Potential Adventist Church-WHO collaboration looks promising

[Key Guy]

From Adventist News Network

http://news.adventist.org/2009/07/potential-adventist.html

Quote:

As Seventh-day Adventist Church officials move toward official relations with the World Health Organization (WHO), a United Nations agency, many church members said they think such a partnership would benefit the denomination's network of schools, hospitals and clinics.

But at last week's international conference to explore the possible collaboration, some Adventists said they aren't sure about the proposed partnership, citing concerns of blending politics with faith and compromising the church's spiritual values.

Still, leaders of both organizations said that working relations between the two organizations would give each better access to networks and resources as they seek to improve the health of local communities. Adventist leaders said the church's international network could help WHO better implement the U.N. Millennium Development Goals, including improving maternal health and fighting HIV/AIDS and malaria.

Last week's Global Conference on Health and Lifestyle in Geneva brought together representatives from WHO, the Pan American Health Organization and more than 600 leaders of the Adventist Church. While WHO has previously partnered with other faith-based organizations, this would be the first time it could extend official relations to a church denomination. The conference approved an action statement that will be submitted to the world church's Executive Committee, which is scheduled to meet in October.

Requests for official relations are considered after a petition of the board following two years of working relations. WHO could grant the Adventist Church official relations as early as 2012.

(photos and more text online)

[Woody]

This sounds very good.