wfn.org | [APD] Adventist Church president continues urging women and youth issues

[Christian B. Schäffler <APD@stanet.ch>]

[APD] Adventist Church president continues urging women and youth issues 

>July 20, 2008

>Adventist Press Service [APD]

>Christian B. Schaeffler, 

>Editor-in-chief 

>Fax +41-61-261 61 18 

><mailto:APD@stanet.ch> APD@stanet.ch

<http://www.stanet.ch/APD> http://www.stanet.ch/APD

>CH-4003 Basel, Switzerland

Adventist Church president continues urging women and youth issues 

Jacarei, SP/Brazil. [ANN/APD]   The President of the world-wide Seventh-day
Adventist Church, Pastor Jan Paulsen, brought the latest episode of his
live, televised dialogues with pastors to South America early July,
encouraging local churches to include women and young members in leadership.

Paulsen spoke through a translator during two separate episodes with seven
pastors from Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking countries in "Pastors: In
Conversation." The third and fourth unscripted telecasts were broadcast
internationally on the church's Hope Channel from here at the Adventist
Media Center -- Brazil. 

When asking about challenges specific to the region, most participants spoke
to issues that have resonated in other regional pastoral dialogues:
intercultural ministry and training lay leadership.

"The church will do well when the spiritually gifted lay people in the local
church are activated," Paulsen said. "A church does not do well when it
relies entirely on the pastor."

Paulsen also spoke to another universal challenge of prioritizing one's own
family. "Your wife, your closest partner should also receive a sense that
your care for her is not diminished by your care for the church, and that
[your] children feel they have a ? high value in your setting aside quality
time," Paulsen said.

The task can be a difficult one when some pastors are in charge of more than
one church, Paulsen acknowledged. One pastor, Pablo Carbajal from Ecuador,
said he pastors 72 different churches. 

Paulsen learned from the group that women make up more than 70 percent of
local congregations. He asked how they were leading out in ministry. 

Carbajal said women made up nearly 70 out of 80 attendees of a recent
leadership workshop. Pastor Nelsen Tapia from Chile said many women are
involved in a hospitality ministry, while Pastor David Barzola from
Argentina said some women are preaching and offering counseling. 

Roughly a quarter of a million people join the Adventist Church in South
America each year.

Paulsen has hosted previous conversations with pastors in North America and
Europe and will host another episode in Africa in August. [Editor: Ansel
Oliver for ANN/APD]

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