Download the Record as a PDF

RECORDIn this issueAdventist schoolsin PNG join NESNew Ellen WhiteDVD releasedDecember 17, 2005The message, notthe moneyThe new South Pacific Division (SPD) executive committee met in Wahroonga for the first timesince the restructuring of the committee at the September SPD session.SPD adjusts to newcommittee structureDEC annualmeetingreportThe new executive committee of theSouth Pacific Division (SPD) metfrom November 22 to 24 for thefirst time since its appointment atthe SPD session in September.Under the organisational structurevoted by the session, the division executivecommittee will now meet annually tooversee the work and mission of thechurch in the South Pacific.It was a meeting characterised byadministrative matters, adjusting to thenew structure of the executive committeeand establishing governance for the newquinquennium.Perhaps indicative of the nature of themeetings, members voted on more thanWAHROONGA, NEW SOUTH WALES200 pages of policy amendments. Thecommittee also rounded out the necessaryappointments for the new quinquennium.But according to SPD president PastorLaurie Evans, the new format of the divisionexecutive committee will be simpler.“It was an abnormal meeting due to theneed to set up a lot of things on a one-offbasis,” he explains. “But overall, thedynamic came together much better thanwe anticipated.”SPD leaders hosted an orientationevening for new committee membersprior to the commencement of the meetings.Pastor Barry Oliver, general secretary of(Continued on page 4)ISSN 0819-5633

editorialSo what have I learnedin my time as an editor?No regretsIN THE HISTORY OF THE CHURCH’Sworkers in this division, there would befew who’ve worked in the same positionor location for more than a decade.I’ve worked at Signs, as an assistant editorwith RECORD and Signs of the Times, sincemid-1992, or more than 13 years. Now thetimes they are a-changin’. This will be mylast editorial with my name on the RECORDmasthead.Taking my place is Pastor David Edgren(see page 3), who will be sitting in myvacated seat.In 1992, after taking over the day-to-daycare and production of Signs from PastorBruce Manners, my first task as an assistanteditor was the editing of the September1992 issue, which featured Mark Mitchellon its cover. Since then I’ve overseen 150more issues, looked at almost 10,000 pagesof text and illustrations and read almosttwo-and-half-million words. That soundsboring and onerous, but in reality it’s beenanything but.Right above my desk is a postcard wall—a reminder of adventures and destinations:Signs outings; fellow workers and editorialcolleagues; places I’ve visited, people I’vemet; people I’ve interviewed; memorablelife events—a colourful, varied and interestingrecord of almost 14 years, which isfigurative of my time here.I like to say, and I believe it’s the truth, “Ihave the best job in this division.” Everyday brought me something or someoneinteresting, and each year brought anopportunity or surprise of some sort.So why leave and for what?Well, first of all, I’m not actually goingfar—just a couple of doors along the corridor,in fact.The end of 2005 marks a full decade ofSigns ministry and promotion by PastorDesmond Hills, who many have come toknow through his ceaseless and tirelesspromotion of Signs magazine. He retiresfrom his post in Signs Marketing this weekand so, with the addition of a few in-houseSigns-related tasks, I will take over thatrole—the management and marketing ofSigns of the Times. In this, Pastor Hills willbe a most difficult act to follow.Although my time with Signs isn’t reallyover, in reality my professional associationwith RECORD is. I’ll deeply miss the churchnews and gossip that comes our way (offthe record); the letters to the editor, both thesupportive and disgruntled alike; and thecloseness and insight into the church thatbeing close to its news source brings. Fromhere on, I’ll be just another RECORD readerlike yourselves.So what have I learned in my time as aneditor? Here are just a few things:• First, we have a wonderful, close-knitchurch in Australia and New Zealand,and RECORD, to a large extent, is a primaryelement in maintaining that. Its unifyingeffect shouldn’t be underestimated.• Second, because you can’t fool all ofthe people all of the time, one will need outsidehelp at some point. Over the years mostof the editorial team have come to RECORDfrom other professions, so we need theassistance and guidance of the Holy Spirit.Here I’ve learned that “inspiration” takesdifferent forms: sometimes it happenswhen you’re lost for words and an ideakicks in from nowhere; at another, whenyou’re saying too much, and caution isneeded. I want to acknowledge God’s leadingin my work.• Third, you can’t please everyone. Infact, to try is to invite failure. The formulafor success is elusive, but the formula forfailure is simple: it’s trying to please everyone.I haven’t, as various letters and phoneconversations attest, so I’ve learned to livewith my decisions and defend them.• Finally, you don’t always get it right.In fact you can get it quite wrong sometimes.Giving birth to a boat is somethingquite different to giving a boat a berth, forexample, and misplacing the Adirondacks. . . oh, well! When I’ve made a mistake,I’ve learned that it’s easier and more effectiveto take responsibility, accept the criticismand move on, avoiding a culture ofblame. I’ve also learned that it’s better tolearn from the mistakes of others, ratherthan your own.As to the negatives, the regrets and problemsof being an editor at Signs, speakingfor myself only I can truthfully say there arenone. In the almost-14 years at this desk,I’ve never encountered a day with a downside—except,perhaps, for that deadline onthe periodic RECORD editorial.Lee DunstanSenior Assistant EditorOFFICIAL PAPER of the SouthPacific Division Seventh-dayAdventist ChurchACN 000 003 930www.adventist.org.auVol 110 No 49Cover: Nathan BrownEditor Nathan BrownSenior assistant editor Lee DunstanEditorial assistant Adele NashEditorial assistant Scott WegenerCopyeditor Graeme BrownEditorial secretary Meryl McDonald-GoughLayout Jason PiezSenior consulting editor Barry Oliverwww.record.net.auMail: Signs Publishing Company3485 Warburton HighwayWarburton, Vic 3799, AustraliaPhone: (03) 5966 9111 Fax: (03) 5966 9019Email Letters: editor@signspublishing.com.auEmail Newsfront: record@signspublishing.com.auEmail Noticeboard: editorsec@signspublishing.com.auSubscriptions: South Pacific Division mailed within Australiaand to New Zealand, $A43.80 $NZ73.00. Other prices onapplication. Printed weekly.2December 17, 2005

Adventist schools in PNG join NESLAE, PAPUA NEW GUINEAAdventist schools in the Papua NewGuinea Union Mission (PNGUM)will join the united NationalEducation System (NES) at thebeginning of the 2006 school year.This was announced by the PNGMinister for Education, Michael Liamo,on November 7, who said he is pleased thediscussions between the National EducationBoard and church came to a successful conclusionafter working for more than twoyears to bring the plans to completion.Becoming a part of the NES will meanteachers at Adventist schools will receivetheir wages from the PNG TeachingServices Commission, and teachingappointments will be made in consultationwith the relevant Provincial EducationBoards.Individual schools will be eligible foradditional school subsidies and resourceallocations, and there will be a significantreduction in school fees because of theadditional government assistance. Thisreduction will make church educationaffordable to grassroots communities aswell as their more affluent urban counterparts.The education director for the PNGUM,Steve Piez, says, “It is important to understandthat despite the changes, Adventistschools will still belong to, and be managedby, the Adventist Church.”While teaching staff will receive theirwages from the government, they will stillbe considered mission teachers and by lawwill be required to comply with church policiesand philosophy of education.“This is a direct answer to prayer for thechurch in PNG,” says Mr Piez. “Its educationsystem has been in serious decline forSchools in PNG will join the NES at the beginning ofthe 2006 school year.the past 10 years. This new partnership willassist the church’s education program toachieve its primary goal of taking empowering,gospel-focused education to everycorner of this country—even the poorestand most remote regions.”He adds, “I would also like to assurenewschurch members that PNGUM is notmerely handing over its schools to the government.The school system will still belongto the church but will be better situated toserve its purpose.”At the beginning of this quinquenniumthe Adventist school system in PNG was inserious decline. Due to a downturn in theeconomy, increases in population and theinability of many parents to meet the mostbasic school expenses, 23 primary and secondaryschools were closed between 1998and 2003, and total enrolments plummetedfrom 10,511 to 6930—a loss of 3581students.Compounding these problems was thecessation of the PNG government’s annualgrant-in-aid package of around $A233,000to the church’s education system.Mr Piez says, “Despite this, the local missionsdid their best to keep schools open. Inmany places, teachers’ wages were drasticallycut to a mere $A93 per month or evenless. However, these measures were notenough and schools continued to close.”After prayerful consideration, thePNGUM executive committee decided inSeptember 2003 that the best solution to theproblems would be to join the unified NESand become an education agency in partnershipwith the National Department ofEducation.—Adele Nash◆ Wallsend, NSW, youth pastorCasey Wolverton (pictured, right),in his final baptism and sermonbefore taking up a new appointmentat the Gold Coast church,Qld, has possibly set a world first.His baptism of Scott (left) and ShariCoburn (centre) on November 12was likely the first in the world touse the new baptismal vowsvoted at the General Conferencesession earlier this year. They wereofficially released only on the Wednesdaybefore the baptism. Thethree new vows replace the previous13 vows.—Ray Boyce◆ Five sisters now live at the VictoriaPoint Adventist RetirementVillage, Qld. The Heise sisters—Edna, Yvonne, Ruth, Hazel andAlma—meet each afternoon for awalk. Four of the quintet have livedin the village for many years, andwere joined by Yvonne in October.—FranCraig◆ Prospect International church,SA, celebrated its centenary onSeptember 17. Conference presidentPastor Garry Hodgkin presentedthe message at the commemorativeservice. An afternoonprogram included an AV presentationof church members who weredescendants of the original Prospectchurch, and a re-enactmentof the opening and dedicationservice 100 years ago. A 2.5m x 1mreplica of the original church wason display.—Joan Moreau.There’s to be a new editorial lineupon the RECORD masthead fromthe first issue of 2006. Pastor DavidEdgren (pictured) will replace LeeDunstan as an assistant editor forRECORD and Signs of the Times. MrDunstan was appointed managingeditor of Signs at the recentmeetings of the division executive,with responsibilities for itsproduction, promotion and marketing.While still employed atSigns Publishing Company, his connectionswith RECORD will ceasefrom January 2006. Pastor Edgrencomes from a pastoral position inthe Tasmanian Conference.SEARCH THOUGH THE SIGNS ARTICLE ARCHIVE @ WWW.SIGNSOFTHETIMES.ORG.AUDecember 17, 20053

