TED News Bulletin
Trans-European Division of the
Seventh-day Adventist Church

10 March 2010


In this issue:
-------------------------
* Netherlands – Adventist Church Leaders Inspire Dutch Adventists
* Egypt – Evangelistic Meetings in Upper Egypt
* England – ACTS is back at Newbold College
* England - Sabbath in the Gym for a Church Body Workout
* Egypt – Egypt Field Looks to the Future
* USA - Four Adventists Confirmed Dead in Chilean Quake
* USA – Andrea Luxton Named New AU Provost
-------------------------

ADVENTIST CHURCH LEADERS INSPIRE DUTCH ADVENTISTS...[NUC website/Wim
Altink/TED News Staff/TED News]

Huis Ter Heide, Netherlands - From 4th to 7th March, the Seventh-day
Adventist Church in the Netherlands enjoyed a special visit by Dr Jan
Paulsen, President of the Adventist World Church, together with Dr
Bertil Wiklander, President of the Trans-European Division.

On Friday 5th March Pastors Paulsen and Wiklander, together with the
Netherlands Union Conference leadership, visited the Adventist Old
People’s Home, Vredenoord, and the Adventist community centre Alivio
in the city of Delft.

During the bustling Adventist Dutch Day of Fellowship on Sabbath 6th,
which saw more than 2500 attendees, Pastor Paulsen in his sermon
emphasised that the church of Christ is placed in the world to serve.
"Knowledge of the Word is not enough, the point is that we must live
our faith."

The Day of Fellowship brought a wide variety of music and singing on
stage; and through movie clips it was demonstrated how Adventist
churches are impacting their communities. Dr Wiklander, in his
closing message of the day indicated that God is a God of abundance;
He wants to bless His church in many, many ways. God wants to improve
the quality of life of all people. The church is a strong instrument
in contributing to that goal.

On Sunday 7th, over 80 leaders from the local churches met in the
Training Centre in Oud Zandbergen. There the 75-year-old president
spoke with both humour and humility about the lessons he has learned
during his 35 years in Church leadership positions. In the afternoon,
Pastor Wiklander delivered a passionate discourse on the meaning of
the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. He emphasized that this major event
is crucial for a healthy church life. He said, “The attitude of
leaders to live Christ-like examples will determine the quality of
community life of the church”.

Pastor Paulsen concluded his pastoral visit to the Netherlands with a
live broadcast interview (via Hope Channel) with 14 Dutch youth who
took the opportunity to ask the World Church president questions.
This was the 28th in a series of live broadcast interviews of young
people worldwide with Pastor Paulsen, titled ‘Let's Talk.’

Following the visit, Pastor Wiklander commented, “Pastor Paulsen’s
visit was very inspiring and uplifting. Like me, he was also deeply
impressed with the work of the church in the Netherlands, for
example, the fine service provided by Vredenoord Old People’s home
and the unique outreach to the local community in Delft by the Alivio
Adventist church and how it actually saves young boys and girls from
hopelessness and desperation while itself growing spiritually and
numerically.”

“The spiritual feast with about 2,500 Adventists during Sabbath was
also unforgettable. The church has a bright future in the Netherlands
and I commend the leaders for their courage and emphasis on building
community – both within the church and towards the world around us.
Elder Paulsen mentioned on Sunday in a meeting with our elders and
pastors that “the church exists for those who are not members”, and
this is something that the church in this country is taking very
seriously. My wife and I felt invigorated and encouraged by our
experience during this visit.”

Pastor Wim Altink, President of the Netherlands Union, concluded,
“The visit of Pastors Paulsen and Wiklander and their wives have give
a major impetus to the Dutch Adventist church as it seeks to
prioritise on community building (inside the church and serving the
wider community) and fostering unity within diversity. We praise God
for the very positive spirit these days have given us.”

The Advent Church in the Netherlands has 5,000 members spread over 55
local churches and 15 church plants.


EVANGELISTIC MEETINGS IN UPPER EGYPT...[Kjell Aune/TED News Staff/TED
News]

Zewak, Egypt – For a period of over two weeks, starting in the end of
February, a village in Upper Egypt was made acquainted with the
distinctive beliefs of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, in both
theory and in practise.

