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ChurchW rksWORLD VISTAHistorians and sociologists tellus that most of the people onearth during the past 6,000years have lived in rural areas, necessitatedby an agricultural lifestyle thathad to be “close to the land.” In 1800,only 3 percent of the world’s populationlived in urban areas. By 1900, 14percent were living in cities, althoughonly 12 cities had 1 million or moreinhabitants.During the twentieth century theworld experienced unprecedentedurban growth. In 2007, for the firsttime, 50 percent of the world’s populationwas living in cities. More than400 cities now host at least 1 millioninhabitants: at least 20 cities have populationsgreater than 10 million.I’ve lived or worked in some of theworld’s great cities, including Cairo,Washington, D.C., metropolitan LosAngeles, New York City, Abidjan, andMoscow. As I studied the faces of thethousands caught in the urgency ofcity life, I developed a particular burdenfor the church’s mission to bigcities. My concern for big cities is animportant part of how I follow Jesus.Nearly 2,000 years ago Jesuspaused on the brow of a hill andlooked at the capital city of Jerusalem.Though He knew what would happento Him, and that He would be rejectedby many in that city, He wept overJerusalem with some of the mostempathetic language in Scripture(Luke 19:41-44). Following Jesus inthe modern world means learning Hisheart of compassion for those wholive in the crowded metropolises oftoday—understanding their needs,studying their habits, and yes, weepingfor their condition if they are withouta saving relationship with Him. It’s fartoo easy to stay within our own comfortzones rather than reaching out tothe masses of people in the greaturban centers of the world.By Ted N. C. WilsonBigCities—BiggerVisionEvery member involved in everypossible outreachSeeing the Big PictureA commitment to the people ofthe world’s great cities is not a trendymodern impulse, but is instead firmlybased on Christ’s ministry as seen inthe Gospels and clearly explained inthe writings of Ellen White. As Seventh-dayAdventists we’ve oftenfocused our work on rural and suburbanareas while many of the great citiesremain largely unentered. Severalfactors are responsible for this, includingthe undoubted difficulty of urbanministry and the fact that we havereceived inspired counsel from EllenWhite about the desirability of countryliving. God’s original plan placedhuman beings in a delightful garden,not a crowded city, but Ellen White isequally clear that we must accept andwork with the situation as we find ittoday. The Spirit of Prophecy offers usa very balanced approach for ministeringto large cities, clearly recognizingthat many people, including manySeventh-day Adventists, may need orchoose to live in the cities. An “in-out”approach by which those ministeringin cities are encouraged to regularlyrecharge their spiritual and physical“batteries” in rural environments is arealistic and restorative approach tothe tough realities of urban ministry.As Ellen White described it, “outpostcenters”—including trainingschools, lifestyle health facilities, andmissionary homes—would be establishedjust on the edge of urban areas.A cycle of outreach moves the missionaryinto the city to engage withpeople on the level of their need,inviting responsive persons out to theoutpost center for rehabilitation andrecovery, and then returning withthem to continue the cycle of witness.This in-out movement is essential forthis special work, because God neverintended believers to spend all of theirlives in dense, overstimulated urbanareas of the modern world.Essential, Comprehensive,and SustainableLet’s reaffirm the fact that SeventhdayAdventists understand that citiesare where God would have us focusour work just now—because that’swhere the people are. While we continueour efforts in rural and suburbanareas, we ought to intensify ourwork for the hundreds of millionswho live in the great metropolises ofour planet. More than a century agoEllen White wrote that “the work inthe cities is the essential work for thistime. When the cities are worked asGod would have them, the result willbe the setting in operation of a mighty8 Adventist World | October 2011