ANN Bulletin
Adventist News Network
Seventh-day Adventist Church World Headquarters
October 23, 2007

In This Issue:
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* No 'pendulum swing' for Adventist health practices
* Church approves full ownership of Web software
* Adventist Church approves 10-year initiative for Central Asia
* Saturday night's alright for ministering: English Street Pastors
provide calm amid chaos
* Church's radio ministry to launch television series
* Adventists around the world
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No 'pendulum swing' for Adventist health practices
Silver Spring, Maryland, United States .... [Elizabeth Lechleitner/ANN]

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Seventh-day Adventist health institutions around the world will
continue to practice evidence-based medical treatments that don't
contradict the Bible or the writings of early church pioneer Ellen G.
White, leaders of the global Protestant denomination agreed during an
October 16 business session at church headquarters.

The 300 delegates voted to supplement the world church's Health
Ministries department guidelines with a list of questionable treatments
and therapies officially "discouraged" by the Adventist Church -- among
them hypnosis, magnet therapy, untested herbal remedies and pendulum
diagnosis.

Updating the guidelines indicates a "resurgence" of commitment by
Adventists around the world to temperance and healthful living, said
Dr. Peter Landless, an associate Health Ministries director for the
world church.

Before voting on the update, many delegates called for further
justification of the changes.

One delegate said Adventist healthcare principles were based largely on
Western medicine and tended to dismiss the validity and value of
traditional medicine, often favored and more widely trusted in Asian
countries.

"We are not [singling out] Western medicine, Eastern medicine or even
alternative medicine," said Dr. Allan Handysides, director of the world
church's Health Ministries department. "We are simply saying that any
treatment or therapy used by the church should be backed up by
unequivocal evidence."

Handysides then explained that most Health Ministries polices -- while
certainly applicable to individual church members -- are meant
primarily to help Adventist healthcare institutions plan treatment
programs, which should only include "rational" treatments and
therapies, he said.

At the same time, Handysides clarified, some treatments, while arguably
"irrational" are far from sinister and, if found to be helpful and
without negative side effects, would be acceptable for individual use.

When herbal remedies were singled out for discussion, Handysides
reiterated the church's call for evidence of safe, successful use.
"What we're saying is, 'Show us the evidence' if we're going to
incorporate this practice into our Adventist healthcare institutions."


"No one can say that herbs don't have effects," said Thomas J. Zirkle,
an associate Health Ministries director. "The problem is that we cannot
separate the good effects from the bad effects." Because herbs are so
popular, he explained that surgeons now routinely ask whether their
patients are taking such supplements, which might counteract or
interfere with regular medicines -- some herbs, he explained, interrupt
blood clotting and other bodily processes.

Landless echoed the caution over herbal treatments, but advised the
church not to blindfold itself against new scientific evidence. "We
sometimes tend to cite what's convenient," he said. "When National
Geographic magazine pointed out that the Adventist health message was
evidence-based, we all jumped on the bandwagon. However, in 2004, the
World Health Organization released guidelines that recognized the
importance of using traditional herbal therapies, particularly [in
areas of the world] where there are economic constraints."

"Let's work with our communities, take that which is good, test it, and
encourage it," Landless said.

A delegate from the church's South Pacific region wondered why the list
of discouraged practices was even necessary. If science eventually
proves some items on the list, she asked, why adopt what may soon be an
outdated inventory?

"Where there is some evidence that [a treatment] may work, we have not
included it," Handysides said, citing acupuncture as an example. "We
can defend every item on that list."

Martin W. Feldbush, director of Adventist Chaplaincy Ministries, added
that the list would help administrators and physicians at Adventist
hospitals and other healthcare institutions plan appropriate treatment
programs.

Additionally, when "divisive" or "radical" treatments come up, such a
list would be convenient to refer to, said Larry R. Evans, world church
undersecretary. "If things should change, we can then change [the
list]," he said.

Above all, Handysides stressed, the church, in distinguishing between
helpful and harmful treatments, must not interfere with its medical
ministry. "If we say 'no drugs at all,' we are faced with a situation
-- medications are being used according to very good guidelines, many
times in our own Adventist institutions, and we need to be careful that
we don't make that practice problematic."


