Messenger 2013 - Edition 15 - Seventh-day Adventist Church in the ...

Pastor IkwisaMwasumbi ordainedThe camp meeting ordination is one of the highlights of the event and a never-tobe-forgottenexperience for those being ordained. Pastor Ikwisa Mwasumbi,currently the pastor in our Leeds Central, Leeds Beeston and Leeds Westchurches, was ordained at this year’s NEC camp meeting, 16-22 June, Prestatyn.Tanzanian by birth, Pastor Mwasumbi lived in Pune, India and studied at SpicerMemorial College at primary, high school and undergraduate levels. He has since thenalso studied at Newbold College. Pastoral ministry was not the first draw on the youngman’s life, but the call to serve became louder and more insistent.Ikwisa has been married to Sharon for thirteen years and is the father of threechildren: George, Helen and Lupakisyo. For both him and his family, ordination is theculmination of his recent ministerial growth.The introduction of the candidate to the congregation was made by Pastor Fred Mapp,while the spiritual challenge and encouragement were given by Pastor Cyril Sweeney inhis usual sincere but humorous style.Ordination is more than just the laying on of hands by a band of brothers –it is also the investiture into a particular and sacred role and responsibility. In theSeventh-day Adventist understanding this is a recognition of God’s presence in a lifealready devoted to ministry. Pastor Ikwisa Mwasumbi responded to the laying on ofhands by detailing God’s call on his life back through two generations ofhis family, up to his current pastorate in Yorkshire.The North England Conference welcomes Pastor IkwisaMwasumbi to the ranks of the brother and sister pastors alreadyserving the Lord in a conference seeking to rebuild walls of grace inthe towns and cities in which they serve.PASTOR P. JEYNESEntrance is by ticket only; to book, follow the instructions on: www.necadventist.org.uk

2editorial3Gone to seed . . . !. . . Well I hope you haven’t!With the sun shining like it has beenlately, I don’t need much of an excuse tograb my camera and go for a walk . . .and you don’t necessarily have to be outin the country. There is often somethingwonderful to photograph in the city. Justremember to send your pictures in tome for ‘Megapixels of creation’.Please send in your photography tome at: dbell@stanboroughpress.org.uk.Just remember to keep it ‘hi-resolution’.Happy snapping!DAVID BELL, MESSENGER DESIGNERTo see more of your images, go to:www.adventistpictures.org.uk/megapixelsCancer: the facts – part 3jExamining causation and risk factorsExercise and cancer riskHaving analysed the data from several studies on the associationbetween physical activity and cancer risk, Cancer Research UK haspublished the following on its website: 1• A study published in December 2011 in the British Journal of Cancerestimated that more than 3 percent of breast cancers, more than 5percent of colon cancers, and around 4 percent of endometrialcancers diagnosed in 2010 were linked to people doing fewer thanthe recommended 150 minutes of physical activity per week. 2• Subsequently, the Lancet (2012) published much higher estimates ofthe proportion of breast cancer (around 18 percent) and colon cancer(around 19 percent) attributable to physical inactivity in the UK. 3• A meta-analysis of fifty-four studies reported a 24-percent riskreduction for colon cancer among the most active men, and a 21-percent risk reduction among the most active women when comparedwith the least active of each group.*Pictures sent in to Megapixels may be used by us at our discretion on other projects. Note: The newmasthead picture on the cover was taken by Andrew Daryl for Megapixels of creation.• Physical activity may affect colon cancer risks by reducingfaecal transit time, reducing inflammation and insulin resistanceand modifying hormone metabolism.• Around fifty studies looking at the association betweenphysical activity and breast cancer showed a 15 to 20-percentrisk reduction for the most active women. The risk reduction issuggested to relate to exercise altering hormone levels.• The most active women have a 20 to 30-percent reduced risk ofendometrial cancer compared to the least active women. Thisreduced risk is suggested to be due to physical activity reducinglevels of serum oestrogen and circulating insulin.• Meta-analysis evidence found that people who participate in higherlevels of recreational physical activity have a lower risk of lungcancer.• The evidence from three cohort studies demonstrates that physicallyactive men have a reduced risk of advanced prostate cancer.Additionally, men who are more active in their jobs, or do morephysical activity throughout their lifetime, have an overall reducedrisk of prostate cancer.• A very large cohort study showed a risk reduction for prostatecancer in physically active black men.• Some studies have shown a reduced risk of pancreatic cancer formoderately active individuals.Keep active!Photo: Daniel Johnson1http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/cancer-info/cancerstats/causes/lifestyle/physicalactivity/physical-activity-and-risk-of-cancer 2 Parkin, D.M., ‘Cancers attributable to inadequate physicalexercise in the UK in 2010’, British Journal of Cancer, 6 December 2011; 105 (S2):S38-S413I-Min Lee, Eric J. Shiroma, Felipe Lobelo, et al: The Lancet Physical Activity Series WorkingGroup: ‘Effect of physical inactivity on major non-communicable diseases worldwide: an analysisof burden of disease and life expectancy’, Lancet, 2012; 380 (9,838):219-29.RRecently, on 4 July, the United States celebratedIndependence Day. Why on that date?Because on that day in 1776 its famousDeclaration of Independence was published.This document has fascinated lawmakersand directly influenced the democraticprocesses in numerous other countries,including Argentina, Chile, Mexico, Hungary,New Zealand and Czechoslovakia. 1The first paragraph of the preamble,brought to prominence by Abraham Lincolnduring his famous Gettysburg Address in1863, is well known. 2 In fact, I am sure thatyou have heard it quoted before:‘We hold these truths to be self-evident,that all men are created equal, that theyare endowed by their Creator with certainunalienable Rights, that among these are Life,Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.’ 3‘Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness’,three rights that every person is entitled to.Rights that no one has the authority towithhold from us. Sounds good and proper,doesn’t it? But how easy is it to ensure thesecore human rights? Governments, courtsand constabularies do a reasonable job ofensuring ‘Life’ and ‘Liberty’ for most of us,but the ‘pursuit of Happiness’ is quite anotherissue.Some argue that the term ‘pursuit ofHappiness’ refers to the ownership ofproperty; however, such a narrow originalmeaning for the term is quite unlikely. Thosewho drafted the document meant it to be usedin a much broader sense. 4Is happiness a ‘right’?Is happiness actually a right? You may findthis odd, but I would argue that it isn’t. If itwere, then Westminster would be able topass a bill granting it to us! All of us – with noexceptions! I must side with Benjamin Franklin– one of those who crafted the declaration –who wrote:‘The Constitution only gives people theright to pursue happiness. You have tocatch it yourself.’ 5Yes, we all have the right ‘to pursue’happiness, but each of us must make apersonal effort to achieve it. So what is yourgame plan? Will it be the same as mine?Does one size fit all?We are all uniquely, wonderfully different. The‘recipe’ for your happiness will require someingredients that are not found in mine.Let me illustrate what I mean. Some yearsago, Elize and I accepted job reassignmentsthat required our relocation to an Africancountry that was in economic decline.Upon hearing of our plans, one of my ‘flock’disapprovingly said, ‘Pastor, you are takingthis job because you’re ambitious!’To which I replied, ‘No, my dear – I’mtaking it because I’m adventurous!’ And whatan adventure it turned out to be. I got to doYou have to catchit yourself!Julian HibbertEditorthings, meet people and go places that enriched my life.Now lest you think I am an ‘adrenaline junkie’, let me declare that my spirit of adventure doesnot include motorbike riding – especially on the pillion. I have friends, however, Adie and Ruth –good UK Adventists – who love it. They couldn’t be happier than when touring this country or thecontinent on the back of Adie’s powerful road bike. That’s in their ‘recipe’ for happiness, but notin mine!Some things are essentialAlthough your ‘recipe’ for happiness may require some ingredients that are unlikely to be foundin mine, I believe that all true happiness requires certain essentials. These are things that weomit at our peril.During one adventurous weekend in that African country I mentioned earlier – we stayed withfriends at a camp on the shores of Africa’s largest man-made lake, Kariba. Night settled quicklythat Friday, and we were glad for the lights in the open-sided dining area. We were also eager forsupper and delighted to see that someone had baked banana bread for the occasion . . . that is,until we discovered that the cook had mistakenly substituted salt for sugar!Believe me, we tried to make it palatable, but nothing worked – neither jam nor honey!Happiness is like that. If you leave out the essentials, no other ingredients will make up for them.The essentialsThis is my list. I hope it makes sense to you.Luke 10:27, NIV (UK) – ‘[Jesus] answered, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and withall your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind”; and, “Love your neighbour asyourself.” ’ Striving for this goal should put our minds at peace and make us nice to live with. Itwill also take care of our sins: those we have already done; and those we should stop doing!John 14:15, NKJV – ‘If you love Me, keep My commandments.’ If it’s a commandment, thenkeep it God’s way. That way there is less to worry about.Worry and happiness don’t blend well!Micah 6:8, NIV (UK) – ‘And what does theLORD require of you? To act justly andto love mercy. . . .’ When we thinkand act with fairness and kindness,‘spiritual endorphins’ are releasedand it feels good!Ecclesiastes 9:10, NIV (UK) –‘Whatever your hand finds to do, do itwith all your might, . . .’ It is hard tobeat the satisfaction generated by a jobwell done.Acts 20:35, NIV (UK) – According to Paul,Jesus said, ‘It is more blessed to give than toreceive.’ Live generously – it’s a form ofpraise.These are my essential ‘happiness’ingredients. They work when I use them,and things flop when I don’t.Ben got it rightAs far as I’m concerned, Benjamin Franklin iscorrect:‘The Constitution only gives people theright to pursue happiness. You have tocatch it yourself.’Happiness is not a ‘right’, but the ‘pursuit’ thereof is. Wehave to catch it ourselves. What are we waiting for?1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Declaration_of_Independence2Ibid 3 Ibid 4 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life,_liberty_ and_the_pursuit_of_happiness 5 http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/b/benjaminfr138284.html#QJeGCXPpY463vAL2.99

4devotionalinbox5The HeavenlySalesmanby Sarah JarvisBefore I moved to the house I’m in nowI used to have a wall surrounding theproperty, including the front garden. Ihad iron gates that I always keptclosed. I lived en route from the town to acouncil estate of somewhat dubious renown,and once my mother had observed someoneenter our premises during the early hours.After that, we decided we would keep the gatelocked, and so I did until I left.I liked the feeling of locking that gate. Apartfrom the sense of security it gave me, I knewthat no one could get in to disturb me – I valuemy ‘me-time’. Of course, it was a pain foranyone who came on an impromptu visit asthey could never get in. So people stoppedmaking impromptu visits and had to book anappointment over the phone. Privileged peoplehad a key to the lock.Apart from keeping out visitors, the lockmeant that hawkers couldn’t come and disturbmy peace. Occasionally I would get caughtout when I had just nipped home for a shortwhile and was going out again and I didn’talways lock the gate. My heart would alwayssink (and probably my face did as well) whenI opened the door to a salesman with his bagof articles for sale. On offer would be theultimate ironing board cover, the last word industers, stylish aprons, super-efficient ovengloves, and so on. You know, the kind ofthings you just can’t live without.Perhaps because I’m sometimes not verygood at saying no, perhaps because I feelsorry for anyone having to do that awful job,I would invariably part with cash for thecheapest of those articles (of which I hadseveral already). After the door was closed Iwould berate myself for being so foolish as toopen it and part with my hard-earned cash forsomething that I didn’t need and which wasuseless to boot.Where I live now I have no boundary wallor fence round the front, so there’s nothing tolock and I’ve been caught out even more timeshere. But if I’m in the sitting room I can creepthrough to the front window and peer throughthe voile curtain to see who’s lurking outsidethe front door, and if I don’t know them Iusually leave them there.I certainly don’t believe in purchasingthings at the front door. I know I’ve beencaught out with small items on occasion, but Icertainly wouldn’t be persuaded to agree totree lopping, garden landscaping, roof repair,drive relaying or things of such great momentfrom someone who cold calls. The fact thatthey’re doing that, I argue, means that they’reI thanked him and told him Iwould be in touch. But hewasn’t going to leave it there.‘If you just sign here . . .no obligation. . . .’I refused.short of work, and the fact that they’re shortof work might and probably does mean thattheir work is substandard.If I did inadvertently open the door to asalesman of that kind, nothing would induceme to agree. I can be firm sometimes. Fixedas the North Star. In certain things, nothingand no one will persuade me to do somethingI don’t want to do.While at the former house I decided Ineeded a new kitchen – it was sometwenty-plus years old. So I called in a firm togive me a price. The man spent some timemeasuring and drawing and so on and thenannounced his quote for the job. I thanked himand told him I would be in touch. But hewasn’t going to leave it there. ‘If you just signhere . . . no obligation. . . .’ I refused. Then heasked me to give him a cheque for a depositand post-date it. If I changed my mind inthe interim I could cancel the cheque. I stillrefused, and he started to get annoyed andcontinued to insist that I sign on the dotted lineand give him the cheque. Neither the signaturenor the cheque, he insisted, would mean I hadcommitted myself to anything. In that case, Iresponded, what’s the point of my signature?It’s meaningless. He persisted, however, andhis persistence got my hackles up. If someoneis trying to coerce me, I’ll dig my heels in evenmore. He eventually went away emptyhanded,and I didn’t call him to book the job.When I decided it was time to leave thathouse I called in a couple of estate agents togive me valuations. One of them was a youngman with a very aggressive sales style. Healso asked me to sign up on the spot, butI told him I’d be in touch as I had othervaluations booked. When I didn’t ring, hecontacted me – several times, in fact. Herewas another one whose persistence andaggressive approach didn’t pay off – Isuppose it does with some, but not with me. Ihad to tell him firmly to leave me alone and Itook my business elsewhere. His coercivetactics, like the kitchen salesman’s, had hadthe reverse of the desired effect.No, coercion definitely doesn’t work withme. Don’t know about you, but I like to beallowed time to make my own mind up. Iwant it to be my decision, a decision basedon weighing all the relevant factors, notsomething that has been forced out of meon the spur of the moment.God doesn’t like coercion either. Some ofHis followers do, but it’s definitely not Hismodus operandi. Quite the reverse.In one sense, He’s like a door-to-doorsalesman. Isn’t there a text that mentionsknocking on doors? ‘Look!’ He says. ‘I standat the door and knock. If you hear my voiceand open the door, I will come in, and we willshare a meal together as friends.’ (Revelation3:20, NLT.)And what He’s selling doesn’t makespurious claims like the aforementionedhigh-priced, low-quality household items soldat the door. It isn’t redundant or of inferiorquality. It’s precious and priceless. And wewon’t be out of pocket. We’ll be better off afterthe deal than before – infinitely better off, infact. And when I say ‘selling’ that’s not strictlytrue, is it? The precious commodity this‘door-to-door’ Salesman isoffering is free. Whatever youthink money can buy you here,He’s offering something muchbetter – ‘wine and milk withoutmoney and without cost’ (Isaiah55:1, NIV), and His ‘gold that hasbeen purified by fire. Then you willbe rich.’ (Revelation 3:18, NLT.)And His selling style has noaggressiveness about it. Histechnique is gentle persuasion.He invites us to come to Himto soothe away life’s problemsand find calm and rest in Hispresence. ‘Come to me, all ofyou,’ He says, ‘you who areweary and carry heavy burdens,and I will give you rest.’ Matthew11:28, NLT.And He’s not selective aboutwhom He visits. He doesn’t avoiddifficult neighbourhoods orrecalcitrant and obstreperouscustomers like me. He knocks onevery door at some time or other.And not just once. If He’s leftstanding at the door, like myunwanted callers are if I catch aglimpse of them through the netcurtain, then He’ll call again later.And the invitation proffered whenthe door is opened is extended toall, no catches, no tricks.When He comes calling onyou, is He finding not just thedoor but the iron gates bolted andbarred? Don’t be like me, refusingto open them. No, invite Him inand invite Him to stay.I’ll close with the words of awell-known hymn that invite usto throw back the bolts ofselfishness, fear and indecisionand open wide the door to allowJesus to come into our lives.O Jesus, Thou art standing,outside the fast closed door,In lowly patience waiting to passthe threshold o’er:Shame on us, Christian brothers,His Name and sign who bear,O shame, thrice shame upon us,to keep Him standing there!O Jesus, Thou art knocking;and lo, that hand is scarred,And thorns Thy brow encircle,and tears Thy face have marred:O love that passeth knowledge,so patiently to wait!O sin that hath no equal,so fast to bar the gate!O Jesus, Thou art pleading inaccents meek and low,‘I died for you, My children, andwill you treat Me so?’O Lord, with shame and sorrowwe open now the door;Dear Saviour, enter, enter, andleave us nevermore.Dear EditorOn weekdays we get our children toschool on time and ourselves towork, but on Sabbath mornings wearrive at any time, sometimes notgetting to church until the secondservice, just before the sermon – oreven just before the final hymn. Forsure everyone is welcome, whatevertime they arrive – and it’s better tocome late than not at all. However,Sabbath School is often neglected.Why? Ought it not to be the highlightof the week and of Sabbathmornings? Why do we treat Godwith disrespect by not keeping ourappointment with Him? MIRIAM WOODDear EditorI’ve accessed the websites ofseveral BUC churches to find outabout their forthcoming events andpreaching plans – but most of themhaven’t got any event informationor preaching plan listed! Somethingreally needs to be done about theseout-of-date websites! After all,up-to-date communication is thekey today.My other concern is that thegardens of some churches are insuch a state – overgrown and fullof weeds. What does that say aboutthe church? Perhaps a competitionin the MESSENGER for the best churchgarden or plot would encouragethem to clean up their act. If theQueen were visiting I doubtmembers would leave the churchgardens in such a mess.MELANIE STEWARTDear EditorI was interested to read aboutthe visit of the InternationalDevelopment Secretary, JustineGreening, to the ADRA-UK officein Watford (MESSENGER, 7 June).On 2 May 2008 Cyclone Nargis, acategory 4 tropical storm, struckMyanmar (Burma), killing more than22,000 people, leaving at least41,000 unaccounted for, anddisplacing more than 1 millionpeople.As Programmes director forADRA-UK, my son Mark was partof the international emergencyresponse team that supplied food,water, shelter, sanitation and otheressential items needed by thesurvivors. While in Myanmar hemet the then Secretary of State forInternational Development, DouglasAlexander, who was very impressedwith ADRA’s response.Undoubtedly, ADRA-UK is highlyrespected and valued by the DFID.Long may this relationship continue.FRANK CASTELLINOEditor’s note: Mark Castellino now works asBusiness Development director for ADRA-International.Ever had questions about our faith, doctrines orpractice that you want to see resolved? Each weekI’ll be hosting Q&A in an effort to answer them.Andrew PuckeringQ‘What advantages does “organised religion” presentover solely private belief and worship?’AThe question of whether or not believersshould be organised into a church structuremight nearly have precluded the veryexistence of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.In Tell It to the World, C. Mervyn Maxwell writes thatmany early Adventists ‘had been excommunicated because theirAdventist beliefs were deemed contrary to the creeds of theirdenominations’, and they were ‘sincerely afraid that if they set upanother religious establishment they too might in time reject new Bibletruth and persecute God’s true children’. For this reason, ‘Many earlySabbath-keeping Adventists opposed denominational organisation.’ 1Nevertheless, as Ellen White recognised, ‘Satan is seeking todestroy the people of God, and one man’s mind, one man’s judgement,is not sufficient to be trusted. Christ would have His followers broughttogether in church capacity, observing order, having rules anddiscipline, and all subject one to another, esteeming others betterthan themselves.’ 2 Here she quotes directly from Philippians 2, andexpresses similar sentiments to Solomon in the book of Proverbs: ‘inthe multitude of counsellors there is safety’. 3Scriptural support for church organisation is not hard to find:1 Corinthians 12; 1 Timothy 3; and Titus 1 all describe the necessity ofvarious roles and levels of leadership in the Church, the qualificationsand spiritual gifts for each, and their divine mandate from God. TheScriptures also recognise the importance of church discipline inshepherding the flock (Matthew 18:15-19; Titus 2; 1 Timothy 4; 5).True, Christ advocated private prayer, to discourage hypocrites fromshowing off by praying on street corners (Matthew 6:5, 6). 4 However,worshipping only as ‘lone wolves’ all the time is not the Christianway: as the author of Hebrews says, ‘not forsaking the assemblingof ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting oneanother, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching’. 5One of the biggest advantages an organised, unified church hasover individual efforts can be seen in Acts 15, at the JerusalemCouncil. All the great names of the nascent Christian community werethere – Paul and Barnabas, James and Peter – to share testimonies oftheir evangelistic endeavours, discuss what they’d learned, and makesure they were, almost literally, all ‘singing from the same hymnsheet’:all under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.This is where the greatest blessing comes, just as He did in theupper room on the day of Pentecost: when they were all together withone accord, God Himself joined them in the Person of the Holy Spirit. 6As Christ Himself promised in Matthew 18:20, ‘where two or three aregathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them’ (NKJV).What blessing could be greater than that?1C. Mervyn Maxwell, ‘In Need of “Gospel Order” ’ – Tell It to the World: The Story of SeventhdayAdventists, Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1976, pp. 125-127 2 Testimonies for theChurch, vol. 3, p. 445 3 Proverbs 11:14, KJV; see also Proverbs 15:22; 24:6 4 For an exampleof commendable public prayer, see Daniel 6 5 Hebrews 10:25, NKJV 6 Acts 2:1-4Do you have a question you’d like to see answered in Q & A? Why not send itin to us at: editor@stanboroughpress.org.uk? If your question doesn’t appearin the next issue, don’t despair – we will deal with it in due course.

