Photos: Victor Hulbert and Bruce Anscombe

Full story by Victor Hulbert on page 6

nine, also talks about a race, sayingthat although in worldly races onlyone wins a prize, our minds, never-theless, should be fixed on winningGod’s prize. Paul might also agreethat there are no losers.

OK, the Bible uses the analogy ofa race, but only as a race with acombined start/finishing prize. So ifwe limit our thinking of God’s raceas just an earthly, competitive race,his race to Heaven is only anabsurdity. But beware - a divineabsurdity is never a human absurdi-ty. Does God want to participate?Yes. Because without his help wewon’t make it. He loves to take part.

Accordingly we must realise thatour heavenly, spiritual coach isready and waiting. Longing for aninvitation to prompt and encourageus every step along that strait andnarrow Way. Provided, of course,we’re willing enough to listen andco-operate.

God’s race is an amazingly beau-

tiful absurdity. Forget stopwatches,photo finishes, hundredths-of-a-second judgements, for ‘the lastshall be first and the first shall belast’.

Why? Because God’s grace turnsself-reliance into Infinite-reliance.

And are we disqualified at theslightest infringement of the rules?No. Therefore why quibble or arguewith fellow runners who have differ-ing interpretations of the rulebook?Love them, don’t condemn – the loving Judge doesn’t (John 3:17).

In fact, are we expected to compete with one another at all?Definitely not.

If someone stumbles and falls,albeit metaphorically, do we (with asmug, superior grin) speed past, orgo back with compassion and pickthem up?

I’d like to share with you the following heart-stirring story, whichI’ve taken (and retold) from AxelKuhner’s Hoffen wir das Beste(Let’s hope for the best).

A number of years ago now, during the US session of theParalympics, the relatively smallnumber of spectators who attendedwere deeply moved by the final ofthe men’s 400 metres.

Eight runners set off with running

styles that could hardly be termedelegant. Admirable, however, fortheir impressive display of sheertenacity, persistence and resolution.

Suddenly there was a corporategroan rolling across the stadium, forthe leading runner had fallen withinsight of the winning post. The sec-ond contestant – instead of carryingon to cross the line and achieve vic-tory – stopped, and carefully helpedthe fallen man to his feet. Supportingeach other they then both limpedonwards, soon to be joined by theremaining six, who also ceased run-ning. Linking arms, with the potential‘winner’ in the middle, they alldragged each other, and themselves,as one across the finishing line!

Aren’t we handicapped when itcomes to righteousness? Saddledwith our debilitating sinful nature?We all need help. So let’s start withone another.

I want a medal in God’s race tothe Kingdom. Yet it’s not the kind ofrace that I on my own can win.Aren’t the odds against me, againstall of us?

Jesus Christ disagrees. ‘In truth,in very truth,’ he assures us, ‘thebeliever possesses eternal life.’Sounds to me as if we’re God’sodds-on favourites! Stay on course!

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changed from blood red to mother-of-pearl, the illuminating rays of the risingsun picked out a man’s figure on thewestern shoreline. He was moving about,lighting a fire, making breakfast. Despitetheir heavy-failure feelings, there wassomething warmly reassuring in the sight.So when he waved they looked and whenhe shouted they tried to make out hiswords.

‘Lads! Have you caught anything forbreakfast?’

‘No joy! Not a thing!’ they chorusedback. But the gloom had lifted.

‘Cast your net again!’ he shouted,cheerfully. ‘It’s not over!’

They followed the Stranger’s sugges-tion. When, later, Peter and his friendsdragged the net ashore they found ituntorn but full of large fish. They evencounted them! But the instant they hadobeyed the Stranger’s command they hadfelt the weight of them.

In that instant John knew that theStranger was Jesus. ‘It is the Lord!’ hetold Peter. And Peter abandoned boatinstantly and swam the hundred yards toshore.4

On shore there was the risen Christ, ‘afire of burning coals’ and, soon, a cookedbreakfast.

Breakfast past, walking along theshore, Peter who had denied his Lordthree times wasrecommissioned –three times. ‘Feedmy lambs. . . .Feed my sheep. . . .Follow me!’

2008 has been adevastatingly dis-couraging year formany. For somediscouragementhas been com-pounded by disillu-sionment and

cific behaviours can be associat-ed to the same brain area – thehypothalamus and the sharing ofthe same neuronal circuits.• Reports of food cravings aremore common in the premen-strual phase. During this time

total food intake increases and a parallelchange in basal metabolic rate occurs. The British Nutrition Foundation (2001) has

identified a number of key foods and dietary practices that influence mood. Take note of the following:

Did you know?• Eating breakfast helps to avoid mid-morning

mood and energy dips. Foods like oats, porridge, wholegrain cereal, fresh or driedfruits, nuts, seeds and wholemeal bread aregood mood boosters.

• The rainbow diet (daily foods covering all therainbow colours) provides essential plant nutrients (phytonutrients) which are key tomaintaining good brain health.

• Slow energy releasing foods like wholegraincereals, oats, nuts, seeds and brown rice havebeen found to reduce irritability, fatigue anddepression and boost concentration. Lack ofthese foods causes low blood sugar, which is

TCast your net again. It’s not over.David Marshall

They had absorbed the trauma ofGolgotha.

All their bright hopes had been extin-guished by the heavy cloud of failure. Ifthe cry ‘It is finished’ had, as some sug-gest, been a cry of triumph, the disciplesof Jesus had not heard it that way.Perhaps they had simply not heard it.

By Sunday, emerging from shock, twoof them felt up to sharing a little of whatthey felt with a solicitous Stranger. ‘Wehad hoped,’ they told him, ‘that he wasthe one who was going to redeem Israel.’1

Had hoped, but hoped no longer. It wasthe third day since his death. As they hadleft Jerusalem they had heard rumours ofresurrection from the women. But whensome of their number had checked on thetomb they had found it empty, ‘but himthey did not see’.2

Despite testimonies of ‘visions ofangels’ and accounts – even fromThomas of all people! – of appearancesby the Lord who was very much alive,many were oppressed by doubt and, per-haps, an inability to get their heads roundthe impossible idea of resurrection. Some,notably Peter, carried with them a strongsense that – crucifixion, resurrection,whatever – they had let the Master downat crunch time. Even if there were a risenLord, how would he feel about men whohad been cowards in a crisis?

In any event, they told themselves, lifemust go on. They had to eat, right? Agrief-driven homing instinct took themback to Galilee. When Peter said, ‘I’mgoing out to fish,’ the others said, ‘We’llgo with you.’3

Perhaps it would help lift the feeling ofgloom. You know. Doing everyday things.

But everyday things can – and did –reinforce the sense of failure. After anight’s fishing their nets were still empty.

Dawn over Galilee doesn’t take long,but it’s always amazing. As the sun rosebeyond the hills of Moab and the sky

Brain Health SeriesPart 9h

FOOD AND MOODIn this final segment on the emotional aspect ofbrain health we examine the impact of food and itsrelationship to our mood.

Evidence is emerging which suggests that foodcan affect brain activity.

Findings:• The protein and carbohydrate balance con-

sumed in a meal is thought to affect the brainneurotransmitter serotonin which is responsiblefor controlling mood.

• The ratio of fat to carbohydrate in a meal sig-nificantly affects mood, alertness and mentalperformance.

• Eating disorders, such as anorexia, bulimia andovereating, are sometimes linked, as their spe-

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linked to negative moods.• Caffeine has been linked to nervousness,

anxiety, depression and cravings.• Adequate water hydrates the brain,

which boosts concentration andenhances clear thinking.

• Food intolerances have been linked withlow mood.

• *Several studies have shown an associ-ation between low selenium intake and asignificantly greater incidence of depres-sion and other negative mood states.

• Women report more food cravings than men. Depressed mood appears toinfluence the severity of these cravings.

Homework• If you experience frequent low moods,

keep a food and mood diary to ascertainyour physical and emotional response toparticular foods.

• Try increasing your intake of plant-basedfoods, as a predominantly plant-baseddiet has been found to enhance mood aswell as brain health.

* Benton D, Cook R. Selenium supplementation improves mood ina double-blind crossover trial. Biol Psychiatry 1991; 29:1092-98

Good health!

depression. It may even have looked attimes as if the message of RichardDawkins has eclipsed the message ofJesus Christ.

But it hasn’t. It can’t. Because behindthe message of Christ is the Person of theliving Christ. He stands on the shore inthe dawn haze of a brand new year. Hecomforts the hearts of his discouragedworkers. If we listen we can hear hisvoice.

