January 2016

Volume 13

Issue 01

To reach London with the distinctive, Christ-centered, Seventh-day Adventist message of Hope and Wholeness.

NEWSLETTER

London, Ontario

"I Start Each Day with

Bible Reading,"

In This Issue
Ben Carson.......1
The Five to One Fiber Rule..1
History Made in New Guinea as Woman
Pastor Commissioned....2
Former General Conference President
Robert Folkenberg Memorial will be January 10....4
COLOMBIAN CONGRESS HONORS ADRA
FOR ITS DECADES-LONG CONTRIBUTION
TO DISASTER RELIEF AND COMMUNITY
BUILDING.....5
Adventists Respond to the Call to Care
for Refugees.....6
North American Division President Authors HuffPo Op-Ed on Welcoming Refugees..8
Candy Swartz Becomes First Adventist
Woman Pastor to Receive Commissioning in Africa...8

7 December 2015 | JARED WRIGHT

eventh-day Adventist retired neurosurgeon and presidential hopeful

Ben Carson told Christianity Today that even on the campaign trail, he
begins every day with prayer and Bible reading. His comments come
at a time when his support among Evangelical voters has slipped
markedly. Speaking of his presidential bid, Carson said, "It hasnt changed our
routine. No matter where we are, we still start each day with prayer and Bible
reading, and we end it the same way. I find myself praying a lot more these
days." Carson spoke to Christianity Today by phone from a campaign stop in
South Carolina.
Carson has been slipping in polls of likely Republican voters after his insistance
that the Egyptian pyramids were built by Joseph of the Bible to hold grain during a time of famine. Carson's highest polling numbers, which saw him briefly
assume frontrunner status in the crowded GOP primary field, came at a time
when his Seventh-day Adventist faith became the subject of national discussion. He has now dropped to third in most polls behind mogul Donald Trump
and in statistical ties with Junior Senator Marco Rubio of Florida and Senator
Ted Cruz of Texas. Senator Cruz has been trending higher among Evangelicals
as Carson has faded.
Continue on page 2

MALAWI PARLIAMENT MEMBER PRAISES

ADVENTISTS FOR UNIQUE WOMENS
OUTREACH....9
Western District schedule of speakers,
January 2016.12

The Five to One

Fiber Rule
When people think fiber, they think constipation. And its true, if we could get Americans to just eat

Continue on page 3

London Seventh Day Adventist Church, 805 Shelborne Street, London, Ontario N5Z 5C6 Canada, 519.680.1965

Continued from page 1.

Religious discourse has proven Carson's proverbial double-edged sword.
On the one hand, his popularity rose
among Evangelical Republicans when
he claimed God led him to run for office, and discussed his Christian faith.

"I find myself praying a lot more these days.

On the other hand, questions about

whether Carson's sabbatarian commitments put him at odds with Evangelicals and his seemingly ill-informed comments about the pyramids have hurt
Carson, as have increased scrutiny of
his autobiography, "Gifted Hands," and
his ties to embattled supplement manufacturer Mannatech.
Republican strategist Ron Bonjean suggested in a New York Times article that
Carson has also struggled to persuade
voters of his foreign policy bona
fides. Carson is failing the commander
in chief test that Republican primary
voters have, especially around national
security issues like the recent terrorist
attack in Paris, Bonjean told the Times.
In an attempt to build foreign policy
credibility, Carson met with Syrian refugees in Jordanian refugee camps the
weekend after Thanksgiving. Following
his trip to Jordan, Carson has insisted
that the United States should not accept Syrian refugees, and that the San
Bernardino shootings could be attributed to insufficient security protocols for
screening immigrants to the United
States.
As Carson's support among Evangelicals has flagged, Ted Cruz has gained
the most ground among religious conservatives. Hoping to reverse the trend,
Carson touted the endorsement of fifteen South Carolina pastors, and has
sought to re-emphasize the role he

feels God plays in his White House run.

Speaking to Christianity Today, Carson
said, "I find myself praying a lot more
these days. If you have strong Christian
values in a secular progressive society,
youre going to be the subject of much
attack. But the Lord gives you what you
need to get through that."
Carson stated that he attends church
as often as possible, noting that on the
campaign trail, it is harder. He said that
he has been able to speak in many
churches on Sundays while touring the
country (no mention of churches on
Saturdays). "If the Lord puts me in the
White House, I will definitely continue
attending on a weekly basis," Carson
said. He also said that if elected, he will
not have a "politically correct" Christmas. "It'll be a real Christmas," he said.
In the same Christianity Today interview, Carson discussed the
Planned Parenthood shooting, the refugee crisis, and medical technology. See
more of his responses here.
Jared Wright is Managing Editor of
SpectrumMagazine.org.

