Reviewing Adventist World, NAD Edition

February, 2012
Vol. 8, No. 2
http://www.adventistworld.org/

Adventist World is free online. For that reason, I only review or comment on articles that I believe to be of special interest. This includes editorials, special supplements, and NAD features not available online.

WORLD REPORT included an inspiring story of Jose Barrientos, a volunteer chaplain at Washington Dulles International Airport.

In his opening address to the North American Division (NAD) meetings, Dan Jackson, NAD President, set a generous Christian tone for the proceedings when he told the congregation of church leaders and lay delegates not to discourage smokers from attending church. “If God would attach an odor to every sin, humility would not be a problem in the Seventh-day Adventist Church.”

It was reported that the base salary of denominational workers would go from $4,095 or $4,180 a month. It’s their first raise in four years.

It was also noted that “26 percent of Adventist families have young children at home, which means a lower supply of students for church owned schools”. In addition, “69 percent of Adventist families earn less than $50,000 a year, making it more challenging for those parents to send their children to Adventist schools”.

Delegates reaffirmed the 2010 action that commissioned ministers could be considered for Conference and Mission presidents. The vote by secret ballot was 162-61.

REVIEWS
Docs Handysides and Landless made their usual stellar contribution to World. DISEASES OF CHOICE is a short, informative warning about how humans can effective shorten their lives. Seven major culprits were mentioned: tobacco, foods high in saturated and trans fats, excessive salt, alcohol, excessive sugar, especially sweetened drinks, physical inactivity, and obesity.

An ADRA insert makes an impressive case for continued support. Were you aware that ADRA served 16,277,085 people last year, provided $18,847,755 of food assistance, and participated in 818 emergency relief projects?

DR. RABBIT’S MISSION FIELD by Terri Saelee is a sobering account of Adventist Myanmar refugees in the US and Canada and what readers can do to assist them. (Dr. Rabbit was the nom de plume of Eric B. Hare.)

HOW CAN WE HELP SAVE THEM? by Cecilia Cornejo assumes that when our children “leave the church”, they are “lost”. Unfortunately, the parental safeguards suggested in this article are the same old “tried and true” nostrums that are almost guaranteed to fail.

Finally, AN UNUSUAL PARTNERSHIP is a MUST READ, eye opening report about an Adventist educational program in China. Chek Yat and Sally Lam-Phoon should be in charge of worldwide Adventist education. Brilliant!