How busy this time of year seems to be for us all. With Thanksgiving past it seems as though Christmas is upon us almost immediately. I know for many of our churches the Christmas season is a very busy time. A number of our churches are doing walks through Bethlehem or live nativity scenes. Also, special musical programs are taking place in a number of churches throughout the Conference. I think it is very appropriate that we use this time of year to remind our communities what the Christmas season is truly about.
I think of the words of Ellen White who said:
"As the twenty-fifth of December is observed to commemorate the birth of Christ, as the children have been instructed by precept and example that this was indeed a day of gladness and rejoicing, you will find it a difficult matter to pass over this period without giving it some attention. It can be made to serve a very good purpose." Adventist Home p. 478 What a good thing it is when the church has this global opportunity to remind the world that Jesus was born, lived and died that we might have redemption from our sins.
As I travel throughout North and South Carolina I never cease to be amazed as I pass by a shopping center the number of cars and snarls of traffic that I encounter this time of year. It is a special time when we are able to give gifts to our family. Sometimes I have been asked if I thought it appropriate for us to give gifts to one another at this time of year. Again, I think of the counsel of the Spirit of Prophecy:
"The holiday season is fast approaching with its interchange of gifts, and old and young are intently studying what they can bestow upon their friends as a token of affectionate remembrance. It is pleasant to receive a gift, however, small, from those we love. It is an assurance that we are not forgotten, and seems to bind us to them a little closer...It is right to bestow upon one another tokens of love and remembrance if we do not in this forget God, our best friend. We should make our gifts such as will prove a real benefit to the receiver. I would recommend such books as will be an aid in understanding the word of God or that will increase our love for its precepts. Provide something to be read during these long winter evenings." Adventist Home p. 479.
As we enjoy the Christmas season I hope we each will remember in our own hearts what Jesus has done for us and what He means to us personally. Also, I hope that as we make out our gift list we will put Him at the top of our list for a special gift at this time of the year.
I know many of you will be traveling during the coming weeks. Please know that all of you are in my prayers for safety and God's blessing. What a beautiful thing it is to be part of God's church and to realize that we serve a God who was willing to leave the splendors of heaven to come and be born in a simple manger. As I reflect upon this I can only say, 'what manner of love is this..? May God bless you every one.
Your friend,
Jim
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
What an incredibly busy and blessed time the last few weeks have been! For two Sabbaths in October I was blessed to be part of Eastern Carolina Camp meeting. This year because of a change in policy at Oak Island, our venue for the last 25 years, we were forced to approach eastern Carolina camp meeting differently. Let me tell you how God blessed that change.
Our first site was at Greenville, NC on Sabbath, October 16. The day dawned sunny and beautiful. The church family at Greenville had worked tirelessly to serve as our hosts for the day. Our speaker was Ty Gibson, well-known Adventist speaker and author. In planning for the event we simply didn't know how to plan since we had never done camp meeting in this way. Since the most we had ever had in 25 years at Oak island was 500 we decided to plan on 300 for Greenville since we were doing the same program the next week for southern eastern Carolina in Summerville, SC. By church time in Greenville there were 650 people present! What a joy to worship together. At lunch time God multiplied the loaves and fishes and no one went away hungry. In the afternoon the blessing trio presented a musical concert, the apostle Matthew presented the Sermon on the Mount, and Ty Gibson concluded with a final message.
The next Sabbath the same identical program was held in Summerville, SC. Again, what a beautiful job the Summerville church family did as they served as host for this convocation. They even provided shuttle bus service to an offsite parking lot for overflow parking. Here over 350 people were in attendance! Thus for the first time there were nearly 1,000 people in attendance at Eastern Carolina Camp meeting. What a beautiful spirit God provided as we enjoyed these two Sabbaths together. Many people at both sites expressed a desire that we continue to have camp meeting in this way which the camp meeting committee is already making plans to do.
When the Oak Island facility told us of their changes in policy which made it prohibitive to continue we were concerned about what we should do. But God was guiding all along (as He always does) and blessed beyond measure. Certainly God is good!
On the final weekend of October the ChurchWorks team of the North American Division devoted the entire weekend to our Carolina family. Dr. Ron Clouzet, director of the North American Division Evangelism Institute, Dr. Ed Schmidt, Professor at Andrews University, and Dr. Rod and Donna Willey, laypersons from the Illinois conference, presented the ChurchWorks Again program in five different locations across the Conference. They did follow-up presentations of what was begun in Black Mountain, NC back in March of this year. At that time each church was challenged to develop their own strategy for reaching each person within their ministry area with the Three Angels messages. As we traveled to these five locations throughout the Conference I can't tell you how exciting it was to hear what some of our churches individual members are doing in an effort to reach the people God has put in their areas. Churches have begun new outreaches in the area of health ministry, internet ministry, prison ministry, personal evangelism, and a host of other outreaches. As I traveled with the ChurchWorks team throughout the weekend they couldn't stop marveling at all the ministries that are taking place across the Carolinas. I would ask that we each simply pray for our churches as so many of them are taking new and bold steps to reach their communities for Jesus.
Immediately following this weekend I attended the North American Division Year-End meeting at General Conference headquarters. This annual meeting of the NAD Executive Committee is to care for the business of the Division. In addition to the business of the church recently elected president of the NAD Elder Dan Jackson set a tone for desiring excellence in God's church. Certainly an aspiration which I know we all share. Among the business items voted on was providing a cost of living increase for the employees across the NAD. After some discussion this proposal was not passed due to the economy of the nation and the stress this is placing on the church across the North American Division. As they reviewed the tithe across the division it was noted that it is basically flat from a year ago. In Carolina we are experiencing the same thing as our tithe through September is basically the same as a year ago. Certainly we are living in difficult times. But as I reflect on this I can't help but believe that time is exceedingly short. We are living in those perilous days which the apostle Paul said would come just before the return of Jesus. So, this is not a time of despair but a time that we lift up our heads for our redemption draws nigh. Praise God!
This coming weekend will be a Community Services retreat at Nosoca Pines Ranch. I look forward to being there with our CS director Bob Self and the Community Services leaders from across our conference.
As always let's continue to lift each other up in our prayers and never lose sight that truly JESUS IS COMING SOON!
Your friend,
Jim
Our first site was at Greenville, NC on Sabbath, October 16. The day dawned sunny and beautiful. The church family at Greenville had worked tirelessly to serve as our hosts for the day. Our speaker was Ty Gibson, well-known Adventist speaker and author. In planning for the event we simply didn't know how to plan since we had never done camp meeting in this way. Since the most we had ever had in 25 years at Oak island was 500 we decided to plan on 300 for Greenville since we were doing the same program the next week for southern eastern Carolina in Summerville, SC. By church time in Greenville there were 650 people present! What a joy to worship together. At lunch time God multiplied the loaves and fishes and no one went away hungry. In the afternoon the blessing trio presented a musical concert, the apostle Matthew presented the Sermon on the Mount, and Ty Gibson concluded with a final message.
The next Sabbath the same identical program was held in Summerville, SC. Again, what a beautiful job the Summerville church family did as they served as host for this convocation. They even provided shuttle bus service to an offsite parking lot for overflow parking. Here over 350 people were in attendance! Thus for the first time there were nearly 1,000 people in attendance at Eastern Carolina Camp meeting. What a beautiful spirit God provided as we enjoyed these two Sabbaths together. Many people at both sites expressed a desire that we continue to have camp meeting in this way which the camp meeting committee is already making plans to do.
When the Oak Island facility told us of their changes in policy which made it prohibitive to continue we were concerned about what we should do. But God was guiding all along (as He always does) and blessed beyond measure. Certainly God is good!
On the final weekend of October the ChurchWorks team of the North American Division devoted the entire weekend to our Carolina family. Dr. Ron Clouzet, director of the North American Division Evangelism Institute, Dr. Ed Schmidt, Professor at Andrews University, and Dr. Rod and Donna Willey, laypersons from the Illinois conference, presented the ChurchWorks Again program in five different locations across the Conference. They did follow-up presentations of what was begun in Black Mountain, NC back in March of this year. At that time each church was challenged to develop their own strategy for reaching each person within their ministry area with the Three Angels messages. As we traveled to these five locations throughout the Conference I can't tell you how exciting it was to hear what some of our churches individual members are doing in an effort to reach the people God has put in their areas. Churches have begun new outreaches in the area of health ministry, internet ministry, prison ministry, personal evangelism, and a host of other outreaches. As I traveled with the ChurchWorks team throughout the weekend they couldn't stop marveling at all the ministries that are taking place across the Carolinas. I would ask that we each simply pray for our churches as so many of them are taking new and bold steps to reach their communities for Jesus.
