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FRONTLINEedition 20th ANNIVERSARY ISSUE

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2Q E D I T O R I A L 10

20 Years of Mission

n reality, Global Mission is far older than 20 years. Jesus started the global mission of the church when he commanded “Go ye therefore…..” It is inspiring to read of the vision, passion and sacrifice of the early Christians. This spirit was caught by the early pioneers of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. They set aside all other priorities, crossing mountains, deserts, continents and oceans to proclaim the urgent message of Revelation 14: 6-12. From humble small beginnings the Holy Spirit has provided the miracle of growth. In the mid 1800s the church grew rapidly across North America. By the 1880s a global mission movement had begun that soon captured the hearts and prayers of Adventists, establishing a mission culture that still focuses the church today. Church membership has doubled, tripled and multiplied many times over. The ratio of Adventist to population has steadily come down from 1 Adventist for every 36,000 population, to 1 Adventist for every 400 population today. The growth has included establishing 70,000 churches, 7,000 schools, 400 hospitals, and numerous publishing houses and food factories. There is little question that the Lord has been leading and guiding the church.

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However, in 1988, planning began for a new vision of mission. The millions of unreached people in the former Soviet Union, China, India and the Islamic world reminded church leadership that a great challenge remained. Nearly 70% of the world population lived in these territories, now known as the 10/40 Window. Less than 10 percent of the church membership was thinly scattered across these countries. In 1989, the General Conference Executive Committee voted a strategy called Global Mission. Its purpose was to establish at least one church among every population segment of one million in the world. The 10/40 Window was named as priority number one. Work began immediately. In 1990, church membership had just reached six million. The church was establishing one new congregation every day and more than a thousand people joined the church daily. Though these figures were encouraging, their focus didn’t significantly impact the 10/40 Window. A new emphasis and system of church planting was established. This system was implemented by the missions and conferences scattered across the 10/40 Window and was made possible by dedicated church members who returned faithful tithes and mission offerings, passionately furthering the culture of mission. Since 1990, world membership has grown to 17 million and in the 10/40 Window; member-

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ship increased more than 270%. Territories outside the 10/40 Window, during the same period of time, increased 95%. Thousands of new congregations have been established in the 10/40 Window. Church membership in the former Soviet Union has exploded, including the establishment of new schools, a new college, a publishing house, and medical clinics. China has increased membership from 18,000 to 400,000. India has increased membership from 318,000 to more than 1.4 million. Many would point to some of these indicators and conclude they represent unprecedented milestones of success for the Church. While we praise God for His blessing, these milestones don’t represent the Church’s greatest accomplishment. The evidence of the Holy Spirit, working in the lives of people who have nurtured and facilitated the culture of mission in this generation, is God’s greatest accomplishment in the church. Responsibility rests heavily on leadership to work tirelessly with the Holy Spirit, fueling the flame of mission, to burn in the heart of every member. As the torch of Jesus’ mission passes to a new generation, may God say, “They have been faithful.”

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Michael L. Ryan serves as chairman of the Adventist Mission committee.

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2Q 10

The Power of Prayer

ilan, Italy, is home to amazing architecture, music, fancy shops, fashion, and everything that can make your empty heart feel full. At least that’s what the people who live here would like to think. Italy is also home to more than 60 million people, and there is only one Adventist for every 6,900 people. The Adventist Church has had a difficult time growing here. “We have a very secularized society, says Mario Brito, Adventist Mission director for this part of Europe, and it affects the society and the Church. It’s not easy to share the gospel with people who think they don’t need God, don’t need religion.” Just outside of Milan is the area of Bergamo. Here a Seventh-day Adventist church meets each Sabbath. Several years ago the church was small and was not growing. Church leaders decided to try establishing small groups that would use prayer as their outreach to the community. The members organized into small groups that would meet several times a week in members’ homes. They studied the Bible for a deeper understanding of Jesus and His love for them. At the same time they prayed that God would bring people to them so they could share their faith. For several months this continued, and then people from outside the church started attending the small groups. These new arrivals were co-workers and mutual friends who wanted to find a deeper meaning to their lives. Slowly the small church started to grow. Sabbath School became a time of deep spiritual study and prayer. The last 15 minutes of Sabbath School

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were dedicated to praying together in the small groups. Soon the church more than doubled in size and outgrew its small building. Today there are 11 lay leaders at the church and each one is in charge of a small group. There is even talk of starting a church plant in another nearby community to alleviate the crowded church each Sabbath. “In the mission of the church, the gospel hasn’t completed its mission until in the church, between the members, and the church in its totality has accepted the character of Christ, says Roberto, one of the lay leaders. “In such a way we will meet one time per week; after we can meet two times per week. Sometimes people meet three, four, five times per week. We eat together; we enjoy together; we sing together, and also we weep together.” Your prayerful support of the mission offering helps provide resources to small churches like Bergamo as they strive to reflect the character of Christ and bring the members of their community to Jesus.

