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who lead, and where people arewho benefit from our service; thisis essential to us for intentionalministry. When we know how and where to minister, findingthose who are hungry and thosewho need a visit, we can refinethe ministry in our territory, andthe church can be not onlyrelevant, but also a place ofrefuge.

As for the vision I have for theScottish Mission, I pray that wepractise empathy, for our ministryto be meaningful and relevant.After empathy, we should enableindividuals. When we understandwhat the needs in our territoryare, it becomes easier to enableboth our leaders and ourmembers to offer help to thecommunities where we minister.

Once leaders and members ofthe communities have beenresourced, we can then engage.The church has always been busywith multiple ministries inScotland to make a difference. AsChristians we have a mandate tocare for and love the members ofour communities. As weempathise, enable and engage,we are in the space where Godneeds us. It is my greatest desireto see God’s church busy withcommunity work, which leavesthe people and the planet in abetter position than they werebefore – physically, mentally, andspiritually.

In recent months the world hasseen change of unprecedentedmagnitude. Everyone is

affected by COVID-19 in someway, and it is becoming clearerthat our relationship with theplanet God made for us needs arethink. I have always thoughtthat, as representatives of God,we have to have something tocontribute to the activeconversations around us. How dowe respond, knowing that muchattention is needed where peopleare suffering the consequencesof human greed?

The Bible gives us a mandateto care for those who havenothing, to feed those who arehungry, and to clothe those whoare naked (Matthew 25:31-46).The church in Scotlandpossesses the power to make adifference, and this power isrooted in the faith of ourmembers, in God. Over the last15 years I have seen thegenerosity and care that ourmembers have, particularly forthose in need, and I continue tosee this God-given grace daily inindividuals and programmes thatare too numerous to mentionhere.

I would like to share with youa simple formula that I believewill help our mission to grow.First, we need to understand(empathise with) where peopleare who suffer, where people are

2 | Messenger 12-2021

LEADER’S CORNER

Empathise. Empower. Engage.

by Pastor Jimmy Botha, President, Scottish Mission

The ChosenIn the beginning God created the

heavens and the earth.

In the beginning was the Word

And the earth was void and without form.

And the Word was with God

And darkness covered the face of the deep.

And the Word was God.

Then God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.

He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him.

And without Him was not anything made that was made.

In Him was life. And the life was the light of men.A light shining in the darkness.

And the darkness has not overcome it.

The season two premiere of the film series The Chosenis now available on YouTube for viewing. The seriesportrays the life of Christ through the experiences of Hisclosest followers, and those affected by His ministry. Ofall that will be watched on screen during this Adventseason, none will draw us closer to ‘the Word’ than thisfilm. This episode is seen through the eyes of John – thedisciple and gospel writer, who reflects on what he hasseen. An excellent resource for Advent worship, smallgroups, youth groups, family viewing, and not least forsharing the Gospel with friends.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3m9fL8iJAoU


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3m9fL8iJAoU

Messenger 12-2021 | 3

EDITORIAL

saying to John, ‘Have you the slightest idea ofhow huge the pit in my stomach was while Iwas speaking? I don’t know how I did it!’ Johnreplies: ‘Only the Spirit, Peter, only the Spirit!’

On the human level, how do you face upand speak truth to power to the very samereligious leaders who’d set the way for Christto be crucified? Peter and John would nothave been so naïve as to be unaware that theycould also end up crucified. Back at their safeplace, they want to tell the story – and thenthey put that story into the context of God’sstory, and they pray.

‘Sovereign Lord,’ they begin their prayer:two words which speak volumes – reverence,recognition, and submission to the One whocontrols everything – who is the hidden forceat work. In the New Testament it is rare to seethis Greek word despotés used for the Lord(only six times). Think of a despot in today’sworld, and what immediately comes to mindis Kim Jong-un of North Korea – it’s a wordwith negative connotations. But, literallytranslated, the Greek word simply means‘absolute ruler’.2

The visible opposition to the cause ofChrist was the religious establishment. Thevisible working of God was through amiraculous healing and giving Peter holyboldness. But the text of Acts 4 also showsthat the believers recognised their local andimmediate events to be guided by the God ofrevelation and history, summarised by thethree verbs ‘You made’ (verse 24), ‘Youspoke’ (verse 25), and ‘You decided’ (verse28).3

For many months I’ve had the privilege ofbeing connected with a group of people whobelieve in prayer. We pray about everyone andeverything. We pray for matters global,national and local, civic and spiritual. We

During a recent study ofchapters 3 and 4 of Acts Istumbled across this

statement in an excellentcommentary:

‘For a full understanding of theearly church we need to read TheActs of the Apostles and The Bookof Revelation side by side.’

With you, I am well used tobeing implored to read ‘Daniel andRevelation’ together, and rememberDavid Marshall once challengingpastors to introduce people to the Gospel of John before sharing the Revelation of John(sound advice indeed). But whyActs and Revelation together? What’s the link?

‘Both tell much the same tale of the churchand its experience of conflict, but from adifferent perspective. Luke in the Actschronicles what unfolded on the stage ofhistory before the eyes of the observers; Johnin the Revelation enables us to see the hiddenforces at work. In the Acts human beingsoppose and undermine the church; in theRevelation the curtain is lifted and we see thehostility of the devil himself. . . .’1

As we take a look at the experience of Peterand John, let’s keep this in mind. Hauledbefore the Sanhedrin for healing a man of hislifelong disability in the name of Christ, Lukerecords in Acts 4:13 the astonishment of theSanhedrin at the apostles’ courage. ‘You wereresponsible for the crucifixion of Jesus Christof Nazareth,’ the apostles had told them. Yes,by any account, they were courageous! Buthold it there a moment. With Peter’s trackrecord on ‘bold’ statements, often morefoolhardy than courageous, what’s differentabout this one? Luke can see it, as he recordsin Acts 4:8. This time it is different becausePeter is ‘filled with the Holy Spirit’ (NKJV) –the Spirit who calms, guides, helps, supportsand directs. It is almost as if Peter has Jesusthere with him in person, in front of those whohave the power. After all, that is what Jesuspromised (Matt. 28:20).

The Sanhedrin haven’t a clue how to reactto these Christ-followers – a recurring pain inthe neck to the religious order. But ‘the people’like what they have seen; so these lawmakersopt for the ‘peace at any price’ option, andrelease Peter and John on condition that theydo not preach or teach again about Jesus.

As Peter and John head for the safety oftheir ‘own people’ (Acts 4:23, NIV), they canhardly believe they are free. I imagine Peter

‘Sovereign Lord,’‘You made,’ ‘You spoke,’ ‘You decided . . .’

David Neal, Editor

praise the Lord a lot for His goodness in ourlives, and we share our struggles – we have alot. Our prayer time together has become someaningful to me that I am experiencingsomething strange. I am beginning to ‘enjoy’prayer at present even more than group Biblestudy. The Bible study is great – energising,thought-provoking and life-giving. But there’ssomething about prayer right now that’s hittinghome. And I believe this is because it relates tothose words, ‘Sovereign Lord’.

Perhaps it’s because of need?Possibly – because I want to knowand be reassured that God is stillthe absolute Ruler of all that isgoing on in this world at present.With you, I don’t like what I see atthe moment on a whole bucket loadof matters, which occasionallycauses me to wonder for a nano-second if God still is ‘making’,‘speaking’, ‘deciding’. Even if He is,and deep down I am confident thatHe is, I am more often than notperplexed at His working. As afriend recently said to me infrustration, ‘There are times when I want to shout to the Lord, “No, no, no, Lord – this is not what I

prayed for!” ’ The solution to my momentary faith crisis is

to pray.4 As I pray, I am conscious that myfoolish words are not wasted as I approach mySovereign Lord, because, just like Peter, I ampromised the presence of ‘God’s Spirit’ rightalongside me, helping me along. And, as Paulin his explanation of the Gospel assures us all,‘If we don’t know how or what to pray, itdoesn’t matter. He does our praying in and forus’ (Romans 8:26, The Message).

By the time you read these words, theAdvent season will be near. If ever we neededevidence enough that ‘You decided’, it was theperfect timing of Christ’s entry ‘into theneighbourhood’ (John 1:14, The Message,adapted), the time when He took on our fleshand blood. ‘Herod . . . met together with theGentiles and the people of Israel to conspireagainst your holy servant Jesus, whom youanointed. They did what your power and willhad decided beforehand should happen’(Acts 4:27, 28, NIV).

If there’s anything I want from the Adventseason, it is a wish for the voice of God tospeak louder and clearer, confirming that Hestill is ‘Sovereign Lord’.

The blessings of the season to you andyour family as we both give and receive. Andmay our ‘Sovereign Lord’, who is so often the‘hidden force’ at work, be revealed througheach of us as we rejoice in the One – ‘TheWord [who] became flesh and blood, andmoved into the neighbourhood’ (John 1:14,The Message, adapted).

1John R. W. Stott, The Message of Acts (part of The BibleSpeaks Today series), p. 88 2G. Campbell Morgan, Acts of the Apostles, p. 1033Ibid., p. 1004I want to acknowledge that for many who experience a ‘faithcrisis’, it can last much longer than a moment.


modernise communication with specialemphasis on media, social media, anddigitisation, David will be joined by VanesaLaura Pizzuto, who will become AssociateDirector for Communication and Media. Vanesahas worked as a journalist, broadcaster, author,and digital networker. On her appointment,Vanesa expressed her delight at thepossibilities ahead: ‘I want to see Christianinfluencers and digital evangelists taking centre place in our evangelism strategy!’

The Health Ministries portfolio remainsvacant. The TED is currently in discussionswith Loma Linda and partners to establish ahealth facility based at Newbold College. TheHealth Ministries director will be appointedonce plans for this programme are at a moreadvanced stage, in order to provide a coherentvision and synergy with the Loma Linda-ledinitiative as part of a division-wide healthproject across the division’s 22 countries.

Reflecting on the work of the NominatingCommittee, Pastor Raafat Kamal, TED DivisionPresident, remarked, ‘I thank God for the workof the Nominating Committee and the decisionof the Executive Committee. I strongly believethat, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, ourministry of disciple-making and our mandate to make God known to our friends andneighbours will be strengthened. The I Will Go plan has been wholeheartedly adopted bythe Trans-European Division; we follow theGreat Commission humbly and prayerfully,giving praise and glory to our almighty lovingGod.’

UPDATEDr Anthony WagenerSmith and Dr Kayle DeWaal, recently appointed coordinators forMission, Evangelism and Disciple-Makingrespectively, are expected to arrive in the UK to join the TED team in January 2022.

honoured and surprised to have been asked toserve as Field Secretary – although I amsomewhat conflicted, as I had recently beenappointed to serve a third term at the BUC.However, I believe in God’s leading and both Iand my wife Jennifer have always committedourselves to respond positively whenever acall is made. So, to this end, I am keen andlooking forward to this new challenge andengagement with my colleagues across theTED.’

Pastor David Neal, current StanboroughPress and Messenger magazine editor in theBritish Union, becomes Communication andMedia Director. David was previously TEDStewardship Director and, before that, IrishMission President. David stated, ‘I would verymuch like to continue and build on theexcellent work of my predecessor, VictorHulbert, in strengthening the network of gifted

communicatorsthroughout thedivision and usingexisting and newplatforms to shareChrist. Creativethinking andinnovation in thisera are key.’

As part of aninitiative stemmingfrom the recentlyvoted TEDStrategicFramework to

Executive Committee members at theTrans-European Division (TED) year-endmeetings voted three more people to join

the TED team.The team-building journey started in May

2021, at the TED spring meetings, with plansto complete the team selection by the end ofthis year.

Pastor Ian Sweeney, current British UnionConference (BUC) president, was voted as a

division fieldsecretary. Ian joinsthe TED from thedivision’s largestunion, with a wealthof experience andwise insight.Responding to hisappointment, Ianshared, ‘I am very


TRANS-EUROPEAN DIVISION

Reflecting on the future and the new chapter Newbold has entered,Baildam recently made an appeal to all ‘to exhibit qualities exemplifiedby our predecessors – faith, vision, sacrifice, commitment andperseverance’.

Chair of the Board of Governors and TED President, Pastor RaafatKamal, expressed his personal thanks, recognising ‘Dr Baildam’s highlyprofessional service to the Church and Newbold College over manydecades. He will be remembered for seeing opportunities amid thetumultuous times of restructuring and change; for his resilience andoptimism to look forward.’

Kamal also took the opportunity to share the Board of Governors’appreciation: ‘We are thankful for his committed service to highereducation within the Trans-European Division and beyond. Dr Baildamwill continue to serve as Principal for another six months, providingample time to search and identify a suitable replacement.’

On his retirement, Dr Baildam will have given a total of 47 years ofservice to the church. When asked what has kept him going over thoseyears, he replied, ‘Learning something new every day!’

To discover more about Newbold College of Higher Education,please visit www.newbold.ac.uk.DAVID NEAL

In a 15 November letter addressed tothe Newbold College of HigherEducation Chair of Governors, Dr

John D. Baildam, Newbold CollegePrincipal, announced his intention toretire on 31 May 2022.

Baildam is Newbold’s second-longest-serving principal. He workedtirelessly and enthusiastically in avariety of roles, including his tenure asPrincipal, for over 40 years, faithfullyserving students from across theTrans-European Division and beyond.

Of his many achievements asPrincipal, most notable is hiscommitment to securing Newbold’sreputation for academic quality andrigour, and for driving the ‘never-to-be-

forgotten’ campus experience. Known for his optimistic nature, Baildamdescribed his role as Principal since 2014 as one he has ‘relished’ with‘all the joys and occasional challenges’.