History Made in New

Guinea as Woman
Pastor Commissioned
4 December 2015 | SOUTH PACIFIC DIVISION OF SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISTS
and NANCY LAGDOM

The Record, the official news magazine of

the South Pacific Division of Seventh-day
Adventists, has reported that Papua New
Guinea has made history with its first commissioning of a female minister, Dr. Agnes
Kola. The Record's report of the event follows in its entirety.
The Adventist Church in Papua New Guinea
(PNG) commissioned its first woman minister during its 15th Business Session held
last month in Lae.
A once male-dominated clergy in the Papua
New Guinea Union Mission (PNGUM) has
seen rapid changes in the past 10 years as
women ministers continue to join up in
force.
Dr. Agnes Kola, who returned to the country
earlier this year after obtaining her Doctorate in Ministry at the Adventist International
Institute of Advanced Studies (AIIAS) in the
Philippines, has became the first Adventist
female minister to be commissioned in
PNG.
In what was an exciting and emotional moment, delegates from all over the country
attending the business session witnessed
and applauded the Church for recognising
the work of female ministers in the country.
Outgoing PNGUM president Dr. Leigh Rice
read out the policy statement on the responsibilities of ministers and highlighted what Dr
Kola would and would not do as a commissioned minister. He applauded the work of
female ministers in PNGUM and said the
Church appreciated the great contributions
they make.
It was an emotional moment for Dr. Kola,
who praised God and thanked PNGUM and
the South Pacific Division leadership for the
recognition and honour. She also thanked
her husband and family for their support in
her ministry and recent studies.
During the business session, Dr. Kola was
also appointed the Womens Ministry and
Family Life director for the next five years.

Image: Dr. Agnes Kola shakes hands with

South Pacific Division President Pastor Glen
Townened. Courtesy Ben Turner / Record.com.au.
Nancy Lagdom furnished this report, which
was first published on RECORD.net.au.

Dr. Agnes Kola

This Newsletter is produced by the Communication department of the London Seventh-day Adventist Church

Continued from page 1.

The Five to One

Fiber Rule

try in which coronary heart disease, our #1 killer, was almost nonexistent. Heart disease was so rare among those eating these
traditional plant-based diets, there were papers published like
this: A case of coronary heart disease in an African. After 26
years of medical practice, they finally recorded their first case of
coronary heart disease in a judge consuming a partially Westernized diet, having fiber-free foods like meat, dairy, and eggs displace some of the plant foods in his diet.
Were there so few cases because Africans just didnt live very
long? No, the overall life expectancy was low because of diseases of childhood, like infections, but when they reached middle
age, they had the best survival, thanks in part to our number one
killer being virtually absent. Of course, now, diets have Western
ized across the continent, and it gets to now be their #1 killer as
well. From virtually non-existent to an epidemic.

It is not at all clear whether fiber consumed as a supplement is

beneficial.
the minimum recommended daily intake of fiber-containing foods,
we could save our country 80 billion dollars and thats just from
the effects on constipation alone.
Accumulating evidence indicates that greater dietary fiber intake
reduces risk for diabetes, heart disease, certain cancers, weight
gain, obesity, and diverticular disease, as well as constipation.
So, we need to eat more fiber rich foods, which means eating
more whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and legumes (beans, peas,
and lentils).
As fiber intake goes up, the risk of metabolic syndrome appears
to go down: less inflammation and an apparent step-wise drop in
obesity risk. And so, no surprise, perhaps, that greater dietary
fiber intake is associated with a lower risk of heart disease. A 9%
lower risk for every additional 7 g/day of total fiber consumed.
Thats just like some rice and beans or a few servings of fruits
and vegetables. How does fiber do its magic? What are the
mechanisms by which dietary fiber may extend our lifespan? It
helps get rid of excess bile, feeds our good bacteria, changes our
gut hormones, which collectively helps control our cholesterol,
and body weight, blood sugar, and blood pressure, which reduces
the risk for cardiovascular disease. Reducing inflammation is a
whole nother mechanism by which fiber may help prevent chronic
disease.
Is the Fiber Theory Wrong?
Fiber-containing foods may not only help prevent heart disease,
but help treat it as well. Heart patients who increase their intake of
fiber after their first heart attack reduce their risk of a second and
live longer than those that don't. But what if we really dont want
to have a heart attack in the first place? If seven grams of fiber
gets us a 9% reduced risk, would 77 grams a day drop our risk
99%? Well, thats about what they used to eat in Uganda, a coun-

