The 2016 Northern Asia-Pacific Division (NSD) Publishing Ministries Advisory was held from June 14 to 15, 2016, at the NSD headquarters, Ilsan, Korea. The general theme for the advisory was “Reach Everyone.”
Twenty-three publishing leaders participated in this advisory, including two publishing ministries directors from the General Conference (GC) and fifteen publishing ministries leaders from the unions and attached conference and mission.
Six publishing house managers and leaders were from Signs of Times Publishing Association (STPA), Fukuinsya (Japan Publishing House) and Sijosa (Korean Publishing House). Prior to the NSD publishing advisory, the GC and NSD publishing directors visited the Sijosa and listened to aninspiring report by the publishing house leadership and spent an hour touring the publishing house.
This advisory was expected to be an opportunity to review the past with gratitude and to look to the future—how to strengthen the Publishing Ministries Department and the publishing houses within our division territory. The participants interacted and fellowshipped with each other.
They enjoyed a wonderful time together, sharing, planning and praying together, and focusing on how to come up with more effective ways to enhance Publishing Ministries in this huge territory.
Many inspirational presentations on the subjects of “Mission and Vision of Publishing Ministries,” “2017 Missionary Book,” “Community Impact Day,” “Full-time, Part-time and Student Literature Evangelists,” and “Local Church Publishing Coordinator, Publishing Council” were shared by Elder Almir Marroni, GC publishing director, and Elder Wilmar Hirle, GC associate publishing director. Pastor Stanley Ng, NSD publishing director, also shared with the group a presentation on “Publishing Ministries and Vision One Million 2020” and “NSD 5-Year Publishing Strategic Plans.”
Every afternoon, an hour was set aside for group discussion. Agenda items included evaluation of the Publishing Department and publishing house, functions and responsibilities of the Publishing Ministries Department, 2017 missionary-book promotion and distribution plan, publishing reporting system, NSD Publishing Ministries Department policies, etc.
On the last day, the participants were divided into three different language groups—Chinese, Japanese and Korean—to discuss the topics, “What are the reasons behind the declining result of Literature Evangelist Program?” and “What can we do to change the scenario?” The different language groups reported back to the big group with many good and constructive ideas and suggestions.
During the two-day advisory, the publishing houses displayed their latest published books. Together with all participants, we praise God for His guidance and blessings on our publishing houses and through the printed pages. Our publications are like the leaves of autumn that must be multiplied and scattered around the world. The advisory was concluded with a dedicatory prayer by our World Church publishing director Elder Almir Marroni, on behalf of all publishing leaders to recommit our lives to this sacred and solemn responsibility of publishing ministries.
Stanley Ng
Director, NSD Publishing Ministries