‘The message of the Cross may still befoolishness to those who are perishing,but to those who are being saved it is thepower of God. . . .’

‘I will destroy the wisdom of the wise;the intelligence of the intelligent I willfrustrate. . . .’

‘Never be ashamed of the gospel! It isthe power of God for the salvation ofeveryone who believes. . . .’

‘In my Father’s house are manydwelling-places. I go to prepare a placefor you. . . .’

‘God opposes the proud but givesgrace to the humble. . . . Come near toGod and he will come near to you.’

‘Cast your net again. It’s not over.’5

The best – the very best – is yet to be.References:1Luke 24:21. 2Verse 24. 3John 21:3. 4John 21:4-14. 5See1 Corinthians 1:18, 19; Romans 1:16, 17; John 14:1-4;James 4:6-10; John 21:6 (paraphrased by songwriterGarth Hewitt).

Odds-on favourites?Justin Thyme to join the great Human Race

I

Happy Christmas! • Nadolig Llawen! • Nollaig Shona duibh!Happy Christmas! • Nadolig Llawen! • Nollaig Shona duibh!

I don’t think we should be too hardon Eve the Mum-of-all. Sexaggerateher faults. True, the closer we get toher mindset, draw nigh to her, wesee how nigh-eve she was. Adamwould surely have been just asgullible when confronted with silky-tongued Serpy.

So was an A&E dept. quickly setup there and then in the Garden of Ewhen Evie made a core out of thatawesome apple? No way! God’svocabulary doesn’t have ‘emergency’in it. No surprises for him. Knows itall before it happens.

Even if I take the liberty to an-throw-poe-murphyise, we cannever assume God is in any sense a‘betting’ man. Why then, does theunknown letter-writer to Hebrewsadvise us to ‘run with Percy Verance(pacemaker par excellence) the racemarked out for us’? Can there be no-bets-on races?

Paul in his first letter to theCorinthians, at the end of chapter

Stress is our reaction to theevents of life. It affects usphysically, psychologicallyand spiritually. In this article I

will focus on its psychology and psychological effects.

Stress has great short-term andlong-term negative effects on all ofus. It incapacitates us, it depressesour immune system, it makes us ill– physically and mentally – and itsends countless numbers of individ-uals to an early grave every day ofthe year.

In order to deal with everyday living and maintain good mentalhealth, we develop coping mecha-nisms/strategies. These coping skillsrange from dealing with family mem-bers, difficult persons, or an annoy-ing boss to coping with the death ofa significant person in our life.

When we get it right, life is brightand has meaning. We say life isworth living. When we get it wrong,everything seems dark and we mayeven become unwell (physically andmentally). It is in times like thesethat depression may set in and we contemplate, or even commit,suicide.

It is surprising how our thoughtscan significantly influence who andwhat we are. Even more stressfulare the holiday periods – Christmas,New Year, Easter, anniversaries andbirthdays. These are some of thegreatest producers of stress.

Managing our stress successfullyOnly the dead have no stress, so

everyone needs to learn how to convert negative stress into positivestress and manage it. So how do wemanage our stress/anxiety?

We need a positive and healthyself-concept/image. How we seeourselves is very important. We areall important, not because of whatwe do, or where we come from, ourskin colour or our station in life. Weare important because we arehuman beings, made in the image of God. Each and every one of uscomes to this world as a self-contained unit, needing only God to make us complete.

We need to take control of ourlives and take responsibility for ourthoughts, words and actions. Weneed to stop blaming others for ourproblems. If life serves you a lemon,make the best lemonade in theworld, drink some and sell the rest.

We need to dream and makeplans (I did not say daydream). Weneed to be prepared and have a planto succeed. When we fail to plan, wehave effectively planned to fail.

Next we need to be visionary.‘Where there is no vision, the peopleperish.’ (Proverbs 29:18.) We musteach have a vision of and for our-selves and a vision of where wewant to go and what we want to do.Aimlessly wandering around will getus nowhere, and nothing but failureand stress will result.

Do not compare yourself with anyother human being. Set goals andwork towards them. Each of us is aunique individual. There is no one

else on Earth like me or like you.Do not define yourself in the

context of what you do or who youknow (definitions in externals).

Take great care of yourself.Looking after your well-being mustbe your number one priority. You canonly do your best at work, rest, playand prayer when you are in goodphysical, mental and spiritualhealth.

Use positive self talk toyour advantage and stayaway from negative peo-ple. Avoid negativethoughts and puttingyourself down – thisis not modesty.

Finally, haveprinciples, take whatyou do very seriously,but do not take your-self too seriously, anddevelop a great senseof humour. Laugh everyday and always have asmile and a kind word foreveryone with whom you comeinto contact.

I teach a programme called‘Creative Stress Management’. It isdesigned to help us manage ourstress creatively by identifying ourstressors, evaluating the stress andidentifying creative ways to cope. Iuse a formula called the ‘Q of 3’ toaccomplish our goals. 1. Whose problem is it?2. What can you do about it?3. What are you going to do about it?

To help us cope with life and liv-ing, we use many psychological tools– sublimation (channel our energiesin different areas to compensate –an angry person punches a wallinstead of his boss), denial (refusalto believe reality – your boyfriend/girlfriend tells you it is over, but youkeep calling and sending gifts) andprojection (blaming others or thingsfor our shortcomings – you are latefor work because you wasted time,but you blame the traffic) are amongthe most commonly used.

In managing our stress creatively and effectively, it isnot what happens to us thatmatters most. It is how werelate to what happens to usthat makes the difference.

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What is stress?Stress results from an imbalance between the demands on us and ourperception of our ability to meet those demands. It is our response – psychologically and physiologically – to events that upset our personalbalance in some way. These events or demands we call stressors.

If stressors involve central aspects of our lives, and if they persist overextended periods, they impact negatively on our ability to function.

Chronic stress over a long period can have a harmful effect on ourphysical and emotional health. Psychological effects include depressionand suicidal thoughts.

Recognise when stress becomes destructive. Try to identify the cause(it will help you work through the pressure). Write down what stresses you – in order of priority – and tackle the causes. Talk to a friend or counsellor: unloading helps. Let go of resentment: it’s toxic. Take time torest and relax. Maintain regular exercise: it burns up excess adrenaline.Nurture spiritual well-being. Remember: ‘You can throw the whole weightof your anxieties upon [God], for you are his personal concern.’ (1 Peter 5:7, Phillips.) SHARON PLATT-McDONALD

2008 was a tough year in which to be a Seventh-dayAdventist pastor or lay leader. That was especially so insome of our cities. Stress levels have been phenomenal.These stress levels have had health consequences, only afew symptoms of which MESSENGER readers may havebeen aware.

In the next three issues, in a series of articles written by three professionals, we are seeking to enlist theunderstanding of MESSENGER readers. To begin with –for your own sake, and the sakes of your pastors/leaders– we would like you to achieve a deeper level of under-standing of stress itself. We need to understand whatstressors are and what the consequences can be whenthese are driven above acceptable levels. . . .EDITOR

Ican’t imagine a more stressfulexperience than being in a smallboat in a storm. You and yourfriends are bailing out the water

as fast as you can, but the morewater you chuck out, the morewashes in. The water level is comingup to your knees, but your stresslevels are over the mast as yourealise that it is only a matter ofminutes before the boat sinks. Youscream, ‘Why, God, is this happen-ing to us?’ into the gale, but there isno answer. As your heart is almostbursting with bailing and praying,your friend suddenly says, ‘It’s use-less. The harder you pray and bail,the worse it gets. We might as wellgive up!’

Then, all of a sudden, someonewakes up the man taking a nap on acushion at the back of the boat. In amoment he calls out to the howlingwind: ‘Peace, be still.’ (Mark 4:39.)After all our stress and bailing andprayers, it’s the words of Jesus thatrescue us.

Excessive stress will usuallyaffect our relationship with God. Weoften say, ‘Why can’t you sort thisout? Change the circumstances,Lord! Calm the storm!’ When it justgets worse and the stress increases,we ask ourselves if God is reallythere. Does he really care about howbad we feel? We sometimes thinkthat we have failed to be a good

Christian because we are becomingincreasingly anxious. And when afriend reminds us that we must just‘trust and obey’ we feel like givingup on God and church altogether.

Our situation is usually complexand without simple solutions. Stressis a natural reaction to relationaltensions that we experience as frus-trations and conflicts. It is part ofbeing human. When we realise thatwe can’t solve the interpersonal difficulties in our lives without confrontation, we often get morestressed. Often stress is the experi-ence of those who have the leastcontrol over their situation. Thepower imbalance in so many of our relationships contributes to theanxiety and tension we endure. Isthere a scriptural response to ourexperience?

