THE CONNECTION

Windsor, Living Faith, Spanish, Leamington, & Chatham Seventh-Day-Adventist Churches

I Didnt Want to
Preach to Killers
of My People in
Rwanda

JUNE 2016
Volume 1, Issue 2

Coming to Rwanda was one of

the most difficult decisions I've
ever made.
On the one hand, I wanted to be
part of the ground-breaking evangelistic meetings that are expected to result in a record
100,000 baptisms on Sabbath,
May 28, On the other, I had no
love for the country that for so
long had only caused pain to my
family.
The repercussions of the 1994
genocide are very real to survivors and their children long afterward. My family lost many relatives and friends, and the loss
remains painful even today. I could not wrap my mind around the horror of the genocide.
In my attempt to cope, I concluded that God had forsaken this beautiful land. I felt anger
toward those who committed those crimes and resentment toward my own heritage.

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

All my plans for the month of May fell through except the evangelism trip to Rwanda from
my home in Canada. Feeling like Jonah on his way to Nineveh, I set out to bring the much
-needed gospel to the meeting site where I had been assigned to preach every evening.

I Didnt Want to Preach to

Killers of My People in
Rwanda

In my heart I tolerated the people, but the love of God was not there. I didn't have a passion for their souls or a desire for their salvation. After all, I didnt think that they deserved
salvation after the atrocities that had been committed .
My first sermon was on a Friday night. As I was setting up my equipment, my perfectly
functional laptop and projector refused to start. Anxiously I flipped through my Bible, hoping to find a passage to expound on and preach. It was then that the lights went out.
Standing there in front of hundreds of expectant people, all that could come to mind was
the love of God and His ability to cleanse us from all sin. As I continued to speak, my
heart was stirred and for once I truly longed for them to understand Gods love.
Continued on page 2

Magic Johnson donates

$550,000 to Adventists
The Shepherds Rod: Who
Are They?
Andrews University appoints
new Provost
Pediatricians call it what it
is: Child Abuse
New Lighting in Windsor
Church Gym

INSIDE STORY HEADLINE

I am not to tolerate people but rather to love them, forgive,

and be kind.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
That night in my bed, I was amazed at the sense of
peace flowing through me. I felt surprised to discover
that a love had begun to grow in my heart for the
people at my meeting site, even for those of the
group that had hunted down my people. I bowed on
my knees and begged God to change my heart. I
pleaded with Him to allow me to see the people as
He saw them and to give me the ability to radiate His
love to all.

tion, despite the heinous crimes of his past. I longed

for him to know that 2,000 years before he had
sinned, Christ had been crucified on Calvary that he
might have a chance on judgement day.
I reached out and held his hands in mine. With all
sincerity, I told him that I forgave him, not because I
was a good person, but because I had also been forgiven by Christ.

On Saturday night as I was packing up, an older gen- We both cried tears of joy at this newfound peace.
tleman came up to me. He was visibly nervous. I motioned for him to sit, but instead he knelt.
Coming to Rwanda, I was bitter. I had no desire to
see those precious souls in heaven. Leaving RwanForgive me, preacher, forgive me, he said.
da, God has taught me His love: a love that surpasses all human understanding, a love that heals all broConfused, I explained to him that I did not know him kenness, and a love that reaches out even to the
and there was no need for forgiveness.
worst of sinners.
With agony in his voice, he replied: No, forgive me
because 22 years ago it was people like you who I
killed. You say God can forgive me. But can you forgive me?

I have learned that I am not called to tolerate people

but rather to love them, forgive, and be kind. My
meeting site has taught me so much about the love of
God. Ive realized that truly it is through service that
we ourselves are saved.

Ive never felt so many emotions at once. Overwhelmed, I knelt in front of him. Anger, sadness,
-Chantal Kayumba
deep pain, and then a strong and divine love filled my
heart. I longed for him to experience the joy of salva-

MAGIC JOHNSON DONATES $550,000 TO OAKWOOD

ADVENTIST UNIVERSITY AND CHURCH
Former U.S. basketball star Earvin Magic Johnson
Jr. has donated more than half a million dollars to
Oakwood University and the Oakwood University
Church in appreciation for the influence that Seventhday Adventists have had on his life.
Johnson, 56, who was raised in an Adventist family,
retired from basketball in the 1990s and become a
wealthy businessman with interests in entertainment
and sports. But he told the congregation at the
Oakwood University Church in Huntsville, Alabama,
last Sabbath that he also is a Christian.
And here I am, Johnson said as he accepted the
churchs 2016 Humanitarian Award on May 14. I
used to be a point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers
had them little shorts on and I was doing my
thing. I was happy, but I wasnt fulfilled. So now I am
the point guard for the Lord.

Johnson said he remembers his mother walking door

to door to share her love for Jesus.
Very few people would listen, but she kept going, he
said.
Johnson also said he was donating $500,000 toward
the construction of a new Family Life Center at
Oakwood University Church.
I believe in that man and the work hes doing, Johnson said of Carlton Byrd, senior pastor of the
Oakwood University Church.

