Participants: Gary Krause (Host), Clifmond Shameerudeen, Greg Whisett
Series Code: GMS
Program Code: GMS000048
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00:01 Young missionaries from around the world
00:02 working in New York City, 00:04 flying in a mission plane in Papua New Guinea 00:07 and two of the newest Global Mission Center directors, 00:11 coming up next on Global Mission Snapshots. 00:25 Just before He went up to heaven, 00:28 Jesus gave us a command. He gave us a mission. 00:34 Jesus said, go, go unto all the world, 00:38 telling them of His love. 00:41 This is our mission. This is our "Global Mission." 00:51 Hi, I'm Gary Krause 00:52 and welcome to Global Mission Snapshots 00:54 where we show you the people 00:56 and places of Adventist mission today. 00:59 When Global Mission was established 01:00 more than 20 years ago, 01:02 Adventist church leaders recognize 01:04 that we've struggled to reach certain people groups 01:08 and certain regions of the world. 01:10 These included the Indian sub-continent and Asia. 01:14 In recent years the church has grown 01:16 tremendously in these regions 01:17 but we still struggle to present the gospel 01:20 in a meaningful way 01:22 to people from completely different worldviews. 01:26 Today we'll be talking with two people 01:27 who are more than familiar 01:29 with that most difficult challenge. 01:32 We'll be talking with Greg Whisett, 01:33 the director of the Global Mission Center 01:35 for East Asian Religions 01:37 and with Clifmond Shameerudeen, 01:39 from the center for Self Asian Religions. 01:42 And we'll also visit Papua New Guinea 01:45 to see your mission offerings at work 01:47 in the form of a mission plane. 01:49 But first, let's visit New York City 01:52 and meet some young people from around the world 01:54 who spent one year in mission 01:57 as part of the Seventh-day Adventist churches 02:00 NY13 initiative. 02:11 Some people refer to it as the Big Apple, 02:15 others call it the city that never sleeps. 02:19 Whatever you know it as 02:20 New York City is one of the most 02:21 well know destinations on earth. 02:25 New York City is known for its cuisine, 02:27 shopping and busy atmosphere. 02:30 But beyond the stores, shows and restaurants 02:33 there are millions of people who call this home. 02:36 Finding ways to connect with these people 02:38 is a growing challenge. 02:40 The Seventh-day Adventist church has made a commitment 02:42 to reach the urban areas of the world. 02:45 They have started an effort called Mission to the Cities. 02:49 More than half of our world's population lives in cities. 02:53 These cities often house people with secular 02:55 and post-modern lifestyles. 02:58 This year we've focused our efforts on reaching this 03:01 vast city of New York. 03:03 Youth play a big role 03:05 in reaching the cities through various methods. 03:07 Let's see why New York is so important 03:10 to the Mission to the Cities initiative. 03:16 New York City is the center of news, 03:19 producing news for the whole world. 03:21 It's the center of culture, its-- 03:24 I mean, you have like over 20 airports 03:28 in the city, metro area. 03:31 You have tremendous, you know, network of subways, 03:35 bridges, you know, tunnels. 03:37 All those representatives have something from 03:40 all over the world in that community. 03:43 So it is a challenge, it is an opportunity 03:47 and also be like a sample, a mother that-- 03:50 and like the song you know, we used to say, 03:52 if you make it there you can make anywhere. 03:54 I don't there's just one method 03:56 where you have to be innovative, creative 03:58 and be relevant to different kinds of people 04:00 we are trying to reach. 04:04 New York City has like 800 languages, 04:07 center of finance, center of the arts, everything else. 04:11 So New York City is a model 04:13 and when Ellen White said it should be a model, 04:14 the whole world is now looking at New York 04:16 for sending evangelists to come in and work there. 04:18 Youth are coming from around the world 04:20 to work there for the next year. 04:21 So there's gonna be a lot of focus on a study 04:24 that is such a-- the U.N., United Nations, 04:26 I mean, all the cultures are there. 04:28 So it's kind of a unique city in that way. 04:31 Big cities, and no matter where you go 04:34 have one common denominator and that is a lot of people. 