Trans-European Division year-endmeeting votes new leaders by Pastor Gavin Anthony for Trans-European Division News

After serving the Church for 47 years, Dr John D. Baildamannounces retirement

Dr John D. Baildam, Newbold’ssecond-longest-serving principal[Photo: Asun Olivan]

Left to right: Pastors Victor Hulbert, Dejan Stojkovic and David Neal – Mary Jones Walk



international camporee tocelebrate the 50th anniversary ofPathfinders in Oshkosh, USA,where he worked as SpecialAssistant to the Camp Director,Pastor Ron Whitehead.

At a TED camporee in Norway Mike met the SouthAfrican Pathfinder Director, whoinvited him to go to South Africato do some leadership trainingand pioneering of largestructures, such as bridges. Mike visited South Africa in 2000, conducting trainingweekends in Cape Town, Durbanand Pretoria.

In 2001 Mike attended the firstInternational Youth LeadershipConference organised by theGeneral Conference YouthDepartment in São Paulo, Brazil.

Unfortunately, Mike had toretire due to injury, but his hearthas never left Pathfinders. He hasalways believed that thePathfinder organisation is the bestevangelistic tool for children andyoung people, providing anactivity for them within the churchneighbourhood. He described hiscamporees as his evangelisticeffort of the year, and wasblessed to see many youngpeople and some adultscommitting their lives to Jesusduring these camporees.

Mike prays that the Pathfindermovement will continue to thriveand be an effective tool in God’sservice.

Mike was introduced toPathfinders by his wife,Marion, who was running

the Barnsley Pathfinder club.Having been invested as a

Master Guide, Mike workedalongside Pastor Cyril Sweeneyas Pathfinder Co-ordinator, thatrole being shared later with KenBurt. During this time the NECteam held the first Adventurercamporee within the BUC.

Mike became the NECPathfinder Sponsor during themid-1990s and was subsequentlyelected as Director at thefollowing NEC Session, workingin that position until 2003.

The Lord gave Mike a vision tohave Adventurer and Pathfinderclubs in every church in the NEC.He spent a lot of time promotingthis vision, and believed that theway forward was to develop andtrain strong local leaders. Hequalified as a BETA (BasicExpedition Training Award) trainer,authorised by the Central Councilfor Physical Recreation. Mikeserved on the BUC staff forplanning/running BUC and TEDcamporees.

Mike was invited to join aninternational (TED) training teamto visit Jordan. It was during thistraining that he met the LebanesePathfinder Director, who invitedMike to visit Lebanon to continuethe training, which he did thefollowing year.

In 1999 Mike attended the

Mike Rossiter – NECPathfinder Sponsor/Director 1995-2003by Mike and Marion Rossiter

Principal

Newbold College of Higher Education

The governors of Newbold College of Higher Education seek to appoint aprincipal to replace the current incumbent, who has announced hisretirement on 31 May 2022.

The Principal is the Chief Executive Officer of the College and is theinstitution’s link with its governors, liaising with them as Secretary of theBoard of Governors and driving the decisions of the Board.

Applications are invited from those with appropriate qualifications andexpertise. Applicants should demonstrate an expressed commitment to JesusChrist and to the teachings of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, and theyshould be members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in good and regularstanding.

A fuller position descriptor is available upon request. Selected duties andresponsibilities are as follows: • Support for the mission of the College • Support for spiritual excellence for students and staff • Student-recruitment initiatives • Support for the extracurricular life of the College • Programme development and administration • Communications • Budget and finance • Policies • Strategic planning • Ensure compliance with Church policy, UK law, local and College

regulations, and the requirements of the Office for Students and validatinguniversities

• A clear understanding of developments and trends within higher education • Actively liaising with community groups and organisations • Representing the College and its programmes to agencies, organisations,

and the general public • Fostering links with Seventh-day Adventist educational institutions

worldwide • Understanding sound financial and HR practices • Encouraging professional development, scholarly research, and

publications • Driving externality

Selection criteria • Evidence of experience and skills in leadership and administration • Academic and professional qualifications commensurate with the role • Ability to implement difficult decisions • Financial acumen and good business and people skills • A strong sense of Seventh-day Adventist identity with particular reference

to the Ten Core Commitments as mandated by governors • Understanding of sound HR management, team building, interpersonal

skills and capacity building of staff • Understanding of the European multicultural context of the Seventh-day

Adventist Church, the intellectual European climate, and the UK/Europeanhigher education landscape

• Ability to develop the College in the modern technological context

All applicants must have the right to live and work in the United Kingdom andwill normally be expected to live within reasonable commuting distance of theCollege to enable them to engage fully with the life of the College and of thelocal church community.

Starting date: 1 June 2022 or earlier by mutual agreement. Salary: as perthe denominational salary scale.

A letter of application, a CV and the names and contact details of tworeferees should be emailed as soon as possible, but no later than 31 January2022, to [email protected].

NEWS


to Him. Pastor Erasmusencouraged a heart for thediverse peoples that make up theUnited Kingdom and Ireland,saying, ‘There is every chancethat God is busy in yourcommunity but you have notquite noticed it yet.’ He sharedhis experience of joining anallotment community where hehas become an unofficial elder.‘May we be as faithful in thescattering as He is in thegrowing.’

In Sunday’s devotion, Dr GinaMiller testified of discoveringcurrency in her travel bag whenshe was broke, comparing this tothe most important treasure wehave ‘in earthen vessels’ whichwe often overlook. Referring toLuke 9:1, 2, she identified thistreasure within us as thesupernatural empowermentJesus gives His disciples toproclaim the Kingdom of God.She pointed out that effectiveministry begins with a call fromGod, and we are called for thistime: ‘How am I managing myGod-given mission?’

Joshua and Caleb, two spiessent to the Promised Land(Numbers 13), were the subjectof Dr Ryan’s next plenarysession. ‘God has asked us toprovide hope in the UK. . . . Asyou go, never forget the word“we”, as success depends onplacing our hand in God’s hand.’

Afterwards, Dr Jeffrey Brown(Associate Ministerial Secretaryof the General Conference) spokeon the capture of Lot and hisfamily (Genesis 14), who werepursued by his uncle Abraham:‘This was reclamation.’ Yetreclamation needn’t be dramatic,but simply ‘a supply of groceriesto refugees or homeless people,or sitting down with someone fora simple meal’. ‘Fight for yourfamily,’ he continued.‘Sometimes children are lost inour own homes. . . . Search andchase after your child.’ Don’t be

challenged participants about theparadigm, ‘I will go . . .eventually,’ based on Matthew28, stressing the need to ‘takethe guilt out of it’ (the call to go)and instead ‘fall in love withJesus’, as this is the ultimatemotivator. Jesus was the pastorof a divided church of disciples,but ‘mission is a great uniter’.Pastor Hernandez’s key word,‘whatever’, meant saying to Godin prayer: ‘Whatever You want,Lord, however You want,’ whilelooking for divine appointments.

During Sabbath morning’sdevotion, Pastor Adriana Fodor(Evangelism Sponsor for theWelsh Mission) asked thequestion, ‘What is in your bag?’based on Hebrews 12:1, with theinvitation to ‘lay aside everyweight’ and ‘run with endurancethe race that is set before us’(NKJV). Carrying a heavybackpack, Pastor Fodor explainedhow problems can slow usdown, hindering our ‘going’ forthe Lord. Her appeal was to ‘keepmoving towards Jesus’.

We then learned more aboutthe strategic plan for the newquinquennium as Pastor Brooksexplained that the ‘I Will Go’initiative is based on the desire toget most of the church involvedin serving for the Lord. In groups,attendees devised a spectrum ofexciting ideas for outreach,including:• Podcasts• Social media content• Surveys• Prayer services• English classes• Help in writing CVs• Help in developing ICT skills• Community cafes• Befriending people to combat

widespread loneliness• Breakfast clubs for the elderly• Health ministries• Outreach for men, addressing

their mental health• Help with gardening, shopping

and foodbanks

In his second plenary, Dr Ryanpromoted confidence in the Bibleas our lamp (John 5:39), sharinghow the fulfilment of smaller-scale prophecies (such as thepredicted siege of Jerusalem inJeremiah 21:7) builds convictionthat the Second Coming is sure.Dr Ryan asked stimulatingquestions: ‘Do we have Jesus’fame to spread in theneighbourhood . . . ?’ ‘How is “IWill Go” defined in my life?’

In Pastor Hernandez’s secondplenary, his theme was ‘I Will Go.. . . Who Is Coming?’ whichaddressed the theme ofreclamation ministry. Speakingfrom Luke 15, Pastor Hernandezencouraged his listeners tosearch for the 41% of baptisedmembers who disconnect fromthe church: a rate that would beunacceptable in other fields orprofessions. His solution wascaptured by the acronym,‘RAMP’:• Research the reasons each

individual left.• Avoid church conflict, undue

anger, or making people feelguilty as a strategy, and avoidassuming that individuals willnever change.

• Meet with people throughvisits and social activities.

• Prepare for such meetings bybeing intentional andwelcoming. ‘The deeper thewound, the fewer the words’;‘Nothing you can say is goingto console someone who hasbeen hurt by the churchexcept the two most importantwords: “I’m sorry.” ’

Pastor Wayne Erasmus, ChurchGrowth and Adventist MissionCoordinator of the South EnglandConference, explored the parableof the growing seed (Mark 4:26-29). He said that, while wescatter seeds of God’s word, wecannot make them germinate orcontrol everything, but we mustleave the aspects that are God’s

The commission Jesus gavethe Church in Matthew28:18-20, starting with the

immortal words: ‘Go yetherefore’ (KJV), echoes downthrough the ages. Yet some havefound endeavouring to reach outto others a struggle, or felt theneed to recalibrate how we carryout Jesus’ command as the eraof the COVID-19 pandemic drawson. This is why the return of theBritish Union Evangelism andMission Summit (BEAMS) from 5to 7 November in Daventry,Northamptonshire, was sowelcome.

The event was co-hosted bynewly re-elected BUCdepartmental directors, PastorEglan Brooks and Dr KirkThomas. Exceeding allexpectations, the number ofparticipants was 352. In hiswelcome at the opening of themeeting, Dr Thomas remarked:‘With all the circumstances . . .militating against this programmehappening, the mere fact that wewere able to bring thisprogramme to you . . . istestament to the fact that God stillhears and answers sincereprayers made to Him.’ ‘Welcometo God’s miracle programme.’

Homing in on the word‘nevertheless’, keynote speakerDr Mike Ryan (Assistant to thePresident of the GeneralConference and deviser of the ‘IWill Go’ initiative) explained that,despite a long night ofunsuccessful fishing, when askedby Jesus to push his boat backout on the water and try oncemore, Peter responded,‘Nevertheless at Your word . . .’(Luke 5:5, NKJV). ‘There hasnever been a greater need for a“nevertheless generation”,’ DrRyan observed.

With characteristic humour,and accompanied by a salvo ofquotable practical points, PastorRoger Hernandez (MinisterialSecretary of the Southern Union)


I WILL GO

The return of BEAMS: ‘I Will Go’

by Divinia Reynolds


To every family, neighbour,community and culture!Sharing Jesus and His Love.’

Now GOOO BUC!

For further information on the ‘IWill Go’ initiative, resources orrelated questions, visithttps://iwillgo2020.org or contactthe Personal Ministries team atthe BUC.

To read an extended version of this report, go to:https://www.stanboroughpress.org.uk/2021/11/11/the-return-of-beams-i-will-go/

Pastor Adriana Fodor and PastorDavid Rancic (Welsh MissionPathfinders Sponsor) held aprayer retreat called ‘Have YouHeard?’ Young people expressedhow ‘uplifted’ they felt, and that‘there is real power in prayer’.

There was an atmosphere ofjoy as attendees reunited with thewider church following twentymonths of lockdowns and socialrestrictions. The aim of enthusingand equipping members wasmet. Sheffield David of HopeCommunity in High Wycombewas ‘inspired’, and his wifeYvonne especially appreciatedmeeting up with members inperson after so long.

‘Presentations were . . . veryinformative, practical, an eye-opener,’ said Claudius fromMilton Keynes Central Church.

‘Excellent summit: thank Godfor what He has done. Themessages are relevant for thetime we are in, and God hasgiven enthusiasm and conviction’so ‘His people and leaders [can]go forth and do the work that Hehas called us to do in unity –leadership and laity working sideby side,’ remarked HyacinthGayle, Carter Knowle Church.

In the words on the banner:‘Who will go?I will go!Where will we go?

afraid, and remember that theLord is great and awesome.

Fascinating breakout sessionsbegan on Sabbath afternoon.They discussed praying for thepeace of your city (Jeremiah 29),love and mingling, looking for thespaces where God is working sowe can participate asrepresentatives of Jesus Christ –and we must be aware of whatour presence says about who Heis. Dr Jeffrey Brown pointed outthat we are in a new phase ofministry, and it would bedangerous to miss the moment.Drawing from literature on ‘thepost-quarantine church’, heoutlined a number of shifts: forexample, from analogue to digital,from teaching to equipping, fromgathering to connecting.

Reflections on this evangelismand mission summit:The place was infused withprayers, with a dedicated teampraying for the guidance of theHoly Spirit as the Gospel goesout to the world, and for theKingdom to come.

Pastor Jeremy Johnson (YouthSponsor for the Welsh Mission),


I WILL GO

Dr Kirk Thomas, BUC Publishing andPersonal Ministries Director

Tina Brooks, Leon Barclay (keyboard and guitar), Arianne Boldeau, Christina Quionquion, Melody Brooks, Aaron Johns, David Adams


https://www.stanboroughpress.org.uk/2021/11/11/the-return-of-beams-i-will-go/

ambiguity, succinctness and capture ofimportant action points subsequently becamethe standard by which all the minute writing inthe British Union was judged.