Some blame this change on too much animal fat; others blame it
on too little fiber, but they both point to the same solution, a diet
centered around unrefined plant foods. In fact, sometimes, its
easier to convince patients to improve their diets by eating more
of the good foods to kind of crowd out some of the less healthy
options. The dietary fiber hypothesis, first proposed in the 70s,
zeroed in on fiber as the dietary component that was so protective
against chronic disease. And since then, evidence has certainly
accumulated that those who eat lots of fiber appear protected
from several chronic conditions, but maybe fiber is just a marker
for the consumption of foods as grown, whole unprocessed plant
foods, the only major source fiber. So, maybe all these studies
showing fiber is good are really just showing that eating lots of
unrefined plant foods is good.
Fiber is but one component of plant foods, and to neglect the other componentslike all the phytonutrientsis to seriously limit
our understanding.
Why did Drs. Burkitt, Trowell, Painter, and Walkerthe fathers of
the fiber theoryplace all their bets on fiber? One possible explanation for this is that they were doctors, and we doctors like to
think in terms of magic bullets. Thats how were trainedtheres
one pill, one operation. They were clinicians, not nutritionists, and
so they developed a reductionist approach. The problem with that
approach is that if we reach the wrong conclusion, we may come
up with the wrong solution. Burkitt saw disease rates skyrocket
after populations went from eating whole plant foods to refined
plant and animal foods, but instead of telling people that we
should go back to eating whole plant foods, he was so convinced
fiber was the magic component, his top recommendation was to
eat whole grain breadbut they never used to eat any kind of
bread in Uganda and sprinkling some spoonfuls of wheat bran
on your food.
But studies to this day associating high fiber intake with lower risk
of disease and death relate only to fiber from food intake rather
than from fiber isolates or extracts. It is not at all clear whether
fiber consumed as a supplement is beneficial.
In retrospect, maybe it was a mistake to isolate fiber from the
overall field of plant food nutrition. The evidence supporting the
value of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, as opposed to only
fiber, has proved to be much more consistent. Whole plant foods
are of fundamental importance in our diet. Fiber is just one of the
beneficial components of fruits, vegetables, nuts, grains, and
beans. Much of the effort on defining fiber and studying the fiber
isolate would have been better applied to a whole-plant-food approach.
What would have happened if Burkitt and others had instead emphasized the value of plant foods? The value of eating unrefined
plant food, which incorporates fiber and phytonutrients, might
have been the focus of attention rather than just isolated fiber,
which led to people shopping in this aisle for their fiber, instead of
this aisle.

This Newsletter is produced by the Communication department , Email: newsletter@adventistontario.ca

Former General Conference President Robert

Folkenberg Memorial will
be January 10
28 December 2015 | SPECTRUM and ADVENTIST NEWS
NETWORK
Robert S. Folkenberg, former
president of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, passed away during
the week before Christmas,
according to his family. He
was 74. A memorial service is
planned for January 10, at
4pm at the Avon Park Seventh-day Adventist Church in
Florida, United States.
After decades of service in
the Inter-American Division of
Seventh-day Adventists and a
short period of leadership in the Carolina Conference, Elder
Folkenberg became General Conference president in 1990, an
office he held until 1999. He resigned the presidency on February
8, 1999 amid allegations of financial impropriety and calls for him to
step down. He was, and remains the only General Conference
president to leave office under pressure to resign from other church
leaders.
Robert Folkenberg

In August 1998 James E. Moore, a real estate developer and longtime business associate of Folkenberg sued Folkenberg for $8
million in a California court for allegedly reneging on a business
agreement. The suit led to an investigation by the Church, uncovering further questionable business dealings, and raising concerns of
conflicts of interest and abuses of office. Several news outlets including the Associated Press, the Washington Post and the Los
Angeles Times reported. After Folkenberg resigned in February of
1999, Executive Secretary Ralph Thompson served as acting president until Dr. Jan Paulsen was elected in March.
Spectrum provided a thorough reporting of the events surrounding
Folkenberg's resignation in the Volume 27, Issue 3, Spring 1999
edition of the journal.
The following is the Adventist Church's official news release about
Folkenberg's passing, provided by the Adventist News Network:

cursor to the world wide web, into use in the Seventh-day Adventist
Church, making it the first denomination to use such technology.
He wanted the church to be up-to-date in the latest technology and
use all tools available to spread the gospel.
Folkenberg felt that Adventists had an exciting message to share
and the Internet was a great way to expand the Churchs reach.
The Adventist Church, he believed, could use the Internet to provide information, training and experiences that better demonstrate
the global aspect of the Churchs operation.
Elder Folkenberg was filled with creative and innovative ideas
regarding church work and evangelism. As president of the General Conference, he strongly nurtured the media aspect of outreach
for church activities and evangelism as well as pioneered the use
of Internet for communication within the church structure, Ted Wilson, president of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, said in a
statement to ANN.
Folkenberg also had a great passion for mission. It was the driving
force of his ministry. During his time as Seventh-day Adventist
world church president, he helped launch the Global Mission initiative, which has been responsible for establishing thousands of new
congregations around the world.
We could not have asked for a greater support than Folkenberg
for Global Mission, said Mike Ryan, former world church general
vice president and the first director of Global Mission. Elder Robert
Folkenberg was visible, involved and passionate about proclaiming
the hope of the gospel in places where Jesus name was not
known. It mattered to him personally that the Church was organized and focused on mission and that every member made being
Christ's Ambassador their top priority, Ryan added.
Ryan said he remembers Folkenberg often saying, Participation in
Global Mission is not optional.
In 1999, Folkenberg stepped down from his post at the General
Conference and Jan Paulsen replaced him as president of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
MINISTRY AFTER THE GENERAL CONFERENCE
Folkenbergs passion for mission and evangelism did not end after
he left his position as president. Folkenberg developed the Share
Him initiativea mission and evangelism effort that trains individuals and local churches to hold evangelistic series in their communities and abroad.
Elder Folkenberg spent part of his early ministry in frontline evangelistic activity and the last part of his ministry in direct evangelistic
outreach through ShareHim. Evangelism and the proclamation of
the three angels messages were the passion of his life, Wilson
said. Whether he was in frontline or administrative work, his heart
was in helping people know Christ and then become an active participant in the mission of the Church. His early ministry as part of
an evangelistic team gave him the foundation for the rest of his
life, he added.

