Music...
00:00:01.63\00:00:07.90
Some more music...
00:00:07.94\00:00:14.58
Singing...
00:00:14.61\00:00:20.38
More singing...
00:00:20.42\00:00:26.59
Some more singing...
00:00:26.65\00:00:36.16
Nice singing...
00:00:36.20\00:00:41.90
More nice singing...
00:00:41.94\00:00:47.58
Very nice song...
00:00:47.61\00:00:53.28
Some more singing...
00:00:53.31\00:00:58.95
Singing...
00:00:58.99\00:01:04.63
Some more singing,
00:01:04.69\00:01:11.77
More singing...
00:01:11.80\00:01:18.84
Well, we're back and we're live
00:01:18.87\00:01:21.98
right here in Tampa Florida
and what a day it's been.
00:01:22.01\00:01:24.95
We have had, fully a
fascinating, exciting,
00:01:24.98\00:01:27.85
spiritual,
informative, inspirational...
00:01:27.88\00:01:30.69
name the
adjectives... they all fit
00:01:30.72\00:01:32.92
and it's been a wonderful
weekend and a wonderful day.
00:01:32.95\00:01:35.02
And we had a very fine lunch
00:01:35.06\00:01:37.09
courtesy of the
Zephyrhills Florida Hospital.
00:01:37.13\00:01:42.03
Indeed, I think we are well fed
00:01:42.06\00:01:44.87
and I don't want to
say, "fairer and fatter"
00:01:44.90\00:01:48.10
but we've done well,
we've done sufficiently.
00:01:48.14\00:01:51.24
They had a very fine...
nice meal... really good.
00:01:51.27\00:01:54.34
Well, listen, we've
got some good things
00:01:54.38\00:01:56.58
happening this afternoon.
00:01:56.61\00:01:57.95
I'm looking
forward to the parable
00:01:57.98\00:02:00.85
and I'm looking
forward to our Speakers.
00:02:00.88\00:02:03.49
We've got a few surprises,
you know, it's good to know,
00:02:03.52\00:02:06.15
we've heard about the
Waldenses and the Albigenses
00:02:06.19\00:02:11.83
and the Cathari
and the Pasagini...
00:02:11.89\00:02:13.46
we can add another name
to that list of Christians
00:02:13.50\00:02:16.70
who fought against
the Medieval Church
00:02:16.73\00:02:18.33
and we can add the...
the African Christians...
00:02:18.37\00:02:21.67
and we've been fortified
with more knowledge now
00:02:21.70\00:02:24.94
we know and understand that
there were those even in Africa
00:02:24.97\00:02:27.64
who held the torch
high during all those years.
00:02:27.68\00:02:29.91
And it would have been amazing
00:02:29.94\00:02:31.28
that the work would have
been even stronger in Africa
00:02:31.31\00:02:35.18
had they not
been overcome by Rome
00:02:35.22\00:02:39.82
and stopped from doing
things they knew that was right.
00:02:39.85\00:02:43.26
Yes, yes, yes.
00:02:43.29\00:02:44.63
But God always
has a Plan B then.
00:02:44.66\00:02:45.99
Indeed He does... indeed He does
00:02:46.03\00:02:47.46
and all of this
knowledge has now been on earth
00:02:47.50\00:02:50.07
and will fortify us
00:02:50.10\00:02:51.43
as we come down to the
last scenes of earth's history.
00:02:51.47\00:02:53.84
Our speaker this afternoon,
00:02:53.87\00:02:55.20
Russel Staples was
actually a professor of mine
00:02:55.24\00:02:57.21
in the Seminary and as I recall,
I think he gave me an "A"
00:02:57.24\00:03:01.14
so that makes
him high on my list.
00:03:01.18\00:03:05.45
I'll give it to
you... if I had gotten an "A"
00:03:05.48\00:03:07.28
I could recall the
professors, for sure.
00:03:07.32\00:03:09.58
Laughter...
00:03:09.62\00:03:11.75
But, what was he
teaching at that time?
00:03:11.79\00:03:14.32
"Missiology" he
is a "missions guy"
00:03:14.36\00:03:16.79
and we learned "missions" from
him... so it was a good time.
00:03:16.83\00:03:20.23
So this is... well we're going
to hear from him right now.
00:03:20.26\00:03:23.67
Dr. Russel Staples.
00:03:23.70\00:03:27.14
Walking to the stage.
00:03:27.17\00:03:30.54
Thank you for this invitation,
00:03:30.57\00:03:32.84
it's been
inspiring to be with you.
00:03:32.87\00:03:35.68
Inspiring indeed...
00:03:35.71\00:03:37.61
when I think back
over my lifetime...
00:03:37.65\00:03:40.98
what our Lord has achieved
through the Adventist Church,
00:03:41.02\00:03:44.55
I marvel...
00:03:44.62\00:03:46.05
we think of miracles of
old but this is a miracle today
00:03:46.12\00:03:51.09
and it's an ongoing miracle.
00:03:51.13\00:03:53.03
I've been asked to
make a presentation
00:03:53.06\00:03:55.96
of the fruitage
of Adventist Mission
00:03:56.00\00:03:58.83
and there's a sub-title to that
00:03:58.87\00:04:02.07
"The Global Footprint of
Adventism and the Sabbath"
00:04:02.10\00:04:07.84
the global footprint.
00:04:07.88\00:04:09.94
The purpose of my
presentation is two-fold.
00:04:09.98\00:04:14.88
First, I seek to
present the spread...
00:04:14.92\00:04:18.85
not just the growth... the
spread over the whole world,
00:04:18.89\00:04:23.73
the global picture of Adventism
00:04:23.76\00:04:27.53
and secondly, the rapid
spread in more recent days
00:04:27.56\00:04:31.67
but I'll try to do...
00:04:31.73\00:04:35.24
go a little further and
deeper than that... and ask why?
00:04:35.27\00:04:40.08
What makes
Adventists so distinctive
00:04:40.11\00:04:43.65
and sets us apart
00:04:43.68\00:04:46.18
and makes it such a
powerfully growing movement?
00:04:46.21\00:04:49.98
Something we all need to
speak about a great deal.
00:04:50.02\00:04:54.32
The "Adventist Upward
Mobility Syndrome" as well
00:04:54.36\00:04:58.59
is a factor of this thing.
00:04:58.63\00:05:00.53
Do you know what I
mean when I talk about the
00:05:00.56\00:05:03.10
"Upward Mobility Syndrome?"
00:05:03.16\00:05:04.70
Out of all proportion to our
size in the population generally
00:05:04.73\00:05:11.97
Adventists are upwardly
mobile both economically
00:05:12.01\00:05:15.88
and also in positions of
authority of all kinds...
00:05:15.91\00:05:19.71
I have seen this
all around the world,
00:05:19.78\00:05:22.42
it's a wonderful thing...
seek to investigate that
00:05:22.45\00:05:27.36
and to think also of
how this has all come to be.
00:05:27.39\00:05:32.23
Of course we can
find our human reasons
00:05:32.26\00:05:35.63
but as we have heard
time again this morning,
00:05:35.66\00:05:40.40
I believe this movement
was called into existence
00:05:40.44\00:05:45.77
by our heavenly Father
to bear a witness in word,
00:05:45.81\00:05:51.08
to bear a witness by our life
00:05:51.11\00:05:53.78
and to show it by the world
00:05:53.82\00:05:56.48
and to prepare...
00:05:56.52\00:05:58.22
to call a people for the
coming of our Lord as they are.
00:05:58.25\00:06:03.06
For a moment, let's think of the
00:06:03.09\00:06:06.46
Adventist world
presence as it is.
00:06:06.49\00:06:09.86
Adventists... so the
spreading about the world
00:06:09.90\00:06:13.37
really
commenced relatively late.
00:06:13.44\00:06:15.70
Who is the person
we normally think of
00:06:15.74\00:06:20.71
and what is the event
00:06:20.74\00:06:22.41
when we think of the
beginning of this spread?
00:06:22.44\00:06:24.71
Does anyone have a mind here?
00:06:24.78\00:06:27.22
Of course, if one comes
from Andrews University,
00:06:27.25\00:06:31.35
one shouldn't have a question.
00:06:31.39\00:06:34.29
We think of sending Andrews
University to Europe in 1874.
00:06:34.32\00:06:40.26
That's about a 130
years ago or like that...
00:06:40.30\00:06:43.87
that's the beginning
of the world-wide spread.
00:06:43.90\00:06:47.37
Then if we think of the
beginning of foreign missions
00:06:47.40\00:06:51.17
and normally the
date that we take is
00:06:51.21\00:06:55.34
Solusi, 1894... 20
years later as it was
00:06:55.38\00:06:59.48
and that is relatively recent.
00:06:59.51\00:07:02.95
Adventists entered
the foreign mission field
00:07:02.98\00:07:06.65
about a century later than
the most mainline churches.