How do we help someone whotells us they are stressed? Listenfirst, without offering solutions. Theyprobably want someone to under-stand their experience. After listen-ing and connecting with their anxiety,ask them what you can do to help. Ifyou offer to pray, also ask them ifyou can contact them in a while toask how things are. Even though youhave not solved their problems, theyknow that you care and are willing tosupport them.

Stress can be seen as an invitation for Christ to ‘wake up’

in our lives. Here are some ideas for resolving relational stress.

Jesus is in the boat of your lifewith you. We need to find ways toexperience his presence all the time.‘Let the word of Christ dwell in yourichly . . . in Psalms and hymns andspiritual songs, singing with grace inyour hearts to the Lord.’ (Colossians3:16.) Learn Scripture as a way oflistening over and again to the wordsof Jesus in your life. I find learningScripture songs, found atwww.trilogyscripturesongs.com, theeasiest way to do this. Often thestorm continues to rage, but thepresence of Christ’s words helps usnot to sink.

Practise relational prayer byasking God to give you his words ofhope and relational wisdom for thoseyou are struggling with. Look atthese people in the compassionateway God views them.

Show kindness, even to yourenemies. (Matthew 5:44.) DavidOliver, who wrote the ‘StressSurvival Guide’* says, ‘Express yourappreciation for people frequently.When you show kindness, you haveit shown to you. People will workwith you, not against you. We allmight need to resolve conflictstomorrow; the way we interact withpeople today will make it much easier to do.’

Build relationships with

supportive people who know howto ‘Rejoice with those who rejoiceand mourn with those who mourn.’(Romans 12:15.) Spend time withthose who build you up. God hasdesigned us for community and wesometimes get more stressed whenwe feel we are alone or under-supported.

We are physical beings whoseminds are affected by the conditionof our bodies. Exercise is a naturalway to counteract the effects ofstress. Exercise outside in nature ifyou can. God has created us to enjoyhis beautiful world and our mindsare healed when we take time toconnect with him in his Creation.

Listen to those with the gift ofwisdom. Others can give us a differ-ent perspective on the ways we candeal with stress. God never intendedus to suffer alone. He has givenspiritual gifts to others to help us attimes like these.

Ask God to help you prioritiseyour time. Get organised at workand home. Avoid leaving things tothe last minute – plan ahead!

Jesus’ presence in the boat willnot stop the storms of life poundingus, but focusing on his guidance willhelp us manage our stress so thatthe peace of God will become part ofour lives.*Available from Care for the Family onhttp://www.careforthefamily.org.uk/survivestress (029) 2081 0800.

Stress – a pastoral responseby Bernie Holford, MSc in Systematic PsychotherapyFamily Ministries director, SEC

The psychology of stressby Wallace Cyrus, SEN, RPN, MEI, CNA, FCPN, BA, Life Management specialist, writer and broadcaster, having practised in Bermuda, Canada, USA and UK

detailed presentation of her findings,but, in the meantime, she would liketo encourage us not to squander the

blessing that God has given to us byway of our health message. DR RICHARD DE LISSER

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ADutchman working in Irelandbut with his eyes firmly fixedon the heavens was guestlecturer for the second

‘Darwin’s God’ lecture held at theGateway Centre, Shrewsbury, onTuesday evening, 11 November. As aformer director of the ArmaghObservatory, Ireland, Dr Mart deGroot shared his viewpoint of theuniverse, the Big Bang andIntelligent Design with an audienceof around forty people, emphasisingwith simple illustrations and in laylanguage that both the universe atlarge, and planet Earth in particular,are very finely tuned, providing allthe essentials necessary for life.

Like Darwin, de Groot started offon an adventure of discovery, not onHMS Beagle, but with a similarenquiring mind, pointing a telescopeto the skies. After many years ofstudy and research he is convincedthat ‘The many fine-tunings withinthe very narrow limits that arerequired for life point to IntelligentDesign.’

He pointed out that if our Earthwere closer to the sun we would runthe risk of being ‘locked in’ like theplanet Mercury, which always hasthe same side facing the sun. On anatomic level, he noted that if theelectromagnetic force was 2% lessor 0.3% more, molecules could notform. Even more dramatic is thevelocity of the expansion of the uni-verse. If the mass density of the universe varied from what it is atpresent by just one part in ten to the power sixty (1 with 60 zeros), we would not be here!

He then posed the question, ‘Canthere be Intelligent Design without adesigner?’ Working through theoptions, he concurred with Einstein,‘Religion without science is blind.Science without religion is lame.’ Forde Groot, Darwin’s God provides thecontext for scientific discovery andendeavour. His study reflects thewords of Psalm 19, ‘The heavensdeclare the glory of God.’

The third and final lecture in theseries will focus on the Hebrew storyof Creation found in Genesis. DrLaurence Turner, a theologian whospecialises in the book of Genesis,will ask what relevance the storyhas for the twenty-first-century

world. The lecture will be held at theGateway Centre, Shrewsbury, onTuesday 2 December starting at7.30pm. All are welcome. Admissionis free. The ‘Darwin’s God’ lectureseries, organised by the Shrewsburychurch, serves to explore the worldof science and religion leading up tothe bicentenary of Darwin’s birth inFebruary 2009. Darwin was born inShrewsbury on 12 February 1809.

The BUC Media team also spentthe day in Shrewsbury filming for aHope Channel production to be airedin February, aiming to give aChristian balance to the mediadebate on Creation and Evolution.Filming will continue through untilearly December. The programme willalso be available for church mem-bers to share with friends who havequestions on Creation and will actas a companion to the recent FOCUSmagazine on ‘Origins and Design’.

A selection of photos fromShrewsbury and an mp3 audiorecording of the Darwin’s God lectureare available on the BUC picturegallery: www.adventist.org.uk.

East Ham Music DayJust a week before the big day, the invitations were delivered to residents inthe vicinity of the church by our Personal Ministries team, led by DamienJackson.

‘Sweet Heavenly Music’ was the theme of the day. The ensemble, consist-ing of keyboards, flutes, violins, recorders, guitars and an accordion, providedjust that, as the congregation lifted their voices in praise and worship. A stir-ring message was delivered by Alvin McQueen who encouraged us to choosemusic to edify and uplift the soul and to give praise where it belongs. TheEast Ham Senior and the East Ham Youth Choirs delivered messages in song.

Fellowship lunch was provided. To end the day, Pastor Leslie Ackie openedan evening concert with prayer. The hall was packed for the occasion, whichfeatured The King’s Ambassadors, Inspire, Advent Singers, Bobby McKitty,The Levites and the Sureway children’s group, to name but a few. The hostchoirs also sang beautifully. EAST HAM MUSIC DIRECTOR

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Dr Maxine Newell, a member of theHolloway church, has successfullydefended her PhD dissertation studyat Loma Linda University, and thedegree of Doctor in Public Health hasbeen conferred. Her study, entitled‘Knowledge, Perceptions, Beliefs andBehaviours Related to the Preventionof Hypertension among BlackSeventh-day Adventists Living inLondon’, surveyed volunteers fromseventeen Adventist churchesacross London.

The health practices and beliefsof 312 individuals between the agesof 25 and 79 were studied. Twenty-five percent had high blood pressureand, based on their responses to thequestions on lifestyle habits, 69%were at risk of developing high bloodpressure within ten years.

Dr Newell decided to do thisstudy as a way to measure theimpact of our health message on thehealth status of blacks in London. In

the US, black Adventists have betterhealth profiles than non-Adventistblacks, and studies of SDAs aroundthe world have demonstrated thatthe SDA lifestyle does positivelyimpact the risk of disease, includinghigh blood pressure.

Unfortunately, when the healthpractices and blood pressures of theLondon volunteers were comparedwith the national data of the generalblack population throughout the UK,the results of her study revealed thatblack SDAs in London were exercis-ing less, eating fewer fruit and vegetables and using more salt incooking. Consequently, they havelevels of high blood pressure that fallin the middle of the range for blacksin the UK. They have lower numbersthan Caribbeans in the UK, but higher levels than Africans in theUK.

Dr Newell will return to London inthe near future to give a more

Dr Maxine Newell

Intelligent Design and Darwin’s Godby Victor Hulbert, Communication director, BUC

East Ham Youth Choir

Dr Mart de Groot

Dr de Groot talks to camera

Dr de Groot answers questions

Dr de Groot beneath the statue of CharlesDarwin

Amajor fire at the headquarters office ofthe Seventh-day Adventist Church inthe UK and Ireland has gutted thebuilding. The fire appears to have

started during maintenance work that was taking place on Sunday 16 November andspread through the roof to engulf a major partof the building.

