Creation Sabbath

The General Conference’s Faith and Science Council is sponsoring its first “Celebration of Creation” Symposium Friday night, Oct 23 and all day Sabbath, Oct 24, 2009, to be held at the University Church on the campus of Loma Linda University. The objective of this gathering is to highlight the truthfulness of the Biblical account of a recent creation, affirming that it took place in six literal, 24-hour, consecutive days. Seventh-day Adventist scientists and theologians will review this wonderful Biblical belief which has to do with our origins, our reason for existence and the prophetic implications of a Creator God who commands us to worship Him as Creator on the seventh-day Sabbath—the same seventh day we worship on today. There are enormous prophetic implications of the seventh-day Sabbath in Revelation which are vitally important today in our relationship to Christ as our Savior and Coming King and His commission entrusted to us to proclaim the three angels’ messages of Rev 14:6-12.

The “Celebration of Creation” will examine various topics including: Reasons to Trust God’s Word, The Evidence and the Book, Getting Science Right— Geology and Biology, How Can A Good God Allow Evil?, The Scope and Limits of Evolution, The Scientific Advantage of a Fresh Worldview, and What Does It All Mean? It is vital to know about our Creator and His creation because of unbiblical secularist and humanist influences in the world today that are attempting to shape our worldview. It is critical to base our understanding about origins on what the Bible indicates and the amplification of this teaching given through the Spirit of Prophecy.

The event coincides with the General Conference-voted creation emphasis worldwide on Sabbath, Oct. 24 and will be the first in a series of symposia sponsored by the Faith and Science Council in cooperation with the Biblical Research Institute, Geoscience Research Institute, and the Hope Channel. More information may be found at www.CreationSabbath.net including sample sermons, informational articles, children’s stories, pertinent Scripture passages, hymns and responsive readings as well as other resources and links. Please pray for God’s blessing on this important day and the spiritual impact of this event on students, church members, and the public as God is lifted up as our all-powerful Creator.

Gloria Patri Conference Encourages Scholarly Collaboration

Fifty-three scholars from across the academic disciplines and from six countries gathered for the second meeting of the Gloria Patri Interdisciplinary Conference Series, June 4-8, 2009 in Bobbio Pellice, Italy. Karen Abrahamson and Kathy Demsky organized the conference, jointly sponsored by the Faith and Science Council of the General Conference, the Geoscience Research Institute, and Andrews University. Though a number of non-Adventist scholars also participate, the Gloria Patri conferences strongly support the notion that God is creator, sustainer, and maintainer of the earth and that the seventh-day Sabbath is a memorial of God’s historical, creative actions.

While the Seventh-day Adventist Church provides a number of graduate programs throughout its educational system, there are still many young people who, due to the nature of their studies, especially in the natural sciences, attend public universities and work in secular institutions. Thus, an important function of the Gloria Patri conferences is to provide a home and community for the church’s worldwide consortium of scholars. One young woman, following the Bobbio conference, came to the conclusion that she should formalize her relationship to the Seventh-day Adventist Church through baptism. The next conference is scheduled for September 2010 at Friedensau Adventist University in Germany and will focus on the origin and meaning of evil. For more information, see http://gloriapatri2010.blogspot.com or write to thecambridgeproject@gmail.com.

South American Symposium VIII Held

From left to right: Wesley Torres, Wilson Paroschi, Ekkehardt Mueller, Milton L. Torres

Approximately five hundred administrators, theologians, and pastors addressed the topic of “Theology and Methodology for Mission” at South American Biblical-Theological Symposium VIII, held on the campus of Northeast Brazil College from July 16-19, 2009. Four scholars from BRI presented papers at the conference, including Ángel Manuel Rodríguez, Kwabena Donkor, Clinton Wahlen, and Ekkehardt Mueller. The Sabbath morning sermon was given by Ted Wilson, General Vice-President of the General Conference and Wilson Paroschi queried Mueller on various points of the Sabbath School lesson which he authored, including its relevance for us. More than 40 theologians from across the division contributed to a Statement of Consensus and Commitment, which was voted by the attendees and which reaffirms the priority of the mission of the Adventist Church “to proclaim the everlasting gospel of God’s love to all people in the context of the three angels’ messages of Rev 14:6-12.” In order to accomplish this mission, the statement recognizes that a “diversity of methods” will be required, including the formation of small groups, church planting in unreached areas, and the harmonious action of the various departments of the church, but also emphasizes that these methods must be Christ-centered, Bible-based, and contextualized “without altering the contents of our message.”

Conference Held for Northern Asia on Ministerial and Theological Education

Three BRI representatives made a total of eight presentations dealing with the issues of Hermeneutics, Mission, and the Role of the Adventist Theologian to a gathering of seventy educators and administrators from throughout the Northern Asia-Pacific Division (NSD), Aug. 9-13, 2009. The meetings were held in the newly constructed Centennial Hall on the campus of Samyook University. Ángel Manuel Rodríguez, Kwabena Donkor, and Clinton Wahlen attended from BRI and, in addition to their presentations, answered questions from the floor as part of a panel discussion held on the final day of the conference. Other topics considered at the conference included Pastoral Formation and Leadership Needs, the Integration of Faith and Learning, and other practical subjects related to ministerial training. Sizeable delegations from outside Korea were in attendance, including people from Taiwan, Japan, Mongolia, and seventeen from China. Besides the BRI representatives, presenters included a number from NSD, Montemorelos University, the Adventist International Institute of Advanced Studies (AIIAS), and the Adventist Review and Ministry magazines.

“Church growth and successful missionary work are inseparably linked to ministerial and theological education,” says Jairyong Lee, President of NSD. “We need solid and moderate biblical scholars and theologians who thoroughly believe in the fundamental beliefs of the Seventh-day Adventist Church including the prophetic gift manifested in the life and writings of Ellen G. White. Those who are studying under these teachers will serve as faithful Adventist pastors, and their efforts and service will result in steady church growth and marvelous blessings to their church members,” he added.

Recognizing the importance of such continuing education and the interchange of ideas and plans, there was a consensus that further such gatherings be held at least every five years. The delegation also voted to recommend that a Biblical Research Committee be set up in order to examine and address theological issues pertinent to the church in NSD.