ISSN 0819-5633

M A R C H 5 , 2 0 0 5

R E C O R DIn this issue

World church affirmshealth mission

Prayer focus for Avondale College

Abortion: A mixedperspective

Tsunami aid flows from PerthPerth, Western Australia

It was the biggest outpouring of people’s hearts that I have ever seen,” was how Beryl Carpenterdescribed the hundreds of people who descended on Advent Park in Perth on Thursday,

December 30, to donate goods for those affected by the Boxing Day tsunami. “At one stage someone counted 80 cars lined up waiting to drop off all manner of items such

as clothes, food, medical supplies, blankets, toys and cooking utensils,” says Mrs Carpenter.By the next morning, 55 pallets, fully loaded with boxes of goods, were picked up and headed

for Geraldton, where they were loaded onto a ship headed to Medan in Sumatra. Geoff Davy, the ship’s owner, had offered to transport emergency goods to areas affected by the

tsunami in Sumatra and Indonesia, and had appealed for help finding a collection point for goodsin Perth. Mrs Carpenter responded to this, and contacted volunteers in the area. They helped topack the donated items into boxes, as did many of the people who came to Advent Park to givethings to the appeal.

“It seemed that day, it did not matter what we needed, it turned up when we needed it. TheLord was coordinating the whole effort,” says Mrs Carpenter. “No sooner had we asked forsomething than it arrived.”

More goods continue to be donated from around the state, and another container was sent toSri Lanka in late January. People have also held fundraisers and given the proceeds to the group.

“The experience has touched many lives. One lady, who had been with us from the start, saidshe had considered herself an atheist, but through this experience now says it’s almost like thereis a God warming her heart,” says Mrs Carpenter. “God is using this tragic event to open thedoors and touch people’s hearts.”—NewsWest

Moretsunami aid

news

Beryl Carpenter (second from right) and her band of merry volunteers—Ian O’Neill, Janice Leaverand Kay Neumann—with boxes of items donated to help tsunami victims.

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March 5, 2005

E D I T O R I A L

More than a day for prayerPrayer is the opening of the heart to

God,”1 and this is what thousands ofserious seekers of truth are doing. Prayerhas become popular in many countries.Special days of prayer are being promotedand prayer power is an attractive subject.

But where God’s Spirit is moving, otherspirits are also at work. God has given usthe opportunity to choose, and it isthrough prayer that we make thisimportant decision. We can decide toknow Him personally, “as to a friend.”

There are many books, web sites,workshops and days of appointed prayer.

Praise God, we can see Him working, andpeople everywhere are emerging as truepray-ers.

In the early 1930s, a wave of revivaloccurred in the Adventist Church. Manyolder pastors and members remember thistime when people in Australia, specificallyin places such as Avondale College,Wahroonga and Warburton, were broughtto confession, repentance and acommitment to God. The Spirit of God wasevident and the church was alive. Soonafter this, World War II broke out andmany young people went to war, never toreturn. Others became ministers andleaders of the church. It all began becausepeople prayed—either singly or in smallgroups—and persisted in prayer.

Is it time for this to happen again? Whatdo we need to see and believe in anoutpouring of God’s Spirit among us? Is italready happening? What are we waitingfor?

Every year in March, two special days ofprayer—primarily for women—are

celebrated. These have been in existencefor many years. The interfaith World Dayof Prayer, the first Friday of March, startedin 1887 and today has a special programprepared for 170 nations. The focus is onmission and peace.

The Adventist International Women’sDay of Prayer, the first Sabbath of March,is a day set aside for prayer for strengthand renewed focus on sharing a messageof hope.

These two days have become significantfor the women of the church in manyplaces throughout the South Pacific

Division. The ongoing commitment ofmany women to prayer is creating a spiritof energy and a renewed call to hear God’svoice amid difficult times. So manywomen want to see a strongercommitment to and focus on prayer. As aresult, they are meeting together in pairs,in homes, churches, schools, at retreatsand spending time seeking God. Themovement of prayer is growing quietly yetsurely. People are opening their hearts toGod in prayer.

In Wollongong, a spirited leader,Noeleen, leads a dynamic prayer ministry,involving the whole church. They pray forand with the pastor, for the speakers, forthe community. They have active prayerchains via telephone, email or post.

At Mountain View College (Doonside,NSW), mothers gather every week to prayfor teachers and students. The school isbeing wonderfully blessed.

In Hobart, Anne meets with a group ofdedicated women every week. Pauline, at45 years of age, has found her calling in

prayer ministry and poetry. She has wonpeople to Christ as a result.

In Papua New Guinea the women areraising up prayer rooms or “prayerhouses” everywhere. They haveexperienced the powerful prayerexperiences in beautifully decoratedrooms at retreats and congresses, and arecopying the style.

In the Solomon Islands a large group ofwomen met for their first retreat. Theywere afraid to sleep owing to the unsettlednature of their region, so they prayed. Inthe morning, they compared notes and no-one had sung but they had heard an angelchoir as they settled into peaceful sleep.

Dorothy Eaton Watts writes that “a spiritof intercession will come among God’speople before He comes.”2 If we are to be achurch who wants to know, experience andshare our hope in Jesus Christ, we need tobe a people of prayer first. Every revival,every plan, every growth factor and every-one is dependent on prayer; we cannothope to function without it.

The women of the South PacificDivision are recognising this and makingthe Women’s Day of Prayer and every daya time to open their hearts to God becausethey know He is their best friend. They arepersisting in prayer.

1. Ellen G White, Steps to Christ, page 93.2. Dorothy Eaton Watts, Prayer Country.

Joy ButlerDirector of Women’sMinistries andCoordinator of PrayerMinistriesSouth Pacific Division

Today is the Women’sDay of Prayer.

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OFFICIAL PAPERSouth Pacific DivisionSeventh-day AdventistChurchACN 000 003 930www.adventist.org.au

Vol 110 No 8Cover: NewsWest

Editor Nathan BrownSenior assistant editor Lee DunstanEditorial assistant Adele NashEditorial assistant Scott WegenerCopyeditor Graeme BrownEditorial secretary Meryl McDonald-GoughLayout Nathan CheeSenior consulting editor Barry Oliver

www.record.net.au

Mail: Signs Publishing Company 3485 Warburton HighwayWarburton, Vic 3799, Australia

Phone: (03) 5966 9111 Fax: (03) 5966 9019Email Letters: editor@signspublishing.com.auEmail Newsfront: record@signspublishing.com.auEmail Noticeboard: editorsec@signspublishing.com.auSubscriptions: South Pacific Division mailed withinAustralia and to New Zealand, $A43.80 $NZ73.00.Other prices on application. Printed weekly.

The ongoing commitment of many women to prayer iscreating a spirit of energy and a renewed call to hear God’s

voice amid difficult times.

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March 5, 2005

F L A S H P O I N T

● The $A107,000 collectedfrom church members in theSouth Pacific for the AdventistWorld Radio (AWR) Offeringin 2004 will be used in con-junction with a new workingpolicy approved late last year.“Funds received from theoffering will now be used forprojects around the world withAWR’s approval,” says DonUpson, Vice-President forFinance of AWR. “These pro-jects will provide new studios,new language broadcastproduction and assist instarting new language pro-grams. We will use the moneyto sponsor, train and equipstudio personnel.” It is AWR’saim to provide radio programsto the hardest-to-reach placeson earth. Next week, March12, is this year’s AWROffering.—Melody Tan

● In the early hours ofFebruary 7, more thanK40,000 worth of renovationcame undone when strong winds caused apine tree to fall on top of the Seventh-day

Adventist church in Lae, Papua NewGuinea. The renovation to the church,built in the 1950s, was almost completed,only to be severely damaged with theinterior ceiling collapsed and wallscracking from the force of the falling tree.Church members are now worshipping ina nearby public school.—Thomas Davai

● After reading the Bible story abouttalents, 24 Year 3 students at WahroongaAdventist School, NSW, were each given a$2 coin from their teacher, Betty Rutter,and challenged to increase their talent.Enthusiasm ran high as the students tookon tasks such as cooking, babysitting,making crafts and selling plants. Theproject’s finale was a lunchtime classmarket where the whole school wasinvited to buy from various stalls that hadbeen created and managed by the Year 3students. Not only was the valuable lesson

of investing one’s talentconveyed to the students, but$A1050 was raised anddonated to the ElimOrphanage in India.—Carmen Borrott