Pastor Robert S. Folkenberg, an innovative church worker and

mission advocate who served as president of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, passed to his rest this week at the
age of 74, according to the Folkenberg family.
SERVICE AS THE DENOMINATIONS PRESIDENT
During his time as president, Folkenberg pushed the Church forward with the use of technology and brought CompuServe, a pre

Continued on page 4
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Continued from page 4

Folkenberg did not believe being an Adventist was a spectator sport and spoke often about what the Bible said regarding salvationif you confess with your mouth the
Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that
God has raised Him from the dead, you will
be saved. (NKJV Romans 10:9) Throughout
his career in the Adventist Church Folkenberg put an emphasis on confessing
Christthrough technology, through mission
and through the local churches with which
he worked.
Recently, Frederick Seventh-day Adventist
Church in the U.S. state of Maryland decided to participate in ShareHim. Church administrator Gail Boyer said of his passion,
"Bob Folkenberg's 'raison d'etre' is that every person should hear the gospel, the good
news of Jesus Christ. He lived for evangelism.

Folkenberg was an avid pilot. He secured a

single and multi-engine airline transport pilot
rating, commercial helicopter and sea rating
and flew more than 2,000 hours, the majority
of which were in Central America and the
Caribbean.
Folkenberg dedicated much of his service to
the Inter-America division. Serving first as a
pastor in Panama (1966-68) he later became stewardship director of the Panama
Conference (1968), president of the Honduras Mission (1970), secretary (1974) and
later president of the Central American Union (1975). In 1980 he became assistant to
the president for the Inter-American Division.
He served in North America as president of
the Carolina Conference in the United States
(1985-1990) before being elected General
Conference President in 1990.

Agency (ADRA) in Colombia was honored

by the House of Representatives in Colombia for the more than 25 years of dedicated
work in the country, during a special ceremony held at the Congress building in BogoOn behalf of the world church family of Sev- ta on December 1, 2015.
enth-day Adventists, we offer our deep symHouse Representative Hernan Sinisterra
pathy, condolences and Christian love to
Valencia thanked ADRA for its early role in
Mrs. Folkenberg and the children, Bob Jr.
providing assistance and humanitarian aid in
and
his
family
and
Kathi
and
her
family,
Folkenberg even visited the church, even
the wake of one of the November 1985 mudthough he had just been told his cancer had Wilson said in his statement. What a privislide that buried the town of Armero and
lege
to
be
part
of
Gods
great
Advent
moverecurred. He felt the Frederick Church was
claimed the lives of thousands. It is one of
committed to evangelism and bringing peo- ment looking forward to the time when there the worst tragedies in recent history in the
will
be
no
more
pain
or
death
because
of
ple to Christ, Boyer said. We had members
Christs final victory. What a marvelous rea- country.
that responded not only to doing a churchson to share HIM!"
held campaign, Boyer continued, but also
This inspired me to give this recognition to
to doing a 'ShareHim' series in their homes.
ADRA, with the purpose to motivate them to
Pastor
Robert
Folkenberg
is
survived
by
his
His love for the Lord was contagious!"
continue working and helping the most
wife Anita Emmerson along with their two
needy people, said Sinisterra. For our part,
Jan Paulsen, who followed Bob Folkenberg children Robert Jr. and Kathi and five grand- we will continue to do what we can to continchildren.
Robert
Folkenberg
Jr.
serves
the
as General Conference president, said this
ue expanding your humanitarian work, he
about his colleague: Bob was a man of ide- church as president of the Chinese Union of added.
Seventh-day
Adventists,
and
Kathi
Folkenas, high energy and a congenial spirit. He
berg Jensen is a registered nurse.
assigned responsibilities to his colleagues,
Regresentative Sinisterra awarded the Order
and then allowed them space and time to
of Democracy Simon Bolivar Commanders
carry out their task. Micro-management was
Cross decree certificate and placed the
not his style. I found him easy to relate to,
medal on Gabriel Villarreal, ADRA Colomboth as a colleague and a leader. Since he
bias country director.
left office he continued to let his energies
and creative ideas develop and flow into the
Villarreal, who has been working with the
life and mission of the Church, as seen parAdventist agency for eight years received
ticularly in the 'Share Him' program, which
the honor on behalf of ADRA in Colombia
has been a blessing to our Church widely
and the Adventist Church. Today, we have
and for which he will be long remembered.
been recognized for the work that until now
has been done, and now this is a motivation
A LIFE DEDICATED TO SERVICE
to continue contributing to that peace that
we all need in Colombia, said Villarreal.
Robert S. Folkenberg was born on January
More than 100 church leaders and church
1, 1941 in Santurcee, Puerto Rico to mismember volunteers witnessed the ceremosionary parents. He went to school in Puerto
ny.
Rico until the fourth grade before finishing
elementary school in Cuba. He entered high
Senator Edinson Delgado said the recognischool in California and ultimately graduated
tion was given to ADRA after analyzing the
THE ADVENTIST DEVELOPMENT AND RELIEF
from Milo Adventist Academy in 1958.
contribution that it had done in favor of the
AGENCY IN COLOMBIA IS HONORED FOR ITS 25
communities in Colombia. The senator also
Folkenberg first attended Atlantic Union Col- YEARS OF PROVIDING DISASTER RELIEF DURING referred to the role the NGOs will be able to
THE NATION'S WORST TRAGEDIES.
lege then Newbold College and graduated
play in the post-conflict process in the counfrom Andrews University with a degree in
try.
Ministry in 1962. In 1963 he completed a
December 07, 2015 | Bogota, Colombia | Shirley
masters degree in New Testament Theolo- Rueda/Inter-American Division Sta
gy at Andrews University.