Immediately following this weekend I attended the North American Division Year-End meeting at General Conference headquarters. This annual meeting of the NAD Executive Committee is to care for the business of the Division. In addition to the business of the church recently elected president of the NAD Elder Dan Jackson set a tone for desiring excellence in God's church. Certainly an aspiration which I know we all share. Among the business items voted on was providing a cost of living increase for the employees across the NAD. After some discussion this proposal was not passed due to the economy of the nation and the stress this is placing on the church across the North American Division. As they reviewed the tithe across the division it was noted that it is basically flat from a year ago. In Carolina we are experiencing the same thing as our tithe through September is basically the same as a year ago. Certainly we are living in difficult times. But as I reflect on this I can't help but believe that time is exceedingly short. We are living in those perilous days which the apostle Paul said would come just before the return of Jesus. So, this is not a time of despair but a time that we lift up our heads for our redemption draws nigh. Praise God!
This coming weekend will be a Community Services retreat at Nosoca Pines Ranch. I look forward to being there with our CS director Bob Self and the Community Services leaders from across our conference.
As always let's continue to lift each other up in our prayers and never lose sight that truly JESUS IS COMING SOON!
Your friend,
Jim
Friday, October 15, 2010
God is blessing in some amazing ways. Let me share just one of them with you. For a number of years, in some cases decades, there have been churches in the Carolina Conference which have struggled to remain viable. Attendance was decreasing and membership was dwindling. Some even considered closing their doors. However, in the last few years a number of them have been experiencing a rebirth. Here are the brief stories of just three.
About thirteen years ago the church in Rockingham, NC was closed due to declining attendance and membership. For a number of years there was no work in this growing community. Then a Spanish speaking church was established and it began to grow and flourish. But there was a concern among some of them Hispanic members that there was no outreach to the English speaking population of Rockingham. After consultation with the Conference church planting committee it was decided for a core group of bi-lingual members to work towards the goal of planting an English speaking church and restarting the work in this city. For the past couple of years these dedicated laypeople have diligently worked to spread the three angels message to this population. This summer Dale Pollett, our conference evangelist, held an evangelistic meeting with good results. Today, the work of God is solidly moving forward once again to both the English and Spanish speaking residents of Rockingham.
Union, SC is a small town which has been devastated by the economy. My latest information indicates that unemployment is averaging 25%. However, before the economy began its latest downturn our church there was on the verge of dying. Attendance was down and it seemed that if trends continued the demise of the church was inevitable. However, a few years ago a rebirth began in the Union SDA church. Pastor Bill Strong began reaching out to the community. Also, some mission minded members of the Spartanburg church joined with the folks at Union to see the work of God revitalized. Today, there is an average attendance of around 60 people and the church is continuing to grow.
Mocksville, NC. For nearly 30 years this church has seen little to no growth. The membership while dedicated is aging. In fact, earlier this year I met with the small group still attending and they were contemplating closing the doors. After meeting with them a couple of times it was decided to continue and to increase the efforts to reach out to the community of Mocksville. Elder Haskell Williams, Ministerial Director, taught a class on how to give Bible Studies. Pastor Mike Hill determinedly encouraged the folks to witness. This fall he held a full evangelistic series. Opening night saw a good attendance with a number of visitors. This past Sabbath I was privileged to be present as the Pastor baptized three new members into Jesus and into fellowship with the Mocksville SDA church. According to Pastor Hill this was the first time in over a decade that there had been water in the baptistery of the Mocksville church.
It is a challenge to revitalize a dying church. But with God's divine providence and dedicated pastors and members new life can spring forth in these churches and God's message can go forth in an ever stronger way.
There are other similar examples I could share. But we praise God for what He is doing across the Carolinas to keep the light burning brightly.
This Sabbath and next will be eastern Carolina campmeeting. This year, because of a change in policies at Oak Island, our usual venue, we are conducting campmeeting in two separate locations. This Sabbath we will be in Greenville, NC. Next Sabbath in Summerville, SC. Both Sabbaths are identical programs. What a powerful day they promise to be! Elder Ty Gibson, well known author and speaker will speak three times each Sabbath. Also, there will be an inspiring rendition of the apostle Matthew sharing the Sermon on the Mount. There will be inspiring music, children's programming, and after Sabbath the Adventist Christian Book Center will be available. I invite all of our church family to choose one of these venues and come and be blessed by this special day together. Lunch will be provided as well as a light sack supper. I hope to see many of you there!
Your friend,
Jim
About thirteen years ago the church in Rockingham, NC was closed due to declining attendance and membership. For a number of years there was no work in this growing community. Then a Spanish speaking church was established and it began to grow and flourish. But there was a concern among some of them Hispanic members that there was no outreach to the English speaking population of Rockingham. After consultation with the Conference church planting committee it was decided for a core group of bi-lingual members to work towards the goal of planting an English speaking church and restarting the work in this city. For the past couple of years these dedicated laypeople have diligently worked to spread the three angels message to this population. This summer Dale Pollett, our conference evangelist, held an evangelistic meeting with good results. Today, the work of God is solidly moving forward once again to both the English and Spanish speaking residents of Rockingham.
Union, SC is a small town which has been devastated by the economy. My latest information indicates that unemployment is averaging 25%. However, before the economy began its latest downturn our church there was on the verge of dying. Attendance was down and it seemed that if trends continued the demise of the church was inevitable. However, a few years ago a rebirth began in the Union SDA church. Pastor Bill Strong began reaching out to the community. Also, some mission minded members of the Spartanburg church joined with the folks at Union to see the work of God revitalized. Today, there is an average attendance of around 60 people and the church is continuing to grow.
Mocksville, NC. For nearly 30 years this church has seen little to no growth. The membership while dedicated is aging. In fact, earlier this year I met with the small group still attending and they were contemplating closing the doors. After meeting with them a couple of times it was decided to continue and to increase the efforts to reach out to the community of Mocksville. Elder Haskell Williams, Ministerial Director, taught a class on how to give Bible Studies. Pastor Mike Hill determinedly encouraged the folks to witness. This fall he held a full evangelistic series. Opening night saw a good attendance with a number of visitors. This past Sabbath I was privileged to be present as the Pastor baptized three new members into Jesus and into fellowship with the Mocksville SDA church. According to Pastor Hill this was the first time in over a decade that there had been water in the baptistery of the Mocksville church.
It is a challenge to revitalize a dying church. But with God's divine providence and dedicated pastors and members new life can spring forth in these churches and God's message can go forth in an ever stronger way.
There are other similar examples I could share. But we praise God for what He is doing across the Carolinas to keep the light burning brightly.
This Sabbath and next will be eastern Carolina campmeeting. This year, because of a change in policies at Oak Island, our usual venue, we are conducting campmeeting in two separate locations. This Sabbath we will be in Greenville, NC. Next Sabbath in Summerville, SC. Both Sabbaths are identical programs. What a powerful day they promise to be! Elder Ty Gibson, well known author and speaker will speak three times each Sabbath. Also, there will be an inspiring rendition of the apostle Matthew sharing the Sermon on the Mount. There will be inspiring music, children's programming, and after Sabbath the Adventist Christian Book Center will be available. I invite all of our church family to choose one of these venues and come and be blessed by this special day together. Lunch will be provided as well as a light sack supper. I hope to see many of you there!
Your friend,
Jim
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Since my last posting my wife, Bonnie and I, and shared some vacation time together. It was a refreshing time of being outdoors in nature and enjoying hiking and other similar activities. But let me update you on some happenings since my return.
Of course school is now well underway. We are grateful that Mount Pisgah Academy has begun the year with 136 precious young people. The girls dorm renovation has been completed with new heat and air conditioning installed. This is the first time the girls dorm has had air conditioning. It will make a much more comfortable place for the girls to live and hopefully reduce energy costs as well.
We are also grateful that our elementary school enrollment experienced an increase in students over last year. What a difference an Adventist education makes in a young persons life.
Southern Adventist University opened the school year with over 3,000 students for the first time.
Last week I attended meetings of Adventist Health System. One of the things they shared was that the 40 hospitals within the system contributed over 700 million dollars in community benefit to the communities in which they are located. This is a tremendous blessing to God's work. We are thankful that Park Ridge Health located in Fletcher, NC is located within our conference and is part of the Adventist Health System.