● Burleigh Gardens, NSW,held a day of mourning forthe Asian tsunami victims onJanuary 15. Federal Parlia-ment Member Margaret Mayspoke on behalf of the PrimeMinister, and State MemberChristine Smith called for aminute’s silence in remem-brance of the victims. After amourning segment, prayer forthe victims and aid workerswas held.—Northpoint

● On his previous trip to theUkraine, retired ministerArthur Bath came up againstchallenging hostility to hisevangelistic campaign. Anopposed denomination tookout newspaper adver-

tisements denouncing his team as a

heretical sect and used loudhailersoutside his meetings to warn people notto attend the “evil sect’s meetings.” Despitethe fierce opposition, some still joined thechurch and were baptised. The Ukraine’slocal union and conference has issuedanother invitation for those “down-under” to come over and help. In AugustPastor Bath is looking to take a team on hiseighth evangelistic campaign since hisretirement in 1992. Contact Pastor Bath at <artbath@bigpond.com>.

• Tree damages church renovation before completion • Children learn to multiply their talents• Popular evangelism methods surveyed • Creation Museum built for answers • and more

—Compiled by Scott Wegener—

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The Innisfail, Qld, church found itincreasingly hard to get people to

come to their evangelistic programs, sothey decided to take the program to thepeople on the street.

Their ADRA op-shop has beenrunning the 3ABN satellite feed in-storeduring business hours, as a preview ofwhat can be seen on the videos availablefor loan. However, at closing time thetelevision is turned around to face thestreet and, with a speaker outside, passers-by can view and hear theprograms from the footpath.

An audience is almost guaranteed each evening as the op-shop isright next to a bus stop and a busy pizza shop. Since starting thisshop-window evangelism six months ago, two people have alreadyrequested baptism.

As their evangelistic push for the year, Innisfail and Tully churcheshave decided to further utilise satellite ministry and have ordered 25satellite dishes to place in the homes of people who have shownsignificant interest in spiritual matters—making Hope Channel and3ABN a 12-month in-home witness.

“We have evangelist Pastor Geoff Youlden tentatively booked for aweekend visit,” says Innisfail’s minister Dana Howard. “This is toaccommodate the possibility of the home-satellite service generatingeven more interest.”—Scott Wegener

Shop-window evangelism success

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March 5, 2005

F L A S H P O I N T

● Several generations of family andfriends of Hellen “Nell” VictoriaDeacon gathered at the home of hernephew and niece inNunawading, Vic, onFebruary 6, to celebrateher 100th birthday. MrsDeacon has lived atCoronella RetirementVillage for the past 10years. She received con-gratulatory messages fromthe Mayor of Whitehorse, the Governorof Victoria, the Governor-General ofAustralia, the Prime Minister and agreeting from Queen Elizabeth II.

● Ray Gibbons of Maitland, NSW,church has been honoured by theDepartment of Com-munity Service recentlyfor dedicating his life tothe needs of children infoster care. “I am sohumbled, shocked andsurprised by thisaward,” says Mr Gibbons.“My reward is definitely in the workthat I do.” Mr Gibbons became a fostercarer four years ago following a stint asa palliative care volunteer and aftercompleting a diploma in welfare.—Emma Swain

● Warren and Yvonne Hick have beenmembers of Lakeside church, NNSW,for more than 30 years, of which muchof this time Yvonne has had kidneyproblems. Recently her husbandWarren, epitomising true love, donateda kidney to Yvonne so that she couldcome off dialysis and live a normal life.Both Yvonne and Warrenare out of hospital andhave been recuperatingat their daughter’s home.Yvonne says she isextremely grateful to herhusband for hiswonderful donation.—Pam Hill

4

Off the record● For many years the Adventist Church inGreece has been struggling for growth.However, eight years after PastorApostolos Maglis, Greek Missionpresident, and Pastor Peter Roennfeldt,ministerial secretary for the Trans-European Division (TED), helped Greecestart small-group ministry, the member-ship has grown by 375 per cent, and

tithes by 650 per cent—90 per cent ofmembership growth coming from small-group ministry. “In this modern age,friendship evangelism and small-groupministries are the way forward,” says PaulClee, personal ministries director for theTED. “It makes more friends and contactsfor the Lord than most other methods.”—ANR

● The 9000-square-metre building thatwill house the Creation Museum is nowcomplete, and the numerous displays areunder construction. The $US25 millionfacility, which sits on a major highway exitnear the Kentucky-Ohio border, USA, is setto open to the public in the spring of 2007.Ken Ham, president of Answers inGenesis, the organisation behind themuseum project, says, “It’s going to be awalk through biblical history with anima-

tronics andc o m p u t e rtechnology,telling peoplethe true historyof the world,about Creation,the Fall of man,

the flood of Noah, the origin of races,marriage and more.” For a preview, visit<www.answersingenesis.org/museum>.—AgapePress

● According to a survey conducted by TheBarna Group, the most common forms ofevangelism performed (78 per cent) isoffering a prayer with a non-Christian.Almost as common a form (74 per cent)was that of “lifestyle evangelism,” that is,living in ways that would impress non-Christians and cause them to raisequestions about that lifestyle. The leastused methods were distributingevangelical literature (35 per cent),sending evangelistic letters or emails tonon-Christian acquaintances (21 per cent)and preaching in public places (11 percent).—AgapePress

Days and offeringsMarch 12—Adventist World Radio

OfferingMarch 26—Adventist Youth Offering

Five days, 1100ADRA sandwiches At 4.15 pm on December 3, a phone

call came in from the Rural FireNetwork: “Your ADRA response teamis needed. We have a major forest fire atLee Valley, Nelson, NZ. One hundredand twenty firefighters and supportcrew and seven helicopters need you tosupply food and drinks by 7 pm.”

The high-tech, totally self-containedAdventist Development and ReliefAgency (ADRA) response caravanswung right into action. Each team offour did 12-hour shifts making 1100triple club sandwiches, massive stews,100 sausages barbecued, huge saladsand answered many questions like“ADRA what?”

“Our tour of duty ended by pullingout at 1.30 am on December 8, verytired but praising God for the privilegeof serving in a practical way,” saysADRA caravan search and rescue co-ordinator Avon Wasney. “It has beensaid it was the best-catered fire ever.”

Each month in Nelson, NZ, someorganisation is given the “Mayor’sbouquet,” and in December the ADRAfield kitchen was the recipient. Thelocal Nelson City Council paperreported: “Congratulations and thanksare due to a group of volunteers whocan take the heat. Several members ofNelson church continually staffed theADRA field kitchen for four daysduring the recent Wairoa Gorge forestfire. They provided food and drinks toall the shifts of firefighters who at timesnumbered over 100. You can obviouslytake the heat and stay in the kitchen. Ablooming great effort; enjoy theflowers.”

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Orlando, Florida, USA

The General Conference president,Pastor Jan Paulsen, and other church

leaders have taken the opportunity toencourage Seventh-day Adventists to usehealth to reach out to their communities atthe International Health Summit held fromJanuary 30 to February 5 in Orlando,Florida (USA).

Around 500 church leaders, membersand health specialistsfrom around the worldattended the summit,which had the theme of“empowering healthleaders to reach theunreached.”

Experts were broughttogether to address thechurch’s ministry ofhealth, which theybelieve must have itseffectiveness evaluated,even though the Seventh-day Adventist Churchhas a 145-year history ofpractising health reform.

Dr DeWitt Williams,director of health ministries for the NorthAmerican Division, and coordinator of theevent, believes church members and theirfaith communities can follow Jesus’method of meeting community needsbefore beginning outreach activities.

A focus on health is one way this can beaccomplished, as there has been anincrease in health awareness and interest inthe general community, with more peopleexploring health alternatives the churchcan provide them with.

Pastor Paulsen believes health care to beone of the major Adventist essentials, andexplained at the summit that the healthmessage of the church is not for itsmembers alone, but for everyone.

