The 2009 PREXAD began with a walk back into Adventist history. After flying from the different parts of the Northern Asia Pacific Division territory we were met at the Xiamen, Fujian Province, China airport by John Jang, the Chief Operating Officer of the Xiamen Mea Hua Health Center. A short bus ride, then a short ferry ride brought the participants to the small island of Gulangyu where they began the twenty minute walk to the Health Center which was originally built by B.L. Andersen, one of the first official Seventh-day Adventist missionaries to China.

The building with its locally quarried stone, pillars of a single piece of granite,  was built in 1934 with funds donate by Andersen and his wife on a large tract of land purchased by the General Conference. The Andersen’s also established a chicken farm and dairy herd to teach the value of manual labor along with the ABC’s. Today there is still a stone walk down to the ferry where the alphabet is carved into the stones to assist in the learning.

Tuesday, September 15, included a visit to sites of interest in Xiamen. The highlight of this tour was the visit to the Xiamen Adventist Church. This church is currently located on a corner lot where five streets come together providing excellent visibility for the one year old building. Current church membership is 500. In meeting with the pastoral staff, Adventist pastor Fang Wen Liang, also Vice Chairman of the Christian Council of Churches, introduced to the group 93 year old Pastor Chen.

Pastor Chen was raised in a Sunday keeping church family. He received his Theological training in a Sunday keeping seminary and became a pastor of a Sunday keeping church. A cousin in the United States wrote and encouraged him to become acquainted with Adventists. Shortly thereafter the Adventist Union President came to Xiamen to hold meeting. Pastor Chen was asked to be the song leader for the meetings, he still loves to sing. This led him to take his stand for the truth as it is in Jesus in spite of great opposition from his family and fellow Sunday keeping pastors. Throughout the Cultural Revolution Pastor Chen nurtured a small group of believers by secretly meeting in his home. He was arrested and imprisoned for this activity. He believes it was a miracle that he was set free by a judge who seemed to be a secret believer. Still strong and active at 93, Pastor Chen is looking forward to the day when he will see the face of his loving Lord.

PREXAD is the yearly meeting of the Union and field presidents with the division officers to share ideas and plans. This year’s meeting included topics such as Union of Churches, Preparations for the 2010 General Conference, His Hands Mission Movement and the Pioneer Mission Movement among other business items.

Joshua Shin, NSD Youth Director and Golden Angels coordinator gave a report of the activities of the Golden Angels. He also laid out plans for this singing group for the next year.