Reflecting on the passing year, the Adventist News Network team has chosen to present a few of the highlights from the 2002 ANN Bulletin.
Reflecting on the passing year, the Adventist News Network team has chosen to present a few of the highlights from the 2002 ANN Bulletin. Together with the “top Adventist stories of 2002” come wishes of God’s blessings to all our readers and contributors to ANN for the new year, 2003.
In an official statement released by church leaders in April, the Adventist Church reaffirmed its commitment to fostering a culture of peace and reconciliation in today’s increasingly violent world. The statement condemns all terrorism, including religiously motivated violence, and it states that nations often turn to military responses when faced with terror and violence, but says “lasting answers to deep problems in divisions in society cannot be achieved by using violent means.”
The year’s global initiative of Go One Million has exceeded expectations as the church’s 13 divisions, or administrative regions, gave their support of a plan to recruit, train, and equip 1 million Adventist lay people for evangelism. By mid-year, the challenge was met by 1.6 million participants in this mega evangelistic program.
Another global initiative, Sow 1 Billion, introduced by the church’s leadership in October, moved the mission of the church to yet another level of involvement. The plan calls for 1 billion invitations to study the Bible to be distributed worldwide. The goal is to reach 1 billion homes by the end of 2004. It’s scope, termed as unprecedented, offers the church a potential of reaching some two-thirds of the world’s population with the gospel message. The project requires cooperation and participation at all levels of the world church.
With evangelism at the top of the church’s agenda, the 2002 Annual Council designated 2004 as the “Year of Evangelism.” The initiative calls for special outreach activities, including a focus especially on projects for urban centers, the 10/40 Window, and the secular post-modern mind. The evangelistic strategy includes equipping hundreds of thousands of laity and youth to conduct their own evangelistic series, as well as utilizing all means of technology, including radio, television, satellite communication, publishing and the Internet.
The church in Africa has been reorganized to form a third African division, and the boundaries of the two existing divisions have been readjusted. Effective Jan. 1, 2003, the territorial realignment will consist of the Southern Africa-Indian Ocean Division, the East-Central Africa Division, and the Western Africa Division.
The results of a world church survey have given the church a “snap shot” of how Adventists are witnessing, worshipping and relating to their communities. Affirming a commitment to Adventist teachings, the survey also revealed “areas of concern,” including low involvement in daily prayer, Bible study, active witness to the community, and participation in community service. The survey was part of the church’s strategic planning, which centered on the three core values of the Adventist Church: Unity, Growth, and Quality of Life. Jan Paulsen, president of the world church, said that “these three values contain the genius of Seventh-day Adventism,” and collectively express the “ethos and self-awareness” of the Adventist Church.
In a Statement of Concern, the Fifth World Congress on religious freedom meeting in July in Manila, Philippines, emphasized that violations of religious rights are unacceptable, and specifically named some of the worst offenders. The document identified Sudan, North Korea, and some states in India as “among the most serious violators of religious freedom.” Organized by the International Religious Liberty Association, and supported by the Adventist Church, the congress and other IRLA initiatives identified religious extremism and intolerance as being among the greatest threats facing humanity, and that without religious liberty, global security is at risk.
Issues of faith and science brought 80 Adventist scholars and leaders to a conference in Ogden, Utah, United States, Aug. 23 to 29—the first in a series initiated by the world church. Referred to as a conversation, the International Faith and Science Conference was designed as a dialogue on questions of science and theology that impact Adventist understanding of the biblical account of the origin of life.
In October church leaders voted a new approach to settling wages for the more than 13,000 church employees around the world. The committee endorsed a common philosophy and guidelines for remuneration, but gave each of the church’s 13 divisions freedom to apply these standards within the unique context of their own territories.
Perhaps one of the biggest single events in the church in 2002 was the first-ever youth-led evangelism series in the Inter-American Division, where more than 60,000 youth were baptized after a two-week satellite broadcast from Mexico City, Mexico, in November. Led by young people from ages 11 through 32, “Live Without Fear” represented all countries in the Inter-American Division. In August, the church in South America saw church membership pass the 2-million mark.
The Adventist Television Network announced plans in November to go “24/7,” with full-time broadcasts on new satellites expected to begin the first quarter of 2003. As part of the new global satellite television ministry, Adventist NewsLine, a weekly 30-minute newscast produced by the world church headquarters communication department, was launched in September and can be seen on ATN, Three Angels Broadcasting Network, and other television networks. ATN’s initial 90-minute weekly broadcast also includes a devotional message and a discussion of the current Bible study guides.
A looming disaster from mass starvation that threatens 34 million people in the countries of Ethiopia, Eritrea, Lesotho, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique and Swaziland is receiving an intense response from the church’s humanitarian agency, the Adventist Development and Relief Agency. In December church members were invited to fund feeding programs to thousands in the affected area, to help with food distribution and agricultural assistance to farmers, and to increase “response efforts immediately if we are to effectively help people already weakened by hunger and reaching the stage of severe malnutrition.” ADRA, together with the church, is also stepping up efforts in their fight against the HIV/AIDS epidemic in many parts of the world.
The church celebrated several special events and anniversaries in 2002, including:
*Adventists in Hong Kong celebrated 100 years of Adventist work among Chinese people with events recalling past accomplishments and highlighting future challenges. Adventist leaders vowed to enter the new century with renewed emphasis on the church being a visible, positive presence in society through education, health care, and humanitarian assistance;
*Ellen G. White, one of the founders of the church, was born 175 years ago on Nov. 26. The birthday was celebrated at the Ellen G. White Estate with Mrs. White’s favorite, lemon pie; and
* Adventist communicators celebrated 90 years since the establishment of the Bureau of Press Relations, the church’s first corporate communication department.