This past Sabbath I had the privilege to be in Westminster, SC. The church is excited about an upcoming evangelistic meeting beginning October 1. Elder Dave Dobias will be the presenter. Also, they are planning for a groundbreaking service next Tuesday for their new multi-purpose facility and gymnasium. This will make a real impact for their church and school.
This weekend the Women's Retreat will be held at Nosoca Pines Ranch. This is something that hundreds of our women enjoy and are blessed by each year.
Please continue to remember in your prayers those in our Conference who are looking for employment. Many of our church family continue to struggle in this area.
May God richly bless each one of you.
Your friend,
Jim
Of course school is now well underway. We are grateful that Mount Pisgah Academy has begun the year with 136 precious young people. The girls dorm renovation has been completed with new heat and air conditioning installed. This is the first time the girls dorm has had air conditioning. It will make a much more comfortable place for the girls to live and hopefully reduce energy costs as well.
We are also grateful that our elementary school enrollment experienced an increase in students over last year. What a difference an Adventist education makes in a young persons life.
Southern Adventist University opened the school year with over 3,000 students for the first time.
Last week I attended meetings of Adventist Health System. One of the things they shared was that the 40 hospitals within the system contributed over 700 million dollars in community benefit to the communities in which they are located. This is a tremendous blessing to God's work. We are thankful that Park Ridge Health located in Fletcher, NC is located within our conference and is part of the Adventist Health System.
This past Sabbath I had the privilege to be in Westminster, SC. The church is excited about an upcoming evangelistic meeting beginning October 1. Elder Dave Dobias will be the presenter. Also, they are planning for a groundbreaking service next Tuesday for their new multi-purpose facility and gymnasium. This will make a real impact for their church and school.
This weekend the Women's Retreat will be held at Nosoca Pines Ranch. This is something that hundreds of our women enjoy and are blessed by each year.
Please continue to remember in your prayers those in our Conference who are looking for employment. Many of our church family continue to struggle in this area.
May God richly bless each one of you.
Your friend,
Jim
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Let me share with you a brief update on the recently concluded ASI convention. ASI as you know is a ministry of the church that seeks to facilitate and encourage a large variety of supporting independent ministries of the church. Next to the General Conference session it is probably one of the largest convocations held in North America each year. It is always inspiring to hear how God is leading His people to develop a variety of ministries to reach out and share the Three Angels Messages. One of the folks I spoke with is working with a few individuals to begin a work in Turkey. At this point it is a crime, punishable by imprisonment or expulsion from the country, to proselytize for a faith other than Muslim. This small virtually undercover team is working in subtle ways to bring the light of hope to as many as they can. I would invite you to pray for this team. Pray for God's protection for them and that they would be brought into contact with those who are honest in heart. They are working in much the same way as the Waldensees did as they went from town to town sharing the Bible with those who they found were honest in heart. I will be continuing a dialogue with this ministry and hope to bring you updates in the future.
There were many other inspiring stories to come from this ASI. Carolina was represented by both ShareHim as well as Mt. Pisgah Academy. Both had booths where information was shared on what is happening in these areas.
I promised to be brief so I will close. But just know that I pray daily for our Carolina Conference family and I so appreciate the many of you who tell me I am in your prayers as well. May God continue to richly bless.
Your friend,
Jim
There were many other inspiring stories to come from this ASI. Carolina was represented by both ShareHim as well as Mt. Pisgah Academy. Both had booths where information was shared on what is happening in these areas.
I promised to be brief so I will close. But just know that I pray daily for our Carolina Conference family and I so appreciate the many of you who tell me I am in your prayers as well. May God continue to richly bless.
Your friend,
Jim
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Let me tell you about some things that are happening around the conference. This past weekend I was at the Mt. Olive Spanish company to officially organize them into a church. It was a beautiful service as the packed auditorium listened to music, saw a video recounting how the church was started and then the voting in of the charter members. It was very special to meet with the first individuals to hold church office in this new church. It is a vibrant group, under the direction of Pastor Elias Sandoval, that is very serious about enlarging God's kingdom.
On Sabbath morning I was at the Greeville, NC church for worship. This congregation has tremendously grown over the last several years. When it came time for the children's story what a joy it was to see how many children are in this church.
Following a delicious fellowship meal I went to the Greenville Spanish company where they too were organized into an official church. One of the things that was so evident as I celebrated with this congregation were the smiles on all their faces. They have taken a former restaurant in need of much repair, and turned it into a beautiful new church and fellowship hall. They too are growing rapidly and desire to increase God's kingdom. It was a privilege to be part of seeing God's churches increase and these new churches begin.
Also, this past Sabbath a new group was formed into a company by Elder Gary Moyer. Several years ago a small group of people began meeting in the Clinton, NC area. This is becoming a bedroom community of Raleigh. This past Sabbath between 60 and 70 were in attendance as they were officially formed into a company. Land has already been donated to them and they are hoping to begin building a new church building soon. What a blessing to see God's church continuing to expand.
As I mentioned to you last time at the just finished GC session in Atlanta a reaffirmation of our belief in creation was voted by the delegates. At our last Carolina Conference executive committee, held this month, it was voted unanimously to endorse and express our solidarity as a conference with this core belief. It is a privilege to be part of a conference that is willing to stand up for what we believe and hold the Bible as our standard of truth.
Next week our pastors will gather at Nosoca Pines Ranch for a few days of continuing education as well as fellowship.
Also, beginning next week is the international ASI convention to be held in Orlando, FL This is a tremendously supportive and beneficial organization composed and led by the laypeople of the church. Professionals and those who operate their own businesses or ministries are eligible to join this organization. If you fall into that category I would encourage you to consider joining. I believe you will find the benefits and inspiration to be well worth it.
This coming Sabbath I will be in Kernersville, NC to celebrate with them the 100th anniversary of the establishment of their church. I know it is going to be a special Sabbath and I look forward to sharing it with them.
Continue to pray for the finances of our conference. Through June our tithe was -1.7% compared to last year. With ever increasing expenses it is a challenge to balance our budget. But we know that God is faithful and He only asks us to be faithful as well. Thank you for your prayers and continued sacrifice to see God's work move forward.
May God bless you and know you are in my prayers.
Your friend,
Jim
On Sabbath morning I was at the Greeville, NC church for worship. This congregation has tremendously grown over the last several years. When it came time for the children's story what a joy it was to see how many children are in this church.
Following a delicious fellowship meal I went to the Greenville Spanish company where they too were organized into an official church. One of the things that was so evident as I celebrated with this congregation were the smiles on all their faces. They have taken a former restaurant in need of much repair, and turned it into a beautiful new church and fellowship hall. They too are growing rapidly and desire to increase God's kingdom. It was a privilege to be part of seeing God's churches increase and these new churches begin.
Also, this past Sabbath a new group was formed into a company by Elder Gary Moyer. Several years ago a small group of people began meeting in the Clinton, NC area. This is becoming a bedroom community of Raleigh. This past Sabbath between 60 and 70 were in attendance as they were officially formed into a company. Land has already been donated to them and they are hoping to begin building a new church building soon. What a blessing to see God's church continuing to expand.
As I mentioned to you last time at the just finished GC session in Atlanta a reaffirmation of our belief in creation was voted by the delegates. At our last Carolina Conference executive committee, held this month, it was voted unanimously to endorse and express our solidarity as a conference with this core belief. It is a privilege to be part of a conference that is willing to stand up for what we believe and hold the Bible as our standard of truth.
Next week our pastors will gather at Nosoca Pines Ranch for a few days of continuing education as well as fellowship.
Also, beginning next week is the international ASI convention to be held in Orlando, FL This is a tremendously supportive and beneficial organization composed and led by the laypeople of the church. Professionals and those who operate their own businesses or ministries are eligible to join this organization. If you fall into that category I would encourage you to consider joining. I believe you will find the benefits and inspiration to be well worth it.
This coming Sabbath I will be in Kernersville, NC to celebrate with them the 100th anniversary of the establishment of their church. I know it is going to be a special Sabbath and I look forward to sharing it with them.
Continue to pray for the finances of our conference. Through June our tithe was -1.7% compared to last year. With ever increasing expenses it is a challenge to balance our budget. But we know that God is faithful and He only asks us to be faithful as well. Thank you for your prayers and continued sacrifice to see God's work move forward.