04:37 And even in cities that maybe less developed 04:42 than some major cities in the world, 04:44 you have a very interesting infrastructure within the city. 04:48 And so it's important that we try to reach people 04:51 in the different sections of those cities 04:54 and to understand that now, 04:57 as of about three years ago 04:58 or so more people live in big cities 05:01 than live in the rural areas. 05:04 So this is an even greater reason 05:07 for us to try and reach people in the big cities. 05:14 Since we have more people today living in the cities 05:17 then we need to reach them to finish the work. 05:21 We need to find out ways to get in contact 05:23 and develop relationships with different peoples in the cities. 05:27 And I really think the youth has a special task, 05:31 special part to be involved in this scenario. 05:38 This year, 14 youths from all around the world 05:41 came to New York 05:42 to train in community service and evangelism. 05:46 A representative from each region of the world 05:48 came here to take part in this experience. 05:50 This program is known as "One Year in Mission." 05:55 This team of young adults spent six months 05:57 learning about ministry and serving their community. 06:00 During this experience they went through 06:02 both struggles and spiritual growth. 06:05 Their patience was tested 06:06 as they dealt with cultural differences 06:08 and many other challenges. 06:10 Their faith and dedication to God's work 06:13 motivated them to do the best job they could. 06:16 The second part of the "One Year in Mission" plan 06:19 is to go back to their home region 06:20 and replicate the lessons learned in New York. 06:23 They will be used to further God's work 06:25 in the major cities of their home countries. 06:29 Please pray for these youths as they continue to follow 06:32 Christ example of reaching people all around the world. 06:44 Christ ministry is so important 06:46 because He went to where the people were. 06:49 So I think as we think about these cities 06:52 we need to have this compassion for people. 06:54 We need to be in contact with Christ everyday 06:57 through Bible study and through prayer 06:59 and understanding that our outreach to people 07:02 is to follow His method. 07:03 We need to be crying with Jesus for the people of the city 07:07 and more than crying, we need to do something. 07:14 These writings of Ellen White 07:16 or the Spirit of Prophecy as we call them 07:18 which I believe are inspired writings from God 07:22 has much to say about working in the cities 07:26 and not just in preaching the gospel 07:28 but in living the gospel. 07:31 Helping people to go door to door, 07:34 opening up centers of influence, 07:36 that could be churches, there could be places 07:38 where people can come together 07:40 and study the scriptures, reading rooms. 07:42 They could be health centers 07:44 where people are given health lectures 07:47 where there's a clinic there 07:49 or whether maybe there are vegetarian restaurant 07:52 or something to help people to be attracted 07:55 to that which is truth. 07:57 Where to use every method possible 08:00 including integrated media outreach today 08:04 and all those kinds of things. 08:05 But the most important thing 08:07 is to have individuals who live in the cities, 08:12 Christians, Seventh-day Adventists 08:14 to be able to connect with other people. 08:16 You can't do everything 08:17 from a remote control arrangement. 08:19 It all comes down to that relationship. 08:22 Without Christ Spirit living within us 08:24 through the Holy Spirit and our ministering to people, 08:28 anything we do is absolutely worthless 08:31 but through God's power 08:33 we can touch the hearts of people. 08:40 The world church is decided as a group 08:42 that we need to do this together. 08:44 New York City is supposed to be a model. 08:45 You know, Ellen White said, and so we are doing that first 08:48 but then 650 cities eventually, each division, 08:51 each conference, each union is prayerfully choosing a city 08:54 they want to pull their resources towards in reach. 08:57 So using the comprehensive methods, 08:59 using all kinds of things not just evangelistic meetings 09:02 but the world is gonna go after all of these cities 09:05 in the next few years together, praying, working together. 09:10 The NY13 project has reached thousands of people 09:14 but we are just scratching the surface 09:16 of the earth's urban population. 09:18 As we continue our efforts in New York, 09:20 let's pray for the millions of people around the world 09:23 who have never heard God's message. 09:26 Thank you, for your support of mission to the cities 09:29 and mission around the world. 