00:07:06.69\00:07:11.46
I think we have grown very
rapidly in the years in between.
00:07:11.49\00:07:16.30
First of all,
thinking about the spread...
00:07:16.33\00:07:21.17
world-wide
spread of Adventism...
00:07:21.20\00:07:24.57
I don't know if you
know how distinctive this is,
00:07:24.61\00:07:28.01
I meet with mission groups
00:07:28.04\00:07:30.45
and very often they have a
concentration in this place
00:07:30.48\00:07:33.82
or the other place, in
this nation or another nation
00:07:33.85\00:07:37.15
but Adventists
have a world spread
00:07:37.19\00:07:40.49
and this, of
course, is our belief,
00:07:40.52\00:07:43.73
God has called us to
bear witness to the world.
00:07:43.76\00:07:49.63
Two events in 1939...
stand out in my memory,
00:07:49.66\00:07:56.57
I was 13 years old,
00:07:56.60\00:07:58.74
I remember... in worship
00:07:58.77\00:08:03.45
I can picture the
room, the house, the street,
00:08:03.48\00:08:06.31
in Johannesburg,
00:08:06.38\00:08:08.12
my father, at evening worship,
00:08:08.15\00:08:10.35
was reading from the Seventh-day
Adventist Review and Herald
00:08:10.39\00:08:14.82
and he announced that the world
church had received a membership
00:08:14.86\00:08:19.26
of 500,000... half a million.
00:08:19.29\00:08:22.83
Now, we lived in Johannesburg.
00:08:22.86\00:08:26.30
Johannesburg had
just celebrated 50 years,
00:08:26.33\00:08:29.74
it was the largest
city in South Africa,
00:08:29.77\00:08:33.34
fifty years of big
anniversary celebration
00:08:33.38\00:08:36.88
and a population
of half a million
00:08:36.91\00:08:39.35
and we rejoiced, why
did I rejoice so much?
00:08:39.38\00:08:44.92
My father had
been an evangelist,
00:08:44.95\00:08:47.89
we had moved from little
cities to little towns...
00:08:47.92\00:08:51.39
city is not the right
word, from town to town,
00:08:51.43\00:08:54.86
he had held
evangelistic meetings,
00:08:54.90\00:08:56.97
we had put up tents...
holes... all kinds of things...
00:08:57.00\00:08:59.77
we had moved a
couple of times a year,
00:08:59.80\00:09:03.41
I attended
eight primary schools,
00:09:03.44\00:09:07.01
if some of you think
that's the basis of education,
00:09:07.04\00:09:10.38
at least... the experience...
00:09:10.45\00:09:13.01
and there were these tents.
00:09:13.05\00:09:15.58
Where we went... these cities...
00:09:15.62\00:09:18.22
people had never heard about
Adventists and the Sabbath,
00:09:18.25\00:09:20.99
it was a strange message,
00:09:21.02\00:09:22.36
and they connected me in these
public schools with this...
00:09:22.39\00:09:26.63
and so I was regarded as some
sort of a strange little fellow,
00:09:26.70\00:09:30.97
what is all this business about?
00:09:31.00\00:09:33.13
And so... and I
grew up like that,
00:09:33.17\00:09:35.54
and now, in Johannesburg,
00:09:35.57\00:09:37.91
our life settled down a little
00:09:37.94\00:09:39.97
and now, for me to
think Adventists...
00:09:40.01\00:09:44.05
we weren't just these small
groups my father had founded
00:09:44.08\00:09:46.92
churches in these places,
00:09:46.95\00:09:48.38
we weren't just
this small church,
00:09:48.42\00:09:51.05
as big as many Adventists
as the city of Johannesburg
00:09:51.09\00:09:56.09
oh, we sang with happiness,
it just rejoiced my heart.
00:09:56.12\00:10:01.03
Now, another event, 1939...
00:10:01.06\00:10:04.50
my mother was in Australia,
00:10:04.53\00:10:07.90
my father had
graduated from Avondale
00:10:07.94\00:10:10.61
but he was a South
African, married my mother
00:10:10.64\00:10:13.48
and my mother took us back
00:10:13.51\00:10:15.58
she and the children... we
went back to Sydney, Australia,
00:10:15.61\00:10:20.22
to visit her family
00:10:20.25\00:10:21.58
and while we were there,
Elder Spicer came on a visit,
00:10:21.62\00:10:26.02
how many here
have met Elder Spicer?
00:10:26.05\00:10:28.76
Elder Bradford has,
I'm sure, any others?
00:10:28.79\00:10:31.89
I met him twice,
once in South Africa
00:10:31.93\00:10:35.00
and in Australia
00:10:35.03\00:10:36.77
and I was sorry to miss him
00:10:36.80\00:10:39.77
when we came back to study
at the Seminary at Takoma Park.
00:10:39.80\00:10:42.90
Naturally, all the
Adventists gathered together
00:10:42.94\00:10:47.41
in the Sydney City Hall,
00:10:47.44\00:10:50.01
it was a wonderful occasion.
00:10:50.05\00:10:52.55
I had never seen so
many, it was a large city hall
00:10:52.58\00:10:56.72
and the singing...
everything was wonderful
00:10:56.75\00:11:00.06
and then Elder Spicer preached
00:11:00.09\00:11:02.12
and what he preached about
00:11:02.16\00:11:04.13
was the global spread
of the Adventist church,
00:11:04.16\00:11:08.30
I can still see him
there, I can hear him saying,
00:11:08.33\00:11:12.43
"If you go to the
north of the world...
00:11:12.47\00:11:15.94
in Hammerfest in Norway
there are Adventists there,
00:11:15.97\00:11:18.34
if you go to Punta
Arenas in South America,
00:11:18.37\00:11:21.94
the southern-most city,
there are Adventists there,
00:11:21.98\00:11:24.75
and then he
described all over the world
00:11:24.78\00:11:27.72
there are Adventists...
00:11:27.78\00:11:29.25
the spread... and we rejoiced...
00:11:29.28\00:11:33.59
he told of trials...
he told of victories...
00:11:33.66\00:11:36.73
and I can remember him saying,
00:11:36.76\00:11:38.89
wherever you go and you
and you meet with our fellow...
00:11:38.93\00:11:42.86
our brethren and sisters,
00:11:42.90\00:11:44.23
the Adventist church is a
wonderful church to belong to.
00:11:44.27\00:11:48.40
Audience: "Amen. "
00:11:48.44\00:11:49.77
And the warmth of it all.
00:11:49.80\00:11:51.14
When he wanted to close,
00:11:51.17\00:11:53.74
they wouldn't let him,
00:11:53.78\00:11:56.24
they said, "More,
more... we want to hear more...
00:11:56.28\00:11:58.68
about our brothers and
sisters in every place. "
00:11:58.71\00:12:02.62
This was the most
inspiring, informative message,
00:12:02.65\00:12:06.55
he also made an appeal,
00:12:06.59\00:12:08.72
he said, "We are everywhere now
00:12:08.76\00:12:11.13
but the work isn't finished,
00:12:11.16\00:12:13.46
everywhere... much brighter...
the witness must carry...
00:12:13.50\00:12:18.83
we must continue
with this appeal. "
00:12:18.87\00:12:22.17
When the service was over,
00:12:22.20\00:12:24.81
everybody wanted to
speak to Elder Spicer
00:12:24.87\00:12:27.78
and as he waited at the door,
my mother wanted to greet him
00:12:27.81\00:12:32.18
and so I stood
at a little distance
00:12:32.21\00:12:35.62
and then a little girl
came up to Elder Spicer,
00:12:35.65\00:12:39.89
I was 13... she
was a little shorter...
00:12:39.92\00:12:43.89
and as she came up to him,
00:12:43.93\00:12:45.99
he stopped speaking
to all the big people
00:12:46.03\00:12:49.36
and I said, "What is this?
00:12:49.40\00:12:51.93
Here there are important people
that want to speak to him...
00:12:51.97\00:12:55.90
who is this little girl?"
00:12:55.94\00:12:57.34
And I was close
enough to hear her say,
00:12:57.37\00:13:00.84
"Elder Spicer, when I grow
up, I want to be a missionary,
00:13:00.88\00:13:05.95
I'd like to go to India... "
00:13:05.98\00:13:07.98
and he took out a
little notebook from his pocket
00:13:08.02\00:13:12.19
and he said, "What's your name?"
00:13:12.22\00:13:14.49
And he wrote it
down... "and your address"
00:13:14.52\00:13:17.16
and "how old are you?"