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Church approves full ownership of Web software
Silver Spring, Maryland, United States .... [Taashi Rowe/ANN]
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Last year the Seventh-day Adventist Church agreed to accept a software
package that would connect Adventist communities globally over the
Internet. On October 16, delegates to the church's Annual Council voted
to accept full ownership of the netAdventist software. The transition
of software ownership will start in 2008 and will come under full
ownership of the church by 2009.

"This software was developed by lay people who have provided the
multiple millions of dollars required to produce this and they are
giving it as a gift," said Adventist world church President Jan
Paulsen.

The software was developed for and given to the church by Three Angels
Global Networking, or TAGnet, a lay-owned, supporting ministry. The
license agreement makes a software package available to denominational
entities at no cost. The software combines localized Web sites with
live streams of information and resources from the global church. The
software permits local churches to tailor the software to meet their
individual needs.

By owning the software, Lowell C. Cooper, a world church vice
president, said the world church will "have a common platform of
communication globally. It will be easier to establish global branding
for churches around the world and it is the easiest way of providing
global connectivity."

Cooper said ownership would also mean "the [world church] would be
responsible for modifying, substituting or discontinuing use of the
software."

Delegates raised questions on what kind of support the world church
would give to local users of the software.

Cooper explained that while the church's headquarters will be
responsible for the "provision of some technical support to [regional]
technicians we certainly cannot provide technical support for the
entire range of church use."

Because the software has an open license, churches can host the
software on whatever server they need to. It will also allow church
programmers worldwide to make updates and add new applications to the
software core.

Already the software is being used in more than 1,000 churches in North
America and more than 1,000 churches in the South Pacific regions of
the church with plans to start use in three or four more regions in
2008.

On a similar note, delegates also voted to establish in 2008 an Office
of Global Software and Technology to be based at the church's
headquarters. Cooper said the decision came about after church leaders
realized similar software was being developed and duplicated in
different parts of the world.

The role and function of the office's staff has not yet been
established. However, Cooper said, "Someone based at the world
headquarters would have the responsibility of creating the networking
and the discussion forums in which software development questions could
be addressed and collective decisions made about what kind of software
would be developed."

"Today, our communication needs to reflect that we are at the same time
a global and a local faith community," said Rajmund Dabrowski,
communication director for the world church.

"The two actions today show the Adventist Church's efforts to be
proactive and better organized in developing software and using
Internet technologies," he said.


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Adventist Church approves 10-year initiative for Central Asia
Silver Spring, Maryland, United States .... [Adventist Mission
staff/ANN]
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The Adventist Mission Committee of the Seventh-day Adventist Church
recently approved a 10-year initiative for the 60 million indigenous
people of Central Asia.

The five countries of Central Asia--Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan,
Tajikistan and Turkmenistan--represent a highly challenging area to
Christian mission, church leaders said.

In September, two Adventist pastors in Uzbekistan were sentenced by a
court for "unduly organizing and holding worships." In 1999 an
Adventist Church was bulldozed to the ground by the government in
Turkmenistan.

Although the Adventist Church has had a presence in this area for more
than 100 years, the social-political climate and lack of resources has
impeded church growth and the ability for church members to build
bridges of understanding and friendship with the indigenous peoples of
Central Asia.

"We want to train church members to minister to the physical, social
and spiritual needs of the indigenous people," said Rubin Ott,
president of the Adventist Church for the region. This initiative will
also help to establish an Adventist vocational school and a
health-training program.

Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan lie
within what church leaders call the 10/40 Window, an area stretching
from northern Africa into Asia where two-thirds of the earth's
population live. Home to many of the world's major religions, the 10/40
Window has the largest and fastest growing cities, some of world's
poorest people and the fewest Christians.

"Helping the indigenous people of Central Asia is a priority for the
Adventist Church," said Gary Krause, director of the Office of
Adventist Mission. "Thanks to the generosity of those who support
Global Mission and mission offerings, we can help meet this need."

Updates on the progress of this 10-year program will be posted at
http://www.adventistmission.org.


