ASI-UK conventionThe ASI-UK spring weekend convention was a great success,

well-attended by a variety of BUC members, eighty-four inall, who met over March 25-27 at the Hunton Park

Conference Centre, Hertfordshire.Their programme was well planned and full of spiritual

nourishment. There was lively praise singing, supported by a very competent band from Newbold College, and some excellentsermons.

It was the period of presentations and testimonies of ASImembers, however, which turned out to be one of the mostinspiring parts of the convention. Some of these will be featuredseparately in future issues of MESSENGER, but the following threedeserve special mention here:

REACH International UK Alvira Pearson spoke passionately about REACH (Render EffectiveAid to Children), telling of the organisation’s work in Africa andEastern Europe, of which she has first-hand experience. Duringthe past thirty-seven years this lay-driven organisation has helpedcountless children from disadvantaged backgrounds achieve farbeyond their wildest dreams. REACH owns and managesschools, orphanages, hostels and feeding and day-care centresaround the world, and its ‘primary purpose is to free childrenfrom hunger and illiteracy.’ (For more information about REACHand its goals, contact Alvira at rpelvira@aol.com.)

STOP InternationalKish Poddar was there to represent STOP International, a registered charity that has been operating since 2000 for the ‘relief of poverty, sickness and distress of orphans [and abandoned children], resulting from the effects of war, famine orany other natural or man-made disaster anywhere in the world.’(See information@stop-intl.org.uk): in addition to which, theyoffer educational assistance to these children until age 16.

Special Needs CampJoy Bussey, who co-ordinates the annual Special Needs Camp atAberdaron, was there to represent this worthy initiative. The campis held each July for a week, and most of the campers are notAdventists. This ministry emulates the concern that Jesus had forthe disabled of his day, giving them a safe, caring and fun-filledweek, along with some appropriate spiritual food. It also givestheir regular caregivers a brief and well-deserved respite.According to Joy, through the years, a number of staff membershave found their inspiration to train as caring professionals atAberdaron. If you want to know more about this initiative contacther at: js.bussey@ntlworld.com.

Have you thought about joining ASI?Adventist Services and Industries provides an opportunity forAdventist business and professional people to meet regularly andinspire each other to witness in their workplaces, and take onprojects that make a difference in the community. Have youthought about joining? For more information please contact JimCunningham (j.cunningham.323@btinternet.com) or Christine(Manners-Smith manners-smith@ntlworld.com).

Good food – goodfellowship – a

great combination!

Registration was aprofessionally runaffair.

2 3

outside of the body. Adequate hydration of the digestive systemenables the colon to function efficiently. Inadequate fluid intake encourages the colon to hold on to waste products, which causes the body to accumulate toxins.

Kidneys – the kidneys produce urine from the waste products of the body. Adequate hydration enables the kidneys to produce urine,making the waste easier to expel. Poor diet and dehydration can negatively affect kidney health. A Department of Health report revealedthat 33,059 hospital admissions in 2002-2003 were due to kidney disease.

Liver – this organ is sometimes referred to as the body’s ‘factory’ andis one of the largest and most vital organs. Its multiple roles include:filtering toxins; metabolising foods; converting ingredients into specificsubstances for use across the body; storing fats, sugars and vitamins;producing natural chemicals; breaking down harmful substances;removing harmful products from the blood and balancing the body’schemical makeup.

Lungs – these control our breathing and are vital to life. When weexhale we breathe out waste carbon dioxide made by our cells. Deepbreathing, therefore, is crucial in assisting this process.

Lymphatic system – this is the body’s filter system which gets rid ofbacteria and other foreign particles. It also supports the body’simmune system. Exercise and hydration are key factors for its health.

Skin – this is the body’s largest organ. By sweating naturally, weencourage the cleansing of the skin and help to maintain its elasticityand health. The skin also gets rid of some toxins.

In the next issue we will look at exercises and food products whichencourage the body to cleanse itself and eliminate harmful substances.

Good health!

Knowing your body – part 3a

Detoxification and eliminationHave you ever wondered how your body copes with theabundance of products that you put into it each day?What happens to all the food, drink and varied medica-

tion we take from time to time? This article gives a synopsis of the seven body systems which enable us to

detoxify harmful substances and eliminate unwantedproducts in order to maintain good health.

When your body confronts a toxic substance,a foreign body or even an excess of good prod-ucts, the following systems come into play:

Blood – this is the key liquid which trans-ports substances throughout the body. It delivers the needed nutrition to areas

that require it, and assists the body ineliminating waste by transporting it to theorgans that will expel it.

Colon – the colon transports waste

editorialAAs a lad I was given a boomerang.

Unfortunately, the gift did not have an ‘operator’s manual’, and I was left to experiment with the oddly shaped device.Experimentation quickly became frustration,however, as the boomerang failed to dowhat the dictionary said it should – ‘returnto the thrower’!1

That boomerang disillusioned me, and Isoon tired of fetching the perverse thing fromthe neighbour’s yard. I never mastered it.

The eggs came back!I failed to get that stick to ‘boomerang’, but letme tell you about some eggs that did.

As a young teen, I remember slipping outof a church social one Saturday evening.There were three or four of us, and we werearmed with eggs. Fresh, uncooked, largehens’ eggs!

We circled the neighbourhood, flittingthrough the shadows, peering over gates,searching for targets. Then, to my shame, wethrew those eggs . . . into post boxes, againstfront doors, onto verandas and at garagedoors!

Four decades later those eggs‘boomeranged’. I found them splattered onmy garage door!

Egg ‘splat’ eats paintworkThat morning I learnt the bitter lesson that Iunwittingly inflicted on others: that the sulphurand amino acids in eggs harms paintwork!

Yes, Justin Timberlake’s lyrics got this oneright: ‘What goes around, goes around, goesaround, comes all the way back around!’

When we deliberately injure, embarrass,humiliate, exploit or harm our fellow men inany way, we run a high risk that such thingswill return to haunt us, even hurt us! I haveseen it come ‘all the way back around’ forothers, just as it did for me.

History provides countless examples ofthose who were beaten by the ‘boomerang’.Adolf Hitler, author of immeasurable human

MESSENGER will run a four-part series during the next twelve months entitled Megapixels of Creation, offering our photographers the opportunity to have their nature photography published in the magazine.

Whether you are a ‘casual snapper’ or a ‘budding pro’, it matters not (and neither doesyour age). All you need to do is send us your finest-quality nature photos – landscapes,

wildlife, cloud formations, close-ups– anything in the UK that you thinkshows God’s creation at its best.Please tell us where your picture wastaken, and what equipment you haveused. If your submission is reallygood, it might even appear in ourdevotional calendar.

This is not a competition, and the only reward will be to see yourphotography in print! Please sendyour photography to me at: dbell@stanboroughpress.co.uk.Happy snapping!DAVID BELL, MESSENGER DESIGNER

misery, whose minions murdered many innocent people with a bullet to the head, died in hisBerlin bunker from the same fate.

During one phase of the French Revolution it became a dictatorship run by MaximilienRobespierre, who used ‘The Committee of Public Safety’ to arrest and execute anyone suspected as a ‘counter-revolutionary’. They fed thousands of innocent civilians to the guillotine in 1793 and 1794, in what became know as the ‘Reign of Terror’.

Then the tide of revolution suddenly turned, and: ‘In July 1794, he was arrested and executed in the same fashion as those whom he had condemned.’2 What goes around ‘comes all the way back around!’

Ever heard of Haman?The Bible tells ‘boomerang’ stories too. Ever heard of Haman? He plotted the genocide of God’speople in Persia, and the death of Mordecai – the Jew who would not grovel before him. But hereckoned without Esther’s inspired plan (Esther 5-7) that resulted in the following bizarre events:

‘Then Harbona, one of the eunuchs attending the king, said, “A gallows seventy-five feethigh stands by Haman’s house. He had it made for Mordecai, who spoke up to help the king.”

‘The king said, “Hang him on it!” So they hanged Haman on the gallows he had prepared forMordecai . . .’ (Esther 7:9, 10, NIV.)

It doesn’t make any senseDoing things to hurt and harm others – or destroy their reputations – just doesn’t make anysense, does it? Firstly, because life is already so full of what I call ‘ambient’ danger. That threat,pain and suffering that lurks in our surroundings – primed and ready to cause us harm when weleast expect it. An invisible virus; the loose pavestone; slippery ice; a malignant cell; tiredbrakes; redundancy; that stray bullet!

Life’s circumstances are potentially hostile. Why should we make it more difficult for othersto cope with them by our meanness?

Secondly, the law of the ‘boomerang’ tells me that if you intentionally and maliciously inflictharm on others, it’s just a matter of time before you get it back, with interest!

Pass it on – give someone else a push!In the light of this, I am so glad that Jesus made this one of the rules of his earthly kingdom:‘Do to others as you would have them do to you.’ (Luke 6:31, NIV.) Here he takes us beyondthe avoidance of evil, to the commission of good.

He urges us to do good wherever there is an opportunity for it. Not just any kind of ‘good’,mind you. Not half-hearted or begrudging ‘good’. Not a carefully measured well-that-is-good-enough-for-them sort of ‘good’. No, he wants us to practise the kind of good that would make

us feel blessed, were we to receive it.Dr Elton Wallace told this story during one of our college

chapels. His car ran out of fuel on a US interstate highway, afew miles short of a service station. He sat for a minute ortwo, scolding himself and psyching himself up for the embarrassment that lay ahead. After all, no self-respectingman wants to be seen walking along a highway carrying anempty can!

Suddenly there was a shout from behind: ‘Hi there! You gitproblems?’

‘Yeh! Run out of gas’, was Elton’s reply.‘Take it outa gear, an’ I’ll push you to the gas station.’The man skilfully matched their bumper rubbers and

began to push Elton’s car down the interstate. One, two, three. . . just as many miles as it took to park him at a pump.

Elton leapt out and waved his wallet. ‘Thanks! What do Iowe you for your kindness?’

‘You owe me nothing, Mister. Just pass it on – give someone else a push!’

1Collins Compact English Dictionary, New Edition, 1998. 2‘Guillotine’ inwww.en.wikipedia.org.

Lessons from the ‘boomerang’ Julian Hibbert

Editor

by Sharon Platt-McDonald RGN, RM, RHV, MScHealth Ministries director, BUC

Lady Mary’s Walk, Crieff, Scotland, taken by Pastor Martin Bell. Canon G9.

– which the KJV translators weretold to use, but, if possible,improve on – only the Tyndaletranslations were the work of oneman. Tyndale’s translation ofGenesis to 2 Chronicles, thewhole of the New Testament, and, according to Tyndale’s biographer,2 certain other OldTestament passages were usedwith minimal amendment in eachof the subsequent versions. Ninetenths of the Tyndale NewTestament of 1534 is used in the KJV of 1611. So, was theelegance Tyndale’s? Some,apparently, but by no means all.Pre-KJV translators, other thanTyndale, must share the credit.And so must the King’s translators themselves.

A major contributing factor tothe KJV’s elegance of style was a decision taken early on by theKing’s translators and mentionedexplicitly in the preface to the1611 Bible. They chose to abandon the purely mechanicalapproach to translating biblicallanguages. That approach wouldhave woodenly translated Hebrew

and Greek words by the use ofthe same English term through-out. Instead, the King’s transla-tors harnessed the richness ofthe English language by translat-ing Greek and Hebrew wordswith differing English words andexpressions according to context.The resultant vocabulary andturns of phrase enhanced thetext, and avoided awkward ‘translator’s English’.

The six groups of translators –two at Westminster, two atOxford, two at Cambridge – andthe smaller groups that reviewedand revised their work must begiven credit:• For choosing the best in the

work of their predecessors;• For taking full advantage of

more recent developments inthe art of translation and inthe better understanding ofHebrew.

Can the King take any of thecredit for the translation thatbears his name?The suggestion by the HamptonCourt Conference that a new

translation of the Bible be under-taken came from John Reynolds,one of the few Puritans permittedto attend, who was Master ofCorpus Christi College, Oxford,and subsequently became one ofthe translators. The King latchedonto the suggestion for politicalreasons and was involved insome initial planning. However,aside from occasional expres-sions of impatience, the Kingwould appear to have ‘lost interest’. He put no money intothe project. It was paid for bywhat we would call ‘the privatesector’. Though it must be saidthat, while the translators werenot paid, most of them subse-quently received lucrative promo-tions. The suggestion that the dilettante King took any part inthe translation process is absurd.The fact that he lent his name tothe project did not ensure its success either. The generallyrecognised quality of the KingJames Version did that, but notuntil decades after the King wasdead. Initial post-1611 attitudeswere apt to enlarge on its faults.