6perspectiveBeing off-balance and lacking passion isnothing new to the Christian Church.Ever since the time of the RisenChrist, the story of salvation hasbeen challenged, distorted, manipulated andmisunderstood. It took the collective focus ofthe New Testament writers to keep the recordstraight and the Church ‘on-message’, achallenge that remains with us to this day,even within our own faith community.Like Christians through the centuries wehave vigorous discussions about doctrine andits application. Not that such conversationsneed be negative, for they often signal ahealthy and thinking climate, particularly for afaith community in search of truth. In suchconversations, when Christians see thingsdifferently, Augustine’s simple formulacan help to keep the Church together: ‘Inessentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty;in all things, charity.’ 1It’s one matter, however, to search togetherfor a greater understanding of truth, but quiteanother to become fossilised in traditionsthat are grounded on fears and threats. In thisregard, some on the ‘misguided fringes of thismovement’ have the tendency to encouragehabits resembling the behaviour of a cult.Specifically they . . .• Subtly distort the truth and beauty ofScripture, making it a complete and utterburden for others.• Demand a restrictive ‘thinking climate’ byBalanced butpassionate Adventismby Pastor David Neal, Irish Mission presidentkeeping a 24/7 heresy watch.• Gossip about conspiracy theories, creatinga climate of fear and mistrust, both insideand outside the Church.• Lead others on false ‘guilt trips’, overparticular ‘health issues’.AnathemaAll of the above are nothing short of anathemato the Gospel of Christ. Such behaviour hasbeen around for a long time, but recently itseems to be on the increase again. Someeven peddle such things in the name of‘Revival and Reformation’. How can we everexpect to reach the majority population inIreland, Northern Ireland and the wider UK forChrist, if we act in a way that Christ knowsnot? What is it in our faith community’s DNAthat at times so easily hides the beauty of theGospel we preach? Who but the devil himselfreceives the most enjoyment in tippingChristians off balance, and who has moreto gain than he in destroying hope? Let’s beclear about this:• It is not a message of hope when weburden down people with false guilt.• It is not a message of hope when wecreate unnecessary fear and mistrusttowards others.• It is not a message of hope when werestrict how people should think and act.• It is not a message of hope to offer awishy-washy, pick-and-mix Adventism.Is it possible that we mayexperience greater success inreaching people if we sharemore of the ‘who’ – what weknow about Jesus – ratherthan just the ‘what’ ofour beliefs?Surely this is not how things should be?We can and must do better. ‘Dear Lord andFather of mankind, forgive our foolish ways.Re-clothe us in our rightful mind. . . .’ This isa very necessary and soul-searching prayerfor these times, particularly as we try toconnect with people through the Cities ofHope project.‘Grey’ to ‘Gold’The burden on my heart is that what weshare with them will be a confident, joyful,Christ-centred hope with absolute confidenceand integrity, thereby turning the ‘grey’ of theirlives into ‘gold’. Is it possible that we mayexperience greater success in reaching peopleif we share more of the ‘who’ – what we knowabout Jesus – rather than just the ‘what’ ofour beliefs? Wouldn’t it be a true reaffirmationof Pentecost if our lives were able tocontagiously attract people to the messageof Jesus?That’s the change I long to see in myself –in all of us. I long for my Church to mature andgrow. I long to see both a balance and passionfor Christ that is second to none. We’re notthere yet – we have challenges – the sameones you’ll easily find among Adventistsin Auckland, São Paulo, Johannesburg orOslo. You may suggest that we ignore theseproblems: ‘Just focus on the positive andeverything will be OK.’ I’m not so sure it’s assimple as that, though, particularly when youlisten to the stories of those ‘inside’ ourChurch who often express how ‘oppressive’the church climate can be at times. Like theauthor of each article below suggests, on fourcurrent matters in particular, we’ve got someserious re-balancing to do.Non-Adventist authors – should they reallybe out, out, out?‘The tortured shape of this editorial is a grimillustration of the fact that a tiny minority ofAdventists is now wielding unwarrantedinfluence on the Church’s educational,pastoral, and publishing ministries by stoutlyinsisting that no reputable thought leadershould read, own, or cite from a book by anon-Adventist author. They have invadedpastors’ offices, disrupted worship services,and left a trail of litter across a smattering ofwebsites . . .’ (Bill Knott, Editorial, AdventistReview – 14 March, 2013).Knott went on in his editorial on to remindthe reader that Ellen White was surrounded inher study by an extensive library of books andfrequently used them as reference sources.Oh, and by the way, eliminate all the non-Adventist authors of hymns in the SeventhdayAdventist hymnal, and we are left withonly 121 hymns to sing!Adventists and conspiracy theories‘I have never yet seen an Adventist conspiracytheory presentation that didn’t dramaticallymove the focus away from Jesus Christ andonto the wildest speculation. Jesus becomesa minor supporting act. Front and centre arealways the phantom conspirators and ofcourse the heroic conspiracy theorist himself.Conspiracy theory parasitically lives off itsimproper attachment to Christianity. And,inevitably, the parasite always ends up killingits host . . .’ (Anthony MacPherson, SouthPacific Record – 15 June, 2013).Is this not a habit copied from fearfulsecular people who have no hope? Aconspiracy theory results in nothing less thanthe production of fear and mistrust in people.If it is a practice of people who do not havehope, why would people who are of hope everwant to embrace it? Spirit-filled people do notembrace conspiracy theories – even in timeslike these! The chief mark of the fullness ofthe Spirit is the fruit of the Spirit: love,joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,faithfulness, meekness and self-control(Galatians 5:22, 23). If evangelism has beendescribed as ‘holy gossip’, then it’s morethan clear that conspiracy theories fall into theopposite category.The health message – a disabled right arm?‘Jesus never intended for healthful living tobe a false guilt trip or for His people to betroubled over every little nuance ofinformation. Instead, He wants our journeyof healthful living to be happy and satisfying.His desire is for us to glow with healthyattitudes and bodies. A difference existsbetween the conviction of the Holy Spirit andcajoling or inappropriate social pressure. . . .So enjoy life by following the principles ofhealthful living. Feel guilty only if you have notsurrendered to the vital principle of takingcare of your health. But do not feel guilty ifyour application doesn’t land perfectly everytime. Happily try again. . . . Let us avoidextreme statements and rigid positions.May people always feel our love, ouracceptance, our grace, and our commitmentto freedom and to the principles of healthfulliving . . .’ (Jay Gallimore, Adventist Review –18 June 2009).It wasn’t difficult to include the ‘healthstory’ while raising the balance flag. But whatreally stirred me to include it as one of ourfour challenges was a detailed feature articlewith the title ‘The Fitness-Driven Church’published in the June 2013 edition ofChristianity Today. The author describeshow United States evangelical churchesare increasingly taking health and fitnessseriously. Not least is the flagging up of RickWarren’s high-profile ‘The Daniel Plan’, dueto be launched in 2014 as a major healthprogramme. I looked forward to a paragraph,a sentence, a passing mention even, thatSeventh-day Adventists practise faith-basedwellness, but it was not to be. Disappointedthat the author suffers from amnesia aboutthe ‘holistic message’ Adventists haveconsistently taught and lived, I decided that itwould be appropriate to help the author andothers recover from this regrettable memoryloss. But as I went to make a comment at theend of the article, I seized up upon reading thevery first comment in the Christianity Todaychat room. . . .‘Having grown up in the Seventh-dayAdventist tradition I can tell you that doingcertain things or abstaining from certainfoods in the name of God quickly turns intolegalism and judgementalism. There isabsolutely nothing wrong with being healthyand fit but to attach in any way that it is arequirement of God or church is wrong andpossibly idolatrous. Yes, God wants us to befit, for our sakes, not the Gospel’s. And thesad fact that much of the obesity and illnesswe see is disease-related will possibly drivethese people away from God if we send themessage that to be in God’s goodwill youmust be fit and healthy. After all, Jesus saidHe came to call the sick, not the well!’