In a series of 15 meetings over a period of 16 days, the evangelistic
meetings concentrated on family life issues, followed by Bible
lectures. The meetings were conducted by Pastor Kjell Aune, President
of the Middle East Union (MEU) of the Adventist Church, and his wife,
Marianne, MEU Family Ministries Director, in the village of Zewak.

Zewak is a village of about 15,000 people. An Adventist presence goes
back many years to the time when a German missionary brought the
Gospel to the village. As a result, the first Christian church in the
village was built. For some time almost all Christians in the village
were Adventists. Today, about 65% of the villagers are Christians,
and the Adventists are a notable entity in the village. The local
pastor, Rizk Saadallah, is very committed to his post, and is active
in visitation of members and non-members alike, in a community where
tradition and local culture is extremely strong.

During the programme, the Aunes and the local pastor did a lot of
house visitations, getting acquainted with the people, answering
questions, and praying with them. As about 95% of ladies over 40 are
illiterate, they are dependent on verbal Bible studies to grow in
their understanding of the Gospel.

The meetings were much appreciated both by local Adventists and
others who felt that their faith was built and their understanding of
the Bible was deepened.

Pastor Aune says: “Many villagers have felt blessed by these
meetings, but so have Marianne and myself. To come this close to the
people, live with them and get into their thinking and their concerns
and their daily life, is a culturally enlightening and educational
experience for us. People have been so friendly and thankful. We have
been truly blessed. It is also a special experience to be in a
village in the Bible land of Egypt and preach from texts in the Bible
that are so relevant to them...The Bible comes very alive and
relevant in such a village setting. Egypt is a fantastic country, and
its people are so friendly and nice.”


ACTS AT NEWBOLD COLLEGE...[Newbold College Website/TED News]

Bracknell, England - Newbold’s long-anticipated Youth Day of
Fellowship became an exciting reality on Saturday, 20 February 2010.
And what a day it was! Newbold College welcomed 835 youth from
throughout the United Kingdom, in fact, from all over – England,
Scotland, Wales, Ireland, and as far away as Denmark – to fellowship
together.

In the words of Newbold’s Principal, Dr Jane Sabes, the day was
“designed to bring youth together, to be able to warm one another’s
hearts and strengthen each other, through preaching by and for youth,
relevant workshops, music and simply through socializing.”

The day began with back-to-back preaching by seven compelling
speakers on the theme of ‘renewal’. The assembly was also led in song
and in interactive activities alike, and was even treated with
special musical items by 4-year-old Vuyo Ransom from Swindon Church
and from the Slough Youth Choir.

There were nineteen workshops from which to choose on relevant topics
from ‘Using Art Therapy’ to Sort Out Emotional Baggage’ by Belinda
Stojanovic to ‘Does Ellen White Have Anything Worth Saying to Youth
of Today?’ by Dr Radisa Antic. Jonas Raabjerg, Newbold MA student in
Theology, presented a workshop on ‘Bridging the Gap: Creating
Authentic Community’ and shared his thoughts on the subject: “I chose
the topic because I am passionate about doing church in new ways and
trying to reach people in the culture around us.” Carole Williams,
Newbold Theology graduate and Christian politician presented a
workshop on ‘Christians Running for Public Office? Get Real!’ She
stated, “The aim was to get young people thinking more broadly about
the various ways that God can use us all in our careers even when
they do not seem to be related to the work of the Church.”

The workshops were followed by the baptism of Tatenda Mushunje from
Coventry Church, as he was warmly welcomed into fellowship with
family and friends gathered for this celebration.

The evening was full of festivities and treats, complete with a
Christian book and CD sale. There was an array of food booths, from
Caribbean cuisine to popcorn, with each stall raising money for a
worthy cause. The evening concluded with a concert organized by
Trevor Johnson, with the best sounds from around the UK. There was a
large variety of talented musical groups, vocal solos and
instrumental arrangements.

Kay Choudary, coordinator of the day’s events said, “I was very happy
to see ACTS revived after six years and to see everyone enjoying
Newbold College’s campus. It takes a lot of organisation, but just to
see people smile and be happy is well worth the effort.”

