Adventist Mission
Encyclopedia
Adventist Mission is an office of the Seventh-day Adventist Church
's world headquarters
. Its main purpose is to provide coordination and funding for the Seventh-day Adventist Church's worldwide mission work. Adventist Mission has coordinators in all 13 regional regional headquarters of the Adventist Church
and sponsors work in more than 207 countries.
, and international volunteer program, satellite television and shortwave radio blanketing the globe, a huge publishing program, thousands of schools, a large network of hospitals and clinics, the Global Mission
pioneer program, and hundreds of cross-cultural missionaries.
Through the years, Adventist church members have generously supported mission through their tithes (10% of their income) and mission offerings because they believe the gospel commission. Church members believe that they're called to help the less fortunate, the poor, the sick, and those who don't know about Jesus.
To meet the Adventist Church's growing need to consolidate its overseas mission activities, Adventist Mission was formed in 2005 at the General Conference World Session held in St. Louis Missouri. This new organization brought Global Mission
and the Office of Mission Awareness together so that they can better collaborate on projects and initiatives.
left for Europe in 1874 as the first official Adventist missionary. A former president of the General Conference, the world church's governing body, he set out to organize a group of believers in Switzerland
. Andrews helped start a publishing house in Switzerland and an Adventist periodical in French, Les Signes des Temps (1876.) Andrews died October 21, 1883 and is buried in Basel, Switzerland.
In 1883 Abram La Rue, a shepherd and woodcutter from California, had an ambition to take the gospel to China. When he wrote to General Conference, they told him that at 65 he was too old. They also said that they didn't have the money to send him. Still determined to go, La Rue negotiated his way onto a ship where he could work his way to Hong Kong
. He arrived there in 1888 and began working as a colporteur
for the next 14 years.
Seven Key Goals:
One of these projects is in Abidjan
, the commercial and administrative center of Côte d’Ivoire, West Africa. Local church members plan to start a three-phase evangelistic effort in an unentered part of the city. Fewer than 10,000 Adventists live in this nation of nearly 17 million people.
Another project will provide funding to send an evangelist to remote villages in an unnamed country where two years ago a number of Adventist teachers went to start small schools. In addition to teaching reading and writing, the teachers befriended families in the area and taught them about God. Local families were so impressed by the teachers that they asked for an evangelist to come and hold open meetings within their villages, so that the entire community can learn more about God.
Seventh-day Adventist Church
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a Protestant Christian denomination distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the original seventh day of the Judeo-Christian week, as the Sabbath, and by its emphasis on the imminent second coming of Jesus Christ...
's world headquarters
General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
The General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists is the governing organization of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. It is located in Silver Spring, Maryland, United States, where it moved in 1989...
. Its main purpose is to provide coordination and funding for the Seventh-day Adventist Church's worldwide mission work. Adventist Mission has coordinators in all 13 regional regional headquarters of the Adventist Church
General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
The General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists is the governing organization of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. It is located in Silver Spring, Maryland, United States, where it moved in 1989...
and sponsors work in more than 207 countries.
History
The Seventh-day Adventist Church has its roots in mission. Over the years the Protestant denomination has shown a commitment to mission which includes a worldwide humanitarian workAdventist Development and Relief Agency
The Adventist Development and Relief Agency International is a humanitarian agency operated by the Seventh-day Adventist Church for the purpose of providing individual and community development and disaster relief...
, and international volunteer program, satellite television and shortwave radio blanketing the globe, a huge publishing program, thousands of schools, a large network of hospitals and clinics, the Global Mission
Global Mission
Global Mission is the frontline mission arm of Adventist Mission, an office of the Seventh-day Adventist Church’s world headquarters. The organization sends volunteer missionaries, typically for one or two years, to reach people in areas of the world where there are no Seventh-day Adventist members...
pioneer program, and hundreds of cross-cultural missionaries.
Through the years, Adventist church members have generously supported mission through their tithes (10% of their income) and mission offerings because they believe the gospel commission. Church members believe that they're called to help the less fortunate, the poor, the sick, and those who don't know about Jesus.