May God bless you and know you are in my prayers.
Your friend,
Jim
Friday, July 2, 2010
This is the final weekend of the 59th General Conference session in Atlanta, GA. It has been a busy 10 days of business meetings dealing with the election of General Conference and division leaders. You can get updates on these votes and others at the General Conference website, sda.org
Along with the daily business sessions it has been a time of great inspiration. Powerful preaching and wonderful music has been a blessing to all who are in attendance. It has also been a real joy to see many of our Carolina family throughout the session. I have met folks from one end of our conference to the other. It is truly a time of grand reunion.
Let me share with you some of the observations I am leaving Atlanta with. First, is the clear fact that the Seventh-day Adventist church is a world-wide movement. With other 16 million members only one million come from the North American Division. As you attend the meetings and walk the hallways you it is quickly evident that God's people come from all parts of the globe. The church has seen the fulfillment of Ellen White's vision of streams of light encircling the earth. Tomorrow evening will be the parade of nations. If you have access to the Hope Channel I encourage you to watch. It is an extremely inspirational session you don't want to miss. You can also see it streamed on the Internet at the above address.
The second observation is that while we are a world wide church we are a united church in belief. On Wednesday a motion came to the floor to affirm our belief in a recent, literal six day creation. There are a few in the Adventist church who have implied that the church is changing its view on this issue. When it came to a vote of the 2,400 delegates as to whether we as a church still affirmed our belief in a creator God and that the world was created in six literal 24 hour days and that the age of the earth is approximately 6,000 years old this affirmation was voted virtually unanimously by the body of the Church. Regardless, perhaps, of a few who may question our belief it is clear that the elected representatives from around the world are united in our position on creation. It was also voted, virtually unanimously, to enable the officers of the General Conference to prepare a strengthened statement to be included in fundamental belief #6 of the church to present to the next General Conference Session.
Finally, my observation is that while we have become a relatively large church we are still family. As I walk through the Georgia Dome, and the exhibit hall I see people from all cultures and backgrounds greeting one another and simply enjoying the fellowship of like believers. For whether one is from Russia or Romania, Nicaragua or Nigeria, America or Albania we are all one in our faith and in our hope of a soon returning Savior.
As we prepare to gather for this final Sabbath it is expected that over 40,000 Seventh-day Adventists will gather. As we pray, sing and worship together there will be a choir of thousands of voices in dozens of languages. But all will be done to honor and worship Jesus Christ. It is He who is the Head of the church. It is faith in Him that binds our hearts together. It is Jesus that makes the Georgia dome reverberate with the joyful words, "We have this hope in the coming of the Lord." Truly our united prayer is, "Even so, come Lord Jesus."
Your friend,
Jim
Along with the daily business sessions it has been a time of great inspiration. Powerful preaching and wonderful music has been a blessing to all who are in attendance. It has also been a real joy to see many of our Carolina family throughout the session. I have met folks from one end of our conference to the other. It is truly a time of grand reunion.
Let me share with you some of the observations I am leaving Atlanta with. First, is the clear fact that the Seventh-day Adventist church is a world-wide movement. With other 16 million members only one million come from the North American Division. As you attend the meetings and walk the hallways you it is quickly evident that God's people come from all parts of the globe. The church has seen the fulfillment of Ellen White's vision of streams of light encircling the earth. Tomorrow evening will be the parade of nations. If you have access to the Hope Channel I encourage you to watch. It is an extremely inspirational session you don't want to miss. You can also see it streamed on the Internet at the above address.
The second observation is that while we are a world wide church we are a united church in belief. On Wednesday a motion came to the floor to affirm our belief in a recent, literal six day creation. There are a few in the Adventist church who have implied that the church is changing its view on this issue. When it came to a vote of the 2,400 delegates as to whether we as a church still affirmed our belief in a creator God and that the world was created in six literal 24 hour days and that the age of the earth is approximately 6,000 years old this affirmation was voted virtually unanimously by the body of the Church. Regardless, perhaps, of a few who may question our belief it is clear that the elected representatives from around the world are united in our position on creation. It was also voted, virtually unanimously, to enable the officers of the General Conference to prepare a strengthened statement to be included in fundamental belief #6 of the church to present to the next General Conference Session.
Finally, my observation is that while we have become a relatively large church we are still family. As I walk through the Georgia Dome, and the exhibit hall I see people from all cultures and backgrounds greeting one another and simply enjoying the fellowship of like believers. For whether one is from Russia or Romania, Nicaragua or Nigeria, America or Albania we are all one in our faith and in our hope of a soon returning Savior.
As we prepare to gather for this final Sabbath it is expected that over 40,000 Seventh-day Adventists will gather. As we pray, sing and worship together there will be a choir of thousands of voices in dozens of languages. But all will be done to honor and worship Jesus Christ. It is He who is the Head of the church. It is faith in Him that binds our hearts together. It is Jesus that makes the Georgia dome reverberate with the joyful words, "We have this hope in the coming of the Lord." Truly our united prayer is, "Even so, come Lord Jesus."
Your friend,
Jim
Friday, June 11, 2010
What a tremendous blessing it was to be at campmeeting, Lake Junaluska, 2010. Opening night unveiled the theme, "Reflecting God's Love". Karl Haffner, the nightly speaker, set the tone for the entire week as he began to explain the crucial importance of how we are to be used as reflectors of the love of God. Throughout the week he, as well as all the other speakers and seminar presenters unfolded the statement of Jesus, "By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another," and how it is actually enacted in the life. And certainly this statement of Jesus is true. Regardless of whatever else we may do in life or how meticulous we may be if we don't demonstrate true love and caring to those around us it is as the apostle Paul put it, "a clanging symbol."
Pastor Shawn Boonstra, speaker/director of the 'It is written' television program concluded the weekend by challenging us to take the Gospel into our own communities and to share the good news of Jesus' soon return. I also want to say a thank you to our music committee for the wonderful music that was provided throughout the week. If you were unable to attend I hope you will take time and watch the evening and weekend services online. I know you will be blessed.
On the final evening the annual Carolina Breakthrough offering total was announced. It was over $133,000. While shy of the goal of $175,000 before I had left the auditorium an additional $10,000 had been donated or pledged. Thank you to the many hundreds of people who are sacrificing to see this last day message go into all corners of the Carolinas.
Next year, 2011, the nightly speaker at Lake Junaluska will be Elder Derek Morris. Derek is currently the pastor of the Forest Lake Seventh-day Adventist church in Apopka, FL. He is also a well know author and weekly contributor for the Sabbath School lesson seen on the Hope Channel. The weekend speaker will be Elder Dwight Nelson, pastor of the Pioneer Memorial church in Berrien Springs, MI. I know both of these will bring a powerful blessing to our camp meeting.
This year, 2010, Eastern Carolina Camp meeting will take a different approach. Our long time facility on Oak Island changed their policy this year relative to lodging and meal plans which increased the cost to those attending several fold. The camp meeting committee felt it made it cost prohibitive for most families to afford. Therefore, we will be having two identical camp meeting Sabbaths for eastern Carolina in October. On Sabbath, October 16 all the churches in the north section of Eastern Carolina are being invited to come to the Greenville, NC church for a full day of worship and fellowship together. On October 23, the same program will take place at the Summerville, SC church for those located in the southern part of Eastern Carolina.
Ty Gibson, well known speaker and author will be delivering three messages each Sabbath. For those of you who have heard Pastor Gibson in the past you know you won't want to miss this high Sabbath. There will also be wonderful music as well as other special presentations that will make the day one not to be missed. So, mark your calendars now for these two important Sabbaths. More information will be coming on the Conference website as well as through your church bulletins as we get nearer to the date.
Many of you are planning on attending the General Conference session in Atlanta, GA beginning on June 24. This is the closest that this convocation has ever been held to the Carolinas. In addition to the business of the church I know we will all be blessed by the worship services that will take place. You can find a complete schedule at the GC website, SDA.org
One of the events that is leading up to the General Conference session is the journey of a special Bible that has traveled around the world and will conclude its journey at the GC session in Atlanta. This Bible will be making a stop in the Carolinas on June 20. In fact, it is the last stop prior to reaching Atlanta. The Arden church is hosting this stop on its journey and invites all of you to come and attend. You can see the days schedule at ardenadventist.org
Tomorrow, I will be in the Marion, NC church and look forward to worshipping with our church family there. My prayer, as always, is that each of you will have a blessed Sabbath as we worship our Lord together.
