GC Session Day 5 June 28, 2010

PRESIDENT’S BLOG GENERAL CONFERENCE SESSION DAY 5
June 28, 2010

A historic step was taken today at the General Conference Session. Delegates were working through the proposed changes to the Church Manual, when a recommendation from a recent General Conference Annual Council was brought in to the floor pertaining to the section in Chapter 5 dealing with organizing a new Church. In that section was a proposal to add to the section dealing with nominations to fill various church offices, such as elders, deacons and deaconesses a new statement in relationship to deaconesses. The section says that elders should be ordained, and then it says: “A similar but shorter service should take place for ordination of deacons and induction for deaconesses.” The proposed addition was to say: “Deaconesses may be ordained in divisions where the process has been approved by its executive committee.” This was presented as the motion.
The basis presented by the General Conference officers to the delegates for this motion, is a quotation from Ellen White in the Review and Herald:
"Women who are willing to consecrate some of their time to the service of the Lord should be appointed to visit the sick, look after the young, and minister to the necessities of the poor. They should be set apart to this work by prayer and laying on of hands. In some cases they will need to counsel with the church officers or the minister; but if they are devoted women, maintaining a vital connection with God, they will be a power for good in the church. This is another means of strengthening and building up the church."--RH, July 9, 1895.{DG 249.2}

After much discussion from the floor, one delegate offered an amendment to motion to read: “A similar but shorter service should take place for ordination of deacons and deaconesses.”
This amendment did not limit ordination of deaconesses to the divisions where it was approved by the division executive committee, but would establish the practice for the entire world field. Again there was much discussion on this amendment. After nearly 2 hours on this one part of the Church Manual, the amendment passed with a significant majority. Thus, the Church Manual now calls for deaconesses across the world church to be ordained in the role, function and service as a deaconess.

Dwight Nelson had an excellent sermon/presentation on the role and ministry of the Pastor at the 11 a.m. hour. If they can be obtained, I would like to get a copy for each of our pastors in the Pennsylvania Conference.

Before the session ended for the lunch hour, the Nominating Committee brought in the names for each of the Division presidents. A surprising name for the North American Division president, was Elder Dan Jackson, president of the Adventist Churches in Canada. Tami Horst, Pennsylvania Conference Communication Director has already sent out a press release and the Columbia Union Visitor News Bulletin will have additional information on Elder Jackson. 3 different names had been discussed as highly likely to be considered. It is interesting to see the leading of God through the nominating process to lead individuals to be considered, even though through the eyes of man, they may not have been the supposed candidate. Sometimes, I think of the prophet Samuel, who was sent by God to anoint one of the sons of Jesse. Some of the older sons looked attractive to the prophet Samuel, but God said about one after the other, this was not the one. Finally, Samuel had to ask if there were any other sons, and Jesse said, there is only the youngest who is out herding sheep. When David came, God said, this is the one. Man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.

Another election to a General Conference position involves familiar faces to the Columbia Union. Willie Oliver, NAD Family Life Director was elected GC Family Life Department Director and his wife, Elaine Oliver was elected Associate Director. Elaine is a key member of the Washington Adventist University staff. Willie and Elaine have been to the Pennsylvania Conference just a few years ago and conducted the February Marriage retreat, coordinated by Pennsylvania Conference Family Life Director, Jeanne Hartwell.


A name that is familiar to Pennsylvania is Tom Kapusta who served as Pennsylvania Conference Trust Services officer and Association Secretary. Today Tom was elected to be the General Conference Trust Director. Currently he is serving as a trust officer for Florida Hospital.

GC Session Day 4

PRESIDENT’S BLOG GENERAL CONFERENCE SESSION DAY 4
June 27, 2010

Most of the today’s session business dealt with revision and new additions to the Seventh-day Adventist Church Manual. This work is significant since it is only at a General Conference that the Church Manual can be revised or added to. Also, the World Church members have a great interest in the Church Manual, since across the World Church, each Division, Union, Conference and local church all use and look to the same Church Manual. So even when simple things are being proposed, frequent discussion will come to the microphone from all different Divisions, to be sure we understand how this or that point in the Manual will affect the work in that local area.
Then, finally, the delegates are able to come to a vote in the issue and we proceed to the next suggested revision.

