The Belgian-Luxembourg Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church was formally organized in 1921, although the presence of Adventists in that territory goes far beyond.Despite the pandemic, leaders want to celebrate the Anniversary on Sabbath April 17, 2021.
On the theme of “100 years in the service of hope” the church wants to look back on the distant and recent history of the Conference. A regional communication team is working on videos, interviews, photos and other precious material. There will be an interactive morning program with a special greeting by the President of the General Conference of Seventh-Day Adventist, Ted N. Wilson, and a message from Daniel Monachini, President of the Southern French Conference, who spent his childhood in Belgium.
There will also be an interactive Sabbath School and a special program for the youth and children. In the afternoon participants will be immersed in the history of the Federation in all its diversity and finally there will be a live online concert, with contributions from Belgium and Luxembourg.
The morning program can be followed via a zoom meeting and through the YouTube channel of the Conference. The afternoon and evening program will only be available on YouTube. Via zoom there will be possibilities for different translations, but the main languages will be Dutch and French. The afternoon and evening program can be followed only in French and Dutch.
“The history of the Belgian-Luxembourg Conference is an extremely complex one”, commented Jeroen Tuinstra, President of the Belgian-Luxembourg Conference. “It shows how difficult and yet satisfying evangelism was and is in the heart of Europe. It is probably one of the hardest fields to work in. Yet with this centennial Adventists in Belgium and Luxembourg show that the church is alive and full of zeal today.”
“The Belgian-Luxembourg 100th anniversary doesn’t solely focus on reflecting on our proud past as a church family”, so Rúben de Abreu, President of the Franco-Belgian Union. “Our primary aim is to focus on our future and mission success, while connecting with people to lead them to Jesus. The establishment of the Conference had the purpose to set forth the structural capacity to motivate and organize the members for sharing the gospel within the complexity of the Belgian and Luxembourg societies. We truly believe, that with the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, it’s possible to be more effective and relevant”, concluded de Abreu.
Mario Brito, President of the Inter-European Division, stated: "The organization of the Belgian-Luxembourg Conference of 100 years ago should be seen not as a purely administrative matter, but as the creation of a structure to support and facilitate the accomplishment of the mission that the Lord has entrusted to us. To better enjoy this commemoration”, continued Brito, “we need to understand the perspective of our spiritual ancestors. That is, for our time together to have deep meaning and lasting educational effect, we must see it from the perspective of a past and a future anchored on the solid foundations of God's Word.”
About the Belgian-Luxembourg Conference
The Belgian-Luxembourg Conference is organized in 35 Churches, with 2,948 members, in a territory that counts a population of 12,147,000 (online statistics).
To follow the celebrations, please go here (Dutch) and here (French). For more detailed information, write here.
