The Chinese Union Mission (CHUM) held its 6th Constituency Session and its annual council on the campus of Hong Kong Adventist College, Clearwater Bay, Hong Kong, from December 1 to 3, 2015. The theme of the Session was Reach the World, which is also the theme of our global mission designated by the General Conference for the next five years. More than 130 delegates, including administrators, departmental directors, lay members, frontline workers, from the Northern Asia-Pacific Division (NSD), the Chinese Union, the Hong Kong-Macao Conference (HKMC) and the UT attended the Session.
Elder Yutaka Inada, executive secretary of NSD, spoke during the morning devotional on the first day of the Session. He told the stories of William Grainger, the first Adventist missionary to Japan, to show that no matter how insignificant one individual missionary may seem to be, with God’s help, the individual can accomplish great work for God. William Grainger was the neighbor and the first convert of Abraham La Rue, the first unofficial Adventist missionary to China.
Elder Jairyong Lee, president of NSD, spoke the next morning. In his message, Elder Lee reminded the audience how important it is to trust in the Lord. He said that the Adventist evangelism in NSD territories is facing more and more difficulties as the societies everywhere is becoming more materialistic and secular. The Adventist churches have limited resources. But as long as we submit all the talents and resources into the hands of Jesus, no matter how small they may be, Jesus can multiply them to achieve greater results just like what He did to the five loaves of bread and the two fish.
On the third morning, Elder Johng-Haeng Kwon, director of Stewardship Department at NSD, spoke. In regard to Vision One Million 2020, a goal of reaching one million membership set by the NSD leadership in its territories by the year 2020, Kwon reminded every listener that it is still very possible to reach this seemingly difficult goal by the end of next five years. He used the historical fulfillment of the biblical prophecy regarding the fatally wounded beast (Rev. 13:3) to demonstrate that things will happen according to God’s will. Kwon said that once the Holy Spirit pours down upon us, we’ll finish His work within a short period of time.
The delegates at the Session elected the new departmental directors, executive committee members and various boards at different institutions in the CHUM territories. The Chinese Adventists look forward to working together to grow God’s Kingdom in unprecedented ways in the next five years.