Byrd presented Johnson with the humanitarian award

for his work with underserved communities through
his Magic Johnson Foundation, which promotes HIV
and AIDS awareness, distributes scholarships, and
runs Community Empowerment Centers that put
computer technology into the hands of ethnically diverse urban communities. The foundation spends
Johnson announced that he was donating $50,000 to
$20 million assisting more than 250,000 people every
Oakwood University for student scholarships in apyear.
preciation for the universitys contribution to his familys education.
Brother Magic and Sister Cookie have done so
much, Byrd said. It is important for our young peoMy family has gone to this beautiful university,
ple to be exposed to people who are making a
Johnson said. My mother made sure my sisters had
positive difference.
no choice but to go to Oakwood.
-Ramona L. Hyman, Oakwood University and Andrew
He said the scholarships were in honor of his mother,
McChesney, Adventist Review
Christine Johnson, a Seventh-day Adventist of more
than 45 years, who attended the ceremony. Also present in the church were his father, Earvin Johnson
Sr.; and his wife, Earlitha Cookie Johnson, a Hunts3
ville native.

THE SHEPHERDS ROD: WHO ARE THEY?

The experience of the Branch Davidians was part of the saga
of a breakaway splinter group that left the Adventist Church in
southern California in 1930. Then and now they represent
themselves as the true Seventh-day Adventists. Victor T.
Houteff, then an Adventist church member, introduced personal ideas into his Sabbath school classes, ideas he taught at
private meetings as well. Following earnest efforts to reason
with him, the congregation finally dropped him from membership in November 1930.

in 1981 from the Tyler

(Texas) Seventh-day
Adventist Church.
Under his leadership
the group radicalized
its program and
stockpiled heavy firearms, prompting the
February 28 raid by
law enforcement auWithin two years Houteff had produced and circulated two
thoritiesending in a
large documents titled "The Shepherd's Rod" promoting beshootout and standoff
liefs directly contrary to Adventist understandings. These, he
that propelled the
claimed, were the genuine message of God. Building on
Branch Davidian
Houteff's assertion that he was the antitypical David, as well
group into the media
as on his claims to possess the prophetic gift, his group adoptlimelight worldwide.
ed the name The Shepherd's Rod. The group continued zealSince the fiery death
ously producing and distributing its literature, infiltrating Adof many followers in
ventist churches in search of anyone who could be persuaded
1993, the Waco propto join them.
erty has been reThe U.S. Selective Service draft in 1942 confronted Shepclaimed, rebuilt and groups are becoming more active and
herd's Rods with a quandary. Draftees could be granted Sab- militant in different regions of United States.
bath privileges only if they could be shown to be bona fide
The fracturing of the Shepherd's Rod movement that began in
members of a recognized religious group advocating that be1961 has led to a wide variety of additional beliefs promoted
lief. Being unrecognized as members by Seventh-day Adventby different subgroups. Ideas are dangerous for those who
ists, Shepherd's Rod draftees faced serious difficulties. Therehave no idea. As some people in Windsor picked up the literafore the leaders dropped their claim to be regular Seventh-day
ture handed out by visitors from Michigan, here are some
Adventist members and registered with the United States govquestions to ask, as you sift truth from error:
ernment under the name Davidian Seventh-day Adventists.
The transition to a separated group in 1942 was almost com- 1. Is there a heavy concentration on one or two main points?
2. Am I hearing a careful pursuit of understanding, or an
plete; however, they continued to insist that they comprised
urging toward quick conclusions?
the true and faithful Adventists.
3. Does the person or group distance themselves from the
larger body of believers? Such separation robs us of the balShortly before his death in 1955, Houteff announced that folance provided by hearing the whole church.
lowing a period of 1260 literal days, Christ would initiate His
4. Does the promoter or group emphasize impending danger
kingdom. His wife, Florence, succeeding to leadership, identi- to the point of creating a feeling of desperation? A true walk
fied the 1260 days as extending from November 9, 1955, to
with Christ builds hope and confidence, not terror.
April 22, 1959. As the fateful day approached, a call was is5. Is undue attention given to the ideas of one person?
sued for the faithful to dispose of property and come to Mount 6. Am I urged to accept uncritically whatever is promoted,
buttressed by the use of selected Bible texts and Spirit of
Carmel Center. An estimated 800 persons arrived, many
Prophecy quotations as proofs?
bringing the proceeds from the sale of possessions. When
the day came and went, unmarked by the expected event,
Ours is a perilous age for Christians, not only from unbelief,
disillusionment led to fracture of the Shepherd's Rods into
but a willingness to believe too much. The false lies beside the
smaller groups, the largest remaining at Waco and adding the
true. The drives of human needs and the hype of marketing,
name "Branch." Some members returned to Seventh-day Ad- both in products and ideas, push us to make the most crucial
ventist churches.
of decisions on shallow evidence. Christ has a better way:
careful searching of His Word and placing utter trust in Him
Following an unsuccessful effort by Adventists for reconciliaalone.
tion, late in 1961 Mrs. Houteff renounced the Shepherd's Rod
teachings as in error and shortly moved to disband the group.
However, one of the factions gained possession of the Mount
Carmel Center. Eventually the center came under the control
(in 1984) of Vernon Howell, who had been disfellowedshiped