Your friend,
Jim
Pastor Shawn Boonstra, speaker/director of the 'It is written' television program concluded the weekend by challenging us to take the Gospel into our own communities and to share the good news of Jesus' soon return. I also want to say a thank you to our music committee for the wonderful music that was provided throughout the week. If you were unable to attend I hope you will take time and watch the evening and weekend services online. I know you will be blessed.
On the final evening the annual Carolina Breakthrough offering total was announced. It was over $133,000. While shy of the goal of $175,000 before I had left the auditorium an additional $10,000 had been donated or pledged. Thank you to the many hundreds of people who are sacrificing to see this last day message go into all corners of the Carolinas.
Next year, 2011, the nightly speaker at Lake Junaluska will be Elder Derek Morris. Derek is currently the pastor of the Forest Lake Seventh-day Adventist church in Apopka, FL. He is also a well know author and weekly contributor for the Sabbath School lesson seen on the Hope Channel. The weekend speaker will be Elder Dwight Nelson, pastor of the Pioneer Memorial church in Berrien Springs, MI. I know both of these will bring a powerful blessing to our camp meeting.
This year, 2010, Eastern Carolina Camp meeting will take a different approach. Our long time facility on Oak Island changed their policy this year relative to lodging and meal plans which increased the cost to those attending several fold. The camp meeting committee felt it made it cost prohibitive for most families to afford. Therefore, we will be having two identical camp meeting Sabbaths for eastern Carolina in October. On Sabbath, October 16 all the churches in the north section of Eastern Carolina are being invited to come to the Greenville, NC church for a full day of worship and fellowship together. On October 23, the same program will take place at the Summerville, SC church for those located in the southern part of Eastern Carolina.
Ty Gibson, well known speaker and author will be delivering three messages each Sabbath. For those of you who have heard Pastor Gibson in the past you know you won't want to miss this high Sabbath. There will also be wonderful music as well as other special presentations that will make the day one not to be missed. So, mark your calendars now for these two important Sabbaths. More information will be coming on the Conference website as well as through your church bulletins as we get nearer to the date.
Many of you are planning on attending the General Conference session in Atlanta, GA beginning on June 24. This is the closest that this convocation has ever been held to the Carolinas. In addition to the business of the church I know we will all be blessed by the worship services that will take place. You can find a complete schedule at the GC website, SDA.org
One of the events that is leading up to the General Conference session is the journey of a special Bible that has traveled around the world and will conclude its journey at the GC session in Atlanta. This Bible will be making a stop in the Carolinas on June 20. In fact, it is the last stop prior to reaching Atlanta. The Arden church is hosting this stop on its journey and invites all of you to come and attend. You can see the days schedule at ardenadventist.org
Tomorrow, I will be in the Marion, NC church and look forward to worshipping with our church family there. My prayer, as always, is that each of you will have a blessed Sabbath as we worship our Lord together.
Your friend,
Jim
Friday, May 14, 2010
Let me tell you some happenings with ShareHim. The week of April 26-29 saw all the ShareHim staff gathered in Oregon for the annual planning and strategy week. This is held at a beautiful facility deep in the Oregon forest. It is provided free of charge by one of the supporters of this ministry. This is a very crucial week as planning takes place for the coming year and the many campaign sites that are going to be blessed by evangelistic meetings around the world. This summer hundreds of college students will be experiencing the joy of preaching the Adventist message for the first time. Please pray that not only will God bless these meetings but that every student will be greatly blessed as well.
What a joy it was on May 1 to be with the Clemson SC church. This is a group that has grown in the past few years from a church plant to nearly 100 members. Sabbath there was a baptism that saw three people reuniting their lives with Jesus. Each of them had been SDA church members years ago but had drifted away from the church. One of the individuals had been away from the church for over 20 years. What a beautiful thing it was to see these people reconnecting with God's remnant church.
On Sabbath, May 8, the fifth of six Conference rallies was held at the Kernersville church. This coming Sabbath, May 15, the final rally will be held in Spartanburg, SC. For those of you in that geographic area I invite you to come and be with us at 3:30 pm. There are some very special experiences we want to share with you.
Tomorrow it is my privilege to be in the Columbia 1st church. This is one of the most rapidly growing congregations in our Conference. They now have over 700 members. I look forward to being with them for their worship service.
This is a big weekend at Mount Pisgah Academy. It is graduation weekend. I look forward to being there on Sunday, May 16, as these seniors celebrate this special milestone in their lives. Congratulations to each of them!
With graduation we realize that camp meeting is just around the corner. In fact, it begins just two weeks from this Sunday. If you haven't made plans yet to attend I invite you to come to Lake Junaluska and be part of this spiritual week. You can find a list of all the speakers at Carolinasda.org.
Also, this year is the General Conference session It will be held in Atlanta, GA. Over 60,000 people are expected to attend on the two weekends of the conference. The dates are June 27-July 3. If you have never experienced a General Conference Session it would be well worth the trip to Atlanta. This may be the closest GC session to Carolina ever to be held. To see the world church gathered together is an awe-inspiring sight. I know many of our Carolina church family will make this part of their summer blessing.
As the hours of the Sabbath draw near I take this opportunity to say I am praying for our congregations as they prepare to come together tomorrow. I know God will pour out a tremendous blessing as we come and worship Him.
Your friend,
Jim
What a joy it was on May 1 to be with the Clemson SC church. This is a group that has grown in the past few years from a church plant to nearly 100 members. Sabbath there was a baptism that saw three people reuniting their lives with Jesus. Each of them had been SDA church members years ago but had drifted away from the church. One of the individuals had been away from the church for over 20 years. What a beautiful thing it was to see these people reconnecting with God's remnant church.
On Sabbath, May 8, the fifth of six Conference rallies was held at the Kernersville church. This coming Sabbath, May 15, the final rally will be held in Spartanburg, SC. For those of you in that geographic area I invite you to come and be with us at 3:30 pm. There are some very special experiences we want to share with you.
Tomorrow it is my privilege to be in the Columbia 1st church. This is one of the most rapidly growing congregations in our Conference. They now have over 700 members. I look forward to being with them for their worship service.
This is a big weekend at Mount Pisgah Academy. It is graduation weekend. I look forward to being there on Sunday, May 16, as these seniors celebrate this special milestone in their lives. Congratulations to each of them!
With graduation we realize that camp meeting is just around the corner. In fact, it begins just two weeks from this Sunday. If you haven't made plans yet to attend I invite you to come to Lake Junaluska and be part of this spiritual week. You can find a list of all the speakers at Carolinasda.org.
Also, this year is the General Conference session It will be held in Atlanta, GA. Over 60,000 people are expected to attend on the two weekends of the conference. The dates are June 27-July 3. If you have never experienced a General Conference Session it would be well worth the trip to Atlanta. This may be the closest GC session to Carolina ever to be held. To see the world church gathered together is an awe-inspiring sight. I know many of our Carolina church family will make this part of their summer blessing.
As the hours of the Sabbath draw near I take this opportunity to say I am praying for our congregations as they prepare to come together tomorrow. I know God will pour out a tremendous blessing as we come and worship Him.
Your friend,
Jim
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Let me bring all of you up to date on what is happening around the Carolina Conference. The weekend of March 26-28 saw approximately 500 local church representatives gather at the YMCA retreat center in Black Mountain, NC for a ChurchWorks conference. The purpose of this conference was for each church to strategize how to reach every person in their territory. Maps were given to each church delegation showing the boundaries of their ministry area. All of the world field, General Conference, Divisions, Unions, Conferences know what their boundaries are and what their mission field is. However, local churches typically don't always know what area they are responsible for. The team from the North American Division included Dr. Ron Clouzet, Dr. Ed Schmidt, Dr. Rod and Donna Willey, and Marti Schneider. Elder Don Schneider joined the conference via telephone hookup on Sabbath afternoon. One of the areas of teaching by this team was to remind us that we are all ministers for Jesus. We can all be used of God to share His good news with those around us. It was a tremendous inspiration to see virtually every church represented. All had the same goal and passion, reaching the Carolinas for Jesus. There was overwhelming consensus by the end of the weekend that God has given us an awesome task, but through the power of His Spirit it can be accomplished. I hope each church has received a report from their delegation about the weekend and that plans are continuing to be laid and carried out to bring the Gospel to our communities.