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Saturday night's alright for ministering: English Street Pastors
provide calm amid chaos
Silver Spring, Maryland, United States .... [Ansel Oliver/ANN]
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Last Saturday night Susanna Matthan left her husband and 10-year-old
daughter at their rural home in Billinghay and drove 20 miles to the
county's nightlife hotspot in the city of Lincoln. Her plan to stay out
until 4 a.m. didn't involve joining the partygoers milling in and out
of bars, but instead, joining three other Christians in looking out for
the weekend revelers.

Wearing long, blue jackets with reflective print blazed across the back
identifying themselves as "Street Pastors," the team strolled the
streets to talk with patrons outside pubs, comfort upset club hoppers
and occasionally get a lone, vulnerable person into a taxi.

"The whole idea is that Christians are on the streets to provide a
calming and reassuring influence," said Matthan, 40, a Seventh-day
Adventist and part-time special needs educator.

Launched in 2003 with 18 volunteers, Street Pastors, an inter-church
charity, has grown to more than 1,000 trained volunteers who take turns
heading to the center of popular nightspots on the weekends. Teams now
cover 22 of the London's 33 boroughs and 24 other locations around the
country.

While Street Pastors won't get involved in violent incidences, their
presence has helped reduce crime in many common trouble spots. The
London-based organization cites police department figures of a 30 to 70
percent drop in crime when Street Pastors are on patrol.

"The statistics are very impressive," said Eustace Constance,
operations manager for Street Pastors.

Though a few are commissioned ministers, Street pastors are largely lay
members, most of whom are female.

"That just reflects the church," Constance said. "Men haven't caught up
yet."

Typically a team of four meets with a prayer group at a church and hits
the streets about 10 p.m. They stay in pairs, always within eye contact
of each other and are in constant contact with the prayer group back at
the church by mobile phones.

"We're not shy in telling people we're doing this because we believe
it's what Jesus would be doing," said Reverend Ian Brown, minister of
the Bailgate Methodist Church in Lincoln and coordinator of the Lincoln
Street Pastors. The group launched last weekend, as did another group
in Scotland.

"We're also quite clear when we say we're not preaching to people, in
words, but we're hoping our actions will show what we believe," Brown
said.

The idea for the ministry was sparked by similar methods of community
and church cooperation in Jamaica and Massachusetts, United States.
Now, Ascension Trust, the Street Pastors umbrella organization, is
"inundated" with requests on implementing the program in cities in the
U.S., Africa, mainland Europe and Australia.

On October 5, the Lincoln Street Pastors met for their ministry's
inaugural ceremony at a packed-out church, along with a representative
of the local mayor's office, before heading out to talk with people who
wouldn't otherwise come to church.

"The interesting thing is when people have had a few drinks, they'll
tell you their life story in a minute," Matthan said. "The things that
are concerning them come out really quickly."

Matthan said her training involved dealing with problems of
homelessness, alcohol and drug abuse.

"One of the problems we have is when a woman goes out and her drink is
spiked so when she comes out of a club she's followed by men," Matthan
said. "We say, 'do you know these guys?' And if she says 'no,' we'll
take her to a taxi."

Matthan said she wishes more people from her own faith make a similar
commitment to Street Pastors.

"It would be nice to have some other Adventists involved," Matthan
said. Church leaders in Britain said they are not aware of any other
Adventists in the ministry yet.

Without Street Pastors, some club patrons might not have any
assistance. While police are still out, community officers usually
"knock off" at 10 p.m.

"My brother isn't in the church and I would want to know that there was
someone that could help him," Matthan said.


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Church's radio ministry to launch television series
Silver Spring, Maryland, United States .... [AWR/ANN Staff]
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A group of Tibetan residents recently trekked on foot for four days
along the Nepal border to be baptized in a rocky, isolated mountain
stream outside of Katmandu -- far from anti-Christian radicals -- after
learning about God on the radio.

Their story and others like it will soon be available to viewers of
Making Waves, a new television program by the Seventh-day Adventist
Church's international radio ministry, Adventist World Radio.