There was a rumour in circulation whileJohn was in church administration that he wasso efficient at writing minutes he would writethem before the meetings took place! I canconfirm that that was a fact, but notnecessarily in the way that people thought.John did not seek to decide the outcome ofdiscussions ahead of time; nor was heinterested in steering decisions to conformwith his personal wishes. You see, Adventistmeetings often have a certain degree ofpredictability about them, which Johnunderstood, and, as time allowed, hedeveloped the framework for the minutes of ameeting ahead of time and in line with theagenda, providing for whatever decision waseventually made. This is somewhat akin to apolitical candidate in a tight race for electedoffice preparing two speeches, one for victoryand one for defeat.

Support for Christian educationMuch of what church leaders do behind thescenes is not known by the generalmembership or the wider public. DuringJohn’s tenure as BUC President, there werepowerful voices advocating for a reduction offinancial support for educational institutions. Itwas felt by some that a disproportionateamount of money was being spent by theUnion on education. John not only resistedthose voices, but also led the efforts toconstruct a new building for StanboroughSchool with funds that accrued from the saleof a parcel of land on Stanborough Park.

Hearing impairmentNow that John has passed, we will neverknow, before meeting him again, the degree towhich his hearing impairment aided his

the Seventh-day Adventist Church is what Ichoose to describe as bringing leadershipcloser to the people. His infectious laughter,backslaps, knowledge of local churchmembers and issues, and obvious lack ofself-importance while interacting with rank-and-file members of the church in Belfast,Cardiff, Dublin, Edinburgh and Londonstripped away the veneer of inaccessibility andexclusiveness that was often associated withwhat was considered high office. John wasavailable to the deacon in Brixton as much ashe was to the president of the GeneralConference.

A man without guileTrusted by the people, John was consideredto be a man in whom there was no guile.When he was elected Union President in 1986at the Warwick University Session, there wasa palpable sense of excitement on the part ofdelegates from a variety of ethnic and culturalbackgrounds, as he was seen as one whorepresented the interests of the church atlarge, and not of any particular section of thechurch. He belonged to that select group ofchurch leaders who some discerningmembers said they would trust with theirlives.

Minutes writingJohn was the supreme writer of minutes, a skill that came to the fore when he served as BUC Executive Secretary. The lack of

If Christianssupported thepreaching of

the Gospel in thesame wayfootball fanssupport theirclubs, churchesthroughout theUnited Kingdomwould be full offaithfulcongregants.This is an oft-expressed

sentiment of church members in the BritishIsles, particularly when they reflect on themillions that flock to football stadiums on aSabbath afternoon. One man who was able tobring to church leadership a level of passionthat was commensurate with his support ofLiverpool and Tranmere Rovers was JohnArthur, OBE.

Born to leadBorn in Birkenhead in 1938, John’s leadershipskills became apparent to senior churchadministrators soon after he graduated fromNewbold in 1961. This led to his beingappointed Assistant Publishing Director for theNorth England Conference and the WelshMission in 1964. He was invited to serve asthe North England Publishing Director in 1965and BUC Publishing Director in 1967. Manywho recall John’s leadership of thepublishing work in the United Kingdomspeak glowingly of the energy that heinvested in this important outreachprogramme of the church, the policies headvocated and formulated for the care ofcolporteurs and the livable wage thatcolporteurs enjoyed from selling books.The income from selling books by somecolporteurs was rumoured to be morethan what pastors were being paid at thetime.

I was privileged to have a front-seatview of John Arthur’s leadership ofvarious aspects of the church’sprogramme, particularly at the BritishUnion office when he served first as VicePresident and later as President. It wasmy privilege to serve as ExecutiveSecretary of the Union during those twophases of his outstanding leadership ofthe Seventh-day Adventist Church in theBritish Isles.

Unpretentious leadershipAt the very top of John’s contribution to


TRIBUTES

John Arthur – a man for all people

Former president of the British UnionConference, Pastor Don McFarlane, reflects onthe passing of two outstanding church leaders

British Union Conference Committee 1986Front row: Ernest Logan. C. R. Perry, Maurice Musgrave, Harold Calkins (president), W. John Arthur, Don McFarlane, R. H. Surridge, Watson Southcott. Second row: Denys Baildam, Ken Hammond, Nylann Kennedy, David Marshall, Keith Burrell, M. J. Stickland. Third row: Paul Hammond, Ivor Margerison, Hugh Dunton, S. V. Maxwell, W. Shaw. Back row: G. Martin Bell, Peter Archer


sentence as Bobby Charlton, Bobby Mooreand George Best!

Cricket was another sport at which Johntried his hand. He was a member of aNewbold College Alumni team that played aninvitational eleven in the late ’80s. One CecilR. Perry was the opposition’s demon bowler.John was a competitive man, so his ‘duck-like’ failure at the crease did not sit well withhim, though his ready smile and philosophicalutterings regarding playing being moreimportant than winning masked hisdisappointment.

FamilyJohn’s family, composed of his wife Ruth,their daughter Christine and son Andrew, werehis biggest fans. They gave him the freedomto immerse himself in the work of the church,while at the same time ensuring that his homewas always a retreat from the fast pace ofchurch leadership. In between major churchevents and travel around the Division, thefamily always found time to welcomecolleagues and church members into their

leadership and thwarted some sticky anddifficult moments in committee meetings.Often, in the intensity of debate, ChairmanArthur would call for the next item on theagenda with his usual pleasant smile, as if hewere oblivious to the discussion taking place. Icannot recall anyone challenging his call forthe next item. Whether it was a strategy or not,this approach proved to be very effective indelivering outcomes that were considered tobe in the best interests of the church.

Humanitarian workThe area of church work that John loved most was its humanitarian arm, currentlyknown as the Adventist Development andRelief Agency (ADRA). Several of hiscolleagues, including me, were shocked whenhe gave up the presidency of the British Unionin 1990 to become ADRA Director for theTrans-European Division (TED). He laterexplained that serving the needs of others in a practical manner was his dream job, andconsequently he found the invitation to be TEDADRA Director irresistible. In his ADRA role atthe TED, John led the efforts to change theannual charity drive in the British Union,known fondly by old-timers like me asIngathering and to others as MedicalMissions, to the Annual ADRA Appeal.

Under the banner of ADRA, John did someof his best humanitarian work in Albania,Bosnia and Sarajevo. In partnership with well-known BBC journalist Bill Hamilton, he wasable to generate an amazing response on thepart of British school children and Adventistmembers to the plight of people living in theseplaces back in the 1990s. John was awardedan OBE by the Queen and the Order of MotherTeresa by the President of Albania for hischarity work.

‘Athlete’ and sports fanCare must be taken not to leave any readerwith the impression that John was all workand no play. That would be amischaracterisation of my friend. John playedwith the same passion and hunger that heapplied to his work. At the Union office, we allknew that every effort should be made toavoid booking appointments for him on aThursday afternoon, as this was playtime,which was usually filled with a round of golf.John’s ‘exploits’ in golf were a subject ofdiscussion at many social gatherings of hisfriends. One must bear in mind that John wasan excellent communicator, who was capableof putting a silver lining around the most diresituation!

Then, of course, there was John’s greatlove for Tranmere Rovers and LiverpoolFootball Club, of which he spoke with theintensity and knowledge of a stakeholder, andthe pride of a Merseyside lad, even when therewas not much of which to be proud. Hisinterest in football was not merely as a fan; heplayed the game and was a proud teammember of Notts Corinthians during his earlyyears of ministry in the Nottingham area. Johnnearly ended up being mentioned in the same


TRIBUTES

With tears in his eyes, Ron Surridge saidto the delegates assembled at theNorth England Conference Session in

Blackpool, ‘The worst thing that I could becalled is elitist. I am anything but elitist. I amfrom a coal-mining community and a coal-mining family.’ Surridge was responding to thecriticism by one delegate of a reception thatSurridge had held the previous evening for theMayor of Blackpool, to which a limited numberof leaders and delegates were invited. If thatdelegate had been more familiar with RonSurridge’s personal views and his modusoperandi, he would not have used such a wordto describe him. Surridge had never forgottenhis humble roots and had made it part of hislife’s mission to puncture pomposity,particularly in leaders of the church.

Ron served as a missionary in West Africaand in various positions of church leadership,including BUC youth director, Irish Missionpresident, Northern European Divisioneducation director, North British Conferencepresident and chair of the religion departmentat Newbold College. However, he never definedhimself by any of these positions. He wantedto be remembered for his support of theunderdog, his passionate presentation of theGospel, his practical application of theology,his abhorrence of self-importance and bigotry,and his love for his family.

Supporter of the underdog It is difficult to explain why Ron took such

great interest in fighting for the underdog,whether it was a group of people who feltmarginalised or a person who was deniedopportunities and breaks given to others. Afterhe and his family were evacuated from EasternNigeria when the Biafran war started, he couldnot bear the thought of being comfortable inGhana while people were suffering in Biafra.Consequently, he found a way to go back intoBiafra as a volunteer with the Red Cross.

On more than one occasion, in his positionas Conference president, Ron extended aninvitation for employment to ministerialgraduates who were passed over by othersbecause they were seen as lacking some ofthe basic requirements for ministry. He tookthe view that everyone should be given achance.

The event that most strongly expressedRon’s support for the underdog was theacquisition by the North British Conference(NBC) of the Harper Bell School building. Ronhad just been re-elected NBC president in1984. Paul Hammond was elected treasurerand I was invited to be executive secretary.From the outset, Ron decided that the

Ron Surridge – a life of humbleservice

home, where the at-home John Arthur wasthe same warm, engaging and charmingperson as when he sat at the committee table.Guests also discovered that his meal ofchoice at restaurants while out on churchbusiness – omelette, chips and peas – wasalso a culinary favourite of his at home.

LegacyWhen the history of the Seventh-day AdventistChurch in the British Isles is updated, theavuncular John Arthur should be rememberedfor his even-handedness in leadership, hiscareful endeavours to leave behind anaccurate record of events and decisionsduring his time, the manner in which hechampioned the interests of colporteurs, hisstrong support for Adventist education, andhis unrelenting efforts to speak for thevoiceless, defend the defenceless and free theoppressed. He was the only Seventh-dayAdventist Church leader in the British Union tohave been honoured by our country’s head ofstate for work that he did on behalf of hischurch, while pursuing his passion to serve.


asleep, which led him to close his Bible andstep down from the pulpit. Somehow the‘congregation’ became aware that thepreacher had finished speaking and thankedhim for a wonderful message, though theymost likely were unable to say what thatmessage was! The more colourful version ofthe story is that when Ron recognised that theentire congregation was asleep, he left theplatform and headed to his car, leaving thesaints to enjoy their siesta.

Family manRon and Rachel were partners in ministry,even though she was not a pastor’s wife whofelt that she had to be up-front alongside herhusband. Her contribution was largely fromthe sidelines and the nurture andencouragement that she provided at home.Ron was proud of his two sons, Robert andJohn, who both followed in his footsteps tobecome ministers of the Gospel. Robert’suntimely death 10 years ago was a massiveblow to him. Some of his friends are of theview that he never recovered from this sadepisode in his life. The last time I was able tohave a conversation with him, he shared withme through tears that seeing Robert again atthe coming of Jesus had become his life’shighest priority.

A personal testimonyWithout doubt, Ron Surridge was a majorinfluence in my life during the last forty yearsof ministry. He was a mentor, a counsellor, anencourager and a confidant. I will rememberhim as one who had all his cards on the tableat all times, a leader who was not afraid to say that he was sorry when he had made amistake, a man whose heart was tendertowards all, one who was not afraid to use hispositions of authority in the church to advancethe lives of others, and one who was, fromskin to bone, a preacher of righteousness. Please take note that titles in this article are all inlower case. This was done deliberately to reflect Ron’sviews on such matters.

administrator. At times when certainindividuals tried to replace him as thepresident of the North British Conference, theirefforts were thwarted by the affection withwhich he was regarded throughout theConference. The head elder of one of the largechurches in the Birmingham area, whenapproached by a would-be president to join acampaign to replace Pastor Surridge,responded by saying, ‘We love our presidentand have no plans to remove him from office.’That elder spoke for thousands throughout theConference.

Immediacy of the KingdomRon’s relationship with people in generalunderlined his understanding that the Kingdomof God was not merely a dream that would berealised at some stage in the distant future,but also a present reality. Christ was not justcoming again; He had come, and in so doinghad forged a new humanity out of the old byestablishing the church. Ron’s emphasis inproclaiming the Kingdom gave equal weight toits immediacy and its hereafter state. To havereturned to Biafra as a volunteer after he andhis family had been evacuated from EasternNigeria speaks volumes of the priority that heplaced on living the Kingdom life here andnow, as opposed to just waiting for Jesus tofix all our problems by making all things new.If you had asked Ron why he placed so muchemphasis on serving others, irrespective oftheir ethnicity and religious beliefs, he wouldno doubt have told you that he wanted people,irrespective of who they were, to have a tasteof the Kingdom of God.

A man of humourRon loved to hear a good joke and was adeptat telling one himself. One story told of himthat never failed to produce a smile on thefaces of listeners was about a visit of his to achurch one Sabbath where five elderlymembers made up the congregation. Tenminutes into his sermon, he realised thatevery member of the congregation was

establishment of a school in Birminghamwould be one of the top priorities of the newadministrative term. Funds were scarce at thetime, but when the opportunity arose for theConference to support the people of the WestMidlands in purchasing the property that isnow known as Harper Bell School, PastorSurridge was determined that, whatever ittook, we should not lose that property. He wasnot prepared to accept any outcome otherthan the purchase of the property. Somewherein the Harper Bell School, there should be amemorial to the pivotal role that he played inthe acquisition of the property and theestablishment of the school.