Fire services were called to the scene atapproximately 2.10pm. Ten fire fighters battledthe blaze throughout the afternoon and into theevening. Much of the main part of the buildingwas destroyed. There were no casualties orinjuries.

Mrs Frances Brooks, manager of the ABCbookshop located at the far end of the building,was the only person inside at the time. Sheevacuated the building on hearing the firealarm and was shocked to see smoke pouringout of the roof above the boardroom.

Staff at the office, based on StanboroughPark, Watford, met at the Stanborough Centreon Monday 17 November to draw up contin-gency plans and to ensure that the work andmission of the Church can continue to moveforward as smoothly as possible.

Until what remains of the building isdeclared safe it is impossible to ascertain howmuch material has been lost, but all staff havemade a commitment to restore a normal service as soon as possible.

Union president Pastor Don McFarlane

Headquarters building destroyed by fireVictor Hulbert, Communication director, BUC

stated: ‘The fire at our Church headquartershas surely affected operations. However, it is acomfort to know that the work of the Church isnot primarily done in an office building but byour many thousands of members through theUK and Ireland in towns, villages and citieswhere they live.

‘We will salvage what we can from theruins of the building and seek to have areplacement as soon as the attendant factorsallow. The sorry stateof this building, whichfor nearly fifty yearshas stood proudly onStanborough Park,reminds us that thereis no real security inanything that is fash-ioned by the hand ofmen. Our security isin God and his plansfor the human family.’

The office will beclosed until furthernotice. Phones arestill not working, butemail service wasquickly restored. Theserver, thankfully, wasnot damaged in thefire and has beenmoved to the ADRA-

UK office where we are courteously beingprovided with disaster relief!

Thanks to the numerous people who havesent messages of support – the staff arevery grateful. If you have not had a personalresponse, we are sure you will understand.

Until such time as the office reopens, theSouth England Conference Office will takemessages on behalf of the BUC on 01923232728.

Monday morning and all is right with the world – at least for the milkman. Now just where is thefridge we need to put that milk in? Maybe we can just ask the fire brigade to spray it with waterfrom time to time to keep it cool! Photo: Bert Smit

LIFE.info article leads to TV interview

Sunday 16 November’s ‘Songs of Praise’ programme on BBC1 fea-tured Aled Jones interviewing 15-year-old Anna Surridge, along withher father Pastor John Surridge. This all came about through them

writing a LIFE.info article about the musical ‘Godspell’.‘When you write an article for a magazine, you never know who is

going to end up reading it,’ says Anna. ‘Back in January, Becky de Oliveira,who is the editor of LIFE.info, asked us if we would do a review of“Godspell” because she had heard that it was on in Cardiff. We didn’tneed much encouragement and that very evening we went out to see theshow. It was great, of course, and we loved it, and we also enjoyed writingthe article.’

The article was published in LIFE.info Vol. 7, Issue No. 3, and whenAnna saw it she was very excited. ‘Although I didn’t write the whole thingmyself, it was my first published article and I was absolutely over themoon to see it in print. I didn’t think it could have got any better, but itdid! A month or so later we got a call from a researcher from “Songs ofPraise” who wanted to talk to us about “Godspell”. Apparently, she hadread the LIFE.info article online and it fitted in with a programme theywere doing on musicals. We were both asked in detail about it, and after-wards she said she would like to interview us for the show. To be honest, Inever thought anything would come of it, but to our surprise a few weekslater we found ourselves in the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff aboutto be interviewed.

‘We were taken to the main theatre where the camera and lights werealready set up and found Aled Jones sitting there waiting to interview us. Iwas really nervous but he was so friendly, he made us both feel as thoughwe had known him for years. As he had been performing in “Chitty ChittyBang Bang”, which we had also been to see, we got a chance to talk tohim about that, too. The interview was everything I had hoped it would be– enjoyable, exciting, but of course a bit terrifying! It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and it’s amazing to think that it all came about froman article in LIFE.info.’ VICTOR HULBERT

LIFE.info is available through your Personal Ministries secretary oronline. Annual subscription to LIFE.info, still only £5.

9 Messenger

Stanborough School held its annualSpeech Night on Thursday 23 October.The purpose of Speech Night is to recog-nise the achievements of students andstaff during the previous academic year.

The most outstanding achievement ofthis year was the fact that 90% of thestudents who sat national examinationsreceived at least 5 GCSE grades A*-C,with the highest achieving studentreceiving 6 A*s and 5 As. Roger Murphy,head teacher of the school, stated thathe was ‘very proud of the achievementsof the young people and felt humbled bythe commitment and devotion of thestaff at the school’.

In his review of the school year, MrMurphy highlighted the many accom-plishments through the use of the spo-ken word and a video presentation. Inaddition to this, special awards weregiven to Mr Peter Martin, the formerhead of English and senior master whorecently retired after seven years ofservice; Mr Peter Bailey, the former headof maintenance who worked at theschool for twenty-two years; Mrs Janetde Luca who served for thirty-two years;and Mrs Lydia Dean, the outgoing chairof the PTA who sat on the committee foreleven years.

‘Seek the truth’ was the title of thespeech given by Janice Phillips, a lawyerfrom the Willesden church, who encour-aged the students to look for truth in theperson of Jesus Christ through theirChristian faith.

Musical items during the eveningwere given by Su Ju Li (piano), JoshuaRoberts (saxophone), Troy Campbell andAndreas Papannoui (violion duet),Stanborough Junior School Choir andStanborough Secondary School Choirwith soloist Colin Donaldson.

Apart from the students past andpresent, parents, friends and well-wishers, we were pleased to be gracedwith the presence of the chair of theboard, Pastor Don McFarlane, and DrKeith Davidson, the BUC Educationdirector, who are long-term supporters of the school.

Apart from the awards, the highlightof the evening was the speech given by the head boy who had the audienceroaring with laughter.

One of the students commenting onSpeech Night said, ‘It was a greatevening, although a little long. I reallyenjoyed it. Stanborough School has doneso much for me.’8 Messenger 9 Messenger

Stanborough School Speech NightCatherine Anthony BoldeauPhotos: Peter Cooper

£12 buys 50 copiesFor mass distribution in your neighbourhood.Order on our ABC sales hotline01476 539900

Over Christmas . . .The Adventist presence on national television will continue next month as on Sunday 14December the Adventist Vocal Ensemble will perform with the BBC Orchestra and RuthieHenshall on BBC1 ‘Songs of Praise’. The following week, Tessera, an Adventist male group,will be guests on Lesley Garrett’s show, then on Christmas Eve, 24 December, the AdventistVocal Ensemble will perform on the ITV programme, ‘Aled Jones’ Christmas Carols’. The yearwill close with Tessera again appearing on the 28 December ‘Songs of Praise’.

The Holloway drum corps, under the command of drum major Alex Silcott, led out in the IslingtonCouncil’s Remembrance Day parade on Sunday 9 November.

Service units from 217 Field Squadron RE(V), thestandard bearers and wreath bearers, IslingtonVeterans’ Association, 23 Cadet Squadron RE, 9FSquadron ATC, 329 Squadron ATC, sea cadets, theRifles, as well as the Holloway Adventurer andPathfinder clubs marched from Highbury Terrace along Upper Street to Islington Green and back. TheAdventurers and Pathfinders were very enthusiasticand excited to take part in this momentous occasion,

and also to contribute and make a positive impact inthe community.

Drill major Alex Silcott from the Pathfinder club laid a wreath in remembrance of those veterans and soldiers who had lost their lives.

Organisers, as well as a spokesperson fromIslington Council, commented: ‘Everyone was talkingabout the drum corps and how wonderful they lookedleading the parade. Having organised the parade for thelast twenty-five years this was definitely the best.’ Aninvitation was extended from them to the drum corps totake on this role on a permanent basis in the future. OLIVIA RILEY

a junior ambassador in Australia.Unable to attend due to her family’srelocation, the door remained openfor other leadership opportunities,including an invitation to thePresidential Youth InauguralConference in 2009. While at theconference, Jhenielle will attend theInauguration Ceremony and the GalaBall, as well as round table discus-sions with prominent US leaderssuch as former Secretary of StateColin Powell and former Vice-President Al Gore. Jhenielle is thrilledto be a part of such a historic andmonumental event.

As God continues to bless her,Jhenielle continues to excel anddemonstrate leadership skills both inand outside of school. Recently cho-sen by her high school principal tospeak to the media as a representa-tive of American youth living in theUnited Kingdom, she shared heropinion regarding the 2008 presidential election.

