ANN Bulletin - September 23, 2008 - unOFFICIAL ADVENTIST FORUM

Welcome with open arms fellow believers who don’t see things the way you do.
And don’t jump all over them every time they do or say something you don’t agree with
– even when it seems that they are strong on opinions but weak in the faith department.
Remember, they have their own history to deal with. Treat them gently. Romans 14.1: The Message

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#189570 - 09/29/08 07:48 AM ANN Bulletin - September 23, 2008
magilly46 Registered: 10/29/02 Posts: 178 Loc: BC	Seventh-day Adventist Church world headquarters September 23, 2008 In This Issue: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Market declines won't affect Adventist Church's investment strategy, leaders say But economy could affect tithe September 18 Silver Spring, Maryland, United States ADRA: Supplies, farming lessons to ease India famine 1 million suffer from crop destruction September 16 Silver Spring, Maryland, United States Romania: First official gathering of Adventist Roma builds community Meetings address issues, challenges of nomadic group September 18 Bucharest, Romania Turkmenistan: Regional Adventist leader visits after eight-year visa wait Trip seen as sign of country's movement toward increased religious freedom September 17 Ashgabat, Turkmenistan Adventist communication award honors Smith PR veteran's contribution recognized posthumously September 23 Silver Spring, Maryland, United States Cyprus: Coastal town's 'Meeting Point' to provide spiritual, public services Adventist ministry center 'hub of belonging' for island's locals, tourists, church leader says September 22 Limassol, Cyprus Croatia: Parliament limits Sunday shopping Government rules on behalf of Catholic Church; bus, gas stations exempt September 23 Zagreb, Croatia -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Market declines won't affect Adventist Church's investment strategy, leaders say September 18, 2008 Silver Spring, Maryland, United States ... [ Ansel Oliver/ANN ] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Adventist Church associate treasurer Roy Ryan fields questions from leaders at the church's headquarters September 18. [photo: Megan Brauner/ANN] Seventh-day Adventist Church finance officers say they are not currently considering a change in investment strategy in light of recent economic declines, a move they say is "prudent" considering their long-term focus. As major U.S. investment banks fold during a global credit crunch resulting largely from a slump in the U.S. housing market, church officials plan to continue a 20- to 30-year outlook for managing the world church's retirement fund investments. The church's ministry and ability to launch new initiatives would be most affected by any decrease in tithes and offerings, said Roy Ryan, associate treasurer and investment manager for the Adventist world church. "We're monitoring the situation," Ryan said. "While it is fair to say that the budget being prepared for recommendation to Annual Council next month is not aggressive, we do feel that it preserves the ability of the church to move forward with its mission." He later told some 80 church leaders during a regularly scheduled leadership meeting at the world church's headquarters on September 18 that the economy could be in "uncharted territory." The U.S. government has spent about $600 billion in the last few weeks to prop up financial institutions. "A widely held view is that the housing market has to stabilize and that just hasn't happened at this point," Ryan told church leaders. Until then, he said the church would continue its current investment strategy. "We feel the portfolios of the church's investments are prudently invested," Ryan said. Church Treasurer Robert Lemon told church leaders he thought the market would recover as it has after previous downturns, albeit not as quickly. "I'm fearful that after this particular drop -- because it has such wide underpinning on housing and the availability of credit -- the market will be slower to come back," Lemon said. Church President Jan Paulsen encouraged church leaders, saying "None of us is a prophet ... but the Lord said, 'Do not worry about tomorrow.' That to me is a very fundamental statement. It's not light-hearted. "We'll move forward in obedience to the Lord and do the best we can in mission," Paulsen said. ADRA: Supplies, farming lessons to ease India famine September 16, 2008 Silver Spring, Maryland, United States ... [ Nadia McGill/ANN ] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Workers unload rice in the Mizoram province of India. The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) joined organizations to provide over $1 million in food and educational aid after rats destroyed most of the regions' rice harvest. [photo: courtesy ADRA] Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) is responding to recent rice shortages with an initiative to provide food and education in India's northeastern state of the Mizoram region. Called MIZOFAM, the emergency food project will last 11 months and assist 25,000 people. "The MIZOFAM project ensures that the target community has an increased resiliency to the impact of food shortages in the future," said Paulo Lopes, country director for ADRA India. About 1 million people are facing famine after a plague of rats destroyed the region's rice crops. The phenomenon, known in the local Mizo language as "mautam" or bamboo death, occurs every 48 years. The flowering and then death of large amounts of bamboo trigger an invasion of rats that feed on the flowers and