Southern Asia Division of Seventh-day Adventists

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Life is a pure gift from God

Christians have opposed the court’s decision handing death sentences to 11 people convicted of serial blasts on Churches in 2000. “We would welcome harsh punishment.” Archbishop Bernard Moras of Bangalore said, but he pointed out that Church teaching opposes capital punishment, “no matter how severe the crime is.” The sentences should be seen as “a lesson” to people involved in repeated attacks on churches. “Whether the death penalty stands or not, I am happy that a severe punishment has been announced in the case, particularly in the context of growing attacks on churches,” Archbishop Moras said. The Global Council of Indians Christians (GCIC) meanwhile urged the government to commute the death sentences to life imprisonment. Its president, Sajan K George said, Christians cannot support capital punishment as “we believe life is a pure gift” of God. Capital punishment was awarded to 11 and life sentence to 12 others by a local court in November, in connection with the year 2000 serial blasts in Churches across Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Goa.

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Gospel Outreach Leadership Seminar

Gospel Outreach Seminar was held at Cochin April 16-19, 2009. The seminar was organized and conducted by Special Ministries department at Southern Asia Division. It was the first seminar of its kind ever since the Gospel Outreach had started its ministry in India. This seminar has been organized to lay plans for future for better results and efficient management of resources of the department. Around 70 delegates were present at the seminar from all the field units and unions in Southern Asia Division. The guest speakers at the seminar were: Dr Rom Fleck, President, GO USA, and Pastor Gordon Gray, president GO Canada, Dr. John Mc Ghee GO Director USA, and Israel Prasad from Jesus for Asia Ministries.

In his inaugural address Pastor R. John, President Southern Asia Division, emphasized on the values of Christ’s teachings. Pastor Gordon Gray explained GO partnership with the local administration in managing the volunteers in their units. Dr. Ron Fleck in his divine service address reminded the promises of Almighty God to those who involve in ministry for the Master.

The seminar was coordinated by Pastor William George and Ch Victor Sam and their team of Gospel Outreach personnel from Southern Asia Division

 

One Day Communication Seminar in Five Unions

The Communication Director Dr. T P Kurian conducted one day seminar in five unions: Western India Union, North India Union, East Central India Union, South East India Union and South West India Union. The topics discussed were: How can we improve our communication department through the available media and further use of the internet. Survey of the unions reveals the following:


Union Newsletter VOP AWR Website Internet TV ministry
(local languages) (local languages)
ECIU Nil Telugu
Telugu, Oriya Nil Yes
Subhavaartha
NIU Nil Hindi

Punjabi, Bengali,

Hindi

Nil Yes Nil
SEIU Nil Tamil Tamil Nil Yes Kakum Karangal
SWIU Yes Malayalam Malayalam Nil Yes Good Samaritan
WIU Yes Marathi Marathi, Gujarati Nil Yes Nil

 

Is the Bible our final authority?

Content Page: Former Director of Biblical Research Institute GC. Author of Understanding the Scripture.

The Bible’s claim to be the expressed will of God is under heavy fire, occasionally even among Adventists.

Adventists must undertake a reassessment of where we are and explore once more the authority of the Bible. This includes the questions of whether the message presented in the Scriptures will recapture the deepest wellsprings of the Adventist spirit, and if so, just how it can come to pass. Given the historic Adventist insistence on grounding all things in God’s Word, this question is of high importance. The erosion of biblical authority is so significant that it overshadows many of the issues being tossed about.

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How accurate is Biblical Chronology?

No one since the Reformation has had such an impact upon the study of Biblical chronology as James Ussher, archbishop of Armagh in Ireland. In 1658 the English edition of his Annales established the evening of October 22, 004 B.C. as the beginning of Creation week! John Lightfoot, a Greek scholar and vice-chancellor at Cambridge, had achieved an even greater precision a few years earlier by declaring that man had been brought into existence at 9:00 am. On a Friday Morning, 3928 B.C.

Ussher’s date for Creation, based in part on Old Testament figures and in part on astromical cycles, eclipsed the figure suggested earlier by Lightfoot. His date of 4004 B.C. for Creation appeared in the margin of an English Bible in 1701, and his chronology, popularly known as the “Received Chronology,” provided dates for most Bibles during the next two centuries. The Cambridge University Press printed his dates in its university Press until 1910.

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