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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
movement such as we have not yetwitnessed.” 1Even as we agree that the half ofthe world’s population living in bigcities needs to be reached with thethree angels’ messages, the task looksdaunting. Our big city strategies haveoften been spasmodic, with largeevangelistic campaigns sometimesfollowed by months and even years ofsilence. The Spirit of Prophecy modelis very different, and involves a sustained,biblical, and compassionateapproach to doing urban evangelism.This model is best described as“comprehensive urban evangelism”—with the emphasis on comprehensive.The model includes establishing workingunits and activities in the cities thatuse the skills and gifts of localchurches, young people, small groups,medical missionary workers, pastors,social workers, literature evangelists,and all available media channels.Diverse, well-planned, and sustainableprograms for evangelizing the cities ofthe world are needed. We must nothave one big program once in a whileand then forget the people of the cities.The Beehive ModelEllen White eagerly described thechurch’s efforts in San Franciscoaround 1906 as a “beehive” of activity. 2ness have been implemented in NewYork and elsewhere during the pastcentury, we have never been able toput together all the elements EllenWhite described.Some may ask the question “WhyNew York?” Ellen White indicated thatNew York should be a symbol for howother urban areas should be worked. 3New York City is a unique microcosmof the world’s population, illustratingboth the amazing diversity of theworld’s people and the special challengesof designing methods of witnessthat will appeal to them.Over the coming weeks andmonths church leaders will be discussinghow to plan, implement, andlaunch a multidimensional approachfor New York City and other majorurban centers. The “beehive” modelsuggests a swarm of activities: evangelists,health ministry leaders, and creativeoutreaches targeted to specificpopulations are needed from all overthe globe if these plans are to succeed.By God’s grace the church will thenreplicate this approach in each of thechurch’s 13 world divisions—focusingon the large cities in each division,union, and local field with sustainableevangelistic outreach.For the New York City initiative,the North American Division, alongwith its unions and conferences in thespecific area of New York City, will laythe groundwork over the next twoyears and then coordinate the sustainedbeehive of activities that willextend beyond public evangelism.Health work and “medical missionarywork” (a multidimensional approachto meeting people’s needs as seen inJesus’ ministry and outlined in theSpirit of Prophecy) must featurelargely in all this. I foresee a tremendousopportunity to demonstrateeven greater cooperation with ourSeventh-day Adventist health profescarolinekeyzorThis, she wrote, most closely resembledwhat the Lord had in mind fordoing city work—everyone workingtogether, each with specific responsibilities,but all integrated with thecommon goal of evangelizing the city.Ellen White elaborated on whatshe termed “centers of influence” inthe many communities that make up acity. These centers of influence can bechurches, bookstores/reading rooms,various kinds of street ministry, vegetarianrestaurants, educational entities,community service centers, healtheducation centers, or clinics. Theremay be new and creative outreachmethods of community service orInternet-based witnessing strategiesthat target special communities. Thekey quality is sustainability: how canwe continue interacting with the communityin helpful Christian serviceand evangelistic outreach, rather thanlapsing into sporadic activities?This kind of comprehensive urbanevangelism will change both the cities,through the power of the Holy Spirit,and us as a church family. By individuallystudying the Bible and theSpirit of Prophecy, we will find platformsfor cooperation and sustainability,and experience the Spiritinspiredunity among His people forwhich Jesus prayed (John 17:21).Reaching the “Big Apple”Just now church leaders arefocused on trying to replicate this“beehive” of activity and work in NewYork City and then, through God’spower, in many other large urban centersof the world.Many wonderful Seventh-dayAdventist evangelistic activities aretaking place in hundreds of citiesaround the world, but we have tointensify our efforts using the “comprehensive”approach described here.While many useful strategies for wit-October 2011 | Adventist World 9
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