Passionate presentation of the GospelPassion was a companion of Ron Surridge.Whether it was a speech on a committee or a one-to-one discussion with a friend orstranger, his personal convictions were alwaysexpressed with the fervour of a prosecutor. Hissermons were no less compelling. This partlymay have had something to do with havingstudied, while at the University of Manchester,at the feet of F. F. Bruce, one of the finest andmost Christ-centred theologians of themodern age. But it was primarily the fact thatSurridge understood that Christ was not justthe central pillar of the Gospel, but wasHimself the Gospel. While some arepassionate about prophecy or history inScripture, Ron was passionate about theincarnation, the life of Christ, His death, Hisresurrection, and the promise that He wouldcome again. He understood that the essentialsof the Christian faith are the death,resurrection and Second Coming of Christ,with everything else in Scripture beingillustration, invitation, elucidation, expansionor application.

Abhorrence of self-importance and prideRon gave the impression that, on the sinscale, self-importance, along with its corollaryof pride, was by far the most heinous of sins.He had much compassion for those whosemoral feet had slipped in a moment ofweakness, but had little or no tolerance fordisplays of self-importance, be they in achurch leader, a political leader, or the personon the other side of the fence. For a lad fromthe coal-mining community of Sutton-in-Ashfield who ended up with two Master’sdegrees and numerous citations for effectiveleadership in various aspects of church work,one might conclude that he had much ofwhich to be proud, but that was not Ron.‘What a berk!’ was his favourite exclamationdirected at one who gave the impression thathe or she, usually he, was someone ofimportance.

Respected and loved‘Church administrators are usually respected,but they are seldom loved,’ was an insightfulstatement made in my presence by the lateRoy Ashmeade, my ministerial internshipsupervisor. Ron Surridge bucked the trend bybeing both respected and loved as a church


Pastor Ron and Rachel Surridge, with their son, Pastor John Surridge, and their grandson, Dan

TRIBUTES



ISSUESby Sharon Platt-McDonald

HEALTH

2021 has been a year marked by significant loss. The pandemicbrought about extensive loss of life, loss of health, loss of wealth, lossof employment, and, to some extent, loss of relational and socialconnectedness, particularly during the lockdown.

Yet, in these dark life circumstances, I want to encourage you notto lose hope. Even while grieving and expressing the pain of loss, wecan find help, support, solace and strength to assist us in embracing amore hopeful outlook.

Faith as a coping mechanismAn online article from MentalHelp.net carried the title: ‘Cultural andReligious-Spiritual Implications of Grief’.1 It highlighted the impact offaith on the grief experience: ‘Different cultural, religious, and spiritualtraditions offer participants in those cultures and traditions variousrituals that have been developed for helping people to cope with deathand the grieving process.’

Scripture points to the hope we have for a better future with God:‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be nomore death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, forthe former things have passed away’ (Revelation 21:4, NKJV).

Bereavement supportDecember 2-7 2021 was designated Grief Awareness Week,2 whichraises awareness of the breadth of support provided in the UK forbereaved individuals. This year, the week’s focus and extensivematerials were provided by The Good Grief Trust (https://www.thegoodgrieftrust.org/), offering around 800 support services andsupport organisations, groups and services, which are tailoredinterventions for bereaved individuals across the UK.

The Mental Health Foundation3 highlights the following tips for griefsupport:• Contact a bereavement charity – for example, cruse.org.uk,

thelossfoundation.org, or winstonswish.org.• Feel the feelings – allow yourself space to contemplate what you

are experiencing.• There is no time limit to grief – each experience is personal.• Take care of your body – get adequate sleep

(https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/blog/ten-top-tips-good-sleep),maintain a healthy diet (https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/a-to-z/d/diet-and-mental-health), and keep exercising regularly(https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/publications/how-to-using-exercise)

• Give to others – acts of kindness can lift your emotions.• Do something that makes you feel good – hobbies are good

distractions.• Be honest with children (https://www.cruse.org.uk/get-

support/supporting-children-and-young-people/).

Additional help:• NHS advice and support: https://www.nhs.uk/mental-

health/feelings-symptoms-behaviours/feelings-and-symptoms/grief-bereavement-loss/

• Bereavement care support for children:https://www.childhoodbereavementnetwork.org.uk

• The British Union Conference Bereavement Care Ministry providesmaterials and resources for churches wishing to train bereavementcare befrienders (contact the Health Ministries Department on01923 672251).

Good health!

1https://www.mentalhelp.net/grief-and-bereavement/cultural-and-religious-spiritual-implications-of-grief/ 2https://www.thegoodgrieftrust.org/ 3https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/coronavirus/change-loss-and-bereavement

Grieving well

Earth and Soul 9by David Wright

‘There are crowds who trample a flower into the dustwithout thinking once that they have one of the sweetestthoughts of God under their heel.’J. G. Holland (1819-1881)

So was COP26 a success? Glasgowcertainly focused the world’s attention onthe urgency of tackling climate change.

The first large-scale multilateral gathering sincethe pandemic started drew 20,000 globalleaders and delegates from 200 countries, sawa massive mobilisation of business andfinance, and sparked protests from thousandsof activists. Expectations were high, but, a fewweeks on, reactions appear very mixed, withsome feeling optimistic and hopeful, andothers believing the outcomes were ‘not goodenough’. At least the world’s biggesteconomies and emitters – the USA and China– agreed to work on emissions together.

The key achievements were: 1. acommitment to net-zero targets from 153countries, covering 90% of world GDP andinvolving moving away from coal power,halting deforestation, and switching to electricvehicles; 2. eighty countries adopting nationalplans to be better prepared for more extreme

weather and rising seas; 3. progress towardsraising $100 trillion by 2023 to help poorer,more vulnerable countries to tackleenvironmental changes and reduce theirreliance on fossil fuels; 4. improvedcollaboration between governments,businesses, and civil society to deliver agreedgoals, especially carbon markets and emissionreductions.

Prior to Glasgow the planet was on coursefor a 4-6°C rise above pre-industrial levels.Now, if all pledges are kept, this has droppedto between 2.4° and 2.7°. As conferencepresident Alok Sharma admitted, ‘We havekept 1.5° alive . . . but its pulse is weak andwill only survive if we keep our promises.’1

Warming by 2.7°C would, incidentally, deliver‘unliveable heat’ across most of the tropicsand subtropics. Biodiversity would beenormously depleted, food security woulddrop, and extreme weather would exceed mosturban infrastructure’s capacity to cope. That’s

an area hosting more than half of the world’spopulation, two thirds of its children . . . and85% of the planet’s extreme poor.2

So what about us and our church? Is ittime, for example, for our denomination to: • commit to net-zero carbon emissions for alloperations by 2030? • switch to sustainablepower supplies for all our buildings? •undertake an ethical and green audit for allchurch investments and purchases? •incentivise pastors and administrators to usesustainable transport? • change how globalconferences and leadership events are done toreduce their carbon footprint? • halve thenumber of journeys needed for meetings?

Or, on a personal level, for us to: • do animmediate ‘home energy check’ and switch to green energy? • reduce all holiday andrecreational travel by at least 50%? • walk,cycle or use public transport at least twice aweek? • buy only local, seasonal produce forat least 50% of our meals? • undertake ahousehold chemical, synthetics, and plasticaudit to reduce usage by 75%? • turn ourthermostat down and wear warmer clothesindoors? • reduce all new purchases – suchas books, electricals, toys, clothes – by atleast 50% by buying second-hand or fromcharity shops? • calculate our householdcarbon footprint (using an online calculator) tohalve our personal impact within 10 years? 1COP26 website 2Reuters 8/11/21


Grateful recognition goes to the tech teamwho served faithfully, week after week, settingup the amp, mics and instruments, andtherefore blessing us in this special way. MANUELA MAI

was something of the NewTestament church in thesimplicity of our worship, theminimal set-up preparations,and, most of all, in the Christ-centred messages. And, just likethe early church, there was a realsense of joy at being together.

Each week we kept a closeeye on the weather forecast, andoccasionally the good Britishweather let us down. On oneparticular Sabbath the heavensopened just as the preacher waspraying the benediction. Youshould have seen the speed atwhich we ran to our cars – youngand old alike! But we were notdiscouraged. The following weekwe were outdoors again.

A combination of being in themidst of God’s nature, the joy ofbeing reunited, the freedom to worship insong, and the fellowship of believers made fora very special and precious summer which undoubtedly will be repeated in years tocome.

Parallel in the Park

The news that churches would be allowedto reopen for worship and fellowship wasmet with great excitement, but, in order

to ease ourselves in gently and safely, wedecided to be creative. That’s how theStanborough Park Church ‘Parallel in the Park’was born.

The plan was to trial a simple service underthe large old oak tree in the park, and see whatwould happen from there. This also meant wewould be able to sing in the safety of theoutdoors.

Those attending were encouraged to bringcamping chairs, picnic rugs, refreshments,and a picnic lunch for after-service fellowship.The service had a less formal feel, with thefocus on enjoying God’s presence, Hisblessings, and each other.

What started as a one-off test servicebecame the regular Sabbath format for 2021.We praised and worshipped, prayed with andfor each other, listened to fantastic sermons,and fellowshipped in the beauty of the parkgrounds. The children loved being togetheragain, free to enjoy the great outdoors. There


YOUTH MATTERS

passed through HampsteadPathfinder Club and wereinvested, having gained honoursin a wide range of areas, fromBible knowledge anddenominational history toastronomy, first aid, nature andswimming, as well as life skillssuch as gardening, woodworkand cookery.

One of Hampstead Church’sformer first elders, Ecroy Moore,recalls how, in around 1980,Basil Thompson, during histenure as Pathfinder leader,single-handedly trained over 15Pathfinders on the Master Guideprogramme. As Elder Mooredescribed, this was ‘anoutstanding achievement’, in

that a record number ofPathfinders became MasterGuides at one investiture.

Brother Thompson’sdaughter Sharon echoes inher own words: ‘We thankGod for the blessing of ourPathfinder club and for allwho continue to invest time,energy and the gifts God hasgiven them to enhance whatis arguably one of our mostvaluable of church ministries.’

Thank you, BrotherThompson. We salute you,and may your unselfishlegacy continue to inspireyoung people both in ourchurches and in ourcommunities. SHARON THOMPSON

The Basil Thompson legacyfrom someone that the Pathfinderclub has made a difference in thelife of their family member.

This is what excites me aboutthe role I fill, because I am partof that enormous and privilegedopportunity of making adifference in children’s lives thatlasts until adulthood, and untilthey breathe their last breath.

The late Basil Thompson wassuch a person who touchedchildren’s lives in his localchurch. Basil died on 5 February2021 at the age of 86.

In early 1971, HampsteadChurch members, Bro. and Sis.

Thompson, together with Bro. H.Lunan, Brothers E. & A. Mooreand Sisters P. Ruan & I. Weeks,became founding members of theHampstead Pathfinder Club(HPC), which they established inthat year, just a few short monthsafter the church was founded.

The Hampstead PathfinderClub initially enrolled around 25children. However, itsmembership very quickly morethan doubled in size, and theteam ran the club for well over25 years. The initial levels oftraining ran from Busy Beethrough to Companion,progressing up to Master Guidelevel in the ensuing years.

An estimated 100 children

Every now and then onereceives a surprise at theend of the telephone line or

in one’s inbox. It is lovely to hear


despite the fact that we are undeserving. The beauty about the Lord isthat His grace is freely given – there’s nothing we have to do to earn it,as we are already chosen. He just calls us to ‘declare the praises ofhim who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light’ (1 Peter2:9, NIV). The youth of Wolverhampton Central were hoping to capturethis message throughout the Divine Service.

After using their voices and instruments to uplift the name of Godduring praise and worship, Wolverhampton Central welcomed membersof the congregation to participate in an open testimony spot, wheremany were able to testify about the goodness of God. This time in theservice saw numerous individuals, youth and senior, share experiences,current battles, moments of gratitude and prayer requests. It was truly ablessing to see brothers and sisters of Christ coming together to listen,empathise and lean on each other. A viewer commented, ‘Each andevery testimony has enriched me,’ showing us how important it is forus to testify, as we can all learn and be encouraged by the experiencesof one another.

The Praise Morning ended with a word from Jabari Douglas, one ofWolverhampton Central’s young people. As well as sharing his personalexperiences and giving an insight into his personal walk with God,Jabari touched the hearts of the congregation and was able to give apowerful sermon grounded in Scripture. ‘Powerful and encouragingsermon and testimony, Jabari. If you could see heaven rejoicing rightnow!’ were the words of one of the viewers.

Wolverhampton Central would like to say thank you to all of thosewho took part; the day was truly a blessing. If you missed the service,don’t worry! You can watch the Praise Morning via YouTube onWolverhampton Central’s channel. Keep an eye out for another eventplanned by Wolverhampton Central’s young people, coming soon inDecember. In the meantime, please keep Wolverhampton Central inyour prayers, especially the young people; pray that they continue togrow in Christ and that they remain mouthpieces for God.ESTHER PUTZGRUBER

Wolverhampton Central Churchhosts ‘Praise Morning’ led by youthof the church

On Sabbath 18 September 2021, Wolverhampton Central Churchsaw its building full of individuals travelling from near and far tofellowship and worship together for their ‘Praise Morning’. Not

only was the building filled with worshippers, but the day proved to beequally filled with the Holy Spirit, when many were moved to tears andheartfelt testimony. Undoubtedly, with the COVID-19 pandemicprofoundly impacting us all, the need for encouragement and fellowship

became very apparent. Withthis in mind, a few of theyouth of the church beganplanning this event.