DEC annual meeting report“One Solomons”proposalvoted by DECSPD adjusts to newcommitteestructureWAHROONGA, NEW SOUTH WALESMore than half of the people who attendedthe DEC meetings were new to theexperience, with an increase in Pacific islandrepresentation.Aproposal to combine the three missionsin the Solomon Islands into asingle administrative entity wasendorsed by the South PacificDivision (SPD) executive committee onNovember 24. The proposal has beenreferred to the Trans-Pacific Union Mission(TPUM) executive committee for implementation,pending the report of the surveycommission to determine the viability, suitabilityand time frame for the implementationof the proposal. It is expected thisprocess will be completed by the beginningof 2007.Pastor Lawrence Tanabose, TPUM president,presented the proposal to the divisionexecutive committee, which was endorsedby the TPUM session held in Vanuatu inSeptember (see “Session endorses oneSolomons mission plan,” TPUM sessionreport, RECORD, October 15).“The people of the Solomons feel theyhave been tossed back and forth since theorganisation of the church in this part of theworld,” said Pastor Tanabose, who is anative Solomon Islander. “We need a unifiedSolomon Islands Mission.”Pastor Tanabose reported on a series ofmeetings held in each of the SolomonIslands missions in October and November.“In the Malaita Mission, 97 per cent of delegatesvoted for this proposal,” he reported.“Similarly, 87 per cent of those in theWestern Solomon Islands Mission were infavour.”However, the Eastern Solomon IslandsMission moved against this trend, with 58per cent of church representatives votingagainst the proposal. But Pastor Tanabosesaid this is probably not a true reflection ofthe feeling of church members in thatregion. “Many of those who voted againstcame and saw us after the session and toldus they had been misled, and thinkingabout it more carefully would like the voteto be taken again,” he reported. “Sincethen we have received many emails and lettersand I would suggest those opposing hasfallen to perhaps 30 per cent.“Over these three meetings, 73 per centvoted yes. And I believe a lack of informationand education led to the no votes.”SPD president Pastor Laurie Evans, whoattended two of the mission meetings,echoed Pastor Tanabose’s conclusions.“Three or four people were very vocal inthe lead up to the Eastern Solomons meeting,”he told committee meetings. “TheTPUM did not need to go back to the missionbut they did that for the sake of clarityand communication.“This proposal has been given good exposureand the overall yes vote and the vote atthe TPUM session give a good mandate forthis proposal,” said Pastor Evans. “It is theprerogative of the SPD executive committeeto merge and form missions.”After the vote was taken, Pastor Evanscommended Pastor Tanabose, recentlyelected as TPUM president, for his work onthis proposal. “This is a historic moment,”commented Pastor Evans. “This is the firsttime we have had a presentation to the divisionexecutive committee on an issue such asthis from a national leader.”—NathanBrown(Continued from page 1)the SPD, says, “We gave an overview ofchurch structure and governance, familiarisedthem with the incorporated structureof the church in the South Pacific,explained the expectations of them ascommittee members and briefly discussedthe formulation of agendas andmeeting procedures.“Many expressed appreciation for thisopportunity. Never before have we had towork through this number of entities butthis will be a regular feature of our executivecommittee meetings,” he comments.According to Pastor Oliver, the newcommittee structure will also take someadjustment by those already familiarwith its workings.“Church entities will need to adjust tothis in their thinking and planning, especiallywith us having just one meeting peryear,” he reflects.But, says Pastor Evans, there are anumber of real advantages to the restructuringof the executive committee for thechurch. “Accountability is raised considerably,”he says. “We have never hadchurch leadership and church institutionsaccountable directly to the divisionexecutive committee.”Pastor Evans says this will flow on ingreater transparency and much strongergovernance with respect to our institutionsand the division itself.But, for Pastor Evans, the biggeradvantage will be that the division executivecommittee will have a greater focuson reviewing the integrity of our missionand message. “Less micromanagementwill allow more significant time to workon major items,” he says.At the conclusion of the meetings,Pastor Oliver thanked committee membersfor their contribution, for givingtheir time and energy to the process.—Nathan Brown4 December 17, 2005

New session election procedures finalisedDEC annual meeting reportCFO reflects on challenges for church finances in SPDWAHROONGA, NEW SOUTH WALESThe report of the South PacificDivision’s (SPD) chief financial officer,Mr Rodney Brady, to the SPDexecutive committee on November 23focused on the strategic challenges forchurch finances and accounting systems inthe coming five years. The substantivefinancial report was presented to the SPDsession in September (see “Treasurer reportson financial change,” RECORD, September17).“We need to communicate more effectivelyto our membership,” he told delegates.“It has been a challenge to meetaccounting standards and then be able toreport to members in a way that can beeasily understood.”Mr Brady reflected on the environmentin which the Treasury Department worksto manage the church’s finances. “We havean increasing workload to meet externalrequirements,” he said. “We need to keepworking on our legal structures and refiningthem.”He also noted the difficulties workingacross some of the unstable economies in thePacific. “We need to plan carefully how tosafeguard the church’s financial position inthese economic circumstances,” said MrBrady.According to Mr Brady, ageing staff andinfrastructure are beginning to pose challengesfor the church. “More than 40 percent of our financial staff across the division,conferences and missions are due to retirewithin the next 10 years,” he reported. “Weneed to work on how we can fill thesevacancies and find suitably qualified staff.“And many of our buildings are ageingand in need of major maintenance orreplacement. As a church, we need to findways to address this.”Mr Brady stressed the church’s missionmust remain the primary focus in addressingeach of these challenges. “The divisionwill need to manage its assets—and assistother church entities to do the same—toensure they are being used for maximumbenefit of mission,” he said.“And these needs are heightened by thechurch’s rapid growth in our island territories.This has been reliant on the church inAustralia and New Zealand, but the growthin income from these areas is not keepingup with the growth in the Pacific.”—Nathan BrownWAHROONGA, NEW SOUTH WALESAnew procedure for the election ofconference leaders in Australia andNew Zealand has been adopted bythe South Pacific Division (SPD)executive committee at its annual meeting.According to SPD general secretary PastorBarry Oliver, these new election protocolsand associated documents are the culminationof a process that has been taking placeover the past two years.The impetus for change began with apresentation by SPD chief financial officerRodney Brady in November 2003, in whichhe highlighted the need for natural justiceand clarification of employment status andcontracts.“The situation is not identical in everycountry of the division but a common trendis emerging,” said Mr Brady at that time.“The legal position of our session electionprocedures has not been as clear as wewould have liked and has relied on thegood-will and understanding of employeesto accept those procedures.”According to Pastor Oliver, the majorfeatures of Mr Brady’s original proposalhave been carried through in the proceduresadopted. “But this has been developed inconsultation with three legal firms and allconference executive committees inAustralia and New Zealand,” he said. “Ithas been an extensive process.”The documents were adopted in draftform at the division executive committee’smidyear meetings in May this year and havebeen further refined by legal advice. Havingnow been voted by the executive committee,the new procedures need to be consideredand adopted at all conference sessions—now known as constituency meetings—in2006 and beyond.In this new process, everyone elected orappointed to a position of conference leadershipwill receive a letter of appointmentsetting out the job description and term ofappointment.At least three months prior to a conferencesession, a session nominating committeewill meet to consider the recommendationsfor elections and appointments to bemade at the conference session. This workis to be completed at least one month beforeCommittee members at the DEC meetingsheard presentations from a number of SPDchurch leaders.the session, allowing time for incumbentsnot recommended for re-election to challengethat decision.“While providing another option, thenew election protocols do recommend thatonly a president, an executive committee, anappointment committee and a constitutioncommittee be elected at constituency meetings,”Pastor Oliver explained. “All otherappointments are to be made by theappointments committee.”Giving effect to this proposal, the divisionexecutive committee voted model conferenceconstitutions for Australia and NewZealand, model conference constituencymeeting and election protocols, and a seriesof associated policy changes.—NathanBrownDecember 17, 20055