bamboo seeds. This year, the sudden boom in the rat population resulted in damages to more than 90 percent of rice paddies and other crops in the Mizoram region. The MIZOFAM project is worth $1,171,200 and funded by the European Commission's Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO) through ADRA Germany. Together, the organizations have partnered with the government of Mizoram to conduct training in capacity building and disaster preparedness and response. The initiative will take place during six community festival days at six different locations, each featuring discussions on disaster risk reduction. MIZOFAM, which encourages the involvement of community members and Village Disaster Committees (VDC), also provides educational materials for each village. To aid farmers and their families through the food crisis, ADRA has partnered with VDCs, distributing food and seeds to 45 villages and providing training on effective planting methods. A 'cash-for-work' program is available for villagers participating in project implementation. For more information, visit adra.org. Romania: First official gathering of Adventist Roma builds community September 18, 2008 Bucharest, Romania ... [ Megan Brauner/ANN ] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A Roma choir sings during a church service at the first Seventh-day Adventist National Roma Congress, held August 29 to 31 near Bucharest, Romania. The congress had 800 attendants for Sabbath services. [photo: courtesy EUD] Hundreds of participants gathered for the first Seventh-day Adventist National Roma Congress in Romania, a meeting that organizers hoped would create a sense of unity in the scattered ethnic group and foster understanding between Roma and non-Roma Adventists. The congress, which ran August 29 to 31, reached out to the 3,000 to 4,000 Adventist Roma in Europe. The Roma, commonly referred to as gypsies, face ingrained prejudice from non-Roma Europeans, along with accusations that range from petty thieving to murder. "The event was very beneficial for the Adventist Roma community, but also for the church in Romania," said Cristian Modan, a ministries director for the church in Euro-Asia. "It gave the [European] church a glimpse of what Christ has done in the lives of so many people, from a community in Europe that is the first group to be discriminated [against]." About 800 people attended Sabbath services. The meetings covered topics geared toward Roma needs, including ways to cope with the tension between traditional culture and Christianity, and health and family issues. The Roma are nomadic and travel across Europe, largely in Italy, Spain, Romania, Hungary and Bulgaria. Organizers of the congress said they were pleased with the attendance and are planning a similar event for 2010. Turkmenistan: Regional Adventist leader visits after eight-year visa wait September 17, 2008 Ashgabat, Turkmenistan ... [ ANN Staff ] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Members of the Adventist community in Turkmenistan celebrate a visit from their region's church leader, who waited eight years for the necessary work visa. [photo: courtesy EAD] Church leaders are calling Seventh-day Adventist regional president Artur Stele's visit to Turkmenistan last week a sign that the Central Asian country is beginning to relax its stance on religious minorities. Stele, who leads the church in Euro-Asia, and his wife, Galina, were granted work visas and permission to speak on health and family issues during a September 4 to 8 stay in the former Soviet state, which borders the Caspian Sea. Their visit is the first time in eight years an Adventist leader has visited Turkmenistan under a work visa. In 2004, the Adventist Church became the first Protestant denomination registered by the country's Ministry of Justice. Legal status allowed members to worship, hold meetings and conduct outreach. Until then, the government-controlled branch of Sunni Islam and Russian Orthodox Christianity were the only successfully registered religious groups, according to the 2006 International Religious Freedom Report. During Stele's visit, eight people joined the church through baptism. Stele, who spoke with government officials during his visit, said the Adventist Church is regarded as "part of the [country's] society," which he called a testament to church members' prayers and an encouraging sign of "the improving of religious liberty" in the country. Adventists operate a medical center in Ashgabat, where the church's health ministry is well received by the local population and recognized by government officials, church leaders said. Years of collaborating with international organizations are generating positive results, said John Graz, director for the world church's department of Public Affairs and Religious Liberty. "We are encouraged that the state of religious freedom [in Turkmenistan] is progressing," Graz said. "We hope that the next steps will follow -- that we will be able to build churches and recover land." Some 80 Seventh-day Adventists worship in a rented Baptist church in Turkmenistan. Adventist communication award honors Smith September 23, 2008 Silver Spring, Maryland, United States ... [ ANN Staff ] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Delores Smith accepts the Adventist Church's Bridge Award on behalf of her late husband, Reger. The award honored Smith posthumously for his contributions to church communication. [photo: Megan Brauner/ANN] Reger C. Smith Jr., a veteran Seventh-day Adventist musician and designer who served as the world church's associate communication director for public relations, was