COLOMBIAN CONGRESS
HONORS ADRA FOR ITS
DECADES-LONG CONTRIBUTION TO DISASTER RELIEF AND COMMUNITY
BUILDING

The Adventist Development and Relief

Continued on page 5

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Continue from page 5

After achieving the signing of the end of the armed conflict, we
want to achieve the integration of Colombians, said Senator Delgado. We have a country that gives opportunities to everyone and
NGOs play a fundamental role and should continue contributing to
building that new society, Senator Delgado added.

Adventists Respond to the

Call to Care for Refugees
By Daniel R. Jackson
President of the North American Division of Seventh-day Adven sts

The recognition of the government in Colombia is a first for ADRA

Colombia and one that becomes a historic recognition in InterAmerica and around the world, according to Wally Amundson, the
recently retired ADRA Inter-America director. ADRA successfully
carried out many good initiatives in Colombia, said Amundson, and
cited projects like relocating displaced persons, training women
head of households for income generating business, family home
garden training, emergency and disaster response, and more.
Colombia is a very special country with many different challenges
and the fact that ADRA and its volunteers and professionals are
always ready to respond to any situation is something that calls
the attention of the government, said Amundson, who attended
the ceremony. Amundson served as ADRA director for more than
23 years in Inter-America.
To close the door to refugees cannot be an option.
To "welcome" them by marking them with shame and suspicion is
unacceptable.
To incite fear based on prejudice is irresponsible.
As followers of Jesus Christ, we are compelled to welcome ALL
who are seeking refuge.
Throughout the Bible God instructs mankind to welcome strangers
and treat them as equals--with love, care, and respect. Furthermore, in Matthew 25, Jesus raises the bar and says we should
treat strangers much better than ourselves. We are to treat them
as we would treat God.
25 YEARS OF PROVIDING DISASTER RELIEF

I believe that ADRA made a great impact in

the life of this country and this is why we are
living in this historic moment around the
world,
added Amundson.
ADRA was established in 1956 and currently operates 134 local
offices around the world providing assistance when disasters strike
and for the day-to-day implementation and management of regional programs.

As Christians, we believe God calls upon us to act not just in word

but in deed. We are to take care of the least of these. These are
the hungry, thirsty, sick, the poor, prisoners, and strangers-refugees. We are to care for them without condition. There simply
is no other option.
Historically, the United States, has welcomed strangers looking for
a better life unto its shores. I myself am a stranger in your land.
I have come not seeking refuge, but to lead the Seventh-day Adventist Church in North America, which is part of the Christian family of churches.
Our religious community, like this country, is made rich by its diversity. In fact, according to a recent report by the Pew Research
Center, the Seventh-day Adventist Church is the most racially and
ethnically diverse religious group in the United States.
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is responding and meeting the
needs of refugees. The Adventist Development and Relief Agency,
the humanitarian arm of the church has collected more than 25
tons of relief supplies in Macedonia for Syrian refugees. Here in
the United States, our church has an established ministry that assists refugees seeking a better life for their families. Our Refugee
Ministries team is ready to assist Syrian and Iraqi refugees.