DEC annual meeting reportFirst-timers see big pictureWAHROONGA, NEW SOUTH WALESMore than half of the attendees atthe recent division executivecommittee (DEC) meeting werefirst-timers, with an increase ofrepresentatives from the Pacific islands.This was a result of new procedures put inplace after the action was taken inSeptember this year to discontinue divisionsessions [RECORD, September 17,2005].According to Mewie Launa from theEastern Highlands Simbu Mission of thePapua New Guinea Union Mission, “Ihave never asked, contemplated or dreamtof being a part of the DEC of the SouthPacific Division. I don’t feel worthy to beon this committee—but I know God willempower me.”Mr Launa has worked in the privatesector for more than 30 years and has frequentlytravelled overseas. However, thisis his first church-related trip and he says,“I’m at the best part of my life nowbecause I’m doing God’s business.”The opportunity to learn about newissues and developments of the churchbefore his colleagues back home, and theability to see how decisions are made andpassed through the local missions, werethe highlights of Mr Launa’s trip.Another of the 46 first-timers wasSolomon Islander Patilin Sisiolo, whoechoed Mr Launa’s sentiments. “It hasbeen eye-opening to attend such highlevelmeetings,” she says. “Ordinarychurch members don’t usually understandhow hard people [in administration]work and how everything comes about.All we get is the end product [of theirdecisions].“I’ve seen people coming together andpraying a lot over these few days, and I seethe Holy Spirit leading and working,” shesays. “Those at this level of work pray alot before making a decision. It is wonderfulthat we have unity through theHoly Spirit, even though we come fromdiverse places.”Richie Reid, associate youth director forthe South Queensland Conference,another first-timer, says, “It is good toactually listen to reports and get the biggerpicture of the church and its mission.”According to Mr Reid, the most significantlesson he learned from attending theDEC meeting was being able to see that“the heart of all aspects of the church,from its institutions to its entities, is thesame mission. The church is workingtoward a common goal, which is thevision to know, experience and share ourhope in Jesus Christ.”—Melody TanAppointmentsWAHROONGA, NEW SOUTH WALESThe annual meeting of the SPDexecutive committee made anumber of appointments thatremained to be made in 2005:Deputy Chief Executive Officer,Sydney Adventist Hospital: PhillipCurrieDirector, Institute of Family Relations:Dr Bryan CraigInvestment and Financial ServicesManager: Virgilio CadungogSenior Assistant Editor, SignsPublishing Company: Pastor DavidEdgrenPartners in Ministry Coordinator:Merilyn WebsterManager, Christian Services for theBlind and Hearing Impaired: LesRelihanPrayer Ministries Coordinator: JoyButler; (Associate) Dr Paul PetersenRetiree Ministries Coordinator: PastorRay CoombeAssociate Chief Financial Officer,Papua New Guinea Union Mission:Joshua WambillieDivision Executive Committee members:Jenny Boyd (SA); ApaitiaWaganiboro (Fiji); Pastor Tom Osborne(Fiji); Pastor John Skrzypaszekj (Ellen GWhite Research Centre).◆ Projected enrolment at HeritageCollege, Vic, for 2006 is up 63 percent on the numbers for 2005. Anumber of parents seeking enrolmentwere impressed by the qualityof the campus grounds,remarking that students must behighly cared for if so much attentionis given to its appearance. TheVictorian Conference EducationDepartment has purchased some20 acres about 10 kilometres distantfor the establishment of a secondarycampus, to commence in2009. For the second year running,the school won the Westfield shoppingcentre’s “Shop for your school”competition, with prizes totallingnearly $A12,000. A larger prize,however, has been the 10 studentsrequesting baptism after studyingwith the college chaplain, PastorCraig Gillis.—Stuart Barons◆ Scotland will trial AdventistDevelopment and Relief Agency(ADRA) Christmas cards. The cardsare aimed to promote ADRA’sname among non-Adventists.ADRA will also receive 33p for eachpack sold. The packs contain fivecards with a Christian theme andfive with a traditional Christmasscene. Inside each card, along withthe ADRA logo and websiteaddress and traditional season’sgreetings, is the ADRA theme“Changing the world one life at atime.”—Messenger◆ To encourage and inspire thespirit of giving at Christmas time,a web site listing 125 things peoplecan do to help their community,from the basic to the innovative,has been developed. "There isplenty of desire from people tomake a difference but often theone thing lacking is ideas," says DrRhonda Galbally, CEO of.More @www.ourcommunity.com.au/christmastips◆ The 10th anniversary of theCroatian Adventist Association ofAustralia was celebrated with aformal dinner, attended by morethan 90 people at Tullamarine, Vic,on October 23. The consul of theRepublic of Croatia, Ana Modun,spoke highly of Adventists andtheir humanitarian efforts throughADRA during the war years, andencouraged the continuation oftheir highly respected culturaland social contribution to thewider Croatian community in Australia.Coverage of the event wasgiven in a half-page report in aCroatian ethnic newspaper and onChannel 31.—Boris JakovacPROVIDE HELP FOR PEOPLE IN REAL NEED @ WWW.ADRA.ORG.AU6December 17, 2005

New Ellen WhiteDVD releasedWAHROONGA, NEW SOUTH WALESAnew DVD from the South PacificDivision’s (SPD) Biblical ResearchCommittee has been released.Prophetic Inspiration: The Holy Spiritat Work aims to give a balanced, educationalintroduction to the life, ministry and writingsof Ellen G White.Issues that are examined on the DVDinclude what her role is, what relationshipshe has to the Bible, how God choosespeople to be His messengers and howprophetic inspiration works.Work on the DVD has taken more thanthree years, with study materials gatheredand extensive research being conductedby the committee. The recording and editingprocesses were completed by AdventistMedia.Dr Paul Petersen, who worked on theDVD, says, “We have sought a consensusposition among Ellen White scholarswithin our church.”The main presenters are Drs GraemeBradford and Allan Lindsay. A number ofbiblical scholars and theologians from theSPD also made contributions.As well as providing people with agreater insight into Ellen White, PropheticInspiration aims to dispel common mythsabout her and her writing, as well as restorea balance in perceptions about her.Dr Petersen says, “Extreme criticism fromone side has been nourished by extremepositions taken by people on the other.Though obviously contrary to the intentionof Ellen White herself, she has been abusedto establish or settle exegetical or doctrinalissues, thusreplacing theBible, orselect statementsfromher pen havebeen hammeredonthe heads ofthose wholook at anyissue differently.”—The new Ellen White DVD. Adele NashAvondale graduationsecond largest in 20 yearsCOORANBONG, NEW SOUTH WALESMembers of the second largest classto graduate from AvondaleCollege received their testamurson December 4.Some 259 graduands were eligible tomarch during the ceremony, held in theChan Shun Auditorium on the LakeMacquarie campus. These included thefirst with Master of Ministry degrees infamily and youth ministries.Former lecturer Pastor Alfred Jorgensen,94, received the honorary award of Masterof the College. “His teaching was noted forits academic rigour, his love of language, andoccasional ironic edge,” reads PastorJorgensen’s citation. “His preaching hadrichness and depth.” This is only the thirdtime Avondale has conferred the award.Pastor Laurie Evans, president of theSouth Pacific Division, referred to vision as“a white feather” in his address. “We caneither dip it in permanent ink or do nothingand see it turn to dust,” he told the graduands.Friday’s consecration service on the LakeMacquarie campus featured a drama writtenby graduand Makushla Kontaxis.Initially set at Homecoming in 2045, thedrama showed how vision shapes action.“The kingdom of heaven is at hand—that’sthe grand vision that informs our personalvision,” said speaker Pastor Gilbert Cangy.newsJenny Dixon encouraged nurses on theSydney campus to be proud of their profession,saying, “Hold true to the values youhave embraced as an Avondale graduate.”Anita Allen, Yanina Nunez, Lati Ratuand Jacqueline Thompson were baptised onSabbath morning. Valedictory servicespeaker Pastor Lyell Heise challenged theirclassmates to pass on “spiritual DNA—themitochondria of mercy, the chromosomes ofcourage.” The baptisms bring to nine thenumber of students joining the church thisyear.Other highlights of the year include: arecord enrolment of 1060; increasedCommonwealth financial assistance to students—FEE-HELPmeans mostAustralian citizens do not need to paytuition fees while at Avondale, while nearlyone-third of students now benefit fromsubsidised places in teaching and nursing;five-star Good Universities Guide ratings foreducational experience, staff qualifications,getting a job and graduate outcomes; andnew degree programs.President Dr John Cox says Avondale iscommitted to its mission of deliveringquality education in the context of anAdventist world view. “The high take-upof graduates demonstrates the value thecommunity places on people with highethical standards, a well-balanced lifestyleand a commitment to faith, integrity, justiceand service.”—Brenton StaceyCommunication and marketing major Lynden Rochford is one of 259 graduates of AvondaleCollege this year, the second largest class in 20 years.December 17, 2005D & V Photography7