The next weekend was a tremendous blessing as on Sabbath, April 3, Jeff Donaldson, pastor of the West Columbia and Orangeburg, SC churches was ordained to the Gospel Ministry. Elder Donaldson first heard the Seventh-day Adventist message during an evangelistic meeting conducted by Dale Pollett, conference evangelist at the Spartanburg, SC church. He and his wife Melissa both took their stand during that series of meetings. Jeff soon felt a calling to full time ministry. His first district was the Union and Woodruff, SC district. Following this he obtained his Master of Divinity degree from Andrews University after which he returned to Carolina and took up duties in his present district.
That afternoon a Conference rally was held at the Columbia, SC church. This was the fourth rally that has been held in recent weeks throughout the conference. It was wonderful to have the opportunity to meet and share with those who attended. There are two more rally's scheduled. May 8, at 3:30 pm at the Kernersville, NC church. And May 15,, at 3:30 pm at the Spartanburg, SC church. If you live near either of these areas I hope you will attend. I know you will be blessed as you hear what God is doing throughout the Carolinas.
On Sabbath, April 10, it was my privilege to be at the Charlotte Sharon Church for their international Sabbath. What an inspiration it was as representatives of nearly 50 countries marched into the Sanctuary carrying their nations flag. Plus, it was a real inspiration to hear music from many different parts of the world. Following the worship service an international fellowship dinner was held. (That was a highlight too!)
April 16-18 was the Hispanic camp meeting held at Nosoca Pines Ranch. The gymnasium was filled to overflowing. On Sabbath, Pastor Freddy Villamil, pastor of the Hilton Head, Hardeeville, and Charleston Spanish congregations was ordained to the Gospel Ministry. Freddy had a beautiful testimony of how God has led in his life and his call to ministry. In fact, it was at Nosoca Pines Ranch that he and his wife, Silveliza, first met. That meeting not only led to them joining their lives together in marriage but it was now also the scene of them joining their lives together in ministry. Freddy's father, a retired minister, delivered the ordination address. His father-in law, also an ordained minister, had the ordination prayer and charge.
It is hard to imagine that camp meeting at Lake Junaluska begins next month. The dates are May 30-June 5. As you see on the website there is a wonderful group of speakers and presenters who are scheduled to be with us. I look forward to seeing many of you there.
As the nation's economy continues to struggle we are praising God that through March there is a 5.6% increase in tithe. Truly, God's people are faithful. We continue to pray that God will provide jobs for all of our church family and that He will keep each of us faithful to Him.
I will close for now, but please know I pray for our churches daily for God's Spirit to be poured out. Please continue to remember us in you prayers as well. May God continue to richly bless.
Your friend,
Jim
Friday, March 19, 2010
Last Sabbath was a high Sabbath for the Rocky Mount and Roanoke Valley district as their pastor, Daniel Bran, was ordained to the Gospel ministry. Elder CD Brooks, the uncle of the head elder in Roanoke Valley, presented the ordination sermon. Daniel took his theological training in Romania his home country. He is well acquainted with the repressive government that nation was under for years and the restrictions on religious freedoms. We are thankful that God protected him through that and led him here to the Carolinas. We pray for God's continued blessing on he and his wife, Adina, as they minister for Him.
Let me mention a couple of events that are happening in just the next week. This Sabbath, March 20, we will be holding a special spiritual rally at the Fletcher church at 3:30 pm. Representative from each of the departments of the Conference will be present and sharing inspirational experiences that God has been providing. You will meet some newly baptized Seventh-day Adventists and hear the remarkable story of their conversion. You will also hear from some who had left the church but have returned and the beautiful story of what brought them back. I believe you will be inspired as you hear what God is doing throughout the Carolinas. If you are in western Carolina I hope to see you at this special event. If you are not in western Carolina we will be coming to these areas: You won't want to miss this special time together!
Columbia First Church April 3
Charlotte Sharon Church April 17
Kernersville May 8
Spartanburg May 15
(All times are 3:30 pm.)
The weekend of March 26-28 there is going to be a ChurchWorks conference held at Black Mountain, NC. We have asked each church to send representatives to this special weekend with the express purpose of developing a strategic plan to reach every person in the Carolinas.
This conference is provided by the leadership of the North America division. I would like to ask each one of you to make this upcoming meeting a special focus of your prayers this coming week. I know that the greatest desire of each of our hearts is to hasten the coming of Jesus and to see as many as possible ready for that glorious event. Let's join our prayers together that this time with ChurchWorks will be a productive catalyst for all of us see His message go forth.
As I have mentioned to you Mount Pisgah Academy involved every student in a mission activity during March. Those have just concluded and I am hearing wonderful reports of how God has used these young people. A group of 30+ students went to Mexico and preached evangelistic meetings. At last report over 50 people had been baptized with more to come. What a wonderful thing to see these youth heralding the message of God's soon return. Thank you for praying for them as they all undertook these special projects.
It's hard to imagine that campmeeting at Lake Junaluska is only a little more than 60 days away. Elder Shawn Boonstra, speaker for It is Written, is scheduled to be our weekend speaker. During the week Dr. Gordon Bietz, president of Southern Adventist University, and Elder Mike Tucker, speaker for Faith for Today will be the morning speakers. Each evening we will be blessed by Elder Karl Haffner, pastor of the Kettering Ohio SDA Church. I hope that you will make plans now to be with us at beautiful Lake Junaluska.
May God richly bless all of you as you worship together this Sabbath.
Your friend,
Jim
Let me mention a couple of events that are happening in just the next week. This Sabbath, March 20, we will be holding a special spiritual rally at the Fletcher church at 3:30 pm. Representative from each of the departments of the Conference will be present and sharing inspirational experiences that God has been providing. You will meet some newly baptized Seventh-day Adventists and hear the remarkable story of their conversion. You will also hear from some who had left the church but have returned and the beautiful story of what brought them back. I believe you will be inspired as you hear what God is doing throughout the Carolinas. If you are in western Carolina I hope to see you at this special event. If you are not in western Carolina we will be coming to these areas: You won't want to miss this special time together!
Columbia First Church April 3
Charlotte Sharon Church April 17
Kernersville May 8
Spartanburg May 15
(All times are 3:30 pm.)
The weekend of March 26-28 there is going to be a ChurchWorks conference held at Black Mountain, NC. We have asked each church to send representatives to this special weekend with the express purpose of developing a strategic plan to reach every person in the Carolinas.
This conference is provided by the leadership of the North America division. I would like to ask each one of you to make this upcoming meeting a special focus of your prayers this coming week. I know that the greatest desire of each of our hearts is to hasten the coming of Jesus and to see as many as possible ready for that glorious event. Let's join our prayers together that this time with ChurchWorks will be a productive catalyst for all of us see His message go forth.
As I have mentioned to you Mount Pisgah Academy involved every student in a mission activity during March. Those have just concluded and I am hearing wonderful reports of how God has used these young people. A group of 30+ students went to Mexico and preached evangelistic meetings. At last report over 50 people had been baptized with more to come. What a wonderful thing to see these youth heralding the message of God's soon return. Thank you for praying for them as they all undertook these special projects.
It's hard to imagine that campmeeting at Lake Junaluska is only a little more than 60 days away. Elder Shawn Boonstra, speaker for It is Written, is scheduled to be our weekend speaker. During the week Dr. Gordon Bietz, president of Southern Adventist University, and Elder Mike Tucker, speaker for Faith for Today will be the morning speakers. Each evening we will be blessed by Elder Karl Haffner, pastor of the Kettering Ohio SDA Church. I hope that you will make plans now to be with us at beautiful Lake Junaluska.
May God richly bless all of you as you worship together this Sabbath.
Your friend,
Jim
Sunday, February 28, 2010
In my last posting I told you I would tell you about a miracle that has taken place in one of our churches. On Sabbath, February 13, it was my privilege to be in the Umoja church in Raleigh. This church began as a church plant in 2006. For the last four years they have been renting a church for their worship services. During these four years they have grown from a small group to well over 100 in attendance each week. About a year ago they began to feel the need for their own place of worship. They expressed an interest in buying the church they were renting from. However, while the church was willing to consider selling they were asking over $800,000. This was an amount that was impossible for this new church to handle. So they took the matter to God in prayer asking for a miracle. As the year went by the continued to express and interest in purchasing this piece of property. In December of 2009 they offered a little over $400,000, half the asking price, and prayed that if this was God's will He would open the doors. The reply came back, "Yes, we will accept your offer." Praise God. On February 13, they had the ribbon cutting and official first Sabbath in their new facility. What a high day it was! They have plans to grow to over 200 members in the next couple of years. The name Umoja means in the Swahili language, united. Certainly this church is united in reaching out to God and sharing His good news.