After four centuries, the faultswe might highlight would be quitedifferent. Though translated whenthe language was coming into itsown, the KJV was not ‘cuttingedge’ in its use of English.Professor David Daniell, in hisbiography of Tyndale, and hismonumental work The Bible inEnglish (Yale University Press),argues that, in many places,Tyndale’s phrasing feels ‘modern’and, by comparison, the KJVfeels ‘archaic’. ‘Tyndale’s genius,’says Daniell, ‘is that his ear forhow people spoke was so good. . . ; it really was, at base, thespoken language of the people.’3

Only rarely can we fault the KJV’selegance, but it was not close tothe language of the people – evenin 1611. To some it seemed‘unnatural, artificial and stilted’4

– and that in spite of its prefer-ence for ‘native English, ratherthan Latinisms’.5

Some blame the fact that theKJV was ‘already a bit archaic in1611’ on its ‘conservative man-date’: ‘not to make a new transla-tion but to revise the old’. That‘restrained [the translators] . . .from modernising the English ofit, even up to the usage of theirown time’.6 They still used ‘ye’, in‘ye cannot serve God and mam-mon’, even though very few peo-ple said ‘ye’ in common speech.They used ‘thou’ for ‘you’, ‘gat’for ‘got’, ‘spake’ for ‘spoke’, andso on, all of which werearchaisms by 1611.7

Professor McGrath believesthat part of the reason why theKing’s translators used archaicforms like ‘Thee’, ‘Thou’, ‘Thy’and ‘Thine’, and verb endingssuch as sayest/sayeth,givest/giveth, hast/hath, was thatalmost all of them came from theSouth-East of England. Studies oflinguistic usages elsewhere inEngland indicate that these formshad been out of date for half acentury further north and west.8

Translators have a responsibil-ity to the languages from whichthey are translating; and theresponsibility to render the messages of inspired books with especial care. However, theyalso have a responsibility of thelanguage into which they aretranslating those inspired books;and to use words and thoughtforms comprehensible to poten-tial readers. What is at stake isthe Good News which is thepower of God for the salvation ofeveryone who believes (Romans1:16). That being the case, theresponsibility to both sets of lan-guages (biblical and vernacular)is, arguably, a responsibility toGod, as well as to readers.

Hence a nineteenth-centurybishop could – correctly – statethat the King James Bible raisedthe English language to newheights. Hence an eighteenth-century evangelist, John Wesley,could – equally properly – yearnfor Scripture cast in language thatthe ordinary man could under-stand. The latter was most akinto the vision Tyndale had, tomake the Good News as clear tothe ploughboy as to the bishop.

While, today, we are right toexult in ‘the noblest monument toEnglish prose’ and four hundredyears of ‘the most influentialbook in the English language’,9

do we also have a responsibilityto reach the twenty-first centurywith the Good News in clear,comprehensible language – asTyndale did to the sixteenth?

Translation involves aiming ata moving target. The speed ofthat movement has acceleratedwith the centuries.

1‘King James Bible Turns 400’, tothesource,16 September 2010. 2David Daniell, WilliamTyndale, A Biography (Yale University Press),p. 333 et seq. 3Ibid, p. 356. See also pp.303, 312. 4Alister McGrath, In the beginning:The Story of the King James Bible (Hodder),p. 258. 5McGrath, op cit, p. 262. 6BensonBobrick, The Making of the English Bible(Phoenix), p. 264. 7Melvyn Bragg, TheAdventure of English: The Biography of aLanguage (Sceptre), p. 114. 8McGrath, op cit,pp. 269-276, 301-310. 9Adam Nicolson, atthe launch of King James Bible exhibition atCambridge University Library.

5

of the King James translation.Nevertheless, that elegance wasachieved by accident.

The fifty-four translatorsappointed by the King andArchbishop Richard Bancroft following the Hampton CourtConference (1604) were instructed to follow strict rules of translation: fifteen in all. Whatthese amounted to were:

Accuracy. Most of the translators appointed wereexperts in biblical languages.James wanted the ‘best-learned’

in both universities, and directedthat their work should be‘reviewed by the bishops and the chief learned [men] of theChurch.’

The past. The translators were made aware that they werestanding on the shoulders ofgiants. The ‘rules’ made it clearthat full weight should be given to previous English translations in the new work. They were mentioned specifically: Tyndale’s,Coverdale’s, Matthew’s (actuallythe work of Tyndale and his

disciple John Rogers), the GreatBible, Whitchurch’s Geneva Bibleand the Bishops’ Bible (1568).

The King’s translators set outto achieve the best rendering ofGod’s great revelation to man.Accuracy was what they aimedfor. Later translations would deliberately set out to achieve literary merit. The King Jamestranslators did not, but achieved it.

So where did this stylistic elegance come from?Of the earlier English translations

4

by David Marshall

TThe King James Version of theBible has been called the ‘noblestmonument to English prose’.1

It is no accident that theworks of literature most widelybelieved to have been defininginfluences on the English lan-guage – the King James Versionand the works of Shakespeare –both date from the same period.That period was the late EnglishRenaissance, when English was coming into its own as a language.

No one disputes the elegance

‘No one disputes the elegance of theKing James translation. Nevertheless, that

elegance was achieved by accident.’

‘No one disputes the elegance of theKing James translation. Nevertheless, that

elegance was achieved by accident.’

apostles’ reflections and responseare instructive. They established thenon-negotiable imperative of thework of the ministry. They involvedthe people who had the problem inworking out a solution. The resultwas progress.

If the work of God in the BritishUnion is to be restructured, would itbe correct to say that all those it willaffect should be involved for it tohave any hope of success? Withouttheir involvement an effective outcome could be put in jeopardy.PATRICK BOYLE

Another look at Islamic virtues?Dear EditorI read with interest and concern the18 March issue on ‘Why Adventistsconvert to Islam’. Firstly, it shouldbe noted that MusIims do not generally use the term conversion.They talk about return, for to themall people are born Muslims, but are‘deceived’ by parents to leave the‘true faith’.

Statistics on Islam and Muslimsvary quite a bit from source tosource. Exact figures are hard toget. However, it is a fact that,among Islamic converts, a majorityare Christian women who marryMuslim men. They are not requiredto accept Islam, but they will be putunder tremendous pressure fromthe new family, the group and evenco-wives to join the mosque.Muslim women have no right tomarry Christian men. However,there are interesting motives for‘reversions’, where the man in lovewith a girl can get permission for awedding just by saying the fewwords in the Shahada in Arabic, in front of witnesses. Those converting to Islam are not alwaystaught that their later return toChristianity could mean execution.

Negative Christian ‘baggage’ ismentioned – there is much for us to be ashamed of. Among the arguments the author mentions are‘failures and inconsistencies of historic, mainstream Christianity’,colonialism and crusades. Terriblethings have taken place and arereported with the word ‘Christianity’attached to them.

The article seems to suggest,however, that some people in the West, even Christians, readabout the deplorable injustices of centuries ago and therefore contemptuously turn their backs on Christianity to join Islam.

Surely these good people alsoread the daily newspapers. Dailythere are new reports aboutMuslims at war with each other;Muslims killing government ministers who believe in religiousfreedom; and innocent aid workersexecuted in the name of Allahbecause a deranged minister in the USA burns a Quran. In someIslamic nations churches are burned

down and members killed. There arestories of women being ‘honour-killed’ just because they have beenwith Christian men. All this is done with the words ‘Allah is theGreatest’ on their lips. Why wouldChristians leave their churchesbecause of past excesses to joinIslam, where many Muslims commitreligious atrocities today?

Despite all the mistakes made by the Church, Christianity hasdeveloped a strong culture ofhuman rights; respect for other religions; individual freedom andbrotherly love: so much so that our‘culture of hospitality’ has reachedthe point where Muslims persecutedby other Muslims will cross the borders to ‘Christian’ nations to find shelter and safety.

Perhaps we should share thesefacts with any who may considerjoining Islam?BORGE SCHANTZ

A Cheshire surpriseDear EditorIn December 2009 our daughterinvited us to a Christmas concert inCheshire. It would be held in whatused to be a huge farm barn, and is now known as the Clonter OperaTheatre. The theatre provides a cen-tre where young singers are trainedand encouraged, and many well-known artists of national renownhave first sung on that stage. Thefarm trust also invites professionalsof various persuasions to perform inthis venue, which holds around 500in an intimate seating arrangement.

Imagine my surprise once wewere seated and I discovered thatthe programme was to be presentedby Ken Burton and the LondonAdventist Chorale. We sat there forthe three hours, spell-bound by oneof the best concerts I have everheard anywhere. We were not theonly ones held in awe by thechorale. These 500 tough Cheshireinhabitants enjoyed each item –spirituals, carols and Adventisthymns – stamping, clapping andeven whistling after each!

That was in 2009. Eileen took usback again this past Christmas, forKen was back with his chorale tothrill Cheshire, and the result wasthe same. I believe that they havebeen coming for several yearsalready. I do not know how many ofthe audience profess Christianity,but they surely profess a total commitment to the chorale and itsmusic!

Ken and the chorale have a lovely little custom of coming backat the end of the programme to chatwith the audience, and that waswhere I asked him if he would mindif I told the Adventist world abouttheir witness for our Maker. This isnow what was one of the best-keptsecrets blown wide open!DEREK BEARDSELL

7

Paul, in 2 Corinthians 4:8 (NIV), paints a wordpicture like this:

‘We are hard pressed on every side, butnot crushed; perplexed, but not in despair;persecuted, but not abandoned; struckdown, but not destroyed.’

Our journey through life is not always asmooth one. Most of us have to face difficultiesand perhaps moments of despair. Events maysuddenly, and without warning, have an unwel-come impact on us – well-made plans may bedashed. We may feel buried at times, as Emmawas, beneath a heavy load that seems insur-mountable (or immovable) – we may feel trappedand helpless!

If we find ourselves in such a place, let’sremember that help, rescue, and hope for thefuture are only a call away. If our batteries remaincharged, we will have reception to the One whocan help.

In Romans 8:28 (NIV) Paul affirms that ‘. . . inall things God works for the good of those wholove him, who have been called according to hispurpose.’

He questions: ‘Who shall separate us from thelove of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship orpersecution or famine or nakedness or dangeror sword?’2

‘No,’ he concludes – ‘in all these things weare more than conquerors through him wholoved us!’3

‘If God is for us,’ Paul says, ‘who can beagainst us?’4

The psalmist says, ‘God is our refuge andstrength, an ever-present help in trouble.’‘Therefore’, we are told, ‘we will not fear,though the earth give way [as inChristchurch], and the mountains fall into theheart of the sea, though its waters roar andfoam and the mountains quake with theirsurging.’5

Our God is an ever-present help in time of trouble. In verse 10 of Psalm 46 he gives soundadvice: at times like these, ‘Be still,’ it says,‘and know that I am God.’

1‘Christchurch earthquake: earthquake survivor weds three days after she was pulled from debris’, The Telegraph, 25 February 2011,emphasis supplied. 2Romans 8:35 (NIV). 3Romans 8:37 (NIV).4Romans 8:31 (NIV). 5Psalm 46:1-3 (NIV).

To the moon and back!Dear DavidI have recently arrived home, after a wonderful and awe-inspiringCommunion Sabbath service, to begreeted, when turning down mystreet, by the most amazing andenormous full moon I have seen thisside of the M40.

I rushed to pull the SamsungGalaxy mobile phone out of my bagto take a few scenic shots, but afterrecalling your excellent feature inMESSENGER (4 March 2011, pages10-11) I feared my camera was notup to the job.

I really do hope someone hastaken some good-quality (well over1mb) photos of it and sent them toyou. I don’t believe in coincidences– simply in God’s divine timing.

Nice job on the feature, by theway, to both you and Victor.

Please also send my regards toDr Marshall. His ‘nurture. . .’ articleon page 4 of the same issue was agreat read. ANGELA HUNTER

As yet Angela, no photos of themoon have appeared in my inbox,but you never know – maybe someone will respond to ourrequest for photos for ‘Megapixelsof creation’, and send me themoon. Thanks for your response.Don’t be totally put off using yourphone-camera; if that’s all you haveto hand, then use it.DAVID BELL, MESSENGER DESIGNER

RestructuringDear EditorPastor John Arthur’s interesting letter (MESSENGER, 18 February) onthe possible restructuring of theBritish Union is challenging. Itrequires reflection.

Restructuring is not new in thehistory of the British Union. It hasbeen tried in the past with no majorreversal of fortune.

Is it not more important to havea clear vision and picture of inten-tionality as to what any restructuringis intended to achieve beforeembarking on such an exercise?Change of any kind, without measured and well-thought-outintention as to what it will achieve,is an unsure path to tread.

The Church changed HomeMissionary to Lay Activities toPersonal Ministries – to what end?We had a strong MV movementwhich was supported by the MV Kit Magazine and the Youth’sInstructor. They have disappeared.The result?

In Acts 6 there is recorded thefirst structural response to internalconflict in the early Church. The

6 the Berean columnwith Andrew Puckering

Not now, Amaziah!

