Let me take the opportunity, since I am away and need to write this ahead, to share with you much of the article Ron Wisbey referred to two weeks ago in his preface to our morning prayer.It is exciting news of God’s Holy Spirit working in other parts of the world.We praise God for the decision of one person, but we also praise Him when the numbers run into the tens of thousands.Enjoy, and God bless.
More than 44,700 new Seventh-day Adventist believers made history in the Inter American Region (IAD) of the Adventist church on Saturday, March 24, when they joined the Adventist faith community.Their decisions marked the largest number of baptisms in a single day in that region since the Adventist church was established there in 1921.
Inspired by the Biblical ‘Pentecost’ in Acts 2, the territory wide event, called Pentecost and More, featured satellite feeds from all 15 unions, which were broadcast throughout the world and the IAD including the hub of the program in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
“This is a very extraordinary day,” said Pastor Jan Paulsen, president of the AdventistWorldChurch, to thousands of church members as he spoke at the El Palacio de los Deportesin Santa Domingo.“I’ve preached most Sabbaths and traveled all around the world, but I have never done anything like this,” he exclaimed.
More than 10,000 people crowded into the stadium to witness the event, which was the culmination of months of outreach work in the region and took the coordinated efforts of hundreds of pastors, church staff and lay people throughout the 15 main administrative territories.
Outside the stadium, 5,000 more watched as waves of baptismal candidates, dressed in blue robes, stepped forward.Some of the baptisms took place inside the stadium, while most involved 60 pastors immersing convertsin an Olympic sized pool outside.
Spearheaded by IAD’s Ministerial Association, the outreach effort sought to involve pastors and church members in every local church in the territory to share the gospel with non-believers in the hopes of reaching the three million member mark.Two years ago this milestone was not expected to be reached until 2010.
At the climax of the event was the baptism Clarissa Pozo de los Santos, a young lady chosen to represent the three millionth member of the church in Inter America. She shared how God transformed her life.
“I was walking in the world and I saw how there is so much evil, pain and sadness and God has something else for me,” she said.“It’s like I have a new life now.I know that I will be different with God’s help.”As Clarissa was submerged into a baptismal pool set up near the stage, crowds of people gathered around to witness the milestone.
At the outset of the program Paulsen, who addressed the convocation during the Sabbath worship service, spoke to the 1400 individuals seated on the ground floor of the stadium.Pastor Paulsen’s message was carried via satellite to the thousands more across the IAD gathered in local churches and convention centers who were preparing for baptism.“Jesus Christ is the only way,” said Paulsen.“He is the only door into God’s future.”
Paulsen emphasized what he called the four pillars of the gospel that each candidate would embrace as they publicly committed to following Jesus through baptism: first, having the certainty that Jesus Christ is the Savior of mankind; second, that Jesus did not stay in the grave; third, that Jesus is alive, ascended to heaven and is ministering to everyone; and finally, that He will come again.The world church leader challenged the gathering to recommit their lives to Christ and tell others the good news of the gospel.
Shortly after the event, church leaders and organizers marveled at how this historical event has already impacted the territory.“It has brought the churches together,” said Pastor Balvin Braham, who organized “Pentecost and More.“It is a sense of spiritual revival that has taken place, not just an event, and it has also mobilized individuals to continue evangelizing,” he said.
“In our case, it is not an issue of numbers,” said Pastor Israel Leito, president of the church in Inter America.“We are happy that we have reached symbolically the three millionth member, but we will be far more happy when, with all the saints of the Lord, we can be at the feet of Jesus.This will be our greatest joy,” he exclaimed.
We need, here at home, to not only rejoice with them, but also realize that our offerings have played a major part in making stories of victory like this happen.Your gifts and your prayers enable projects like this to take place and your continued faithfulness in supporting the world church will help to finish the work.
Your unselfish gifts have also made it possible for me to be sharing the good news of the gospel in a new church in a new village in a very poor area of Romania this very day.May God bless you as you continue to serve Him and share Him with the entire world.
I’ll be sending emails to Sandy to share with you over the next couple of weeks.In the meantime, I’ll be feeling your prayers on the 9’s.