To meet the Adventist Church's growing need to consolidate its overseas mission activities, Adventist Mission was formed in 2005 at the General Conference World Session held in St. Louis Missouri. This new organization brought Global Mission
Global Mission
Global Mission is the frontline mission arm of Adventist Mission, an office of the Seventh-day Adventist Church’s world headquarters. The organization sends volunteer missionaries, typically for one or two years, to reach people in areas of the world where there are no Seventh-day Adventist members...
and the Office of Mission Awareness together so that they can better collaborate on projects and initiatives.
First Adventist Missionaries
John Nevins AndrewsJohn Nevins Andrews
John Nevins Andrews , was a Seventh-day Adventist minister, missionary, writer, editor, and scholar...
left for Europe in 1874 as the first official Adventist missionary. A former president of the General Conference, the world church's governing body, he set out to organize a group of believers in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. Andrews helped start a publishing house in Switzerland and an Adventist periodical in French, Les Signes des Temps (1876.) Andrews died October 21, 1883 and is buried in Basel, Switzerland.
In 1883 Abram La Rue, a shepherd and woodcutter from California, had an ambition to take the gospel to China. When he wrote to General Conference, they told him that at 65 he was too old. They also said that they didn't have the money to send him. Still determined to go, La Rue negotiated his way onto a ship where he could work his way to Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
. He arrived there in 1888 and began working as a colporteur
Colportage
Colportage is the distribution of publications, books, religious tracts, etc., by carriers called "colporteurs".The term is an alteration of French comporter, "to peddle" as a portmanteau or pun with the word col , with the resulting meaning "to carry on one's neck". Porter, is from Latin portare,...
for the next 14 years.
Media
Adventist Mission produces a number of quarterly and yearly promotional material which is used in local congregations to inspire church members to support overseas missions with their personal resources. They include:- Adventist Mission DVD
- Adventist Mission Magazine for Youth & Adults
- Adventist Mission Magazine for Children
- Adventist Mission Week
Tell the World
In 2005 Adventist Mission took on promoting the Seventh-day Adventist Church's "Tell the World" initiative. This broad vision is the denominations mission objective through the year 2010. The ultimate goal of "Tell the World" is to provide every person on earth with the chance to know Jesus Christ.Seven Key Goals:
- Spiritual Growth
- Community Involvement
- Personal Witness
- City Outreach
- Church Planting
- Evangelistic Programming
- Media Ministry
Hope for Big Cities
Hope for Big Cities focuses on establishing Adventist congregations within the rapidly growing populations of the world’s largest urban areas between 2005 and 2010. Special offerings that will provide seed money for new churches particularly in cities where the Adventist Church is struggling to gain a foothold. At least 25 cities around the world are expected to benefit from this program.One of these projects is in Abidjan
Abidjan
Abidjan is the economic and former official capital of Côte d'Ivoire, while the current capital is Yamoussoukro. it was the largest city in the nation and the third-largest French-speaking city in the world, after Paris, and Kinshasa but before Montreal...
, the commercial and administrative center of Côte d’Ivoire, West Africa. Local church members plan to start a three-phase evangelistic effort in an unentered part of the city. Fewer than 10,000 Adventists live in this nation of nearly 17 million people.
Another project will provide funding to send an evangelist to remote villages in an unnamed country where two years ago a number of Adventist teachers went to start small schools. In addition to teaching reading and writing, the teachers befriended families in the area and taught them about God. Local families were so impressed by the teachers that they asked for an evangelist to come and hold open meetings within their villages, so that the entire community can learn more about God.
See also
- Seventh-day Adventist ChurchSeventh-day Adventist ChurchThe Seventh-day Adventist Church is a Protestant Christian denomination distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the original seventh day of the Judeo-Christian week, as the Sabbath, and by its emphasis on the imminent second coming of Jesus Christ...
- Timeline of Christian missionsTimeline of Christian missionsThis timeline of Christian missions chronicles the global expansion of Christianity through a listing of the most important missionary outreach events.-Apostolic Age:.Earliest dates must all be considered approximate...
- Mission (Christianity)
External links
- Adventist Mission official website
- Global Mission website
- "Let's Talk About Mission", 2008 Spectrum interview with director Gary Krause