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Continue from page 6

I have seen the plight of the displaced first
hand. In 2008, my wife and I traveled to
Nakuru, Kenya to volunteer in a camp that
housed some 16,000 of the nearly
600,000 people displaced internally by the
deadly violence that followed disputed
elections. We provided assistance to
mothers and their newborn babies. We
spoke to many who shared stories of fear
and spoke of their desperate struggle to
survive--people looking for a better life.
During my five years as a guest in this
county, I have been made to feel welcome
by nearly every American I have encountered. I, however, hail from your neighbor
to the north, Canada. I was not seeking
refuge or escaping an unstable government, as are many who are fleeing Syria
to seek a better life.
We all know that this country was built by
immigrants and has always answered the
call to take in those who seek refuge, security, and a better life. Emma Lazurus
best describes the principle of American
hospitality in her poem, New Colossus.
Her words are forever memorialized on a
plaque inside the pedestal of that symbol
of liberty and welcome:
"Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe
free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming
shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempesttossed, to me:
I lift my lamp beside the golden door."
Some of the leaders of this country want
to close that golden door to refugees from
Syria and Iraq who are desperately trying
to save their families' lives. The overheated rhetoric by leaders and presidential
candidates is planting seeds of fear.
Some are calling for refuge to be offered
to Christians--and not those who are
strangers. Others are saying we need to
close the door altogether to those from
countries and religions they feel may harbor or breed terrorists. Make no mistake,
the Seventh-day Adventist Church in
North America unequivocally condemns
the terrorist actions of extremists that
claimed innocent lives in Paris, Beirut,
Iraq, Mali and other places around the
world. We mourn with and pray for the
families of all the victims of these senseless crimes against humanity.
Resorting to violence in the name of God
or Allah is wrong.

and men who are fleeing war, hunger, and

disease refuge because of fear and prejudice is just as wrong.
This does not mean that the doors are left
wide open. This country has the right to
defend itself from radical militants who
wish to bring terror to its shores. And refugees from Syria and Iraq must already
pass through a stringent process to enter
this country.
So what has changed?
Fear. Fear is closing the golden door.
The families, who seek refuge from wartorn countries in the Middle East, whether
they are Christian or Muslim, are children
of God created in His image. They are our
brothers and sisters and we must provide
them refuge without discrimination.

In the piece, "Adventists Respond to the

Call to Care for Refugees," Elder Jackson
makes the case that Scripture demands
justice for strangers and foreigners seeking refuge.
To close the door to refugees cannot be
an option. To "welcome" them by marking
them with shame and suspicion is unacceptable. To incite fear based on prejudice is irresponsible. As followers of Jesus
Christ, we are compelled to welcome ALL
who are seeking refuge.
Jackson, who in the piece calls himself "a
stranger in your land" (Jackson is Canadian, but lives and works in Maryland), says
that he came to the United States not
seeking refuge, but to lead the Adventist
Church in North Americaa church made
strong by its diversity. Likewise, Jackson
says, it is America's rich diversity that
makes it a great nation.

This nation, if it is to follow the principles

upon which it was founded, needs to heed
the call to not just welcome strangers, but
to love them, care for them, and protect
them.
We must stop the rhetoric of hate and
fear.
We must stop dividing ourselves by who
and how we worship.
As but a stranger in your land, I ask
that you not close the golden door--the
door that offers sanctuary and the possibility of a new life to strangers in far greater need.

North American
Division President
Authors HuffPo
Op-Ed on Welcoming Refugees
9 December 2015 | JARED WRIGHT

Daniel R. Jackson, president of the

North American Division of Seventh-day
Adventists, has authored an opinion piece
for the Huffington Post arguing that the
United States must open the door to refugees from war-torn countries like Syria.

He cites Adventist aid efforts, including

ADRA's 25 tons of relief supplies in Macedonia for Syrian refugees, and Refugee
Ministries in the United States that help
provide resources for those emigrating
from Iraq and Syria, among other places.
But the essay is not simply a litany of Adventist accomplishments, it is personal.
I have seen the plight of the displaced first
hand. In 2008, my wife and I traveled to
Nakuru, Kenya to volunteer in a camp that
housed some 16,000 of the nearly
600,000 people displaced internally by the
deadly violence that followed disputed
elections. We provided assistance to
mothers and their newborn babies.
We spoke to many who shared stories of
fear and spoke of their desperate struggle
to survive--people looking for a better life.
Jackson quotes the words of Emma Lazarus in her poem New Colossus, the words
of which are engraved in America's Statue
of Liberty:

But to deny innocent women, children,

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Continue from page 7

Give me your tired, your

poor,
Your huddled masses yearning
to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your
teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless,
tempest-tossed, to me:
I lift my lamp beside the golden door."
He argues that some American leaders
would close that golden door to Syrians
and Iraqis, but those fear-mongering leaders' voices must not win the day. While the
Adventist Church unequivocally condemns
sectarian and terrorist violence, "to deny
innocent women, children, and men who
are fleeing war, hunger, and disease refuge because of fear and prejudice is just
as wrong."
Denouncing the rhetoric of hate and fear,
Jackson implores people of faith and the
leaders of the United States to leave open
that golden door to the most vulnerable
and in-need among us.