(Bernie Kopfer.)Bernie Kopfer, the first to react – aSeventh-day Adventist who experienced fearrather than hope from our faith community. Ifelt almost haunted by his statement. ‘No, no,no,’ I wanted to shout, ‘you’re from a differenttradition; that’s not us’! But right now I coulddraw your attention to at least ten articles inthe mainstream Adventist media, writtenwithin the last twelve months, with the veryclear message that the ‘right arm of thegospel’ requires more than a flavouring ofgrace in the way it is presented and practised.Don’t miss the point Jay Gallimore makes.This is not about whether we hold a liberal orconservative worldview, but rather about howwe understand the grace, the compassion ofChrist and the freedom His hope offers.Talk with an Adventist health educator,and he or she will tell you of the challengeto be taken seriously within the Church. Sadly,many of us ‘having grown up in the SeventhdayAdventist tradition’, because of historicand legalistic judgementalism, have closedour eyes and ears to the health story. Forgivethe pun, but this is not a healthy position andrequires re-balance.Balance without passion – nonsense!Without doubt we need ‘Revival andReformation’, outwards from the heart, basedon a new and fresh understanding of theGospel, grounded in Scripture. Andy Nashreminds us of a fourth challenge we face, ofa trend John warns about in his letters to theseven churches of Revelation, in particular thechurch of Laodicea.‘But if the dry winds of legalism have nowmostly blown through, what has replacedthem? A healthy life of faith that combinestrue joy in Christ with careful choices aboutwhat we allow into our minds and homes? Orsomething else? In my view our Church’sbiggest threat is no longer legalism (though itstill exists). It’s secularism, materialism, theworld. This is the thief that now comes to“steal and kill and destroy” the abundantlife in Christ. . . . We should be careful not toreplace a culture that majored in minors withone that minors in majors: the transforminggrace of Christ, our distinctive Adventistmessage, the abundant life. Our standardsshould be higher than those of any legalistsbecause we understand that our behaviourdoesn’t determine our salvationanyway.’ (Andy Nash, Adventist NewsNetwork – 19 February, 2013).Paul in his letter to Timothy says thatwe should . . . ‘Run away from infantileindulgence. Run after mature righteousness –faith, love, peace – joining those who are inhonest and serious prayer before God. Refuseto get involved in inane discussions; theyalways end up in fights. God’s servant mustnot be argumentative, but a gentle listenerand a teacher who keeps cool, working firmlybut patiently with those who refuse to obey.You never know how or when God mightsober them up with a change of heart and aturning to the truth, enabling them to escapethe Devil’s trap, where they are caught andheld captive, forced to run his errands.’(2 Timothy 2:22-26, The Message).We have much work to do.1Translated from the Latin, ‘In necessariis unitas, in nonnecessariis libertas, in omnibus caritas’; Augustine’s creditfor this is disputed, with some saying it arose with ArchbishopMarco Antonio de Dominis (1560-1624) in De RepublicaEcclesiastica Libri.Telford community health day– an outreach of the Welsh MissionWhen: Sabbath, 3 August 2013,9.15am to 6pm.Main speaker: Sharon Platt-McDonald.Exhibitions: Counselling Service, Heart Start(in conjunction with the British Heart Foundation), Diabetes UK,Weight Management, Food and Nutrition, Medical Scenarios,the Terrence Higgins Trust, and Stress Management.Venue: Telford Whitehouse Hotel,Watling Street, Telford, TF1 2NJ.Contact: Hezron Ottey on 01952471168 for more details.The Mayor and Mayoress will be arriving at 2.45pm to open the workshops.Please plan to visit us for the event, especially if you are in Wales,Birmingham, Wolverhampton or Shrewsbury.7

8camp meetingPrestatyn health check9Dr Neil NedleyEmil PeelerPastor Elsworth BaxenRanko Stefanovic‘Rebuilding the Walls’The North England Conference camp meeting atPontins, Prestatyn, 16 to 22 June, was a greatsuccess. Running under the unified theme of‘Rebuilding the Walls’, each department orministry shaped their programme around the story ofNehemiah and the rebuilding of Jerusalem’s ruinedwalls. The theme was chosen in support of thecurrent vision of the NEC as cast by the president,Pastor Lorance Johnson.A special song was written for the event byGeorgina Morrison, daughter of Diana Sinclair, andthe audience soon came to appreciate that eachline reflects some aspect of Nehemiah’s work. Theaudience was particularly moved when CharlotteBramble of Wellingborough sang, ‘Rebuild the wallsof my life’ during the closing concert in the packedyoung adult venue.The adults were not alone in having a themesong. The older children sang theirs too – ‘Kidsunder construction’ – which expressed their desireto have God work in their lives too!Among the highlights of the children’sprogramme was Delicia Parnell’s summary ofthe week’s lessons, presented before the massedaudience, and clearly showing that she had fullygrasped the need for the children to experience the‘rebuilding’ process in their own special way.This age group also saw the implications ofthe ‘rebuilding’ theme for their relationships withothers. Kai Ham-Yingfrom Middlesbrougharticulated it beautifully in these words: ‘We shouldhelp others who are broken and help to rebuild theirwalls.’The teens also bought into the camp theme and,when called on to experience the rebuilding of theirown lives, thirty-five stepped forward in response tothe appeal.The senior youth group had a very vigorousprogramme of their own, much of it centred aroundthe theme of discipleship. A lot of their activity tookplace in small groups, through role-play games andintense discussions.The youth shared Pastor Elsworth Baxen, fromSouth Africa, and Dr Neil Nedley, a health expert fromthe United States, with the adult group.Pastor Emil Peeler, main adult speaker, spokemany times during the week, to the sincereappreciation of the audience. He was supported byothers, including Dr Ranko Stefanovic, who is knownto many through his television appearances. Heled the congregation in a Bible study of the book ofRevelation that was appreciated for its depth.One of the most touching moments of the weekcame when Pastor Egerton Francis, a former NECpresident, addressed the audience via a recording.He spoke of his continued healing and of his gratitudeto God for the recovery taking place in his life.This 2013 camp meeting was a wonderfulexperience: relaxed, spiritual, pleasantly excitingand sincerely appreciated.BASED ON INFORMATION GLEANED FROM REPORTS BY PASTORS PETERJEYNES AND VICTOR HULBERTAdventist members come to Pontins Prestatyn year after year for their own good.This year they came to town to put something back into the community. The firstgroup to arrive chose to provide health care.A ‘health expo’, held at the Scala cinema in Prestatyn, attracted crowds on a sunnyWednesday afternoon, 19 June.Sixty local residents took the opportunity to get their blood pressure checked, theirlung function assessed, and their body mass index measured. Afterwards they eachhad a short health review with a senior health professional and received a health ageassessment.John, for instance, was happy to hear that his health age was six years lessthan his natural age. Janet, another local resident, was pleasantly reassured by theresults of her check, while Jose, a holiday-maker, really appreciated the massage hereceived.Church associate pastor and local resident, Malcolm Turner, was thoroughly impressedwith the turnout, while Irving Saunders, Welsh Union Health Ministries leader,also applauded those who made the sensible choice to have their health checked.People are interested in their health. The Seventh-day Adventist Church can claimto have some of the answers to a longer, happier life.Recent research has shown that the Seventh-day Adventist lifestyle is attractiveand leads to a healthy life. So why not share the benefits!PASTOR P. JEYNESLet the little ones comeItwas Tuesday morning, the first day of the North England ConferenceChildren’s Ministries’ programme. The sun was beaming as thechildren, big and small, boys, girls, and cradled babies made theirway in great numbers, expectantly, to Captain Crocs and the QueenVic.They were not to be disappointed in what proved to be a most amazingweek packed with fun, laughter and lots of age-appropriate spiritualmaterial. The praise team, led by Eunice Kiragu and Samantha Chiduza,taught them the theme song: ‘It’s gonna be worth it, it’s gonna be worthit, all the things that happen now are gonna be worth it . . .’ in preparationfor the Nehemiah story, an example of God’s love and faithfulness.Some highlights of the week were . . .When Njabulo Ndlovu, the 0-4 years co-ordinator, began reading theNehemiah story from a small Bible story book – too small for thechildren to see the pictures. Complaints were shouted from all directionsas children and parents expressed their disappointment. Then suddenly,a huge Nehemiah story book, larger and taller than many of the children,emerged on stage. Their smiles immediately returned, and once theexcitement had settled Njabulo was able to proceed with the story.When the president, Lorance Johnson, and his wife, Joan, visitedthe children. A member of staff dressed up as Nehemiah appeared, asdid two children dressed up as the king and queen. The children thenlistened attentively as Joan told the story, which ended with PastorJohnson praying for the children, parents and staff.When later in the week the president visited again, this time with theexecutive secretary, Pastor John Ferguson, both of whom prayed for thechildren, their families and the staff. The visit ended with a little boytelling them to ‘work hard and keep the faith’, while a little girl sent themon their way with a ‘God bless you’!When the week culminated with the Sabbath afternoon ‘Children’sShowcase’, during which a small army of children, confident anduninhibited, exuberantly shared what they had learnt and theirexperience of the love of God with the audience.Almost 2,000 years ago, Jesus said, ‘Let the little childrencome to me . . . for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these’(Luke 18:16, NIV). He continues to make the same appeal today!This is how they saw it . . .Five children and a parent were asked what they had learnt and enjoyedabout the children’s programme this year.Anya Stewart (3): ‘I enjoyed dressing as the queen in the Nehemiahstory. Nehemiah was feeling sad because the walls fell down and hewas happy when they built up the walls and they clapped.’ Her mumsaid: ‘I loved the theme song and it was great to hear my daughter singit as we got ready each morning.’Helen Mwasumbe (7): ‘I liked the fact that he was really obedient toGod, and when he finished building they had a celebration.’Tarmari Stewart (6): ‘I enjoyed colouring the booklet. I liked the play onthe stage and I said to myself, ‘When God comes He will rebuild thewalls.’Lukas Hush (6): ‘Ilike the part whenthey rebuilt the walls.I thought the actingwas funny becausethe bad men werelaughing at Nehemiah,saying that he wouldnever rebuild the wallsagain. But I learnedthat God will alwayshelp us when He asksus to do something.’Faith Sibanda(9): ‘I enjoyedmaking the puppets.I learnt thatNehemiah hadfaith in God andthat I should alwayshave faithin Him – andthat in anythingyou go through,Jesus willalways bethere for you.’PATRICIA DOUGLAS,NEC CHILDREN’SMINISTRIESDIRECTOR

10camp meeting11The NEC ‘ashes’Thursday afternoon was sports day, with the emphasis being on the cricket match held atPrestatyn Cricket Club.This traditional event pits the members against the pastors and is played in a good spirit ofrivalry – as one member put it: ‘I want to see the pastors creamed!’ But not even the raincame to the members’ rescue this time. The pastors won, and deservedly so. The actualresult? To spare the embarrassment of the members: the pastors won by a substantialnumber of runs. A very substantial number of runs.Pastor Royston Smith was top scorer of the day with thirty-six runs, but CaptainJackson – thirty-five runs and a good catch – was voted man of the match.The event, sponsored by Newbold College, annually draws together college, members andpastors in a way that is appreciated by all involved – including the vocal supporters!PASTOR P. JEYNESThe Taskforce FourThe North England Conference has four hardy, committed and vibrantTaskforce volunteers who operate under the overall supervision ofPastor Michael Simpson. They have been put to work in areas that havebeen traditionally hard to evangelise, and for this they need our continualprayer support. Let’s meet them . . .Jessica Formanquevski, from Curitiba in sunny Brazil, is working inSouthport. Her English is not perfect but she is coping well – especiallyamong the many Portuguese speakers in the town. At the heart of herwork is making friends. She helps people in the street and talks to them,providing encouragement where she can.Independent Education for children aged 3-11• Do you want the best possible Christianeducation for your child, where Adventistvalues, standards and principles are at theheart of the learning experience?• We believe that each child is unique, and ourstaff are dedicated to helping all studentsachieve their full potential.We would welcome the opportunity to show you what ourvibrant school has to offer you and your child.What Ofsted says:‘Behaviour is outstanding and the Christian ethos givespupils a strong sense of right and wrong.’‘The school is an inclusive community in which pupils feelhappy and well cared for.’‘Pupils have an excellent attitude to learning, and are welladjusted,respectful individuals who are keen to give of theirbest.’Florence Manji is a graduate from PEACE, the Conference’s evangelismtraining institute. She is one of those sunny characters people just loveto meet. Once determined to work with animals as a veterinary nurse inher adopted Wellingborough, she now works with Jessica in Southport.Samantha Laurence, their companion, is originally fromWolverhampton, but was baptised in Leeds as the result of the missionarywork of her brother. She has a catering background and has beenrunning her own businesses. She is also a PEACE graduate and thebaby of the team, having been baptised only eighteen months ago.Wyndel Bacurnay is the man in the team, and he works in SouthCumbria with Pastor Roman Smejkal. Wyndel could be described as aveteran volunteer with ten years of service on two continents. The LakeDistrict is rather unlike Moslem Djakarta or his home country, thePhilippines. He trained as an accountant, but wished for a more spiritualvocation. He first became a literature evangelist, then joined the onethousand missionary movement in the Philippines. Wyndel is hard atwork following up recent contacts in the Barrow-in-Furness area andcreating his own new interests using friendship evangelism – he isalready an active member of his local badminton club.These taskforce members receive only a small stipend from the NECand are really grateful for any additional support that our members orchurches can give. Some members are supporting this work on aregular basis with the knowledge that their donations are opening upnew areas to our message. (Please contact Pastor Simpson directly ifyou would like to help, by emailing: msimpson@necadventist.org.uk.)PASTOR P. JEYNESRuth IrishSecond Chance –Jim describes howhis wild life ondrugs led him toa dramaticencounter withGod.GUEST SPEAKER:Jim AyerVice President for Advancement, Adventist World RadioJim is a renowned international speakerwhose greatest passion is introducingpeople to a lifesaving friendship withJesus. Jim is also the author of severalinspiring books that encourage thereaders in their daily walk with God!Transformation – Jiminvites the reader into hisown intensely personalspiritual journey.Transformation (12-weekStudy Guide) –An interactive workbookdesigned to be acompanion study guide tothe book Transformation.For further details, contact us at:1 Dudley Road, Grantham,Lincolnshire, NG31 9AA01476 400184www.dudleyhouseschool.co.ukLeft to right: Samantha Laurence, Jessica Formanquevski, Florence Manji and Wyndel Bacurnay withprophecy book for Bible Studies

1213SPECIAL MUSIC:VauxhallMale VoiceChoirThe StanboroughPress gives a verywarm welcome tothe Vauxhall MaleVoice Choir, whowill be providing Open Day with their unique collection of choral music.Formed during the difficult wartime days of 1943, the choir has gained quite areputation for its excellent music, especially in the Luton area. The VMVC has alsoperformed several concerts in aid of Her Majesty’s Armed Forces, particularly theHelp for Heroes charity.We are privileged to have this fine group of artists share part of their 70 thAnniversary celebrations with us here in Grantham on Open Day!GUEST SPEAKER:Dwain N. EsmondVice President for Editorial Services, Review and Herald Publishing AssociationDwain Esmond is both an author and a popular youth speaker.He is particularly well-known for his youth devotionals as wellas his wise spiritual leadership of the Insight Magazine.As I Follow Christ – Some of the most notable leaders in the Seventh-dayAdventist Church share what they have learned about effective leadership.Edited by Dwain N. Esmond.SPECIAL MUSIC:Mark BunneyCHEFMichael GrahamWe welcome Mark back to Open Day to bless us with his very own special brandof Gospel music. A talented saxophonist and flautist, Mark will bring that senseof God’s presence to our special day!Michael Graham is a well-known chef in the North EnglandConference and has catered for many weddings, banquets, baby blessingsand countless NEC events, including Camp Meeting 2013, ARME Bible Camp,Pathfinder Camporees and Aberdaron Earliteen Camp.

