Seventh-day Adventist Church leaders approved a new evangelistic initiative October 9 to reach 1 billion homes around the world by the end of 2003.
Seventh-day Adventist Church leaders approved a new evangelistic initiative October 9 to reach 1 billion homes around the world by the end of 2003. “Sow 1 Billion” is a joint effort between each of the church’s 12 divisions, or regions, and leaders say the far-reaching project will require cooperation and participation at all levels of the world church.
The goal of Sow 1 Billion is to distribute 1 billion special brochures, or “tracts,” inviting people to study the Bible with an Adventist pastor or layperson, or through an Adventist Bible correspondence school.
World church president Pastor Jan Paulsen presented the initiative to international church leaders gathered for Annual Council, saying the concept was “maybe bigger than we can grasp right now.” He reminded listeners that the church is growing by 1 million people annually, while the world population is growing by some 130 million people every year. The disparity, he said, prompts the questions: “How is the church going to reach them all? Aren’t we drifting further and further behind?”
In spite of the huge challenge, said Paulsen, the Adventist Church must continue to be a mission-driven church. “God wants us human beings, the church, to be his witnessing instruments in the last days,” he said.
According to Paulsen, the commitment and enthusiasm of Adventist laypeople around the world will be central to the Sow 1 Billion plan. “So many people are saying ‘I want to be involved.’ The church is dependant on the initiative, strength, resources of laypeople in order to finish the work. We do this together—that is Christ’s way. We will finish this work as one people.”
Organizers estimate that the plan has the potential to reach two-thirds of the world’s population. Each small tract will include space to list the addresses of Bible correspondence schools, and each division or union will provide their Bible school address where people may write to receive lessons by correspondence. An Internet address will also be provided where people can visit and choose Bible studies from among several languages.
Paulsen cited a special mailing of Signs magazine that took place earlier this year in Minnesota, United States, where 2 percent of the 2 million people contacted responded to the invitation to receive Bible studies. He pointed out that if the response rate to Sow 1 Billion is just half a percent, there will be some 5 million people requesting Bible studies.
“The biggest challenge for the church is to prepare the hearts of our people to have the will to follow this up,” says Michael Ryan, a key coordinator of Sow 1 Billion. “In terms of logistics, it will not be raising the money to print, and it will not be the distribution. It will be the organization and viability of very, very effective Bible schools. When you consider that we’re only a church of 13 million members, this is a complete rethinking and retooling of our resources to respond to this. That’s the challenge.”
There are currently many Bible correspondence schools functioning around the world, but Ryan says that plans are underway to put a Bible correspondence school in every country.
A task force will coordinate with the church’s divisions, unions, conferences, missions, and churches to plan and implement the Sow 1 Billion program, which includes several phases—from fundraising to distribution to Bible studies to reporting. The task force will also take up the challenge of informing church members, and helping them get involved in the project.
A significant part of the initiative will be funded by donors—already, a number of key lay supporters have committed to paying for the cost of printing the brochures.
Sow 1 Billion will complement “Go One Million,” the church’s initiative to mobilize, train, and equip 1 million Adventist laypeople for evangelism by the time of the next Adventist World Session in 2005. Organizers will encourage laypeople involved with Go One Million to be a support group for Sow 1 Billion, along with many additional church members, children, youth, and other interested groups.