honored posthumously last week with the church's Bridge Award. At a September 18 memorial ceremony for Smith at world church headquarters near Washington, D.C., his wife, Delores, accepted the award, which recognizes meritorious contributions to communicating the Adventist Church's message of hope. The 19th recipient of the Bridge Award, Smith was selected for his professionalism in creatively conveying the Adventist message of hope and quality of life through design, public relations and music. The award also honors his establishment of the visitor's center at church headquarters. Established in 2001 by the world church's Communication department, the Bridge Award honors visionary thinking, excellence in responsible journalism, professional mentoring and outstanding achievements in media, public relations and public affairs. Smith died May 8 at age 54 following a lengthy illness at his home in Silver Spring, Maryland. He served the church for nearly 30 years. Cyprus: Coastal town's 'Meeting Point' to provide spiritual, public services September 22, 2008 Limassol, Cyprus ... [ Alex Elmadjian/ANN Staff ] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A church member cleans the front windows of a new ministry center in Cyprus offering practical and spiritual services for the island's locals and tourists. [photos: courtesy Middle East Union] Church members celebrate the opening of Meeting Point. Adventist leaders in Cyprus hope the center's casual environment will encourage locals to drop in and make friends. Seventh-day Adventists in the Mediterranean resort town of Limassol have converted a former seafront taxi office into a ministry center. "Our purpose is to meet the needs of the surrounding people, many of whom are immigrants and tourists," David J. Cox, church leader for Cyprus, said of Meeting Point, which opened this month. "We want it to be a hub of belonging in the heart of the tourist area." Church leaders in Cyprus say Meeting Point will offer worship services as well as parenting seminars, music and art workshops, children's clubs and a resource library with Internet access. Partnerships with local professionals will provide free legal advice and other services to community members. "We are pleased that the Limassol members have a strong mission focus and are anxious to connect more effectively with the wider community," Kjell Aune, church leader in the Middle East, said at the September 13 opening. Nearly 100 Adventists worship in Cyprus. Croatia: Parliament limits Sunday shopping September 23, 2008 Zagreb, Croatia ... [ Megan Brauner/ANN ] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Croatian Parliament ruled in July that stores must close on Sundays, an act carried out in deference to the wishes of the Roman Catholic Church. The law will go into effect Jan. 1, 2009. The Catholic Church makes up 90 percent of Croatia's religious population, and the Associated Press reports the church has made its presence felt in the Croatian government with continued lobbying for the passing of Sunday legislation. The law permits stores in gas, bus and train stations to remain open on Sundays throughout the year. Other business, such as bakeries, newsstands and flower shops are not included in the ban. The Sunday shopping ban is also lifted during the summer and for winter holidays. Local Adventist church leaders expressed concern over the ruling. Sretko Kuburic, secretary for the church in the Adriatic region, said while the legislation could have future consequences, the law shouldn't be viewed as the end of civil liberties. Kuburic also said the church should continue to monitor the situation after the law takes effect in 2009. The Adventist Church has supported religious liberty around the world since it launched what is now the International Religious Liberty Association in 1893. The organization has grown into the world's largest forum on religious freedom. Currently, about 3,000 Adventists live in Croatia, a nation of 4.5 million people. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- news.adventist.org ANN World News Bulletin is a review of news and information issued by the Communication department from the Seventh-day Adventist Church World Headquarters and released as part of the service of Adventist News Network. It is made available primarily to religious news editors. Our news includes dispatches from the church's international offices and the world headquarters. Reproduction Requirements: Reproduction of information in this article is encouraged. When reproducing this material, in full or in part, the words "Source: Adventist News Network" must appear under the headline or immediately following the article. The words "Source: Adventist News Network" must be given equal prominence to any other source that is also acknowledged. Ground 7 News Podcast: Ground 7 News is a review of news and information issued by the Communication Department from the Seventh-day Adventist Church World Headquarters and released as part of the service of Adventist News Network. Reproduction of the ANN podcast is encouraged. When rebroadcasting this material, in full or in part, the words "Source: Adventist News Network" must be mentioned before and after the podcast. ANN Staff: Rajmund Dabrowski, director; Ansel Oliver, assistant director; Elizabeth Lechleitner, editorial assistant; Megan Brauner, editorial assistant. Portuguese translation by Azenilto Brito, Spanish translation by Marcos Paseggi, Italian translation by Vincenzo Annunziata and Lina Ferrara and French translations by Stephanie Elofer.
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