Daniel Weber is a video editor/producer for Adventist Mission.

This story is from the 2nd Quarter 2010 Adventist Mission DVD, which features stories from the Euro-Africa Division. You can watch the Adventist Mission DVD in your local church or online at www.AdventistMission.org.

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F E A T U R E

Global Mission After 20 Years By Alita Byrd

ne day while Rajah was holding a Bible study, a mob approached his house, brandishing sticks and swords. They grabbed Rajah, locked him in his house, and threatened to burn it down. With no way to escape, Rajah was terrified. But he knelt and prayed, begging God to save him the way He had saved Daniel in the lions’ den. Long before the mob came, Rajah was an active preacher every Sunday morning at his 300-member church in rural India. But things changed one day when three Global Mission pioneers knocked on his door. As he studied with them Rajah

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felt that he must share the good news about the seventhday Sabbath with his church members. After weeks of Bible study and prayer, Rajah’s congregation decided to switch its day of worship from Sunday to Saturday. While the congregation was embracing their newfound faith, others in the area were angry about this new brand of Christianity sweeping the area. That’s when the mob came and locked Rajah in his house. As Rajah prayed for God to save him, he heard someone unlock the door, but he was too afraid to open it. Rajah heard a man’s voice, and the crowd quieted

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to listen. “This man has done nothing wrong,” the voice said. “He is only talking about his beliefs. You don’t have to listen to him, but whatever you do, don’t jeopardize yourselves by taking his life.” The door opened and the man invited Rajah to walk out. Rajah saw that it was one of the respected village leaders. Rajah walked out the door and the man led him through the mob to safety. Rajah was shaken by the experience and considered leaving his ministry, but one of the Global Mission pioneers encouraged him to stay strong

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and do great things for God. Since that time, some of the people who were part of the mob have joined Rajah’s church. Today, Rajah is a Global Mission pioneer himself, actively involved in giving Bible studies. All around the world Global Mission pioneers are reaching into unentered areas of the world, knocking on doors, and talking to thousands of people about God’s love. The purpose of Global Mission is simple: to start new groups of believers among unreached groups of people and areas of world where there are few or no Adventists.

Countries with no Adventist Presence Afghanistan Aland Islands Andorra Bhutan Brunei Darussalam Comoros Falkland Islands Gibraltar Guernsey Holy See Isle of Man Jersey North Korea Liechtenstein Maldives Mauritania Mayotte Monaco Morocco Palestinian Territory Saint Pierre and Miquelon San Marino Saudi Arabia Somalia Svalbard and Jan Mayen Islands Syria Tokelau Western Sahara Yemen

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These “unentered” areas range from entire countries in Asia and Africa to unreached areas in large European and North American cities.

Behind the Global Mission Initiative The Global Mission initiative was crafted 20 years ago as a global strategy for reaching areas of the world where the Church was growing slowly or not at all. Global Mission was launched to find creative ways to tell the world of Jesus’ love to those who otherwise may not hear it. In 1993 Global Mission started the Global Mission pioneer program. This program uses local church members as church planters working within their own culture and in places where they speak the local language. They are paid a small stipend, and live and work among the people they’re trying to reach. These pioneers dedicate at least one year to establish a new Adventist congregation. Through their holistic ministry, pioneers often help with people’s basic needs like food, water, shelter, healthcare and education, as well as sharing the Bible. Tens of thousands of Global Mission pioneers have ventured into areas with no Adventist presence and planted new groups of believers. Since 1990, the Adventist church membership has nearly tripled to more than

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16 million, thanks in large part to the work of the pioneers. In the last four years, Global Mission has spent $22 million on projects in 163 countries, and funded nearly 10,000 pioneers. Through the General Conference’s “Tell the World” initiative – its strategic plan for mission from 2005 to 2010, and now 2010 to 2015 – Global Mission and its pioneers will work to invite every person in the world to respond to the good news about Jesus.

Three Priorities for MISSIONS The Adventist Church has defined an “unentered’ area to be one where there is a ratio of more than a million people to one church. It may be a country where there are no Adventists at all, or only one church for an entire country. Or it may be a place where there are thousands of Adventist members, but none within an entire people group. For instance, statistics show that 77% of Hindus living the United States don’t know a single Christian personally.