“Here we are, as a family of faith, livingin the end-time, with a very specificidentity, a very specific profile,” PastorPaulsen told delegates at the summit. “Aswe grow, people become increasinglyaware of who we are. Today, people by andlarge know Seventh-day Adventists well.”

Such recognition provides the church

with the means to witness to people moreeffectively. Pastor Paulsen believes theservice of health care is specifically tied tothe second coming of Christ, and citedEllen White, who said that the church’smedical institutions are a means ofbringing people to God.

Pastor Mark Finley, director of thechurch’s Center for Global Evangelism,explained that meeting people’s physical

needs first is Christ’smethod of reachingpeople.

“Seventh-day Advent-ists view the gospel asphysical, mental,spiritual and socialwholeness, therefore wecannot conceive the totalhealth as being withoutspirituality,” says PastorFinley. “This meansleading people to anunderstanding of theGod who created them,and His essentialprinciples of life andhealth.”

“Understanding the spiritual componentand putting it into practice whereverAdventist communities are will allow us tomake significant changes not only in ourlives but in the lives of those around us,”added Dr Williams. “That’s why we aretalking about a holistic approach to ourministry as a church.”

Loma Linda School of Public Health’s DrJames Kyle II also stressed the need for thechurch to engage in a deeper role of leadingpeople to discipleship, and not justconversion. For Dr Kyle, the healthmessage is a way to meet people’s needs.

“It’s time for the church to confront thegates of addiction, injustice, intemperanceand depression. We need to engage notonly the communities where we live, but tosystematically evaluate our areas for howwe can be of help to vulnerablepopulations that are in the greatest need,”says Dr Kyle. “True success in the church’shealth ministry can happen only when weare contextually relevant to the needs ofour communities.”—ANN

World church affirms health missionCooranbong, New South Wales

Avondale College is calling on Seventh-day Adventists in the South Pacific to

pray for its staff members and students asthey begin the academic year.

College chaplain Pastor Wayne Frenchsays the support of local churches is vital.“It’ll make a huge difference to knowAdventists all over Australia and NewZealand are joining with us to lift thecollege up to God in prayer.”

Pastor French has organised a prayerwalk at Avondale on March 8 as part of theCollege church’s 24-hour-a-day Week ofPrayer. He will lead staff members andstudents to each of the main buildings onthe Cooranbong campus. The group willthen pray for those who work and who willlive and study in the buildings.

Pastor French says one of the aims of thewalk is to remind staff members andstudents of the importance of prayer, butmost important is to ask God for Hisblessing over the campus.

Church leaders approve of the initiative.“What a marvellous opportunity for

church members in our union to supportthe college through the power of prayer,”says Pastor Allan Walshe, president of theNew Zealand Pacific Union Conference. “Iencourage our elders and worship leadersto remember Avondale during the worshipservice today.”

Australian Union Conference presidentPastor Chester Stanley says it is“imperative” to pray for Avondale becausethe institution is integral to the future of thechurch. “A positive spiritual tone at collegebenefits all of us.”—Brenton Stacey

Prayer focus forAvondale College

Pastor Jan Paulsen.

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Wahroonga, New South Wales

The Australian Adventist Developmentand Releif Agency (ADRA) has

committed $A500,000 to the long-termrecovery and rehabilitation of Thailandfollowing the tsunami disaster.

The Community Recovery andDevelopment Program will provide waterand sanitation rehabilitation, communityand household recovery, and health andpsychosocial support along the coastal areaof southern Thailand.

Through this project, ADRA will workwith communities on the islands of KohSurin and Koh Pra Thong and in theRanong, Phuket and Phanga Provinces,helping at least 20,000 tsunami-affectedpeople.

One aspect of this project will addressthe long-term psychological effects of thedisaster on children and youth.

“The Health Department and otheragencies have raised concerns about thelong-term effects of this disaster,” says GregYoung, director of ADRA–Thailand.

To address these needs, a mobile childpsychosocial-care unit will be deployed to

the area to coordinate children’s activities inthe affected villages. “Fun and socialactivities within the familiar environmentcan assist the child to overcome the anxietyof the experience and minimisepsychosocial distress,” Mr Young explains.

To provide psychosocial support toyouth, an adventure-based learning facilitywill be established. “This category of thepopulation is often overlooked in

psychological support,” says Mr Young.“ADRA will utilise its network experiencein adventure-based learning techniques toestablish a facility that can be used tosupport the medium- to long-term needs ofthe teenage population.”

The three-year Community Recoveryand Development Program in Thailand willalso provide a mobile psychosocial-careunit for adults and a mobile medical unit.The program will also provide communityrecovery activities such as repair andconstruction of public buildings, fishingpiers, bridges and canals, and funds toprovide for other needs. As the projectprogresses, there will be continuedassessment and evaluation of needs, todetermine the best way forward for thepeople and communities.

The health activities of this project willbe implemented by Phuket MissionHospital, which has worked closely withADRA since the disaster hit. PhuketMission Hospital is well regarded in thisregion and collaborates closely withThailand’s Ministry of Public Health.—Candice Jacques

ADRA helps Thailand recover

Greg Young, director of ADRA–Thailand, in frontof the Phuket hospital.

Medical team chaplain returns from Banda AcehWahroonga, New South Wales

Pastor Ray Southon has just returnedfrom Banda Aceh, one of the areas

worst hit by the Asian tsunami. He was thechaplain and a member of the firstAustralian medical team to go to the region.

“I had no hesitation about going when Ireceived the call, even though they had notspecified where they were going to sendme,” says Pastor Southon, a scrub nurse atthe operating theatres of WestmeadHospital. “I knew I had the skills to do what

I needed to do and I couldcontribute to the relief work. Igave in to my passion to helppeople in crisis.”

The National Disaster Centrein Canberra commissioned ateam of 28 health professionalsfrom major teaching hospitalsaround Australia. Pastor Southonand the team arrived in BandaAceh on the morning ofDecember 30 with 17 tonnes ofmedical supplies and bedding. Bythe end of their two-week stay,the team had performed

hundreds of life-saving operations.“We knew that there was going to be

mass devastation, but the destruction was alot worse than anybody could ever imagine.It choked all of us up deeply, but we werethere to do our work and we had to do it,”says Pastor Southon. “My own faithallowed me not to be traumatised by thedestruction. Amid the tragedy, I saw Godworking through the stories of survival andthe resilience of the people who have losteverything.”

Pastor Southon feels honoured to haveserved others in this way and says, “It hasbeen a privilege to serve, and I’m veryproud to have been able to serve God inthat way too. If I could, I would return toBanda Aceh without hesitation and woulddo it all over again. I sincerely congratulatethe government in initiating and organisingthis medical response team.”—Melody Tan

The medical team that went to Banda Ache, of which PastorRay Southon was a part.

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N E W S F R O N T

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Penang, Malaysia

Recognising that tsunami survivors aresuffering not just physically but

emotionally, members of the Seventh-dayAdventist Church offered a two-day traumatraining seminar to pastors and chaplainsin four countries in Southern Asiabeginning on January 19.

Pastor Martin Feldbush, director of theworldwide church’s Adventist ChaplaincyMinistries (ACM), was accompanied by hiswife, Martha, an academic languagetherapist who works with children, andPastor Jonathan Catolico, director of ACMfor the Southern Asia Division.

“In these countries, pastors face thedaunting task of ministering to a largenumber of traumatised people in hospitalsand schools,” said Pastor Feldbush. Hecontacted Pastor Catolico right after thetsunami hit and discussed the evident needfor getting pastoral trauma response andgrief ministries training in motion.

He said one pastor told him the trainingwas not only for the people they wouldhelp, but also for themselves because theyhad lived through the same tragedy.

“Sixty per cent of the people who diedwere adults, which means thousands wereleft as orphans, grieving the loss of siblingsand parents,” he said.

Workshop participants discussed thenature of trauma, the nature of loss andgrief, how trauma memories can last foryears and learned pastoral methodologiesfor counselling trauma victims.