Jhenielle believes that this historic event will inspire young children and youth to rise to their full potential and fulfil their dreamswith God as their guide. It is herdesire that through various churchprogrammes, SDA youth will beempowered to be leaders in theircommunities and let their lightsshine so Christ will be seen throughthem.RICHARD DE LISSER

A school rebuilt after the dreadfultsunami of 2004 has now openedthanks to a $100,000 constructiongrant donated by ADRA-UK. TheCommunity School of Hope, con-structed by ADRA Indonesia on theisland of Nias, off the Western Coast

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Wellingborough is one of those churches whichstill takes evangelism seriously. Alton Levy, thePersonal Ministries leader, along with the churchboard, organised a series of meetings in the southof the town of Wellingborough with the aim ofinteresting local people in the Gospel.

The speaker is Pastor Robert Vine, recentlyretired but still in harness and still enthusiastic. Tooffer support, brother Richard was in the congre-gation, as was his mother, wife of a former MES-SENGER editor, and attending an evangelisticmeeting for the first time for some years.

The meetings take the form of a series of lec-tures on Daniel and Revelation. Of course PastorVine began with Daniel 2. Where else? In his usual

humourous and informalstyle Robert told usabout the Omphelos, arock feature, a part of

Babylonian belief, and connected that with theRock which destroys all human empires.

We are living in a world where people are atone and the same time worried about where theworld will go and yet not deeply interested in thethings of God. There were not many visitors at theWellingborough meetings, despite a large amountof advertising. However, the church members werevery blessed by the style and content of the meet-ings. Charlotte Bramble sang beautifully, the wel-come was warm and the message worth listeningto. The visitor that we had points out the impor-tance of our friends. The man was impressed –but then, he knew the speaker and was broughtalong to the meeting by a friend.

There will be more evangelism inWellingborough – because that is what they areinterested in. They talk about Jesus freely to theirfriends. PETER JEYNESOn Sabbath 1 November, Pastor

Victor Hulbert, BUC Communicationsdirector, preached a thought-provoking sermon at Canterburychurch. He challenged the congrega-tion to ensure that the church foundtheir presence in the local communi-ty to be useful and positive.

It was appropriate that on thatsame evening Ralph Lombart andhis son Matthew, members ofCanterbury church, had organisedanother of their annual charity con-certs, where 100% of the proceedsis donated to their chosen charity.

This is their unique and effectiveway to impact their community forChrist. It is an all-round winner.Needy people are helped. All enjoyan artistic evening where the emo-tions are touched, the spirit revived

and the intellect challenged to dwellon heavenly thoughts. The perform-ers and organisers feel good abouttheir achievement. And, most impor-tantly, Christ is heard through songsand music.

Kent College Chapel inCanterbury was the venue for theevening’s charity concert whichraised £2,345.85 for Kent Kids Milesof Smiles. Guests of honour at theconcert were The Lord Mayor ofCanterbury, Cllr Carolyn Parry, andher consort Mr Stephen Parry.

Taking part in the concert weresingers, young musicians and poetsfrom all over Kent, including RenatoParis, Paul Cookson, MelissaRahiman, youth and adult choirs andValerie Bloom from the Riverwaychurch. Fiffi and Camille McKenzie-

Cook travelled all the wayfrom London to take part.Non-Adventist local talentsEsther Thomas, EmmaMarie and Keely West wereimpressed by the friendli-ness of everyone at theconcert and said theywould love to help out forthe 2009 fundraising event.Grateful thanks go toPerran Facey-Hay and WilstonAnandam for their great help behindthe scenes during the concert.

Amin Choudhury a severely dis-abled young man of the Kent KidsMiles of Smiles family, an ElvisPresley fan who had visitedGraceland, joined in spontaneously,singing along as Matthew performedan Elvis Presley number among themany other songs that receivedwarm applause. People were movedto tears since Amin can hardly talk.

The Lord Mayor Carolyn Parrypresented certificates of apprecia-tion to the performers and said, ‘Iam humbled and impressed by themany people who have made thisevening so special and who freelyand voluntarily gave of their time,effort and money for such a worthycause.’ She and her consort, MrStephen Parry, stayed longer thanplanned to shake hands, chat andfurther express their heartfelt appreciation. RALPH LOMBART

10 Messenger10 Messenger 11 Messenger

Indonesian students say ‘Thanks’

Miles of Smiles charity concert raises £2,000

On Sabbath 25 October Croydonchurch witnessed a very happy andblessed baptism of three new mem-bers. Carol Hall, who comes from awell-known large family originallybased in Manchester, gave her life toJesus before family and friends.

Julian McKerrow who is 18 andhis 11-year-old brother Adam alsofilled everyone with joy, includingtheir large extended family whichtravelled from Manchester and otherplaces, when they were baptised byDr Brighton Kavaloh, Croydon churchsenior pastor. Pastor Kavaloh

Special baptism at Croydonrecalled the day some twenty-twoyears ago when he conducted themarriage ceremony of Julian andAdam’s parents, Jeanie and PatrickMcKerrow. Recalling how Jeanie hadjust completed her PhD atCambridge University two years priorto the wedding, while Patrick wasworking at British Aerospace, DrKavalogh said it was a privilege toperform the wedding and a delightnow to be baptising their sons. Hefelt that, having missed out on bap-tising their daughter Sabrina whowas baptised by Pastor Richard

Brookes in Manchester two yearsago, he now gives forewarning, ‘I willconduct your wedding Julian whenthe time comes.’

Julian who is in the sixth form atArchbishop Tenison’s Church ofEngland High School and Adam whohas just started secondary educationat Wilson’s School in Sutton, Surrey,will be attending their local churchbased in Wallington which is underthe wing of Croydon church and isvery well supported by all Croydon

members. Pastor Dusan Uzelac isthe Wallington pastor.

The service which was gracedwith fine singing and music, includ-ing a piano piece by SabrinaMcKerrow, was a testimony to theloving and caring God we serve. Thefact that Carol Hall decided to comeback to the Lord and two very youngpeople decided of their own free willto follow Jesus is a blessing withoutmeasure.PATRICK McKERROW

Jhenielle Reynolds, a 15-year-oldstudent attending the ACS EghamInternational School in Surrey, relo-cated from the United States withher family last year, and attends theReading Central church. At the ageof 12, Jhenielle was nominated toattend the Jr National Young

Leaders’ Conference in WashingtonDC, due to her leadership skills andacademic excellence. After attendingthe conference, she became a dis-tinguished alumnus of theCongressional Youth LeadershipCouncil, which opened the door forher to represent the United States as

Shaping our children to lead

Evangelism in Wellingborough

Pathfinders in Remembrance Day parade

of Sumatra, now boasts three class-rooms and, for the last five months,has been educating 135 students.The students are so keen that seniorhead teacher, Mr MangatasHutabarat, reports an attendancerate of between 97 and 100% for

each. The school has enrolment forboth junior and secondary age pupilsand plans to add more classroomsas funds become available in thefuture. A full report on the projectwith lots of pictures can be seen byviewing the PDF newsletter at:www.adventistnews.org.uk/NiasSchool.pdf.

ADRA-UK director, Bert Smit,

wants to pass on the thanks of thechildren. ‘Thanks to generous dona-tions from ADRA-UK supporters, thisproject is giving children on Nias achance for education,’ he says. ‘Thiswill help to increase the opportunityfor a prosperous and stable life. Weare excited to see that this project isnow realised.’VICTOR HULBERT

Swansea baptismThe last day of the Week of Prayer, 8 November, was a great day for us to wit-ness the baptism of our friend Tony Sciubba from Cowbridge. Tony is currentlystudying at Swansea University. He searched and learned about Adventism ayear ago and recently decided to follow the teachings of Jesus and theChurch’s fundamental beliefs. Pastor Adamovic has given him further Biblestudies. We all welcomed Tony into our membership and fellowship lastSabbath. The day of baptism was witnessed by a big congregation and fol-lowed by a regular potluck. We all congratulated Tony and wished him and hisfamily a bountiful blessing in his walk with Jesus. Some reassurance wasalso given to him that he is now adopted by Swansea church family as wellas God’s family as a whole, and he should always feel at home with us or anyother Adventist church he goes to in the world. LILY KIDWELL

‘It’s time’ for Scotland’s youthWest of Scotland shift workers swapped shifts, others hurried from work, andschoolchildren delayed their homework – and all so they could be in churchat 6.30pm during the week commencing 2 November. Why? Because a YouthWeek of Revival was taking place entitled ‘It’s time’.