Candy Swartz Becomes First Adventist

Woman Pastor to Receive Commissioning
in Africa
30 November 2015 | JARED WRIGHT

Candy Swartz

On Saturday, November 28, Xolisa

Candy Swartz became the first Seventhday Adventist woman pastor in Africa to
receive a commissioned minister credential. The historic service took place on the
campus of Bethel College, Eastern Cape,
Cape Conference, during the Cape Conference Constituency 3rd Business Session.
Along with Swartz, six male pastors were
ordained during the service.
While there are several women serving as
pastors in the Southern African Union Conference (SAU), Swartz became the sole
woman pastor in all three of the divisions
on the African continent to be commissioned. SAU Ministerial Association Secretary Gerald T. Du Preez, who presided
over Saturdays proceedings, noted that at
the last SAU Executive Committee Meeting, the name of a second woman ministerial candidate was approved for commissioning--that of Nandi Fleming.
The South Africa Union Conference has
emerged as the African leader in advancing women ministers. In November 2014,
before the San Antonio General Conference Session vote on ordination, the SAU
Executive Committee voted the following
statement as its official position on womens ordination:
It is the conclusion of SAU that there is
currently no conclusive argument that prohibits the ordination of women to pastoral
ministry in the Seventh-day Adventist
Church. The SAU, therefore, concludes
that ordination to pastoral ministry should
not be determined by gender.
FURTHER that this is the SAU position
and contribution to the Study of Theology
of Ordination and Ordination of Women
and
FURTHER that the implementation of
this action is subject to the outcome of the
2015 GC Business Session.
Following the General Conference Session
in San Antonio, the SAU Executive Committee noted the decision of the Church
and stated that it would abide by that decision. The union adopted the following policy concerning women:
L 20 30 10 - The Seventh-day Adventist
Church appoints women to serve as pastors in the gospel ministry. They are authorized to perform all the ministerial functions as their male counterparts at the different levels of ministry, which are internship, licensed and commissioned.
With Saturdays service, Swartz becomes
the forerunner of SAU policy, and it happened in as large and public a venue as
possible. Southern Africa Union Conference president, Dr. Tankiso Letseli delivered the sermon with Du Preez presiding.
Swartz was introduced to a congregation
of over 2,000 by the conference secretary,

Dr. Mzonzima Gwala. The Charge was

done by the Conference president, Pastor
Randall Gelderbloem. Ordination and commissioning certificates were handed out by
Du Preez with assistance from Union Secretary Pastor Trevor Kunene.
On stage for the laying on of hands were
the SAU Officers (Letseli and Kunene); the
SAU Directors (Dr. Jun Negre, Dr. Gift
Mweemba, and Pastor Peter Maligudu);
the Cape Conference officers
(Gelderbloem, Gwala, Frank Hayter Treasurer, and Andre Niemandt - Vice
President); the president of the Northern
Conference (Dr. Dave Spencer); and two
former conference Presidents who are now
retired (Dr. Oscar Mngqibisa - former president of the Southern Hope Conference and
Pastor Aubry Nzimande - past president of
the KwaZulu Natal Free State Conference).
Du Preez noted that other women have
been granted Commissioned Minister Credentials before, but as departmental leaders, not as female pastors being granted
ecclesiastical authority as their male counterparts, he said. Those women granted
credentials previously were issued their
credentials on the same basis and in the
same manner as treasurers, auditors or
other employees who would normally not
be eligible for ordination.
Swartz (56), a former radio journalist for
the SABC (South African Broadcasting
Corporation) left her career to study theology at Helderberg College, where she graduated with a BA Theology in 2010.
She served as an intern from 2010-2013 in
the Cape Midlands District. Recognizing
her unique gifts in working with young
adults, she was given the responsibility of
managing the student churches in the
campuses of four secular universities,
where she serves as the chaplain to those
campuses and the pastor of the student
churches. 25 persons have been baptized
as a direct result of her ministry.
(We were unable to reach Swartz for comment.)
Swartzs supervisors, Pastor Bucwa, Pastor Gelderbloem and Pastor Njingolo, guided her through the internship program and
recommended her for commissioning, Du
Preez said. She was recommended by the
conference Executive Committee, interviewed by a panel of eight senior employees under the guidance of the Union, recommended to the SAU President's Council
and finally voted by the SAU Executive
Committee--the identical process as for her
male counterparts.

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Continue from page 8

Her certificate of commissioning read:
Certificate of Commissioning
Having given satisfactory evidence of her call to and preparation
for the sacred work of the gospel ministry

MALAWI PARLIAMENT MEMBER

PRAISES ADVENTISTS FOR
UNIQUE WOMENS OUTREACH.
THE NATION'S FIRST LADY ALSO AFFIRMS THE CHURCHS

Xolisa Swartz

PRAYER EVENT.
December 17, 2015 | Malawi | SID Communication/ ANN Staff

was endorsed to serve as a pastor with all the ecclesiastical authority pertaining thereto at Bethel College, Eastern Cape, South
Africa on the 28th day of November, in the year of our Lord 2015
and is duly authorized under the provisions of the Seventh-day
Adventist Church to perform all the functions of the

The womens ministries department of the Malawi Union Conference partnered with Malawis Ministry of Gender, Children, Disability and Social Welfare, on December 13, to organize a prayer
breakfast in an effort to promote sisterhood among women of all
faiths and occupations.

