The Seventh-day Adventist Church continues to grow worldwide, with an average rate of increase of 5.5 percent in 1996. The highest net growth is in China, with the countries of the former Soviet Union, Southern Asia, and Africa showing the greatest percentage growth rates.  In a presentation made to the Seventh-day Adventist Church’s Annual Council on October 2, R. William Cash, director of the church’s Archives and Statistics Department, expressed his delight at being able to report such good news.  “I am excited to share with you the progress of the church, and results of the ways in which new methods and new technologies have been used to spread the good news,” said Cash.  As of early August, Brazil is the country with the largest total number of Seventh-day Adventists, having just overtaken the United States with a total of around 800,000.  The Eastern Africa Division of the church is likely to become the area with the most Adventists by the year 2,000, Cash predicted, with a total of some 1.7 million believers.  The implications for the Adventist Church, as its demographic composition changes, make for interesting challenges, according to Cash.  “The continued shifts in membership demographics has important implications for our decision-making this year and in coming councils and sessions,” said Cash.  Reacting to the report, Robert Folkenberg, president of the Seventh-day Adventist World Church, expressed his pleasure at the results.  “

I am delighted with the progress thus far,” said Folkenberg. “God is continuing to bless us, and yet I am sure much more remains to be done. I look forward to even greater successes for the Lord in the years to come.”  The total reported for the world-wide membership of the Adventist Church as of June 1997 is 9,479,718.