14community church15HOW TO FIND US:The Stanborough Press LtdAlma Park, GranthamNG31 9SLLocated in the beautifulcounty of Lincolnshireapproximately 150 milesnorth of London and 75 mileseast of Birmingham.Open Day transportBrother Hubert Smiley is noworganising the usual coach transport tothe Stanborough Press Open Day inGrantham on 1 September. Members from Brixton, Battersea,Fulham and other London areas; the West Midlands (including Wolverhamptonand Birmingham); and this year, for the first time, Preston, Manchester, Leeds,Huddersfield and Sheffield are invited to contact him on 07868288310,01384213803, 07736509625 or 07831958114, or emailhubert.smiley18@gmail.com for details.Plan to enjoy this very special day with us; we look forward to seeing you all!Community focus motivationfor Weston Church extensionWeston-super-Mare is a church of only forty members with a tastefulsanctuary and a large youth hall. So why the need for an extension?Simply one word: community.According to Pastor Wayne Erasmus: ‘Our existing facility is usedso much by the community. There is a preschool, a computer club andGuides – and that is in addition to the church’s own vegetarian cookingclub. So, as the church’s own needs grew, we decided to expand thebuilding to encompass both the community and the church’s growingoutreach programmes.’The extension also makes it easier to find the church, as its entranceis now visible from the road.Over the weekend of 22-23 June, both church and communitymembers celebrated the official opening of ‘their’ church extension withSouth England Conference president, Pastor Sam Davis, and the deputymayor of Weston-Super-Mare, Councillor Mrs Roz Willis.In his sermon to the church Pastor Davis commended the churchfor its community connections and challenged the members to continueserving them in this way. A Christian herself, Councillor Willis gavea brief testimony of her personal faith, and, in her address, affirmedthe value and importance of churches and faith groups to theircommunities.Having seen the project from planning to completion, she expressedpleasure at being part of the committee which had approved the plans,and that she could be at the opening of the completed project. As sheconcluded her remarks, she raised her hands and encouraged theassembly to praise the Lord for the great things He had done.On Sunday the church opened its doors for a family celebration day.Tea and cake were served, followed later by a barbeque. The buildingwas buzzing with activities such as games, balloon modelling and facepainting. The Newbold teens mime group, ‘Connected’, also added tothe festivities with their inspirational performance.The day attracted local residents, friends of members and peoplewho attend the popular cooking club. The importance of the buildingwas demonstrated by the support local residents gave, many going outof their way to make the day a success. Even the builder’s bill camewith a donation in the form of reduced costs. What a wonderful way towitness!BASED ON A REPORT BY KIRSTEN ØSTER-LUNDQVIST AND WAYNE ERASMUSA church of ‘signs’ andwondersWhile health fairs are regularly held by many churches in the SouthEngland Conference, the one on Sunday 23 June 2013 at HounslowCornerstone Church was a first. It was conducted in British SignLanguage (BSL) as an outreach specifically for those with hearingdifficulties.Anna Prozitorska, one of the organisers, was the ‘speaker’ forthe heath talks. Her enthusiastic signing was interpreted for hearingmembers who had come along to support and to help out with theblood pressure readings.Anna wanted to do something for the deaf community who, shefeels, need more information about healthy living. She says that oftenthe information is not as readily available, so many deaf people strugglewhen they interact with the health services.In between the demonstrations there were opportunities to tastehealthy smoothies and other dishes, and to look at the array of printedmaterial. The success of the day was evident from the animated signeddiscussions among the attendees.Hounslow is one of the few Adventist churches in the SEC thatincludes BSL in its worship services.‘It has been a challenge for us to learn to communicate in a differentway and slow downin our speaking,’explains PastorMaureen Rock, ‘but weare so grateful for theirpresence.’ The churchhad some memberswho took it uponthemselves to learnBSL so they couldinteract with, andinterpret for, a groupof deaf LatvianAdventists whostarted attending.When the deaf groupapproached PastorRock with the desireto hold a healthoutreach sheresponded, ‘wewere so excited thatthey wanted toreach out to otherdeaf people thatthe church clearedits calendar toaccommodatetheir wish.’KIRSTEN ØSTER-LUNDQVIST

18obituaries19Montserratians celebrateThe Montserratians held their thirteenth annual Montserratians andFriends day of fellowship on 25 May in the High Town Methodistchurch, Luton. Those attending came from all over the UK to enjoy aprogramme packed full of special music, testimonies and inspiredpreaching by Pastor Kirk Thomas, SEC Personal Ministries director.The day’s theme was ‘Led by God’s hand’, and during theafternoon’s special music programme the audience learnt the historicalperspectives behind several of the great Christian hymns, and listenedto the singing of the London Adventist Male Voice Choir and Charlotteand Alana Bramble.MARCELLE RILEYCamp speaker visits Camp HillOn 15 June Camp Hill Church got a ‘sneak’ preview of Dr E. Peeler, NECcamp meeting speaker, in action. The congregation was blessed by hisministry, both during the worship hour and again during the Adventistyouth meeting in the afternoon. Pictured above are Pastor and MrsPeeler and Camp Hill senior pastor, Dr Patrick Herbert.DAWN THOMPSONHymn festivalOn 18 May the Long Eaton church held a hymn festival under thedirection of Pastor Paul Haworth, the district minister.His Sabbath School presentation on the musical instruments ofthe Bible was both interesting and informative. This was followed by asermon by Pastor Julian Hibbert on God’s musical ‘fingerprints’ – theimpressions He makes on us individually through specific hymns andgospel songs.After a hearty lunch the day was rounded off by some great hymnsinging under the ‘baton’ of Pastor Haworth – admirably supported byDavid Elliott. What a great way to spend a Sabbath!EDITORAlbertMontague-Sutton (1935-2013) d. 25 May.Albert was bornin London toparents whoowned a shop inKilburn. He had a sister, Joan,who was fourteen years older.While visiting family in Watfordduring the War, their shop wasdemolished by a direct hit from abomb. They then moved toNorthwester Avenue, Garston,where they owned and ran thebungalow store by the domeroundabout. It was also a café,and many people fromStanborough Park would haveshopped or eaten there.Joan started her nursingtraining at the San and she paidfor Albert to attend StanboroughSchool, which, at the time, was atSheepcote Villa, with Dr White asthe headmaster.Albert was baptised at the ageof 17 along with other classmates.The family then moved up toOxey to run a grocery shop there,which meant that Albert had tocycle to school every day.His father died suddenly of astroke when Albert was only 19,and he was left to look after theshop and his suicidal mother.Eventually he sold the shop andbought a house in GarstonCrescent, where he looked afterhis mother and Joan’s two children.At that time it was hard toget a job with Sabbath off, butAlbert was a very talented personwith many ‘strings to his bow’.He eventually worked atGranose Foods, where hestarted in the cannery, became aforeman, then went into foodresearch and development andquality control. He spent sixmonths at our Sanitarium Foodsin Australia learning