. There are people.

Two-thirds of our global family are under 32 years of age,” Pastor Paulsen said at the beginning of the broadcast. “We haven’t done very well in linking with them. I cannot do it all, but … I do want to hear what the young people have to say to us.”

During the ensuing hour, Pastor Paulsen addressed a wide range of topics raised by the studio audience, and invited further questions via the Let’s Talk Web site.

One of the first questions asked was about the composition of the delegates at the 2005 General Conference Session in St. Louis, Missouri, United States, the world church’s quinquennial business meeting. How many would be young people?

“Delegate selection is done by the church globally. We’ve asked them to not only pick people elected into office; select some who are young, and also some women,” Pastor Paulsen said, adding that “we had a short list of 25 or 30 vacant slots that were appointed by our [world] headquarters. I said I wanted at least eight of these to be selected under 30 years of age … and that was done.”

Encouraging youth participation in church life was a major theme of the broadcast. Asked about tensions created between new churches and older congregations, Pastor Paulsen acknowledged that this is a situation sometimes encountered all over the world.

However, he added, “I am so delighted that so many young people take initiative in establishing a community in the name of the Seventh-day Adventist Church that will attract strangers. Maybe there are some tensions that will cause headache, but I am delighted this is being done.”

He continued, “If we pray for each other more seriously, we will judge each other less frequently.”

Several audience members raised the matter of inter-church relations.

Pastor Paulsen emphasized the need for understanding: “There should not be a battle between me and Christians of other churches. I am, as each one of us should be … a spokesperson for Christ. [We should] accept the honesty and sincerity of other people, even though we may disagree with them.”

Asked about the recent events in the Roman Catholic Church, Pastor Paulsen said “There is no doubt that the new Pope will have an enormous impact on society. I will wait and see what the future holds.”

Confronted with the question of how the church can speak out on homosexuality without seeming homophobic, Pastor Paulsen emphasized the Bible’s teachings against homosexual practice, but also noted a need for grace.

“If the Lord was going to start out with only loving perfect people, I for one would be in trouble,” he said. “If we minister to them all …

those who have this tendency, may see a better way, but while they do that, we see them as human beings who have great value to God.”

Before concluding the program with a prayer that God would strengthen young people, Pastor Paulsen counseled his audience to become active in church life.

“As you grow and develop and mature in that, also the church’s dependence on you will grow. The worst you can do is pull back and be a spectator in the church,” he said. “Be assertive, when you go home, just be strong.”

“Dr. Paulsen was very open and honest with us. You could tell he was one of us. He was authentic with his answers to our questions,” said Sara Gehler, a 24 year-old university student from Berlin.

Julian Muller, a 25-year-old music student agreed. “Dr. Paulsen offered good answers to difficult questions but we needed more time.”

“Let’s Talk–Europe,” is the third in a series of unscripted, unedited conversations between young people and their church leader. The previous two were held in the United States.

To view the broadcast on line go to: http:///www.letstalk.adventist.org,