erspectiveThe message, not the moneyBY KENT KINGSTONCHRISTIAN BAND SWITCHFOOT HASbeen in hot water recently for beinga little overzealous in helping fanscopy tracks from the band’s new CDto MP3-friendly formats. In response toInternet chat-room queries, Switchfootbass-player Tim Foreman provideddetailed instructions for overriding theCD’s anti-copying features. Sony, the band’srecord label, is not impressed and consideringlegal action. 1We live in the age of unprincipled bootleggerswho make small fortunes fromcopying and selling thousands of popularmusic CDs, DVDs and computer softwareat “bargain” prices. People generally agreewith laws designed to stamp out this kindof thing. But when the same laws do notdiscriminate between commercial piracyand small-scale copying for nonprofitprivate use, most of us roll our eyes in disgust—andkeep copying.So many people I know—Adventistsincluded—are happily ripping and burningtheir way through avalanches ofblank discs in the full knowledge that itis “technically” illegal. How am I supposedto respond when someone hasspent hours of painstaking labour compilinga music CD especially for me,even to the extent of colour-photocopying afront and back cover? Is it legalistic for meto feel uncomfortable with this, even as Iexpress my gratitude?Yes, much of copyright law is selfishlymotivated, anti-creative, hypocritical andjust plain stupid, but copyright law is stilllaw, and we have biblical injunctions to“respect the authorities” (see Romans 13:1).Were the Roman laws in Paul’s day any lessnonsensical?The only law-breaking permitted byScripture is when human laws come intoconflict with God’s law (see Acts 5:29). Atthis point I have a confession to make. No,not a confession, a declaration: I once distributedphotocopies of Matthew 5-7 (theSermon on the Mount) from the NIVBible, which is copyright and specificallyprohibits the copying of so many verseswithout permission. I have no remorseand would do it again.For me, this is an example of where thelaws of God and man come into direct conflict.The Bible is God’s Word, and Hewants us to share its good news with asmany people as possible. It has been copiedand translated over and over again throughthe centuries. To claim copyright overGod’s Word borders on contempt for itsAuthor and those who have died for itscause. I am sympathetic to those who standon principle and will only use the publicdomainKing James Version for this reason.A common argument in favour of copyrightlaw is that illegal copying “deprivesChristians should notbe motivatedprimarily by profit orrecognition, but by adesire to share God’slove and truth.the artist of income.” And yes, Christianartists and publishers have a right to aliving like everyone else. There’s a limit tothe romance of starving to death in a 19thcentury London garret while penning one’smagnum opus. But surely many artists,especially Christian artists, care more aboutthe message than the money. If they were init for a buck, they’d be writing advertisingjingles or Mills & Boon paperbacks.Keith Green, the 70s Christian singersongwriter,had a pricing policy for his concerttickets and record sales: “Whatever youcan afford.” Thus, if you were strugglingfinancially at the time, Keith didn’t wantyou to miss out on the message. However,if you were doing well, you’d be very welcometo mortgage the proverbial sheepstation in order to support Keith’s ministry. 2This was a challenge to Keith Green’scontemporaries, and it remains a challengetoday (sometime this week, wander intoyour local Koorong or Word bookstore andtry to purchase a Keith Green CD for“whatever you can afford.” You won’t getfar). Keith’s example is a radical lesson inliving by faith for us all, whether we’re anartist or a civil engineer. We live in amoney-oriented society, but as the apostlePaul warned, “Do not conform any longerto the pattern of this world” (Romans 12:2,NIV).Christians should not be motivated primarilyby profit or recognition, but by adesire to share God’s love and truth withspiritual seekers everywhere. Ministriessuch as Amazing Facts are to beapplauded for encouraging viewers tomake copies of their TV/DVD presentationsand distribute them as widely aspossible. And in terms of promotion and,arguably, profits, this can be effective—many people will hear a friend’s copiedversion of a song and buy or recommendthe original CD as a result.I challenge ministries, artists and publishersto maximise access to their message(God’s message) by removing everylegally possible barrier to the wide andcheap—or free—distribution of qualityChristian material. The technical means areavailable as never before—satellite TV,video streaming, music downloads,Internet radio, online magazines, e-books,and more. These will never (and probablyshouldn’t) replace “hard copies” altogether,but they maximise the opportunity to reachthe world with the message of Jesus forthese days. R1. Switchfoot—.2. M Green and D Hazard, No Compromise: The LifeStory of Keith Green, Harvest House Publishers, 2000.Kent Kingston writes from Cairns,Queensland.8December 17, 2005

Prayer keys forChristmasBY JOY BUTLERCHRISTMAS IS TRADITIONALLY Atime to think of, pray for and give toothers. So why not use this time topray for persecuted Christians?Many thousands of people will be inprisons around the world this Christmas,longing for the company and fellowship oftheir families and churches. Others will betoo afraid to worship openly, wives will betaking food to their husbands, familieswill grieve because they can’t find missingmembers. It will be a time of sorrow formany; they ask for our prayerful support.Remember Quang who, after his housewas demolished, is serving a prison sentencefor his consistent and bold stand onmatters of religious freedom.Think of the three mothers who are ontrial because they ran a Vacation BibleSchool for children.Pray for Berni’s widow who now hasfive children to care for on her own sinceher husband died in a bomb blast intendedto kill Christians.Pause to pray for Roli, an old lady, whohas a network of 70 churches and supportseight people in prison and remembersthree who were executed.Support Trieu, an ex-witchdoctor, as heshares the Bible under constant threat.Two organisations support persecutedChristians and you can contact them to jointheir network of prayer and letter writing.Be a proactive Christian and a pray-er.Open Doors is a global ministry thatresponds to the needs of persecutedChristians in 45 nations where Christianityis forbidden or restricted. Visit their website .Voice of the Martyrs works in morethan 50 countries. See their web site.As Hebrews 13:3 puts it, “Remember theprisoners as if chained with them, andthose who are mistreated, since you yourselvesare in the body also” (NKJV). RJoy Butler is prayer coordinator forthe South Pacific Division.UndeservedcomplimentBY CHRISTINE MILESIDIDN’T DESERVE THE COMPLIMENT. Ihad, after all, behaved like a bear witha sore head for most of the week, snappingat my children regularly and oftenbecause of tasks left undone or not completedto my satisfaction.My theme for the week had been“Hurry, hurry, hurry.” There was noreason to hurry. We made it to school eachday before the first bell rang, with lunchboxes filled and homework completed.Beds were made, curtains opened, thebreakfast mess cleaned up, and morningworship completed.Even though my children were easilydistracted from the small tasks allotted tothem, they didn’t deserve my terse commandsand sharp responses.On Friday afternoon, we had finishedSabbath preparation with the exception ofone task: to change a $20 note into goldcoins, suitable for offerings at Sabbathschool and church.“Come on,” I said. “Hurry up.” Severaltimes, in fact.The truth of the matter was that the childrenwere going as fast as they could go.But I was organised and they were not, soI snapped again, “I’m going. Get in the caror I’ll leave you behind.”My children got in the car and we drovethe short drive to the bank, accompanied bylots of chatter and a brisk “Pipe down”from me.At the bank the children proudlyfeatureexchanged the note for coins, pleased tohave some practice at being grown up.As we buckled our seatbelts for the ridehome, Miss 7 said, “You’re the best mum inthe whole wide world.”And I snapped, “Why?”Really, for an adult who proclaimed tolove God and her neighbour, I wasn’tdoing a very good job of either.“Because,” said Miss 7, “if we had a differentmum we might not know aboutJesus.”“Yeah, that’s right,” chorused the boys inthe back seat. “We love God and it’s allbecause of you.”I thought of Matthew 5:16: “Let yourlight shine before men, that they may seeyour good deeds and praise your Father inheaven” (NIV).My light wasn’t shining that week. Myexhaustion did not dissolve in that moment.Yet God in His infinite wisdom allowed mychildren to see past my frazzled temper andsnappy outbursts. He gave me a moment torefocus on the purpose of my life.We didn’t drive home immediately. Wesat in the car and we praised God for thegift of His Son, Jesus.Because if one’s light is dim, what betterway to relight it than to focus on God. RChristine Miles is a mother andfreelance writer in Auckland,New Zealand.December 17, 2005 9