Amaziah the king of Judah was squaringoff against Jehoash king of Israel,ready for battle (2 Kings 14:8). No

reason is given for this posturing, but Amaziahhad at least taken counsel (2 Chronicles 25:17);during the reign of Jehoahaz, Jehoash’s father (2 Kings13:10) the Israelite army had suffered severe losses in manpower at the hand of the Syrians under Hazael, fromwhom Israel had only barely escaped with the LORD’s help(2 Kings 13:3-7). This compounded the losses which Israelhad suffered under Jehu, Jehoahaz’s father (2 Kings 10:32-35). Suffice it to say that, by the time Jehoash (also spelledJoash) came to the throne, Israel was in bad shape.

Amaziah therefore had grounds for optimism in thecoming battle, and, however imperfectly, he served theLORD (2 Kings 14:3; 2 Chronicles 25:2). Jehoash, bycontrast, did evil in the sight of the LORD, just like hisfather Jehoahaz (2 Kings 13:1, 2, 10, 11). Amaziah shouldhave wiped the floor with Jehoash, right?

Well, 2 Kings 14:12-14 and 2 Chronicles 25:21-24 say that’s notquite how events transpired – far from being easy prey, Jehoashcaptured Amaziah, broke down the wall of Jerusalem, and carriedaway the treasures of the Temple. How could this have happened?

Jehoash had given Amaziah fair warning, but Amaziah refused toback off (2 Kings 14:9-11; 2 Chronicles 25:18, 19). God had alsogiven Amaziah warning after he had started worshipping capturedEdomite idols, but Amaziah ignored that as well (2 Chronicles25:14-16) – and now he suffered for it (2 Chronicles 25:20).

So Amaziah had ignored good advice, both from his enemy andfrom his Maker; but that wasn’t all he’d ignored. God had promisedJehu that his sons would rule Israel to the fourth generation, eventhough the ungrateful Jehu continued leading Israel into sin (2Kings 10:30, 31) – and, as we’ve seen, Jehoash was only Jehu’sgrandson. Jeroboam II and Zechariah were still to reign (2 Kings14:23; 15:8), so any hope Amaziah might have had about terminating Jehoash’s lineage and uniting the kingdom would have been misplaced.

Furthermore, the LORD had plans for Jehoash – he visitedElisha when the prophet was on his deathbed, and his cry, ‘. . . the chariots of Israel and their horsemen!’ (2 Kings 13:14, NKJV)suggests that he was worried about the military legacy passeddown to him from his father Jehoahaz. Elisha had good news forhim – he would beat the Syrians, although he could have had thechance to destroy them completely (2 Kings 13:17-19).

Hang on a minute though – Jehoash did evil, as Jehoahaz haddone, and his offspring Jeroboam II and Zechariah would too (2Kings 14:24; 2 Kings 15:9)! Why was the LORD being gracious toIsrael? Well, they were being raided by Moabites (2 Kings 13:20)and oppressed by Syrians (2 Kings 13:22), and the LORD had compassion on them, remembering his promise to their forefathers (2 Kings 13:23).

Yes, they seemed determined to do evil – but they were still hispeople, and he still loved them. He still had plans for them, andAmaziah, who didn’t serve the LORD perfectly himself, wasopposing those plans by thinking he could defeat them. It wasAmaziah who ended up being taught a lesson.

• Who told Jehu to take the throne of Israel? (2 Kings 9)• From whom did this command originate? (1 Kings 19)• What proverb did Jehoash use to rebuke Amaziah, and what

did it mean?• How many times was Hazael, Ben-Hadad’s son, defeated by

Jehoash?• How did Amaziah’s reign end?

nurture inboxGod is only acall away by Steve Holden

W‘We are affirming that the final victory will go tolove, not to despair.’

So reads a newspaper article in The Telegraph,reporting on the wedding of Emma Howard – asurvivor of the recent Christchurch earthquake.1

Miss Howard, we are told, was rescued fromthe wreckage of a shopping centre in the earlyhours of the morning after the earthquake, whichmeasured 6.3 in magnitude, hit New Zealand.

The uplifting account tells of how, only threedays later, she was able to walk down the aisle tomarry the man she thought she would never seeagain.

The emotionally charged wedding took placeas previously planned – along with assembledrelatives and friends, many bearing injuries sus-tained during the quake.

Emma was trapped in the dark, beneath a col-lapsed slab of concrete and steel, with little roomto move. ‘For about five hours I thought I wasgoing to die’, she said. ‘I was panicking andexperienced uncontrollable crying fits.’Fortunately she managed to retrieve her mobilephone and, discovering she had a signal, wasable to contact Chris Greenslade, her husband-to-be, who was able to direct rescuers to herlocation.

Before setting off for the church (one that wasstill intact), Emma was re-united with CarlStockton, a British volunteer who had pulled herfrom the pile of metal and concrete – therebysaving her life.

She had been so, so fortunate to survive thedisaster, he said. The quake killed her managerand put another workmate in hospital in a seriouscondition. At the time of writing some fourteenother persons were still unaccounted for, buriedunder the debris of the same building.

The minister who conducted the ceremonyacknowledged the ‘extraordinary circumstances’in which this wedding was taking place. At thesame time a meeting for the families of peoplestill missing was held at a school hall just acrossthe road.

‘We are a city in suffering’, he said, ‘whichmakes what happens here this afternoon all themore poignant.’

‘We are affirming that the final victory will goto love – not to despair.’

What a powerful statement that is. It echoesmany such statements of faith and trust recordedin the Bible, in the face of difficulty and danger.

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The structure of the Seventh-dayAdventist Church at times gives theimpression that the Church is more likea multi-national corporation than the

body of Christ that has been commissioned to take the Gospel to the world. Some havejustified its structure by claiming that it wasappointed by God and is necessary for globalcohesion. However, others have concludedthat the complex, layered and repetitive nature of the Church’s structure has becomea millstone around its neck and is consumingresources that ought to be used in the pursuitand fulfilment of its mission. Whatever thevalue in the past of the structure of theChurch, it appears to have become burden-some and prohibitively expensive to maintain.

George Knight captured the essence of theneed for structural changes in our Churchwhen he wrote:

‘Seventh-day Adventism in 1995 is something and somewhere that it neverexpected to be. It has passed its 150thbirthday and is still on Earth. Those factsare realities that bring all other Adventistproblems and tensions in their train,including problems in Church organisation.To large numbers of Adventists, reorganis-ing the denomination’s structures is pastdue. Many are calling for significant andresponsible changes in a system that nolonger seems to meet the needs of aChurch and a world that have been rad -ically transformed since the denominationlast reorganised in 1901-03. . . . The reorganised structure has also becomeincreasingly more rigid and bureaucratic.Some have even wondered aloud ifAdventism hasn’t “out-beasted the beast”in the area of hierarchical organisation. In 1995 it may be the most tightly knitworldwide ecclesiastical organisation inexistence. Adventism has gone from onepolar extreme to the other in the realm of organisation. And yet there are rumblingsof a desire among some for more centralisation in order to keep things“under control”. The reaction to these hierarchical tendencies on the part ofmany has been an inclination to revert tolocal control and congregationalism.’1

The British Union 2009 Statistical Reportshows that, of the non-institutional and educational workers, 165 employees were

engaged in frontline evangelistic and pastoralwork while 103 were in administrative/promotional/office work. The statistical report also reveals that, of the 151 ordainedpastors in the British Union, thirty-three areoffice-bound. Of course, those pastors whowork in the office also make an importantcontribution to church life, but are notengaged on a daily basis with local churches and local communities.

Role of local congregations in Churchorganisation It is widely accepted that the local church, in any Christian denomination, is the level atwhich the mission of the organisation is carried forward. However sophisticated theinfrastructure of the organisation, its primarypurpose is to aid the local church in its effortto respond to God’s call and purpose. It istherefore appropriate to give space briefly inthis proposal document to the role of the localchurch, as outlined by Scripture.

The word ‘church’ occurs 113 times in the New Testament (ESV). Ninety-six of thereferences pertain to local assemblies ofbelievers. Though 1 Corinthians 12:12-14speaks eloquently about the universal natureof the Church in terms of it being ‘one body’(ESV), approximately nine tenths of the scriptural references see the local church asthe unit that God uses in carrying forward the preaching of the Gospel.

In Acts 13 we find a demonstration of howthe local church functioned in New Testamenttimes:

‘In the church at Antioch there wereprophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeoncalled Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen(who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul. While they wereworshiping the Lord and fasting, the HolySpirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas andSaul for the work to which I have calledthem.” So after they had fasted andprayed, they placed their hands on themand sent them off.’2

From the above, and other references inthe New Testament, it is clear that individualchurches took the responsibility to providemissionaries to preach the Gospel in newplaces: ‘Now there were in the church thatwas at Antioch certain prophets and teachers.. . . As they ministered to the Lord, and

fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate meBarnabas and Saul for the work whereunto Ihave called them.’3

It is at the local church level that theGospel is proclaimed, where hearts arereached for the Kingdom of our Lord, andwhere the nature of this Kingdom is demon-strated in the lives of members. If the Churchis to be the dynamic force that it ought to be,it is imperative that the local congregation isresourced for that purpose. Consequently, anychange in structure that is likely to have a significant impact on Gospel fulfilment must,of necessity, strengthen the local church byincreasing the resources that are available toit.

The significance of the local church cannotbe overstated. The work of the Seventh-dayAdventist Church is not done in the quiet corridors of the GC headquarters or in Unionand Conference offices dotted around theworld. It is done by those who occupy thepews in our local churches, whose lives andwords tell forth the praises of the One whohas redeemed them from sin’s bondage.

Brief history of the organisation of the Seventh-day Adventist Church For the first few years of Seventh-dayAdventism, Church organisation was not amajor issue. No one seriously considered it anecessity. In 1851, some in the movementconcluded that a form of organisation wasrequired, however basic. Initially, organisationwas considered necessary in order to haveunity in doctrine and to protect the Churchfrom growing fanaticism.4 The variant doctri-nal views in the Church led to the writing ofthe testimony entitled ‘Gospel Order’ in 1853.Commenting on the need for order, EllenWhite wrote, in Early Writings, ‘Formalityshould be shunned; but, in so doing, ordershould not be neglected.’5

Despite the obvious need for some kind oforder, many leaders were extremely fearfulabout moving in that direction. Ellen Whiteherself was seen as ambivalent on the matter.In ‘Gospel Order’, for example, we find thestatement, ‘We want no human creed; theBible is sufficient. The divine order of the NewTestament is sufficient to organise the churchof Christ.’6

In addition to doctrinal unity, three otherreasons arose for the Church to have someform of organisation. One was the need to

9from the president the proposalA mission-driven structurefor the British Union Don W. McFarlane C

urrent events tell us that ‘our redemption draws near’. Thegeneral unrest in our world; the inability of world leaders tosolve our economic problems; the seeming escalation ofnatural disasters and the wickedness in the hearts of men

– the Bible claims these as part of the fabric of world occurrencesand experiences as we get closer to the coming of our Lord. Weare living in momentous times, but also times of great opportunitiesfor proclaiming the Gospel. Those opportunities must be embracedas we seek to advance the Kingdom of God, and most of ourresources should be channelled into the fulfilment of our mission. I, and many others, are of the view that we can restructure theChurch in the British Union so as to save very large sums ofmoney, which can then be used for evangelism and outreach.

On 10 March the British Union executive committee took anaction to support the start of a dialogue on the future structure ofthe Church in the British Isles, based on the proposal that follows.Placing the proposal in the MESSENGER is part of that dialogueprocess. I want to ensure that major decisions, such as therestructuring of our Church, are not based on the views of a few individuals only, but on the views of members in general.

We have sought, in the proposal, to explain why there is a needfor change, and what the benefits to the Church are likely to be. I would welcome feedback from you on the proposal document.Such feedback can be in the form of ‘letters to the editor’ or letterswritten to the Union president. We also plan to meet with membersin various settings to discuss the proposal. All feedback will berecorded in an attempt to gauge the general views of members on the subject. I must stress that, at this point, the document ismerely for discussion. No decision has been taken by anyone torestructure the Union.

At the British Union field leaders’ committee (quarterly meetingbetween Conference and Mission presidents and the BUC officers)the SEC president shared with us a discussion that he had with hisdirectors regarding the restructuring of the Church in the BritishUnion for greater efficiency and effectiveness. He stated that he and his directors would support any system that reduces the largesums being spent on administration, and that would provide more

resources for direct missionfulfilment. The support from all eight leaders was remarkable, given the knowledge that all of uscould lose our current jobsin the process. I must alsoadd that, when I discussedthe idea of restructuring withthe BUC directors, they alsogave overwhelming supportto it.

I was tasked with the job of formulating a proposal based on thediscussion at the field leaders’ meeting. The attached document isthe result of that particular undertaking. I had already preparedmuch of the background material as part of a project I had beenworking on, so the job was not as onerous as it might otherwisehave been.