It was indeed a day to remember...And it isn’t the last! Mark your
calendars for next year’s ACTS: Newbold Youth Day of Fellowship on
Saturday 26th February 2011. Come and join us! We can’t wait to host
you!

For more info about Newbold College visit


SABBATH IN THE GYM FOR A CHURCH BODY WORKOUT...[Tihomir Zestic/BUC
News/TED NEWS]

Bracknell, England - Five services in one church is somewhat unusual,
but that is the reality of Newbold Adventist church, situated
adjacent to Newbold College. With up to one thousand in attendance on
an average Sabbath worship is divided between the Early Service,
Family Service, Contemporary Service, Russian and JUMP Student
churches. So with five different services, how does a church worship
as one?

On Sabbath, 27th February the attempt was made. "Whoa, we're that
big," surprised members commented as all five parts of the church
family met together in the College gymnasium to celebrate a day of
fellowship. Accompanied by the church's fantastic orchestral ensemble
and brilliant College choir, the congregation sang with its heart and
soul in a stimulating spiritual atmosphere. Lynette Shrimpton, who
normally attends the more quiet early service commented that, "it is
so great to be singing with a choir of 800 people." Senior pastor,
Patrick Johnson noted that, "there was a definite positive buzz.
People had a proper feeling of what Newbold church is."

"Unity" and "church body" were the words most spoken during the event
and expressed the reality of the day. In his sermon, Pastor Patrick
Johnson stated that, "About 800 people in this hall today are one
body and one spirit, and if one part suffers, all feel pain. We are
here not to enhance suffering but to grow and develop; everyone is of
the same importance in this way." He also emphasised tolerance and
mutual understanding within the diverse church body as requirements
for its unity.

Associate pastor, Kirsten Oster-Lundqvist and one of the elders,
Alastair Agbaje, presented Newbold's different church departments and
the activities within them. However, the main contribution to the
topic was the participation of all the different contributors during
the service.  This enriched and gave flavour to the whole
event. These included the Newbold Primary School choir, the puppet
group 'Alive', the Contemporary Service leaders, a mime youth group,
the Russian String Quartet, and dozens of others who participated in
technical teams and with the logistics of the day. Each contributed
to the whole picture of Church, a community with great potential as
well as great responsibilities. For photos of the day see the gallery
page of the Newbold church website:
http://newbold.adventistchurch.org.uk/photo_albums/895


EGYPT FIELD LOOKS TO THE FUTURE...[Llewellyn Edwards/TED News
Staff/TED News]

Heliopolis, Egypt - Over the dates 10-15 February the pastoral team
of the Egypt Field of the Seventh-day Adventist Church met at its
head office in Heliopolis, for a six days seminar.

Pastor Janos Kovacs-Biro, Evangelism and Church Planting director at
the Trans-European Division (TED), lead the team through lectures and
discussion under the title of ‘Foundations of Pastoral Ministry’.
Some of the topics presented were on: spirituality, professional
growth, counselling and evangelism.

The ideas discussed included the development of some of the Adventist
playschools into Primary schools; the completion of a building to
house an IT lab, and also English language and health education
projects.

Llewellyn Edwards, leader of the Church in Egypt particularly
appreciated reviewing issues that arose out of the intensive seminar,
discussing ideas on the further development of the pastoral team and
the work in Egypt. He also expressed appreciation for the support of
Pastor Kjell Aune, president of the Middle East Union, who created
the syllabus upon which the intensives are based; and for the support
offered by the TED in allocating the time and skills of Janos
Kovacs-Biro.


FOUR ADVENTISTS CONFIRMED DEAD IN CHILEAN QUAKE...[Mark A Kellner/
Adventist Review.org/TED News]
 
Silver Springs, USA - Four Seventh-day Adventist church members in
Chile are confirmed dead in the wake of the magnitude 8.8 earthquake
that struck the southern part of the South American nation on 27th
February, church officials have confirmed.

Two church headquarters have been severely damaged, while more than
10 places of worship have “been almost completely destroyed,”
according to Pastor Erton Koehler, president of the church’s South
American Division.

At the same time, the division reports U.S. Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton met with ADRA volunteers at Santiago’s airport on 2nd
March and commended the group’s relief efforts. 