00:13:17.19\00:13:19.23
Now, he said, "When
you finish High School,
00:13:19.26\00:13:21.90
you go to Avondale,
and then you write to me
00:13:21.96\00:13:24.93
and I will make sure
you go as a missionary. "
00:13:24.97\00:13:27.90
I can ever regret,
00:13:27.94\00:13:31.51
I don't remember
the name of that child
00:13:31.54\00:13:34.41
but I think, "What a change
00:13:34.44\00:13:36.85
it must have made in her life"
00:13:36.88\00:13:39.25
as it went on...
00:13:39.28\00:13:41.12
this was the Adventist
message around the world,
00:13:41.15\00:13:45.95
the spread...
00:13:45.99\00:13:49.49
but now how rapidly
it's growing... the rate...
00:13:49.52\00:13:53.46
that's the second thing
I'd like to think of as it is.
00:13:53.50\00:13:56.97
Pause...
00:13:57.00\00:14:00.57
The Adventist church
has grown with amazing speed
00:14:00.60\00:14:05.97
and rapidity.
00:14:06.04\00:14:07.38
A few years ago, we
were hardly off on the map
00:14:07.41\00:14:13.42
generally speaking.
00:14:13.48\00:14:14.82
A man by the
name of David Barrett
00:14:14.85\00:14:19.15
who had gone as a
missionary to Africa
00:14:19.19\00:14:23.43
published in 1982... the
"World Christian Encyclopedia"
00:14:23.46\00:14:31.23
and in this, he
gave a global picture
00:14:31.27\00:14:35.07
of Christianity
and other religions
00:14:35.10\00:14:38.87
and he listed Adventists.
00:14:38.91\00:14:41.81
Up to that time... all
the handbooks, the tables,
00:14:41.84\00:14:47.25
the encyclopedias... Adventists
didn't appear on the map,
00:14:47.28\00:14:51.65
we weren't there,
00:14:51.69\00:14:53.25
I was actually Secretary
of a mission association
00:14:53.32\00:14:58.09
to a man who edited one of these
00:14:58.13\00:14:59.89
and I said, "What's the matter,
00:14:59.96\00:15:01.66
why don't you
mention Adventists?"
00:15:01.70\00:15:03.33
And he said, "No, no,
no... " and he wouldn't do it
00:15:03.37\00:15:05.60
but I was the Secretary for
this Professor's Association
00:15:05.63\00:15:09.67
but now, David Barrett's
"World Christian Encyclopedia,"
00:15:09.70\00:15:13.71
appeared... and I
went to the meeting...
00:15:13.74\00:15:17.71
with Professors of Mission
00:15:17.75\00:15:19.35
and the Associate
American Society of Missiology
00:15:19.38\00:15:21.85
and everyone
wanted to speak to me
00:15:21.88\00:15:25.22
and they said, "We
have paged through this,
00:15:25.25\00:15:27.72
we had no idea of the extensity
of the Adventist Church. "
00:15:27.76\00:15:32.19
In country after
country, Barrett had listed us
00:15:32.26\00:15:36.06
and the size... the numbers...
00:15:36.10\00:15:39.07
they were absolutely surprised.
00:15:39.10\00:15:42.80
The new
Encyclopedia has come out
00:15:42.84\00:15:46.47
that was in 1980 figures...
00:15:46.51\00:15:50.88
now, one giving the 2000 figures
00:15:50.91\00:15:52.98
and now I find
when people speak to me,
00:15:53.01\00:15:57.05
they say to me at the
Society of Missiologists,
00:15:57.09\00:16:00.76
they say to me, "What is
it about the Adventist Church,
00:16:00.79\00:16:05.09
why are you growing so rapidly?
00:16:05.13\00:16:07.40
I see you
everywhere... in every place,
00:16:07.43\00:16:09.86
how do you account for this?
00:16:09.93\00:16:11.83
These are
questions we need to ask
00:16:11.87\00:16:17.37
and we need to ask ourselves,
00:16:17.41\00:16:19.67
"Are we doing as
much as we possibly could
00:16:19.74\00:16:23.48
to spread the gospel
in every place as it is. "
00:16:23.51\00:16:28.08
If I may mention
a few statistics,
00:16:28.12\00:16:32.72
we spoke about
rapid growth and spread,
00:16:32.75\00:16:36.46
Adventist world membership
in 1940, as I mentioned earlier
00:16:36.49\00:16:45.47
was just over half a million.
00:16:45.50\00:16:47.77
In the next 30 years to
1970, we grew to 2 million,
00:16:47.80\00:16:55.24
in the next 20 years,
00:16:55.28\00:16:58.48
we grew from 2
million to 6.7 million,
00:16:58.51\00:17:04.39
in the next 10
years, from 1990 to 2000,
00:17:04.42\00:17:10.19
we have spread from
6.7 million to 11.7 million
00:17:10.23\00:17:16.67
an increase of 5 million.
Audience: "Praise the Lord. "
00:17:16.70\00:17:21.30
In 2006, we had
a membership of...
00:17:21.34\00:17:25.14
do you know
2006... 15 million...
00:17:25.17\00:17:30.01
membership is now growing
00:17:30.05\00:17:32.71
at a rate of
almost a million a year.
00:17:32.78\00:17:35.38
Audience: "Amen. "
00:17:35.42\00:17:36.79
And so now we don't have...
00:17:36.85\00:17:41.12
the last statistical table
we have of the church is 2006,
00:17:41.16\00:17:45.29
2007 will come up very soon
00:17:45.33\00:17:47.50
but we are probably now,
00:17:47.53\00:17:49.56
very close to 17
million worldwide
00:17:49.63\00:17:52.83
and that's why, people ask
me when I go to these meetings,
00:17:52.87\00:17:58.27
"What is it about
the Adventist Church,
00:17:58.31\00:18:00.64
why is it growing so rapidly?"
00:18:00.68\00:18:03.01
Of course it is because we
believe God has inspired us
00:18:03.04\00:18:08.18
with a message to share and
to tell others wherever we are
00:18:08.22\00:18:13.32
and as we go.
00:18:13.36\00:18:14.86
Now, there's
something very different also
00:18:14.89\00:18:20.03
that I wish to mention,
00:18:20.06\00:18:21.40
where we list membership in
the year 2006 as 15 million,
00:18:21.43\00:18:30.21
David Barret's
figures for the year...
00:18:30.24\00:18:34.01
statistics of
Adventists is 25 million.
00:18:34.08\00:18:37.75
Now why is that? It's
quite obvious in one way
00:18:37.78\00:18:43.22
because we, sort of
celebrate our membership
00:18:43.25\00:18:48.26
as a believers' church,
00:18:48.29\00:18:50.36
we don't count all the
children and unbaptized members,
00:18:50.39\00:18:54.20
Barrett counts families
as he does the other churches
00:18:54.23\00:18:58.40
but much more than that and
I've spoken to some involved
00:18:58.43\00:19:02.57
in these statistics,
00:19:02.60\00:19:03.94
there are many people
in the census reports,
00:19:03.97\00:19:07.38
who list
themselves as Adventists
00:19:07.41\00:19:10.08
but they are not... as it
were, members of the church yet,
00:19:10.11\00:19:15.12
there are many who
may have been Adventists
00:19:15.15\00:19:17.95
but are not now
fully-practicing Adventists,
00:19:17.99\00:19:20.69
who consider themselves
broadly speaking... Adventists
00:19:20.72\00:19:26.06
and so, the difference is,
we list only that year 2000
00:19:26.09\00:19:31.70
not quite 12 million,
and Barrett lists 25 million.
00:19:31.73\00:19:36.67
This is an enormous challenge
and opportunity for us.
00:19:36.71\00:19:43.51
Are we reaching out to
everyone to help them feel
00:19:43.55\00:19:46.65
that they are our
brothers and sisters?
00:19:46.68\00:19:50.55
Join with us, let
us be full witness
00:19:50.59\00:19:54.39
to the full message of the
gospel for all that we have
00:19:54.42\00:19:59.06
and all that we could do.
00:19:59.09\00:20:01.56
This extremely rapid growth
00:20:01.60\00:20:04.00
is taking place
more in some countries
00:20:04.03\00:20:07.44
than in some other countries.
00:20:07.47\00:20:09.44
Just let me list a
few of the figures,
00:20:09.47\00:20:12.61
I can't put a chart
on here... as it is.
00:20:12.67\00:20:16.64
In Brazil, the
Adventist church has grown
00:20:16.68\00:20:20.62
from about 1 million in 2000...
00:20:20.65\00:20:24.02
to something like
1.4 million at present,
00:20:24.05\00:20:28.66
just in 10 years...
00:20:28.69\00:20:31.59
the church in
the Congo has grown
00:20:31.63\00:20:35.23
from something like 300,000
to well over half a million,
00:20:35.26\00:20:40.34
the church in Ghana has doubled
00:20:40.37\00:20:44.17
from a 163,000 to a
little more than 350,000.
00:20:44.21\00:20:52.01
Peru... from not
quite 400,000 to 771,000.