My fellow leaders in the Union office, and in the conferencesand missions, are all aware that restructuring cannot be imposed on the Church. It will happen on the basis of consultation and wide-spread agreement. Should we sense that there is not an appetiteamong the members for change, then change will not take place.

For as long as I can recall, during my thirty-three-year sojourn inthe British Union, members have been calling for restructuring. Justrecently, former BUC president, John Arthur, made an appeal forrestructuring in the MESSENGER (issue 4, 18 February). I wasunaware that he had written such an article until I read it, but itarticulates what many have been saying for years.

There are three possible outcomes following the consultationprocess. One is that a decision will be made by the relevant bodies to accept the recommendation made for restructuring, with modifications; the second is that we remain as we are; and the third is that a different structure from that which is proposed be adopted. Whatever decision is finally made, may it serve tostrengthen the work of God in the British Isles and sharpen ourfocus on the mission of the Church. DON W. MCFARLANE

Dear fellow believers

11give approval to those who went forth topreach and teach in the name of the move-ment. Some such preachers and teacherswere not true to the teachings of the Church.It was important that a distinction be madebetween the genuine Seventh-day Adventistpreachers and the false, by providing thosewho were in harmony with Church teachingswith some form of authentication. The Reviewand Herald stated that ‘. . . it is of the highestimportance that those who go forth to teachthe Word should be in union in sentiment andin their course of action . . . the order of thegospel is that men who are called of God toteach and baptise, should be ordained, or setapart to the work of the ministry by the laying on of hands.’7

Another reason given by the Review andHerald why organisation was required was theneed to spread the responsibilities of Churchleadership to a wider group. ‘The wholechurch should be taught to feel that a portionof the responsibility of good order, and thesalvation of souls rests upon her individualmembers. . . . In one sense we are our brother’s keeper.’8

The fourth reason that emerged for Churchorganisation was the support of those in ministry. ‘The church should be ready to seeand to supply the temporal wants of thosecalled to labour in word and doctrine.’9

The fifth reason why Church organisationwas considered necessary was the need tohold property.

Battle over Church organisation For approximately ten years, a ferocious verbal battle raged among the believers overthe matter of Church organisation. Those ofus living in the twenty-first century might havesome difficulty understanding why this wasthe case. We need to appreciate that some ofthe early believers saw organised religion asbeing responsible for many of the woes thathad befallen the Christian Church and whichhad affected some of them personally. Theywanted their movement to be unlike thatwhich had gone before. Adventist historian, C.C. Crisler, wrote, ‘The instruction given toSabbath-keeping Adventists regarding gospelorder, was received by some with gladness.Others hesitated, questioned and doubted.’10

After ten years of debate and rancour, thegroup of believers accepted organisation in1863.

Progression in organisation When the Church was organised in 1863 itwas thought that the system of organisationaccepted by the believers was adequate toaccommodate and facilitate the growth of theChurch until the coming of Jesus. Those whowere involved in the organisation of 1863 didnot even consider the possibility that at somestage in the future a revision of the structuremight be needed.11 However, at the 1888General Conference session major decisionswere taken to reorganise the Church. Forexample, the United States, for administrativepurposes, was divided into four areas. In thefollowing year the number of areas wasincreased to six. While such changes wereconsidered radical, the most significant

change of the period took place in SouthAfrica when A. T. Robinson decided that thedisparate associations, organisations andchurches all needed to be brought under one umbrella. The General Conference wasunhappy with Robinson’s proposal, but theirletter expressing disapproval arrived too late.Robinson had gone ahead and implementedhis proposal in bringing all auxiliary associations under the umbrella of the executive committee of the South AfricanConference. A similar development occurredin Australia. After several years of debate andrecrimination, the General Conference adoptedthe South African model for the Church ingeneral.12

The next major reorganisation of theChurch took place at the 1901 GeneralConference session. The structure which theChurch agreed then is largely the structure ofthe Church today.13

Ellen White’s position Ellen White’s position on Church organisationcan be deduced from letters written on thesubject or from presentations made. Shebelieved in Church organisation of a kind, and urged reorganisation in the 1901 GeneralConference session by saying, ‘What we want now is reorganisation. We want to beginat the foundation, and to begin upon a different principle.’14 Despite her support forChurch organisation, she was opposed toleaders assuming a controlling power on thework of the Church in local areas. Shebelieved that the work had been greatlyrestricted by that approach:

‘God has not put any kingly power in ourranks to control this or that branch of ourwork. The work has been greatly restrictedby the efforts to control it in every line.Here is a vineyard presenting its barrenplaces that have received no labour. And ifone should start out to till these places inthe name of the Lord, unless he should getthe permission of the men in a little circleof authority he would receive no help.’15

Lessons from the history of Church organisation So, what lessons can be drawn from the history of organisation in the Seventh-dayAdventist Church? First, the structure of theChurch is not divinely appointed. Second, the structure of the Church came about inresponse to the needs of the Church in NorthAmerica and overseas. Consequently, asneeds and circumstances change, it may benecessary for the structure to change as well.

‘The reason for Adventist organisation ismission . . . both the 1861-63 organisationand the 1901-03 reorganisation were basedon functionality for mission. That meansthat the structures set up at those points intime cannot rightly be seen as necessarilyapplying for all time. Structure is not an endin itself. Rather, it is a means to forwardingthe mission of the Church. Thus reorganisa-tion is demanded when structures grow toocumbersome or are rendered less than opti-mally effective by changes either within theChurch or in the larger culture in which theChurch finds its mission.’16

The Church today is very different fromwhat it was in 1901. For example, stronglocal leadership has been developed in differ-ent areas of the world field. Local leaders nowshare the vision for the advancement of theChurch and the guarding of its beliefs asmuch as did the General Conference leadersof a hundred years ago. Additionally, severalcountries individually have more membersthan the total membership of the GeneralConference in 1901. Adventist leaders inthose countries are doing a good work in pro-viding direction for the Church. The society ingeneral has moved on from being agriculturalto being technological, from being pre-modern and modern to being post-modern.People have become suspicious of highlycentralised organisations, and process information very differently from the way inwhich it was done a hundred years ago. Thechanged situation may require amendmentsor acute changes to the structure of theChurch as it has existed for the past hundredyears.

Argument for change in the British Union Being a part of the Church’s global organisa-tion, the British Union reflects the problemoutlined above. Its various parts and levelsare well maintained and seem to work well inrelation to each other. However, the questionneeds to be asked whether the central purpose of the British Union is being servedby its well-ordered organisation. Are theresources available being channelled largelyinto soul-saving, or is maintenance of itsstructure consuming large proportions ofthose resources? In other words, is the Unionprimarily soul-seeking or self-serving?

The flowcharts that follow show the current executive and departmental structuresof the Church in the British Union:

See Figs. 1-3

Apart from the large number of individualsworking in the three Church offices, the independent nature of the three units does not escape the eye. As separate charitableorganisations, the BUC, SEC and NEC operateas independent units, bound together only bychurch policies and denominational courte-sies. Some members and workers strugglewith the idea that the British Union does nothave full responsibility for every aspect of thework of the Church in the British Isles.

The recent drive to have a dedicatedAdventist television channel in the British Isleshighlighted some of the challenges of thepresent system. While various segments ofthe Church initially felt it was a good idea andcommitted to supporting it, two of the majorplayers subsequently stated that they hadother priorities and were no longer able tocommit major funds to the project. The resultwas that the project was abandoned.

Another illustration of the disadvantage ofthe segmented approach is seen in the mediawork within the BUC. The SEC has a substan-tial media department in which four peopleare employed. The BUC’s media departmenthas two full-time workers, and the NEC a fifty-percent budget. While the different unitsworking independently do some good things,

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the benefit of having one media departmentfor the British Union seems immense. Currentworkers would be able to pool their talentsand resources for the good of the Church.Competition would be eliminated and, hopefully, a better product would be theresult.

Initiative by BUC Church leaders The leaders of the Seventh-day Adventist

Church in the British Union are acutely awareof the need for the restructuring of the Churchin their territory for the sake of more effectivemission fulfilment. In December 2010, fieldleaders (field presidents and BUC officers)concluded that urgent action was required torestructure the Church in the British Union inorder to:

1. Eliminate unnecessary duplication, 2. Reduce expenditure on executive/

departmental leadership, 3. Provide more resources (financial and

human) for local churches, where themission of the Church is carried out,

4. Position leadership closer to membersand the community,

5. Operate the Seventh-day AdventistChurch in the UK as one charitableorganisation,

6. Streamline HR and financial services,

Fig. 1

Fig. 2

Fig. 3

enough to care for the churches and impactthe community in his territory, and at thesame time small enough to allow meaningfulsupport, monitoring and evaluation. Currently,the pastors in the missions enjoy a close-knit relationship with one another and thepresident as a result of being smaller ministerial teams. Between ten and fifteenministerial workers might be a manageablenumber for a local president or field leader.

A possible division of the Union territoryinto smaller fields might go along the following lines:

1. Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, Dorset,Wiltshire, Gloucestershire,

2. Berkshire, Hampshire, Oxfordshire,Sussex,

3. Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire,Hertfordshire, Northamptonshire,

4. Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, Suffolk,Essex,

5. North London, West London, Surrey, 6. South London, East London, Kent, 7. Cumbria, Northumberland, Durham,

Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire,Lincolnshire,

8. Lancashire, Cheshire, Staffordshire,Shropshire, Leicestershire, Rutland,

9. West Midlands, Warwickshire,Worcestershire, Herefordshire,

10. Scotland, 11. Wales, 12. Ireland.

I must emphasise that the above listing is merely an example of how the BUC territorycould be divided into smaller manageablefields. The listing is not a proposal. With more thought it is possible to arrive at a betterconfiguration. An alternative solution would beto work along the lines of the current areasystem model, though that might result in toomany fields.

Some of the new fields might not bestrong enough financially and numerically tooperate as conferences, and consequentlywould have to be regarded as missions.

Each local field to have a president and a boardSome might prefer the term ‘field leader’ to that of ‘president’, but, as the role of apresident in Adventist circles is widely under-stood, it might be best for field leaders to becalled ‘presidents’. In dividing the BUC terri -tory into smaller units and providing each unitwith a president, we are essentially proposing a system of team ministry in which the president is the leader of the team. In someother Christian organisations the local fieldpresident/leader, as being currently described,is called a ‘bishop’.

The president, who will be expected tocare for a local congregation along with hispresidential duties, is the only executive officer that is being proposed for each sub-unit (conference/mission). Much like the missions currently, treasury and secretarialsupport will come from the Union. However,each sub-unit will have a board, which, withthe president, would be responsible for direct-ing the outreach and nurturing programme ofthe field and managing its budget.

All HR matters handled at the Union levelThe HR area is one in which the Church in theBritish Isles needs to grow rather quickly.Having one charitable organisation allows oneemployment body and facilitates the settingup of an HR department, linked to the secretariat. Employees’ welfare, employer’sinterests, training, monitoring and evaluationare important matters that the HR departmentwould be required to address. The line man-ager for pastors would be the field leader orpresident, but technical HR support wouldcome from the Union.

All financial services to be handled by the UnionThe management of the pension plan, whichis in cash terms the largest financial operationin the British Union, is already handled at theUnion level. Once proper systems are established, the processing of tithes andofferings from various local fields, the payroll,the auditing of churches and all otheraccounting matters can be added to the pension management at the Union level.

Currently fourteen employees, not including secretaries, serve the Treasurydepartments in the BUC, SEC and NEC. Six ofthose are in the SEC and four each in the BUCand NEC. Having one accounting office for theChurch in the British Isles would require anexpansion of the number working in the BUCoffice, but the overall number of Treasuryemployees could be significantly reduced.

There might be a need for at least twoassistant treasurers at the Union, in order toprovide support for the various local fieldsand ensure that a Treasury representative ispresent at each meeting of a local field board.

A new plan would be required for the fund-ing of local fields. This paper will not attemptto explain what that system should be, otherthan to stress that local fields would havecontrol over their budgets and benefit, as theydo currently, from the funds from their localchurches. There would, however, need to be adifferent tithe-sharing system from that whichcurrently exists in order to ensure that theUnion is sufficiently resourced to function,service the fields and support the institutions.

Secretarial support for field presidents to be provided from the Union officeMost administrators and department directorsdo their own typing, facilitated by the versa -tility of a laptop or other computer. Thedependence on secretarial support is not asacute as it once was. Secretaries are nowused mostly for research, graphics work, for-matting and despatch. Most, if not all, of thiscan be done from the Union office. It wouldbe necessary to employ more secretariesthan currently work in the Union office toensure that local field presidents are suppor -ted. With the communication system providedby the internet, field presidents should notlose much in having secretarial support in theUnion office.

Administrators and department directorsreleased for frontline workOne of the major outcomes of the fusionmodel is the release of a number of senior

and experienced pastors from administrativeand departmental work for service in localchurches and local communities. There is anote of caution that must be sounded here,however. Local fields might not be able toabsorb all the ministerial workers that arereleased from the offices. Therefore creativeways might have to be found to utilise theservices of some workers.