Before lunch, I had some extra time as the business session ended a little early. This gave a good opportunity for me to spend some time in the NAD prayer room, which Ruthie Jacobson has prepared. What a blessing to sit in a quiet corner and spend some significant time in prayer.

Today at lunch, Jeanne and I found ourselves sitting at the lunch table where we had the privilege to meet Pastor Frederick Paul from the southern area of India, near Bangalor. We are likely inviting him to speak in the Philadelphia Boulevard Church, or some other church in Philadelphia on August 7 in the evening. He will have much to share about the Seventh-day Adventist work in India. Also, he will share how Christians are being severally persecuted, injured and even killed by Hindus.

After lunch, Jeanne and I happened to meet Don and Marti Schneider on our way out. Marti and I discussed the possibility of having the next NAD SEEDS Church Planting Conference take place during our Pennsylvania Conference Camp Meeting. It is way too early to know whether that might be a possibility, but it is something we can all pray about and seek God’s leading.

Tonight, the 2 Divisions that gave their mission reports were the East Central Africa Division and the Euo-Asia Division. Both Divisions reported wonderful growth. Across Russia and wonderful amount of growth is taking place.

I also got a chance to visit with some Pennsylvania Conference Church members. One of the members and I had a chance to talk about the Capital Campaign for the BMA Dorm Bathrooms. This member is considering making a gift to the BMA project before the end of the year. Please keep our committed and dedicated members and donors in your prayers.

GC Session Day 3

PRESIDENT’S BLOG GENERAL CONFERENCE SESSION DAY 3
JUNE 26, 2010

This morning on the way to Sabbath School in the Georgia Dome, we were dropped off from our Shuttle Bus at the exhibition hall. While walking from the exhibition hall over to the Georgia Dome, we passed a display by ASI depicting a “1 Day School.” ASI has provided the materials for a simple steel building that can be put together with a screw driver and pliers in just about 1 day. They have also designed desks and benches constructed out of simple metal for this school. The cost is somewhere around $1,000.00. I think it would be wonderful if some of our church schools for the next school year planned to concentrate on a “Hope for Humanity” project, or a “1 Day School.”

For the GC Church session, several musical numbers were offered by our sister Conference and sister academy, Pine Forge Academy. Their music offerings were outstanding and I was proud of each of the young people who participated.

The crowd packed the Georgia Dome for the Divine service. Delegates, family and guests were seated on the floor while Seventh-day Adventist Church members from across Atlanta, neighboring regions, southern states and across the United States filled the seats, usually filled by rapid football and other sports fans. How wonderful to see so many people dedicated to the worship of the Creator God and soon coming Savior on this Sabbath day, instead of glorifying sports and entertainment.

After the Church service, I stopped for just a minute and visited with a pastor who is the Adventist World Radio speaker in the Masi language. He is from Tanzanika.

On Sabbath, I am amazed at how well the staff has planned to feed the thousands of delegates, family members, and guests in a section of the large exhibition hall. It is an adventure in discovering members of the Adventist Church family from around the world that we have never met before.

On the way into the lunch room, we caught up with Pastor Matthew Bediako, retiring General Conference Secretary and his lovely wife. Pastor Bediako is from the country of Ghana, which is also the home country of Bill Oblity, a delegate to this GC session from the Pennsylvania Conference.

During the afternoon, Jeanne and I visited several of the exhibits of ministries in the exhibition hall. One of those we spent several minutes at was the Ellen White Estate, where we spoke with Dr. Merlin Burt and Dr. Jim Nix for some time. One of the ideas we discussed was the possibility of taking our Pennsylvania Conference pastors and teachers on an Adventist Heritage tour from Pennsylvania to New England, then across New York State to the William Miller farm, then to Michigan to several sites. If God makes it possible, I believe it would be a tremendous learning experience for our staff, well worth the investment.