The series is meant to help church members in North America understand
AWR's work around the world, said Ben Schoun, AWR president. Because
AWR doesn't broadcast in North America -- choosing instead to
concentrate its programming in areas where the world's
"hardest-to-reach" people live -- "few church members here are aware of
what we really do," Schoun said.

The first series will focus on Asia with future programs featuring
other parts of the world.

Established in 1971, AWR now broadcasts thousands of hours of
programming every day in 70 languages. People around the world tune in
via AM/FM and shortwave radio, Internet podcasts and satellite
transmitters.

Schoun, along with AWR vice president for advancement Jim Ayer and a
film crew recently spent several weeks taping interviews with AWR
listeners in India, Nepal and Myanmar.

Along with stories, most episodes of 'Making Waves' will include a
travelogue segment, exploring each region's local culture, religion and
economy, producers said.

For 'Making Waves' airing dates and times on the church's Hope Channel,
visit the Web site, http://www.awr.org.


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Adventists around the world
Silver Spring, Maryland, United States .... [ANN Staff]
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Abuse addressed in church's flagship magazine ... An article in the
October 11 issue of the Adventist Review, the official magazine of the
Seventh-day Adventist Church, addresses the misconception that abuse
doesn't happen in Adventist homes. The article referred to one survey
that found only 16 percent of Adventists thought abuse was a major
problem in the church. However, the article cites three studies that
found spousal abuse in the North American Adventist Church is a major
problem that has been growing over the last 20 years. Most women
victims interviewed "would not confide in a pastor simply because in
most cases the pastor is a man." When they did go to a pastor, many
reported that he offered poor advice. The article shares information on
where abused persons can go for help and lists ways that church
administrators, pastors and members can combat abuse in the church. The
full article can be found at
http://www.adventistreview.org/article.php?id01. [ANN Staff]

Enterprising La Sierra students win world cup ... For the second time
in five years, "Students In Free Enterprise" team from Seventh-day
Adventist-owned La Sierra University in Riverside, California, won the
SIFE World Cup. SIFE uses classroom knowledge to impact communities at
home and abroad and is active on 1,600 colleges and university campuses
in 40 countries. La Sierra's projects included selling bottled water
and using the proceeds to help villagers in Ethiopia, establishing
Internet cafés in Ghana and providing new shoes for AIDS orphans in
Lesotho. This year's award was announced October 12 at the Hilton Hotel
in New York City. La Sierra first won the world title in Amsterdam in
2002. [Larry Becker/La Sierra University/ANN Staff]

Hong Kong health expo draws thousands ... The second annual Seventh-day
Adventist-run health and wellness expo in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong,
drew more than 4,000 people last month. A former national legislator
was among the invitees. About 20 Adventist institutions participated in
the festival, held just outside the city's Culture Center. "Well-being
is a state of mind and a lifestyle," said James Wu, president of the
Adventist Church's China Union Mission, commenting on the expo's aim to
promote "total health." Attendees learned about general health, family
and spiritual life, and healthy relationships. The church is planning
to hold a similar event next year. [NSD/ANN Staff]

Philippines: First graduates of online-only program ... Two students
receiving a master's degree in public health from an Adventist
University in the Philippines on October 21 became the first to earn
such recognition through the institution's online program. Anna Nelson,
from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and Julia Shayunussova, of Almaty,
Kazakhstan, become the first students to earn a degree from Adventist
International Institute of Advanced Studies (AIIAS) by studying
exclusively online. In 2003, AIIAS was the first Seventh-day Adventist
educational institution to establish fully online degree programs. The
institution's Division of Online Learning offers the master of public
health, master of divinity and master of arts in education with an
emphasis in leadership. [Gina Wahlen/AIIAS/ANN]
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ANN Staff: Ray Dabrowski, director; Ansel Oliver, assistant director;
Taashi Rowe, editorial coordinator; Elizabeth Lechleitner, editorial
assistant.

Portuguese translation by Azenilto Brito, Spanish translation by Marcos
Paseggi, Italian translation by Vincenzo Annunziata and Lina Ferrara
and French translations by Stephanie Elofer.