Methods taught in the workshops weredeveloped by the National Organisation forVictim Assistance and are equallyapplicable to clergy from any faith group,said Pastor Feldbush. This helps torecognise the value of each person’s faith aspart of their coping and adaptive skills.

The four workshops trained a total ofnearly 200 people in Indonesia, Sri Lanka,Singapore and Malaysia, and were acollaboration between the local andworldwide church’s chaplaincydepartments, local churches and thePenang Adventist Hospital.—ANN

Support given fortsunami survivors In response the December 26 tsunami in

southern Asia, church entities, localchurches and church members havecontributed aid in a wide variety of ways.These are some of the stories collectedfrom around the South Pacific Division.

● Riverland church (SA) has receivedmore than $A9200 in donations.Collections were taken at the BarmeraCaravan Park, where one man decided toshave his hair off if people donated moneyto ADRA.

● The Regener- ation Sabbath school classat Springwood church (Qld) collectedmore than $A1000 for tsunami aid.

● Eight-year-old Sean Matt-ingley of theKallaroo churchin West- ernAustralia don-ated all hispocket moneyfor tsunami aid.A young girlfrom the churchalso donatedher bicycle fortsunami victimsto use.

● Brighton church (SA) held a localoffering on January 8 and donated theproceeds to ADRA for use in the tsunami-affected areas. More than $A2500 wasraised, which was more than 20 times thevalue of the regular offering.

● David Cooper, a memeber of thePapatoetoe church (NNZ), organised afive-kilometre Tsunami FundraisingWalkathon. Prior to the walkathon, hehad raised more than $NZ11,000 fortsunami victims.

● Melrose Park church (SA) raised $A400through offerings.

● Members of the Adelaide City

church (SA) donated $A3255 to theADRA–Australia tsunami fund.

● The Trans-Pacific Union Missiondonated $F20,000 to the Fiji nation- alappeal. Money was also raised at theSouth Pacific Division Youth Congress,with $F3,206.13 donated for tsunami aid.

● Tenterfield’s (NNSW) church membershave contributed $A500 to ADRA.Church elder Frank Peters said, “We arethere as a practical form of Christianityand help people regardless of religion,background or race.”

● The Salisbury church (SA) collected$A10,000 for the tsunami tragedy. At thebeginning of January, 100 young peopledonated $A1800 at the church’s youthcamp.

● Two Samoan churches in Brisbane (Qld)collected more than $A600 each.

● Kempsey church (NNSW) collected$A4890 for tsunami relief, and twoKempsey church boys, Alexander Staceand Ben Hanrahan, raised $A130 byselling lollies at the local shopping mall.

● Members of the Murray Bridge church(SA) were given permission by their localBi-Lo supermarket to collect donationsthere for tsunami victims. After a week,$A6329.70 was raised.

Tsunami aid from the South Pacific

Sean Mattingley (right)and his brother.

ADRA volunteer Flo Cram, with Keith Lovell, atthe Murray Bridge Bi-Lo store, South Australia.

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F E A T U R E

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As Adventist World Radio (AWR) staffmembers travel to churches and talk to

members, common questions often ariseabout our ministry. On this page, we takethe opportunity to share answers with awider audience.

How can I hear AWR programs?AWR is the mission radio arm of the

Adventist Church. Our mandate is to enterthe hardest-to-reach places on earth, andwe focus on broadcasting to differentgroups that are difficult to reach in otherways. There are countries where missionworkers cannot be sent because of political,religious or geographic barriers.

Many countries do not have thoserestrictions, of course, and Adventist mediaministries are already active in places suchas Australia and the United States, so weconcentrate on broadcasting to other areas.At the same time, more and more of ourprograms are accessible worldwide throughInternet audio, at www.awr.org. Ourshortwave program schedule is alsoavailable on the Internet.

Why do you use short wave? Isn’t itobsolete?

AWR broadcasts many hours on short-wave radio because it is the most widelyheard broadcast vehicle in the world. Aswell, the signals can travel for thousands ofkilometres, unlike AM or FM radio waves,enabling our programs to reach intocountries that are closed to religiousbroadcasts in local media.

More than 2.5 billion people, using 1.5billion short-wave radio receivers, tune insomewhere in the world on a regular basis.Research shows that short-wave listenersare growing globally, with short-wavepenetration at its highest level in

developing countries. For example, 98 percent of households in Zimbabwe haveshort-wave radios.

In addition to short wave, AWR alsobroadcasts programs via AM and FMstations, direct-to-home satellite, and theInternet.

How many languages do you broadcast in,and how many countries do you cover?

We currently produce programs in morethan 60 languages, such as Amharic forpeople in Ethiopia, Kirghiz for residents ofKyrgyzstan, Malayalam for listeners inIndia, and Spanish for the population of

Cuba. Our non-Internet broadcasts cover70 per cent of the world, through shortwave, AM and FM stations and satellite. Itis a challenge to calculate the exact numberof countries we reach, since signalsfluctuate and radio stations access ourdownlinks throughout the year.

How are gifts to AWR used?All gifts made directly to AWR go to

advance our broadcast ministry. Forexample, AWR uses direct gifts to cover thecost of air time and add new languages inareas such as the Middle East, Africa, Russiaand China. Operating expenses are coveredby appropriations from the GeneralConference and other sources of income,such as investments, endowments andestate gifts.

How can I obtain more information aboutAWR?●Write to 12501 Old Columbia Pike, SilverSpring, Maryland 20904, USA●E-mail info@awr.org●Browse www.awr.org

Shelley Nolan Freesland is the communicationdirector for Adventist World Radio, based in SilverSpring, Maryland, USA.

AWR: A global mission by Shelley Nolan Freesland

Radio delivers God’s love“It was when I thought I had hit the rock bottom of disappointment that I was cheered

up by the AWR message. I am waiting for more of such messages. A million thanks toJesus for AWR!”—anonymous Malayalam listener from India

“I cannot express how much I am enjoying your wonderful programs. Each morning,your programs bring me closer to my Creator. I am also inviting others to join me. Eventhough I do not attend any church, I am receiving enough blessings through yourprograms. God bless you.”—listener in Ethiopia

Adventist World Radio Offering next week, March 12

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March 5, 2005

F E A T U R E

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Thoughts on tears by Robert G Wearner

News from the battlefront in Iraq isheart-rending these days. Explosives

cause the death of Coalition servicemenand -women nearly every day. We think oftheir families who must burst into tears onbeing informed of the death of a son ordaughter, husband or wife. Add to themthe tears of the families of Iraqi soldiersand civilians of both sides of the conflict.Our hearts sympathise with them too.

Then suddenly we receive the sad newsof an earthquake and tsunami that sweptcountless thousands to their death fromSouth-East Asia to Africa. Many survivingchildren lost their parents, while otherfathers and mothers mourn for theirchildren swept away by angry waves.

The Holy Scriptures reveal to us a Godwho values human life. Jesus told Hisdisciples that the Father even values thelife of small birds. “Are not two sparrowssold for a penny? Yet not one of them willfall to the ground apart from yourFather. And even the hairs of your headare all counted. So do not be afraid; youare of more value than many sparrows”(Matthew 10:29-31*).

The shortest verse in the Bible tells us alot about the love of God. Jesus’ friendLazarus had died. Sorrowfully, Heaccompanies Mary and Martha to thetomb. “Jesus began to weep” (John11:35)—but not because of the death of Hisfriend. He was about to raise him back tolife.

“It was not only because of the scenebefore Him that Christ wept. The weight ofthe grief of the ages was upon Him. . . .Looking down the years to come, He sawthe suffering and sorrow, tears and death,that were to be the lot of men. His heart waspierced with the pain of the human familyof all ages and in all lands. The woes of thesinful race were heavy upon His soul, andthe fountain of His tears was broken up asHe longed to relieve all their distress” (TheDesire of Ages, page 534).

Television now brings into our livingrooms tragic scenes of death caused by warand natural disasters. Thus daily exposed toviolent events, I fear we may becomecallused to human suffering. We mustremember that every loss of life bringssorrow to the heart of Jesus. We see a littleof the terrible results of sin, but a lovingFather above sees it all!

