Reform Church Meetings in Belarus Amidst Controversy

A conference held by the Minsk Reformed Church to mark the 450th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation in Belarus was attended by representatives of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, Baptist and Pentecostal churches. However, the group was unable to advertise its meetings due to the government’s neglect in recognizing the Reformed Church.

Adventist Representatives Meet Cypriot President

Two Seventh-day Adventist Church world representatives, Dr. John Graz and Dr. Bert Beach, were among a delegation of 22 members of the Christian World Communions, or CWC, who met with the president of Cyprus, Tassos Papadopoulos, on Oct. 21. The Cypriot leader received a plaque from Graz and told the church leaders of the urgent need for cooperation and reconciliation in Cyprus, which has been divided by ethnic conflict since 1975. During the CWC session, Dr. Beach, who served as secretary of the organization for 32 years, was also honored with an award commemorating his service to the group, which represents some 2 billion Christian believers around the world.

Guatemala Education Ministry Gives Literacy Award to ADRA

The Adventist Disaster and Relief Agency—Guatemala was given the “Orden de Alfabetización,” or National Literacy Campaign Award, in a special ceremony at the National Palace in Guatemala City. Minister of Education Mario Rolando Torres Marroquin, cited ADRA’s accomplishments in the past year for the quality of program it developed, and its commitment to literacy education in the future. While this is only the third year the Guatemalan National Movement of Literacy (MONALFA) has been in existence, there has already been an approximate 20 percent drop in the illiteracy rate in the country, Torres Marroquin said. Though just in the first year of the program, ADRA was nominated for this national award. ADRA Guatemala plans to continue active literacy programs in three major cities, as well as develop a program to train children and young people to teach their parents and relatives to read and write. [Nicole J. Higgins/Libna Stevens]