We visited several of the College and University exhibits, such as Washington Adventist University, Oakwood College, Andrews University, Union College, Montemorelos University and Southern Adventist University. Southern had an attractive display solidly presenting its stand on a literal, Divine Creation.


Tonight, the Southern Africa - Indian Ocean Division and the North American Division reports were shared with all the delegates and guests attending GC session. At the end of the Southern Africa – Indian Ocean Division video report was a quick memory picture and slide that tugged at my heart. It read, “In loving memory of Paul Mawela, April 2010.” Paul “Pappa” Mawela and his wife established the Nhengelo community outreach work for AIDS orphans and organized home health workers in South Africa that we visited on the Hope for Humanity trip that 4 of us from Pennsylvania Conference participated on. When we were in South Africa, they were feeding 700 orphans every day, and would be feeding over 1,000 within a month after we left. They also had 20-40 caregivers going out every week to visit seriously ill and terminally ill people in their homes, often walking up to 10 miles each way to bring this care. This was the first I had heard of his death. Pastor Mawela and his wife retired and moved to that area, since there was no Adventist work, and in their retirement, they prayed and by faith started this work from scratch. He and “Momma” Mawela are an inspiration to all of us of what God can do, with a person that is fully dedicated to God and pray with faith that God will do great things, and do them through us.

General Conference Session Day 2

PRESIDENT’S BLOG GENERAL CONFERENCE SESSION DAY 2
June 25, 2010

Friday morning General Conference session began with Pennsylvania Conference Pastor Tara VinCross presenting the devotional message, focusing in the incarnation of Christ as an expression of God proclaiming His grace. Tara was asked by the General Conference Ministerial Department to be the speaker for the Friday morning message, back in the Fall of 2009. I am sure that our workforce in Pennsylvania feels honored that one of our team was asked to speak to the delegates of the entire world church. The Columbia Union Website will have more details and video selections.

Just before noon, the GC Nominating Committee brought the name of Ted N.C. Wilson, son of former GC President Neal Wilson for President of the GC. The delegates approved Elder Wilson’s name and voted him to serve. Elder Wilson’s father, Neal Wilson served in the Egypt mission when my Uncle Raymond Hartwell served in the Middle East Union office, located in Beirut, Lebanon and Neal spent part of his childhood there.

During the noon meal today, Jeanne and I enjoyed a lunch visit with Mike Hamilton and his wife, who are living and serving in Great Britain. Mike is the Trans-European Division Department Director for Personal Ministries, Sabbath School and Publishing (Literature Evangelism). I was intrigued with the scope of his responsibilities, since the Trans-European Division covers such a large geographical territory and a widely divergent ethnic, cultural and religious variety of peoples. The territory stretches from Greenland, just off the coast of North American, to portions of North and Eastern Europe, Poland, the Baltics, to the Middle East, Sudan and Pakistan! His wife is a home health nurse in the British Government Health system, visiting homes to specifically focus on young children, ages 0-5.

In the afternoon, Jeanne and I took a few minutes to walk through a few of the SDA ministry exhibits in the exhibition hall. One of the few we were able to visit included the ADRA exhibit which showcased many of the practical and substantial ways ADRA ministers to the physical needs of peoples around the world. We also visited the Washington Adventist University booth, Oakwood University, and Andrews University. Right next to Andrews University, I went to the Andrews Press book store and purchased the brand new Andrews Study Bible, which has just now come off the press. I highly recommend this study Bible (NKJV) for our ministry team and all of our members. All of the study notes have been prepared by Seventh-day Adventist Bible scholars and are much more reliable and accurate that many current popular study Bibles on the market today.

In the afternoon, the Nominating Committee brought the names of Elder G.T. Ng as GC Secretary and Robert Lemon, current GC Treasurer, to continue to serve as GC Treasurer. Elder Ng speaks both Chinese and English. Elder Bob Lemon is a member of the Pennsylvania Conference and attends the Needmore Church.