The day began at 10amwith an interactive SabbathSchool service centredaround the definition ofpraise, sparkingconversations around howwe praise, what our praiselooks like and if this isparallel to God’s definition.With over 1,000 peopletuning in on their YouTubelivestream, one individualshared their opinion on theSabbath School,commenting that it was‘good and reflective’. Manyadditionally engaged inconversations and interactedwith the Sabbath Schoollesson virtually, whichenabled an inclusive servicefor those who did not wantto attend in person. What aprivilege and a blessing it isto be able to utilise diverseplatforms to further God’s

work and spreadthe Word!

Nevertheless,the praise did notend there. Withthe SabbathSchool providingbut a taster of theday to come, theDivine Servicewas unique in thatit was strippedback to itssimplest form ofpure worship andtestimony. Ofcourse, worship isan essential partof our relationshipwith God. It’s atime when we areable to expressour gratitude, loveand awe to theOne who neverleaves us norforsakes us,


YOUTH MATTERS

As supplied, errors and omissions excepted


by our final trip to the village.Curtis Murphy led the agape

feast for the staff on Fridayevening, allowing time for them to relax in a candlelit environmentto reflect on the week and enjoythe peaceful blessings of God.

The committee would like toextend a big thank-you to all whoworked to make the camp asuccess – from the worshipteam, Colin Woodford and JoyceGilbert, the kitchen team, and allthe carers and campers, to SteveBull and his site team.

The biggest thank-you goesout to Joy for all her steadfastcommitment and passion forSpecial Needs Camp for over 40years, and to Colin, her husband,who has been a rock by her side.We will aim to continue to run thecamp in the blessed Spirit ofChrist for many more years tocome.

See you there in 2022!SNC COMMITTEE

road I go’. Richard Grey and histeam once again did an excellentjob in leading the music forworship. And, of course, thecamp choir were present, with‘Walking with Jesus’ as their main song.

Our usual daily camp activitiesreturned with an excellent array ofarts and crafts for the campersand carers to particpate in,provided by Alva Gallagher andCarolyn Schulz. Each morningthey produced amazing tasks,including T-shirt design, self-designed bottle lamps,individually designed coastersand more fun stuff that engagedeveryone’s creative skills.

The Lord blessed us withwarm, sunny weather during theweek, and this, of course, meanttrips to the village and beach inAberdaron for sandcastlecompetitions, postcard writingand, of course, some tasty WelshMaid ice cream, cakes and otherdelicious treats.

Once again, the sandcastlecompetition brought out thecompetitive side of both campersand carers, raising the bar forfuture camps. Two campers wonthis year’s competition, creating

their castle to include a moat,cannons, forts, and firm walls, all built by utilising the naturalresources found at the beach.

To comply with WelshGovernment rules on COVID-19,our day trip saw us visitingHarlech Castle and beach. On ourway back we stopped off atCriccieth to enjoy some local icecream from Cadwaladers by thesea front, thanks to the generosityof Cecilia Davidson. Followingthis we made our annualpilgrimage to the dodgems inPwllheli.

Thursday night was banquetand concert night, an eventenjoyed by all, with great foodserved to the tables, liveentertainment from all whoattended camp, and a specialvideo call from Joy and Colin totop it all off.

Friday saw our famous‘Olympic’ sports day take place,led this year by Whitney, followed

After a year and a half ofdisruption to travel andholidays due to COVID-19

restrictions, July 2021 saw thereturn of Special Needs Camp toAberdaron. While the camp wassmall due to restrictions and inaccordance with WelshGovernment guidelines, we wereable to welcome old and newfriends into the blessedexperiences of the Special NeedsCamp.

After decades of leading thedepartment, 2021 saw JoyBussey handing over leadershipto Volker Herkner and AndrewAgnew. Joy has been the keyfigure in the success of SNC overthe years, and it has been herguidance and mentorship that hasseen a smooth transition ofleadership in these uncertaintimes. This year also saw thereturn of our much-loved campmaster, Curtis Murphy.

The theme for the week,‘Count your blessings’, was thebasis for the camp worships eachday, led by the camp padresDavid Rancic and JeremyJohnson. The worship themesong, linking into the theme, was ‘One more step along the


ISSUES

2022. The consensusis to wait for betterdays. We are still inpandemic-induceduncertain times and donot want to put anyoneat risk.

The 2022 ADRAAppeal will focus onfundraising in ourchurches. We will be asking for personaldonations, using a new leaflet with anattached donation envelope. We will alsoemphasise the ADRA home tins – where ourmembers give the ADRA tins a good homeand can dispose of their small change duringthe year to support ADRA.

We are also encouraging our supporters toset up a direct debit with ADRA to help us planour work in the best way possible. Just £10 amonth, with Gift Aid applied, will give us ahealthy £150 a year.

We hope that 2022 will be a year to dogood: to celebrate our lives, remember ourblessings and give to help those that are inneed, both at home and overseas.

The 2022 ADRA Appeal runs from 26 March to 17 April. No door-to-door collections will take place.Every £1 raised will be matched 10 times (overseasprojects only).

We truly appreciate every pound that hasbeen donated to ADRA to help us in our work– especially during the time of the pandemic.

The pandemic is still affecting the worldaround us; and, even though, thanks tovaccinations, we can have some semblanceof normal life where churches can once againmeet, the idea of asking our members to goout and knock on doors to face the public andask for cash donations is still troubling.

Planning and organising the cash collectionis also very costly to us. It requires strictmanagement, bookkeeping, reporting, lots ofprocessing and auditing. Spending around£35,000 just to prepare the door-to-doorcollection against the background ofuncertainties surrounding the status of thepandemic does not seem logical. The questionthen is: to collect or not to collect in 2022?

We talked to many of our churchsupporters, our agents, pastors and boardmembers and explained the situation. Andtogether we have concluded that it is too soonto restart door-to-door collections again in

Autumn is the timewhen we at ADRAstart preparations for

the upcoming ADRA Appeal,which historically starts at the end of Marchevery year. For two years we were unable torun full appeals due to the pandemic, and ithas hit ADRA very hard financially. All ourfocus is therefore on 2022 and the hope ourfundraising will recover.

Many years ago, 100% of what was raisedduring ‘Ingathering’ came from door-to-doorcollections across the British Isles. Door-to-door collections have become morechallenging, however, and the focus hasshifted more towards personal donations andchurch fundraising events such as concerts,cake sales and auctions.

In 2019 just over 20% of what we raisedduring the ADRA Appeal came from peopleknocking on doors and collecting money. Theother 80% was generated in our churchesthrough personal donations and all kinds ofother fundraising activities.

ADRA

ADRA in 2022 – to collect or not to collect? That was the questionby Cathy Boldeau

Special Needs Camp 2021



A TIME TO LISTEN

My interest in this production dates back to amemory from the early 1970s. A conversationtook place between my dad and a church

member who’d arrived in the UK during the 1960sfrom Jamaica, worried that she would no longer bepermitted to stay unless she ‘got her papers sorted’.To the best of my memory, she did, along with manyothers of the Windrush generation. But some did notand continued living in the UK, thinking they had ‘leaveto remain’. Even though they were in receipt of aNational Insurance number, gainfully employed, andpaying income tax, the UK government in 2017‘erroneously classified thousands of legal residents asillegal immigrants after they arrived from Caribbeancountries between 1948 and 1971’.1

It took the work of The Guardian journalist AmeliaGentleman to uncover the scandal, which couldperhaps be easily dismissed as the liberal left jumpingon yet another bandwagon against the Britishestablishment. But in this case TheGuardian had a strange bedfellow– The Daily Mail – which quicklytook up the cause: evidenceenough that something was, andcontinues to be, seriously wrongto this day. Of the Windrusharrivals, it is estimated that 10,000were churchgoers, with up to3,500 attending Seventh-dayAdventist churches.2

Like the writer and director ofWindrush – The Betrayal, MarkGrey, ‘I can’t help but feel anaffinity with those hounded andharassed,’ whether Adventists ornot. Grey’s affinity as a Jamaicanstirred him to go beyondscreaming, ‘How can this happen, in Great Britain, in the twenty-firstcentury?’ by dramatising the story as a play.

With a cast of 14 players, Grey tells the story of Anthony Bryan,Paulette Wilson, Sylvester Marshall and Michael Braithwaite. The firstcommunication for each was a letter in the post, requesting they provetheir UK citizenship. If unable to do so, action would be taken quickly, asAmelia Gentleman records in her interview with Paulette Wilson:

‘I was dismayed. It appears that Paulette’s only crime was thatshe hadn’t filled in the correct form from the Home Office, andeven then it wasn’t entirely clear that she needed to fill in anyHome Office form at all, given she had been granted the right toremain as a child. For that non-offence she has been detainedtwice and held in a removal centre for seven days. . . .’3

It would be easy to misread this as a one-off, easy mistake to make.But, as Gentleman continues, ‘The Home Office mistakenly andneedlessly locked up a vulnerable woman, after subjecting her to years of torment . . . persisting in asserting that she was at fault.’4

What is it about this modern, Western, democratic nation state that itseems unable to provide, when necessary, safeguards to protect thevulnerable and the weak? Why can’t ‘the system’ have the ability torecognise when something is terribly wrong about its adjudication? It

would be easy to suggest ‘administrativeincompetence’ or ‘bureaucratic bungling’, but theHome Office does not operate in a vacuum. AsGentleman points out in her book, and Grey vividlyportrayed in the play, this injustice took placeduring a time ‘when rhetoric on immigration hadbeen steadily hardening for a decade; thesepeople were viewed by officials as collateraldamage. In its haste to implement measureswhich it hoped would cut stubbornly high netmigration figures, the government reclassified alarge, wholly legal cohort of long-term residentsas illegal immigrants.’5

As Grey tells the story of the victims, it’s clearhis play also tells a story about the state: and,through his eyes, a state without a heart. Easytargets are the right-wing politicians of the time.But also portrayed are detention centre‘custodians’, seeming to lack any sense ofhumanity about those in their care.

Supported by the Arts Council, The Betrayalwas performed at the The Union Theatre in the Old Union Arches, near Borough, London. Excellentacting for an intimate audience, followed by a Q & A session, brought home to this observer the power of the story. Did Grey’s play have aparticularly overt Christian message? Not one thatwas visible, and perhaps I would have liked to seehow the faith of the victims kept them going whentheir world was turned dramatically upside down.

But what I do know is this. To this day, of the 15,000 people whowere expected to qualify as a result of the Windrush scandal, only 864received compensation for the trouble caused by the Home Office. Tocompound trouble on trouble, the Home Affairs Select Committeerecently reported that ‘the design and operation of the scheme tocompensate those affected’ contained the same bureaucraticinsensitivities that led to the Windrush scandal in the first place.’6

Will we ever learn?

‘He has shown you, O man, what is good;And what does the LORD require of youBut to do justly,To love mercy,And to walk humbly with your God?’7

That’s why I continue to be interested in this story, and thank Mark Greyfor his commitment to telling it over and over again.

1https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/nov/24/windrush-home-office-has-compensated-just-5-of-victims-in-four-years 2A Century of Adventism in the British Isles, chapter 13, p. 41 3The Windrush Betrayal, p. 39 4The Windrush Betrayal, p. 40 5The Windrush Betrayal, p. 406https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/nov/24/windrush-home-office-has-compensated-just-5-of-victims-in-four-years 7Micah 6:8, NKJV

The BetrayalA play by Mark Grey

reviewed by David Neal

Anthony Bryan, played by Joseph Quartson

Guardian journalist Amelia Gentleman, played by Michelle Heffer

Paulette Wilson, played by Misie Goode


Here is a small sample of the points shared during the week:‘We know’, but, surprisingly, regardless of all the head knowledge

that we have of all the Scriptures, we still allow ourselves to becomethe most miserable of all people, simply because we focus on the hereand now at the expense of eternal realities.

The sad reality is that we underplay the love of God. If Christ’ssacrifice isn’t love, then what is our definition of love? A graphic imagewas painted of Christ’s sacrifice and of our foolishness in not taking thegift bought at such a cost. The price has been paid; the gift is ready forus to collect. Let us embrace that love and enjoy it.

Do you know that giants like Samson, Sisera, the disciples andmany others lost their battles because they were sleeping in the wrongplaces? Unfortunately, the church members have fallen asleep inchurch.

Aren’t we glad that God does not answer some of prayers the waywe say them? Think of Elijah’s prayer, requesting to die, when he wasactually running away from Jezebel’s death threats. The question is,how much trouble can you take? Life leaves us with scars, not only onour bodies, but also on our minds. The truth of the matter is that Godhas a plan and a purpose for our lives.

Sabbath was the high day in Zion, and again a question was posedto the church. Why die foolish? ‘Don’t maximise the minimum andminimise the maximum.’

No revival would be complete without a baptism, and so four newmembers were added to the church. The Mudhai brothers sealed theirdecision to follow Christ by going through the waters of baptism: firstlyelder brother Alex, then the twins, Fares and Fraser. Sister FaithNatayani Siluma took the bold stand and followed the boys into thewaters of baptism. DR PATRICK HERBERT

Coventry Central‘Living in toughtimes’ revival

No pen can capture in full the‘Living in tough times’ revivalseries which took place at the

recently refurbished CoventryCentral church building from 23 to 30 October, and so I wouldencourage each reader to visit the Coventry Central website for all therecordings. The last half-term of 2021 saw not less than 40 adults andchildren in the Coventry district of churches and the wider communityconverge at their church every night at 7pm. There was also anopportunity to watch the series via Zoom and YouTube.