I think it was during the dark days ofWorld War II that a poet penned a poemthat I placed in my files. When I found itrecently, it impressed me as fitting presentworld conditions. It is titled, God CriedHimself to Sleep Last Night. Space will allowme to quote only a part of it.

“God cried himself to sleep last night; His heart was pierced with pain.He saw ten thousand sons of his On cruel crosses slain . . .“He knew each hurt and heartache, andHe heard each piercing groan;He felt each wound when terror struckAs if it were His own . . .“God cried himself to sleep last night;He sees much more than we;He saw ten thousand lonely hills;Each hill a Calvary.”

—William L Stidger

How thankful we are that the Scripturespaint a picture of future joy. “May thosewho sow in tears reap with shouts of joy”(Psalm 126:5).

“He [the Lord] will swallow up deathforever. Then the Lord God will wipeaway the tears from all faces . . .” (Isaiah25:7, 8.)

When will our Creator-God fulfil thatpromise? Let’s look at the last book of theBible. Revelation 21:1 starts off with “Isaw a new heaven and a new earth; for thefirst heaven and the first earth had passedaway.”

In this wonder world of the future, afterChrist’s coming and the final judgment,there will be no more tears! “He [God]

will wipe every tear from their eyes. Deathwill be no more; mourning and crying andpain will be no more, for the first thingshave passed away” (Revelation 21:4).

Can you believe it? God’s plan for youand me is a world of peace without tears.Let’s surrender all to Jesus so we can enjoya place with Him. r

*All Bible quotations are from the New RevisedStandard Version.

Robert G Wearner is a retired minister andteacher and writes from Collegedale, Tennessee,USA.

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It is with great hesitancy that I add mythoughts to such a sensitive and

emotionally charged subject as inducedabortions. Yet at the same time my beliefthat more contribution of opinion ratherthan less enables community rather thanstifles it, drives me to my keyboard.

I am maleIn The Australian on November 8, 2004,

Barry Everingham made this comment: “Itis impossible to imagine that Elizabeth IIwould utter a word on such a highlysensitive and political issue as abortion—even though as a woman she’s well withinher rights to do so.” Everingham’sunwritten thought appears to be that menhave no right to add to the discussion. Heis not alone in this view. Listening to radio,a number of talkback callers have held asimilar view. The argument is this: it iswomen who are affected—emotionally,physically, psycho-socially andspiritually—and therefore it is not “men’sbusiness.” I can understand how somemight hold such a view. However, I do not.Let me illustrate.

Many issues around the world have noimpact on Australians in the first instanceand yet no-one would suggest we are notentitled to express an opinion. Forinstance, under the headline “Big thawthreatens Arctic” in The Age of November10, Alister Doyle writes, “Global warming. . . could wipe out polar bears by 2100.”Polar bears are not native to Australia.Most of us would probably never see apolar bear in their natural environment,and yet no-one suggests for a moment thatpeople in Australia have no right to speakout for and on their behalf. But you say,“polar bears do not have a voice. Someonemust speak for them.” Yes . . . Mmmm.

Closer to home in terms of “women’sissues,” what of the mutilation of women’sbodies that continues to the present day incommunities around the world? Do

women cry foul when men stand up andspeak against female circumcision,rejecting this form of cultural practice?Should men remain silent when other“tissue” is removed?

I am a fatherWhen it was known that my wife was

pregnant, there was much excitement inthe family home. After having the secondultrasound, the technician left us as usualstating that the doctor would speak withus. The doctor arrived, and after furtherexamination advised us of the presence ofa white spot within the heart and that hewould forward the results to theobstetrician. My anxiety levels increased atthis point.

On meeting with the obstetrician, headvised us that there were some “softsigns” that our baby may have someabnormalities—so we were a little shaken.He was very supportive and positive,however, suggesting that these thingshappen from time to time but do notnecessarily mean there is a problem. But,given my wife’s age, he suggested we havesome of the baby’s cells tested.

Some risk is involved in this procedure,which ironically was greater than thechances of our unborn child having anyabnormalities. The poignant question wasthis—by having the test, had we alreadydecided the fate of the baby? We eventuallyconcluded that the answer to this questionwas no.

But at least by having the test we wouldfind relief from the unknown either way.

And that should there be an abnormalitywe could be given counselling that wouldprovide us with realistic expectations.

While the word abortion was brought upin our discussions, neither Rochelle nor Ifelt comfortable with that as a possibleoutcome. In my mind no decision wasmade. Fortunately for us, the result of thetest allowed us to turn our backs on ourfears and the ethical dilemma.

I am a ChristianThat statement, given our current

sociopolitical climate, can generate muchemotionally charged discussion. Includingthe word abortion in the same sentencecreates still more heat.

As a Christian who values honesty andintegrity, the Bible can be a source of angst.“Why?” you might well ask. Becausesome passages of Scripture at first look likethey are quite contradictory. The problemis exacerbated when one looks a second ora third time and still the contradictionremains. We have many examples tochoose from, but for those who may knowwhat I am talking about, the relationshipbetween faith and works is just one.

But let’s consider something lessesoteric. How does a Christian—for thatmatter, a minister of the faith—dealhonestly with abortion and human life? Ifyou are a Christian reading this, you mayat this point think I have forgotten thecommandment “You shall not murder.”

But even among Christians (and I talkwith many from different denominations)there is no consensus on the question“What is that tissue?” According to theClayton’s Christian party, it is life thatneeds to be preserved. But for manyfaithful Christians it is not “human life”unless there is a heartbeat, or until survivaloutside the womb is achieved or untilbirth.

But there is worse to come for theChristian. If one were to read Exodus

Abortion: A mixed perspective by Rodney Woods

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March 5, 2005 11

21:22-25 in Hebrew one might concludethat the Scriptures suggest a different valuebetween the life of an unborn child and thelife of the mother. That is to say, thepunishment for the death of an unbornchild is a damages claim, whereas thepunishment for the death of a woman isdeath of the perpetrator. The Septuagintdiffers slightly and distinguishes between afully formed and not fully formed baby,meaning if the baby is fully formed anddies, it is considered murder andpunishable by death.

“So are you telling me the Christianposition is not as black and white as isoften reported?” you ask. Yes. For some,not having a clear scriptural mandate oninduced abortion and other ethical issuescan be unsettling—for me, however, it isaffirming. For it tells me that the complexissues our communities face today werejust as complex for the patriarchal mothersand fathers.

To impose a simple solution upon theScriptures would be just as erroneous as toimpose a simple solution upon themothers, fathers and the unborn today.

I am a ministerI have ministered to a number of women

who had an unplanned pregnancy. Thefirst question I asked myself was, “Whereis the man/boy? Why isn’t he sitting at thetable with us?” What I did was affirm God’slove for them and then gently workthrough all the options—includingabortion—promising support whatever thedecision. I remember one particular youngChristian girl who chose to keep the baby.She received support from her parents,family and church.

Sadly, though, this is not always the case.Is this a factor when young women aremaking their decision? You better believeit! How they perceive the way their family,their friends, their church will respondplays a significant role. Could it be that thechurch community, who wouldtraditionally take the position to preservelife, may be the very the reason why aperson might choose to take life instead?Now that is worth thinking about.

I am a member of thecommunity

I knew that the number of abortions had

been on the rise, but when I read that thefigure in Australia was around 100,000 peryear I found it distressing. Some seem littleconcerned about the numbers per se, butare more interested in ensuring the right ofthe woman to choose. Others wouldconsider that one induced abortion is onetoo many.

For those who aren’t concerned aboutthe number of abortions each year, I askthe question, How many abortions wouldit take for you to be concerned? Perhaps500,000 per year, 750,000 per year,1,000,000? And if you do accept that youcome to a number that is a concern foryou, can you understand if for some thatnumber is 100,000? While at that pointalong your scale, how would you considerdecreasing that number?

What is an appropriate communityresponse? Withdrawal of financial aid—Medicare—has been touted. Financialmotivation has made little impact inVictoria with regard to driver behaviour. Itseems naive and overtly simple minded tothink that this approach would reduceinduced abortions.

For those who consider one inducedabortion one too many, can you think ofany circumstances for which an inducedabortion is an appropriate response?