Reduction of support staffInterestingly, the number of support staffworking in the BUC, SEC and NEC, excludingthose who work for ADRA and the AdventistDiscovery Centre, is approximately the sameas the figure for administrators and depart-ment directors. The number is forty-four,which means that on average there is onesupport person for each officer and director.In reality, though, not every director has a support person. The Treasury departments inall three organisations have considerablymore support workers than other depart-ments. The nature of treasury work dictatesthe need for several support workers.

In that the number of support staff corresponds with the number of officers anddepartment directors, one can assume that areduction in the number of officers and direc-tors will result in a significant reduction in the number of support workers, even takinginto consideration the need to have more secretaries in the Union office to support fieldpresidents. Reduction in support staff couldsave the organisation close to half a millionpounds annually.

Reduction in the number of Church administrative buildingsShould the fusion model be adopted, the Conference offices would become surplus tothe needs of the Church. Only one Churchoffice would be required. Presumably, thatwould be the Union office. The Church wouldthen need to decide the future of the two otherproperties. If suitable, the buildings could beused for other areas of the Church’s extensiveoperations, or sold and the proceeds used inthe wider interest of the Church. There wouldalso be the added financial benefit of not having to operate three headquarters offices.

Rationalisation model In a nutshell the rationalisation model is theretention of the current structure, with areduction of personnel in certain areas andstreamlining of some operations.

While it is convenient to have the counter-part of each department in the Conferencelevel at the Union level and vice-versa, oneneeds to ask whether such an arrangement isessential. Each department director at theConference level leads a particular ministry orset of ministries that impacts local churches.It is highly debatable whether another cadre ofdirectors is required at the Union level to pro-vide leadership in ministry in the same areasin which the Conference directors are serving.Both sets of directors essentially are servingthe same constituency, the same churchesand the same people. Some might concludethat the best argument for directors at theConference having counterparts in the Union

137. Have stronger and closer leadership

of pastoral staff, which also should provide for more effective support andmonitoring.

In responding to the field leaders’ desireand call for restructuring, three models will beconsidered in this paper – the ‘fusion model’,the ‘rationalisation model’ and the ‘union of churches model’. The strengths and weaknesses of each model will also be examined in relation to the above terms of reference.

The fusion model The fusion model envisages bringing theoperations of the Union and its fields underone umbrella. The three separate charitablebodies – the British Union Conference, theNorth England Conference and the SouthEngland Conference – would be replaced by one charitable organisation. The major features of this model are:

a. One registered charitable body, b. All department directors based at the

Union, c. Increase in the number of local fields, d. Each local field to have a president and

a board, e. All HR matters directed from the Union, f. All financial services provided by the

Union, g. Secretarial support for presidents, to

the extent that it is necessary, to be provided at the Union office,

h. A number of administrators and directors released for frontline work,

i. Steep reduction in support staff, j. Reduction in the number of Church

administrative buildings.

The flowchart that follows illustrates howthe fusion model could be organised:

See Fig. 4

While one cannot accurately predict thenumber of leaders that would be required to

operate the fusion model, the table below(Fig. 4) shows a total of twenty-six executiveand department leaders, compared to forty-five shown in the earlier table that representsthe current situation. (See Figs. 1, 2 and 3)

One registered charitable organisationCurrently the SEC, NEC and BUC operate asseparate charities. The missions operate aspart of the BUC charitable body. Separatereports are filed with the Charity Commissioneach year for the SEC, NEC and BUC. What is reported by the BUC is essentially the activities in the conferences and missions.

As independent charities the conferencesare controlled by their executive committees,which may choose to buy into the overallstrategy of the Union or come up with theirown strategy.

Employees are considered to be workingfor the Seventh-day Adventist Church, but aresubject to varying employment practices andinterpretations of policies across the threeorganisations.

One charitable body, covering the conferences and missions, would standardiseemployment practices and policy interpreta-tion, eliminate reporting duplication andensure that external bodies are able to relateto one organisation that represents theSeventh-day Adventist Church, as opposed toseveral. The element of competition betweenorganisations would also be eliminated.

All department directors based at Union levelThis may seem a daunting task for directors,but such a view would be based largely onthe traditional way in which directors haveworked over the years. Directors would not berequired to be peripatetic preachers who gofrom church to church on Sabbaths to fillpreaching slots. Their responsibilities wouldbe three-fold – preparing resource materials,training pastors and lay leaders, and promot-ing the work of their departments. This wouldrequire directors to be specialists in the fieldsfor which they have responsibility.

The British Union is a large field within thecontext of the TED, but in the context of thewider Church it is comparable to a medium-sized conference, both in membership and ingeography. The Southeastern CaliforniaConference and the Southern CaliforniaConference have 69,000 and 43,000 members respectively. The NortheasternConference in the Atlantic Union has a membership of 48,500, and the TexasConference 46,000. Several conferences inSouth America, Inter-America and Africawould be even larger in membership than thefigures quoted above. A field of 32,000 mem-bers would not be beyond the capacity of oneset of department directors to serve.

To have one set of executive officers anddirectors serving the Church throughout theBritish Isles would reduce current numbersfrom forty-five to approximately thirty, twelveof whom will have pastoral assignmentsalong with their executive responsibilities.

With modern methods of communication,in particular the internet, directors can belocated in different parts of the British Isles.Currently two of our directors come into the BUC office only once a week, but thisarrangement does not seem to impede theireffectiveness and their availability to the entirefield.

All areas of the British Union can bereached within two hours from Watford. When the current system of organisation wasagreed by the Church it took days, in somecases, to travel from the Church headquartersto some parts of the territory.

Increase in the number of local fieldsThe fusion model envisages an increase in thenumber of local fields that currently exist.Number of members, geography and viabilitywill eventually determine the number of fieldsthat emerge from restructuring. However,what is considered to be of paramount importance is manageable units. If, as hasbeen stated already, a local president’sresponsibility will be nurture and outreach, he needs to be given a team that is big

12

Fig. 4 BRITISH UNION CONFERENCE of the SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH

backs. The obvious drawbacks may be seenas a restriction of the movements of thoseaffected, carrying a full load as a director/administrator and, in addition to such heavyresponsibilities, having to provide pastoralcare for a church. These are reasonable concerns and must not be taken lightly.

Set against the concerns are the followingadvantages:

a. Local churches benefiting from theexperience and knowledge of seniorleaders,

b. The director/administrator having a spiritual home,

c. Having the opportunity to experimentwith ideas in a local church settingbefore seeking to implement them conference-wide or nationally,

d. Being regarded by members as havingan experiential knowledge of initiativesto be implemented,

e. Narrowing the perceived gap that existsbetween church pastors and office-based leaders, thus eliminating orreducing the ‘them and us’ stereotype,

f. Practically demonstrating the belief thatthe local church is central to missionfulfilment.

There is already a pilot within the BritishUnion of directors carrying a pastoral assign-ment. Despite the arrangement having arisenfrom the reduction of ministerial personnel inthe NEC, due to financial constraint, it doesshow the way forward for the entire Union ifthe basic structure of the Union remains inplace. Church members are pleased with thisnew arrangement and local pastors feel that itis one way of removing the ‘them and us’perception.

With the description given so far of therationalisation model, the flowcharts that follow show what the relationship betweenConference and Union departments would be,should this model be adopted:

See Figs. 5-7

Union of churches modelThe union of churches model was approvedby the General Conference in 2007 as analternative Church organisational structure. Aunion of churches is described by the GC as‘a united organised body of local churcheswithin a territory, having similar status to aunion conference or union mission, and adirect relationship with the division.’

In the union of churches model the Union

fulfils the role of the local conference: thuseliminating one layer of Church organisation.The Union essentially becomes one big conference, with the exception that it dealsdirectly with the Division.

The commission set up by the GeneralConference to consider the union of churchesmodel suggested the following benefits to theChurch:

a. It will help reduce the number of levelsof organisation from four to three andwill reduce the number of administrativeunits. Remarks are often made bychurch members about the heavyadministrative structure of the Churchwhen so many more pastors are badlyneeded in the field. Pastors who wouldnormally be needed at each administra-tive level would be released to serve inneedy areas.

b. It will help redistribute financialresources to areas of the work that arecurrently languishing. Every administra-tive level of Church structure requiresleaders, staff, travel budgets, and soon. A simplified structure contributes toan increase of financial resources for

15is that it has always been done that way. TheBritish Union currently has a group of highlymotivated and committed department direc-tors at both levels of the organisation. Therationalisation model, however, would seesome redeployed in other areas of work. Themodel presupposes that there are separateroles for the Union and the conferences.

Role of the Union The role of the Union can be viewed as six-fold: strategic development, resourcedevelopment, policy formulation, leadershiptraining, legal and paralegal matters, andthose areas of church life that require nationalattention.

• Strategic developmentAt the Conference level it is difficult to be cre-ative as one would wish to be. The proximityto local churches, members, pastors andschools means that there is always some-where to go, something to do, some action to take. The Union can play a creative role,which often proves so elusive to those working at the Conference level. It can take a helicopter view of the work in the BritishIsles and work with local fields in developingvarious approaches to ministry. The currentevangelistic programme in the British Union,dubbed ‘Life Development’,17 is an example of how the Union can focus on strategic matters while the local fields get on with theimplementation of plans and strategies.

• Resource developmentThe argument for resource development to behandled at the Union level is similar to that forstrategic development. Members need toolsfor witnessing and the Church in generalneeds effective nurturing tools. This could bean area of specialisation for the Union. Onearea of resource development that is neededin the United Kingdom and Europe is a mediacentre that produces material in English. TheGermans have such a facility. North Americaand the South Pacific also boast state-of-the-art media centres. The strategic location ofthe United Kingdom, the expansion of the useof English in communication in Europe andthe unique nature of European culture arethree good reasons for the British Union toestablish a media centre. This centre, in addition to producing resources such asDVDs and videos, could also be responsiblefor the Correspondence Bible School, anevangelistic tool that has proven reasonablysuccessful over the years.

Operating a media centre is costly. Muchof the cost, however, can be borne by thesale of items produced by the centre, in muchthe same way as other media centres in theChurch have operated.

• Policy formulationOne role of the British Union that needs noalteration is that of the formulation of policiesfor the Church and employees. There aresome who take the view that policies shouldbe formulated at the Conference level.However, there is merit in the practice of hav-ing policies made one step removed fromthose for whom they are made. In that way

there can be greater objectivity in the process.

• Leadership trainingGood church leaders, both lay and ministerial,are usually the result of good training. TheBritish Union is well positioned to provide thissupport for the Church. Its new facilities, withseveral meeting places, lend themselvesrather well to making it a training centre. Infact, a decision has already been made to dojust that. On 16 February 2011 we launched atraining programme for pastors and elderswith a seminar on ‘Being a Visionary Leader’.Twenty-eight pastors attended the day semi-nar while a similar number of elders attendedthe evening seminar. The plan is to conduct,on a monthly basis, relevant courses forchurch administrators, department directors,pastors, elders and other church leaders.

• Paralegal mattersThe Seventh-day Adventist Association, whichcares for the purchase and disposal of churchproperties and related matters, provides animportant and necessary service for theChurch in the United Kingdom. This is a func-tion that is best operated nationally, in that itprovides checks and balances for actionstaken locally. The service is valued by localchurch leaders and members.

• Matters of national importanceThere are certain areas of church life that canbe classified as national in nature. One suchis education, for which there are national standards and a national curriculum withrespect to primary and secondary education.

Other areas of operation that merit nationalattention are religious liberty and parliamen-tary affairs. The Union keeps abreast of legislation that affects the Church, and useswhatever authority it has to try and influencelaw-making that impacts the Church in oneway or another.

There are certain forms of outreach, suchas the Bible Correspondence School and LifeDevelopment, that require a national engine.These are best run from the Union, as is thecase currently.

Departments and services operating solelyfrom the Union level would be:

a. ADRA, b. ADC, c. Education, d. SDAA, e. Religious liberty and parliamentary

affairs, f. Media, g. Chaplaincy.

Role of the Conference The local fields in the British Union have donea commendable job in supporting pastors,local churches and members, which is essentially the work of a conference or mission. Support of pastors and local churches involves training, which conferencesand missions have done with varying levels ofsuccess over the years.

As a matter of principle, as far as the rationalisation model is concerned, departments that train and nurture membersshould operate only from the Conference

level, and departments that relate to wholeChurch matters should operate from thenational level. With this in mind, based on current departments, the following departments would operate only from theConference level:

a. Personal Ministries, b. Sabbath School, c. Youth, Teens, Pathfinders, d. Women’s Ministries, e. Family Ministries, f. Health, g. Stewardship, h. Children’s Ministries, i. Community Services.