09:37 When Global Mission was established in 1990, 09:40 the mandate given it was very clear. 09:43 Start new congregations, 09:45 not only in new geographical areas 09:47 but also in new people groups. 09:49 So one of the fundamental initiatives of Global Mission 09:53 are the Global Mission centers 09:55 which are particularly designed to help us build better bridges 09:59 with other world religions. 10:00 And my guest today is Pastor Gregory Whitsett, 10:03 who is the director of the Center 10:05 for East Asian Religions. 10:07 Greg, thanks for coming. Thank you. 10:09 Thanks for coming all the way from Bangkok, 10:10 Thailand to join us. 10:13 I know we got some meetings coming up next week. 10:15 Greg, can you summarize the activities 10:19 that you are involved in the center. 10:21 Now in asking that I'm also aware of the fact 10:23 that you have only recently started 10:26 but what are the some of the things 10:27 that you are focusing on? 10:29 Well, bar none. 10:32 The most, the biggest objective that I have 10:36 is to actually find people 10:39 who are specializing in this kind of work 10:40 and all the fields through out Asia 10:43 but even throughout the world. 10:44 There are Asians, there are Buddhists 10:48 around the world that as per as we're global community. 10:51 So finding people who actually have an interest 10:55 to lookout for the needs of those 10:57 outside of their own cultural sphere is important. 11:00 There maybe a neighbor next door, 11:01 and maybe somebody they work with that may be, 11:03 they are immersed in that other culture 11:05 and they just need to learn how to be a part of that community. 11:08 So that's the major objective. 11:11 So to build up a network of like minded people with this-- 11:14 Yes, exactly. Good. 11:15 Exactly. Yeah. 11:18 And you also, I mean, we used to call them study centers 11:21 as there's amount of research as well. 11:23 Yeah, certainly. 11:25 In working with these different peoples, 11:27 you know, its just like working with people 11:30 perhaps here in North America 11:32 where you have many different denominations 11:35 and different mindsets. 11:36 Some who are more secularize, 11:38 some who are very devout in their faith, 11:40 then you have some who maybe protestant 11:42 or Catholic or different religion 11:44 so, or denominations. 11:45 So Buddhism and the different 11:47 East Asian religions are the same way, 11:48 its not just one thing. 11:51 So it is always need for developing better materials, 11:55 better resources and at least 11:57 and understanding of what that value system is, 11:59 what the worldview is of these different groups 12:01 so that we can bring the gospel to them. 12:03 It's something that is meaningful, 12:06 you know, if we were to plant a mosque 12:08 or a Buddhist temple in the middle of America 12:12 how would the farming community 12:14 and different ones feel about that coming in there. 12:16 Would they feel, oh, wow, this is wonderful. 12:18 We've got some cultural diversity coming into town. 12:20 No, that's not at all. 12:21 You would feel like a threat to nation, 12:24 to family, to the community. 12:27 And so as Christians, 12:29 we need to spend a lot of time mingling with people 12:31 but also understanding what are their needs 12:34 and how does Christ most appeal to them. 12:36 What aspects would they find, 12:38 not only appealing but something they need 12:41 that's filling a gap. 12:43 And part of the challenge too is that 12:46 to separate what is essential Christianity, 12:49 what is essential Adventism and what is cultural baggage. 12:51 And sometimes we confuse the two 12:54 and we think that when we-- 12:55 and so when we present the gospel to people 12:58 we sometimes hangs on a little bit of our tradition 13:01 and a little bit of the way we've always done it. 13:03 But really that's not the essential part, 13:05 right? That's true. 13:07 You know, anyone who has spent, 13:09 lived cross culturally or have lived in a community 13:14 where they spend significant time 13:15 in the homes of other people 13:16 that have a different cultural background 13:17 will know that there's more than 13:19 one way to make pot roast, 13:21 you know, for a potluck, you know. Right. Right. 13:23 So some like cheese on it and some don't. 13:26 Some like, you know, 13:27 there's many different ways of doing things. 13:29 And if everything I am has to change 13:33 in order to become a Christian 13:36 and I am not talking about my value system 13:38 but I am talking about, I can no longer wear the clothing 13:41 I am wearing. I have to change my clothing. 