“Taking Jesus’ love to new areas, to people with no hope, and establishing new congregations.” This is how Pastor Michael Ryan, Global Mission director, described the primary purpose of this global initiative. “Go, go, go. These words are the church’s life, compass and vision. Global Mission is a part of this work.”
Global Mission, established in 1990 at the General Conference Session in Indianapolis, presented its report to delegates and visitors during the Sabbath afternoon program at the Toronto SkyDome. Its report focused on the work and progress of Global Mission around the world and included interviews, video footage and music. The highlight of the presentation was a live interview with Pastor Anthony Alexander, released just six weeks ago from a Sri Lankan jail. (See ANN report “Pastor Freed from Sri Lankan Prison Speaks at World Session”)
“Global Mission knows all about the numbers and statistics. Without them, they cannot track progress,” Ryan said. “But each statistic represents children of God coming home to a loving father.”
Of the 230 countries in the world recognized by the United Nations, said Ryan, the Seventh-day Adventist Church has a presence in 205 countries, and nine of these countries have been entered in the past 10 years,
The Global Mission report emphasized the challenge of the 10/40 window--an imaginary rectangle drawn from West Africa to the Middle East and into Africa. Comprising more than three billion people--60 percent of the world’s population--these are also the world’s poorest inhabitants. “Many have no hope for the future,” said Ryan. “This window is truly the heart of the need.”
Delegates applauded as Ryan spoke of Global Mission’s success in Northern India. Ten years ago there was only one church. Today there are over 100 churches and 5,000 attendees. Last year alone, 64,000 new members joined the church in Northern India.
Pastor Dale Tunnell, Global Mission co-ordinator for Mongolia, described his work as exhausting and exciting. “It’s exciting to work with the young church in Mongolia because they’re on fire for Jesus Christ and want to share his love with their people.”
Despite the civil war and famine, Cambodia has experienced amazing church growth, going from zero to over 4,000 members in the past ten years, said Lim Pheng, secretary of the Cambodian Mission. “God has blessed Cambodia,” said Pheng. “It is such a joy to see the Cambodian people who have suffered so much now finding hope, joy, and peace in the gospel message of Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Citing secular cities of the West as major Global Mission challenges, Ryan pointed to new initiatives designed to appeal to busy urban people. Global Mission launched the “One Night of Your Life” evangelism program in Minneapolis, Minnesota, earlier this year, and last year introduced the “Total Employment Program,” aimed at encouraging young graduates to move to areas where the local church membership is dwindling.
In Brazil, the church was close to reaching its goal of having one congregation placed every 200 meters in the city of St Paolo, said Ryan. “The Inter-American Division has more Adventists than any division in the world field,” he added. “Next year they are going to begin a goal to place 20,000 Global Mission volunteers in un-entered areas.”
Global Mission’s work in the eastern Europe expanded significantly as a result of the collapse of communism. “When the Soviet Union collapsed, new doors opened for sharing the good news about Jesus in the Ukraine,” said Ryan. “Today, there are 18 churches in the capital city of Kiev.”
Europe and northern Africa presents Global Mission with “some of the church’s most challenging and diverse territories,” said Ryan. Global Mission is working with Loma Linda University and the Afghanistan government on a medical school project.
At the close of the report, Pastor Jan Paulsen spoke of his personal commitment to the church’s Global Mission. Paulsen said that “the mission of the church is not some sort of spectator sport. Mission is the life of the church, that’s why we’re here. Global Mission is an initiative which is driven by a passion to take the message of salvation of Jesus Christ to everyone.” |