Word about the week’s guest speaker, Calvin Preston, pastor of the 1,000-member Atlanta, Georgia, church, had spread. By Friday evening the churchwas filled to capacity and beyond. Those present warmed to his Southern-style animated and participative sermons, as evidenced by the frequency and numbers of heartfelt amens. ‘He made the Word in these end times sorelevant for today’s youth,’ said Carille Walcott.

The week culminated in a Scottish Youth Day of Fellowship in Glasgow’sChurch of Scotland Kelvin Grove Church. The young and the not so youngtravelled from all over Scotland to hear Pastor Preston’s passionate plea tothe Church’s youth to ‘flee from the world’s temptations’ and focus on Christ.The afternoon session, jointly comperèd by Martin Pearson and 11-year-oldMervyn Owusu-Ayim from Dundee, featured a rich variety of musical talents. JOHN WILBY

Sabbath 25 October was Children’sDay at the Carter Knowle Roadchurch. Lots of planning and prepa-ration had gone into the day and acrowd was expected as on all ourChildren’s Days. The theme chosenwas ‘I’m a lamb, feed me’.

Every aspect of the service wastaken by the children of the churchwith their own unique spin being puton it. One session focused on ‘Ourdreams’.

There was so much humour inthe passion and simplicity withwhich they put across their presen-tations. Two in particular were Sadie,who wanted to be a ‘doctor or an icecream lady’, and TJ, who ‘wanted togrow up so he could cross the roadby himself’.

Their dreams for the church werejust as impressive, including Tomwho wanted to be a builder ‘so hecould build a bigger church’ andSonia who wanted ‘children to sing

more’. Not surprisingly, Sonia waspart of the worship team who led outfor the day!

Two of the most poignant werefrom Rena who simply wanted ‘morepeople to come to church and I wantto live with Jesus’ and Lewis whowas to the point and dreamed ‘Iwant to see Jesus’.

All the children’s dreams were sotouching and could fill this wholereport.

Our preacher for the day was 11-year-old Bradley Ferguson. Bradley,even at 11, is no stranger to preach-ing and did an excellent job, focusingon the theme that the sheep knowsits Master’s voice.

Bradley challenged us all at thebeginning and end of his sermon notto leave the church the same waywe had come in. Given what we wit-nessed, it would have been hard tohave done so.DAVID BUSSUE

13 Messenger

Newbold meansbusinessTwo encouragements for future stu-dents of Business arrived atNewbold College this week. The firstboost came with the news that ASI-UK, a group of Adventist business-men and women, voted at its AnnualGeneral Meeting to offer a one-yearscholarship for a new UK student tostudy Business Management atNewbold, beginning in August 2009.

ASI-UK vice-president, BrianDavison, said, ‘The members of ASIbelieve that the strength of theChurch today and in the futuredepends on committed lay men andwomen who have a strong relation-ship with Jesus Christ and a strongdesire to serve their Church.Newbold has a pivotal role in helpingto mould young adults into thesesorts of people. That’s why ASIwants to invest in young BritishAdventists at Newbold.’

The second boost came with thefinal confirmation from theGovernment Student Loan Companythat European students of BusinessManagement* at Newbold are eligi-ble for the same student loans thatthey would receive at any other UKcollege or university. Students needto repay the loans only when theystart working and earn a minimumwage of £15,000 annually.

‘We believe that Newbold is nowthe best option for EuropeanAdventists wanting to study interna-tional business management skillsin an Adventist environment,’ saidMarinko Markek, course director,Business and Management. Contact: Marinko Markek, E: marinkom@newbold.ac.uk; T: 01344-407493.

* Newbold offers a BA Hons in BusinessManagement – through a franchise with theUniversity of Wales Lampeter. (UWL) UWL’sDepartment of Management and IT consistentlyranks highly in leading surveys of higher education.

Avisit to Newbold College byBritish Accreditation Council(BAC) representatives thisweek brought high commen-

dation for the work of NewboldCollege staff.

The visit was carried out inresponse to the British government’smanaged migration policy, whichstipulates that all independent higher education institutions notreceiving government-recognisedaccreditation will eventually beclosed. It is no exaggeration to saythat Newbold’s future hung on thisvisit.

The inspection team toured thecampus, scrutinised extensive documentation, spent eight hoursobserving in classrooms, met withadministrative, support and teachingstaff, lunched informally with stu-

dents, and inspected the College’ssystems of Quality Assurance,Pastoral Care, IT, and Health andSafety. They examined theAdmissions and Records andFinancial Systems and looked closelyat the library provision. At the end ofthe two days they met with the mem-bers of the Senior Management Teamto report on their findings. ‘We haveno reservations in commending yourwork,’ they told them.

The morning after the visit, DrJohn Baildam, director of AcademicAffairs, who organised the visit, gavea thirty-minute report to the staff,many of whom had worked longhours preparing documentation forthe visit. He made it clear that theirhard work had more than paid off.Among other things, the inspectorspraised Newbold for its talented and

very knowledgeable teachers, anextraordinarily strong and effectivesystem of student welfare, with abetter pastoral care system than theyhad seen in other UK higher educa-tion institutions, and the best librarythey had seen in an independent col-lege. ‘We are extremely happy withwhat we have seen and this will bereflected in our report,’ they said.

‘The inspectors’ report isextremely gratifying,’ said DrBaildam. ‘In a long list of commen-dations, it was clear to members ofthe Newbold staff that many of thevalues that matter most to us hadbeen recognised in our work byknowledgeable and widely-experienced inspectors. TheAccreditation Committee meets inDecember, and we are hoping for apositive outcome for Newbold.’

12 Messenger 13 Messenger12 Messenger

Crucial inspection yieldshigh praise for Newbold

Carter Knowle children want a bigger church!

North Wembley SDA Church Drama Clubinvites you to a musical drama

‘Christmas Presence’an original nativity play directed by Mervyn Weir

Venue: Capital City Academy, Doyle Gardens, London, NW10 3STDate: Saturday 13 December at 7.30pm (doors open at 6.30pm)

Ticket Prices: £5 Adults, £3 Children (12 and under)

For tickets or enquiries, please contact 0785 210 5305 or 0794 173 2457Email: christmaspresence@hotmail.com

with Helen Pearson

ASI members meet at Newbold

Elizabeth Ann Lethbridge (née Buck) (1911-2008) d. 13 OctoberElizabeth passed away at 5.05 am on the morning of Monday 13October, at the Vista Cove Care Centre in California. Elizabeth(for a large part of her life known as ‘Bessie Buck’) was born on29 September 1911, graduated from Newbold Revel in the sum-mer of 1936, and was taken on by the Church as a Bible instruc-tor for the Welsh Mission. She was then called to the NorthEngland Conference, and between 1937 and 1952 she workedvariously with Pastors S. G. Joyce, K. A. Elias, D. J. Clarke, F.Edwards, L. Murdoch and W. J. Cannon as a Bible instructor fortheir evangelistic campaigns. She was at various times inCoventry, Liverpool, Derby, Smethwick and Darlington and shealso served on the North England Conference Executive commit-tee. In 1961, Elizabeth married Albert Lethbridge, and they leftfor employment in the Detroit area of the USA. They were thencalled to work for Faith For Today in New York, where they laterretired, and followed Faith For Today to California when itmoved there. Albert passed away in 1976, after a long illnessthrough which Elizabeth nursed him. Later, she became a vol-unteer in our Loma Linda Hospital in California. They eachworked for the Church for fifty years. She leaves behind twostepsons, Gordon in the USA, and Keith in the UK, and numerousgrandchildren, and great-grandchildren. She will be sadlymissed by all who knew her. KEITH LETHBRIDGE

14 Messenger

the Lord shall renew their strength; theyshall mount up with wings as eagles: theyshall run, and not be weary; and theyshall walk, and not faint.’ (Isaiah 40:31.)

Each item, where possible, was intro-duced by a picture of the presenter as achild/teen. No one will forget the pictureof John Saddler in his little bow tie!

Two particularly poignant presenta-tions were those about Vinnie Millin andIva Gayle. The former, once one of themost vibrant and mischievous women ofthe church, now lives with Alzheimer’s.Her two granddaughters, Shontelle andJoysiah, gave a lovely presentation of herlife. Her daughters Coral and Brenda stillget her to church every week, and she is

still as mischievous as ever.Iva Gayle will be remembered by those who

grew up in Carter Knowle as one who was alwayssinging. She died twenty-eight years ago, so it wasparticularly touching to see her two daughters,Vivine and Hyacinth, stand and talk about theirmother, focusing on her home and church life.