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Global Mission focuses its work in three specific areas:

The 10/40 Window Stretching from North Africa, through the Middle East, and into East Asia, the 10/40 Window is a high priority area for Global Mission. With relatively few Christians, it is home to many of the world’s major religions, fastest growing cities, and some of the world’s poorest people. Many living within this region have never heard the name of Jesus. For years the Adventist Church has spent the vast majority of its resources in areas where Christianity is known. Today Global Mission continues to make the 10/40 Window a priority in mission.

number of people living in cities increases by approximately a million each week. Global Mission is providing seed money for new churches in cities where the Adventist Church is struggling to gain a foothold. At least 25 cities around the world are benefiting from this program. One of these projects is in Abidjan, the commercial and administrative center of Cote d’Ivoire, West Africa. Fewer than 10,000 Adventists live in this nation of nearly 17 million people. Local church members plan to start a three-phase evangelistic effort in an unentered part of Abidjan. Another project is in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where there is just one Adventist for every 1,263 people. Global Mission is helping to fund a community outreach project downtown, where 117 young people are now attending church programs.

Hope for Big Cities -

Reaching the Postmodern and Secular World - Europe today has

As the name implies, “Hope for Big Cities” projects focus on establishing congregations within the rapidly growing populations of the world’s largest urban areas. In 2007, for the first time in history, more than half the world’s population lived in cities. Today there are nearly 500 cities with populations of more than one million people. In Africa and Asia, the

the fewest Adventists per capita of any continent. Nearly half of Europeans practice no religion. More and more post-modern people are unable to relate to the Adventist Church in the way it has traditionally been presented. Global Mission is making secular parts of the world, such as Western Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and much of

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Study Centers

The Adventist Church has historically grown fastest in areas of the world where Christianity is already understood; however, in 10/40 Window countries, such as Thailand, India, and the Middle East, people are often resistant to even associate with Christians. To share the gospel effectively, Global Mission realized that Adventists must first understand the culture. Since 1990 Global Mission has started five study centers in various parts of the world to learn about other world religions and build bridges of understanding. These study centers help Adventists understand the beliefs and cultures of other world religions and develop ways to explain Adventist beliefs to others. Global Center For AdventistMuslim Relations Director: Lester Merklin E-mail: MerklinL@gc.adventist.org Hindu Study Center Director: G. R. Mohan Roy E-mail: mohanroy@sud-adventist.org World Jewish Friendship Center Director: Richard Elofer E-mail: rielofer@netvision.net.il Online: www.jewishadventist.org Buddhist Study Center Director: Scott Griswold E-mail: griswold@loxinfo.co.th Online: www.BridgesForMinistry.org Center for Secular and Post-Modern Studies Online: www.secularandpostmodern.com

North America, a priority. Global Mission is working to plant churches in these areas and come up with creative new programs that interest the non-

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Each year some 2,500 Global Mission pioneers around the world are telling people about the love of Christ. The hundreds of projects Global Mission supports each year are started and planned by people at the local level. This grassroots planning creates projects with a higher chance of success and creates local ownership. Each year Global Mission allocates money to every world region. Local divisions, unions, conferences, and missions then make some contribution to the cost of projects within their territories. This helps create a sense of shared responsibility and local ownership of each initiative. Here is a sampling of what you’ve done over the past five years in more than 160 countries in every region of the world. Euro-Asia – includes countries such as Russia and former Soviet states Number of pioneers: 300 Number of countries: 13 Cost: $1.8 million Church growth: -0.2% Euro-Africa – includes countries such as Italy, Morocco, and Spain Number of pioneers: 261 Number of countries: 18 Cost: $1.9 million Church growth: 2.3% East-Central Africa – includes countries such as DR Congo, Kenya, and Rwanda Number of pioneers: 1,646 Number of countries: 11 Cost: $1.9 million Church growth: 23.1% Inter-America – includes countries such as Costa Rica, Haiti, and Mexico Number of pioneers: 536 Number of countries: 14 Cost: $1.1 million Church growth: 26.3%

Northern Asia-Pacific – includes countries such as China, Japan, and Korea Number of pioneers: 1,560 Number of countries: 6 Cost: $4.1 million Church growth: 13.9%

Southern Asia – includes countries such as India Number of pioneers: 1,442 Number of countries: 2 Cost: $1.2 million Church growth: 75.8%

South America Number of pioneers: 658 Number of countries: 9 Cost: $1.2 million Church growth: 2.8%