00:20:52.05\00:20:59.82
Tanzania... from well
less than 200,000 to 370,000.
00:20:59.85\00:21:08.40
Zambia... from not
quite 300,000 to 530,000.
00:21:08.43\00:21:16.81
And I could
continue like this...
00:21:16.87\00:21:20.18
this phenomenal growth
that is taking place everywhere
00:21:20.21\00:21:24.58
and coupled with that,
00:21:24.61\00:21:27.32
is this other factor,
00:21:27.35\00:21:29.95
the "Adventist
Upward Mobility Syndrome. "
00:21:29.98\00:21:32.85
Now, if one travels to Africa,
Adventism is a visible presence
00:21:32.92\00:21:41.86
on a Sabbath morning
in many of the cities.
00:21:41.90\00:21:45.00
It's quite fantastic,
00:21:45.03\00:21:47.80
you see people carrying
their Bibles and hymnbooks,
00:21:47.84\00:21:52.17
you hear singing in
large churches in some cities
00:21:52.21\00:21:56.21
or you hear people
singing in parks and groves
00:21:56.24\00:21:59.91
and sometimes in
storefronts all over the place
00:21:59.95\00:22:03.49
but I've had a
policeman in one site say to me,
00:22:03.52\00:22:06.99
he said, "I don't know
what's happened to this city,
00:22:07.06\00:22:09.52
Sunday isn't the day anymore,
00:22:09.56\00:22:12.66
it seems to be Sabbath...
everyone comes here. "
00:22:12.69\00:22:15.53
The visible presence of
this enormous growth as it is,
00:22:15.56\00:22:21.77
it's clear... it's...
but it's a great challenge
00:22:21.80\00:22:28.84
is one thinking
about this enough?
00:22:28.88\00:22:32.25
We have a little
chart to show you,
00:22:32.28\00:22:35.62
I hope you can see,
00:22:35.65\00:22:37.72
in the year 2006, 36
percent of Adventists
00:22:37.75\00:22:43.06
live in Latin America,
00:22:43.09\00:22:44.99
36,000...
00:22:45.03\00:22:46.66
35,000 live in
Sub-Saharan Africa,
00:22:46.70\00:22:50.93
current...
00:22:50.97\00:22:52.30
8 percent in India and Nepal,
00:22:52.33\00:22:54.90
7 percent in North America.
00:22:54.97\00:22:57.77
If we go ahead... there are
General Conference projections
00:22:57.81\00:23:03.31
of membership
figures in the year...
00:23:03.35\00:23:06.28
20 years down the road...
00:23:06.31\00:23:08.12
and there's a little
chart that they have produced
00:23:08.15\00:23:12.12
that shows us these
figures very impressively,
00:23:12.15\00:23:15.82
you see it before you.
00:23:15.86\00:23:17.53
That blue figure up on the
right to the left is Africa,
00:23:17.56\00:23:22.13
and that is now... that
they expect to be 34 percent
00:23:22.16\00:23:26.70
of Adventist world population.
00:23:26.74\00:23:30.24
The top one to the left,
that one is South America
00:23:30.27\00:23:35.08
and it will be about 24 percent,
00:23:35.11\00:23:37.75
all those figures
they had on the computer.
00:23:37.78\00:23:41.45
The bottom right
hand pictured down there
00:23:41.48\00:23:45.12
is Asia... and
you can see there...
00:23:45.15\00:23:48.59
almost...
well... almost 19 percent
00:23:48.62\00:23:52.39
the bottom
left... the blue picture,
00:23:52.43\00:23:56.16
that they list as North America
00:23:56.20\00:23:58.50
but they have
included in that figure,
00:23:58.53\00:24:02.00
Inter-America...
00:24:02.04\00:24:03.37
Mexico and
that's all put together
00:24:03.41\00:24:06.27
because this is
not our Divisions,
00:24:06.31\00:24:09.11
this is sort of a global
picture as it is at 19...
00:24:09.14\00:24:13.52
almost 20 percent...
00:24:13.58\00:24:15.22
and then you see
the smaller countries.
00:24:15.25\00:24:18.55
Africa... 34 percent of the
world membership down the road,
00:24:18.59\00:24:27.20
furthermore, we look
forward as we calculate figures
00:24:27.23\00:24:32.67
to the year 2006
00:24:32.70\00:24:34.30
and I don't know whether the
figures are on the chart or not
00:24:34.34\00:24:37.77
but I can read them to you,
00:24:37.81\00:24:39.14
if growth in Africa
continues at the present rate,
00:24:39.17\00:24:44.81
there will be 10 million
Adventists in Africa in 2020.
00:24:44.85\00:24:50.32
If we think of South America,
00:24:50.35\00:24:53.86
there will be 7.3
million at this growth.
00:24:53.89\00:24:57.49
North America...
including Inter-America...
00:24:57.53\00:25:01.13
that will be almost 6 million.
00:25:01.16\00:25:03.50
Asia... 5 million... and
the total world population,
00:25:03.53\00:25:09.10
we are looking forward
to of almost 30 million
00:25:09.14\00:25:12.64
as we count figures.
00:25:12.67\00:25:14.51
Now if Barrett was
counting those figures,
00:25:14.54\00:25:17.48
it may well be
double that figure...
00:25:17.55\00:25:19.65
at least 60 to
70,000 Adventists...
00:25:19.71\00:25:21.78
pause...
00:25:21.82\00:25:26.55
so now when I go to
the mission meetings,
00:25:26.59\00:25:28.72
they are not surprised
00:25:28.76\00:25:31.99
to find Adventists listed in
every nation across the country
00:25:32.03\00:25:36.46
the question they ask me now,
"How do you account for this?"
00:25:36.50\00:25:40.64
"What is it?"
00:25:40.67\00:25:43.10
"What makes
Adventists so distinctive?"
00:25:43.14\00:25:45.34
"Why so many members?"
00:25:45.37\00:25:48.34
I also often ask myself,
00:25:48.38\00:25:51.31
"What if Elder
Spicer could see these?"
00:25:51.35\00:25:54.38
"If we could share these
statistics with Elder Spicer,
00:25:54.42\00:25:57.45
what would he think?"
00:25:57.49\00:25:59.25
"How would he respond?"
00:25:59.29\00:26:00.99
I can still hear him and see him
in the Sydney City Hall in 1939,
00:26:01.02\00:26:08.16
appealing... yes we
have reached the world
00:26:08.20\00:26:12.30
but work is needed to
be done in every place
00:26:12.33\00:26:16.44
to share the message...
00:26:16.47\00:26:18.37
what would he say now?
00:26:18.41\00:26:20.28
Let me pose the
question another way,
00:26:20.31\00:26:25.05
if you were the President
of a church in Zambia...
00:26:25.11\00:26:28.98
a Conference in Zambia,
00:26:29.02\00:26:31.35
where the church
doubled its membership
00:26:31.39\00:26:34.09
in about 12 years,
00:26:34.12\00:26:36.09
or some countries... 10 years,
00:26:36.12\00:26:39.13
how would you cope,
how would you manage?
00:26:39.16\00:26:42.60
How does one keep
up with this growth?
00:26:42.63\00:26:45.83
How do we provide
leaders and pastors?
00:26:45.87\00:26:48.97
I became a missionary...
that was a long time ago...
00:26:49.00\00:26:53.94
but Elder Eva wrote
to me from the Division,
00:26:53.98\00:26:56.98
the Southern Africa Division,
00:26:57.01\00:26:58.58
we were studying at the
Seminary in Washington...
00:26:58.61\00:27:01.42
still... when it was
at... near Takoma Park...
00:27:01.45\00:27:04.25
near the General Conference...
00:27:04.29\00:27:05.62
and he said,
"This is a new Africa...
00:27:05.65\00:27:08.56
things are changing...
we need a new ministry"
00:27:08.59\00:27:12.56
and I became
involved in Education
00:27:12.59\00:27:15.93
of the ministries in Africa,
00:27:15.96\00:27:17.50
it was a wonderful
experience... it was...
00:27:17.53\00:27:21.04
but what would
Elder Spicer say now?
00:27:21.07\00:27:24.57
How do they cope doubling
the membership in ten years?
00:27:24.61\00:27:30.78
Where do you
find leaders enough?
00:27:30.81\00:27:32.48
How do you manage and cope?
00:27:32.51\00:27:33.85
I'm sure if Elder
Spicer was speaking to us,
00:27:33.88\00:27:37.49
it would be a great "appeal"
00:27:37.52\00:27:39.32
they need a great
deal of assistance,
00:27:39.35\00:27:41.76
they need help... we need to...
00:27:41.79\00:27:43.46
this growth maximizes
the work in every place.
00:27:43.49\00:27:48.06
There's another remarkable
aspect of this record growth
00:27:48.10\00:27:52.53
and this is what's happening
in Adventist universities,
00:27:52.57\00:27:56.97
if you look in
David Barrett again...