qualitycontrol, and was good at fixingmachinery and many other things.In 1986 Pamela Montaguecame to work at Granose after thedeath of her husband. Her fourchildren, Dale, Gary, Russell andMelody, worked there too. Pamworked closely with Albert inquality control and helped himout at food exhibitions and indoing the books at the end ofeach sale. They grew close toeach other, and when Granosemoved to Newport Pagnell in1988-89, Albert bought a housethere and a year later they weremarried. They enjoyed twentythreevery happy years together,travelling to about thirty-sixdifferent countries, includingAustralia, New Zealand, America,Canada and many in Europe.Albert took redundancy fromGranose and became a civilservant, working for the PrisonService until his retirement.He loved his gardening and hisYorkshire Terriers – and his fourstepchildren, of whom he thoughtthe world.Sadly the last few years of hislife were not good – he had anoperation for cancer on hisface and neck, followed byradiotherapy. He was beginningto get back on his feet again whenhe developed pneumonia and wasrushed into hospital. Apparentlythe cancer had returned and hewent downhill very quickly. Weall miss him, and, as with others,wait for the Resurrection Daywhen we will meet our lovedones, never to part again.PAMELA MONTAGUE-SUTTONADC day in ErdingtonErdington Church hosted Adventist Discovery Centre director, PastorDes Rafferty, on 11 May, where he spoke to both members and visitorsof the need to experience confession, repentance, forgiveness andrestoration – just as Zacchaeus did. He was supported by the musicministry of Frederica Reid, who played songs on her guitar throughoutthe service.During the afternoon session, Pastor Rafferty spelt out his work asthe director of the Adventist Discovery Centre (ADC) and promoted thefree Health and Bible Study correspondence courses the centre offers.He also appealed to all members to encourage people to sign up for thecourses so that lives could be saved for Jesus in these last days. If youwould like to learn more about the work of the ADC or help sponsor theirgood work, go to www.discoveronline.org.uk or ring 01923672606.JOHN OSEI-BEMPONGStanborough’s ‘shuttle-thon’On 6 and 7 April the Stanborough Park Pathfinder club raised club fundsin a unique way – they held a twenty-four-hour-long ‘shuttle-thon’ –badminton around the clock, literally!The star of the event was Daniel Davis, a Pathfinder who spent theentire twenty-four hours on court. The most outstanding Adventurer was8-year-old Carlos Moreno, who first learnt to play, then outplayed manyof the older participants.The event was held in the Stanborough School gymnasium, thanks tothe efforts of Kish Poddar. Those responsible for catering did a great jobof keeping the participants ‘energised’ and the end result was a massive£1,585.31 boost to the club’s funds!BASED ON A REPORT BY FLORENCE ALLEN, PATHFINDER DIRECTORPHOTO BY JOHNSON WONGSoldier shaves off hairOne brave soul from the Willesden church shaved off her luscious lockson 31 May to raise money for a breast cancer charity called Cancerkin.Corporal Collet Prince, 35, decided to do this as a fitting tribute tosome of her loved ones who havelost their hair during cancertreatment.‘I chose to sacrifice my hair tobeat cancer, and I wanted to standup not only with my sister and mycousin, but with all the women thatI know who have been attacked bythis vile disease called cancer,’said Collet.Her shaved locks have so farraised £1,600 for this needycause. To find out more, visit:www.justgiving.com/Collet-Prince.MONIQUE SIMPSON

20back pageAugust4 Sheffield Carter Knowle 10am-2pm4 John Loughborough 10am-2pm18 Manchester South 10am-2pm25 Brixton 10am-2pmABC ShopsWatford, BUC, Monday-Thursday – 12.30-5pm, Friday – 10am-2pm.Birmingham, Aston-Newtown, Wednesday – 11am-4pm, Thursday – 4pm-8pm,Friday – 9am-1pm, Sunday – 11am-3pm.Advent Centre, Mondays & Wednesdays – 6.30pm-8.30pm,Sundays – 11am-3pm, Saturdays – November, December, January: After sunset.NEC outlines its strategyOne of the largest gatherings of elders in the history of the NorthEngland Conference took place on the first weekend of June 2013 atthe Eastwood Hall Hotel, just outside Nottingham. The reason for thegathering: to familiarise the elders with the Conference’s new strategy.There were more than ninety of them present and they were eager tohear why each church had been asked to send two delegates. PastorLorance Johnson, the NEC president, soon answered this question ashe unpacked the scriptural basis for the strategy. Drawn from the storyof Nehemiah, the strategy calls on the NEC members and ministers to‘rebuild the walls’ of today’s Church – to be faithful to God’s will inevery respect.At its heart, the strategy calls for the elders to work with theirpastors, who were described as ‘100% on board’, in helping localchurch members come closer to God through ‘an earnest, sincere andcontinuous prayer life . . . life-transforming Bible study and the readingof Ellen White’s writings’: the aim being to effectively proclaim ‘theeverlasting Gospel in the context of the three angel’s messages’.Although the process sounds very formal and very traditional, theattending elders were very happy to hear where the Conference, eldersand local churches should be going. They were happy to hear, from thepresident’s own mouth, that ‘this Conference is going somewhere’, andwere happy to get on board.PASTOR PETER JEYNESStanborough SchoolAre you interested in sending your child toStanborough Secondary School? Are you worriedabout transport? CKG Quality Childcare offers aschool run transportation service and is currentlyserving the St Albans, Luton and Watford areas. Ifthere is sufficient demand they would be happyto expand their capacity and route coverage toaccommodate your requirements. Please contactthem directly at info@ckgltd.co.uk or text 07956 502 465.Stanborough Secondary School serves as a conveyer of information only inthis matter; therefore please make every effort to ensure the service is suitablefor your purposes.Stanborough Secondary School offers a high standard of Seventh-dayAdventist education where 79% of students achieved five A*-C passes in theJune 2012 GCSE examinations; with many subjects achieving 100% pass rates.In addition, our students learn in a happy, beautiful and safe environment.Places are still available in Years 7-10, including boarding. Please contact theschool at the address below.Stanborough Secondary SchoolStanborough Park, Watford, Herts, WD25 9JTTel: 01923 673268, email: spoddar@spsch.org or jdavis@spsch.orgMessengerVolume 118 • 15 – 19 July 2013Editor: J. G. HibbertDesign: David BellProof reading: Andrew PuckeringCOPY FOR No. 17 – 25 July 2013Copy should be sent to the Editor, MESSENGER, TheStanborough Press Limited, Alma Park, Grantham,Lincolnshire, NG31 9SL. Tel: (01476) 591700.Fax No: (01476) 577144.Email: Editor@stanboroughpress.org.ukSend high-resolution pictures to:dbell@stanboroughpress.org.ukABC Sales line: (01476) 539900Mon-Thurs only, 8am- 5.30pm.www.stanboroughpress.comThe Editor may alter, clarify, précis or expandarticles sent to him if he thinks it necessary.Published fortnightly on Fridays by the British UnionConference of Seventh-day Adventists.For general enquiries, email:info@stanboroughpress.org.ukPrinted in the UK.Visit the BUC website at: www.adventist.org.ukISSN 0309-3654SunsetSunset times are reproduced with permission fromdata supplied by HM Nautical Almanac Office.Lond Card Nott Edin BelfJul 19 9.07 9.19 9.18 9.43 9.4626 8.58 9.10 9.08 9.31 9.35Aug 2 8.47 8.59 8.56 9.18 9.229 8.34 8.47 8.43 9.03 9.08MESSENGER SUBSCRIPTIONSCost £25 per annum for 24 issues.**Postage will only be charged for single copysubscriptions and overseas airmail.