It was a high Sabbath a week ago yesterday as two young men were ordained to the Gospel ministry in Carolina. The first took place during the church service in Kernersville where Scott Young was ordained. Scott first pastored the Albemarle and Monroe churches before going to Seminary for his Master of Divinity degree. Following completion of his studies he returned to Carolina and assumed the responsibility of associate pastor of the Kernersville church. He is much appreciated as he serves especially the young people of that congregation. Dr. Joseph Kidder, of Andrews University, was the speaker for this special service.
Then at 5:00 pm Ben Rueda, pastor of the Monroe Spanish and Gastonia English churches was ordained at the Charlotte Spanish church. It was my privilege to speak for his ordination service. Prior to his current duties Elder Rueda served as the associate pastor for the Charlotte Spanish church. Ben is greatly loved by both his congregations and God is greatly blessing his ministry to them. Both churches have experienced significant growth under his leadership.
On Thursday of last week I attended the full board meeting of Adventist Health Systems. It was inspiring to hear of their involvement in providing relief to the victims of the Haiti earthquake. Our own Park Ridge Hospital in Asheville has sent a team of physicians and other staff to assist with the work. It is amazing how God is blessing this medical work of the church.
Today, we have all heard of the tremendous earthquake in Chile. One of the most powerful ever recorded. While we do not yet know the full extent of the devastation we know it is extensive. Surely the coming of Jesus is nearer than ever before. Let us pray for these victims and pray for the soon coming of our Lord which will put an end to these tragedies.
Your friend,
Jim
It was a high Sabbath a week ago yesterday as two young men were ordained to the Gospel ministry in Carolina. The first took place during the church service in Kernersville where Scott Young was ordained. Scott first pastored the Albemarle and Monroe churches before going to Seminary for his Master of Divinity degree. Following completion of his studies he returned to Carolina and assumed the responsibility of associate pastor of the Kernersville church. He is much appreciated as he serves especially the young people of that congregation. Dr. Joseph Kidder, of Andrews University, was the speaker for this special service.
Then at 5:00 pm Ben Rueda, pastor of the Monroe Spanish and Gastonia English churches was ordained at the Charlotte Spanish church. It was my privilege to speak for his ordination service. Prior to his current duties Elder Rueda served as the associate pastor for the Charlotte Spanish church. Ben is greatly loved by both his congregations and God is greatly blessing his ministry to them. Both churches have experienced significant growth under his leadership.
On Thursday of last week I attended the full board meeting of Adventist Health Systems. It was inspiring to hear of their involvement in providing relief to the victims of the Haiti earthquake. Our own Park Ridge Hospital in Asheville has sent a team of physicians and other staff to assist with the work. It is amazing how God is blessing this medical work of the church.
Today, we have all heard of the tremendous earthquake in Chile. One of the most powerful ever recorded. While we do not yet know the full extent of the devastation we know it is extensive. Surely the coming of Jesus is nearer than ever before. Let us pray for these victims and pray for the soon coming of our Lord which will put an end to these tragedies.
Your friend,
Jim
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
What a winter the Carolinas is experiencing. As I write this the mountain region of our Conference is being covered with up to an additional foot of snow. Boone and Banner Elk in particular have experienced a severe winter. It seems the storms have often arrived on Friday or Sabbath forcing the closure of many of our churches. Let's hope the worst of the winter season will soon be behind us.
This past Sabbath was very special as it was my privilege to meet with the Karen groups who are forming in our territory. The Karen people are from near Burma. It is currently estimated that over 500 have immigrated to the Carolinas. We currently have groups that are meeting in Durham, High Point, and New Bern. This past Sabbath all the groups came together to worship at the Durham Five Oaks Church. There were approximately 60-70 in attendance. Pastor Jimmy Schwe, a former pastor from Burma, is shepherding the groups. He just told me that there is also a population in Charlotte and he hopes soon to plant a group there as well. What a joy it was to meet with these folks and witness their enthusiasm for Jesus. We are thankful the Lord is making it possible to open up a work for this new people group in the Carolinas.
Sabbath afternoon saw the first of the six rallies to be held across the Conference in the next few months. Even though the weather was cold with the threat of snow the attendance was good and many of the area churches were represented. One of the folks who was introduced at the rally was a man from the Rocky Mount/Roanoke Valley district. He had recently been baptized after receiving an enrollment card for Bible Studies in the mail. This card was part of the mass mailing the Conference has been doing for the last several years. When he received the card he sent it in, finished the course and joined the church. What makes his story unique is that for many years he had been a member of the LDS church, or a Mormon. He said as he studied he realized that this was the truth for this time. We all rejoiced together as he provided his testimony of how God had led. The entire afternoon was a wonderful time to share the tremendous things that He is doing across our two states. I look forward to our next Rally to be held at the Fletcher church at 3:30 pm, March 20. If you are in this area I hope you will plan now to be with us.
Yesterday, I gave the devotional for our teachers at their Teachers Convention. What a dedicated group of teachers God has blessed Carolina with. The joy, commitment, and passion for Adventist education was so evident as I met with these folks. I can tell you they have a real desire to share Jesus with their young people.
Next week I will share with you how God has performed a miracle for one of our churches in securing for them their own church building to worship in. See you then. May God bless.
Your friend,
Jim
This past Sabbath was very special as it was my privilege to meet with the Karen groups who are forming in our territory. The Karen people are from near Burma. It is currently estimated that over 500 have immigrated to the Carolinas. We currently have groups that are meeting in Durham, High Point, and New Bern. This past Sabbath all the groups came together to worship at the Durham Five Oaks Church. There were approximately 60-70 in attendance. Pastor Jimmy Schwe, a former pastor from Burma, is shepherding the groups. He just told me that there is also a population in Charlotte and he hopes soon to plant a group there as well. What a joy it was to meet with these folks and witness their enthusiasm for Jesus. We are thankful the Lord is making it possible to open up a work for this new people group in the Carolinas.
Sabbath afternoon saw the first of the six rallies to be held across the Conference in the next few months. Even though the weather was cold with the threat of snow the attendance was good and many of the area churches were represented. One of the folks who was introduced at the rally was a man from the Rocky Mount/Roanoke Valley district. He had recently been baptized after receiving an enrollment card for Bible Studies in the mail. This card was part of the mass mailing the Conference has been doing for the last several years. When he received the card he sent it in, finished the course and joined the church. What makes his story unique is that for many years he had been a member of the LDS church, or a Mormon. He said as he studied he realized that this was the truth for this time. We all rejoiced together as he provided his testimony of how God had led. The entire afternoon was a wonderful time to share the tremendous things that He is doing across our two states. I look forward to our next Rally to be held at the Fletcher church at 3:30 pm, March 20. If you are in this area I hope you will plan now to be with us.
Yesterday, I gave the devotional for our teachers at their Teachers Convention. What a dedicated group of teachers God has blessed Carolina with. The joy, commitment, and passion for Adventist education was so evident as I met with these folks. I can tell you they have a real desire to share Jesus with their young people.
Next week I will share with you how God has performed a miracle for one of our churches in securing for them their own church building to worship in. See you then. May God bless.
Your friend,
Jim
Monday, January 25, 2010
Since my last visit with you it has been my privilege to worship with the Columbia SC Korean congregation. It was so good to fellowship with our church family during their delicious meal following church. They have some exciting plans for outreach during the year 2010. One of the most effective methods our Korean churches use to reach their communities is through health ministry. They have several of these already planned for this year.
The next day, Sunday, I was with the Mt. Olive Spanish congregation in North Carolina. They have just finished a new church building and were celebrating the ribbon cutting and inaugural service and open house. What a beautiful building it is! It seats 500 people in the sanctuary and also has Sabbath School rooms, a gymnasium, Pastor's office, as well as other rooms. This is a congregation that began approximately 13 years ago with only a few families and now there are over 250 in attendance each week. God has tremendously blessed their work and sacrifice.
Last Monday, we were saddened to hear the news that Pastor Merle Rouse, a longtime pastor in the our Conference and the father of our Educational Superintendent had passed away. His memorial service was held this past Sabbath at the Franklin, NC SDA church. It was inspiring to hear the many tributes that were paid to him. Pastor Rouse had completed 40 years of SDA ministry before retiring.