13:44 I--you know, for example here in American, 13:47 you know, 4th of July and Thanksgiving 13:51 and the way we celebrate Christmas 13:53 and all these different type of things. 13:54 You know, people have room for adjusting 13:57 how they would celebrate those events. 13:59 But they still celebrate it. Right. 14:02 But when we go into a place 14:05 where Christianity comes into another country 14:07 that's not western, a lot of times 14:10 we see these as a threat to Christianity 14:13 because a lot of these different festivals 14:16 and things have a religious tone to them 14:18 and so we just erase them, take them out 14:20 and then we leave a kind of-- 14:22 A vacuum. A vacuum, exactly. 14:24 So one of the things that's important at the center 14:27 is to help the church indigenize. 14:28 To actually say, okay, how can we would be 14:30 fully part of the local community 14:33 and enjoy the different festivals 14:35 but stay true to Christ, to stay committed to Christianity to. 14:40 And so that's an important thing 14:42 because otherwise Christianity is seen as a foreign invasion, 14:46 as colonialism, maybe but this is not us. 14:49 But Christ was Asian, you know, before He was American 14:55 and you know, we've painted Him and made Him to be American. 14:57 Asian before He was American. 14:58 I didn't know He can be. 15:00 So, but we've adopted 15:02 you know, all the paintings and different pictures 15:03 we have they reflect our culture. 15:06 His skin complexion, His-- 15:08 you know, how we view scriptures 15:09 is incorporated into our world. 15:12 But if we do that in Asia 15:13 some people take offence with it looks too Asian. 15:16 But basically when we do those types of things 15:18 we're just trying to relate to Christ. 15:21 And if He we was here wouldn't He take on 15:24 and live in that community 15:26 like He did when He was in Israel. 15:28 Right. He lived among them as a Jew. 15:31 And so we need to not just 15:33 think about the incarnation of Christ then 15:35 but find ways to have incarnation Christianity. 15:38 Right. Yeah. 15:40 And that's not something that's just done overnight. 15:42 No, and it's something that one person or one center can do, 15:45 it needs to be done in partnership 15:47 in as a conversation with local Christians. Yeah. 15:51 And giving them the structure so that's an okay thing to do. 15:55 Yeah. Yeah. Greg, fascinating. 15:57 I wish we had more time 15:58 but thanks for joining us. Thank you. 16:01 Viewers at home, you can just get a window 16:04 into the sort of issues 16:06 that our Global Mission Centers are wrestling with 16:09 as they seek today to take the commission 16:11 to go into all the world in a way that is meaningful, 16:15 attractive, understandable 16:17 but without compromising the message in any ways. 16:19 So please pray for Pastor Greg 16:22 and the other center directors in their challenging work. 17:12 When the Seventh-day Adventist church's 17:14 Global Mission initiative began back in 1990, 17:18 one of the key challenges is that 17:20 church leader saw was the fact that 17:23 the Adventist church virtually made no connection 17:26 with people from other world religions. 17:28 And I am delighted to tell you about the Global Mission centers 17:34 that have been established to make us 17:37 more effective in building bridges 17:38 to our brothers and sisters of different faith. 17:41 And I am delighted to welcome our guest today, 17:43 Clifmond Shameerudeen, 17:45 who is from the Center for South Asian Religions. 17:49 Now that's a handful. 17:50 Clifmond, what are South Asian Religions referring to? 17:55 Well, it encompasses many of the religions 17:58 that are associated with Hinduism. 18:01 Hinduism being the main one and Sikh--Sikhism 18:05 and other religions that associated with that, 18:08 that are not known today to most people. Yeah. 18:12 Now, here in North America 18:14 we are seeing increasing numbers of these people 18:17 in our streets, in our communities 18:19 and that's quite a diaspora of people 18:22 from that part of the world, right? That's correct. 18:25 Now including where you are currently working which is-- 18:29 Trinidad. Trinidad. 18:30 Tell us about the make up of the population there. 18:34 In Trinidad, the population is very diverse. 18:37 You have about 30% of the Afro-Caribbean people 18:41 that have the descendant directly 18:43 from the continent of Africa. 18:45 And then you have another 28% of people 18:49 who consider themselves to be Hindus 18:52 that are directly associated with India. 