South Pacific – includes countries such as Australia, Fiji, and the Solomon Islands Number of pioneers: 336 Number of countries: 16 Cost: $2.0 million Church growth: 2.8%

Be Part of It Global Mission’s ambitious projects are impossible to complete without support from people like you. As pioneers request funding for local projects, Global Mission tries to allocate the money to where it is most

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Southern Asia-Pacific – includes countries such as Myanmar, the Philippines, and Thailand Number of pioneers: 1,472 Number of countries: 13 Cost: $1.3 million Church growth: 7.4%

Southern Africa-Indian Ocean Number of pioneers: 391 Number of countries: 12 Cost: $580,000 Church growth: 20.3%

religious people living there in the love of God.

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North America – includes the Bermuda, Canada, and the United States Number of pioneers: 135 Number of countries: 2 Cost: $1.3 million Church growth: 4.3%

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needed. Even small contributions can make a big difference. It only takes only $50 a month to sponsor a Global Mission pioneer. Many challenges remain as we seek to “Tell the World,” but with the faithful giving of those who can, and the tireless work of committed pioneers and other laypeople, we can make

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Trans-European – includes countries such as the United Kingdom, Poland, and the Middle East Number of pioneers: 513 Number of countries: 29 Cost: $2.4 million Church growth: 6.4% West-Central Africa – includes countries such as Chad, Cote d’Ivoire, and Liberia Number of pioneers: 468 Number of countries: 18 Cost: $1.6 million Church growth: 12.2%

sure that we follow Christ’s command to go into all the world. Global Mission is serious about reaching every corner of the world for Jesus. There are still millions who need to hear the good news.

Alita Byrd Featured contributor.

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WORLD NEWS

KIRIBATI Kiribati is a small island nation that straddles the equator in the Pacific Ocean. Adventists first came to Kiribati—then called the Gilbert & Ellice Islands—in 1948, and since then the work has grown and extended to many of the islands through the influence and outreach of Kauma Adventist School on the island of Abemama. There still remain, however, a number of unentered islands where strong traditional religions prevent easy access for evangelism. Four years ago, the Kiribati Mission decided to launch a Global Mission initiative to enter some of these

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islands using a culturally appropriate way of making friends and getting close to the people through their traditional lifestyle by organizing fishing clubs. The first fishing club began on the island of Nikunau. As a result, this island has a group of families who are studying the Bible, and the first baptism was held in 2008. This method was so effective that last year a second fishing club was organized on the island of Onotoa. Global Mission funds helped to purchase a small aluminum dingy, an outboard motor, fishing tackle and nets, and

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several families were invited to join the new fishing club. The Global Mission pioneer, Toaea Tokirua, is the leader of this

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NEWS

club and operates it as a small business enterprise for the families, while at the same time befriending them and sharing Christian and biblical principles. The friendship that develops through fishing together is opening the hearts of people.

Last October, Pastor Titau, the Global Mission coordinator and his wife, spent two weeks visiting the fishing club, sharing health videos on smoking and HIV-AIDS, and running programs on health and parenting. Titau’s wife also gave training for two pre-school teachers and the mothers. A house for the pioneer was built, and several families joined the visitors to celebrate Sabbath for the first

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time. Land has been identified for a future church building, and we pray that God will continue to soften the hearts of these seafaring people so that they will be ready to meet Jesus when he comes.

KazakhstanBakyt serves as a Global Mission pioneer within an ethnic Kyrgyz group in the northwestern part of Kyrgyzstan. For the past six years he’s tried to start a congregation without much success. Traditionally the Adventist Church has grown within the ethnic Russian communities, while it has faltered among the Kyrgyz people—which make up 65 percent of the population. Last year Bakyt, who’s a Kyrgyz himself, decided to change his method and started to approach people in a more traditionally Kyrgyz

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manner. He rearranged his worship hall from a Russianstyle setup to be more comfortable for the Kyrgyz, who prefer to sit on the floor. Within a couple months things changed. Two months ago Bakyt held his first evangelistic series of meetings. More than 60 people came. People are now more willing to meet with Bakyt and pray with him. He finds that people are also much more open to stopping by his home to eat and talk to him and his family, many times for hours on end. Although no one in Bakyt village has accepted Christ yet, he prays that one day soon he will see the results of his work.