However, the highlight of every night was the exclusive opportunityfor every child in attendance at church, including those from thecommunity, to participate in the ‘Living in tough times undisputedchampion quiz’. The beauty of this quiz was that no child left the stageempty-handed. Those who did not make it to the final round receivedthe much-envied Coventry Central limited-edition pen, and thisreminded me of the parable of the workers in the vineyard (Matthew20:1-16). Gloria Majaya was crowned ‘Living in tough times champion’four times in the week, and Vincent Chikopa was crowned twice.

The grand finale was on Friday evening, when Nathan Henry camefrom behind to win the ‘Living in tough times outright championship’title.

A very special presentation was made by one of our highly regardedelders, Elder Blake, to recognise the efforts of Gloria and Vincent, whoeach received a special-edition Bible with 850 features, but may I bequick to point out that each child will receive a special present shortly.

Night after night Dr Patrick Herbert expounded from the Scriptures,beginning at Revelation 5:1-14, under the title ‘Stop your crying’. Heoffered comfort to a people and community who have lost their jobs,health, loved ones, families, and the list goes on. The message ofencouragement that was first given to the old incarcerated disciple onthe island of Patmos was re-echoed to the people of Coventry andbeyond during the revival. The truth of the matter is that everythinghappening around us calls for us to cry, but God is telling us to stop ourcrying. There is a solution to all our problems.


NEW LIFE IN CHRIST

Even more baptisms at ManchesterSouthern Asia SDA Church

You may have read of our baptism on 12 June 2021 in the Augustedition of MESSENGER. This baptism of Abigail and Sanjana was thefirst since lockdown, and during the service 12 children responded

to the call to commitment.Five of those children gave their lives in baptism on 31 July –

Abhisha Morapudi, Akshay Kandulna, Aurelius Kisku, Joshua Morapudiand Nathan Daniel. At the altar call of this service, 32 more childrencommitted to baptism and have started Bible studies.

At our third baptism on 21 August Priyanka Balakrishnan and AarthiAnumanthan gave their lives to the Lord.

The families, friends and the church members were rejoicing alongwith the angels in heaven at their baptism, conducted by PastorEbenezer Daniel.

The Manchester Southern Asia church gives God thanks for the livesof all these young people: three baptisms in three months, winning ninesouls for the kingdom of heaven. We also thank Pastor BlondelCampbell, our church pastor, for his pastoral support, and the membersof Manchester South Church for their help.DIAMOND SATHE, COMMUNICATION

Children participating in the quiz with Pastor Herbert

Baptised – the Mudhai brothers and FaithNatayani Siluma

Champions: Vincent and Gloria


sanctuary, shesang ‘The Powerof the Cross’ withpiano accompaniment.

Kinga was welcomed into the fellowship of the Grantham church byPastor Kyriacou and his wife, and presentations were made, with aspecial one from Pastor Csokasi Sr!

We wish continued blessings as Kinga and her family meet with thechurch in Grantham.MIKE COWEN

Baptism at Grantham –30 October 2021

Although Grantham Church has beenopen for worship for a few weeksfollowing the lifting of COVID-19

restrictions, with less than the usual membersattending, 30 October was a special day ofcelebration, with the annual harvest displayand a baptism.

Kinga Csoka-Kocsis, originally fromHungary, had decided to follow Christ and be baptised into the Adventist Church.

However, it was to be an occasion with adifference, as the pastor who immersed Kingawas her husband’s grandfather, Pastor Paul Csokasi Sr, who hadtravelled with family members from Hungary.

Prior to the sermon, given by Grantham’s resident minister, PastorSolon Kyriacou, Pastor Paul Csokasi recited a poem in Hungarian, thecongregation having been given a written translation in English.

Pastor Csokasi Jr sang at the piano the hymn ’O Happy Day’, withthe congregation joining in the chorus.

A special prayer in Hungarian was said for Kinga, with an Englishtranslator.

After the immersion had taken place and Kinga had returned to the


NEW LIFE IN CHRIST

Pastor Paul Csokasi Sr with Kinga Csoka-Kocsis and Pastor Solon Kyriacou looking on

Pastor Paul Csokasi Sr baptises Kinga Csoka-Kocsis

Doncaster SDA Church rejoices inthe temple of God for twenty years

On Sabbath 16 October 2021 a celebration service was held tomark the twentieth anniversary of the founding of Doncaster SDAChurch under the theme, ‘Let us rejoice in the temple of God’. The

celebration provided an excellent opportunity for members to take stockof God’s providence over the years, as the church, which was foundedby a few dedicated members in 2001, has now grown to a membershipjust shy of a century. The service was held within the confines of thecurrent restrictions due to the effects of the worldwide coronaviruspandemic.

The day was made even more special by theguests, the Lord Mayor of Doncaster, CouncillorAllan Jones, and his wife, Mayoress Liz. Among thechurch leaders present were the President of theBritish Union Conference, Pastor Ian Sweeney, whowas the main speaker for the Divine Service;President of the North England Conference, PastorGeorge Kumi, who led the afternoon programme;and former president of the North EnglandConference, Pastor Richard Jackson, whose longassociation with the church dates from his previoustime in the district.

The weather played its part with bursts ofsunshine, which allowed the Doncaster Pathfindersto open the main service with a march into thechurch during the raising of the Pathfinder flagceremony. A special recording of messages fromprevious ministers who have served the Doncaster

church shared a common theme of a church moving forwards by faithfrom its humble beginnings in Bentley. One of the former ministers,Pastor Victor Marshall, joined our livestream service from sunnyBarbados, to the envy of the congregation.

The Lord Mayor Allan praised the work of the early church pioneersin Doncaster, such as Mr Oliver Brown, whose vision led to the buyingof the land where the current church building exists; Mrs Zilpah Hadden,who was Doncaster’s first elder; the late Elder Zechariah Campbell, whoprovided spiritual support from Sheffield Burngreave Church; and thelate Mrs Dorothy Osborne, to name but a few. In his sermon to mark theoccasion, Pastor Sweeney reminded the congregation of the words ofDavid in Psalm 137:4: ‘How shall we sing the LORD’S song in a foreignland?’ (ESV.)

The guests were served a delicious vegetarian fellowship lunch,complimented by the Mayoress Liz, who shared the fact that she wasalso a vegetarian. Her testimony provided a springboard for witness withour Adventist health message.

The afternoon of praise in song and testimony was a time ofreflection for those in attendance, contemplating what the future holdsfor the church in South Yorkshire. God had blessed this special daythrough His word, music and food, and demonstrated that we can reachpeople through every avenue. Let us continue to rejoice in the temple ofour God (Psalm 122:1).ELDER MANDELA THYOKA & PASTOR CARLTON DOUGLAS

Left to right: Pathfinder Area Coordinator Elisha Muringani, Khaya Mkwananzi, MayoressLiz Jones, Lord Mayor Councillor Allan Jones, Denzel Mbano and Christian Mbano, withTawonga Thyoka and Sasha Ncube standing at the front

Left to right: Elder Elisha Muringani, Elder Letitia Muringani, Pastor George Kumi, Mayoress Liz Jones, Lord MayorCouncillor Allan Jones, Pastor Ian Sweeney, Pastor Richard Jackson and Pastor Carlton Douglas


West Bletchley SDA Community Church –making disciples, building communities

At the end of October, Milton Keynes held their CommunityChampion Award ceremony to recognise individuals’ commitmentto assisting and supporting those in need.

Many nominations were made, and even more votes were cast andcounted to result in our own Dr Robbie Osei Addaih being named forthe award. He was nominated for legal services given free of chargeand signposting to various local services regarding immigration mattersin particular. When sharing news of the award with the church family,Elder Robbie expressed his thanks to the members for their votes, andto God for using him to do something special for Him in the communityin making disciples and building communities. SYLVONIE NOEL


NEWS

Four baptisms in Gloucester

On Sabbath 23 October Gloucester Seventh-day Adventist Churchconcluded its two-week outreach campaign, which saw fourindividuals give their lives to Jesus.

Elder John Stephenson of the NEC was the speaker throughout, andspoke on topics including the state of the dead, the mark of the beastand the Sabbath/Sunday question. Elder Stephenson used to live inGloucester and was baptised in the Gloucester church before moving toBirmingham, where he now lives.

The theme of the campaign was ‘Final boarding call: don’t miss yourflight’, and John spoke powerfully each night on the messages in theBible that were needed to ensure we complete our journey to theKingdom.

The campaign had been preceded by extensive promotions, and onthe first Sabbath of each month, for a year, street witnessing in thecentre of Gloucester had taken place with leaflet and book distribution.From the beginning of this year the Salisbury SDA church had provided

Dr Robbie Addaih on the right reproduced with permission

Left to right: Ian Smith, Elder John Stephenson (speaker), Elder Julian Cranfield, PastorTremon Jackson, Elder Errol Westcarr, unknown, with Taniela Taraivosa Tuicatku andCarolyn Stephenson standing in front

Anita Connaghan, Ruth Farrer and Dorothy Logan enjoy a break in the arts and crafts shop

Feeding the hungry

The 30 October Crieff harvest festival this year had no wonderfuldisplay of flowers and bright fruit, because the produce, destinedfor the Crieff foodbank, had to be non-perishable. With more than

300 items of food, the display did look impressive! Sadly, the need forfoodbanks is growing.

It was not the first time this year Crieff members have responded tothe needs of the hungry. The daughter of Pastor and Mrs Riches(Melanie) works for the Church in Lebanon. She has been appalled atthe suffering of the local population caused by the huge blast in 2020,years of corrupt government, and the coronavirus. Inflation is huge, andthere is a shortage of fuel, food and basic necessities such asmedicines and even baby nappies. Inflation has caused 40 litres ofpetrol to rise from £16 to £191. Water costs have risen 400%. Manypeople are near to starvation. So from their own salary Melanie and herhusband, Mike, have been trying to help as many families as possible.

Overwhelmed by the number of people calling for help, Melanie setup a charity called ‘Lavishing Love on Lebanon’. It started by feedingand helping twenty-five families composed of more than 800 people.The response from friends and Crieff members has been wonderful,who so far have given about £18,000.

While Melanie was visiting her parents recently she updated theCrieff members on her work. Eight-five-year-old Dorothy Logan was soimpressed by the work that she was stirred to help. An artist and asculptor, she decided to organise a pop-up arts and crafts shop to sellher paintings and sculptures. Crieff Church is also blessed with severaltalented artists, so Dorothy asked them to donate some of theirpaintings and sculptures. Other items were also given, and the shopopened on 8 November and at the time of writing has taken over £700.

Crieff members started their humanitarian work in earnest in 2005.Impressed by the ‘Make Poverty History’ movement, Dr Steve Loganasked the church board if Crieff could do something, and CAP (CrieffAid Project) was born with the intention of helping needy causes athome and abroad. Since then, the church and members have givenabout £250,000 and helped the Perth Women’s Aid Charity and theCrieff Logos (which is a Christian centre for young people). Abroad, ithas sent money to an Adventist hospital in Africa, which feeds AIDSorphan victims; it has helped dig wells to provide pure water forcommunities; it has helped rescue vulnerable girls and women in thePhilippines; and much else besides.

Being involved in humanitarian work is a constant blessing tomembers. They remember the words of Jesus when He said that whenthey help the needy, they are actually helping Him.PASTOR BOB RODD

a team that joined us in this outreach effort on each of the Sabbaths,and they made a huge contribution to the campaign’s success.

During one of his appeals, John’s wife Carolyn recommitted her lifeto Jesus, and she, along with husband and wife couple Taniela andTaraivosa Tuicatku, and Ian Smith, were baptised by Pastor TremonJackson on a joyful Sabbath afternoon.

In his closing address Pastor Jackson emphasised the nearness ofthe Second Coming of Jesus, and the importance for all to ensure theydid not miss the ‘final call’. Pastor Jackson expressed his appreciationand thanks to all concerned in the running of the campaign, and to JohnStephenson for his commitment and powerful preaching. COMMUNICATIONS DEPT


ever do is figuring out what wewant and mustering the courageto ask God for it. Before healingblind Bartimaeus, Jesus askedhim a seemingly unnecessaryquestion: ‘What do you want meto do for you?’ (Mark 10:51, NIV.)If Jesus were to ask you thesame today, what would youanswer?

I think that, rather thancovering our lack of self-awareness with fake humility,Jesus wants us to know and own our needs and dreams. This means untangling ourselves from other people’sexpectations. It means stillingourselves long enough to breatheand hear our own thoughts. And it means taking risks andmaking mistakes – all of whichfeels very uncomfortable andimpossible to control! But it is through this messy and risky path that our hearts, fully alive, can bring greater glory to God.

write a 365-day devotional?

VP: Longer than you think! Istarted writing the book in Marchof 2019, but I would never havefinished on time if the COVID-19pandemic and other crises hadn’tforced me to stop. In July 2021 Isuddenly found myself without ajob and was glad to have aproject to focus my attention on. Iam not sure I would have copedwith all those months ofuncertainty and anxiety withoutthat. Now, in retrospect, I can seehow God redeemed that seasonof my life.

DN: That’s a brillianttransformation!

VP: Absolutely! But God upcycledthat season of my life withoutignoring, invalidating or shamingmy emotions. And this issomething I talk about in the book– the importance of reclaimingthe language of lament. There aremore lament psalms in the Biblethan praise psalms! Nobodyconsidered prophet Jeremiah orprophet Habakkuk less spiritualbecause of their prayers oflament. We need to make roomfor these kinds of emotionallyauthentic prayers. It is actuallythrough these uncomfortable andraw prayers that much healingcan take place.

DN: What is the one lesson youlearnt in the process?

