Adventist Pastor Preaches in German Mosque

Hamburg, Germany…[Martin Haase/ANN] Following strenuous public relations efforts to open a friendly dialogue between Muslims and Christians, Sylvain Romain, a Seventh-day Adventist pastor, preached in a Turkish mosque in Hamburg, Germany, April 25.

The local imam insisted that the sermon should take place during the main prayer time at noon on Friday, and should be preached from the Bible.

In front of about 250 Muslim believers, Pastor Romain presented the subject of suffering and why God lets it happen.

After the sermon, he was interviewed by Zaman, the largest religious Turkish newspaper, and by other reporters. Representatives of the Turkish Consulate were also present. Several requests were made for other meetings.

More than 10 percent of Hamburg’s 1.7 million inhabitants are Muslim. Romain, a French citizen, is currently senior pastor of three German churches as well as a Yugoslav and a Ghanaian church. He has 26 years of experience working with Muslims and is fluent in several languages. He held the sermon in Turkish and prayed in Arabic.

United States: LaSierra University President Recuperating

Riverside, California, United States…[ANN] Lawrence Geraty, 62, president of La Sierra University, a Seventh-day Adventist institution in Riverside, California, is recovering from a broken leg and a cut to the head sustained when a hit-and-run driver struck him and his wife, Gillian, near their home. Mrs. Geraty suffered several bruises and cuts. The California Highway Patrol was reported to be searching for a white car and its driver.

Guam: Chamorro Language Bible Republished

Agana, Guam…[ANN] Seventh-day Adventists are taking the lead in reviving a Chamorro language Bible that had been lost to locals for nearly a century.

“The people actually didn’t know a Bible even existed in their own language,” says Bethany Martin of the Adventist Church in Guam. “People are joyful at receiving the word of God in their own language and have been moved to tears.”

The church wants to raise US$40,000 to have 6,000 of the Bibles reprinted and placed in the hands of the Chamorro people on the islands of Guam, Saipan, Tinian and Rota. Guam is part of the Guam-Micronesia mission region of the church, which was organized in 1948. Adventists worship in 18 congregations in the area, with a membership of 3,371.