St. Albans, United Kingdom | Victor Hulbert

A brand new Seventh-day Adventist Encyclopaedia (ESDA) is to be released next week, 1 July.

Several years in the making, the project will contain thousands of articles, short biographies, and fascinating insights into the history and life of the Seventh-day Adventist Church across the world. 

Trans-European Division (TED) Executive Secretary Audrey Andersson has been involved in the process and has had the privilege of previewing the website. “It is inspiring and addictive. One story leads to another, and there are rich gems to be discovered,” she says.

TED staff already know this as Andersson, along with TED ESDA editor, Paul Lockham, have been sharing some of their favourite insights and stories during morning worship. The excitement for both of them is that the history of the Church in Europe will also be more available and better told.

“Europe, especially those countries in the TED, have a rich history and commitment to mission. Through the ESDA project, many of these heroes of faith are brought to life. You can gain richer insights into their lives, and countries where they worked, as well as understanding better the development of the Adventist church,” Andersson says. Her only additional hope is a recognition that “there are many more stories which need to be written, and we hope that as people use the encyclopedia, they will want to get involved.”

Lockham agrees, ‘Having grown up near the Adventist Headquarters in the British Union, I was familiar with some of the history and personalities of the Church in Britain and Ireland. Having worked for the past eighteen months as the coordinating regional editor for articles from our Division, I have found myself growing in understanding of the dynamics of mission and the people involved across our unions. Learning of the challenges overcome, the forward thinking and investment that took place, the reaction to difficulties and setbacks has all been an inspiration. If you want to see how God has led, go to the ESDA Online and be amazed. Better yet, look at the articles that still need to be written and volunteer to do the job.

The Encyclopedia will be released on 1 July – but you can bookmark the website now: Encyclopedia.Adventist.org. The launch programme will be broadcast on the Seventh-day Adventist YouTube channel on the same day at 3.00 p.m. EST.

 

This article was originally published on the Trans-European Division’s news site

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