Every day, delegates residing in the various hotels in the center of downtown Atlanta board motor coach shuttle buses to ride the 1 mile to the Georgia Dome where the GC session is held. The shuttle buses run continually between specific hotels and the facility. We are making friends with one of the drivers.

We are reminded continually of the world-wide work and mission of the Adventist Church. God has entrusted us with a great message that is needed across this world, for every man, woman, boy and girl, of our soon coming Savior and His call for holy living as a joyful part of being a member of the family of heaven.

PRESIDENT’S BLOG GENERAL CONFERENCE SESSION DAY 1
June 24, 2010

We arrived in Atlanta Wednesday evening. Our hotel room was 31 floors above the city streets of Atlanta and faced West, toward the Georgia Dome, where the GC session meets every day.

In the morning, as we ate breakfast, we meet Dennis Austin and his family. Dennis is serving as a delegate from the Columbia Union Committee and the Pennsylvania Conference.


As you enter the Georgia World Conference Center adjacent to the Georgia Dome where the Atlanta Falcons football team plays, there were a long row of registration booths for the delegates from all across the world to sign in and receive their badges and materials.


The Georgia Dome has seating on the floor for all the delegates from across the world. Each Division of the World Field, sits in a section marked out for the delegates from that Division.
At lunch, Jeanne and I enjoy sitting down at a table with perfect strangers and getting acquainted. Thursday’s lunch, we met the Union President and his wife from the Northern region of the Republic of the Congo. Often you see delegates from foreign countries wearing colorful dress from their home country.


In the afternoon, all the Divisions of the World field went to separate meetings rooms to caucus and nominate delegates to serve on the General Conference Nominating Committee. The North American Division is able to select 24 members of the Nominating Committee and the General Conference another 4, with a total of 28 of the Nominating Committee members. Over 200 individuals serve on the General Conference Session Nominating Committee. Our Columbia Union members met during the NAD Caucus and selected 3 individuals to join the 24 from the NAD. Bill Oblity of the Indiana, Pennsylvania Church is in the top center.


Our official church membership is now over 16,000,000 with about 25,000.000 attending or connected to the Seventh-day Adventist Church when you include children and those not yet baptized.

Adventist Perspective on Women in Ministry

ADVENTIST PERSPECTIVE ON WOMEN IN MINISTRY
Pennsylvania Conference Pastor’s Meeting conducted May 3, 2010.

Dr. Richard Davidson from Andrews University Seventh-day Adventist Theology seminary presented.
Also, Elder Preston Monterrey, pastor in Erie, PA
And Elder Jim Wibberding, pastor at Lansdale, PA

Here are some succinct notes of my opening presentation.

What this day was NOT:
• A debate on whether women should be in ministry in the Adventist Church. The World Church has included women in ministry.
• The issue of ordination of women in ministry. That is a decision for the World Church meeting in GC session. The PA Conference fully follows the principles voted and followed by the World Church
• A referendum on whether there will be women in ministry in the PA Conference. The Conference Executive Committee has already made that determination – in full cooperation with the General Conference policy and Adventist Church history.

The approach used at this meeting included:
• Biblical study of God’s original approach
• Hermeneutical approach that gives bearing on the topic
• Continuation of the Biblical study, including the Old Testament, Jesus and Paul’s position
• Over-view, historical, practical and current considerations.
•

I shared a brief over-view of The Adventist History in regards to women in ministry.

Our Adventist Church was born out of mission,
and born for mission.

Communicating the message of the soon return of Jesus in the context of the 3 angel’s messages and the high priestly mediatorial work of Christ in the heavenly sanctuary was and is the priority for our Church. Leading people to be disciples of Jesus is the natural outgrowth of this mission and is obedience to the Great Commission given to all Christians.

As the Adventist work went forth, there was no hesitation to accept and encourage any to take up the work, including women.