“Thanks to those who prayed and continue praying for our brothers and
all who have suffered from the earthquake that happened last Saturday
in Chile,” Koehler wrote in an e-mail message 5 March 2010, “We
remain united in intercession and supporting our fellow Chileans.”

Koehler added, “Until now we have news of four killed Adventists and
some still missing. We're still waiting for more news. Furthermore,
we have two headquarters, the South Chile Conference in Temuco and
Central Mission in Talca, Chile, [that are] highly compromised. More
than 10 churches have been almost completely destroyed and some
[church-related] academies and schools suffered significant damage.
Many of our brothers are homeless, struggling to find food, water and
a place to stay.”

According to Koehler, the Adventist Development and Relief Agency, or
ADRA, is continuing its assistance in the region. “ADRA is supporting
the delivery of food, blankets and tents, as well as having a
Canadian team working with water purification and a group of nearly
100 volunteers helping in Santiago to arrange the food to be sent to
needy regions,” he reported.

“Now we begin to come together to seek resources and help from church
institutions (temples, schools and offices) to return its [normal]
use, and support our brothers in their personal challenges,” he
added.

 According to Karen Cordovez writing for the division, U.S. Secretary
of State “Hillary Clinton, after meeting with [outgoing Chilean]
President [Michelle] Bachelet spoke with President-elect Sebastian
Pinera, [at the Santiago airport]. Clinton approached the 80 ADRA
volunteers there to see their work.

“Cristian Pincheira, Project Coordinator for ADRA Chile, spoke with
[Mrs. Clinton] about the work that ADRA is doing in the country to
help the [earthquake] victims. Clinton expressed her appreciation for
the work of the volunteers and related her own awareness of ADRA’s
work in the United States,” Cordovez reported.


ANDREA LUXTON NAMED NEW AU PROVOST...[Keri Suarez/Adventist
Review.org/TED News]
 
Silver Springs, USA - Andrea Luxton has been named the new provost at
Andrews University, the flagship tertiary institution of the
Seventh-day Adventist Church. Dr Luxton, is currently president of
Canadian University College in Lacombe, Alberta, Canada.
 
Niels-Erik Andreasen, Andrews University president, said, “Andrea
Luxton has many years of experience in higher education, as a faculty
member, administrator and advocate of Adventist higher education both
in this country and internationally. I believe she will bring
extraordinary gifts to the provost position at Andrews and will help
move this University forward in the direction it is destined to go.”
 
Luxton succeeds Dr Heather Knight, who in 2009 became president of
church-owned Pacific Union College.
 
“I look forward to engaging with the many professionals at Andrews
University and being a part of the University's positive future,” Dr
Luxton said. “I will particularly enjoy the diversity and
internationalism of the campus and the synergy of working with so
many others who share the same values I do in delivering Adventist
Christian education.”
 
Dr Luxton holds a BA in theology and English from Newbold College, an
MA in English from Andrews University, a PhD in English from the
Catholic University of America as well as a Postgraduate Diploma in
Institutional Management and Change in Higher Education from the
University of Twente, Netherlands.
 
She began her career in education in 1982 as Head of English for
Stanborough School in England. After spending four years at Catholic
University in Washington, D.C., as both a teaching assistant and
lecturer, she returned to England to chair the English Department at
Newbold College from 1986–1991. Beginning in 1991, she held multiple
responsibilities as education director, Sabbath School director and
women’s ministries coordinator of the British Union of Seventh-day
Adventists. In 1993, Luxton returned to her roots at Stanborough,
this time as principal. She remained there until 1997, at which time
she became principal of Newbold College.
 
Luxton has written articles for a number of publications, including
Adventist Review, multiple British Union church papers and the
Canadian Messenger. She is also an experienced speaker with
international experience both in and outside of Church audiences.
 
Andrews University is the first college and university founded by the
Seventh-day Adventist Church. Originally established in 1874 in
Battle Creek, Michigan, the university has operated in Berrien
Springs, Michigan, since 1901.
 
_________________________________________________________________
TED News Staff:
Paul Clee, News Director and Editor
Heidi Kamal Kendel, Editorial Assistant
119 St Peter's Street, St Albans, Herts.,
AL1 3EY, England
Website: www.ted-adventist.org

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