eatureHe’s worth the riskBY VYRONA PARKERFOR YEARS I WENT TO CHURCH, FEELinggood that I was doing what Godwanted me to do. Over and over, Iwould ask God to show me what Hewanted of me, then I would do what Iwanted to do believing this was also Hiswill. Following my own wants and desires,I continued on the path I had chosen as thestraight and narrow, building the relationshipwith Jesus that I longed for.I found it difficult to discuss how I feltabout Jesus, and used that as an excuse tostay in the background and not have muchto say. I finished secondary school, went onto work feeling quite pious, believing mybehaviour was enough to witness for theLord. I felt my relationship with God wasgrowing, and strong. Knowing about whatGod was like through the story of Jesus’ lifehere on earth, I thought I had built thatrelationship with God so well.It had been hard work, but it was worthit, for I could talk to Him anytime, aboutanything I chose to say.Then it all came crashing down whenwithin two years I lost the two people in myfamily who were closest to me. My brotherwas killed in a car accident and my mumdied as a result of breast cancer after a fiveyearstruggle. My faith in God wavered,sliding downward quickly to a big zero. Ilost the joy of fellowshipping with churchmembers, and talking to God in prayerbecame a chore. Praising Him seemedblasphemous, seeing I had trouble evenbelieving He cared.I went into autopilot, doing what had tobe done without thinking, and just existing.I stopped studying the Bible as I couldn’tconcentrate enough to even take in a verseof the Bible, and existed by covering up mytrue feelings toward God by relying onwhat I had learned and my knowledge ofthe Bible from childhood days. There weredays when I wished with all my heart Ididn’t have to go to church, and I wouldn’thave gone if I’d had nothing to do.Because I had lost the relationship Ithought I had with God I had nowhere toturn. I felt at a loss as to what to do andwhere to go. God was not part of my lifenow and there was no feeling between us.I wrote and wrote poetry trying to workout where my life was going. I still pretendedto have a relationship with Godwhen I was with friends and acquaintances,and when I went to a small group,I asked questions trying to find the answersto my questions.Over and over, I tried to work out how Icould regain my faith. I couldn’t read myBible, but still I tried. Nothing stayed in mymind. I began to feel depressed, and deathseemed a pleasant thought. Often, I wouldthink of different ways to forget the pain Ifelt. On the outside, I learned quickly howto put the face on so people wouldn’t askquestions. I felt no-one understood orcared. All I could think of was how nice itwould be to be dead. I did the right things,in my thinking, and I just went to churchwith an invisible cloak around me so Iwouldn’t get hurt again.Even though I didn’t think God was inmy life, He was there. As the monthsrolled on, I felt mummified, but God keptworking for me. I needed someone to offloadall my pain, hurt and despair. He sentthe unlikeliest person I could ever think of,a person who I had little time for because ofwhat I had chosen to believe about him. Inmy state of uncertainty, I had listened tothis gossip, and believed it. I sent letters tothe “powers that be” to stop him frombeing appointed as my church pastor. I eventried to pray him away. I told them itcouldn’t be God’s will that he come, all tono avail. He was to be our minister. Idreaded having to meet him.Then a godly woman said to me thatmaybe God had a plan for this man. Sheencouraged me to have an open mind. Iagain covered up my feelings and let peoplethink that I had accepted this disaster. Iwent about doing “good” in the sight ofothers, attending meetings, playing musicfor church, and basically being a falseChristian.At our small-group meetings, we studiedthe Bible by reading a chapter a week. Wehad a little discussion and then had prayer.My “new” pastor spoke to me after onemeeting and told me I needed a relationshipwith God from my heart. I was0December 17, 2005

December 17, 2005 11shocked that he could see through me so quickly, but when Ithought about it for a little while, I had to admit that I hadn’t feltanything for God for a long time.Slowly, with the help of my new-found friend, he showed methrough the Word and by example what God meant to him. Hetold me that his job was to introduce His friend Jesus to me so Iwould get to know the Father and could introduce my friend Jesusto others, thus doing what God commissioned us to do, to spreadthe gospel.During this time, I was also healing, learning why I felt so muchdespair. Times of depression continued, but all through this timeI had the reassurance that God was with me, even when I couldn’tfeel His presence. He felt so far away, that sometimes I wouldcry out to Him, pleading with Him to walk with me. Each timeI went through this deep depression, I wondered if I would everlaugh again. I couldn’t find any joy in life, but had become so goodat acting, I was able to fool most people.I was given hope again, and introduced to the God of love thatI had only thought I’d known. I began seeing God’s face in mymind when I talked to Him, and often I would reflect on an imageI had in my mind of Jesus dying on the cross for me. We wouldspend time talking of Jesus and His love for me, and often I wouldbe in tears thinking about His sacrifice. I began to feel a warm glowwhen I spent thistime with Jesus.God never left me,even when I thoughtHe wasn’t there.Prayer againbecame part ofmy relationshipwith and searchfor God. I beganto look forwardto talking to God,and as I went tochurch, I found it wasn’t so hard to concentrate.God never left me, even when I thought He wasn’t there and,looking back, I feel strengthened to know I was able to get throughthis time of darkness with the help of God’s leading, and the acceptanceand love of friends.Today, I am part of a group that has planted a new church in myarea. It is a church with a difference, and has a plan to meet peoplewhere they are without judgment, introduce them to Jesus and inturn, show them how to bring their friends to Him so they can bedisciples too. My greatest joy is working with this group to revealGod’s love by showing others what God has done in my life. Yes,God does know the end from the beginning and He also knewwhat He was doing in my life.I can now say God is worth trusting, for He only ever had mybest interest at heart. He has proved His love for me and His abilityto take control of my life and, because of this, contentment andpeace follow. He even sent to me a pastor I didn’t want, a pastorwho made the difference because he was willing to be different.He has reminded me that, despite my fears, God is worth therisk! RVyrona Parker writes from Nairne, South Australia.Fill in the BlanksfeatureRecord Roo'skids cornerHi kids,Have you ever beenhungry? God wants us tooffer help and show His love tothe poor ecord and hungry. Roo'sGod evenused the prophet kids corner Elijah tohelp a widow and her son.Find out how by reading1 Kings 17:8-16RR"Help each other with your troubles. When you dothis, you truly obey the law of Christ. ”Galatians 6:2 ICBCount on Jesus...There is onlyone Jesus -but not in thispuzzle! Startingwith the letter Jevery time,move eitherhorizontally,vertically ordiagonally tofind the numberof times Jesuscan be found.EUSUSSJSSUJEJESESUSEColour in...SUSEJthe Widow giving Elijahthe last of her food.Peta Taylor, Shelli Taylor

eatureWe want to hear from youSend us your stories of evangelism you have tried or your dreamsof how we can make a greater impact in our communities.You don’t need to write the perfect report; just send us theanswers to Who? What? When? Where? How? and Why?Include contact details so we can get in touch to get any furtherinformation and a photo, if you are reporting on something alreadyhappening and if a photo is available.Send your evangelism stories, ideas and dreams to:Post: Record, Signs Publishing Company3485 Warburton Highway Warburton Vic 3799 AustraliaFax: +61 3 5966 9109 Email: editor@signspublishing.com.au2July 3, 2004