The nature of some departments mightrequire that they exist in one form or anotherat both levels. Communication and Ministerialreadily come to mind. It is necessary to havea whole Church communication strategy, butthe need for a local communication strategyinvolving local churches and communities isequally strong. A similar argument can beapplied to the Ministerial department. Whilecontinuing education and training are an integral part of the Ministerial department and seem a whole Church matter, ministerialworkers often need one-to-one support,which would prove somewhat challenging for one person at the Union to provide forapproximately 200 employees.

Merging of some services There is a strong view that certain operationsand services between the conferences andthe BUC could be merged for greater effi -ciency and reduction of costs. Two that havebeen talked about frequently are financialservices and HR.

Payroll for all employees could easily bedone centrally. Equally, a number of otheraccounting operations could be handled bythe Union. These include the receipt of tithesand offerings and the Gift Aid programme. Asin the fusion model, the number of workers inthe Treasury department at the Union levelwould require an increase to accommodatethe extra workload.

In this model each conference would retainits own treasurer for strategic and executivedecisions, but support staff in ConferenceTreasury departments would not be necessary. Thus, of the fourteen people currently working in treasuries across theBUC, ten could possibly be retained in therationalisation model.

Ministerial office workers having localchurch assignment Having established earlier in this paper theimportance and centrality of the local churchto the fulfilment of mission, a key element ofthe rationalisation model is that each ministe-rially-trained employee in the office would beasked to be involved in the life of a localchurch. This could take one of two forms –pastor of a church or associate pastor of achurch.

There might be some resistance bydepartment directors and administrators tobeing pastorally linked to a local church. Thebenefits, however, do outweigh the draw-

14

Fig. 5

Fig. 6

Republic of Ireland could not be a part of theBritish Union of Churches or a UnitedKingdom Union of Churches.

Whatever the merits of the union ofchurches model, it must be noted that theGeneral Conference has retreated from it as aform of Church organisation. At the GC 2010annual council the following action was takenregarding this form of Church organisation:

‘The union of churches structure will only be considered for use in unusual situations. Division administrations shallconsult with General Conference adminis-tration prior to any proceedings intended toreview the possible formation of a union ofchurches within the division’s territory.Such consultation shall review the unusualcircumstances (such as slow churchgrowth/development, challenging geopoliti-cal situations, or peculiar administrativechallenges) and how these can beaddressed most satisfactorily in availableorganisational structures.’18

The flowchart that follows illustrates the organisational shape of the British Union,should the union of churches model be the direction chosen and approved by theTED/GC . . .

See Fig. 9

headquarters offices and associatedcosts,

d. Challenge in undertaking whole Churchprojects due to competing priorities,

e. Expense of maintaining three administrative office buildings,

f. The missions not being covered by certain departments, in that they do notexist at the Union level,

g. Attempts at rationalisation in the pastwere less than successful due to thefact that organisations reverted to typeafter a relatively short period. In 1996 adecision was made to operateCommunication and Education nationally. Since then both conferenceshave appointed a Communication director and the SEC an Educationdirector,

h. The system is liable to break downwhere leadership at the local level disagrees with decisions made by adirector at the national level, who ineffect is also the local conference director.

The rationalisation model seems to offerthe fewest benefits. It will maintain a systemthat many feel has passed its sell-by date and will be merely tinkering with the current

g. One administrative office that relates tothe public, removing any confusionregarding Church headquarters,

h. Merger of financial and HR services,i. Possibility of undertaking whole Church

projects without local priorities gettingin the way,

j. Being able to redirect funds from sys-tem maintenance to mission fulfilment,

k. Being able to manage the new diversityand cultural needs in the Union thatcross geographical boundaries.

The downside of the fusion model is seen to be:

a. Church leaders having to learn newwork patterns and strategies,

b. Executive officers being required to bepresent at numerous board meetings oflocal fields,

c. Greater responsibility for departmentdirectors,

d. Job losses for some employees, e. Centralisation of ‘power’ at the Union, f. Possible confusion as to the role of the

local president and board.

There are two major differences betweenthe union of churches model and the fusionmodel. The first is that the fusion model pays

17

evangelism and the support of localchurches.

c. It will enable a redistribution of person-nel, particularly providing additionalpastors for local churches. Additionalpersonnel in the field should help torevitalise some fields which need additional support to fulfil the Church’smission. This would be true particularlyin areas where large numbers are join-ing the Church and where there is littleinfrastructure presently to supportthem.

d. It will enhance the Church’s mission inspecific areas. The possibility of con-textualisation – focusing on language,tradition, culture and geopolitics – isimproved when the Church is organisedinto strategic country units.

e. It will facilitate access to a country’slegal authorities. A Church organisationwith headquarters in a foreign countryis seen by the legal authorities as a foreign Church. A union of churchesand conference, or union of churchesand mission, confined within the bor-ders of a single country is better able toestablish relationships with governmentbodies and is able to petition authoritieson behalf of its members.

f. It will enable faster communication and more appropriate decision-makingconcerning issues affecting the work of the local church. A vote taken by aconference/mission may be required by policy to be approved by the unionconference/mission, but when there isno conference/mission the action isimplemented more quickly.

Strengths and weaknesses of the threeorganisational models All three models – fusion, rationalisation andunion of churches – seem attractive whentaken in isolation. In order to decide whichmodel offers the maximum benefit to missionfulfilment in the British Union, an examinationof their merits and demerits is necessary.

Union of churches The advantages of this model are readily seen:

a. Elimination of one layer of organisation, b. Having one set of administrators and

directors in the field, c. Freeing up a number of senior leaders

for work on the frontline, d. Reduction in the number of support

staff needed, e. Reduction in the cost of maintaining

administrative office buildings, f. Being able to use the equity in confer-

ence administrative office buildings inother important areas of the work,

g. One administrative office that relates tothe public, removing any confusionregarding Church headquarters,

h. Merger of financial and HR services, i. Possibility of undertaking whole Church

projects without local priorities gettingin the way,

j. Being able to redirect funds from system maintenance to mission fulfilment.

The list above is an impressive one, and provides much of that for which church mem-bers have been asking and that which seemsto conform with good practice and carefulmanagement of the resources of the Church.However, there are a few drawbacks whichmight make the model less attractive:

a. There is not much support for the localchurch,

b. Supervision of local pastors is distant, c. While unions of churches in Europe

(Austria, Bulgaria, Denmark, Italy,Portugal and Spain) have reduced administrative expenditure, they have not led to growth.

Any structure that does not provide for

stronger support of local churches and ministerial workers is defective, and in thelong run will not significantly aid mission fulfilment. Despite the financial benefits to begained from adopting the union of churches, it does not do much to provide support forthose involved in mission fulfilment. If it wereto work in a field the size of the British Union,some form of intermediary structure betweenthe Union and local churches would berequired.

The following statistics give an overview ofthe unions of churches as they were in 2006when the GC commission researched thesubject:

See Fig. 8

What is instantly obvious from the figures inFig. 8 is that the fields in our part of the worldthat have opted for ‘union of churches’ statusare very small. Thus one can understand whythey found the option attractive. From the verbal reports it appears that in nearly allcases in Europe the motive seems to havebeen reduction of costs. While the BUCshould be concerned about cost reduction, a greater motive for restructuring must bemission fulfilment.

Since the introduction of the union ofchurches model a number of fields, especiallyin South America, have adopted this form oforganisation – but largely for political reasons.Some countries saw the model as a means of giving them independence from othercountries and providing them with nationalautonomy. In this connection it is worth pointing out that a union of churches is established along geographical lines, which ineffect means along national lines. Thus, if theletter of the law were to be strictly applied, the

16

Fig. 7

Fig. 8

Union Population Membership Organised Churches Inst. Ord. Ministers

Austrian 8,151,000 3,716 1947/67 48 4 29

Bulgarian 7,741,000 7,739 1920 114 3 63

Italian 59,178,000 7,237 1928/72/82 100 6 53

Portuguese 10,576,000 8,683 1904/72/82 94 4 32

Spanish 43,587,000 11,742 1903/58/72/82 88 6 36

Danish 5,525,000 2,649 1880/1931/92 47 6 17

TOTAL 134,758,000 41,766 491 29 230

AVERAGE 22,460,000 6,961 81.8 4.8 38.3

RationalisationThe basic administrative structure in theBritish Union would remain the same as it iscurrently, but with some streamlining. Themajor benefits of this model would be:

a. Retention of a structure with whichworkers and members are familiar,

b. Support for local churches and frontlineworkers,

c. Release of a limited number of directorsfor frontline work,

d. Streamlining of financial and HR services for greater efficiency and cost-cutting.

Some salient points against the rationalisationmodel are:

a. Retention of an expensive and top-heavy organisational system,

b. Retention of three separate charitableorganisations representing the Churchin the UK,

c. Retention of the operation of three

system as opposed to radically changing theshape and cost of Church administration inthe British Isles. If it were the only optionavailable, however, it would be imprudent toreject it.

The fusion model The benefits of the fusion model are, for themost part, similar to those for the union ofchurches model:

a. Elimination of one layer of organisation, b. Having one set of administrators and

directors in the field, c. Freeing up a number of senior leaders

for work on the frontline, d. Reduction in the number of support

staff needed, e. Reduction in the cost of maintaining

administrative office buildings, f. Being able to use the equity in

conference administrative office buildings in other important areas of the work,

special attention to the support of localchurches and pastors, and provides for closesupervision and monitoring. The second isthat it gives more opportunities for leadershipdevelopment, in that it provides for theappointment of local field leaders/presidents.

The terms of reference agreed by fieldleaders, and outlined earlier in this paper,were:

a. Eliminate unnecessary duplication, b. Reduce expenditure on executive/

departmental leadership, c. Provide more resources (financial and

human) for local churches, where themission of the Church is carried out,

d. Position leadership closer to membersand their communities,

e. Operate the Seventh-day AdventistChurch in the UK as one charitableorganisation,

f. Streamline HR and financial services, g. Have stronger and closer leadership

of pastoral staff, which also should

Fig. 9

Women’s Ministries/Family Ministries

Women’s Ministries

BRITISH UNION CONFERENCE of the SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH

18 19provide for more effective support andmonitoring.

Should the terms of reference be acceptedas a basis for change, it seems that themodel that comes closest to expectations isthe fusion model.

Norway’s experience The fusion model has been in use in Norwayfor a number of years. Former Norwegianpresident, Tor Tjeransen, said that it has significantly reduced expenditure on theadministration of the Church and has streamlined operations, but warned againstnot defining clearly the role and powers of the field president and the local field board.

Implementation process The process to change from the current system of organisation in the British Union isa rather complex one and cannot be carriedout in a hurry. An understanding of how theChurch operates suggests the following steps:

a. Decision by BUC executive committeefor change (a unanimous action wastaken by the BUC executive committeeon Thursday 10 March 2011 for organisational change, favouring thefusion model. The action included placing the matter on the agenda for the forthcoming Union session andconsulting with the members of theUnion),

b. The TED is to be informed of the intentto effect organisational changes and itsapproval sought to do so,

c. Mandate from a Union session soughtfor organisational change,

d. If a mandate from the BUC session isobtained, SEC and NEC are to seeksimilar action from their respective constituencies,

e. Should the BUC, SEC and NEC secure amandate for change from their variousconstituencies, a special committee isto be appointed to work on a detailedplan for the new structure, including a new constitution. This is to be presented to the three executive committees for approval,

f. BUC, NEC and SEC to call special constituency meetings to dissolvethemselves,

g. Constituency meeting to be called of

representatives from across the BritishIsles to form a new Union, in line withthe new constitutions, and elect newexecutive officers and directors.

Possible timeline for change a. March, 2011 – Action by BUC

executive committee, b. May, 2011 – Action by TED executive

committee, c. July, 2011 – Mandate to develop a

model for change by BUC session, d. September, 2011 – Mandate to develop

a model for change by SEC session, e. November, 2011 – Mandate to develop

a model for change by special NECSession,

f. December, 2011 – Appointment of special committee to work on details ofnew structure,

g. June, 2012 – Special committeereports back to BUC executive committee,

h. June-September, 2012 – Consultationwith various stakeholders,

i. December, 2012 – Decision by BUC,SEC, NEC committees re: organisationalmodel, if decision is to go ahead,

j. March, 2013 – Dissolution of BUC,SEC, NEC,

k. July, 2013 – Formation of new Union,adoption of new constitution, election ofnew leaders. (Union leaders may haveto act as interim leaders betweenMarch and July so as to avoid a leadership vacuum.)

Should the rationalisation model be the structure chosen, the process for changewould be simpler. It would be a matter ofagreement between the BUC and the confer-ences as to which departments and servicesshould be retained and at which level.