Other senior members’ lives featured wereHazel Dwyer, whose daughter Tracey presented hermother’s profile, and church elder N. T. Bussue,who at almost 85 is still going strong in the CarterKnowle church.

It wouldn’t be Carter Knowle without lots ofmusic, and we were blessed by the praise andworship, songs from Alicia Saddler, Kimberley,Jemima and Lerato and much, much more.

What defines us as a nation? Five thou-sand people in this country were askedthat question, and among their answers

were queuing, moaning, boozing and talkingabout the weather. The survey appeared in theDaily Mail on 10 November 2008. What struckme was that out of the top ten traits, half ofthem could be viewed as negative!

I wonder how many countries would be so honest about themselves? Perhaps that isanother trait, the ability to see the truth in ourselves, or to look at it from another angle,concentrating on the downside. The top tenwere: 1.Talking about the weather. 2.Queuing. 3.Sarcasm. 4.Watching soaps. 5.Getting drunk.6.A love of bargains. 7.Curtain twitching. 8.Stiffupper lip. 9.Love of all television. 10.Moaning.

I wonder how we as a Church would answera question like that – to pick out characteristics(good and bad), that define our church charac-ter? I should think that, as far as the positivesare concerned, we would say we are such thingsas Bible-based, evangelical, conservative, com-passionate and ethnically diverse. What aboutthe negatives? Could we be so forthcoming withthose? If we had a long, hard look, we mightconclude that we tend towards insecurity andinflexibility. Traits that are more neutral wouldprobably include minority status and a love ofinstitutions such as hospitals and printingestablishments (considering our global Church).

I wonder how God would have us answer such a question. The Bible does havesomething to say about being honest in our self-assessment. This is primarily meant for individ-uals, but I don’t see any reason why it shouldn’talso apply to a Church:

‘For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highlythan you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgement, in accordance with themeasure of faith God has given you.’ (Romans12:3, NIV.)

There’s a thought. We are to do pretty muchwhat the British did – be honest and not beoverly generous in our estimates. In this country,in particular, it is important that we don’t exag-gerate our good points, as we will be viewedwith suspicion. For what should be our idealtrait, consider this:

‘And now these three remain: faith, hope andlove. But the greatest of these is love.’ (ICorinthians 13:13.) Of course, there is a big gapbetween the ideal and the actual. Perhaps onedifference between us and the great British pub-lic is that as Christians we aspire to somethinggreat, which is, ultimately, love. Whether we getthere or not is another matter, but if we areheaded in the right direction, then that has tocount for something!

14 Messenger 15 Messenger

with Jonathan Barrett

How do we rateourselves?

Sabbath 18 October saw the annual Black HistoryDay in Carter Knowle, organised by Rita Saddlerand her team.

Each year Rita and her team come up with aninnovative programme to celebrate the contribu-tion of black people in the past and present, butalso looking forward to the future.

The church was enhanced with displays of thecontributions made by black people in the areas ofcommerce, education, science, religion, industry,music, sport, the arts – indeed, in every field ofhuman endeavour.

There were also pictures on display of localchurch members when they were young(er), whichcaused much fun.

The service this year took on a different format. Time was given over for testimonies, interspersed with songs of encouragement andthanksgiving.

This approach was clearly a big hit with thoseattending. So many people wanted to share theirtestimonies, not just about what God had done intheir lives in the past, but what he was doing inthe present. All provided proof of a God powerfullyimpacting lives in 2008.

The tears, laughter and a whole of range ofemotions were visible evidence of the presence ofthe Holy Spirit at work in the service.

Prayer was also an integral part of the pro-ceedings. There were three special times ofprayer: the first, thanking God for his guidance inthe past, led by church deacon Dennis Roper; thesecond, what he is doing for us in the here andnow, led by Hyacinth Gayle; and the third, askingfor his guidance and protection for the future, ledby church deacon Ashton Wynter.

Ashford Mackay presented the sermon, speak-ing with passion about his humble start inZimbabwe.

The afternoon programme was just as powerfuland afforded just as much humour.

The theme text was: ‘But they that wait upon

Celebrating BlackHistory by David Bussue

The life of Ruth Taylor and thefaith expressed in her memorialservice was summed up in twosentences from her long-timefriend, Alethea Center. ‘Ruth lovedher Saviour. She made peoplehappy.’ Those two simple truthswere evident in a variety of differ-ent ways to her family and friendsas they filled the Newbold ChurchCentre for her memorial service on

4 August. During the two years she had struggled with cancer,she remained unbelievably positive and upbeat but when theend came, she was realistic. She had planned the entire servicewith all the thoughtfulness and meticulous attention to detailwhich she had brought to her worship leading as an elder in theNewbold Church. (‘Whole service to be a happy memory. . . .Church candle to be lit, please.’) Her family and friends and herchurch lovingly followed her instructions. The first life-sketchwas given by Pastor Doug Sinclair who, in 1974, had marriedRuth, the Yorkshire lass, to Colin Taylor, the man she always de-

scribed as ‘my best friend’. During her early career, Ruth workedas a secretary to various Adventist leaders in the North EnglandConference, the British Union and the South EnglandConference. The second life-sketch came from Dr MichaelPearson, Vice Principal at Newbold College where Ruth workedwith great commitment for the last thirty years of her career,first as secretary in what was then the Registrar’s office, and laterin the Finance Office. In both life-sketches, there were many re-minders of her sense of humour and her delight in playing prac-tical jokes on unsuspecting colleagues. A recording of JohnRutter’s version of ‘The Lord’s My Shepherd’ reminded many ofRuth’s own musical gifts and her vocal contributions to manychurch services. Her faith in and love for God were expressed inAnne-Marie Woodfield’s reading of portions of Psalm 139. Ruthhad chosen Pastor Martin Bell to speak words of comfort to themourners. He recognised that, in planning her funeral, Ruth hadcontinued her lifelong habit of sensitive concern for other peo-ple, especially at difficult times. ‘I think Ruth realised,’ he said,‘how we would be feeling today when she included in the serv-ice “Words of comfort”. . . . The fact is that we are all stunned andfeel very sad at the loss of such a loveable and loving lady.’ Pastor

Bell said: ‘As human beings who have really loved someone, wewill feel sadness, sorrow and grief. . . . The difference is that wehave this hope that burns within our hearts.’ That hope was ex-pressed in the final hymn, ‘Thine Be The Glory,’ chosen by Ruthas a reminder of Newbold’s annual resurrection service to whichshe was a committed and regular contributor. The service wasfollowed by Ruth’s interment in Stubbs Hill Cemetery in a gravenear that of her parents, Gordon and Gwen Clee. Before the in-terment, conducted by Newbold’s pastor, Patrick Johnson, Ruth’shusband, Colin, paid his own final and very moving tribute to his‘darling Ruth’ who, he said, ‘had enriched their marriage withher affectionate love and wise counsel, her courage and confi-dence, her positive outlook on life, her musical talents and style,her winsome ways and sense of fun, and her commitment to ourLord Jesus Christ.’ Ruth will be greatly missed, but, as PastorSinclair reminded Ruth’s family and friends, ‘For those whotreasured her, the Second Advent is not alone a foundationaldoctrine, it truly is the Blessed Hope.’

Colin Taylor and Ruth’s brother, Paul Clee, and sister, SusanMansfield, would like to express their appreciation for all thecards and messages of comfort and support during and afterRuth’s final illness. HELEN PEARSON

Ruth Taylor (1943-2008) d. 28 July

New pastors welcomedOn Sabbath 11 August, in a packed to capacity congregation, the NEC president Pastor Ian Sweeneyintroduced and welcomed Pastor Steve Palmer and his assistant as newly appointed pastors for GBKchurch, Wolverhampton. The wives and families of both new appointees were also welcomed.

The president verbally backed a challenge to encourage promoting GBK church expansion, not only asa spiritual and inspirational entity, but also to aspire to a physical church building expansion.

Ultimately space would be provided for the eagerly awaiting members of the local community.DELVA M. CAMPBELL

The Hampstead Adventist Choral Society and Orchestrapresent ‘A Delightful Concoction of Classical, Spiritual andChoral Performances’.Date: Saturday 13 December at 5.0pm.Venue: Clapton Community Seventh-day Adventist Church(St Paul’s Church).Admission free.For more information go to www.hacsuk.com.