AnniversariesGotts, Phillip and Wilmer (nee Harrington)celebrated their 50th wedding anniversaryon 19.11.05 with approximately 70 people atthe Greensborough church hall. They weremarried at the Preston church on 19.11.55.They had four children, Rouvea Talty, TianiMurdoch, Melea Couty and Perry(deceased). Phillip and Wilmer have lived inMelbourne all their married life and havebeen active members of the Preston andGreensborough churches. They would liketo thank all the friends and family whoattended and made this special day such amemorable one.Phillips, Phil and Jean (nee Wordsworth)were married on 29.10.55 in Townsville, Qld.To mark 50 years of marriage, family andfriends gathered together to enjoy great fellowshipand a delicious meal at their daughter’sfamily home in Rockhampton. Phil andJean’s children and their spouses were present:Carolyn and Neil Hinton, Rod andRexine Phillips and Kaylene Kosmeier (BenKosmeier absent); and their four grandchildren:Jason and Toni Hinton, Nicole andKeiran McGarity, and Justin Phillips.AppreciationBarnard, Len and his daughters, Sharynand Kaye, and their families, wish to thankall for your overwhelming support followingthe passing of our beloved Mavis. Yourphone calls from near and far, the manycards with words of comfort, and the gloriousflowers you sent, as well as your consolingvisits, all combined to soften our sadnessand helped us to realise what a caringextended family we have. The outpouring ofyour love was a deep source of comfort andstrength to each of us. Our hearts sigh for theglorious resurrection morning.Candlin, Doreen, Paul, Wendy, Lynden,and families, offer sincere thanks to allwho prayed, sent flowers and cards, madephone calls, cooked meals and spokewords of comfort at the passing of muchlovedhusband, father, father-in-law andgrandfather, Gerry Candlin. We cherishthe memory of a Christian gentlemanand long for the resurrection morning.Hughes, Helen, Keith and Winsome,Derek and Maureen, their families, andthe Hewson family, sincerely appreciatethe expressions and acts of love, supportand sympathy received following the sadloss of Glen, a loving husband, brother,brother-in-law and uncle. The ongoingsupport of a loving church family, withmany prayers, calls, cards and floral tributes,have been a source of comfort andstrength at this sad time.Kersting, Mel, Elizabeth, Stuart and CherieTipple, and families, wish to thank all whogave their support and sympathy duringJoan’s long illness and subsequent passingon 18.10.05. We have been comforted anduplifted by your love, care and practical supportand look forward to meeting Joan, aloving wife, mother and grandmother, onthe resurrection morning.AppointmentsAvondale College appointments 2006:●Kristy Baker, to teach lower primary,Gilson College, Victorian Conference(VC), Australian Union Conference(AUC). ●Sally-Anne Bobongie, toteach middle primary, PrescottPrimary–southern, South AustralianConference (SAC), AUC. ●MauriceCalculli, assistant accountant–graduatetrainee, South Pacific Division. ●AnitaCarvill, to teach food technology andjunior science, Central Coast AdventistSchool, North New South WalesConference (NNSW), AUC. ●AmyClark, to teach upper primary, DarlingDowns Christian School, SouthQueensland Conference (SQC), AUC.●Daniel Cole, to teach primary,Central Coast Adventist School,NNSW, AUC. ●Cristian Copaceanu,ministerial intern, VC, AUC. ●LeighDavies, to each English and history,Avondale High School, NNSW, AUC.●Miranda Dunstan, to teach middleprimary, Gold Coast Adventist School,SQC, AUC. ●Nicholas Dunstan, toteach middle/upper primary, BrisbaneAdventist College, SQC, AUC.●Phillip Evans, to teach English anddrama, Avondale High School, NNSW,AUC. ●Rontania Govinder, to teachjunior secondary, Mountain ViewAdventist College, Greater SydneyConference (GSC), AUC. ●RochelleHokin, to teach SOSE/English andBible, Henderson College, VC, AUC.●Clinton Jackson, to teach physics,maths, junior science, BrisbaneAdventist College, SQC, AUC.●Matthew Jensen, to teach secondaryPDHPE and IT, Mountain ViewAdventist College, GSC, AUC.●Stephen Kang, to teach IT, LilydaleAdventist Academy, AUC. ●RochelleKnopper, to teach lower primary,Esperance Christian Primary School,Western Australian Conference (WAC),AUC. ●Michelle Litster, to teachupper primary. Tasmanian Conference(TC), AUC. ●Tony Maola, ministerialintern, South New South WalesConference (SNSW), AUC. ●AbigailMcHugh, to teach secondary mathematicsand science, North WestChristian School, TC, AUC. ●NicoleMau, to teach English, NorthpineChristian College, SQC, AUC. ●TereseMorton, to teach upper primary,Ironbark Christian School, VC, AUC.●Danielle Miller, to teach infants,Ipswich Adventist School, SQC, AUC.●Yanina Nunez, to teach home economics,Auckland SDA High School,North New Zealand Conference,NZPUC. ●Sven Ostring, ministerialintern and tertiary students chaplain,WAC, AUC. ●Damien Rabe, to teachYear 6, Heritage College, VC, AUC.●Latileta Ratu, to teach English anddrama, Henderson College, VC, AUC.●Emanuela Reynaud, to teach foodtechnology, Macquarie College, NNSW,AUC. ●Christopher Riley, to teachprimary, Central Coast AdventistSchool, NNSW, AUC. ●TimothyShelton, ministerial intern, GreaterSydney Conference, AUC. ●DaleSkinner, to teach middle/upper primary,Ipswich Adventist School, SQC,AUC. ●Deveron Strickland, ministerialintern/youth pastor/chaplain, SAC,AUC. ●Matthew Tompson, ministerialintern, SAC, AUC. ●Jim Zenith, toteach PDHPE, Macquarie College,NNSW, AUC.Retirements●Russell Akers, SHF head office (39 years).●Pamela Bowen, Sydney AdventistHospital (24 years). ●Percy Harrold, SouthPacific Division (35+ years). ●LorraineHope, overseas (17 years). ●Larry Laredo,Western Australian Conference (27 years).●Trevor Lewellin, SHF Warburton (19years). ●Graeme Loftus, North New SouthWales Conference (35 years). ●PeterRaymer, South Queensland Conference(36 years). ●Faye Whelan, CoronellaRetirement Village (25 years).Trans-Pacific Union MissionWestern Solomon Islands Mission●Jedis Hivai. ●Bob Lawrence. ●DellieRiringi. ●Titus Rore.Malaita Mission●James Gamasi.Papua New Guinea Union MissionNew Britain New Ireland Mission●Maylyn Gila (widow support). ●LeoJambby.Morobe Mission●Daniel Magiwari. ●Timothy Supsup.Central Papua Mission●Vaeabu Daiva. ●Earle Ope. ●JosephUrivi. ●Phillip Wani.WeddingsFlores De La O—Cripps. Jose CarlosMauricio Flores De La O, son of Gloria DeLa O Portillo (Hobart, Tas), and AleiciaMaree Cripps, daughter of Christopher andMarilyn Cripps (Hobart), were married on27.11.05 in the Glenorchy Adventist church.Kevin AmosGabriel—Donaldson. Adam Gabriel, sonof Alan and Rhondell Gabriel (TweedHeads, NSW), and Karlia Donaldson,daughter of Steven (Murwillumbah) andLana Donaldson (Tweed Heads), were marriedon 20.11.05 at the Coolibah Downschapel, Nerang, Qld. Adrian RaethelKreso—Halteh. Mato Kreso (SouthMorang, Vic) and Ann Halteh (EastDoncaster) were married on 20.11.05 inthe Wantirna Adventist church.Morrie KriegLang—Porter. Alan Douglas Lang (son ofDorothy (Albany, WA) and the late WilliamLang, and Lois Isobel Porter, daughter ofthe late Albert and Bessie Porter, were marriedon 11.9.05 in the Ipswich Adventistchurch, Qld.Sandor GazsiknoticeboardObituariesBeasley, Desmond Judd, born 2.9.1929at North Franklin, Tas; died 15.11.05 atCooranbong, NSW. He was predeceasedby his wife, Nancy, in 1994. He nowsleeps as we wait for the resurrectionmorning.Claude JuddCook, Leith Robert James, born 12.1.1917at Hamilton, Vic; died 10.6.05 atWarragul. He is survived by his wife,Margaret; and his brothers, Alvin (USA)and Clem (Hamilton, Vic). For someyears Leith was a salesman for theSanitarium Health Food Company. Hebuilt upon those entrepreneurial skills ina successful business career. In recentyears Leith renewed his assocition withthe church, enjoying fellowship in Begaand Bairnsdale. He served his Lord witha joyful heart and his fellow man with agenerous spirit. He will be rememberedand sadly missed by all who knew him.Gavan GrosserDavies, Rhoda Daisy, born 25.7.1922 inLiverpool, England; died 11.11.05 atBunbury, WA. On 8.3.86 she marriedFred, who predeceased her in 1996. Rhodawas a loving, caring person.Robert KingdonDavis, Colleen, born 15.12.1943 atBega, NSW; died 4.11.05 in her home atNowra. On 7.9.63 she married Don,who predeceased her. Don was a localprinter in Bega. She is survived by herchildren, Wayne, Glen, Scott, Kim andShayne. The family shared a variedexperience of printing, restaurant, groceryshop and cattle farming. Colleenwas a loving, compassionate person,who will be greatly missed.Cyril BrownDrummond, Allan, born 10.8.1929 atGuildford, WA; died 25.11.05 inKalamunda Hospital. On 22.11.52 hemarried Carmel. He is survived by hiswife (Dongara); his children and theirspouses, John and Sally, Robyn andDarren Peakall, Andrew and Liz (all ofPerth); his eight grandchildren; and threegreat-grandchildren. In 1960 Allan andCarmel were baptised by Pastor WalTaylor. Allan shared his spiritual convictionswith all who would listen and will bemissed for his practical Christianity.Glenn TownendEades, Doris (Dolly), born 23.3.1919 atNorthcote, Vic; died 23.11.05 in CoffsHarbour Hospital, NSW. On 4.1.41 shemarried Colin, who predeceased her. She issurvived by her son, John (Menai); herdaughter, Kristina Marce; her seven grandchildren;and one great-grandchild.Ken LoveEggins, Vida Florence, born 1.11.1917 atMaclean, NSW; died 7.11.05 in MacleanHospital. She is survived by her children,Fay Chandler (Palmers Chanel, NSW),Patricia Roth (Bundaberg, Qld) and BettyChandler (Ipswich); her grandchildren;great-grandchildren; and great-great-grandchildren.Her family were present at theDecember 17, 2005 13

