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

01 July 2009


In this issue:
-------------------------
* England: Four Union Sessions Held This Year
* England: £80,000 Worth of Scholarships for Newbold College
* Lebanon: KIDS Engages in the Middle East
* Scotland: Handwritten Bible Brings Insight to Participants
* Lebanon: A Heart for Christ
* England: Knighthood, Reception and Vision
* Norway: National Bible Society Elects Adventist Leader
-------------------------

FOUR UNION SESSIONS HELD THIS YEAR...[TED News Staff/ TED News]

St Albans, England – With forty countries organised into thirteen
union sections, and two separate attached fields, each year the
Trans-European Division (TED) sees several union sessions, where
reports on the previous five years are presented, elections for the
next quinquennium are made, and plans are discussed. This year, over
a five-week period, four sessions have been held.

Dr Wiklander, President of the TED, and by the By-Laws of the Church
the chair of the Nominating Committee of each session, has been
reflecting on each respective session. Of Hungary (reported in TED
News 3 June), he said: “The session was well-organised and a fine
atmosphere prevailed at all times. We know Pastor Tamas Ocsai, the
new union president, as a humble and hard-working man who loves the
Church. He will provide leadership with integrity and build trust
within the church. It is a pleasure to work with him and his team.”

The following week, 4 – 6 June, the Baltic States held their assembly
in Riga, Latvia. Using excellent visual presentations, reports were
given on the work of the various departments of the Church. The 58
delegates present re-elected the same leadership team, President:
Valdis Zilgalvis; Executive Secretary: Andrejs Arins; and Treasurer:
Zigurds Laudurgs. Departmental leaders were also elected; and – after
a name change from Lithuanian Mission to Lithuanian Field - Bertold
Hibner was re-elected President of the Lithuanian Field, and Deividas
Vanagas was re-elected Treasurer. The Secretary’s position will be
decided at a later date.

Pastor Zilgalvis said “We are thankful to God and every church member
for their work and involvement during last five years. God has
blessed our efforts with His presence, help and resources in a
wonderful way”.

The Session, held on Thursday and Friday, culminated in a special
Sabbath celebration. Dr Wiklander commented: “The spirit was warm,
spiritual and characterised by unity. The re-election of Pastor
Zilgalvis was strongly supported and only goes to show that he has
the gift of renewing the vision for his union and that his people are
happy to follow. The events surrounding the session were an
outstanding demonstration of the skills of top-level musicians
bringing glory and praise to our God.”

The next weekend, 11 – 13 June, the South-East European Union held
its session. The officers elected were: President: Djordje
Trajkovski; Secretary: Igor Bosnic; Treasurer: Laslo Canji. The
executive committee consists of a new group of lay people; who carry
the responsibility of appointing the Heads of Departments in the
Union.

Dr Wiklander expressed his impression: “The session was conducted in
an excellent and positive spirit. Much of the attention was focussed
on the election. The process by which new leaders and a new committee
were elected went very well. This is a big union with four different
countries, and evangelism and growth have great potential here. The
faithfulness of the members in these countries is exemplary and that
was clearly demonstrated during these days. We know Pastor Djordje
Trajkovski, the new President, as an outstanding Christian leader who
has turned around things in difficult situations before. He has been
very well received by the church and there is a spirit of optimism
and eagerness to bring the church forward in this union for which we
thank God.”

At the Swedish Union Session, 26-30 June, the three union officers
were re-elected: Pastor Bobby Sjölander (president), Audrey Andersson
(secretary), and Ronny Hermansson (treasurer). Delegates were
encouraged by the fact that the union membership has grown each of
the past three years, which is an important shift.

A new strategic plan for the period up to 2013 was adopted which
included substantial measurable goals, listing increases in baptisms,
membership, and tithe. Various evangelistic and administrative
initiatives were adopted.

The session also voted to send a request to the World Church/TED for
obtaining status as a Union of Churches according to the new
policy—regularising a special situation that has existed for Sweden
since 1969.