Joan Jessop (1914-2008) d. 28 AugustThe Kettering church has lost a link with its early history withthe death of ‘Auntie Joan’ at the age of 94. Her family’s connec-tion with the church began more than 100 years ago when thesmall group of members in Kettering were looking for theirown meeting place. Joan’s father gave land and built a churchin 1909 at a cost of £120.2.11. Joan was taken to church frombabyhood and her allegiance never wavered. She never mar-ried, but was honorary aunt to three generations of her churchfamily. She was also a witness to her neighbours as they men-tioned at her funeral how they saw her every Saturday dressedin her best and carrying her Bible, and on Sunday walkingacross from her house opposite the church with her mop andbucket to fulfil her caretaking responsibilities which includedlighting and stoking the boiler. Her faithful service was recalledby her fellow workers in the clothing factory where she turnedher hand to any job that needed to be done. Joan was neverwealthy, but she was rich in faith and delighted to share. Noone ever left her house empty-handed and tins of fruit, biscuitsand cakes were always ready. Her relaxation was knitting, es-pecially blankets for ADRA, and a gift of a few balls of woolmade her day. It was a sad day for Joan when the building shehad known all her life was demolished and a new church waserected on the same site in 1996. She still kept a key to the oldbuilding among her treasured possessions and this key waspresented to the current pastor at Joan’s funeral. It now has anhonoured place in the church’s archives. Joan’s chosen seat inthe new building was as near to the site of her former place aspossible, right beside the entrance where she greeted everyoneand handed out the ‘Welcomes’ as she called the church bul-letins. The church family misses her very audible comments onall activities of the congregation, and such witty responses to aremark about the large number of children – ‘Yes, they’re giv-ing them out free with packets of PG Tips.’ We look forward tothe day when she will hear the accolade, ‘Well done, good andfaithful servant,’ and I hope I am near enough to hear Joan’sreply.DOROTHY TAYLOR

The Walthamstow church hasagain lost a much loved and re-spected member with the death ofNigel Todd, aged 64. Nigel was di-agnosed with cancer in 2005 andgiven three months to live. He bat-tled with the Lord’s help throughchemotherapy and radiotherapyfor the next three years, comfortedby the arrival of his granddaughterLauren. Sabbaths had always been

eventful in his life and so it was fitting that Nigel fell asleep inJesus on Sabbath 28 June, having succumbed to a meningital-type infection the previous evening. A second generationAdventist, Nigel was born in Walthamstow and was dedicatedand baptised in the Walthamstow church. Nigel left school at 16and went into the family clothing business. Besides ladies’ cloth-ing, for many years the family made Pathfinder hats, sashes andscarves for the conference. In 1968 Nigel formed a partnershipwith his brother-in-law Warwick Reed and later branched outinto kilt making for many West End Scottish stores. He was mar-ried that year to Margaret Jones, a church schoolteacher whomhe met at church. In 1972 they were blessed with a baby girl,Katrina, following a problematic birth during which he spentmost of the night in the hospital car park waiting for news.Typical of his commitment, once she was safely delivered he im-mediately changed his clothes and went straight to church ar-riving just in time to be ordained as an elder. Since baptism and

Nigel Todd (1943-2008) d. 28 Junesubsequent eldership, Nigel served the church with his usualthoughtful and untiring dedication in all major departments ofthe church, the longest period being in the Young People’sSociety. As a teenager he sang in the New Gallery Centre (RegentStreet) choir under the directorship of Pastor Russell Kranz bothat campaigns and the ‘Best Saturday Night in Town’. Later hejoined the Walthamstow church choir under the leadership of(now Pastor) Ron Edwards. He also participated in many anti-smoking campaigns with the late Dr L. G. White. On one occa-sion, when his daughter had shared her chicken pox with him,he still had to attend as Dr White couldn’t do without his pro-jectionist! Nigel loved his Lord and his church and served bothwith a willing heart. In addition to the many hours he spentserving the church as an elder, he also served on both the BUCand LAAC committees. His life of service and unwavering com-mitment to the faith was formally recognised in 2002 when theLAAC presented him with the Dr Silburn Reid Award for out-standing leadership in the London area. His funeral service washeld in the London Ghana church on 14 July. He is sadly missedby the members of Walthamstow and the church which heserved faithfully until illness prevented him from continuing todo so.

Margaret, Katrina and Darren would like to thank theirchurch family for their ongoing and much appreciated supportthroughout his illness. They would also like to thank their rela-tives and friends for their tributes and kind messages of comfortat the end.ANNETTE HUTCHINSON

16 Messenger

SunsetSunset times are reproduced with permission from

data supplied by the Science Research Council.

Lond Card Nott Edin BelfDec 5 3.53 4.05 3.50 3.41 4.00

12 3.52 4.04 3.48 3.38 3.5819 3.53 4.05 3.49 3.39 3.5926 3.57 4.09 3.53 3.43 4.03

MESSENGER SUBSCRIPTIONSCost to member supplied in bulk to churches £6.

Single copy subscription by post £13.Overseas airmail £27.50

MessengerVolume 113 • 26 – 5 December 2008

EDITOR: D. N. MARSHALLDESIGN: DAVID BELL

COPY FOR No. 2 – 5 January 2009Copy should be sent to the Editor, MESSENGER, TheStanborough Press Limited, Alma Park, Grantham,

Lincolnshire, NG31 9SL. Tel: (01476) 591700.Fax No: (01476) 577144.

Email: Editordnm@mac.comSend high resolution pictures to:dbell@stanboroughpress.co.ukABC Sales line: (01476) 539900 Mon-Thurs only, 8am- 5.30pm.

www.stanboroughpress.com

The Editor may alter, clarify, précis or expandarticles sent to him if he thinks it necessary.Published fortnightly on Fridays by the BritishUnion Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.

Printed in Denmark.Visit the BUC website at: www.adventist.org.uk

ISSN 0309-3654

ABC BOOK SALESDecember7 Harper Bell 10.30am-2pm14 John Loughboro’ 10.30am-2pm21 Newcastle 10am-2pm

Administrative Secretary to the Treasury departmentThe BUC is seeking to recruit a full-time Administrative Secretary to serve the Treasury department atthe Union office, Stanborough Park, Watford, Hertfordshire, WD25 9JZ.

Applicants will have experience working as a secretary/PA. They should be able to demonstratehigh levels of proficiency in the use of office systems and technology, English usage and MicrosoftOffice software. Successful candidates will need strong organisational and interpersonal skills andshould be able to work independently without direct supervision, showing the utmost discretion andtact when handling confidential information. Salary £20-22k, depending upon qualifications and experience.

For a job description and an application form write to: BUC Executive Secretary, BUC Offices,Stanborough Park, Watford, Hertfordshire, WD25 9JZ, or email: elowe@adventist.org.ukClosing date for applications: 12 December.

Scottish Mission of Seventh-day Adventists Triennial SessionNotice is hereby given that the Triennial Session of the Scottish Mission of Seventh-day Adventistswill be held on Sunday 21 June 2009 in the Crieff Seventh-day Adventist church.

Delegates should note that registration will take place in the church from 8.30am to 9.30am.Delegates are required to have registered prior to the commencement in order to participate inchoosing members of the Recommendation Committee.L. R. EDWARDS, Scottish Mission president, V. PILMOOR, secretary

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Pam Millington, neighbourhood contracts manager at Moat and anelder at Stratford church, won theChartered Institute of HousingSouth-East Excellence Award in2008.

The award honours excellence forthe work that individuals in housingmake to their field and the impact oftheir contribution to the lives of localpeople. Pam was presented with theaward at a gala awards ceremony inBrighton.

‘My role can be a very dangerousone, from shutting down crack houses with the police to going intosome seriously nasty homes whereyou wipe your feet on the way out,’Pam states. However, her belief system gives her an advantage. ‘Myfaith is extremely important in myjob and I know that the Lord hasprotected me when carrying out

early morning raids and visiting people in their homes.’

Moat is a charitable housingassociation based in the south-eastof England. Pam was appointed asthe neighbourhood contracts manag-er for Moat at Stanhope in January2007 to take overall responsibilityfor the housing management con-tract in the area, to work with otherstakeholders to contribute to theoverall quality of life and developsustainable community safety andcohesion for the neighbourhood.

Working at the neighbourhoodoffice based on the Stanhope estate,Ashford, Kent, she has overallresponsibility for eleven staff whoperform the customer services,housing management and communi-ty development functions. She said:‘It is indeed wonderful to have beenrecognised in this way.’

Chartered Institute Award

ABC Shops Watford, BUC11am – 5.30pm Monday to Thursday10am – 2pm Friday/1st & 3rd Sunday 10am-2pm

Advent Centre Saturdays till Christmas 5.30pm-8.30pmSundays 11.30am-3.30pm