noticeboardSigns Publishing CompanyWarburton, VictoriaPositions vacantThe Carter Report Inc., a self-supporting ministry that supportsthe worldwide work of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, invitesyou to write now for your free DVD of,“Victory at Kiev,” the amazingstory of how 3,488 souls were baptized in the Dneiper Riverin spite of great opposition.For your Free DVD of, “Victory at Kiev,” and to be part of TheCarter Report mailing list, write now to:▲ Offset Printing Tradesperson—a qualified Offset Printing tradesperson for permanentfull-time work. Required duties will include operation of and assistance on a varietyof pressroom equipment ranging from A3 through to A1 size presses, as well as a rangeof other production equipment. The successful applicant will be experienced in 4-colouroffset printing and have a commitment to producing quality Christian literature; self-motivated;the ability to work in a small-team environment; and the flexibility to work differentshifts if required. A forklift licence is an advantage.▲Offset Printing Apprentice— a hardworking, motivated person to undertake an OffsetPrinting apprenticeship. The successful applicant will demonstrate interest/skills in operatingproduction equipment; have the ability to work in a small-team environment; andthe flexibility to work different shifts if required.Commitment to quality and service, together with a respect for Christian values and ethicsare essential. For further information or for applications in writing (including a current CV)please contact Ray Portbury, Production Manager on (03) 5966 9111 Monday to Thursday;or email , no later than December 21, 2005.funeral service of “nana by the river,” heldin the Maclean SDA church. As long asmost could remember, she had lived nearthe bridge going into Yamba, by theClarence River which, during flood, flowedthrough her house.Gordon SmithEwart, Alexa Jeanie (Jean), born 10.7.1917 atPahiatua, NZ; died 19.11.05 at Tauranga. In1938 she married Jack at Taumaranui, whopredeceased her in 1996. She was also predeceasedby her son, Jim, in 1992. She is survivedby her sons, John, Neil and Bruce; andher daughter, Christine (all of Tauranga).John VeldGillard, Graham Edmund James, born14.11.40 in Christchurch, New Zealand;died suddenly 5.11.05 in Christchurch in his65th year. He is survived by his parents,Elsis Herbert and the late Colin Gillard; hiswife, Lorraine (nee Reid); his children andtheir spouses, Lydelle and Cary, Tim andTereena, Charlene and Steve, Andrew andChristine, and Natasha and Daniel; and his14 grandchildren. Graham was passionatelycommitted to his family and his God. Hewas an important part of the core group,which planted Riverlands SDA churchthree years ago. He was much loved by hiswife and children; and a special gramps tohis grandchildren. Asleep till Jesus comes.Paul RankinKelly, Nita Kathleen, born 25.5.1914 atPort Lincoln, SA; died 11.11.05 in Perth,WA. In 1934 she married Jim, who predeceasedher in 1981. She was also predeceasedby her daughter, Joan, in 1964. She isPastor Harold HarkerP.O. Box 861Terrigal, NSW 2260Email: hharker@optusnet.com.auwww.cartereport.orgThere are 1,000 FREE DVDs and whenthey’re gone, they’re gone. Write NOW!Request FREEDVD NOW!survived by her sons, Frank (Perth),Raymond (Adelaide, SA), Peter(Melbourne, Vic) and Robert (Adelaide,SA). Nita was a kindly person with a deeplove for God, family and friends. She will besadly missed.Allan CroftLangford, Warren, born 11.4.1929 onPitcairn Island; died 21.6.05 in CarnarvonPrivate Hospital, Henderson, Auckland,NZ. He is survived by his wife of 53 years,Iris; his daughter, Suzanne; and two adoredgrandsons, Jason and Darrin. In 1958, whenIris needed medical attention, they moved toNZ from Pitcairn. Warren served thechurch as a deacon and elder for manyyears prior to his illness.Terry JohnsonMacArthur, Donald Malcolm, born 6.8.1923at Glasgow, Scotland; died 27.7.05 in BaringaPrivate Hospital, Coffs Harbour, NSW. Hewas predeceased by his first wife, Bette. Heis survived by his second wife, Rae (CoffsHarbour). The strong-minded Scotsmanfinally rests. Greatly missed by his wife.Ken LoveMount, Jessie Ida, born 30.10.1917 atWalthemstowe, Essex, UK; died 15.11.05 atMandurah, WA. On 30.4.36 she marriedErnie, who predeceased her in 2002. She issurvived by her children, Mick (WembleyDowns), Doreen, Sylvia (both ofRavenswood) and Masie (Booragoon, WA);her eleven grandchildren; and 19 greatgrandchildren.Jessie was a beautiful,caring, happy, carefree and unassumingperson who danced her way through lifeand lived it to the full. She was full of laughsand love, and overflowed with both.Thanks for the memories.Lynn Burton, Mark WilsonPaterson, Hazeline Jean (Hazel), born 1901at Anakie, Vic; died 31.10.05 at Yarra ViewRetirement Village Hostel, Warburton.Hazel never married and is survived by hernephews, Leon Paterson (Ballarat) and NeilMarshall (Anakie); and her niece, PamPaterson (Warburton). Hazel served thechurch in the 1920s, 30s and 40s as a teacherin Western Australia, Victoria andTasmania, and then for three years asdemonstration teacher for the Trans-Australian Union Conference. She reachedthe grand old age of 103.Eric Kingdon, Joy KingdonPaulus, Evelyn Ellen Joyce, born 26.7.1919at Toowoomba, Qld; died 4.11.05 atKingaroy. She was predeceased by her husband,John; also her son, Lionel. She is survivedby her son and daughter-in-law,Stanley and Anne (Alice Springs, NT); andher daughter, Myrtle (Kingaroy, Qld). Joycewas a wonderful person, dearly loved by allwho knew her. She knew Jesus and sharedHim with all who would listen. The blessedhope was real to her. Maranatha!Bill Cross, Tony UrreaJohn Rabbas, George BackhouseRace, Gwen, born 28.2.1921 at Burnie, Tas;died 31.10.05 in Sydney, NSW. She was theyoungest daughter of Pastor Whitehead.She is survived by her son and daughter-inlaw,Peter and Lyn (Goulburn); her grandchildren,Carolyn, Jonathan, Stephen andBelinda; her sister, Esme Whitworth; andher brother, Irwin Race.Bruce ShieldRowell, Elizabeth Ramsey, born 14.11.1915at Chelsea, Vic; died peacefully in her sleep16.10.05 at Coronella Nursing Home,Nunawading. Betty was adopted by theMurchison family at age 14, and was predeceasedby her brothers, Alex and PastorCliff Murchison; also her husband, Harold,She is survived and loved dearly by her niece,Lindy Chamberlain-Creighton; her nephew,Alex Murchison; and their families. All herlife she dedicated to helping others and wasloved by all who met her. In death as in lifeshe left her estate to charity. She is sadlymissed by all who loved and knew her.Richard Araya-BishopSvensson, John August Roberts, born25.2.1935 at Narromine, NSW; died peacefullyin his sleep 4.11.05 after a period of illness.John spent most of his life on thefamily farm “Warrawee” at Narromine.He married Gwen Di Salvia in August1964. He is survived by his wife; his children,Michael, Brenda Florida and Robert (all ofNarromine); his six grandchildren; and hisbrother, Bruce (also of Narromine).Mark Roberts, Colin DunnTrethewey, Robert Edward (Bob), born30.3.1914 in Wellington, NZ; died 9.11.05 inQuirindi Nursing Home, Quirindi, NSW.On 26.4.56 he married Doreen Webb. He issurvived by his wife (Werris Creek); hisdaughter, Lynley (Sydney); his son, Graeme(Maitland); his daughter-in-law, Lesley; andhis grandchildren, Alwyn and Helene(Maitland). Bob was a commercial and fineartist, working during the 1970s as an artistwith the Signs Publishing Company. Manyevangelists used his paintings, includingPastors Jim Cherry, John Carter, HaroldHarker and John Coltheart. Bob continuedpainting until he was 90. The RSL honouredhim at the graveside service and he nowawaits the resurrection when he will see theMaster Artist, Jesus Christ.Clive NashWarren, Lillian Daisy (nee Umfreville),born 9.9.1911 in Hobart, Tas; died 1.11.05 inVictoria Point Nursing Home, Qld, after along illness. In 1934 she married James,who predeceased her in 1984. She was alsopredeceased by her sister, Kath Claus; andher brothers, Fred and Len of Tasmania. Sheis survived by her nephew, Walter Claus(Qld); and her nieces, Dawn Roberts andMonica Rosevear (Tas). James and Lillianlived in Nowra for nearly 50 years andwere active members of the church there.God knows her resting place.Wheeler, Mary Gladys (nee Hollingsworth),born 23.2.1900 at Bookara, WA; died21.10.05 at Cooranbong, NSW. In 1925 shemarried George, who predeceased her in14December 17, 2005