The strong spiritual framework for the session, held at the beautiful
campus of Ekebyholmsskolan and under optimal summer weather
conditions, was enhanced by the ministry of Pastor Mark Finley from
the World Church Headquarters, who led out in devotionals and evening
meetings, concluding the sequence with two days of pastoral growth
seminars after the conclusion of the session.

The TED President, Bertil Wiklander, said on his return to the St
Albans headquarters: “I congratulate the Swedish Union on a
well-planned, spiritual, and mission-driven session. It is clear that
Adventists in Sweden are serious about their faith and eagerly seek
opportunities to win others in a society that is becoming more and
more post-Christian. The young people are in the forefront and this
is refreshing…I believe we will see great things happening in this
union.”


£80,000 WORTH OF SCHOLARSHIPS FOR NEWBOLD COLLEGE...[Helen
Pearson/TED News]

Bracknell, England - At its June meeting, the Executive Committee of
the Newbold Board of Governors voted to award £80,000 worth of
scholarships to new students applying to Newbold from within the
Trans-European Division.

Students coming from ‘soft currency’ countries within the TED can
apply for a scholarship which will give them the full tuition fees
and half their accommodation and meals for the first year of their
studies. This means that instead of the normal tuition fee of £3,900
along with the room and board charges of £4980, these students will
now pay only £2,490 for the academic year 2009/10.

Students coming from ‘hard currency’ countries within the TED can
apply for a scholarship which will reduce their tuition fees by
50%. This means that, for these students, the normal tuition rate of
£3,900 will be reduced to £1,950 for one full academic year of study.

Scholarships will, of course, be based upon the student’s proven
academic record and his/her genuine expression of interest in
pursuing one of the degree programmes offered by Newbold College. The
funds will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis up to the
total amount of £80,000 for 2009/2010 school year. The deadline for
scholarship applications is the 1st of August 2009.

The total amount of £80,000 for the 2009/2010 school year will be
divided into two parts so that students from Scandinavian/Western
European countries and from Central/Eastern European countries get
similar numbers of places to study.

‘We are grateful for the support and generosity of the TED in making
this money available to new students,’ says Newbold’s principal, Dr
Jane Sabes. ‘We are expecting that there will be real competition in
the forty countries of the Division for these scholarships. For
deserving students this is an opportunity of a lifetime.’

Dr Daniel Duda, Education Director for the TED says, ‘We are
delighted that new students will be able to come to Newbold because
of this new financial initiative’.

For more information go to www.newbold.ac.uk..
For application forms contact Admissions Officer, Annet Johnston



‘KIDS’ ENGAGES IN THE MIDDLE EAST...[Aranka Bajic/TED News Staff/TED
News]

Beirut, Lebanon - A long weekend, 18-21 June, was dedicated to the
KID training seminars in Lebanon, for Adventists in the Middle East
Union. A group of very devoted people were involved in the
preparation process to maximize on this event.

Five teams were organized, including pastors, elders and members
travelling from Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon and
Quatar, to represent their churches. Three main presenters and six
coaches were instructing and training the teams throughout the four
days of the training. In total, a group of more than 30 people met
each day.

On the first day, after the registration and a presentation on the
KID vision, a live ‘Footprint’s for Kid’s’ lesson was demonstrated by
the teachers and families from the University Church in Beirut. This
was an important presentation which enabled the participants to grasp
the essence of the KID programme.

The schedule was packed, but because the seminars have been designed
so creatively, the participants were kept engaged and active. There
were a lots of brainstorming activities, planning sessions, exercises
that were leading the participants step-by-step to learn how to reach
their goal.

Certificates and group photos were distributed to the participants on
Sunday, at the end of the sessions. Pastor Abed from Jordan commented
before leaving; “We will remember these seminars and try to implement
whatever we learned here.” “We are sure that this ministry will be a
great blessing for our church in Abu Dhabi, it will empower the
families to grow spiritually by studying the Bible with their
children through some creative and interesting lessons,” said Cheryl
with tears in her eyes.