With the prophetic gift exercised through the ministry of Ellen White, our early leaders spent considerable study and effort demonstrating at the least, 2 premises,
1. The role of spiritual gifts.
2. That God was fully capable of calling a women to the prophetic ministry role, and that the spiritual gift given by God through her as a woman, was to be fully accepted and recognized and it was authoritative.

Foundational principles that guide and lead Adventists in this topic of study:
• The Protestant Biblical belief in the priesthood of all believers.
• Jesus Christ is our only High Priest and as such serves as the true priest in the heavenly sanctuary.
• Jesus Christ is the head of the church, and as such is the one who fulfills headship over every part of His church.
• God calls whom He will to ministry, and the church observes those who claim to have been called by God, and affirms that evidence of the calling has been demonstrated.
• Spiritual gifts are given by the Holy Spirit, to whom the Holy Spirit chooses.

Over 20 SDA women were licensed as ministers during the period from the 1870s to the ending of the 19th century -- roughly through the end of Ellen White’s lifetime.

1878 ANNA FULTON MINNESOTA
ELLEN S. LANE MICHIGAN
JULIA OWEN KENTUCKY-TENNESSEE
1879 LIBBIE COLLINS MINNESOTA
HATTIE ENOCH KANSAS
LIBBIE FULTON MINNESOTA
LIZZIE POST MINNESOTA
1880 ANNA JOHNSON MINNESOTA
1881 IDA W. BALLENGER ILLINOIS
HELEN L. MORSE ILLINOIS
1884 RUIE HILL KANSAS
1886 IDA W. HIBBEN ILLINOIS
1887 MRS. S. E. PIERCE VERMONT
1893 FLORA PLUMMER IOWA
1894 MARGARET CARO NEW ZEALAND
1895 MRS. S. A. LINDSAY NEW YORK
1898 SAREPTA IRISH HENRY GEN. CONF.
LULU WIGHTMAN NEW YORK
1899 EDITH BARTLETT BRITISH CONF.
1900 HETTY HASKELL GEN. CONF.
MINA ROBINSON BRITISH CONF.
1901 CARRIE V. HANSEN UTAH
EMMA HAWKINS IOWA
MRS. E. R. WILLIAMS MICHIGAN
1902 MRS. S. N. HASKELL GREATER NY
MINNIE SYPE OKLAHOMA
1904 ALMA BJDIGG FINLAND MISSION
MRS. J. E. BOND ARIZONA
BERTHA E. JORGENSEN SOUTH DAKOTA
1910 PEARL FIELD NEBRASKA
MRS. URA SPRING NEBRASKA

--GENERAL CONFERENCE ARCHIVES AND SDA YEARBOOKS

More were licensed after that, right down to this present day. The above list illustrates that our early Adventist church incorporated women in ministry.

The role of all ministers, during this time period, was essentially the same. Evangelism, teaching, discipling, establishing new converts.
Settled pastors, occupying a church or district in a stationary style, was rare and not encouraged. Thus, the women who served during this time period were fully leading the work as well as the men of the time.

Some have erroneously thought that women in Adventist ministry is a fairly recent occurrence, probably as a result of the influence of the Women’s Liberation Movement of the 1970’s in the United States.
However, that view totally misses our Adventist heritage and history. To include women in ministry in the Adventist Church, including the pastoral ministry, is actually to re-capture our Adventist Heritage!

Our Pennsylvania Adventist Heritage is quite indebted to women in ministry.

Evangelist and Teacher of Ministers:
Jessie Weiss Curtis
1881 to 1972
A newspaper reported concerning Mrs. Curtis:
“Stirred with the desire to give the gospel to the people,
Miss Weiss secured a tent, and with the aid of two men
pitched it on the C. A. Straw farm, and people are
flocking by the hundreds to hear her.”
—Hazleton, Pennsylvania, newspaper article, 1927

At the conclusion of her first evangelistic series, Jessie Weiss presented 80 converts ready for baptism. The Drums, Pennsylvania, Seventh-day Adventist Church was born. In Beaumont, Tunkhannock, and Montrose in northeastern Pennsylvania, Jessie Weiss Curtis was the Holy Spirit's instrument to raise up congregations. She preached in tents, at the same time conducting countless Bible studies. After groups were formed, she raised money for and supervised the building of houses of worship.

