20th General Conference Session
Five new countries were entered, plus several new units were now able to be recognized for the first time:
• Bandundu Mission
• Burundi Mission
• Cameroon Mission
• Equator Mission
• French Field (previously part of the German Union)
• Kasai-Occidental Mission
• Kasai-Oriental Mission
• Malawi Mission
• New Caledonian Mission Field
• North Congo Mission
• North Kivu Mission
• Rwandan Mission
• South Kivu Mission
• Tanzanian Mission
• Ugandan Mission
Other units showed sufficient growth to be recognized now at the next wider level (for example, from Mission to Field or Field to Union, and so forth):
• Central Angolan Field
• Colombian Union
• Italian Field (already operating since 1995 but officially recognized now)
• North Angolan Field
• North Chinese Union ***(okay to publish)?
• South Angolan Field
• South Chinese Union ***(okay to publish)?
• South Indian Union
Although steady growth was experienced in many, many places, the increase in souls reaped was especially noteworthy in Burundi, Cameroon, Ghana, Nepal, Rwanda, Vietnam, and Western Congo. In Central America 10 new properties were purchased, plus 11 new churches were built in other parts of that same region.
Currently the 10 largest units by membership are the South Brazilian Union, the North Brazilian Union, the Romanian Union, the Peruvian Union, the Philippine Union, the East European Union, the Kasai-Occidental Union, the Moldavian Union, the North Indian Union, and the Colombian Field. The worldwide regional distribution of membership is as follows:
41% South American Region
15% European Region
15% African Region
10% Asian Region
7% Eurasian Region
5% Pacific Region
4% Central American Region
3% North American Region
A few highlights from some of the plans made are: promote missionary publications, an online missionary school, DVDs and CDs for personal evangelism, health ministry and sanitariums, a medical foundation and continuation of the International Medical Congress every two years, agricultural projects, and educational seminars on evangelism and stewardship.
If we are to truly fulfill Christ’s call we also preach, teach, and heal. Beginning with our current total of 32,856 church members, 2,160 meeting places, 155 health institutions, 30 radio programs, 50 church schools, and 24 websites, we are called to share the love of Christ with another 6 billion souls in the world. Yet institutions will not actually finish God’s work - people will. Individual effort on the part of all imbued with the Holy Spirit will be a power to touch the heart of souls everywhere. We must recognize that our true work, expressed in our life and experienced with the motto, “helping people appreciate God’s transforming grace,” is to expose precious souls to the life-transforming and renewing grace of Christ. Our work is to help prepare them for His soon return.
To accomplish this goal, workers must be trained around the world in every unit. Seminars should be held in organization and administration. Lay members must be heavily involved in finishing the work. People must be educated to share sacrificially of their means and set self-determined goals and objectives in undertaking new mission projects. Our Lord has bidden us, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15).
“Go to the farthest part of the habitable globe, but know that My presence will be there. Labor in faith and confidence, for the time will never come when I will forsake you.
“To us also the promise of Christ’s abiding presence is given. The lapse of time has wrought no change in His parting promise. He is with us today as truly as He was with the disciples, and He will be with us ‘even unto the end.’
“ ‘Go forth preaching the gospel to all nations,’ the Saviour says to us, ‘that they may become children of God. I am with you in this work, teaching, guiding, comforting, strengthening you, giving you success in your work of self-denial and sacrifice. I will move upon hearts, convincing them of sin, and turning them from darkness to light, from disobedience to righteousness. In My light they shall see light. You will meet the opposition of satanic agencies, but put your trust in Me. I will never fail you.’
“Think you not that Christ values those who live wholly for Him? Think you not that He visits those who, like the beloved John, are for His sake in hard and trying places? He finds His faithful ones, and holds communion with them, encouraging and strengthening them. And angels of God, that excel in strength, are sent forth by God to minister to His human workers who are speaking the truth to those who know it not.” - Testimonies, vol. 8, p. 17.