Conclusion Not all the questions regarding organisationalchange are answered in this paper. It ishoped, however, that sufficient informationhas been presented to persuade the reader ofthe need for such a change in the BritishUnion. The evidence that Church structure inthe British Union is top-heavy and costly isincontrovertible. Discerning church membershave been asking for change and would mostlikely welcome any structure that retains

support for local churches, protects the mission of the Church and slashes the cost ofover a hundred people working in our Churchoffices and the maintenance of three adminis-trative buildings. The current structure of theBritish Union is very much geographicallybased, and was introduced at a time whenthere were severe travel limitations comparedwith today’s reality. Additionally, the virtual proximity of our world, thanks to the internet,has made the hierarchical transference ofinformation and ideas antiquated and unnecessary. The whole world is at our fingertips!

Change will not take place without resistance from some quarters and without‘birth pains’ as we transition from one systemto another. None of the three structural models discussed is without weakness, butone option that should not be considered isthat of retaining the status quo. To do sowould result in several members losing interest in the Church, and becoming disenchanted with Church leadership andwhat they would describe as a waste offunds. Opting for the status quo might alsocondemn us, for years to come, to being avery small religious organisation in the BritishIsles that is more concerned with servingitself than with engaging in a major way withthe wider society and sharing the Good Newsabout One who is able to transform lives forthe better.

1George Knight, Atoday, May/June 1995. 2Acts 13:1-3, NIV.3Acts 13:1, 2, KJV. 4C. C. Crisler, Organization – Its Character,Purpose, Place and Development in the Seventh-day AdventistChurch (Washington DC: Review and Herald PublishingAssociation, 1938), p. 39. 5E. G. White, Early Writings, p. 97.6‘Gospel Order’, Review and Herald, 6 December 1853.7‘Gospel Order’, Review and Herald, 20 December 1853.8‘Gospel Order’, Review and Herald, 27 December 1853. 9Ibid.10C. C. Crisler, Organization – Its Character, Purpose, Placeand Development in the Seventh-day Adventist Church, p. 55.11Oliver Barry David, SDA Organizational Structure – Past,Present and Future (Michigan: Andrews University Press,1989), p. 67. 12Ibid, pp. 67-131. 13See GC Bulletin, 1901, p.513: ‘Before the conference closed, arrangements had beenmade for organising the six General Conference Districts intoUnion Conferences, each organisation to be complete in itself,having an executive committee, with a president, secretaryand treasurer, and auditor, and each to take the entire oversightof the work in its territory.’ 14GC Bulletin, 1901, p. 25. 15Ibid, p. 25. 16George Knight, Atoday, May/June 1995. 17LifeDevelopment is a five-year evangelistic programme which theBUC has led out in developing, in harmony with the Trans-European Division and its local fields. It’s a relationship-basedprogramme that is designed to lead secular and unchurchedpeople to commitment to Christ through a seven-step process.18GC Annual Council Minutes, 2010.

news

‘Write on Target’The Adventist writers and editors’ conference, held at the BUC headoffice on 20 March, drew together seventeen aspiring writers for a dayof stimulating presentations on the art of good writing.

The conference was run by Cathy Boldeau, assisted by SharonPlatt-McDonald (BUC Health Ministries director), who provided a biblical mandate from Habakkuk 2:2 – ‘. . . Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.’ (KJV).

She was followed by Pastor Julian Hibbert, MESSENGER editor, whowas tasked to speak on ‘The Power of the Story’; Pastor VictorHulbert, the BUC’s ‘Mr Communication’ (Communication director),who spoke on ‘BUC/MESSENGER News Reporting and Photography’, andAndrew Puckering (MESSENGER proof reader, the fresh young faceamong the presenters), who gave a lecture entitled ‘From Rough Draftto Final Copy’ and a practical test of the delegates’ skills.

Anne Pilmoor (BUC Education director) lectured on the productionof the children’s picture book, while Pastor Des Boldeau (BUC Youth director) talked about reaching youth through the Encounter

magazine.The aspiring writers then

spent the afternoon togetherplanning the road ahead, andthey hope to recruit new members: so, if you are interested in developing yourwriting skills, please contactCathy Boldeau at:catherine.visionsolutions@googlemail.com for more information.

Special thanks are due tothe BUC and SEC administra-tors for their support in makingthe event such a success.JULIAN HIBBERTMESSENGER EDITOR

Left: Andrew Puckering. Top: Cathy Boldeau and Sharon Platt-McDonald. Above: Anne Pilmoor.

‘Chance toChange’Twenty-one-year-old YvonneBauwens, who loves to composemusic and write lyrics, was commissioned to write the theme tunefor the recent BUC youth congressheld in Telford from 21 to 25 April.

Yvonne transformed her room intoa recording studio, and numeroushours later ‘Chance to Change’ wasborn.

She wrote her song to complement the theme of the youth congress and to share how God can help you be the change youwant to see in the world.

If you would like to listen to the theme song, you can hear itonline: http://youth.adventistchurch.org.uk/buc-youth-congress-i-change. COMMUNICATION SECRETARY, CRIEFF CHURCH

300 youth witnessin LiverpoolLocal and visiting youth shared their faith in the Toxteth community

in Liverpool on 12 March, causing such a stir that they were soonbeing monitored by the local police helicopter! This street witness-

ing and door-to-door exercise was the culmination of the eleventhSchool of the Prophets training and witnessing weekend, held at St Hilda’s School in Sefton, Liverpool, and run by the NEC Youthdepartment in conjunction with the Liverpool district of churches.

After only sixty minutes on the street thousands of homes werereached, with fifty-two persons requesting Bible studies. One local resident was so excited about studying the Bible that he insisted thatsomeone return that evening at 6pm to start formal Bible studies withhim.

Kevin Sears, the assistant director of Global AFCOE and a formerconvict who now leads people to Christ, led out over the weekend, andover 450 people attended Sabbath services. The local district leader,Pastor Ebenezer Daniel, and his team have much following up to do.

‘This and other experiences show me that our communities aretruly ready to be reached with the Gospel’, commented Pastor AlanHush, NEC Youth director. ‘There are souls desperately searching foranswers to life’s perplexities, and we are commissioned to get outthere and meet their need.’PASTORS ALAN HUSH & JEFF NICHOLSON

CorrigendumThe editor wishes to thank those whocommented on the camp meetingmeal advert whichappeared on page 16in our 4 March issueof MESSENGER. The‘chicken’ that foundhis way into the menuhas been ‘caught’ andremoved. The revisedmenu appears in theadvert to the right.

Book now for your meals at this year’s camp meetingThe NEC/SEC camp meeting 2011 will be in Prestatyn, North Wales, 13-19 June. The Sophisticated Catering Company will be working out of theBeachcomber Restaurant (on the Pontins site) to provide food throughout the whole week.

A good, wholesome selection of vegetarian meals will be on sale, tobe eaten in the restaurant area or as take-aways.

If you are planning to come down specifically on the Sabbath, thereare facilities in place so that customers can book and pay for their foodin advance, to ensure that after the morning church service their hotmeals will be waiting for them – redeemable with a unique Sabbathvoucher.

Please email: sophisticatedcatering@gmail.com or call KevinSterling on 07092040907 for further details.

Vacancy: Administrative secretaryAn exciting and demanding role requiring good secretarial skills, office experience and commitment to the Church’s mission. The successful applicant will be well organised, flexible, able to work underpressure and handle confidential material.

Responsibilities include routine secretarial/data-entry tasks associated with the work of the BUC secretariat, and the preparation of reports and workshop/seminar materials requiring competency in the Microsoft Office suite of software applications.Regular denominational employment policies apply.Salary: £20-22.9k. Closing date for applications: 30 May, 2011.

For a job description and application form, writeto: Eric Lowe, Executive Secretary, British UnionConference of Seventh-day Adventists, StanboroughPark, Watford, Herts, WD25 9JZ. Email: elowe@adventist.org.uk.

Heaven rejoicesNine people were welcomed intofellowship in the Slough churchon Sabbath 5 February. Theyoungest baptismal candidate on the day was Sean Khoza,who, at the tender age of 12, isdetermined to work for God. Alsobaptised were Arnold Williams,Mary Takavarasha and Eve Wade.Monica Chuchu, CatherinePalmer, Oana Geta, Kevin Weirand Craig Martins were also welcomed into fellowship.Imagine the joy in Heaven!NOZI CONNOR

Twice the joy in Plumstead!Bridget, Christina and Andrea couldn’t stop smiling as they

were baptised into the Plumstead church on 15 January! Their joy in the Lord was further augmented on 26 February,

following a week of revival led by the SEC president, Pastor SamDavis, when Olusegun Ajanaku, Zulu Mafu, Sikulekile Olatunji, DavidNkrumah-Buansi, Nigel Chiteme, Keera Dutfield, Hazel Manungo,Princess Johnson and Khonzani Sibanda were also baptised.Plumstead members pledge to nurture, love and encourage alltwelve new members.PLUMSTEAD COMMUNICATIONS

‘Fabulous five’ baptisedOn 19 February the Croydonchurch was full to overflowing as Clinton Davidson, ChristineWhyte, Pamela Lloyd, ShamekaWhitter and Joyce Reid (whojoins the Norbury church) werebaptised by Pastor Richard Daley. Prior to the baptism ElderPatrick Bennett gave an uplifting,personal account of his and hiswife’s conversion.

An encouraging number ofindividuals registered their inter-est in getting baptised before thenew, beaming members wereheartily welcomed into the congregation. COLIN BARKER

21

Holcombe Road membersrejoiced on Sabbath 26 March,when ten souls gave their lives tothe Lord through baptism – thisfollowed the youth week of

prayer, taken by Pastor RayPatrick, entitled ‘Discover toRecover’.

Baptismal candidate ShericeMalcolm said:

‘I found youth week of prayeran amazing experience. Likemost, at first I was reluctant togive up my evenings, but I candefinitely say that it was worth it.Being baptised was an amazingexperience. I was filled with everyemotion possible. After comingout of the water I felt a hugeweight being lifted from myshoulders. I had never felt sohappy.’

Another baptismal candidate,Jason Julien, said:

‘I could feel the Spirit of Godentering my body and talking tome. By the third night, after muchthought, I made my decision: Iwas going to get baptised, as Iwanted to learn more aboutChrist and be saved. When I gotbaptised it was an experience I

will never forget; my heart beganto beat stronger than I could everimagine and I was filled with joy,peace and happiness. It was as ifa burden was lifted from me andI was a new person; I went downunclean and came back up feel-ing pure. Even though I look thesame and I am me, my feelingsand outlook on life have changeddeeply. Also, the fact that myfather and I were getting baptisedtogether brought even more joyto my heart, knowing that wecould move forward and besaved together.’

Moved by the Holy Spirit dur-ing the baptism, two more soulsdecided they couldn’t wait anylonger and gave their lives toJesus!ADAIA BWOGA

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Ten souls saved for Christ!

Literature evangelism in Manchesterand Liverpool!

Fourteen young people joined Pastor Peter Sayers for trainingand encouragement at the Manchester South church on 12March, before going out into the community in twos the next

day to sell Adventist books as literature evangelists! Dr IsaacKeengwe provided them with Health Power books, and most of thegroup said they were willing to repeat their successful ministry inthe future!

Over the next weekend, Pastor Sayers and a large group distributed free literature on the Sabbath, near the Stoneycroftchurch, and several groups of two went into the community sellingbooks the next day. A young man called Shawn sold a Health Powerbook to a local doctor, and John Stephenson, a former NECPublishing director, said that he was truly encouraged by the witness he had seen. PASTOR PETER SAYERS

Tackling childhood obesityIn the UK, around 27% of children are now overweight, and researchsuggests that the main problem is a continual reduction in the amountof exercise children take.

Health professionals are becoming concerned, and, in response tothis concern, the NEC is delivering training in ‘Children’s Health Expos’.The concept has been developed as a way to present health principlesto children attractively and constructively. The Children’s Health Expo explains the NEW START principles at expo stations: Nutrition,Exercise, Water, Sunshine, Temperance, Air, Rest, and Trust in God.

• First, the children discover the eight natural laws with the help ofbanners and games.

• Second, the children receive age-appropriate information (the expois designed for 7-to-11-year-olds) to help them apply the laws totheir lives.

The Children’s Health Expo can be carried out in:• Schools• Churches• Shopping centres and other commercial spaces• Summer camps and camporees.

Adults who took part in the NEC training on 6 February inNottingham enjoyed themselves while participating in the children’sactivities: take a look at the pictures!

If you are interested in children’s evangelism, then become involvedin the Children’s Health Expos: you will be greatly rewarded.GRACE WALSH

Excellence inExeter awardFourteen-year-old KerryAngila, who attends the Exeterchurch, received anExcellence in Exeter award forsporting and artistic endeav-our from the University ofExeter in Exeter Cathedral on18 November, with 100 otheryoung people from six sec-ondary schools in the city.Kerry had gained a similaraward for her school paper onthe Second World War. STELLA JEFFERY

‘Do something funny for money’was the motto for Red Nose Day,and Stanborough students took itto heart! On Friday 18 March,students and staff came to theschool wearing fancy dress andred noses, each donating £1 forComic Relief.

