Participants:
Series Code: MTS
Program Code: MTS002705B
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00:09 Welcome back to Amsterdam.
00:10 And behind me you can see the iconic Rijksmuseum, 00:14 which is a famous museum right here 00:16 in the heart of Amsterdam. 00:18 And it contains 1 million works of art, 00:21 of course, only about 80,000 are displayed 00:23 at any given time. 00:25 Next up, we travel to South America 00:27 to learn about a pioneer 00:28 Seventh-day Adventist missionary. 00:30 My guest today is a regional editor 00:33 of the Encyclopedia of Seventh-day Adventist. 00:36 This new research project 00:37 is overseen by the Office of Archives, 00:39 Statistics, and Research at the General Conference. 00:42 It will include many entries of interest 00:45 for our church around the world 00:47 including mission stories and mission work. 00:50 Our guest today is Pastor Plenc 00:53 from the South American Division. 00:54 Welcome to Mission 360 TV. 00:58 Pastor, Plenc, 00:59 what missionary are you going to talk to us 01:00 about today? 01:04 When we talk about the history of the church 01:06 in South America, 01:07 it is inevitable to remember the first pastor of the church 01:10 officially sent to those lands to organize the mission work. 01:15 And I'm talking about Pastor Frank Westfall, 01:17 an American missionary who worked for many years 01:19 in South America. 01:23 Where and when did this missionary serve? 01:31 Pastor Westfall was born in the United States. 01:35 His family descended from Germany, 01:36 which is precisely the reason why he was chosen. 01:41 His ability to not only speak English 01:43 but also German 01:44 since the people he was going to connect 01:45 were of German descent, who came from Russia. 01:50 Pastor Westfall also studied in the United States. 01:54 He was a student 01:56 at Battle Creek College in Michigan 01:57 and worked as a pastor and administrator 01:59 in the United States. 02:03 He came from Wisconsin and was chosen to work 02:05 in South America. 02:07 He worked there in two stages. 02:10 First in what they call the East Coast mission. 02:14 He had to carry out the first task. 02:24 He organized the first churches in Argentina, 02:28 Brazil, Paraguay. 02:32 In Paraguay, he worked from 1894 to 1900, 02:38 then he returned to the United States 02:39 due to health issues. 02:42 He stayed there for four years 02:44 and then returned to South America. 02:47 His destination was Chile. 02:49 And he dedicated his time until 1920, 02:52 1921 to work in Chile. 02:54 And then after that 02:55 he returned to the United States. 02:57 In fact, he continued to work for a while 02:58 in Los Angeles, California. 03:00 So we're talking about an international missionary 03:02 and a true pioneer for South America. 03:10 What were the mission needs in the area where he served? 03:19 Well, he worked in a very wide area. 03:21 And as we said he first worked in the United States, 03:26 then he went to settle in Buenos Aires, Argentina 03:29 to contact people or groups of people 03:30 who were already Sabbath keepers. 03:34 And who had learned about the message 03:35 through magazines or colporteurs who came later. 03:40 But he already knew about those groups 03:42 and had contacted them through letters. 03:46 So he went directly to organize 03:47 the first churches in Argentina. 03:51 The church of Crespo in the province of Entre Rios, 03:57 the church of San Cristobal in the province of Santa Fe, 04:01 and the church of Buenos Aires, capital of Argentina. 04:06 Then he moved to Brazil 04:07 where he organized the first church in Brazil. 04:10 Then he went back to Argentina and then he moved to Uruguay, 04:14 where he organized the first church in Uruguay. 04:16 So he was a missionary who worked in that area, 04:18 after that he worked for many years in Chile. 04:25 Can you share a brief story of Westfall's life with us? 04:33 Pastor Westfall's story is a very interesting 04:35 and rich story. 04:37 He was a highly valued, 04:38 much loved missionary with a family 04:39 fully committed to the mission of the church. 04:44 When he went from the United States 04:45 to South America as a missionary, 04:47 he was about 35 years old. 04:51 He had a wife and two little children. 04:53 Maria Thurston accompanied him with their two kids. 04:56 And he dedicated time to make extensive trips 04:59 through South America. 05:02 He was a great preacher, a great evangelist, 05:06 and a great church administrator. 05:10 So he in addition to organizing the ecclesiastical part, 05:15 he founded the first church institutions, 05:17 especially the higher education institution, 05:19 River Plate University. 05:29 Okay. 05:30 In your personal opinion, 05:32 what contribution to Adventist Mission 05:34 did he make? 05:37 I think that Pastor Westfall's greatest contribution 05:40 was making the first contact with people 05:42 who were interested in the message, 05:45 which they knew through publications, 05:47 baptizing them, 05:49 organizing the first churches 05:50 and encouraging the birth of new institutions. 05:55 Pastor Plenc, 05:57 what did you personally find 05:58 inspiring about this missionary in his life? 06:06 Yes, Pastor Westfall was a very inspiring person. 06:09 I believe that what has been said 06:11 about him in the books is true. 06:12 He was a true pioneer. 06:15 He was an authentic pioneer. 06:18 He was brave, daring. He was a good preacher. 06:21 He was a good administrator. 06:23 He was a person of great challenges. 06:26 He made huge trips 06:28 and he had the ability to organize 06:29 the first church institutions 06:31 and encouraged them to go forward 06:32 to fulfill the mission. 