00:27:57.01\00:28:02.51
his encyclopedia...
"World Christianity"
00:28:02.54\00:28:07.98
and you will read in country
after country after survey...
00:28:08.02\00:28:13.12
country... he lists
Seventh-day Adventists,
00:28:13.15\00:28:16.06
and the words are these:
00:28:16.09\00:28:17.79
"Seventh-day
Adventists are heavily involved
00:28:17.83\00:28:21.73
in education,
medical work and welfare... "
00:28:21.76\00:28:25.63
ADRA, our
hospitals... our schools.
00:28:25.67\00:28:28.60
Actually if one goes back
and studies the mission program,
00:28:28.67\00:28:33.48
unlike... say North
America and South Africa,
00:28:33.51\00:28:37.25
the great instrumentality
of mission in Africa
00:28:37.28\00:28:41.02
would be our schools...
00:28:41.05\00:28:42.38
we planted
schools all over the place
00:28:42.42\00:28:45.29
and where the schools
were, churches grew up
00:28:45.32\00:28:49.72
and the teachers began to
function as the church leaders
00:28:49.76\00:28:53.90
and they... the catechists...
they taught the Bible doctrines,
00:28:53.93\00:28:57.50
they just continued...
the growth was wonderful
00:28:57.57\00:29:01.70
and in fact the teachers...
00:29:01.74\00:29:04.11
they were some good evangelists
in the summer time...
00:29:04.14\00:29:07.54
and in fact in many
cases, they became ministers...
00:29:07.58\00:29:10.31
they did so well
that... that they left teaching
00:29:10.35\00:29:13.05
and became our ministers.
00:29:13.08\00:29:14.42
Now, today, as a result of this,
00:29:14.45\00:29:16.99
we have Adventist Universities
00:29:17.02\00:29:20.62
and this is a staggering
picture about Adventists,
00:29:20.66\00:29:25.49
notice, for instance,
00:29:25.53\00:29:27.56
Babcock University in Nigeria,
to give you the illustration,
00:29:27.60\00:29:33.13
ten years ago... they had
attendees of little over 500,
00:29:33.17\00:29:40.84
today... they have 5,000
00:29:40.88\00:29:43.88
and I understand from people
who've just been there recently,
00:29:43.95\00:29:48.72
our colleagues at
Andrews teaching...
00:29:48.75\00:29:51.29
I understand... they say that
they could fill it with 20,000
00:29:51.32\00:29:55.39
if they had space... and
to accommodate for this...
00:29:55.42\00:29:57.89
this is not alone...
00:29:57.93\00:30:00.00
our church in Brazil
00:30:00.03\00:30:02.03
had something like a little
over a 1,000 ten years ago,
00:30:02.06\00:30:05.23
they've got 8,000 now,
00:30:05.27\00:30:06.84
Montemorelos has grown rapidly,
00:30:06.87\00:30:10.47
Sahmyook in Korea has grown from
00:30:10.51\00:30:14.01
something like 3,000
to 5,000 in ten years,
00:30:14.04\00:30:18.81
Solusi from
about 500 to over 3,000
00:30:18.85\00:30:23.52
how does one cope
and how does one account
00:30:23.55\00:30:27.19
for this
extraordinarily rapid growth?
00:30:27.22\00:30:30.66
It's an enormous challenge.
00:30:30.69\00:30:33.16
How does one account for this?
00:30:33.19\00:30:35.60
Is it the Adventist
Upward Mobility Syndrome?
00:30:35.63\00:30:38.97
Pause...
00:30:39.03\00:30:41.20
because Adventists
are educated to go up
00:30:41.24\00:30:45.87
therefore they need education?
00:30:45.94\00:30:47.44
There are many factors involved
but many of those who attend
00:30:47.48\00:30:53.11
are not
Adventists... they are not...
00:30:53.18\00:30:56.02
they are members
of other churches
00:30:56.05\00:30:58.89
or not even Christians...
00:30:58.92\00:31:00.59
and so this is an
enormous challenge.
00:31:00.62\00:31:03.59
Why do they come there?
00:31:03.63\00:31:04.96
Because Adventism is
no longer just a Sect
00:31:04.99\00:31:08.23
it's become like a "Folk Church"
00:31:08.26\00:31:12.00
a large well-accepted church...
00:31:12.03\00:31:15.07
and this is a great challenge
00:31:15.10\00:31:17.41
and an opportunity for you,
00:31:17.44\00:31:19.67
for us... in all
that we do and say.
00:31:19.71\00:31:23.11
Pause...
00:31:23.14\00:31:25.75
more pause...
00:31:25.78\00:31:28.72
The opportunity and
challenge of all of this
00:31:28.75\00:31:31.62
in this Upward Mobility
Syndrome as I said earlier,
00:31:31.65\00:31:35.92
out of all
proportion to our numbers,
00:31:35.96\00:31:38.13
Adventists become people
of significant importance
00:31:38.16\00:31:42.73
wherever they are
00:31:42.76\00:31:44.33
and can be a
witness to all they are.
00:31:44.37\00:31:47.20
How does one account for this?
00:31:47.24\00:31:49.40
Quite a few years ago,
00:31:49.44\00:31:52.61
a professor at the
University of Oxford,
00:31:52.64\00:31:56.85
Dr. Andrew Walls who
was the doyen of scholars
00:31:56.88\00:32:01.15
studying Sects and of course
he was interested in Adventists,
00:32:01.18\00:32:05.55
on his own initiative, he
came to Andrews in about 1972
00:32:05.59\00:32:10.56
and spent three weeks or
something like that there
00:32:10.59\00:32:13.56
with one of the editors
from the Oxford University Press
00:32:13.60\00:32:16.60
to read through the
Adventist doctrines.
00:32:16.63\00:32:19.27
What had impressed
him about Adventists?
00:32:19.30\00:32:22.57
It was this
Upward Mobility Syndrome,
00:32:22.60\00:32:25.81
wherever he traveled, he found
Adventists all over the world
00:32:25.87\00:32:30.55
in high positions of authority
00:32:30.58\00:32:35.22
and so he wanted to research
and find out what is this?
00:32:35.25\00:32:40.09
I think my time is at an end,
00:32:40.12\00:32:42.26
I must just draw
this to a close quickly,
00:32:42.32\00:32:44.39
how do we account for this
Adventist witness and presence,
00:32:44.43\00:32:51.27
why this distinctive lifestyle?
00:32:51.33\00:32:53.13
It's our belief... it's
because Adventists believe
00:32:53.17\00:32:57.54
in Jesus
Christ, the incarnation,
00:32:57.57\00:33:00.44
the resurrection of the body,
00:33:00.48\00:33:03.28
living with Christ,
00:33:03.35\00:33:04.91
they love the Eucharist,
that's the Lord's celebration,
00:33:04.95\00:33:08.48
I could spend hours
telling you about that,
00:33:08.52\00:33:11.99
why? because as they partook
of this bread and this wine,
00:33:12.02\00:33:17.39
they thought of Jesus
taking our flesh and our body
00:33:17.43\00:33:22.03
and we being with Him
at the Messianic Kingdom
00:33:22.06\00:33:26.00
and so, they wanted
to take a lot of time
00:33:26.03\00:33:29.14
for the Lord's
celebration, the Lord's Supper.
00:33:29.17\00:33:31.37
I can remember
going to a village once
00:33:31.41\00:33:34.28
because I knew they were going
to celebrate the Lord's Supper
00:33:34.31\00:33:37.15
and when they saw me coming,
00:33:37.18\00:33:39.31
I saw them
taking the dishes away,
00:33:39.35\00:33:40.92
they thought I
was coming to preach,
00:33:40.95\00:33:42.42
and what they wanted
for the Lord's Supper
00:33:42.45\00:33:45.42
was time to talk and think...
00:33:45.45\00:33:47.92
we Westerners are
driven by the clock
00:33:47.96\00:33:50.83
but no... we spent
several hours beautifully
00:33:50.89\00:33:55.63
and I would
listen to their testimony
00:33:55.66\00:33:58.47
as they ate this bread...
00:33:58.50\00:34:00.07
this life on this earth...
00:34:00.14\00:34:01.64
they were connecting
with the Kingdom above.
00:34:01.67\00:34:03.94
I can remember one
old man who had become...
00:34:03.97\00:34:09.01
as an old man...
an elderly man...
00:34:09.04\00:34:11.05
had moved from
African traditional religion
00:34:11.08\00:34:13.55
to Christianity...
00:34:13.58\00:34:14.92
at one of these celebrations
00:34:14.95\00:34:16.79
he testified...
00:34:16.82\00:34:19.42
this was at
Solusi... with a large group
00:34:19.45\00:34:22.62
and with tears
in his eyes he said,
00:34:22.66\00:34:25.39
"As I partake of this bread...