18:55 And then you have other mixtures 18:57 of other ethnic groups such as the Portuguese 19:00 and people from China 19:03 that has recently have been coming to Trinidad, 19:07 to the Island of Trinidad. 19:09 So you have a particular passion for finding ways 19:12 that we can be better in the way 19:15 that we connect with people 19:16 from these traditions. Certainly. 19:18 Yeah. Certainly. 19:19 Now, tell me about the center of influence 19:22 that you have recently established. 19:25 Well, when I first move to Trinidad 19:27 and the first thing I did is to observe the community 19:30 and understand the people and understand 19:33 what are the things that matter most to them 19:36 and also the challenges that they face. 19:39 And then I recognized that the center of influence 19:41 is the best way to connect with this community. 19:45 And so that's when I began a center of influence. 19:49 Now describe what the center of influence is? 19:52 Well, the center of influence is basically a center 19:56 where it connects directly to people, 19:58 connect to their lives, to things 20:00 that matters most to them. 20:02 And so when we open up the center 20:05 we advertised it as safe place, a place where you can come 20:09 and get help and you can talk to anyone 20:12 about the challenges you have and how best you can have 20:15 find solutions to those problems. 20:18 So why don't you just come in there 20:19 with your Bible in your hand and preach to them? 20:23 Well, you know that, that's interesting 20:25 because its--the Adventist church has been in this region 20:27 for over a 100 years. Right. 20:29 But here you have a section of the population 20:31 that's can go between 30% to 40% 20:35 that has not been reached by the Adventist church 20:38 and they have been preaching the gospel 20:40 using the Bible in the hand 20:42 as you referred to for the last 100 years 20:46 but yet it still hasn't impact this community. 20:50 And that's been the question mark, why? 20:53 And so I went in there and being one of those person. 20:57 I understand the problem first hand. 21:00 And so I began the center to connect to people 21:03 to make tangible difference to their lives. 21:05 For example, here's the community 21:08 of hard working people who wants the best 21:10 for their children and their families 21:12 but they are working so much 21:14 and their children needs education. 21:17 But they have nowhere to turn to 21:18 because of their income and their lifestyle 21:22 they are not able to afford 21:24 quality education for the children. 21:26 So we started a home work center 21:28 where we after school, your children can come 21:31 and get help with Math and English, simple as that. 21:34 And as a result of that we have build 21:36 so many bridges with parents asking us 21:39 what can we do in return for the kindness 21:42 you have shown to us without charging us any money. 21:45 In fact you are so patience, 21:47 you are better than the teachers 21:48 who are trained and paid to do this job. Right. 21:52 And they have come to us for counseling. 21:54 They have come to us about spiritual matters, for prayers, 21:57 for problems in their homes, with their daughters. 22:00 I had many mothers came and said, you know, 22:01 I have a teenage son but I don't know what to do. 22:05 Pastor, can you help us? Tell us what to do. 22:09 You know, can I bring him tomorrow to see you. Wonderful. 22:14 So basically what you are doing there 22:16 is you're using this as a platform 22:19 to put Christ method into practice 22:21 where you are mingling, you are showing sympathy, 22:23 you are ministering to needs 22:24 and you're winning confidence. Certainly. 22:26 And leading people to Jesus. 22:28 So now this takes a little time, Clifmond, 22:32 and I've talked to you about this before, 22:34 how do you balance everything with your family 22:37 and all the work that you are doing? 22:40 Well, as pastors, you know, when-- 22:43 before I became a pastor I wonder how, you know, 22:45 what are some of the challenges you faces as the pastor 22:47 but now that I am a pastor, 22:49 I understand it first hand. Yeah. 22:51 And its-- you can get carried away 22:53 when you see people lives are changing 22:54 and that's what you want to do continuously 22:57 and you end up spending long hours out there 22:59 and your family is left isolated. 23:03 And so its a very challenging aspect 23:07 and much more when you are starting something new 23:09 that has never been done before. Of course. 23:12 And so-- I need a lot of prayers. 