The mission – ‘Mentoring Kids as Empowered Disciples of Jesus NOW!’ -
And the vision – ‘Equipping parents and mentors to disciple kids to
Jesus, and to empower each child to use his or her gifts in worship
and ministry,’ “will always be in our mind and in our hearts”, says
Aranka Bajic, the Children’s Ministries leader for the Middle East.

“This was a really inspiring and rewarding training event,” says
Anne-May Wollan, Children’s Ministries Director at the TED. “We had
some really wonderful and dedicated coaches from the University
Church in Beirut that were whole heartedly engaged in KID. With the
help of two extra volunteers as trainers, Barbara Clee from
Stanborough church in England and Valerie Fidelia from Nicosia church
in Cyprus, to help teach, I could not have asked for a better team.”


HANDWRITTEN BIBLE BRINGS INSIGHT TO PARTICIPANTS...[BUC News/TED
News]

Crieff, Scotland - Inspired by the 66 language Bible travelling the
world in the lead up to the General Conference Session in Atlanta
next year, an initiative called, “Follow the Bible”, Scottish
Seventh-day Adventists decided to have their own personalised,
handwritten Bible. Members from all the churches in Scotland
submitted handwritten passages of Scripture to the Mission office
where they were compiled into the "Scottish Adventist Bible". 

Writing out the Bible by hand can bring new insights and meaning. 
"In the same way students write out revision notes; handwriting the
Bible makes passages stand out for you," Carole Peacock, secretary to
the president states. 

Some members kept an international spirit by writing their selection
out in their own language.  Arthur Gall of the Dundee church
submitted John 19 written in vernacular Scots:

"Meanwhile Jesus' mither an her sister wis staundin aside the cross,
an wi them, Mary, the wife o Clopas an Mary Magdala.  When Jesus saw
his mither an the disciple at he loved staundin aside her, he said
tae her, "This is yir son".  An syne tae the Disciple, "This is yir
mither" and frae that day the Disciple tuick her intil his ain
hame." 

Mr Gall who was baptised in January and is enthusiastic to share the
Bible with his fellow Scots commented, "It brought it home to me
writing it out".

The Scottish Adventist Bible attracted considerable attention at the
Scottish Mission Day of Fellowship as members poured through the
pages to see who had contributed and in which languages. 

More importantly, as part of "Follow the Bible", Scottish Mission
President Pastor Llew Edwards hopes that this initiative has helped
Adventists in Scotland to appreciate their Bibles more, not just as a
historical heritage but as a life changing book to cherish and
share.  He has experienced that, "somehow actually writing the text
of Scripture out yourself has its own way of 'speaking' to you as you
write."


A HEART FOR CHRIST...[MEU News/TED News Staff/TED News]

Dhour Choueir, Lebanon – On the theme “A Heart for Christ”, the
Seventh-day Adventist members in the East Mediterranean Region
fellowshipped together in a Women’s and Family Ministries weekend at
the Evangelical Centre in Dhour Choueir.

According to Sana Issa, Women’s Ministries leader for the Middle East
University Church and one of the main organizers, the 15-17 May
weekend was intended to provide an atmosphere for women to develop
their gifts and abilities; to make lasting relationships, and help
them discover their place in ministry so they can effectively touch
their communities for Christ.

The weekend saw the participants enjoy spiritual fellowship as well
as benefit from various presentations. On Friday night, Waddad Issa,
a visiting speaker from the USA, presented the sermonette.

The afternoon activities included a themed prayer walk, organised by
Aranka Bajic, Women’s and Children’s Ministries director for the
Adventist Church in the Middle East. Her colleague, Marianne Aune,
Family Ministries director, led a seminar called, “Dealing with Our
Differences”.

The vespers programme was conducted by the Middle East University
Church teens, under the leadership of Meriam Asmar, and was followed
by an evening of social activities, including a camp fire and folk
dancing.

On Sunday morning, the attendees were encouraged to start the morning
session by sharing some uplifting experiences and testimonies. This
was followed by Aranka Bajic’s seminar on communication and conflict
solving.