00:34:25.43\00:34:28.10
and think of that feast in
that Kingdom with our Lord,
00:34:28.13\00:34:33.27
living with Him
and He with us... "
00:34:33.30\00:34:35.77
and he said, "there
are tears in my eyes
00:34:35.80\00:34:40.11
because I love my
Lord, but when we get there,
00:34:40.14\00:34:44.88
He will wipe the
tears from our eyes...
00:34:44.91\00:34:49.42
He won't use his sleeve,
He won't use a handkerchief,
00:34:49.45\00:34:53.46
like a mother
with her little child,
00:34:53.49\00:34:55.92
He will take His finger
00:34:55.96\00:34:57.33
and He will wipe
the tears from our eyes
00:34:57.36\00:35:00.63
and we will be with Him...
00:35:00.66\00:35:02.56
living with
Christ in His presence. "
00:35:02.60\00:35:06.97
My time is up,
00:35:07.00\00:35:09.47
if Elder Spicer were
here, he would challenge us...
00:35:09.50\00:35:13.88
this enormous growth...
this enormous opportunity...
00:35:13.91\00:35:18.25
what would my father think?
00:35:18.28\00:35:20.32
Could he hardly believe
00:35:20.35\00:35:22.32
that we have grown to
a church of this size,
00:35:22.35\00:35:25.39
with this significance,
00:35:25.45\00:35:27.02
to become a major church
in country after country,
00:35:27.06\00:35:30.63
but the work is not finished.
00:35:30.66\00:35:33.60
We need to live this message
00:35:33.63\00:35:36.46
and to support all of
our brothers and sisters
00:35:36.50\00:35:39.40
in every place and
finish the work of God,
00:35:39.43\00:35:42.64
live with joyful
triumphantness in our lives
00:35:42.67\00:35:45.87
and bear witness
in all that we do.
00:35:45.91\00:35:47.94
May God bless each of us
and bless you here in this place
00:35:47.98\00:35:52.41
maybe I should close,
00:35:52.45\00:35:54.35
I'll begin to read a
little piece from Jenkins
00:35:54.38\00:35:56.38
and he said... in
this American society
00:35:56.42\00:35:59.29
where the mainline
church are losing members
00:35:59.32\00:36:01.99
but in some... are gaining...
00:36:02.02\00:36:04.49
and he lists
Adventists among this group
00:36:04.53\00:36:06.96
we have great work to
do here and in every place,
00:36:07.00\00:36:10.73
may God bless us all.
00:36:10.77\00:36:12.13
Jesus often spoke in parables,
00:36:12.17\00:36:16.17
He did so that those who wished
to know... may indeed know
00:36:16.20\00:36:21.54
but those who did not
wish to know the truth
00:36:21.58\00:36:23.98
would not know.
00:36:24.01\00:36:25.35
"He that hath an ear to hear,
00:36:25.38\00:36:28.05
let him hear what
says this parable. "
00:36:28.08\00:36:32.62
Walking away from stage.
00:36:32.65\00:36:36.99
During one of Pastor
C.E. Bradford's trips
00:36:37.03\00:36:40.06
to Africa... as part of
an Annual Council Meeting
00:36:40.10\00:36:43.57
of the African
Mid-Eastern Division,
00:36:43.60\00:36:46.67
a missionary friend,
Pastor M.E. Lunt of Norway
00:36:46.70\00:36:50.57
told the following
story at a Morning Devotional.
00:36:50.61\00:36:54.11
This story told by a young
lad graphically illustrates
00:36:54.14\00:37:00.02
how the originally
Sabbath was changed
00:37:00.05\00:37:01.88
by the European Evangel...
Ecclessiastical Establishment.
00:37:01.95\00:37:06.35
The story shows
a keen perception
00:37:06.39\00:37:09.39
of a young
fellow and his ability
00:37:09.42\00:37:12.13
to articulate the salient points
00:37:12.16\00:37:14.76
of the African
story in African terms.
00:37:14.80\00:37:17.33
He told this story to a
Church of England Pastor.
00:37:17.37\00:37:21.10
Aloni Mahinwa,
who was on his way
00:37:21.14\00:37:25.04
from his home village
to Kampala... the big city,
00:37:25.07\00:37:28.28
to visit with his family,
00:37:28.31\00:37:30.15
as was the custom
of the African people,
00:37:30.21\00:37:33.65
he stopped along the way to
greet friends always enquiring,
00:37:33.68\00:37:39.29
"How is your
father? Your mother?"
00:37:39.35\00:37:42.72
"Oh Sister, how is your family?"
00:37:42.76\00:37:46.06
Making sure to include
all members of the family,
00:37:46.09\00:37:50.00
it was a very hot day...
and the Pastor was quite thirsty
00:37:50.03\00:37:56.87
so he stopped at a
little confectionary store
00:37:56.91\00:38:00.28
to buy a bottle of mineral water
00:38:00.34\00:38:03.48
he sat on a crate to rest awhile
00:38:03.51\00:38:06.58
and refresh
himself with a cool drink,
00:38:06.61\00:38:09.15
a young lad
about 12 years of age,
00:38:09.18\00:38:11.65
approached the
Pastor and said timidly,
00:38:11.69\00:38:14.96
"Hello Sir, it's a hot day,
you mind if I tell you a story?"
00:38:14.99\00:38:18.96
Pastor Aloni really
didn't want to be disturbed
00:38:18.99\00:38:23.06
but he decided to humor the boy
00:38:23.10\00:38:25.30
who seemed to be quite a bright,
well-spoken young fellow.
00:38:25.33\00:38:29.44
"All right, all right,
I'll hear your story. "
00:38:29.50\00:38:33.21
Boy: "Thank you Sir. "
00:38:33.24\00:38:35.91
Boy sitting down...
00:38:35.94\00:38:38.61
A group of people
coming to the stage...
00:38:38.65\00:38:48.62
"Well, once upon a time,
00:38:48.66\00:38:50.73
there was a
great and powerful king
00:38:50.76\00:38:52.49
and one day this King
decided to go on a journey.
00:38:52.53\00:38:54.96
He had ten sons,
00:38:55.00\00:38:56.36
so he called all ten
of them up before him,
00:38:56.40\00:38:58.43
he also called
the Prime Minister
00:38:58.47\00:39:00.07
then, he hugged each
of his sons and said... "
00:39:00.10\00:39:06.37
King: "Oh my son, my
son... oh my son, my son
00:39:06.41\00:39:12.65
my son... my son,
00:39:12.71\00:39:17.99
my son, my son,
00:39:18.05\00:39:23.89
my son, my son...
00:39:23.93\00:39:29.70
oh my son... my son... "
00:39:29.73\00:39:34.40
Boy: "After declaring his
love to all ten of his sons,
00:39:34.47\00:39:38.31
he turned to the
Prime Minister and said... "
00:39:38.37\00:39:40.28
"Prime Minister, I am
going away on a long journey,
00:39:40.31\00:39:46.55
I do not know
how long I will be...
00:39:46.58\00:39:49.65
but while I am gone... I am
leaving my sons in your care,
00:39:49.68\00:39:55.99
see to it... that they receive
the treatment they deserve,
00:39:56.02\00:40:02.26
I am entrusting
their welfare to you. "
00:40:02.30\00:40:06.43
The King pats
the Prime Minister...
00:40:06.50\00:40:11.94
A guard comes and bows to him
and then they leave the stage.
00:40:11.97\00:40:19.68
Narrator: By this time,
the Pastor refreshed from
00:40:19.71\00:40:24.42
enjoying his drink in the shade
00:40:24.45\00:40:25.99
was becoming
intrigued with the story
00:40:26.02\00:40:28.46
and urged the lad to continue,
"Tell me more son, go on. "
00:40:28.49\00:40:33.50
"Well, soon after
the King had left,
00:40:33.53\00:40:36.63
the Prime Minister
called all ten of the sons
00:40:36.67\00:40:39.17
back for their inspection. "
00:40:39.20\00:40:40.54
All ten of the sons
back for their inspection.
00:40:40.57\00:40:48.11
Sons walking on stage...
00:40:48.14\00:40:50.88
Sons and Prime
Minister coming on stage.
00:40:50.91\00:40:54.95
"The Prime Minister
looked at all three of the sons
00:40:54.98\00:40:59.02
and found them
pleasing in all aspects
00:40:59.05\00:41:02.72
but when he got
to the fourth son,
00:41:02.76\00:41:06.36
a frown came over his face. "
00:41:06.39\00:41:07.93
Prime Minister: "You do
not look like a real son to me,
00:41:07.96\00:41:11.97
I will send you to the
field to work with the slaves
00:41:12.00\00:41:15.74
and I will put my
son in your place. "
00:41:15.77\00:41:17.84
Boy: "So he took the
fourth son out of the line. "
00:41:17.87\00:41:23.35
Prime Minister:
"Guard, bring in my son... "
00:41:23.38\00:41:24.85
Boy: "And sent him to the
field to work with the slaves
00:41:24.88\00:41:28.02
then he put his own son
in the King's son's place. "
00:41:28.05\00:41:32.02
Prime Minister is putting
the robes on his own son...