Mrs. Curtis officiated at the first quarterly meeting and communion service held in the Tunkhannock Seventh-day Adventist Church on April 10, 1943. After the effort in Drums with its outstanding results, Jessie Weiss was recognized as a member of the evangelistic and ministerial staff of the East Pennsylvania Conference. She conducted many evangelistic series, usually in tents, and founded one church after another in northeastern Pennsylvania.

There is no indication that the people served by Jessie Weiss Curtis thought it was inappropriate to have a woman minister. In fact, as the years went on, they practically reverenced her.

The more we learn, the more it becomes understandable that the East Pennsylvania Conference presidents sent their interns for training to this experienced, effective minister. Elder N. R. Dower, formerly ministerial director of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, recalls that he started his work under evangelist Curtis.

In addition, conference administrators made a practice of sending ministers to work with Mrs. Curtis when they appeared to be drifting away on some point of doctrine or church authority. Sometimes a rehabilitation was effected, and the worker found his footing again as he associated and counseled with this wise and godly woman minister.

So today, we re-visit this topic of the Adventist perspective of women in ministry. For some, it may be a first visit, a discovery of what God is able and eager to do.

Just a couple of Ellen White statements, among many that are available:

“It is the accompaniment of the Holy Spirit of God that prepares workers, both men and women, to become pastors to the flock of God.”
Testimonies for the Church. 9 vols. (Mountain View, CA: Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1855-1909, 1948

“There are women who should labor in the gospel ministry.”
Manuscript 43a, 1898.

Not a hand should be bound, not a soul discouraged, not a voice should be hushed; let every individual labor, privately or publicly, to help forward this grand work. Place the burden upon men and women of the church, that they may grow by reason of the exercise, and thus become effective agents in the hand of the Lord for the enlightenment of those who sit in darkness.
“The Duty of the Minister and the People,” Review and Herald, 9 July 1895, 25.

Finally, let us remember God’s prophetic vision for the last days as found in Joel 2:
“And it shall come to pass afterward
That I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh;
Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
Your old men shall dream dreams,
Your young men shall see visions.
And also on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days.
Joel 2:28, 29

Student Center and Bathroom progress at BMA

Blue Mountain Academy is putting students first, by re-modeling the current library space, into a multi-faceted student center.

This student center will include space for students to congregate, computer centers where they can plug in their lap-tops or use stationary desk top computers to do school work and access electronic educational resource materials, offices for the BMA learning specialist and campus chaplain, and access to the guidance counselor’s office.

Students are excited about these changes, which were made possible through a generous gift from a matured will.

Right now, the project is on schedule for completion before camp meeting 2010. If God makes it possible, we would love to have this section also air-conditioned. Floyd Dare and the Trust Services Department operate out of this area during camp meeting, so I am sure Floyd would appreciate the A/C, and it might encourage more folks to drop by!

For a number of years, educators and even the evaluation teams have pointed to the value of having a student center for the benefit of our student body. Craig Ziesmer immediately rolled up his sleeves and studied ways to make this happen in the current location after arriving on campus.
I would especially like to affirm Craig Ziesmer,

Diana Engen,
Dave Halbrook

and Chris Kramer for donating many hours of volunteer construction work to bring this student center into existence and save on construction costs.

While at BMA, Tami Horst filmed me making the closing appeal for an upcoming PA Advance Offering, which features the work at BMA and the Capital Campaign for the bathroom renovations.

Work is finishing on the Girl’s Dorm bathroom. Thus far, through offerings, major donations, grants and volunteer work, ½ of the Boy’s dorm bathroom project has been completed and ½ of the girl’s dorm bathroom project is nearing completion.

This year during camp meeting, come and see the progress!