As hundreds of members and guests for the 2016 Annual Council welcomed the Sabbath on the evening of Oct. 7, the auditorium at the world church headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland, became a portal to an Adventist world of member-involved evangelism.
“We have packed this annual council with so much mission emphasis that you will be excited,” world church president Ted N.C. Wilson told delegates.
North American Division president Daniel R. Jackson introduced a video report on the outreach of Miracle City Church in Baltimore, Maryland, where Seventh-day Adventists have brought healing to a city torn in 2015 by rioting. Church members there participate in massive community service projects to bless the city and offer hope and served 100,000 people in the process. Also mentioned was the THRIVE program in Las Vegas, Nevada, which is an Adventist health outreach that was invited to offer health screenings in a local Walmart store.
From Australia, the New Hope Church and its media outreach were highlighted. Australian pastor Lloyd Grolimund speaks on topics such as what happens after death in a manner that touches hearts and provokes a response.
And in Rwanda, as world church vice president Duane McKey explained, the church’s Total Member Involvement was on display during a month-long evangelistic effort throughout the country, at more than 2,200 evangelistic sites. “You can do anything for Jesus, just so long as it is connected to a plan,” he encouraged the congregation and those watching via the Hope Channel.
Even in the heart of “secularized” Europe, the Seventh-day Adventist message is going forth. The Trans-European Division presented a video report highlighting its efforts to reach across much of the continent, while the Inter-European Division outlined plans for a center of influence near Dortmund, Germany, one of the largest urban areas in the nation.
Emphasis on evangelism and witness continued on the Sabbath, with afternoon presentations on outreach and a local effort to distribute Adventist literature to homes near the world headquarters.