06:35 He certainly was a genuine pioneer. 06:46 Pastor Plenc, 06:48 thank you for introducing us to Frank Westfall, 06:51 and for helping us to understand 06:53 his contribution to mission in South American division. 06:57 Thank you very much. My pleasure. 06:59 Reporting for Mission 360 TV, I'm Laurie Falvo. 07:15 Next up, we traveled to Spain 07:16 to visit a church plant in Madrid. 07:19 On this quiet street in Madrid, Spain, 07:22 you can hear the inviting sound of worship. 07:25 The music is coming from this building 07:27 where the Alcala de Henares Adventist Church meets. 07:36 Today is a special Sabbath. 07:38 Some members came to church early to decorate the stage. 07:41 They're preparing for a special program 07:44 to celebrate and appreciate the women of this church. 07:47 It's a bit hard to imagine this small space 07:50 filled with 100 people, 07:52 but as the program is about to start 07:54 people come in one by one. 07:57 Before you know it, the place is so full, 07:59 some members even have to stand at the back. 08:02 Five years ago, 08:04 this church started with only three families, 08:07 now around 100 people come every Sabbath. 08:10 Most of that growth 08:11 is because of their young people. 08:16 The number of young people attending grew very fast. 08:24 We started with only seven young people, 08:26 but we dedicated our time to youth ministries. 08:36 Last year, eight members were baptized 08:38 and another six accepted Christ this year. 08:45 The youth gather in this small room 08:47 to study the Bible. 08:48 The bond among them is evident as they sing praises together 08:52 and study God's Word. 08:56 We try to be united and be a big family. 09:01 And, of course, we're very thankful 09:02 that the whole church 09:04 always keeps us in their prayers. 09:17 This group finds ways to meet for any occasion 09:20 throughout the week, not just on Sabbath. 09:23 This has helped the young people grow closer. 09:25 They're not afraid to talk about their lives 09:28 and share their hopes for the future, 09:30 but they make sure to have fun too. 09:32 They even started their own youth choir. 09:35 But as much as young people are welcome in this church, 09:38 it has presented them with a problem. 09:43 We have a financial problem in the church 09:46 because almost half of us 09:47 are young people without income, 09:51 so we don't have enough money 09:52 to keep renting this place of worship. 09:55 This group is praying for God's plan 09:58 for their congregation. 09:59 They want to keep growing 10:01 and there's no denying 10:02 the importance of the youth in the church. 10:04 As youth leader, 10:06 Oliver is encouraged by what he sees 10:08 and experiences with the young people. 10:11 It warms my heart seeing all these young people 10:14 come to church. 10:15 Sometimes we go to church on Friday 10:17 and stay as long as we can until about 11 pm. 10:22 On Sabbath, we go to church and stay there the whole day, 10:26 enjoying worship together. 10:28 I feel very good when I see this 10:30 and it helps me grow spiritually as well. 10:33 Please pray for the Alcala de Henares Church 10:36 as they continue to reach out to the young people 10:39 and everyone in their community. 10:50 Well, that's about it for today's program. 10:52 And I hope that you've enjoyed our 360 degree view of mission 10:56 around the world. 10:57 We visited an urban center of influence 10:59 that is having a positive influence 11:01 in the community 11:02 making those connections for Jesus. 11:04 We've visited some of these cities in Europe, 11:07 tremendous mission field. 11:09 And we've seen how church planting 11:12 is a way that we can share the love of Jesus 11:14 in a very practical way that helps grow the church. 11:17 And I want to thank you for what you are doing 11:19 to be part of the Adventist Mission 11:20 because every time you give a donation to Global Mission, 11:23 every time you give your mission offerings, 11:25 every time you pray for mission, 11:27 you are making a difference. 11:29 And I want to thank you for your continuing support 11:31 and the way that you keep the flame of mission alive. 11:34 Well, for Adventist Mission, I'm Gary Krause. 11:36 And I hope you can join me next time 11:38 right here on Mission 360. 12:08 You healed my beautiful life 12:12 You saved my little child 12:17 God, You did it just to show 12:21 What a healing God you are 12:27 'Cause status now is gone 12:30 And the pain is far removed 12:34 God, all You really show 12:37 Is what a healing God You are 12:43 You are great Healer 12:48 Great Redeemer 12:50 My Doctor Sweet Savior 12:56 And with just one word 12:58 You can take control 13:01 And with just one touch 13:03 You can make me whole 13:06 What a healing God You are 13:12 What a healing God You are 13:19 So when the doctor said They can't 13:23 Lord, You said You will 13:26 God, You said it just to show 13:30 What a healing God You are 13:35 God of miracles You of time 13:39 Hearty healings You display 13:43 God, all I want to say 13:46 Is what a healing God You are 13:52 You are great Healer 13:57 Great Redeemer 14:00 My Doctor Sweet Savior 14:06 And with just one word 14:08 You can take control 14:11 And with just one touch 14:13 You can make me whole 14:16 What a healing God You are 14:22 What a healing God You are 14:28 You are great Healer 14:32 Great Redeemer 14:35 My Doctor Sweet Savior 14:40 And with just one word 14:43 You can take control 14:45 And with just one touch 14:48 You can make me whole 14:51 What a healing God You are. |
Revised 2020-06-11