Six hundred business and professional people who are also members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, from nine African countries gathered in Pretoria Feb. 24 to 26 for a retreat that focused on their unique spiritual needs.  They came from Angola, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Malawi, South Africa, Mauritius and Madagascar.

The three-day camp meeting, held at the St. George’s Convention Center, was designed to support business and professional leaders in their walk with Jesus, said Pardon Mwansa, president of the Adventist Church in the Southern Africa-Indian Ocean region.

We believe “there is a class of people that need special nurturing and care. We thought of you, business men and women, professionals that God has called into the church,” Mwansa said. “We thought of you and believed that you need to be given a special forum at which your spiritual needs could be attended to.”

The comprehensive program—a daily devotional, two worships and five seminars each of the three days—drew a wide range of international speakers. For daily devotions, speakers were Pastor Dwight Nelson, senior pastor of Pioneer Memorial Church in Berrien Springs, Michigan, United States, as well as Dr. George Knight from Andrews University and Dr. Delbert Baker, president of Oakwood College, Huntsville, Alabama, United States.

Dr. Oscar T. Mngqibisa, president of the Adventist Church in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, spoke on “Ethics and the Adventist Business and Professional Person,” while Pastor Jeffrey K. Wilson, trust services director for the world church, addressed stewardship principles. Also visiting from the world headquarters was Pastor James Nix, director of the Ellen G. White Estate, who spoke on “The Role of the Spirit of Prophecy in Spiritual Nurture.”

A former South African ambassador to the European Union, Dr. Eltie Links, addressed a subject with which he was quite familiar, “Living for Christ in a High Profile Position.” Dr. Links is now executive head of corporate governance for Santam, a leading short-term insurance company in the nation.

Meeting attendees raised 80,000 South African rands (approximately U.S. $14,000) from the Sabbath morning offering and the delegate fees. This was handed over to the eight church regions that comprise the area; each received R 10,000 (approx. U.S. $1,750) toward local projects, including printing spiritual growth literature, “Big City” evangelism, and training students for denominational employment.