PEDIATRICIANS CALL IT WHAT IT IS: CHILD ABUSE

The American College of Pediatricians has released an indepth report stating that the move to indoctrinate children with the idea that
they can pick their gender amounts to child abuse. They are urging legislators and educators to reject all policies that would condition children to accept chemical and surgical distortions allowing people to impersonate the
opposite sex.
Some of the points made in their report include the following:
1. Human sexuality is an objective biological binary trait. XY and XX chromosomes are genetic markers, not a disorder.
2. No one is born with a gender. Everyone is born with a biological
sex. Gender is a psychological concept, not an objective biological one.
3. A person thinking he or she is something they are not, at best, is a sign of
confusion.

even in the most LGBTQ affirming countries still have suicide rates 20 times
higher than the general public.
9. Conditioning children into a lifetime of chemical and surgical impersonation of the opposite sex amounts to child abuse.
10, Endorsing gender discordance as normal via public education and legal
policies will confuse children and parents, leading more children to present to
gender clinics where they will be given puberty-blocking drugs. This, in
turn, virtually ensures that they will choose a lifetime of carcinogenic and
otherwise toxic cross-sex hormones, and likely consider unnecessary surgical mutilation of their healthy body parts as young adults.
11. Cross-sex hormones are associated with dangerous health risks including but not limited to high blood pressure, blood clots, stroke and cancer.

4. Puberty is not a disease and puberty-blocking hormones can be dangerous.

5. When an otherwise healthy biological boy believes he is a girl, or an otherwise healthy biological girl believes she is a boy, an objective psychological
problem exists that lies in the mind not the body, and it should be treated as
such.
6. People who identify as feeling like the opposite sex or somewhere in
between do not comprise a third sex. They remain biological men or biological women.
7. 98 percent of gender confused boys and 88 percent of gender confused
girls accept their biological sex after puberty without any counseling.
8. Those who use cross-sex hormones or undergo sex surgeries

NEW LIGHTS IN WINDSOR

CHURCH GYM
This past week Jim Oliver installed new LED lights
in the gymnasium to replace the original metal halide fixtures. At the same time, Collin Vassell painted a fresh coat of paint to the walls of the entire
gym. These new improvements look great; a thank
you to both of these church members for all their
hard work.

ANDREWS UNIVERSITY
APPOINTS NEW PROVOST
On May 11, 2016, the Andrews University Board of Trustees
elected Christon Arthur to serve as the next provost of Andrews
University, replacing current provost Andrea Luxton.
"I see the role of the provost as giving ones best advice to the
president, and providing academic leadership to help ensure that
academic programs and processes are known for their excellence
and academic rigor. An Andrews education is a whole-person
endeavor that needs to add value to every dimension of students
livesbody, mind and spiritwithin the classrooms, but also
where they pray, live and play." (Andrea Luxton)
Arthur will assume the post of provost on July 1, 2016, while Luxton will begin her term as president of Andrews University.

Speakers at Western Ontario District of Seventh-day Adventist Churches

Windsor
Church
5350 Haig
Avenue

DATE

Living Faith
Company

868 Ellis Street E

Windsor Spanish
Company
3325 Walker Road

Chatham
Church
20 Croydon Street

Leamington
Church
220 Erie Street N

June 4

Alex
Golovenko

Giselle
Kagheni

Junior
Garcia

Laurentiu
Prelipcian

Ramon
Ettienne

June 11

Dr, Robert
Samms

Junior
Garcia

Rosmery
Garcia

Simeon
Ndwaniye

Laurentiu
Prelipcian

June 18

Junior Garcia &

WAES Students

George
Mallett

Alex
Golovenko

Laurentiu
Prelipcian

Dr. L.P.Tan

June 25

S.P. Chand

Jonathan
Busiku

Alex
Capote

Dr. L.P.Tan

TBA

Congratulations to Mr. and

Mrs. Muvunga on their marriage that took place May 22,
2016 at the Windsor SDA
church. May God Bless your
union!

We hope youve PRAYED IN MAY, and now save the date of

June 10-12 for WE LOVE WINDSOR 2016 - an explosion of love
to our city by dozens of churches.

If you would like to submit a story,

article, or have any ideas on what
YOU would like to see in this
newsletter, please send an email to:
amanda.oliver17@hotmail.com

CONTACT US

EDITORIAL

5350 Haig Avenue, Windsor ON Amanda Oliver

Phone: (519) 945-2388

Pastor Alex Golovenko

Visit us on the web at

www.windsorsda.com

Pastor S.P. Chand