wfn.org | Adventist Church Opens New Headquarters in Kenya

[Christian B. Schäffler (APD Schweiz)]

May 15, 2005
Adventist Press Service (APD)
Christian B. Schaeffler, Editor-in-chief APD
Fax +41-61-261 61 18
APD@stanet.ch
http://www.stanet.ch/APD
CH-4003 Basel, Schweiz

Adventist Church Opens New Regional Headquarters 
Building in Kenya 

Mbagathi/Nairobi. Some 28 months after it was organized as a new 
division, or trans-national region, of the Seventh-day Adventist 
Church, the East-Central Africa Division's new headquarters complex 
in Mbagathi, a suburb of Nairobi, were officially opened on May 9 
by Pastor Jan Paulsen, world church president, along with the Hon. 
Dr. A.A. Moody Awori, vice president and minister for Home Affairs 
of the Republic of Kenya. 

In Kenya "we may look poor but are actually sitting on plenty! 
May you find our country and its people welcoming and ready to 
join hands in service for God and humanity," Dr. Awori said as he 
congratulated the Seventh-day Adventist Church on behalf of the 
Kenyan Government. He lauded the church for its support of the
 nation in education and health, as well as publishing facilities. 
These functions, he said, are usually the responsibilities of 
government, "but you assist government by providing [these] 
services" in Kenya. 

Noting the hillside location of the new headquarters, next to 
Maxwell Adventist Academy, Paulsen said "It is appropriate that 
these facilities are set on a hill to be a welcoming beam of 
light for all." 

"The Adventist church is also to be a good partner with government 
in education, health and in development and relief programs," he 
added, saying the church should help wean people from what he 
called "dependencies," a legacy of colonialism. 

"Africa should rapidly move towards self-reliance and move towards 
a better future for our children," he said. 

Those attending the ceremony included members of the diplomatic 
corps, representatives of other faith communities and presidents 
of three neighbouring Adventist Church trans-national regions: 
Pastors Pardon Mwansa from Southern Africa-Indian Ocean region; 
Luka T. Daniel from West Africa; and Bertil Wiklander from 
Trans-European region, which includes parts of North Africa. 

The realignment of Adventist Church work in Africa was a result 
of a rapid growth in members. By the end of 1999, more than 
one-third of worldwide Adventist membership was in Africa. In order 
to meet local needs, church congregations in 10 nations, as well 
as four major institutions, were organized into the East-Central 
Africa Division on Jan. 1, 2003, with groundbreaking for the new 
headquarters taking place in September of that year. 

Constructed in rich African architectural themes the total project 
includes, 11 office blocks, 20 houses, 16 staff and three guest 
apartments. N.K. Brothers Ltd of Nairobi were the lead contractors 
on the project. 

Hosted by Pastor Geoffrey Mbwana, Adventist Church president 
in East-Central Africa, the ceremony included music from the 
Adventist-owned University of Eastern Africa choir, the Maxwell 
Academy Band and the Makongeni church choir from the Masai region 
in whose territory the new headquarters is located. 

The Adventist Church is a mainstream Protestant denomination with 
more than 13,5 million adult baptised members in more than 200 
countries. The Church's East-Central Africa region includes 
Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Eritrea, 
Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, Tanzania, and Uganda. More 
than 2 million Adventist Christians worship weekly in 8,800 local 
Adventist congregations in the region. [Editor: John T.J. Banks 
for ANN/APD]