In an area with a wide range of diversities and adversities, the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the Southern-Africa Indian Ocean region has a story of hope...
In an area with a wide range of diversities and adversities, the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the Southern-Africa Indian Ocean region has a story of hope that was told to those attending the church’s business meetings in St. Louis, Missouri.
The Adventist church there encompasses 24 countries and territories from Angola to South Africa and the islands of the Indian Ocean. That region was organized in 2003 with 1.8 million members and more than 6,700 churches is one of the largest Adventist church regions.
“Hope is established when we give because we receive,” came the voice over that opened of the video report from the church in that region. “When we teach it because knowledge can change lives. We give our lives today for eternity awaits tomorrow.”
With a territory that covers diverse cultures, languages and needs, the church is strategic in using hope to translate diversity into a feeling of family. Its eight goals of growth, nurturing spiritual life, unity, self-support, leadership, ministry to minorities, and education all support the theme of hope.
Despite areas of the region touched by war, HIV/AIDS and poverty, the region is growing at a rate of about 10 percent a year. That growth is intertwined with the church’s health, education, and publishing institutions as well with its other eight focal points.
The church is, for example, strongly focused on nurturing spiritual life. They hope to encourage spiritual growth through outreach furthered by a new Adventist Media Center in that region. They will also be able to offer 24 hour Christian programs through the church’s Hope channel that could reach 10 million people in Africa.
Eight of the 10 countries that are most affected by the HIV/AIDS pandemic is within the Southern-Africa Indian Ocean region of the church. In one instance the church’s response is to try to meet the needs of HIV patients with a network of volunteers through the Malamulo Hospital Adventist Hospital, in Makwasa, Malawi. They bathe, dress wounds and give patients medicine. In Madagascar, the Adventist young people use a variety of their gifts to reach out to their communities. One popular Adventist musician composes music to uplift those with HIV/AIDS.
The presentation also addressed the issue of poverty in the region. It told the story of one disabled woman who supports herself and eight members of her family. She leaves her village and drags herself on her hands one kilometer from her village to get water for her vegetable garden. Yet, the first thing Betty does with the little money she gets is to put aside 10 percent for the Lord.
There is also a strong emphasis on lay leadership in the region, particularly in Zambia where one in every 24 persons is Adventist. There are not enough pastors and the church must rely on a dedicated lay membership. Every five years there is a “Festival of Laity” which trains church members to witness.
The church also actively fosters an environment of inclusiveness and reaches out to minority groups so that churches can worship in a multicultural environment.
The Himba people, who are herders from Northeastern Africa that have settled in Namibia has learned the story of salvation through a system of story telling that demonstrates the major stories of the Bible.
To reinforce its passion for hope the report closed the song, “We Have this Hope,” which has been the theme song for many of the world church’s business sessions.