VP: To dream big, really big!Sometimes we ask God for adream size ‘S’ and He goes, ‘No,darling. You need an “XL” so youcan grow into it.’ When I startedwriting this book, I thought, Itwould be super cool if my bookgot published throughout SouthAmerica. I figured that was alarge enough dream! But Godhanded me an ‘XL’. My book gottranslated into English andFrench, and it’s available in North,

South and Central America, theCaribbean islands, and also inEurope. Dreaming small is notbeing humble; it’s allowing fear tohold you back. Dream BIG; youcannot out-dream God. Youcannot ask too much from theAlmighty.

DN: So there is such a thing as‘holy ambition’?

VP: Absolutely! One of the mostprofoundly spiritual things we will

David Neal: What led you to writea devotional book for women?

Vanesa Pizzuto: I wanted to writea book that talked about who weare, not just what we do. Oftenarticles and books for womenfocus too heavily on our roles aswives, mothers or professionals.In my experience, however, thiscan fuel performance anxiety andinsecurity. But what if we hadnothing to prove? How would we live if our relationship status,our parenting skills or ourprofessional accomplishmentswere not the barometer of ourworth as women? No Fears, NoChains is an invitation to live froma place of emotional abundance,reclaiming our identity aslegitimate and deeply loveddaughters of God.

DN: What are some of the chainsthat hold women back?

VP: There are a thousanddifferent things that could hold usback, but I think it all boils downto identity. One of the best tricksof the enemy is to whisper in ourears, ‘You are adopted, and if youdon’t behave you will be sentback to the orphanage.’ When weaccept this false identity, whenwe travel through life with thisfake passport, our emotionalenergy is wasted trying to proveour worth and to win the approvalof others. Living like this is notonly completely exhausting, but it also makes us look at otherwomen with suspicion andresentment. If we are to ‘earn’ our worth, other women areopponents, not our allies.

The truth is that there isnothing to prove. The verdict hasalready been issued: we areGod’s beloved daughters! Godinvites us to the messy journey ofhealing to set us free from falseand limiting beliefs.

DN: How long does it take to

BOOK REVIEW


No fears, no chains An interview with Vanesa PizzutoVanesa Pizzuto is a freelance journalist and broadcaster based in St. Albans. Herlatest book, No Fears, No Chains, is a daily devotional for women seeking to livewith freedom and emotional abundance. In an interview with the editor, Vanesashares her writing journey and why dreaming big is the best way to honour God.

No Fears, No Chains is distributed in Europe by TheStanborough Press Ltd. and can be purchased at:

https://lifesourcebookshop.co.uk/product/no-fears-no-chains-devotional-thoughts-for-women/


https://lifesourcebookshop.co.uk/product/no-fears-no-chains-devotional-thoughts-for-women/

• British churches and mosques have launched ‘a new programmeof local conversations’, according to The Baptist Times. Theannouncement of the scheme coincided with Inter-Faith Week 2021,which took place from 14 to 21 November this year, and it involves agroup of church denominations and mosques in a new phase ofdialogue ‘aimed at encouraging Christians and Muslims to meet andshare conversations in their local settings . . . at a place of worship orover a shared meal’. Last year, a digital pilot brought mosque andchurch congregations together over Zoom for a series of onlineconversations, including Baptists, the United Reformed Church andthe Salvation Army. Practical outcomes included churches andmosques partnering to offer food and furniture to refugees andasylum seekers in Darwen, Lancashire.

• Hundreds of people have been baptised in the Philippines followinga free clinic and evangelism. The Adventist Review and DelsieVicente and Memerto M. Guingguing II of the Southern Asia-PacificDivision write that the evangelism faced many setbacks, includingvisa rejections and the Adventist Medical Evangelism Network USAbeing unable to attend; however, a medical team was able to servehundreds of people a day, providing them with dental care, minorsurgery, optometry and general check-ups. Organisers said, ‘Nowords can describe how fulfilling it is to be . . . channels of blessings,healing, and compassion of our Maker towards all people.’

‘At a glance . . .’ provides a roundup of news in a regular column forMESSENGER, keeping our readers informed of events in other Christiandenominations in the UK and Ireland, as well as the wider AdventistChurch across the globe.ANDREW PUCKERING

At a glance . . .• Young Adventists from Honiara in the Solomon Islands have been

helping clear up the mess following civil unrest in their country,according to Jarrod Stackelroth of the Adventist Record. Operatingunder the slogan, ‘Hands and feet of Jesus’, the youth groups cleanedup the main road into Honiara from the airport. The violence hadbegun when a protest march on 24 November turned into violentlooting and arson, much of it in Chinatown, with at least three deathsreported and a 36-hour curfew imposed by the authorities. ADRASolomon Islands has also been assisting the youths by supplyingwater.

• The Inter-American Division recently hosted an online symposiumon ‘Freedom of Conscience and the Vaccine Mandate’, featuringseveral different Seventh-day Adventist experts, including a professorfrom the University of Harvard. Professor David R. Williams, Florenceand Laura Norman Professor of Public Health Chair at HarvardUniversity and General Conference Health Ministries AssociateDirector, discussed ‘the role of science, if any, in a Christ-centredhealth ministry’. Using the raising of Lazarus as an example,Professor Williams showed the vital role that both prayer and humancooperation play in healing. Agreeing with Adventist Church HealthMinistries Director Peter Landless, ‘Williams said we must onlypromote practices consistent with Scriptures, supported by the Spiritof Prophecy, and based on sound (evidence-based) science,’ saysMarcos Paseggi of Inter-American Division News. Paseggi continues,‘It is against this background that the Seventh-day Adventist Churchhas encouraged responsible immunisation.’ To see more, visit:interamerica.org/2021/11/Harvard-university-adventist-professor-explains-why-vaccination-is-a-good-idea/.

NATHAN’S PONDERINGS

My son is studying urban design. I’mproud of him; he has shown me hiswork recently, and I am curious of his

work and study, as it resonates well with mypast interests, work, and study; albeit mine

has been in furniture making and building design, whereas his is on abigger geographic scale. Now, to reference a previous area of study ofmine – outdoor education – I have a bias for natural life, so it’s nosurprise to me that I find myself interested in reading about urbangreening.

According the World Health Organisation (WHO), ‘Currently, there isno universally accepted definition of urban green space with regard toits health and well being impacts. Urban green spaces may includeplaces with “natural surfaces” or “natural settings”, but may alsoinclude specific types of urban greenery, such as street trees, and mayalso include “blue space”, which represents water elements rangingfrom ponds to coastal zones.’1

I find it interesting that, as the world becomes increasingly urban,there is a realisation of the need for nature and its health benefitsamong those who populate these metropolises. While the WHO doesnot consider the ‘evil influences’ of urban living, it recognises thathumans need nature for health and healing.

While this greening is new to the emergence of urban design,increasingly backed up by health and well-being research, Ellen Whitewrote about the benefits of nature more than a century before.

‘Instead of dwelling where only the works of men can be seen,where the sights and sounds frequently suggest thoughts of evil, whereturmoil and confusion bring weariness and disquietude, go where youcan look upon the works of God. Find rest of spirit in the beauty andquietude and peace of nature. Let the eye rest on the green fields, thegroves, and the hills. Look up to the blue sky, unobscured by the city’s

dust and smoke, and breathe the invigorating airof heaven. Go where, apart from the distractionsand dissipations of city life, you can give yourchildren your companionship, where you canteach them to learn of God through His works,and train them for lives of integrity andusefulness’ (The Ministry of Healing, p. 367).

On a family level Ellen White went beyondsuggesting we should make our homes where nature could be seen.She wrote such things as the following: ‘The time has come, when, asGod opens the way, families should move out of the cities. The childrenshould be taken into the country. The parents should get as suitable aplace as their means will allow. Though the dwelling may be small, yetthere should be land in connection with it that may be cultivated’(manuscript 50, 1903). ‘Parents can secure small homes in thecountry, with land for cultivation . . . on such places the children will notbe surrounded with the corrupting influences of city life. God will helpHis people to find such homes outside of the cities’ (Medical Ministry,p. 310). ‘Let no temporal advantages tempt parents to neglect thetraining of their children. Whenever possible, it is the duty of parents tomake homes in the country for their children. The children and youthshould be carefully guarded. They should be kept away from thehotbeds of iniquity that are to be found in our cities. Let them besurrounded by the influences of a true Christian home – a home whereChrist abides’ (letter 268, 1906).

It seems to me that Ellen White emphasises two outcomes forfamilies who experience country living. Firstly, being in nature andworking the land is good for our health and focuses our spiritualattention on God. Secondly, we are therefore gainfully employed inhaving dominion over the land, a purpose of God for us since thegarden of Eden, while not having the ease of access to evil or idletemptation.

In part 2, I ponder about a reality – Stanborough Park and NewboldCollege when first purchased were in open country, but are nowsurrounded by urban sprawl. Does this have an impact on our mission?

1https://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/321971/Urban-green-spaces-and-health-review-evidence.pdf

Are outposts stillrelevant? (Part 1)



platform. In other words, first came a verydistinct message, and only after that couldthey spread that message.

The second stage of Adventist mission(1850-1874) restricted itself to NorthAmerica. This was also a necessary step inthe progression of Adventist mission. Thoseyears allowed for the development of a powerbase in North America that could eventuallysupport a foreign missions project.

We might think of the third stage (1874-1889) as mission to the Christian nations.Thus Seventh-day Adventists sent their firstofficial denominational missionary to

It must be confessed that the Seventh-dayAdventist Church did not begin as amission-oriented people. To the contrary,

their earliest years found them as what wemight call the anti-mission people.

Between 1844 and 1850, holding to theshut-door theology, they felt no burden topreach to any but those who had been in theMillerite movement of the 1840s.

‘Shortsighted!’ you might say. Yes, but anessential stage in the development ofAdventism. This period of Adventist mission(1844-1850) freed up scarce resources frompotential missions to build a doctrinal

LEST WE FORGET

Adventist missionexplosion by Dr George Knight

Then I saw another angel flying high in the air, with an eternal message ofGood News to announce to the peoples of the earth, to every race, tribe,language, and nation. Revelation 14:6, GNB.

Switzerland to call people out of Babylon. And,even when they went to such places asAustralia or South Africa, the Adventistsalways began their work among the Christiansof those nations. Limited as it was, the thirdstage functioned to establish additional powerbases among the various Christianpopulations scattered around the world. As aresult, those nations were prepared to act ashome bases for the sending of missionaries atthe beginning of the fourth stage of Adventistmissions, which began in 1890. We mightregard that stage as mission to the world –not just to Christian populations around theearth, but to all peoples.

Step by step, without anyone beingconscious of what was taking place in theoverall development of Adventist missions,God positioned the Seventh-day AdventistChurch where it could take advantage of theProtestant mission explosion that detonated inthe last years of the nineteenth century.

God leads, even when we aren’t aware of it.

This article is an excerpt from Lest We Forget by George R.Knight (published by Review and Herald), reprinted here withpermission from the author and the publisher. You canpurchase the devotional from the LifeSource website:https://lifesourcebookshop.co.uk.

Re: leadershipDear Editor, In your article in MESSENGER no. 7 entitled‘Let’s talk about leadership’, you askedfor thoughts on this subject, and I’d like toshare my thoughts on this aspect:

‘Leadership is the capacity to care; and, in caring, to liberate the ideas, energy and capacityof others.’ I’d like to focus on the aspect of ‘liberating the ideas, energy and capacity ofothers’.

In the twenty-first century you can no longer dictate to people how they should/mustthink or act. You have to allow for diverse views and ideas and find ways to channel them.

I believe we have a completely wrong understanding of what leadership is about. Toooften we see leaders as ‘out front’, directing things and implementing their plans, telling ‘thetroops’ what they need to do.

Effective leadership is about listening to all the opinions, trying to understand theconcerns people have and not mandating your opinion. Good leaders are open and willingto admit their mistakes and are willing to change if necessary. They do not have anautomatic right to ‘be right’. It should never be ‘my way or the highway’. Leaders shouldnever use their positions in an organisation to bulldoze things through or bully others intoaccepting their views.

In my working life the best leaders have always tried to listen to and understand theconcerns of all those working for them. This approach leads to people being motivated andfeeling empowered, without being continually pressured to perform.

In other cultures, particularly in Japan, leadership is by consensus, where a proposedissue is thoroughly and openly debated throughout the whole organisation until there isagreement on it. The emphasis is not on the answer to the question, but defining what thequestion is. And only then is a decision made.

Leaders are stewards of the group, whether it is at a church congregation level or at theGeneral Conference. Peter Block defines stewardship as ‘holding in trust for another . . . asthe willingness to be accountable for the well-being of the larger organisation by operatingin service, rather than control of those around us. Stated simply, it is accountability withoutcontrol or compliance.’1

True leaders, then, are those who listen, who are prepared to change and work byconsensus, allowing the creative ideas of others to develop, even if it is not necessarily theway they would have chosen. RAY MORRIS, ELDER, YSTRAD MYNACH

1Stewardship – Choosing Service Over Self-interest by Peter Block, Berrett-Koehler, 2013

Letter to the Editor


In Loving MemoryOver the past few weeks, we have becomeaware of the many members who have passedto their rest. We mourn with their families asthey await the Resurrection.

Pastor John ArthurJoy Beardsell

Les DeanBarry Gowland

Volney Ham-YingCandice HarewoodGayle Harewood

Kathi HyattMargaret LoweDr John Rees

Anthony Dennis SamuelPastor Ron Surridge

Maranatha



OBITUARIES

to the committee a matter of onlya few months before his passing.

