The Adventist Church in eight countries of Eastern and Central Africa is aiming to double its membership by 2008.
The Adventist Church in eight countries of Eastern and Central Africa is aiming to double its membership by 2008. “Currently we have just over 2 million church members and we have established as one of the five goals for our church here to double our membership,” said Dr. Geoffrey Mbwana, president of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the region.
Speaking to participants of a communication consultation in Nairobi, Mbwana said that “retaining church members who are joining the church by the thousands is also our priority.” He challenged the communicators to help the church to be “better informed” about its life and activities and, in communication, to be “up to date, current and aggressive” in pursuit of making the church more visible in society.
Mbwana also identified management of church growth as one of the top priorities in his region through public evangelism and its special satellite programs organized in different countries. In recent years communication technology increased the church’s visibility in its missionary activities. Mbwana said that the church must keep pace with the needs within the church, while pursuing new opportunities to preach the gospel.
Thirty-five participants of the communication consultation evaluated the need to become more visible in society. Steve Apola, newly appointed communication director for Kenya, said that “we need as Adventists to be proactive in the daily occurrences in society, and cast aside the suspicions and fears we hold about interacting with the world.”
Apola expressed his own dream for the Adventist Church to become “a church of the century.” He would like to see his church “being professional in its approach to public relations and come out of its cocoon.”
Catherine Ontita, programs director for the Adventist Media Center in Nairobi, identified such specific issues as participation in community activities, dealing with environmental issues, and addressing the HIV/AIDS pandemic in practical ways as part of the church becoming more visible and active in society. “What we also need is to make our presence felt in the media,” she added.
The communication meeting concluded with several recommendations, including development of a strategy to inform church members about the HIV/AIDS situation, as well as becoming active and practical in making the local congregations as centers where victims and their families would find a caring attitude, but also medical help, as one participant stated.
Mbwana also challenged the communication ministry to assist the church in being more intentional with its message. “How are we attracting the world to our message? We need to be more intentional in what we are saying and doing. We may be doing too much at times. We will fail to achieve much because we want to do it all,” he concluded.