If you can, could it be that other peoplemay also have a list—only it may differfrom yours? Can we respect each otherenough to allow differences in ourcommunity?

Yes, it is easier to allow someone to weardifferent coloured socks from me or enjoya different flavoured ice-cream, but forcommunity to exist this is where therubber meets the road. How we respond intimes of disagreement says more about usas a community than at any other time.

Being a male, a father, a Christian, aminister and a member of the communityforces me to hold within me, thoughts thatdiffer and are contradictory. How I ordermy thoughts is very much related to mysystem of values. I have shared from myheart in the hope that others might feelconfident to share from theirs and in sodoing, we might be a step closer to creatinga community of love and trust that mightunite us rather than divide. r

Rodney Woods is the pastor of Burwood AdventistCommunity Church in Melbourne, Victoria.

Viewpoint allows RECORD readers to have their say.The views expressed are not necessarily those of theeditors or the denomination, but readers areencouraged to respond.

Prayer keysby Joy Butler

The Uplink newsletter is a resource that you canuse in your local church. It is filled with news

about what is happening around the division inPrayer Ministries. The February issue features“Church alive with pray-ers” and tells of variousgroups and initiatives that are taking placeeverywhere.

The following items are mentioned in theFebruary edition: Avondale College has a newdesignated prayer room and exciting things arehappening there. A student revival has taken placeat Macquarie College in Newcastle because ofprayer. Full details about the Wollongong church prayer ministry is included.

This Uplink is available for your church, and if you have not seen one, ask the pastor orcontact your conference or mission office. It is also available on the web site<www.adventist.org.au>. Uplink will help you grow a strong prayer life. The world needspray-ers. God is calling us to pray. r

V I E W P O I N T

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March 5, 2005

F E A T U R E

Twelve weeks ago, our churchannounced an investment project.

Each person who registered would be given$10 with a challenge to make it grow. If Isigned up, I knew what I’d do with my $10.I’d make sausage rolls; homemadewholemeal flaky pastry using a low-fatbutter with a tasty filling. The kind mymeat-eating relatives never dreamed werevegetarian. They’d go like hot cakes.

But I was too busy. Busy holding downthree part-time jobs, raising three children,being involved in children’s ministries atchurch, teaching Religious Education atschool . . .

But God and I chat, and this time it wasHim who came to me. It went like this:

God: “Investment project, Christine.Make sausage rolls.”

Me: “Now, God, where will I fit that intomy day?”

God: “I will provide time. Make sausagerolls. Glorify my name.”

Me: “But God, I’ll be inundated withorders. I won’t be able to keep up.”

God: “I am in control. Make sausagerolls. Glorify My name.”

Our chat did several circuits with minorvariations, but God knows and I know thatour silly conversations won’t go on forever.He knows that I have learned it is better tobow to His will than to produce a millionarguments against it. But He also knows Ihave to state my case. Finally:

Me: “OK, God. I’ll make sausage rolls. I’lldonate my time. I need You to provide mewith the energy and the orders. Remember,I hate to get behind, so please only sendenough orders for me to keep up with.”

Challenge God. Challenge yourself.I told five people about the fundraiser.

The word spread rapidly. The first day I sold24 dozen sausage rolls.

Each week for the next 10 weeks Isupplied between 24 and 30 dozen sausagerolls. It became a time of meditation, prayer,and songs of praise to God as I kneaded the

pastry, made the filling andformed the rolls. SometimesI got up early. Sometimes Istayed up late. By the end of10 weeks I couldn’t standthe sight of butter, pastry orsausage rolls. By the end of10 weeks my 10 dollar notehad multiplied 58 times.

God is good. God cared forme.

One week we had friendscome to stay. As is my habit,I talked to God.

“God, I’ve got peoplestaying next week. I think Ineed a little break, if it’s inYour plan.”

That week I had orders for 10 dozensausage rolls. I praised God.

God used our sausage rolls to opendoors.

I took sausage rolls to neighbours wholived alone. It provided an opportunity toshare God with them.

Glorify My name.I shared “leftovers” with a friend who has

an ailing mother. She asked to come tochurch with me. She returned home,

exclaiming over the“modern-ness” of ourchurch facility andprogram.

Glorify My name.There’s a

theory that states theway to a man’s heart isthrough his stomach.God knows this. As myagnostic husband ate a“scrappy” sausage roll,he commented: “Youmust really believe inyour church a lot to dothis.”

Glorify Myname!

“I do. But I believe in my God more.” Two days later the conversation

continued. Derek said, “I’ve decided I’llcome to church with you once a month.”

Oh, God, You have been revealed to thosewho don’t know You . . . through a humblesausage roll. r

Christine Miles writes from Auckland, NewZealand.

12

Just for childrenP

eta

Tayl

or

The humble sausage roll by Christine Miles

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March 5, 2005

Let’s rejoice!Bruce Thompson, NSW

If every one of the thousands of in-service RECORD readers is really“disinterested” (Editorial, February 5),let’s rejoice! Their lives are about tobecome “a power in the world,” and “oneof the most effective ways of winningsouls.” The Desire of Ages says, “Ourinfluence upon others depends not somuch upon what we say as upon what weare. Men may combat and defy our logic,they may resist our appeals; but a life ofdisinterested love is an argument theycannot gainsay” (pages 141, 142).

Give us a fair goBernard Beal, SNZ

In recent years many Adventistchurches have adopted what are known as“song leaders.” And they have becomeendemic to large church gatherings suchas camp-meetings. But are our “songleaders” desirable or necessary? Myanswer is no!

I say that because they usually singthrough the sound system, their artificiallyamplified voices—accompanied byartificially amplified music—dominate thecongregation’s unamplified singing,reducing it to little more than a dull,colourless, background rumble, or evendrowning it out. And virtually all the vocalcolour is dictated by the song leaders.

It appears to me that the joy ofparticipating in the worship experience—through singing—has now become thepreserve of the select few armed withmicrophones, amplifiers and batteries ofspeakers. Now that is not a fair go!

To me that is selfish and elitist.However, the solution to this inequality is

simple—prioritise the congregation’sparticipation by:

1. Banning singing through the soundsystem, except for dedicated items;

2. Turning down the volume on theinstrumentation;

3. Educating and encouraging everyone

to sing their best.This letter is not an attack on “song

leaders.” It is questioning an inherentlyflawed concept

Recognise the effortsAdrian K Muir, NNZ

In response to “A penny for yourthoughts” (Letters, February 12), in thematter of whether or not it is acceptable toGod for helpers of the Asian tsunamivictims to continue their efforts throughthe seventh day, surely the reader willquote Jesus’ words about rescuing the

sheep stuck in a pit (Matthew 11, 12).The most important thing is that those

we help recognise that while humanefforts will rebuild houses and even lives,they need to see us standing before God,acknowledging Him who not only helpsus rebuild, but is the One who preservesus just as he preserved them from thedevastating floods.

Surely it is not in their suffering thatthey will see this, but in their rest fromsuffering that they will learn about God’sholy day of rest for the people of God.

If it was acceptable for Jehoiada thepriest to recall his guards for duty for theanointing of a king on the Sabbath (2

Kings 11:5-7), how much more should webe willing to rescue those who need thehelp of the living God on the Sabbath!

Full assuranceBarbara Wood, NSW

We often refer to “that blessed hope”—of total forgiveness of sins (onrepentance), of salvation, of God’sprovision for our daily needs, and theneeds of others, of strength to cope withlife’s struggles and help others to cope also(with the aid of the Holy Spirit), and of ourrisen Saviour’s return to take us home toHis and our heavenly home, to meet upwith our departed loved ones again.

But we can look further than hope, faithand confidence, to assurance—fullassurance—which Paul emphasises atleast four times in the contexts ofunderstanding (Colossions 2:2), in thedisciples’ presentation of the gospel (1Thessalonians 1:5), in “hope unto theend” (Hebrews 6:11) and in faith(Hebrews 10:22).

Let us cling to this assurance and findeven greater comfort and strength in ourhope and faith, and be able to sing thatwonderful hymn “Blessed assurance, Jesusis mine!” with even more enthusiasm thanever.