PAKISTAN Some three million people live in Norring Mandi, an agricultural town in the eastern part of Pakistan. Only 2,000 Chris-

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tians call this place home. Earlier this year the Adventist Church in Pakistan sent an evangelistic team to Norring Mandi to hold a series of meetings and—hopefully— establish a new congregation in this unentered community. At the end of the meetings 73 people accepted Jesus as their personal savior and were baptized. A building was donated to the Adventist Church, which is now being used as a house of worship for this new congregation. A plot of land was also donated which will be used to build a church in the future.

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FRONTLINEedition

After 3 months of training a total of 109 missionaries from the 35th class of the Northern Asia-Pacific Division’s 1,000 Missionary Movement training center left for their respective mission fields last

Michael L. Ryan –Chairperson, Adventist Mission Gary Krause –Director Ganoune Diop –Study Centers Director Rick Kajiura –Communication Director Marti Schneider –Programs Director Homer Trecartin –Planning Director KARLA RIVERA –Donor Services Representative Laurie Falvo –Communication Projects Manager Charlotte Ishkanian –Mission Editor Andrew King –Video Producer/Editor Nancy Kyte –Marketing Director Hans Olson –Communication Projects Manager Shyamala Ram –Senior Office Assistant Nimfa Sumagaysay –Donor Response Coordinator Stella Thomas –Administrative Assistant Daniel Weber –Video Producer/Editor

month. These young people from seven different countries left eager to serve. Among them was one who went to Mongolia, one of the most unreached places in Asia. The center aims to take young adults from throughout Northern Asia, who want to serve, and prepare them to go back out into their communities and start new congregations. The intensive program gives them the tools to be self-sustaining for at least a year. Thanks in part to the Adventist Church’s frontline

FRONT LINE EDITION

is published quarterly by Global Mission, part of the Office of Adventist Mission, at the Seventh-day Adventist Church World Headquarters. Tax- deductible gifts for Global Mission projects can be sent to Global Mission 12501 Old Columbia Pike Silver Spring, MD 20904 800-648-5824 www.global-mission.org

Global Center For Adventist-Muslim Relations

Lester Merklin Andrews University Berrien Springs, MI 49104-0220 Phone: 240-338-6681 Fax: 269-471-6252 E-mail: MerklinL@gc.adventist.org

mission programs, already many of the 1,000 Missionary Movement pioneers are holding evangelistic meetings and starting small groups. In the near future the training center expects to start another class that will go out to even more parts of Asia. Thank you for your ongoing support.

Hindu Study Center

G. R. Mohan Roy Southern Asia Division Post Box 2, HCF Hosur 635110 Tamil Nadu India Phone: 91 (4344) 26-2170 Fax: 91 (4344) 26-2090 mohanroy@sud-adventist.org

World Jewish Friendship Center

Richard Elofer P.O Box 592 94186 Jerusalem Israel Phone; 972 (2) 6251 547 Fax: 972 (2) 6251 391 www.jewishadventist.org rielofer@netvision.net.il

Buddhist Study Center Scott Griswold P.O. Box 15, Nakhon Luang,

Ayutthaya Thailand 13260 griswold@loxinfo.co.th Phone: 66 818 515 414 www.BridgesForMinistry.org

Centre for Secular and Post-Modern Studies 119 St. Peter’s Street; St. Albans, Herts AL1 3EY; ENGLAND Phone: 44 (1727) 854-229 Fax: 44 (1727) 866-312 www.reframe.info ask@reframe.info

2Q 10

FREE BOOK OFFER

Best Ever Mission Stories Adventist children from all over the world have been doing their part to help others accept Jesus as their personal Savior. They aren’t waiting until they are grown up to become missionaries. They are busy right now, sharing the love of Christ in their own family, neighborhoods, and schools.

Charlotte Ishkanian, editor of Adventist Mission

magazines, inspires readers with these new stories about mission minded kids who make a difference in the lives of others right now.

Please visit www.AdventistMission.org/

Book-Offer to order the book or call us at 1-800648-5824. We’ll send your free copy right away.

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along an ancient road For centuries a vast network of trade routes linked Europe and Asia, the East and West. Today this ancient Silk Road marks a path where Christianity is hardly known — vast cities with no Adventist believers, whole regions with no Christian congregations. This path travels through places such as China, Central Asia, the Middle East, Turkey, Afghanistan, India, and Pakistan. A special offering will be taken for this region of the world as part of the 2010 General Conference Session in Atlanta, Georgia, on June 26 and July 3, 2010. If you miss these offering dates, you can also give online at gcsession.adventistmission.org until the end of the year.

2010 General Conference Session Offering To learn more about this offering, please visit:

GCSESSIon.AdvEnTISTMISSIon.oRG