Thus it was on Tuesday 9November 2021 at StanboroughPark Church that his family werejoined by so many friends andchurch members tocommemorate the life of thismodest Christian gentleman andbeloved family man. Welcomedby the resident pastor, Geert Tap,the theme of ‘Hope’ wasimmediately introduced. Thefavourite psalm of Jean and Peterwas then read by AudreyAndersson, Executive Secretaryof the TED and family friend: ‘I liftup my eyes to the hills . . .’(Psalm 121, ESV), a favouriteJean and Peter would recite toeach other as they walked theLakeland Fells or climbed theMalvern Hills – their specialplaces.

In the life sketch whichfollowed, Paul Bellamy, a familyfriend, quoted the words of PastorDon Lowe, who had been theSEC President during Peter’s termof office. ‘Peter was a loyal,honest and straightforwardcolleague; there were no secrets;he was an absolute pleasure towork with, and through ourservice together we became firmfriends.’

There followed tributes fromgrandson Oliver and his cousin,Aidan, who recalled many happytimes spent with their grandad.With great fondness they sharedmemories of their loving,humorous and playfulgrandparent. Pastor JamesHuzzey then reiterated Peter’squalities, speaking from personalexperience from their timetogether at the TED. His messageto Jean and the family and to allpresent was the precious hopewe have in Jesus that, despite theimmediate loss and sadness,there is hope in the resurrectionand promises of Jesus. As Peterrecorded in the notes that heprepared, speaking of his Saviour,‘He is faithful.’

The service was also greatlyenhanced by the musicperformed by the Ahn sisters andthe guest organist, MichaelCayton, the conductor of theWatford Philharmonic Orchestra.The love of music shared by Jeanand Peter was clearlydemonstrated by the choice ofhymns and music played duringthe service, including Elgar’s‘Nimrod’, ‘Amazing Grace’, withBach and ‘The Lord bless you

walk and climb in the mountain,forest and lake scenery near hercountry home.

Wendy was diagnosed withpancreatic cancer in June 2020,enduring regular treatments andan invasive surgical operationwith courage and fortitude. Shecontinued to teach, meet withothers and serve her familylovingly, despite constantsuffering. Her faith remainedstrong and she declared to herpastor, ‘I know that my Redeemerlives!’ Her favourite song became‘Through it all, I’ve learned totrust in Jesus/depend upon Hislove’.

A fortnight before she passedaway, she experienced the joy ofattending her daughter Christina’swedding. Wendy was laid to restin the same beautiful dress shewore then, and we look forwardto seeing her next time, restoredand clothed in her Saviour’s robeof righteousness at the MarriageSupper of the Lamb!HELEN HIRVONEN

Peter Hinks (1931-2021) d. 12 October.Peter graduatedfrom NewboldMissionary Collegein May 1962 andjoined GranoseFoods Limited, based at that timeon Stanborough Park. He wasoffice manager, and thuscommenced forty loyal years ofcontinuous service, in a variety ofroles, for the Church that heloved, its membership and, aboveall, his ultimate overseer, hisheavenly Father.

Born in Birmingham during thetime of the Great Depression,Peter left school at the age offourteen and securedemployment working for agrocery store, where he remaineduntil called up to complete hisNational Service. Drafted into theRoyal Air Force, Peter served inthe Catering Corps for theduration of his two years’ service.Returning to civilian life, hesecured the post of storemanager for a George Masongrocery store in Birmingham.

Prompted by the Holy Spirit,Peter began searching forspiritual assurance. Invited toattend an evangelistic campaignheld in Birmingham’s TheatreRoyal, led by Pastor KennethLacey, he found Jesus and, inPeter’s own words, was ‘born

again’. On 21 July 1956 Petergave his heart to Jesus and wasbaptised alongside 56 othersouls.

Peter subsequently joined theCamp Hill church, where he wasto meet the young woman whowas to become his lifelong lovingcompanion, supporter and friend.Jean Barnwell and Peter weremarried on 9 March 1958 atCamp Hill, a love story that wouldspan over a further sixty-threeyears and receive the blessing ofthree sons, six grandsons andfour great-grandchildren.

Having given his life to Jesus,Peter was confronted with thereality of finding employment withSabbath privileges. Leaving hismanagerial post with GeorgeMason’s, Peter foundemployment with an engineeringfirm as an accounts clerk. Heacknowledged how through thisdemanding period the support hereceived from Jean wasimmense.

In 1960 Peter applied toNewbold to join the BusinessStudies course and moved intomarried student accommodationat Crossways in the September ofthat year.

Peter’s service with GranoseFoods initially spanned fifteenyears, moving from officemanager to accountant oncompletion of further part-timestudies. Leaving Granose, Peterwas elected to the post ofsecretary treasurer at the SouthEngland Conference and servedfor two years before moving tothe British Union Conference,assuming responsibility forministerial car insurance policiesand claims. In 1983 Peter movedback to Granose Foods asfinancial director, where heserved until the company wassold to Haldane Foods Limitedwhen the company left churchadministration.

Peter’s final years of servicewere with the Trans-EuropeanDivision at St Albans as associatetreasurer. In this capacity he alsoserved as treasurer for the IsraelField and for Albania.

Peter also served his localchurch at Stanborough Park asassociate treasurer for local fundsfor nine years, and then a furthersix years as treasurer. However,for many in the local communityhe will be most fondlyremembered as treasurer of the‘Seniors Club’ for nine years. Hewas still presenting the accounts

Wendy Nawrotzki(née Anthony)(1964-2021) d. 4 October.Wendy was born inWatford on 6 March1964, the seconddaughter of PastorMartin Anthony and his wife,Margaret, and little sister toHelen.

She was fortunate that muchof her schooling was in Adventistschools – Hyland House (1968-1971), Newbold School(1971-1974), and StanboroughSchool (1976-1982). Afterleaving school she attendedNewbold College for a year, andthen studied for a BEd degree atReading University. As Presidentfor the Adventist Students’Association (ASA), she organisedstudent retreats in variouslocations nationwide. Wendyoften revisited Newbold at theweekends, and there she met her future husband, PeterNawrotzki. After completing ayear’s probationary teaching at a primary school inRickmansworth, Wendy moved toAustria and worked for two yearsas an au pair for different familieswhile studying German atuniversity. She made manyinternational friends and wasinvolved in activities at theAdventist church in Innsbruck.

In 1990 she married Peter andrelocated permanently to BadAibling in Bavaria. Two childrenwere born into their union –Christina (1992) and Daniel(1994). Wendy continued to workas a teacher, not only in theclassroom, but also as a tutor inEnglish. She used her languageand people skills widely in studygroups, including with adults andpensioners, private companies,pupils needing extra help, andnursery and further educationcollege classes.

Wendy especially loved thevery young, and over 30 yearsshe was a valued leader in herlocal Kindergarten SabbathSchool. She instigated annualADRA ‘shoebox’ appeals forneedy children in Eastern Europe.She made contacts at car bootsales on trips to England andstuffed her suitcase with toys,leaving her own clothing andpersonal items behind. Wendyplayed piano and guitar and wasan active member of her churchchoir (she enrolled for a course inyodelling!). She loved to sightsee,


Anne, and then in 1971, whileserving in St Albans, Elisabethcompleted the Llewellyn family.

Viv always enjoyed doingthings with the church youth, andso Oxwich Bay was the idealplace for him to teach knots andshells and inform the youngstersall about the deep! I’m not toosure who enjoyed it most – he orthe youngsters, who apparentlystill have vivid memories of theiryearly visits to Oxwich.

In September 1987 Viv andAnne were serving Southamptonand Winchester churches andwere very keen to help theunderprivileged children who livedin and around the Southamptonchurch, so they started up a playgroup for the little ones, and fortheir parents, a place to relax,have a hot drink, and chat withothers in the same position asthemselves.

In 2009 Anne fell asleep in thearms of Jesus after wrestling withcancer. Viv and the girls werebeside themselves with pain andloss: the girls had their husbands,so between them all they cared,loved and nurtured Viv back into adifferent way of life.

With that different life Vivdecided on two things: one wasto take to travelling the UK withShearings, the holiday bus tourcompany, and the other was to goback to the sea, but not literally.With Shearings holidays Vivalways returned with tales of thepeople he had met and, in somecases, how he had been able tohelp with their problems. Wereferred to it as ‘Viv’s newministry’, which gave him greatpleasure to spread the GoodNews of our wonderful Saviourand Lord and also made somenew friends into the bargain.

Viv didn’t actually go back tothe sea, but joined the Mission toSeafarers, where he took on avoluntary visitor/chaplain roleand, along with others like him,received a warm welcome onboard many vessels in Britishwaters. Viv worked out ofSouthampton docks and did awonderful job, looking aftermariners with city maps for thosegoing ashore, and he carriedphone cards and a great deal ofinformation about the local area.A visitor would also spend timetalking about the crew’s familyand also about their faith and, attimes, the loneliness of spendinga long time away from theirfamilies.

It’s been a most peculiar yearand a half – one where manyhave said sad goodbyes to lovedones. This has been a story oflove, family, friendship and loss.But we are proud at WinchesterChurch to have been part ofVivian Llewellyn’s story, hissense of humour, his ever-presentsmile, his service to a trulywonderful God, his work with andfor the Seventh-day AdventistChurch, and, most of all, hisfriendship to each one of us. Wewill now have to wait for thatgreat day when Jesus comes totake us all home.

What a day that will be!WENDY BRADLEY, COMMUNICATIONSWINCHESTER CHURCH

Hazel May Hill(née Sanders)1929-2021 d. 24 July.Born in Garston,Watford, Hazel’shome wasStanborough Park,where she attended StanboroughSchool and worked at theStanborough Press. In 1951 shemarried her school sweetheart,Ken Hill, who was her companionand best friend for 66 years.Hazel began her calling ashomemaker/mother extraordinairein Coventry, Bleanau Ffestiniog,and Wolverhampton. She thenemigrated to Canada with Kenand their young family in 1967and continued to support theirprofessional and academicendeavours from home bases inNova Scotia and BritishColumbia. Following Ken’sretirement in 1989 theyvolunteered together for 10 yearswith ADRA Canada and ‘A BetterWorld Canada’ to developrehabilitation services for childrenwith polio in rural Kenya. Duringthis period Hazel became a‘mother’ to many Kenyanchildren. Hazel was thrilled toattend Stanborough School’scentenary celebration in 2019,where she was recognised as theoldest returning student.

Hazel passed away peacefullyat home in Salmon Arm, BritishColumbia, at the age of 92. She isfondly remembered for hercheerfulness, personal interest inothers, warm hospitality, sense ofadventure, and unwaveringdevotion to her faith and family.

Grieving her loss are her sister,Carol Magee of Banbridge,Northern Ireland; daughter, Karen

and keep you’ by John Rutter. The committal followed at the

North Watford Cemetery,conducted jointly by Pastors Tappand Huzzey.

Peter will be greatly missed byhis beloved wife Jean, his familyand many friends alike. Peter nowsleeps in the sure and faithfulpromise of the resurrection whenJesus returns. PAUL BELLAMY

Vivian Llewellyn (1934-2020) d. 12 April.It is almost a year and a half agonow that we lost our very dearfriend Viv Llewellyn. He gently fellasleep in Jesus’ arms on theevening of Easter Sunday 2020.

Viv had arrived home from acoach holiday to one of hisfavourite places (Torbay, Devon) afew days earlier, and was happyto be home. It was quite a shockfor us to hear the news from hiseldest daughter Stephanie, but wedid praise God that his end waspeaceful and quiet, and nottouched by the enemy that haskept us all locked up for so manymonths.

There is quite a tale to be toldabout our friend and minister, anda lot of it begins in his home townof Cardiff. Viv was born there on5 March 1934, and was educatedthere too; also, he joined theMerchant Navy from there andserved on HMS Conway.

On one of his home visits heand a few mates decided to walkalong the beach, and on thatSabbath afternoon a pretty younggirl and her friends from CardiffSDA Church had the same idea.And, as they say, ‘the rest ishistory’. Miss Anne Smith and our Viv were married on 2 September 1958 at the Cardiffchurch, six years after he hadbeen baptised in that very church.

Leaving the sea behind him,Viv and Anne moved to NewboldCollege, where in 1962 hegraduated with a ministerial BA,and on 1 September of that yearhe served his internship at theNew Gallery Centre in London.Soon after, Viv was posted to theTorquay church as pastor, and sofollowed what Viv called the ‘bestjob ever’, being the pastor toanother five churches beforespending his last eleven years inpastoring at the Southampton andWinchester churches. In 1968,when Viv was pastor atFolkestone and CanterburyChurch, Stephanie joined Viv and


OBITUARIES

SunsetSunset times are reproduced with permission from

data supplied by HM Nautical Almanac Office.

Lond Card Nott Edin BelfDec 24 3.55 4.08 3.52 3.42 4.01 31 4.01 4.13 3.58 3.48 4.08Jan 7 4.09 4.22 4.06 3.58 4.17 14 4.19 4.32 4.17 4.09 4.28

MessengerVolume 126 • 12 – 24 December 2021

Editor: David NealEditorial secretary: Sarah Jarvis

Design: David BellProof reading: Andrew Puckering

Production and distribution: Peter Oppong-Mensah

COPY FOR No. 2 – 3 January 2022

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The Editor may alter, clarify, précis or expand articles sent to him if he thinks it necessary.

Published monthly on Fridays by the British Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.

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Visit the BUC website at: www.adventist.org.uk

ISSN 0309-3654

(& Henry) Leung of Alberta,Canada; son, Kelvin (& Marcia)Hill of Alberta, Canada; son, Colin(& Sheila) Hill of Alberta, Canada;daughter, Susan (& Kroy)Christison of British Columbia,Canada; and seven grandchildren.

A graveside service was heldon 10 October with all her familypresent and officiated by long-time friend, Pastor MalcolmPedlar. She now sleeps, besideher beloved Ken, until Jesuscomes again.CAROL MAGEE



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