L E T T E R S

13

Just a coincidence

But we can look further than hope, faith andconfidence, to assurance—full assurance—which

Paul emphasises at least four times.

Note: Views in Letters do not necessarily represent those of theeditors or the denomination. Letters should be less than 250words, and writers must include their name, address and phonenumber. All letters are edited to meet space and literaryrequirements, but the author’s original meaning will not bechanged. Not all letters received are published. See masthead(page 2) for contact details.

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March 5, 2005

N O T I C E B O A R D

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AppreciationMills, Valerie and family sincerely thankall who visited, phoned and sent flowersand cards during the illness and passingof Carvell, their dearly loved husbandand father.

WeddingsCavilla—Stafford. Captain Christo-pher Derek Cavilla, son of Derek and JanetCavilla (Maida Vale, WA), and Dr WendyMay Stafford, daughter of Pastor Gordonand Mary Stafford (Carmel), were marriedon 23.1.05 in the Bickley Adventistchurch. Gordon Stafford

Hokin—Coltheart. Dale Hokin, son ofBevan and Di Hokin (Chittaway Bay,NSW), and Anneli Coltheart, daughter ofAlvin and Pirjo Coltheart (Tewantin,Qld), were married on 4.2.05 on RockyPoint Island, Balmoral, NSW.

Garth Bainbridge

Humphries—Clark. Christopher LukeHumphries, son of Darrell and PamelaHumphries (Burleigh Waters, Qld), andRachel Jeanette Clark, daugher of Colinand Gail Clark (Cooranbong, NSW),were married on 30.1.05 at Brunkerville.

Wes Tolhurst

Shaw—Allen. Kevin Raymond Shaw,son of Geoff and Shirley Shaw (Quirini,NSW), and Heather Joy Allen, daughter ofGlenda and the late Clifford Allen (Gatton,Qld), were married on 23.1.05 at the Cen-tral Adventist church, Toowoomba.

John Rabbas, Frank Cantrill

ObituariesBrown, Dorothy (nee Baker), born29.6.1913 at Timaru, NZ; died 18.3.04 atChristchurch. On 26.12.32 she marriedBert. She is survived by her children andtheir spouses, Kathleen and Stanley Mills,Lorraine and Brent Rundle-Valentine (allof Christchurch), and Malcolm (Brisbane,Qld); her 10 grandchildren; and 14 great-grandchildren. Dorothy was a member ofPapanui church for 65 years and veryactive in welfare work during this time.

Ricky Howe

Brown, Philip Albert John (Bert), born12.4.1911 at Christchurch, NZ; died22.12.04 at Christchurch. On 26.12.32 hemarried Dorothy, who predeceased him on18.3.04. He is survived by his children andtheir spouses, Kathleen and Stanley Mills,Lorraine and Brent Rundle-Valentine (allof Christchurch), and Malcolm (Brisbane,Qld); his 10 grandchildren; and 14 great-grandchildren. Bert served in WWII inEgypt and Italy, and worked for SanitariumHealth Food Company for 26 years.

Ricky Howe

Fisher, Mayven Joan (nee Matthias), born12.5.1917 at North Adelaide, SA; died28.1.05 in the Reynella Lodge NursingHome, Reynella. On 17.2.44 she marriedFrederick, who predeceased her 1.7.97.She was also predeceased by her brother,Ralph; and her stepsister, Paula Sharley.She is survived by her son and daughter-in-law, Gary and Cristina; her brother,Lionel (Victor Harbour); her stepsister,Carolyn Matthias (Adelaide); and her twograndchildren. Joan’s family had earlylinks with the Murray Bridge church,where Joan taught the children’s Sabbathschool class for many years. Joan andFrederick were active members of theBrighton church. Morrie Munyard

Griffiths, Edna (nee Simpson), born12.12.1915; died 10.1.05 at the Adven-tist Retirement Village Nursing Home,Victoria Point, Qld. She was buriedbeside her husband, Bill, in the Avon-dale Cemetery., Cooranbong, NSW. Sheis survived by her son, Peter; her son

and daughter-in-law, Kevin and Loretta;and her two granddaughters.

Rex Cobbin

Hammond, Charles William, eldest sonof the late Pastor and Mrs T W Hammond,born 13.7.1912 in Auckland, NZ; died27.12.04 at Brisbane, Qld. He was prede-ceased by his wife, Vera (nee Ridgeway);and his brother, Dr Brian Hammond. He issurvived by his daughter, Pamela Farring-ton; his sons, Charles, Peter and John; hissiblings, Pastor Wal Hammond (Morisset,NSW); and Joan Landgren (Melbourne,Vic); his nine grandchildren; and fivegreat-grandchildren. A graduate of SydneyUniversity, he spent most of his life in pri-vate medical practice.

Joan Landgren, Wal Hammond

Keegan, Mary Barbara, born 7.8.1922 atHokitika, NZ; died 3.2.05 at Maraetai,Auckland. She was predeceased by herhusband, Roy. She is survived by her chil-dren and their spouses, Chris and Chris-tine, Annette and James, and Janice; andher grandchildren, Shane, Jasmine, Reeceand Josh. She loved Jesus and her churchfamily. “Her bright smile and gentle naturewill be remembered in our hearts forever.Meet you on that golden morning.”

Grant BurtonGeoff Garne, Ben Timothy

Lewis, Annie Phyllis Lewis, born6.2.1914 at Taralga, NSW; died 4.2.04 inGoulburn Base Hospital. She is survivedby her children, Keith, Norma, Roger, Rus-sell, John, Colleen, Wendy, Lesley and Vic-tor; her many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Phyllis’s love for the Lordand her strong faith to the end was a wit-ness to all her family and friends. She willbe greatly missed. Nicu Dumbrava

Menzies, Olive Jean (nee Jerrett), born21.7.1922 at Dangers Creek, Armidale,NSW; died suddenly 29.1.05 at home inCooranbong, after feeling unwell atchurch. On 17.12.55 she married Ian, whopredeceased her on 10.7.78. She is sur-vived by her children and their spouses,Judith and Pastor Alvin Schick (CentralCoast), and Philip and Janice (Cooran-bong). Olive was much loved by grand-children, Arron, Jordan and Olivia-JadeSchick and Steven and Erin Menzies.

Ross Goldstone, Mel LemkeLyndon Schick, Alvin Schick

Merritt, Frank, born 6.10.1923 atSheffield, England; died 21.12.04 at CoffsHarbour Health Campus, Coffs Harbour,NSW. He was predeceased by his first wife,Janett, in 1975. On 23.2.87 he marriedAnne Walsh. He is survived by his wife

(Coffs Harbour); his daughter and son-in-law, Terry and Mike; his daughters Susanand Ann; his stepson and spouse, Stephenand Paul Walsh; and his stepdaughter,Judy Walsh (all of Sydney). Sadly missedby all who knew him. Eric Greenwell

Muir, David Bowman, at Albion,Qld; died 28.1.05 at the Adventist Retire-ment Village Nursing Home, VictoriaPoint. He was predeceased by his wife,Flo. Dave, a carpenter, and Flo, a nurse,worked for some time at Mirriwinni Gar-dens; he as a carpenter and Flo as a cook.They retired to the Adventist RetirementVillage in 1995. Selwyn Bartlett, Judy Fua

Waring, Abagail (Ida, nee Setters), born10.12.1923 at Auckland, NZ; died 1.1.05at the Adventist Retirement Village Nurs-ing Home, Victoria Point, Qld. On 4.5.46she married Jack. She is survived by herhusband; her children, Gail, Glenys,Richard (all of Melbourne, Vic), John(Albany, WA), Philip (Collie), Lindsay(Sydney, NSW); their spouses; his 13grandchildren; and seven great-grandchil-dren. Ida bore adversity bravely, includinga fall in hospital resulting in many bonefractures. While a member of the Long-burn College church from 1968 to 1972,she was regarded by many students as amother for her care and hospitality. She iswell remembered also for her kindlynature and good humour.

Miroslav StilinovicOrm Speck, Ken Davey

Wiesbauer, Franz Adolf (Adi), born3.3.1934 at Moosham, Austria; died29.1.05 while attending the East Prahanchurch, Vic. He is survived by his wife,Ruth; and his daughters, Gabriele Bujorand Irene Kocur (all of Melbourne).

