The 2016 NSD Annual Council was held at the office headquarters of the Northern Asia-Pacific Division (NSD) from November 1 to 7, 2016. This was the second yearend meeting since the 2015 General Conference session. Last year the NSD presented “ Vision One Million 2020” and its roadmap, and this year the committee members confirmed to move forward toward the goal. In order to accomplish the 1-million membership goal by 2020, they suggested that Total Member Involvement should be continually emphasized and practiced.
NSD president Jairyong Lee said in his presidential report, “When we work together with ‘Mission First’ spirit, when every member is involved in the mission of the church, and through the power of the Holy Spirit, we will surely reach a membership of one million by the year 2020.” He added that “Mission First in All Activities” should be daily practiced by every ecclesiastical entity, including church organizations.
During the meetings, the reports from the NSD departments, unions, and institutions highlighted mission activities with hopeful messages for Vision One Million 2020. The report on the public evangelistic series by Mark Finley from October 1 to 9, 2016, in Nanjing, China, was especially encouraging to the delegates. Thousands of people attended the meetings every day, and 218 people were baptized and many others decided to study the Bible further for baptism. We pray that the Lord will open the door of evangelism more widely in the large cities of China.
Following the China evangelistic report, the “Hope 2020” initiative, which focuses on Total Member Involvement with an expectation of great mission accomplishment, was introduced in the report by Korean Union Conference. Japan Union Conference shared their historical plan, “All Japan 2018 Maranatha.” They will hold simultaneous public evangelistic meetings in 100 places in Japan in 2018, which will implement Total Member Involvement.
In Mongolia Mission (MM), 198 people were baptized on a single Sabbath through the public evangelistic meetings which took place simultaneously at 13 churches/companies from September 3 to 10, 2016. The number of baptisms was the highest in the Mission’s history. In Taiwan, the month of December will be a historic month of soul harvesting because they are about to hold evangelistic meetings in three large cities: Taipei, Taichung, and Tainan.
The three MM officers were elected prior to the MM constituency meeting. Kim YoHan, Bold Batsukh, and Jorge Silva were re-elected as president, secretary, and treasurer, respectively. On Sabbath, November 5, the delegates and invitees participated in the dedication service of the five new Pioneer Mission Movement (PMM) pastors and their families at the SDA Language School Headquarters Church. Among the participants were leaders from the General Conference, including vice president Abner De los Santos, undertreasurer Ray Wahlen, associate secretary Karen Porter, and the Sabbath school and personal ministries director Duane McKey.