Commissioned Minister Credential

The interfaith prayer breakfast included women from the Malawi

police force, immigration department, female government principal
secretaries, female members of parliament and the ruling party.
The theme of the event was Women: To Nurture and Empower.
In her address, Gertrude Maseko, the first lady of the Republic of
Malawi, emphasized the need for women to love each other. She
said that the womans worst enemy is a fellow woman; most women spend their productive time backbiting or hatching plans as to
how to bring down a fellow woman.
She then advised women to spend time with God first but also
focus their efforts on coming up with activities that can improve
their well being.
In line with her Beautify Malawi Trust initiative, the first lady said
she was happy to associate with the Dorcas women in Malawi who
work in areas of sanitation and hygiene in hospitals, markets and
other public places. She reminded the gathering that cleanliness is
next to godliness and she summarized by saying smart women
pray.
The Minister of Gender, Children, Disability and Social welfare,
Hon. Patricia Annie Kaliati M.P. thanked the Seventh Day Adventist Church for collaborating with sisters from other denominations
and social groups. She asked other groups to emulate what the
Adventist women had done in organizing national prayers in light
of the many challenges facing the country.

Issued by the Southern Africa Union Conference of Seventh-day

Adventists
SDA Executive Commitee Action #15-510

Pastor Xolisa "Candy" Swartz, in yellow, with four other

women pastors standing in solidarity.

The response at the event was hugely positive, Du Preez said,

with the 2,000+ congregation, consisting of more than 85% black
church members, vocally approving the process and loudly affirming the other four female pastors who were in attendance.
While the attending body responded overwhelmingly positively, the
Cape Conference Session during which Swartz received her credentials did not come without some strain.
According to those in attendance during the Cape Conference
Constituency Session, two factions emerged for two different presidents. The factions had several caucus meetings beforehand and
went head to head at the session, which opened Thursday, November 26. The session struggled to choose an organizing committee and the nominating committee, which caused serious tensions on the session floor. On Sunday, the session succeeded in
appointing a nominating committee who named the president, vice
president and executive secretary, and deferred all other positions
to the executive committee who must meet as soon as possible.
Despite the political maneuverings, Saturday was a day of celebration as Swartz made history. With her commissioning, Candy
Swartz become the mother of Africas credentialed women ministers, and there will be many more!

In her sermon, Shepherdess Esther Kuyama preached on the

need for women to trust and rely on God for all their challenges.
She challenged the women that there is no single problem that
God will fail to resolve and there is always a reason why we have
to go through different seasons but what is important is to keep the
faith and stick to Christ even amidst trials and tribulations.
In her remarks, Malawi Unions womens ministries director, Emily
Banda Egolet, urged the first lady to take the example of Esther in
the Bible.
Egolet said women have little or no voice and are underrepresented in most decision making positions and are continuously victimized in various ways. She told the first lady that women
will continue to pray for her as she represents them in the State
House.
In his statement, the president of the Malawi Union Conference
thanked the Malawi government for creating a conducive environment for the Church to exist and conduct business in Malawi. He
committed that the Adventist Church in Malawi will continue to
contribute to the social economic development of the country especially in the areas of health, education, youth development,
women and children welfare issues. He said the Adventist Church
will especially continue to contribute to ending all forms of violence
and discriminatory acts against women and children.
During the event, the womens ministries department presented
the Seventh-day Adventist hymnal to the first lady who indicated it
was a prayer answered for her because the hymnal contains her
most favorite hymn.

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1. Farewell Reception

January 9 at 6:30 PM at the church to rem-

inisce and bid fond farewell to Dr Alex Golovenko

and family. Anyone wishing to participate in the gift
is invited to do so by the morning of January 9.

Please invite friends and family to this momentous

event.

& Nelita

Pastor Alex Golovenko in company of his family in London.

2. Welcome to our new

pastoral family

Pastor James & Nelita Rooney

On January 23 Pastor James

Rooney will be installed as the pastoral family for the

London and Living Truth Congregations. Please join
us for a fellowship potluck with the Rooney family
immediately following the Worship Hour

Western District schedule of speakers, January 2016

Pulpit Speakers at Western Ontario District of Seventh-day Adventist Churches

PRAYING MEETINGS
Friendship Evangelism

Jan 6

Jan 13
Jan 20

Jan 27

Bob Reeve

DATE

London South Church

805 Shelborne
Street

London Living Truth

Company
970 Oxford Street W

Windsor Church
5350 Haig
Avenue

Windsor Spanish
Company
3325 Walker Road

Jan 2

Kirmane Allen

Kathy Rayner

Junior Garcia

Roberto Lara

Jan 9

Pastor Alex Golovenko

George Perez

Randy Saunders

Alex Capote

Jan 16

Clara Baptiste

Pastor Alex Golovenko

Gary Hodder

Junior Garcia

Jan 23

Pastor James Rooney

Installation Service

closed - joining The South Church

to welcome Pastor J. Rooney

Charles Shad

Jan 30

Cameron Munro

Pastor James Rooney

Sheldon Bailey

Earl Biggs

Lo Richards

SDA South London Church

519.680.1965

Felix Landaverde

Pastor Alex Golovenko Installation Service

www.adventistlondon.ca

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