Also, this past Monday the Executive Committee of the conference met and discussed how to meet the budget shortfalls for 2010. As you know 2009 was a very challenging year financially. The Executive Committee voted to reduce the 2010 budget by $500,000. I will be sending a letter to each of our Conference family sharing more about this challenge in the next few days. Please continue to pray for guidance as we work through this challenging situation.
Over the next several months there are going to be special Carolina Conference Rallies held in six different locations. These are going to be a time of inspiration as you hear the miraculous stories of how God is leading His work here in the Carolinas. Special announcements will be made in the churches as your area date draws near. These are events you won't want to miss. The first rally will be held in the Raleigh church on Sabbath afternoon, February 6, at 3:00 pm. If you are in this area I hope to see you there. It will be a special time.
The work continues to go forward in Haiti following the disastrous earthquake. We have learned that some of our Carolina Haitian members have lost family members to this disaster. Please continue to lift them up in prayer. For the latest information you can log on to ADRA.org
As we see the events that are so rapidly taking place it is evident that prophecy is quickly being fulfilled. May we all ever remain faithful as we await that glorious day.
Your friend,
Jim
The next day, Sunday, I was with the Mt. Olive Spanish congregation in North Carolina. They have just finished a new church building and were celebrating the ribbon cutting and inaugural service and open house. What a beautiful building it is! It seats 500 people in the sanctuary and also has Sabbath School rooms, a gymnasium, Pastor's office, as well as other rooms. This is a congregation that began approximately 13 years ago with only a few families and now there are over 250 in attendance each week. God has tremendously blessed their work and sacrifice.
Last Monday, we were saddened to hear the news that Pastor Merle Rouse, a longtime pastor in the our Conference and the father of our Educational Superintendent had passed away. His memorial service was held this past Sabbath at the Franklin, NC SDA church. It was inspiring to hear the many tributes that were paid to him. Pastor Rouse had completed 40 years of SDA ministry before retiring.
Also, this past Monday the Executive Committee of the conference met and discussed how to meet the budget shortfalls for 2010. As you know 2009 was a very challenging year financially. The Executive Committee voted to reduce the 2010 budget by $500,000. I will be sending a letter to each of our Conference family sharing more about this challenge in the next few days. Please continue to pray for guidance as we work through this challenging situation.
Over the next several months there are going to be special Carolina Conference Rallies held in six different locations. These are going to be a time of inspiration as you hear the miraculous stories of how God is leading His work here in the Carolinas. Special announcements will be made in the churches as your area date draws near. These are events you won't want to miss. The first rally will be held in the Raleigh church on Sabbath afternoon, February 6, at 3:00 pm. If you are in this area I hope to see you there. It will be a special time.
The work continues to go forward in Haiti following the disastrous earthquake. We have learned that some of our Carolina Haitian members have lost family members to this disaster. Please continue to lift them up in prayer. For the latest information you can log on to ADRA.org
As we see the events that are so rapidly taking place it is evident that prophecy is quickly being fulfilled. May we all ever remain faithful as we await that glorious day.
Your friend,
Jim
Friday, January 15, 2010
I know we have all been shocked this week by the tragedy unfolding in Haiti. The indescribable destruction and loss of life is simply beyond words. Currently we have one Haitian group here in the Carolina Conference. Several of them have immediate family members in Port-au-Prince the epicenter of the earthquake. As I write this they have still not heard any word as to the status of their loved ones. We do know at this time of at least one SDA minister who was killed when the union office collapsed. It is still unsure whether the union president of the Haitian Union has been killed or not. We have over 330,000 SDA's in Haiti and so this disaster has not only affected the country but our church family as well. Communications are nearly non-existent presently and so it is very slow receiving definitive word from there. We do know a number of our church and school structures have been destroyed or heavily damaged but we do not know the extent of death or injuries yet.
This Sabbath, tomorrow, there will be a special opportunity to contribute to ADRA which is already in country and providing relief. I know we as a Carolina Conference Family will be generous in our support of these relief efforts. For updated news on the work of ADRA in Haiti you can go to ADRA.org
This past week a one day Minister's meeting convened in Charlotte. Don McLafferty was the featured speaker. He is the Director of Kids in Discipleship from Collegedale, TN. His presentations were truly timely as he presented the importance of family and helping our children make a personal commitment to Jesus. All were truly blessed.
I look forward to being with our Korean brothers and sisters in Columbia tomorrow. On Sunday I will be in Mt. Olive, NC for the grand opening of the Mt. Olive Spanish church building. This has been a work of faith and sacrifice on the part of this church family and I look forward to being with them for this special occasion.
As the Haiti tragedy continues to unfold it simply reminds us the need for Jesus' soon return. The setting up of His Kingdom is the only solution to the pain and heartache of this world. What a wonderful knowledge it is to know that He IS coming back soon!
Your friend,
Jim
This Sabbath, tomorrow, there will be a special opportunity to contribute to ADRA which is already in country and providing relief. I know we as a Carolina Conference Family will be generous in our support of these relief efforts. For updated news on the work of ADRA in Haiti you can go to ADRA.org
This past week a one day Minister's meeting convened in Charlotte. Don McLafferty was the featured speaker. He is the Director of Kids in Discipleship from Collegedale, TN. His presentations were truly timely as he presented the importance of family and helping our children make a personal commitment to Jesus. All were truly blessed.
I look forward to being with our Korean brothers and sisters in Columbia tomorrow. On Sunday I will be in Mt. Olive, NC for the grand opening of the Mt. Olive Spanish church building. This has been a work of faith and sacrifice on the part of this church family and I look forward to being with them for this special occasion.
As the Haiti tragedy continues to unfold it simply reminds us the need for Jesus' soon return. The setting up of His Kingdom is the only solution to the pain and heartache of this world. What a wonderful knowledge it is to know that He IS coming back soon!
Your friend,
Jim
Thursday, January 7, 2010
As we begin this new year I can't help rejoicing for what God has done for His church in 2009. As of today there have been over 950 new individuals who have joined God's church in the Carolinas through either baptism or profession of faith during the last twelve months. Praise God! This is substantially more than ever before in the history of the Carolina Conference. What a powerful and magnificent God we serve! I know that each one of these precious souls has a unique and different story they could tell. I am sure we would be thrilled if we could listen to how God led them to make this decision that will change their lives for eternity. I hope you are even now planning to be at campmeeting this spring at Lake Junaluska where I know we will hear some of the experiences and stories of these dear folks.
One of the challenges we are facing as we go into the new year is the state of the economy. It is definitely impacting our churches as well. Sadly, as I visit in our churches from week to week I am meeting so many people who have lost their jobs. We need to lift this matter up to the Lord in prayer. The Conference and local church finances are being impacted as well. We don't have the tithe figures for December 2009 yet but please pray that it will be sufficient to continue the many ministries and strong programs throughout the Conference.
This past weekend many Literature Evangelists met from several conferences in the Southern Union, including Carolina, for a spiritual retreat. Dr. Philip Samaan was the featured speaker. It was a great blessing for all those who were able to attend.
Next week the pastors from throughout the conference will be meeting in Charlotte for a one day meeting. Some of the presentations will be videotaped and available on the website for viewing.
As we begin this new year I know the challenges are many. But we serve a powerful and loving God. One who knows our needs and wants. What a comfort to know that we may trust in Him and know that he is always watching over us. May God continue to richly bless.
Your friend,
Jim
One of the challenges we are facing as we go into the new year is the state of the economy. It is definitely impacting our churches as well. Sadly, as I visit in our churches from week to week I am meeting so many people who have lost their jobs. We need to lift this matter up to the Lord in prayer. The Conference and local church finances are being impacted as well. We don't have the tithe figures for December 2009 yet but please pray that it will be sufficient to continue the many ministries and strong programs throughout the Conference.
This past weekend many Literature Evangelists met from several conferences in the Southern Union, including Carolina, for a spiritual retreat. Dr. Philip Samaan was the featured speaker. It was a great blessing for all those who were able to attend.
Next week the pastors from throughout the conference will be meeting in Charlotte for a one day meeting. Some of the presentations will be videotaped and available on the website for viewing.
As we begin this new year I know the challenges are many. But we serve a powerful and loving God. One who knows our needs and wants. What a comfort to know that we may trust in Him and know that he is always watching over us. May God continue to richly bless.
Your friend,
Jim
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