15 AcademicExcellenceScholarships in 2006Commencing in 2006 we are offering 15 Avondale Foundation AcademicExcellence Scholarships to first year Avondale College students.◆ Open to Australian and New Zealand students◆ Students must have achieved a tertiary entrance ranking in the top 10% ofthe state, territory or country during or after 2003◆ Available to applicants for 3 or 4 year degree and double degree courses◆ Total value up to $27,500◆ Scholarship of $5,000 per annum◆ Credit average is required for each year◆ Scholarship increases to $7,500 the year following a distinction averageApplications close 31 December 2005.For an application form or further information please contact the following:noticeboardThe Avondale FoundationPhone: 02 9989 8355 or International +61 2 9989 8355Fax: 02 9989 8340 or International +61 2 9989 8340Email: foundation@avondale.org.auAvondale College Enquiry CentrePhone: 1800 504 324 or International +61 2 4980 2277Fax: 02 4980 2151 or International +61 2 4980 2151Email: enquiries@avondale.edu.au1975. She was also predeceased by herdaughter, Vyrona Durrant, in 1984. She issurvived by her daughter, Joan Dick(Cooranbong); her son-in-law, BruceDurrant (Vic); her stepsister, Erica Freeman(WA); and her grandchildren, CalvinDurrant (WA), Susette Butcher(Cooranbong, NSW) and Julie VanBallegooyen (WA). Gladys, the last of theHollingsworth family from Bookara,worked with her husband, George, at theSHF and supported him in establishing thePerth Advent Band. She will be sadly missedby family and friends.Clem Van BallegooyenAdvertisementsNote: Neither the editor, Signs PublishingCompany, nor the Seventh-day AdventistChurch is responsible for the quality ofgoods or services advertised. Publicationdoes not indicate endorsement of a productor service. Advertisements approved bythe editor will be inserted at the followingrates: first 30 words or less, $A44; each additionalword, $A2.20. For your advertisementto appear, payment must be enclosed.Classified advertisements in RECORD areavailable to Seventh-day Adventist members,churches and institutions only. Seemasthead (page 2) for contact details.Allround Travel Centre (Queensland).Specialists in travel to all parts of theworld. Groups—tours—competitive airfares.Phone (07) 5530 3555; fax (07) 55303846; email .Volunteers!Youth worker—Tauranga church,NZ. If you are energetic, keen towork with young folk from 10 to 25years of age, love the Lord, and are 20to 30 years old, then this could bewhere God wants you for 2006. Ifyou are interested, please contactHayley at Adventist Volunteer Service.Email:For more positions, check the webon +61 2 9847 3275We’re celebrating and you’re invitedto the anniversary of the AvondaleCollege church building—March 11,especially if it was your church home.Details? Phone (02) 4980 2272; emailRemembering 100 years of Adventists inWarburton—April 7–9, 2006. If youhave been part of the history of Adventistsin Warburton—at the Signs PublishingCompany, the Warburton church, theWarburton Christian School, Yarra ViewHostel, Sanitarium or the hospital—plan tobe part of this weekend. Special guest:Pastor Jim Coffin, former editor ofRECORD. Watch this space for more details.House/unit—north Brisbane, Qld.Two-year-old spacious executive homeon three-quarter acre, 4 BR, study, separatetimber deck, double-garage,double-shed plus storage, professionallylandscaped, water features, views, closeto water, cool breezes, very quiet,remote entry, close to all facilities, 15minutes to church school. PLUS 2 BRseparate self-contained unit (rented($A200 pw), immaculate presentation.Phone 0421 289 065.Receive the Hope Channel and 3ABNNOW! Complete satellite kit for just $265+ freight. Full instructions for DIY installationor installers available. RuralElectronics (02) 6361 3636; or.Go Veg—make your festive season easywith Go Veg foods. Delicious and easy toprepare foods—lasagnes, schnitzels, piesand more. ; or (02)9897 0000. Delivery to Sydney area. Shopopens Wednesday–Friday 10.30 am –4.00pm. Go Veg open Monday, 19.12.05 toWednesday 21.12.05. Closed from Thursday22.12.05 to 17.1.06. Go Veg thanks allcustomers for continued business this yearand wishes all a great 2006. God bless!Birdwood SDA church invites pastmembers and friends to celebrate their50th anniversary—February 25, 2006.Thanksgiving service commences 11.00am. Bring a plate of savoury food toshare. Dessert and drinks provided. BYOchair. Afternoon program 3.00 pm. Memorabiliacontact Merv (08) 8568 5390.SDA teacher needs parking place inMelbourne, Vic—January 2006. Planto sleep in utility with slide-on campervan(totally independent), catch train tocity. Studying English teaching course.Phone 0431 526 451 after 4.00 pm.Final Events DVD and other AmazingFacts products and Your Story Hourdramatised stories are available from theAustralian distributor, The Story Factory.Contact Darren or Robyn Peakall, email; or phone(08) 9574 6777.To let—lovely holiday home on farmnear Port Macquarie, NSW. Accommodatethree persons. Scenic surrounds.Everything supplied. Available December/January/February.Reasonably priced.Phone (02) 6587 1036.Data projectors, screens, DVDs VCRs, PAsystems etc. SDAs committed to lowerprices for SDA churches, schools etc. Askfor Trish at Rural Electronics (02) 63613636; or .FinallyIn giving and receiving welearn to love and be loved;we encounter themeaning of life, themystery of existence.December 17, 2005 15