Brian Lawty

Wynstra-Elgar, Sjoerdtje (Joy), born24.8.1917 at Friesland, Netherlands; died24.1.05 in John Hunter Hospital, Newcas-tle, NSW. In September 1941 she marriedAlle Wynstra, who predeceased her in1968. In 1972 she married Bill Elgar, whopredeceased her in 1994. She was also pre-deceased by her son, Peter Wynstra, in1984. She is survived by her daughters,Maaike Craig, Les Wynstra, Jann Gibbsand Aleida Puller; and her stepchildren,Glenn, Lesley Wilmott and John Elgar; her12 grandchildren; her 10 step-grandchil-dren; 11 great-grandchildren; and eightstep-great-grandchildren (all of NSW).Bryan Craig, Russell Gibbs, Graeme Loftus

Yates, Nancy Jean, born 11.2.1923 atFootscray, Vic; died 10.2.05 in John Cur-tain Nursing Home, Creswick. On 30.6.45

Position vacant▲ Director of Ellen G White Research Centre (Cooranbong, NSW)—theSeventh-day Adventist Church, on behalf of Avondale College and the Ellen GWhite Research Centre, is seeking to appoint a Director for the centre. Furtherinformation can be obtained by visiting the Positions Vacant section of the SPD website at <http://adventist.org.au/employment>. All inquiries should be directed toColin Clark, Director of Human Resources, SDA (SPD) Ltd, Locked Bag 2014,Wahroonga NSW 2076; email <cclark@adventist.org.au>; fax (02) 9489 0943;phone (02) 9847 3208. Applications close March 8, 2005. The appointing bodyreserves the right to fill this position at its discretion.

Fly’n’build Teams (Lae and Rabaul,PNG)—to construct new ladies hosteland new mission office. Carpenters,blocklayers and labourers. Accommo-dation provided. Term: 2–6 weeks,commencing August.

Youth Worker—South Brisbane SDAchurch (Qld)—to be involved in allaspects of ministry with particularemphasis on the older teen and youngyouth age group. Youth leadershipexperience and one year minimum oftertiary education required. Accom-modation, stipend and vehicle provid-ed. Term: 12 months, commencingimmediately.

ESL Teacher—Cambodia AdventistSchool (Cambodia)—to teach Eng-lish. Accommodation and stipendprovided. Term: 11–12 months,commencing immediately.

Email:<volunteers@adventist.org.au>.

For more positions, check the webon <www.adventistvolunteers.org>

+61 2 9847 3275

Volunteers!

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she married Edward (Ted). She is survivedby her husband (Creswick); her daughter,Beverley Chamberlain (Bendigo); herbrother, Pastor Graeme Bradford (Kariong,NSW); and her sister, June Burnett (Mel-bourne, Vic). Nancy was an active memberof the Ballarat church for many years andbecame an early member of the GrevilleaChapel church when it was formed. Illhealth unfortunately forced her into a lessactive role, but didn’t diminish her faithand love for her Lord.

Mike Francis, Tom Arnold

AdvertisementsNote: Neither the editor, Signs Publish-ing Company, nor the Seventh-dayAdventist Church is responsible for thequality of goods or services advertised.Publication does not indicate endorse-ment of a product or service. Advertise-ments approved by the editor will beinserted at the following rates: first 30words or less, $A44; each additionalword, $A2.20. For your advertisement toappear, payment must be enclosed. Clas-sified advertisements in RECORD are avail-able to Seventh-day Adventist members,churches and institutions only. See mast-head (page 2) for contact details.

3-bedroom home at Holland Park(Brisbane) close to all amenities, bus,shops, schools and churches. Satelliteavailable, ie 3ABN and Hope channels.Rent $A250 per week. Phone (07) 33420899 or 0411 117 115.

Giant book sale—its 10th year.4000+ books. March special: 20% dis-count on any book sales on already low-low prices. Readers, lay-preachers, Sab-bath school teachers. Theology, E GWhite, Bibles, Christian novels, biogra-phies etc. Non-alcoholic wine. Fire blan-kets and First-Aid kits—compare ourprice. Make a calendar note now.Nunawading church, Central Road,Nunawading, Vic. Sunday, March 20, 11am–3 pm. Proceeds church building fund.

Data projectors, screens, soundequipment, TVs, DVD players,VCRs, PA systems. Rural ElectronicsOrange is run by an Adventist couplecommitted to helping SDAs to get a bet-ter deal for their churches, schools,homes etc. Avondale College, Wahroon-ga and many NSW churches helpedalready. DVD players on special for$A99 (Australia and NZ only). Formore information phone Trish (02)6361 3636; email <ruralele@bigpond.net.au>.

Funeral directors—K & E Swan-borough. Compassionate and professionalcare at an affordable cost from those whounderstand. Obligation-free advice on allyour funeral requirements, including pre-planning. Phone (07) 3800 9655 24 hours.

Holiday flat—Kingscliff, NSW.Lovely flat. Everything supplied.Cheapest on coast, less than caravanparks. Great weather, beaches. All yourneeds. Jim Cherry, 13 Orient Street,Kingscliff 2487. (02) 6674 2302.

Wahroonga Adventist School Cen-tenary—May 20, 21, 22. Join us incelebrating 100 years! A weekend filledwith memories, fellowship and apprecia-tion. Please register now for your infor-mation pack. (02) 9487 2100 or<info@wahroonga.adventist.edu.au>.

Wanted—Structural/Civil Engineers,Structural Draftspersons, MechanicalEngineers and Mechanical Draftspersons,offering full-time employment. Refer ad inDecember 4 issue for more information.To find out more phone 0417 535 546 orapply in writing to the Manager, PO Box1549, Wodonga, Vic 3689.

www.aucsda.com—Australian UnionConference web site. Do you have a min-istry idea to share? Or are you needingassistance? Check out the new IdeasExchange forum.

Christian television available now24/7. Satellite kits only $A325 (+freight)and your purchase price includes a dona-tion to Adventist Media to expand satellitebroadcasting. Six Christian channels avail-able now, free to air—no further charges(Australia & NZ only). Phone Rural Elec-tronics on (02) 6361 3636; email<ruralele@bigpond.net.au>.

Practical soul-winning educationfor SDA laypeople. Personal evangel-ism, Bible work, agriculture, medical mis-sionary evangelism, natural remedies.Short and one- and two-year programs inbeautiful Bellingen/Dorrigo NSW. Smallclasses and daily practical experience!

General Conference/St Louis. ●Accommodation. ●Flights. ●Group rates.Contact Anita at Allround Travel Centre;phone (07) 5530 3555; fax (07) 55303846; email <alltrav@bigpond.net.au>.

Go Veg for delicious vegetarian pies,schnitzels, lasagnas and more.Fundraising packages available.<http://www.goveg.com.au/>; 21 BerryStreet, Granville NSW; (02) 9897 0000.Wednesday–Friday, 10.30 am to 4.00 pm.Delivery available Sydney area, conditionsapply.

Employment solutions. We are special-ists in assisting businesses manage theirentry-level staffing requirements. PhoneGlobalone Group Training (02) 4393 6643or visit <www.globalonegt.com.au>.

Wanted! Information on uni stu-dents. 70% of Adventist young peopleleave the church after entering university.Please help the Adventist Student Associa-tion (ASA) support uni students, especial-ly those who have left home, by providingus with information on students athttp://www.myasa.org/ or sending an emailto <jetw0357@mail.usyd.edu.au>; orphoning James Etwell on 0401 205 180.

FinallyThe phrase that is guaranteedto wake up an audience: “Andin conclusion.”

N O T I C E B O A R D

March 5, 2005 15

Contact Greg or FayPh (02) 9989 8355 Fax (02) 9989 8340 acfi@avondale.org.au

PO Box 502, Wahroonga NSW 2076

ACF Investments LTD 25 YEAR S O F S E RVI C E

$4 0 M I LLI O N I N D E P O S ITS

GREATRATES

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Become Our Partner Helping Avondale

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