The school’s drama clubdelighted all with a play entitled‘The Three Questions’, an adap-tation of a fable by Leo Tolstoy.The students took care of all cos-

tumes and scenic design as well,led by Mrs Annick McKie, theclub’s co-ordinator.

The spirit of creativity and giv-ing was palpable throughout theday. Two students in Year 8 saidnothing the whole day so thattheir ‘sponsored silence’ couldgive those less privileged a moreaudible voice. The proceeds,£420, went to Comic Relief.VANESSA PIZZUTOPHOTO: DENNIS EDWARDS

Stanborough students raise £420 forComic Relief

Children’s Health Expo trainees ‘step up’ to the task! Feeling thirsty? Keep your body topped up with water!

Trainees complete some puzzling puzzles.

NEWSTART cooking school Inspired by Ellen White quotations, Sharon Scott and Sheryl Leelaunched the Ladywood church’s first cooking class on 15 January,with a focus on engaging the community. The programme ran for fourweeks, and ended with a health party prepared by Pathfinders.

The presentations were centred on everyone’s need for Nutrition,Exercise, Water, Sunshine, Temperance, Air, Rest and Trust in God:NEWSTART.

On average, ten individuals from the local community attended eachprogramme. RUTH IRISH

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As of 1 September 2011, Harper Bell Adventist School will operate as a voluntary aided school. There will be no charge of school fees for admissionto classes from Reception through to Year 6. We are now accepting applications for limited places, on a ‘first come, first served’ basis. The nursery will remain independent and subject to school fees. The school is,however, registered to receive government funding towards the cost of earlyyears (ages 3 and 4) education.

Harper Bell Adventist School is located in a quiet cul-de-sac, a stone’s throwfrom Birmingham city centre. Catering for children aged 3-11, the schooladheres to a Christian ethos, integrating faith throughout the curriculum. Thisethos is underpinned with an emphasis on respect, discipline and hard work. Itslatest Ofsted judgement was good, with the inspectors highlighting the genuine Christian culture throughout the school and curriculum. The mission of Harper Bell Adventist School is to help each child receive a balancedintellectual, social, cultural, emotional, physical and spiritual education. Theschool continually enjoys academic success, with a high percentage of pupilsannually transferring to grammar schools. Our latest academic results are compared below.

KS2 SATs results: 2009/2010Pupils achieving level 4 or above:

English Maths ScienceHBS 92% 92% 92% (TA)Birmingham (08/09) 76% 75% –National 81% 80% – TA = Teacher Assessment

Now it is more than affordable to be a part of the success of HBS. To avoid disappointment, contact the school urgently for the new admissions policy and application forms:

0121 693 7742 orharperbellsdaschool@hotmail.co.uk.

ADRA-UK songcompetitionPoverty affects everyone. It ruins individual lives and affectsentire communities. To increase awareness of poverty, its causes and its effects, ADRA-UK plans to release a new musicvideo to promote its work.

Young UK musicians are invited to write a new, modern song(with lyrics) that reflects the work that ADRA-UK does. Thecompetition is open to young artists/bands/groups (18-35years). The deadline for submissions is 30 September, 2011.

More information about this competition is available from theADRA-UK website. Alternatively, write an email toinfo@adra.org.uk and we will send you the details.BERT SMIT, CEO, ADRA-UK

On Saturday night, 26 February, aunique art auction in aid of theAdventist Development and ReliefAgency (ADRA-UK) was held atthe Wimbledon Internationalchurch. Laurent Grisel, a WISDACmember who has worked withDisney and Spielberg, donatedmore than thirty paintings thattook hundreds of hours to paint.The paintings sold for well belowmarket value, but the auction waspacked with eighty-five people onthe final night, including manyfrom the local community.

ADRA-UK Appeals co-ordina-tor, Godwin Benjamin, impressedmany with ADRA’s work. Godwinwas ‘most impressed byLaurent,’ adding that ‘he haddevoted over 500 hours of histime to do these paintings’.

Godwin thanked Laurent, andalso David Souch and the ADRAteam at Wimbledon.

Got a fundraising idea forADRA-UK? Contact them on theirwebsite, www.adra.org.uk. ADAM IBRAHIM

Double baptism sets exampleFollowing a wonderful baptism on 20 March by Pastor Palmer, newlybaptised Keneca Almaya Cherie Sewell and Irma Gordon were joyfullywelcomed into fellowship at the Great Brickkiln Street church,Wolverhampton.

Keneca is an active Pathfinder, and her mum, Casslene, is alsoinvolved with the Pathfinder club; Keneca and Casslene are the daughter and wife of Andrew Sewell of The Stanborough Press. LittleKeneca pledges to be a good influence to others of her own age, tostay in God’s family and to serve spiritually to the best of her ability.

Irma says it was an ‘enormous struggle’ to give up worldly pleasures, but Bible studies removed her doubts, and she hopes her 6-year-old daughter will follow her example. DELVA CAMPBELL

Left to right: Irma, Keneca, Casslene.

Girls just wanna have fun! Eighteen teenagers from London, Luton, Portsmouth and Southamptonlearnt how to have fun at the first SEC Young Women’s Retreat, held at King’s Park Conference Centre, Northampton, 21-25 February. This event was sponsored and run by the SEC Women’s Ministriesdepartment.

The 12- to 18-year-olds discussed self-esteem, careers and lifegoals, dating, social networks, and health and body image. The work-shops and worships were undertaken by the SEC Women’s Ministriesdirector, Malika Bediako, along with two SEC representatives, KhyeiwahBediako and Sandra Golding.

On Thursday morning the young women went skating. For some,just making it around the rink without falling down was a greatachievement!

The young women all said that they would be inviting their friendsfrom both church and school to come along next time. SANDRA GOLDING

In Christ I RiseYou are invited to the eleventh Montserratians and friends’ Seventh-day Adventist day of fellowship!

Guest Speaker:Pastor Eglan Brooks

(BUC Personal Ministries, LIFEdevelopment and

Evangelism director)

Saturday, 28 May 2011, 9.30amNew Life Church, The Ridgeway Centre,

Featherstone Road, Wolverton Mill South, Milton Keynes, MK12 5TH

Please bring a packed lunch

For further information please contact:

William B. Riley (Birmingham) 0121 2417318Samuel Jeffers (Camp Hill, Birmingham) 0121 242 6729

James Ryan (London) 0208 808 2211Robert Allen (London) 0208 292 8174Manita Allen (Luton) 0158 261 7812

Anita Allen (Manchester) 0161 342 0032Peter Kirwan (Preston) 0177 251 0366

Thelma Gage (Milton Keynes) 07949068398Andy James (Leicester) 0116 276 5723

Faithful stewardsOver the weekend of 11-13 March, 218 treasurers from the North andSouth England Conferences gathered for the bi-annual treasurers’retreat at Staverton Park, Daventry, under the theme: ‘Stewards of aFaithful People’.

Besides lectures and workshops from Victor Pilmoor and other treasury staff, there were excellent spiritual messages from Pastors Ian Sweeney, Sam Neves, Richard de Lisser and Raafat Kamal.

One of the main issues discussed was the roll-out of the electronictithe and offering programme, but matters such as the Seventh-dayAdventist Association, Adventist Risk Management (insurance) and thework of the local treasurer were also covered.

A video of the weekend’s proceedings can be seen on YouTube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXM-IEGUyGY.RICHARD DE LISSER

Evangelistic area retreatDuring 4-6 March an evangelistic area co-ordinators and trainers’retreat was held at Denham Grove, Denham. The SEC PersonalMinistries and Church Growth departments have been forming a teamof people who can train evangelists effectively alongside pastors at thelocal church level. Following a British Union initiative, evangelistic areaco-ordinators have been appointed to co-ordinate the work at districtlevel. This retreat equipped and empowered the co-ordinators andtrainers. The SEC aims to train and equip them on a regular basis.

Pastor Aris Vontzalidis, Church Growth director at the SEC, sharedhow to set up small groups and the concept of the ‘simple church’ asa powerful means of reaching secular people. He went on to explainthe basic steps in church planting. Aisha Wije, who is part of a ‘simplechurch’, explained their ministry to the homeless. She explained howlives were being touched, simply by meeting peoples’ needs and lending a listening ear. Pastor Eglan Brooks, Personal Ministries andChurch Growth director at the BUC, explained the role of evangelisticco-ordinators, emphasising the great need for more effective evangel-ism in the UK. He also shared the vital role of the ‘Interest co-ordina-tor’ in the local church. Pastor Terry Messenger, Personal Ministriesand Sabbath School director at the SEC, explained the concept of theevangelism cycle, stating evangelism is a process rather than an event. He linked it with the Relay 2012 initiative which will see ‘relay’evangelism from districts 1-8 during 2012. The effectiveness of consistent door-to-door ministry was explained, and Pastor DavidBurnett said this ministry is a ‘sleeping giant’ just waiting to be awakened. On Sabbath afternoon, four people requested Bible studies.TERRY MESSENGER

Art auction raisesthousands for charity

Growing the LE work in the NECLocal churches can promote literature evangelism by:

1. Setting up Publishing Ministries Councils (PMCs) according to the Church Manual. (Membership: pastor, PM leader, PMsecretary and others elected by board; chairperson: PMCleader.)

2. Placing the ABC product catalogue and price list with thePMC so that they can recommend the purchase of suitableliterature for the church.

3. Working through the PMCs to set up LE training seminarsand literature bands to work for the saving of souls.

4. Planning to have special area LE promotion days at thechurches.

5. Allowing the PMCs to encourage the departments to supportevangelism through the literature ministry.

6. Encouraging our youth to give their time (either part-time orfull-time) to the literature ministry.

7. Encouraging the communication departments to send newsabout their literature evangelist successes in the community.

8. Linking the publishing ministries with the conference andpastoral evangelism programmes.

9. Strengthening links with The Stanborough Press Ltd and theconference to improve the literature work in the NEC.

PASTOR PETER SAYERS, NEC PUBLISHING SPONSOR.

NEC members from Leeds and Nottingham joined Area 2 members from Bury, Blackburn, Manchester South, ManchesterNorth, Manchester Southern

Asia, and Manchester Longsightfor a Holy Land trip duringFebruary 2011. The group, led byRose Gomez, comprised of thirty-nine adults and six of the ‘best-behaved children in the NEC’.

The group took along their ownPatriarch, Frank Baron, who testi-fied: ‘I’m thankful to God that atninety-six, I was able to fulfil a lifetime dream to visit Israel.’

But most courageous of all wasDiamond Sathe, who did much ofher sight-seeing from a wheel-chair. For her the trip highlight washer anointing service in the GardenTomb in Jerusalem.

24

MessengerVolume 116 • 09/10 – 13 May 2011

Editor: J. G. HibbertContributing Editor: Dr D. N. Marshall

Proof Reader: Andrew PuckeringDesign: David Bell

COPY FOR No. 12 – 19 May 2011

Copy should be sent to the Editor, MESSENGER, TheStanborough Press Limited, Alma Park, Grantham,

Lincolnshire, NG31 9SL. Tel: (01476) 591700. Fax No: (01476) 577144.

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ABC Sales line: (01476) 539900 Mon-Thurs only, 8am- 5.30pm.

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The Editor may alter, clarify, précis or expandarticles sent to him if he thinks it necessary.

Published fortnightly on Fridays by the British UnionConference of Seventh-day Adventists.

Printed in the UK.Visit the BUC website at: www.adventist.org.uk

ISSN 0309-3654

ABC BOOK SALESMay15 John Loughborough 10am-2pm15 Sheffield 10am-2pm27-30 Scottish Mission Camp Meeting

ABC Shops Watford, BUC.9am-5pm, Monday-Thursday. (Closed for lunch 1pm-1.30pm)9am-12pm Friday. Closed Sundays

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back pageTouring the holy land Rose Gomez

Diamond Sathe

£200 CHIPgrants available! To assist local churches inhealth evangelism, and for alimited period, the AdventistCHIP Association UK & Irelandwill award a grant of £200 perchurch when participant packsare ordered for your firstCoronary Health ImprovementProject programme. To benefitfrom this limited offer contactACA secretary BeverleyNgandwe to place your order.Tel: 07801 062417, email: bevjean@btinternet.com.

For information on introducing CHIP to yourchurch or to arrange for a CHIPleadership training workshop inyour area, email: info@chipuk.org.uk or call the national train-ing co-ordinator, David Hatch:07878 532788.

Allow three months for CHIPorders and six weeks forMicroCHIP orders. Certificatesfor both programmes should beordered two weeks prior to thegraduation service.ACA UK & IRELAND,INFO@CHIPUK.ORG.UK

New book of the weekUnderstanding CreationEdited by L. James Gibson and

Humberto M. Rasi

All your questions about Creation can now beanswered – by a host of scientists backed upwith cutting-edge research! Understanding

Creation can help you respond to the scepticand seriously boost your faith.

Contact ABC Sales on01476 539900

to purchase your copy at £14.25 plus p&p.