“Mission and Stewardship are the two wings of the church which maintain its stability. It is through mission that un-entered lands are entered and un-reached hearts are reached. Then it is the ministry of stewardship that trains them as disciples and keeps them as stewards of God until the Lord comes” said Kwon JohngHaeng, Stewardship Ministries director of the NSD as he welcomed the delegates to the 2nd NSD Stewardship Summit met on June 1 and 2, 2012, in Chinngis Khan Hotel, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. The first summit was held in May, 2004 in Jeju, Korea.
Many members think of tithe and offerings as they hear the word “stewardship.” The concept of stewardship started from creation when God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground," long before first tithe and offering were returned to God.
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2012 NSD Stewardship Summit Attendees ( * Click to see a bigger image)
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Dr. Erica Puni, GC Stewarship Ministries Director
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Stewardship Summit Attendees paying attention to the presentation
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Dr. Larry Evans, GC Stewardship Ministries Associate Director giving presentation
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Stewardship Summit Attendees earnestly praying together
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Group picture of the main speakers and translators
All the officers and departmental directors from the division, union officers, conference presidents, Stewardship Ministries’ directors of unionsand conferences, deans of theology departments from the colleges and university, and others were invited. Dr. Jairyong Lee, NSD President introduced the stewardship idea from the parables in Matthew 25 related to the last events of Matthew 24 in his welcome message.
Stewardship leaders from the General Conference, Dr. Erika Puni, Stewardship Ministries Director and Dr. Larry Evans, former under-secretary of the GC, now Associate director for the department were the major presenters for the summit.
Those who attended the summit responded, “I was very refreshed and blessed by the stewardship lectures,”“now I have a clearer understanding of stewardship which does not have to do with only money, tithe,or offering, but the life of born again Christians."
The summit wrapped up with recommendations to the leaders of the church and organizations, such as recommendation to the conference/mission/field to appoint full time Stewardship directors, theology departmentsto include the biblical approach to Stewardship to their curriculums and etc.
Article by Kwon JohngHaeng, Stewardship Ministries Director
* Click to see a bigger image