00:41:32.05\00:41:36.42
and continues
putting the robe...
00:41:36.46\00:41:41.43
puts his son in the
place of the 4th son...
00:41:41.46\00:41:44.83
straightens his son's robe...
00:41:44.87\00:41:47.54
Prime Minister continues
inspecting other sons...
00:41:47.57\00:41:54.68
continues...
00:41:54.74\00:42:00.28
Audience: Laughing...
00:42:00.32\00:42:03.49
Boy and Pastor
sitting in the shop...
00:42:03.52\00:42:09.19
Sons leaving the stage...
00:42:09.22\00:42:15.06
Pastor: "Continue, I want to
hear the rest of the story. "
00:42:15.10\00:42:18.53
Boy: "Finally, the day
came when the King returns,
00:42:18.57\00:42:21.74
so he called the Prime
Minister into his royal chambers
00:42:21.77\00:42:24.54
to give an account
00:42:24.57\00:42:26.01
as to how he had taken
care of all ten of his sons... "
00:42:26.04\00:42:28.08
King comes and sits on stage...
00:42:28.11\00:42:33.11
King: "Guard, bring
in the Prime Minister. "
00:42:33.15\00:42:36.99
Guard goes and gets
the Prime Minister...
00:42:37.02\00:42:40.86
brings the Prime Minister...
00:42:40.89\00:42:45.29
The Prime Minister bows...
00:42:45.33\00:42:49.73
King: "Prime Minister, how
have you cared for my sons?"
00:42:49.76\00:42:53.84
Prime Minister:
"Oh King, live forever,
00:42:53.87\00:42:56.74
I have taken
great care of your sons
00:42:56.77\00:42:59.61
and given them the honor
and respect they are due...
00:42:59.64\00:43:03.65
their station as
sons of the King. "
00:43:03.68\00:43:06.58
King: "Bring me my sons. "
00:43:06.61\00:43:09.12
Prime Minister bowing to
the sons and ushering them in.
00:43:09.15\00:43:17.39
Sons coming to the stage.
00:43:17.43\00:43:26.87
Narrator: As he had done when
he had departed for his journey,
00:43:26.94\00:43:30.47
the King embraced
each one of his sons.
00:43:30.51\00:43:35.98
The first... the
second... the third...
00:43:36.04\00:43:41.45
until he came to the fourth...
00:43:41.48\00:43:43.92
and then a look of displeasure
came across his face of the King
00:43:43.95\00:43:47.46
King: "Who is this?
00:43:47.49\00:43:50.33
This is not my
son... he's an imposter...
00:43:50.36\00:43:57.70
what have you done?
00:43:57.73\00:43:59.77
Where is my son?"
00:43:59.80\00:44:01.77
Prime Minister:
"Oh King, live forever,
00:44:01.80\00:44:04.61
huh... he did not look
like a real son to me...
00:44:04.64\00:44:08.38
he didn't have the
same bearing as the others
00:44:08.41\00:44:12.11
so I removed him and
put my son in his place,
00:44:12.15\00:44:15.18
surely, you can see my
son looks like the real son. "
00:44:15.22\00:44:17.45
King: "What audacity...
00:44:17.49\00:44:20.29
who gave you
permission to do this?
00:44:20.32\00:44:24.09
Where is my son?"
00:44:24.13\00:44:25.63
Prime Minister: "He's
in the field your Majesty,
00:44:25.66\00:44:28.53
working with the slaves... "
00:44:28.56\00:44:30.27
Narrator: This made
the king very angry.
00:44:30.30\00:44:32.50
King: "You...
00:44:32.53\00:44:37.01
you and your son are
banished from this place. "
00:44:37.04\00:44:42.74
King removes robes
from the counterfeit son.
00:44:42.81\00:44:48.48
Guard escorts the Prime Minister
and counterfeit son out...
00:44:48.52\00:44:51.59
King: "Bring in my son... "
00:44:51.62\00:44:56.16
Guard brings in the real son.
00:44:56.19\00:45:00.66
King puts the
robes on his real son.
00:45:00.70\00:45:06.13
King: "Son, take
your rightful place. "
00:45:06.17\00:45:11.61
Audience: "Amen. "
00:45:11.64\00:45:18.71
King hugs is sons...
00:45:18.75\00:45:24.65
hugs his sons...
00:45:24.69\00:45:29.62
continues hugging...
00:45:29.66\00:45:34.50
Narrator: When
the story was over,
00:45:34.53\00:45:35.86
the lad made as if to leave
00:45:35.90\00:45:38.10
but Pastor Aloni fairly shouted,
00:45:38.13\00:45:40.87
"What is the
meaning of this story?"
00:45:40.90\00:45:43.10
Narrator: In the African culture
00:45:43.14\00:45:45.04
every story must
have some teaching value
00:45:45.07\00:45:47.84
and the Pastor, knowing this,
00:45:47.88\00:45:50.05
wanted to know the
meaning of the story.
00:45:50.08\00:45:53.11
Boy: "Well, you see,
Sir, The King is God...
00:45:53.15\00:45:55.72
the ten sons are
the Ten Commandments
00:45:55.75\00:45:58.25
and the fourth son is the
fourth commandment which says,
00:45:58.29\00:46:01.02
'Remember the Sabbath
day to keep it holy... '
00:46:01.09\00:46:03.56
the Prime
Minister is the Church...
00:46:03.59\00:46:05.99
the people that
God left in charge
00:46:06.03\00:46:07.80
of these commandments
and the day of rest...
00:46:07.86\00:46:09.66
are the church to
which the day of rest
00:46:09.70\00:46:11.57
was a day of its own choosing
00:46:11.60\00:46:12.97
but the King is coming back. "
00:46:13.00\00:46:14.34
Audience: "Amen. "
00:46:14.37\00:46:19.14
Audience clapping.
00:46:19.17\00:46:23.88
Narrator: And how skillfully
00:46:23.91\00:46:26.58
this lad placed
the Biblical text
00:46:26.61\00:46:28.38
and to an African setting,
00:46:28.42\00:46:30.19
that spoke
powerfully to the African mind
00:46:30.22\00:46:32.95
and to all who
have ears to hear.
00:46:32.99\00:46:35.59
When the Pastor heard
the conclusion of the story,
00:46:35.62\00:46:38.79
he said to the lad...
00:46:38.83\00:46:40.36
Pastor: "Where
did you learn that?"
00:46:40.40\00:46:42.36
Boy: "At the
Kireka Mission Sir. "
00:46:42.40\00:46:43.97
Pastor: "Where is this mission?"
00:46:44.00\00:46:45.47
Boy: "It's over
the top of the hill. "
00:46:45.50\00:46:47.10
Pastor: "Take me
there. " Boy: "Follow me. "
00:46:47.14\00:46:48.64
Narrator: What a sight,
00:46:48.67\00:46:51.71
the young lad leading
the Pastor up to the hill
00:46:51.74\00:46:54.91
to the Adventist Mission,
00:46:54.94\00:46:56.28
you see, Pastor Aloni had
been pondering the Sabbath
00:46:56.31\00:47:01.42
and questioning
for many years...
00:47:01.48\00:47:03.39
as a child in Primary School
00:47:03.42\00:47:05.75
up through his
training to be a Pastor
00:47:05.79\00:47:08.32
but he was always turned
away with a stark answer,
00:47:08.36\00:47:11.83
"That is part of the old law,
00:47:11.86\00:47:14.13
it was changed by
Jesus and His apostles... "
00:47:14.20\00:47:17.10
now, hear the rest of the story.
00:47:17.17\00:47:20.67
The Pastor stayed at
the mission for seven days
00:47:20.70\00:47:24.41
where the missionaries studied
with him around the clock,
00:47:24.44\00:47:27.54
eventually he
returned to his village.
00:47:27.58\00:47:31.01
Pastor Aloni never made
the visit to his family...
00:47:31.08\00:47:34.82
instead... he
quickly retraced his steps.
00:47:34.85\00:47:38.29
The next Sunday,
when he took the pulpit,
00:47:38.32\00:47:41.72
he made the startling statement,
00:47:41.76\00:47:44.06
"This is the last
Sunday I will be your Pastor
00:47:44.09\00:47:49.76
from now on... I will be
a Seventh-day Adventist. "
00:47:49.80\00:47:55.37
Pastor Aloni Mahinwa became a
Seventh-day Adventist Minister,
00:47:55.40\00:48:00.98
he founded the Seventh-day
Adventist church in a village
00:48:01.01\00:48:04.05
and it is
there... until this day.