23:14 You are a pioneer missionary 23:16 and the real live one too which is good. 23:20 Clifmond, thank you so much for joining us today 23:23 and sharing a little bit about you-- some of your work. 23:26 And viewers at home, 23:28 Pastor Clifmond have been putting his heart 23:32 and his life into this ministry. 23:34 And we see that many people who have been-- 23:38 I don't want to say ignored 23:39 but have just, have tended to be 23:41 overlooked in our communities 23:43 are people that God loves so much. 23:46 And I want you to please pray for Clifmond, 23:49 pray for the other Global Mission centers in their work 23:52 as they help us find ways 23:54 to more effectively build bridges 23:56 to these precious people. 24:00 It's early morning before dawn 24:02 the Adventist aviation plane has is parked in the hanger. 24:06 Daniel, our pilot arrives 24:08 and gets the aircraft ready for its first mission today. 24:11 Fasten your seatbelts as we taxi to the runway. 24:14 This is another day of mission service. 24:20 We are flying North east over Papua New Guinea 24:23 at an altitude of 10,000 feet. 24:25 It's fairly warm in the plane 24:27 and its a gorgeous morning out the window. 24:30 Papua New Guinea is one of the most 24:32 culturally diverse places on earth 24:35 with pristine teeming jungles, 24:38 jagged mountains, 24:40 deep valleys and turbulent rivers. 24:43 It's one of the least developed 24:45 and most traditional countries on this planet 24:48 where people live much as they have for thousands of years. 24:51 And we are on our way to a remote place 24:54 in the highlands of New Guinea to visit a small village. 25:01 Look down, there it is. 25:02 We are approaching our first destination. 25:05 The villagers are always happy to see us. 25:08 These two children even made model airplanes 25:11 as a sign of admiration for the aviation service. 25:14 The cargo is quickly unloaded here 25:16 and we are off to our next appointment. 25:22 The Seventh-day Adventist plane 25:23 travels to local towns and villages 25:25 where it is very hard to reach with food, supplies 25:29 and medicines for the clinics. 25:31 By plane we can cover distances in an hour 25:34 where it would have taken weeks in the past. 25:37 And for some villages 25:38 it's the only way in as there are no roads. 25:43 On our next stop we will surprise the people 25:45 with a very unique gift, a lawnmower. 25:48 It may seem a trivial tool 25:49 but to the local people it will provide a way 25:52 to maintain their surroundings, gardens, plantations 25:56 and even a clear runway for the plane. 25:59 They seemed very excited with the new gift. 26:01 And after a simple demonstration 26:03 they are equipped to continue the work. 26:08 On our last leg of our trip we will pickup bags of crops. 26:12 The airplane will transport the merchandise to the city 26:15 and bring back means to provide for this community's survival. 26:23 Your mission offerings supports projects like these everyday 26:27 and it helps thousands of people to get connected 26:30 with the Seventh-day Adventist church 26:31 and experience first hand the love of God. 26:35 Please pray and continue to support Adventist mission. 26:49 As we look at countries such as the Czech Republic, 26:51 as we look at the big cities of the world, 26:54 as we look at the 10/40 Window 26:55 we see tremendous mission challenges. 26:58 We thank you, for your support of mission work 27:01 through your tithes, your offerings 27:03 and your donations to Global Mission. 27:06 And we also thank you, 27:07 for your prayers for the missionaries, 27:09 for the Global Mission pioneers 27:11 and for the people you meet on this program. 27:14 We are glad you stay connected to Adventist mission work 27:17 by watching Global Mission Snapshots. 27:20 And we'd like to send you a small gift. 27:22 It's just a small Adventist Mission carabineer clip 27:25 to help you stay connected to your keys 27:27 or any number of small items. 27:30 But every time you see the Adventist Mission name, 27:32 we hope it reminds you to pray 27:34 for the many mission challenges around the world. 27:38 If you live in North America 27:39 and would like to receive this small gift 27:41 and information about Global Mission, 27:44 just call our toll free number at 1800-648-5824 27:49 or you can visit our website at adventistmission.org/offers. 27:54 And don't forget to request 27:56 the Adventist Mission carabineer. 27:59 Thank you, for joining us today 28:01 and we'll see you next time 28:02 right here on Global Mission Snapshots. |
Revised 2014-12-17