October 31-November 4, 2013, the Annual Council of the Northern Asia-Pacific Division (NSD) has brought to Ilsan, Korea together 80 church administrators and leaders from the various levels of organizations, representing the General Conference, Unions, Conferences, Mission/Field, local churches, and institutions for the church business and mission works in the NSD territories.
Prior to the annual council meetings, on October 29 the officers from the NSD, Chinese Union Mission, Korean Union Conference, Japan Union Conference, Taiwan Conference, and Mongolia Mission Field, met with NSD officers to share and discuss about many different agenda for enhancing the gospel mission. October 30, they visited NSD departmental directors for the interviews on the each departmental works.
“Urban Ministry”-Mission to the Cities was highlighted at the Council on Evangelism & Witness on October 31. Pastor Gerson Santos, GC Urban Ministry Director, impressed participants with the presentations of some successful urban mission models and stories. He emphasized that our churches should be “Church for the City” that commits itself to seeking the Shalom, the flourishing, of the city, and loves the city and proclaims the truth of Scripture with passion, clarity, and boldness. Currently there are 125 cities with more than 1 million people in the NSD territories: China 88, Japan 18, South Korea 11, Taiwan 6, Mongolia 1, North Korea 1.
During the year-end meetings, the reports of departments, institutions, and special mission projects were presented to the delegates, and they voted for approving annual budget, policy changes, the appointment of three officers for the Mongolia Mission, and adopting the GC mission initiatives. As the Mongolia Mission Field is being re-organized to the Mongolia Mission, Elbert Kuhn as President, Bold Batsukh as Secretary, Joseph Allan Deblois as Treasury, were appointed. The MM constituency meeting will be held on November 18, 2013.
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2013 NSD Annual Council delegates and invitees
NSD officers during the Annual Council session
Dr. Akeri Suzuki, NSD Executive Secretary welcomes the delegates at the beginning of the NSD Annaul Council
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Dr. Jairyong Lee, NSD President leads the Annual Council
NSD AC delegates from the Mongolia Mission
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Geoffrey G. Mbwana, GC General Vice President speaks to the NSD AC delegates
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NSD Religious Liberty and North Korea Mission Conference participants
John Graz, GC PARL Director(R) and Dr. SiYoung Kim, NSD PARL Director(L) speaks during the NSD Religious Freedom Conference
2013 NSD Pioneer Mission Movement dedication ceremony
2013 Pioneer Mission Movement mssionaries. This time 7 missionaries volunteered.
The newly introduced global initiatives are as follows:
1. Global Leaves Initiative
To distribute 1 billion pieces of books, magazines, tracts, and etc. between June 2010 to June 2015.
2. World Mass Distribution Day
To encourage the mass distribution of the 2014 Mission Book, “Beyond Imagination” within the NSD territory in 2014. (Mass Distribution Day: April 19, Distribution Week: April 20-25)
3. Reaping God’s Harvest – GC Evangelistic Initiative
To reap God’s Harvest with encouraging all Seventh-day Adventist Church employees and every member to be actively involved in some form of evangelistic outreach to lead someone to Christ between July 2014 and June 2015.
4. It’s Time – The Urgency of Urban Mission
To engage the collective resources of the global church in establishing a Seventh-day Adventist presence and needs-based ministry in cities of 1 million or more that have no Adventist congregation and, in all other cities of 1 million or more, to improve the ratio of members and worshipping groups to population.
5. Comprehensive Health Ministry
To embrace and follow Jesus’ mission of loving service with providing the physical, mental, social, and spiritual needs of their communities. From January 2014 to Year 2020, a stepwise plan in three major phases is to (1) re-enforce the importance of Comprehensive Health Ministry (January 2014-2015), (2) equip church leaders and members (2015-2016), and (3) reach the community through Health Ministry (2016-2020).
“Why do we all these initiatives? It is to turn everyone back to the Bible, because the “END” is approaching fast!” said John Tomas, the GC Associate Secretary and AVS Director at the opening worship time.
Geoffrey G. Mbwana , GC General Vice President appealed to the attendees for the urgency of the Mission to the Cities at the morning devotional presentation. “IT IS TIME for Urgency of Urban Mission! Let us shout loud and clear “Jesus is coming soon!” We are facing with challenge of mission to the cities. More than 500 cities with a population of 1 million, and 237 are in the 10/40 window that we are living now. Average of 1 Adventists to 89,000 people, 100 cities with less than 1 Adventist to 20,000, 45 cities with less than 10 Adventists, 43 cities without a single Adventist!” presented Mbwana with a strong emphasis that “Jesus want the cities to be saved.”
Huge Challenges are bring opportunities to us, but sometimes the fear can interfere with our mission works. The NSD President Jairyong Lee encouraged delegates, saying “Let us not be afraid of anything in the world except God. If we feel a fear, at that moment trust in the Lord! Even though Jericho’s wall is so high, but we can conquer it by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
In conjunction with the Annual Council, at the beginning of Sabbath on Friday evening, November 1, a special event, “Religious Liberty Conference & Pray for the North Korea” was organized by the GC, NSD, and KUC Public Affairs & Religious Liberty (PARL) Departments, taking place at the Sahmyook Central Church in the compound of the Seoul Adventist Hospital in Seoul. The vital importance of the religious freedom was emphasized by the GC PARL Director John Graz and other speakers. Also the Dongdaemoon-gu District Mayor Ryu, Duk Yeol attended to give a special remark to the audience.
Following the night, in the Sabbath morning, November 2, the PMM dedication service was held for 8 Pastors who are going to be sent to 6 foreign areas including Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Kosovo, and other region. The PMM families will serve from the year 2014 for 6 years including the first-one year local language study in their assigned foreign countries.