00:48:04.08\00:48:06.98
"Surely my
Sabbaths you shall keep:
00:48:07.02\00:48:10.05
for it is a sign
between me and you
00:48:10.09\00:48:13.02
throughout your
generations; that you may know
00:48:13.05\00:48:16.09
that I am the LORD
who sanctifies you. "
00:48:16.12\00:48:20.03
Exodus 31:13.
00:48:20.06\00:48:23.10
Audience: Clapping.
00:48:23.13\00:48:28.30
Walking to stage...
00:48:28.37\00:48:32.81
Isn't that something?
00:48:32.84\00:48:36.78
Audience: "Amen. "
00:48:36.81\00:48:38.28
I tell you, that
gets the point across
00:48:38.31\00:48:41.45
about as well as
anything I've ever seen.
00:48:41.48\00:48:44.59
You know, in
the early Adventism,
00:48:44.65\00:48:47.39
one of the great
publications early on
00:48:47.42\00:48:49.69
was the "The Midnight Cry"
00:48:49.72\00:48:52.49
I love that very
title, "The Midnight Cry"
00:48:52.53\00:48:57.20
I wish we still had a
publication by that name
00:48:57.23\00:49:01.84
but I will tell you that
00:49:01.87\00:49:04.24
the midnight cry
continues around the world
00:49:04.27\00:49:08.24
and we're closer to
midnight than ever before.
00:49:08.28\00:49:12.41
It's right at
the edge of midnight.
00:49:12.45\00:49:17.19
Scott Cameron and
this beautiful choir
00:49:17.22\00:49:21.86
is going to sing for
us, "The Midnight Cry. "
00:49:21.89\00:49:27.13
Midnight Cry...
00:49:27.16\00:49:30.47
Audience: Clapping.
00:49:30.50\00:49:34.14
Music...
00:49:34.17\00:49:41.54
More music...
00:49:41.58\00:49:45.48
Some more music...
00:49:45.51\00:49:54.79
I hear the sound
00:49:54.82\00:49:59.16
of a mighty rushing wind
00:49:59.19\00:50:04.17
music...
00:50:04.20\00:50:09.17
and it's closer now
00:50:09.20\00:50:13.61
than it's ever been
00:50:13.64\00:50:18.01
I can almost
00:50:18.05\00:50:23.18
hear the trumpet
00:50:23.22\00:50:27.02
music...
00:50:27.06\00:50:30.79
As Gabriel sounds the chord.
00:50:30.83\00:50:40.00
Music...
00:50:40.04\00:50:42.90
At the midnight cry
00:50:42.94\00:50:49.18
we'll be going
00:50:49.21\00:50:55.42
home.
00:50:55.45\00:51:00.09
I look around me
00:51:00.12\00:51:06.36
I see prophecies fulfilled...
00:51:06.39\00:51:12.83
Every day
00:51:12.87\00:51:17.27
The signs of the times...
00:51:17.31\00:51:23.04
They're appearing everywhere
00:51:23.08\00:51:28.78
Oh...
00:51:28.82\00:51:30.42
I can almost see the Father
00:51:30.45\00:51:38.16
As He says, "Son,
go get my children"
00:51:38.19\00:51:46.33
at the midnight cry
00:51:46.37\00:51:51.44
the Bride of Christ
00:51:51.47\00:51:56.54
will rise.
00:51:56.58\00:52:01.52
When Jesus steps out
00:52:01.55\00:52:08.69
On a cloud to
call His children...
00:52:08.72\00:52:12.29
To call His Children
00:52:12.36\00:52:16.93
The dead in Christ shall rise
00:52:16.97\00:52:23.71
To meet Him in the air...
00:52:23.74\00:52:29.41
And then those that remain
00:52:29.44\00:52:35.08
those that remain...
00:52:35.15\00:52:38.59
Shall be quickly changed...
00:52:38.65\00:52:46.59
At the midnight cry
00:52:46.63\00:52:50.27
At the midnight cry,
00:52:50.30\00:52:54.44
We'll be going home.
00:52:54.47\00:52:58.54
Humming...
00:52:58.57\00:53:03.18
I look around me,
00:53:03.21\00:53:07.38
I see prophecies fulfilled,
00:53:07.42\00:53:13.15
everywhere...
00:53:13.19\00:53:17.76
And signs of the times,
00:53:17.79\00:53:21.43
They're appearing everywhere,
00:53:21.46\00:53:29.70
Oh, I can almost see the Father
00:53:29.74\00:53:37.88
as he says, "Son,
go get my children,"
00:53:37.91\00:53:45.95
Oh and at the midnight cry
00:53:45.99\00:53:53.40
The Bride of Christ will rise.
00:53:53.43\00:54:00.84
When Jesus steps out,
00:54:00.87\00:54:07.31
On a cloud to call His children,
00:54:07.34\00:54:11.21
To call His children,
00:54:11.25\00:54:15.68
The dead in Christ shall rise
00:54:15.72\00:54:22.52
To meet Him in the air,
00:54:22.56\00:54:29.10
And then those that remain...
00:54:29.13\00:54:33.44
those that remain...
00:54:33.47\00:54:37.21
Shall be quickly changed,
00:54:37.24\00:54:44.61
At the midnight cry,
00:54:44.65\00:54:48.18
at the midnight cry...
00:54:48.22\00:54:51.69
Oh... at the midnight cry...
00:54:51.72\00:54:58.73
Hmmm...
00:54:58.79\00:55:01.30
At the midnight cry...
00:55:01.33\00:55:05.53
When Jesus...
00:55:05.57\00:55:07.20
When Jesus steps out...
00:55:07.24\00:55:12.34
On a cloud to call His children
00:55:12.37\00:55:18.78
O the dead in Christ shall rise
00:55:18.81\00:55:25.15
shall rise...
00:55:25.19\00:55:27.92
To meet Him in the air.
00:55:27.96\00:55:34.00
And then those that remain,
00:55:34.03\00:55:40.00
those that remain...
00:55:40.04\00:55:43.30
Shall be quickly changed.
00:55:43.34\00:55:47.71
Shall be changed...
00:55:47.74\00:55:51.35
And at the midnight cry...
00:55:51.38\00:55:55.08
At the midnight cry,
00:55:55.12\00:55:58.79
At the midnight cry...
00:55:58.82\00:56:02.42
At the midnight cry
00:56:02.46\00:56:05.96
Yes, at the midnight cry,
00:56:05.99\00:56:09.76
At the midnight cry.
00:56:09.80\00:56:14.00
We'll be going home.
00:56:14.04\00:56:17.34
We'll be going home...
00:56:17.37\00:56:20.34
Going home...
00:56:20.38\00:56:24.51
home...
00:56:24.55\00:56:29.58
Audience: Clapping.
00:56:29.62\00:56:35.52
"Hallelujah... amen...
00:56:35.56\00:56:41.46
thank you...
00:56:41.50\00:56:44.03
Thank you choir... "
00:56:44.07\00:56:46.03
Thank you so very much,
00:56:46.07\00:56:48.90
sometimes, I'm so proud
to be a Seventh-day Adventist
00:56:48.97\00:56:52.01
it actually hurts...
00:56:52.04\00:56:53.38
and am so proud of
a God that we serve.
00:56:53.41\00:56:57.01
God has given us a great
mission and a great message
00:56:57.05\00:57:02.78
the question is not,
00:57:02.82\00:57:05.12
"Can we trust God?"
00:57:05.15\00:57:07.42
The question is:
"Can God trust us?"
00:57:07.46\00:57:10.66
Can God trust us to be faithful?
00:57:10.69\00:57:13.80
Can God trust us to
lift up the name of Jesus?
00:57:13.83\00:57:18.10
Can God trust us to hold
on and keep on holding on
00:57:18.13\00:57:22.37
until He calls us
from labor to reward
00:57:22.40\00:57:26.07
for yet, in a little while,
00:57:26.11\00:57:29.04
He that shall come...
00:57:29.08\00:57:31.95
will come...
00:57:31.98\00:57:33.42
and will not tarry.
00:57:33.45\00:57:36.99
My prayer for you is
that when He does come,
00:57:37.05\00:57:40.72
He will find faith in all
the earth, can we say, "Amen. "
00:57:40.76\00:57:45.46
Audience: "Amen. "
00:57:45.49\00:57:46.83
Shall we close in prayer.
00:57:46.86\00:57:48.20
"Heavenly Father,
00:57:48.23\00:57:49.56
we thank you for
this day of days,
00:57:49.60\00:57:50.93
we thank you for the message,
00:57:50.97\00:57:52.97
we thank you for the call
00:57:53.00\00:57:54.40
that brought us
from darkness to light...
00:57:54.44\00:57:58.14