Sana Issa said that the purpose of this event was to reach women
through the transforming power and love of Jesus Christ. “We sought
to disciple women to follow Christ’s example and live lives with
wholesome balance, both spiritually and mentally, through consistent
prayer and study of God’s Word,” she added.


KNIGHTHOOD, RECEPTION & VISION FOR NEW GOVERNOR-GENERAL OF
JAMAICA...[BUC News/TED News]
 
London, England - The first Seventh-day Adventist to serve as
Governor-General of Jamaica was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II at a
ceremony in Buckingham Palace on Friday, 12 June. The same afternoon,
the High Commissioner for Jamaica, His Excellency the Honourable
Burchell Whiteman, OJ and Mrs Whiteman hosted a reception in honour
of Their Excellencies The Most Honourable Sir Patrick Allen, ON,
GCMG, Governor-General of Jamaica and The Most Honourable Lady
Allen. This was held on the premises of the Jamaican High Commission
in London.
 
Sir Patrick is Jamaica's sixth governor-general since independence in
1962, a role he accepted in February after stepping down as West
Indies Union President where he had served since 2000.  He began his
pastoral service in the church in 1986, after a decade of teaching in
state schools and subsequent studies at Andrews University.
 
In his speech at the reception, Sir Patrick recognised that Jamaicans
are hurting, economically, financially, socially, mentally, and
spirituality, but wanted to emphasize that Jamaica needs the service
of all her citizens both at home and abroad and hence he has given
himself to serve and to do the best he can to "help to inspire and
motivate our nation to go back to those creative energies which I
know Jamaicans have because Jamaicans are a resilient set of
people."  His commitment is very clear and unequivocal.  "I have set
forth to stir the people of Jamaica, to inspire them to greatness and
to seek their recommitment to continue the building process of a
great society."
 
The reception was attended by a wide cross-section of the Jamaican
Diaspora from the UK and as well as from the US, including clergy,
business people, educators, artists, family members, and Jamaicans
from all walks of life.  A special musical item, "Pray on for you are
who the Lord is looking for," was sung by 11-year-old Lois Moodie, a
member of the Brixton Seventh-day Adventist church.

'I believe', is his chosen theme for his period in office.  He
states, "I believe is a motto that can be internalised by everyone,
the children in the classroom the adults the entrepreneur -
everyone."  He believes that this then sets forth an agenda of
renewed trust and faith that Jamaicans have what it takes to move the
nation from a position of negatives to that position of positives
once enjoyed by all Jamaicans and admired by all the world.
 
As both a personal friend and as British Union Conference President,
Pastor Don McFarlane accompanied Sir Patrick on much of his
itinerary. Speaking on Sabbath morning Pastor McFarlane reflected the
wishes of all Adventists in the UK and Ireland by wishing Sir Patrick
well in his positive and important role where his Christian
commitment can make an impact in his work as Governor-General.


NATIONAL BIBLE SOCIETY ELECTS ADVENTIST LEADER...[AdventistInfo/TED
News Staff/TED News]

Oslo, Norway - On 11 June, the leader of the Seventh-day Adventist
Church in Norway, Pastor Tor Tjeransen, was elected Chairman of the
Norwegian Bible Society. This is the first time that this position
has been filled by a member of a free church in Norway. Up to this
point of time, a bishop of the Norwegian State Church has been
holding this position.

The Norwegian Bible Society was founded within the Church of Norway
in 1816 and is supported by many Christian denominations. It is the
central institution for Bible translation, production and
distribution in Norway. It promotes Bible reading at home and raises
funds for Bible work abroad.

The Norwegian Bible Society cooperates closely with the United Bible
Societies and with national sister societies in many countries. The
society has spearheaded Bible work in Madagascar, Israel and in Latin
American countries, and in Eastern Europe in cooperation with
national churches. Seventh-day Adventists have always been proud to
support this good work.

“Bringing the Bible to the public eye in Norway is more important
than ever, for the Bible is the most important source of our
faith...”, says Pastor Tjeransen.

____________________________________________________________________
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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