From September 15 to 18, 2014, the leaders of the Northern Asia-Pacific Division (NSD) and leaders of conferences under the NSD umbrella gathered for the President’s Executive Advisory Committee (PREXAD) meeting to discuss major NSD projects. Following are some brief notes on what was discussed in the meeting.
- The progress of the “Mission to the Cities” project in each country was reported. “Mission to the Cities” is a General Conference-wide initiative. Japan Union Mission recorded a larger number of baptisms than usual as a result of the Tokyo13 project. The results of UB14 in Mongolia and Taipei14 in Taiwan were also hopeful.
- The highlights of Mission Day from within the NSD territory were reported, and again, the importance of Mission Day was confirmed. Mission Day will continue, and around 150 institutions and more than 13,000 workers will have an opportunity to re-check their mission spirit once a year on Mission Day.
- The issues of retention and youth participation in church were included in the agenda. The future of the Adventist Church will not be bright if young people keep leaving the church. An opinion was voiced that innovations in church programs and services are required to retain youth members. A balance between conventional styles and new church cultures is needed to retain both the old and the young.
Additionally, the delegates dealt with various other subjects, such as ASi (Adventist laymen’s Services and Industries), NSD Jeju Leadership Training Center, CLAP (Communication & Leadership Advancement Program), Hope TV Broadcasting, Extraordinary Tithe Funding Mission Projects, Health Ministry Program, etc. NSD
president Jairyong Lee cited Ellen White’s Testimonies for the Church, which says, “The church of Christ on earth was organized for missionary purposes, and the Lord desires to see the entire church devising ways and means whereby high and low, rich and poor, may hear the message of truth,” emphasizing again that all Adventist churches and institutions must focus on mission first.
After the meeting, delegates visited several Adventist institutions, including Taiwan Adventist Hospital, Taiwan Signs of Times Publishing Association, Chinese Hope TV studio, Taipei Adventist American School at Yang Ming Shan, the old office of SCIUM (South China Island Union Mission), and NSD Taiwan Branch Office. This was the first official visit to these institutions after the reorganization of the Chinese Union Mission. The next PREXAD meeting will take place next March in China.