ONTARIO

HIGHLIGHTS
Winter 2013/14

BUILDING
TOGETHER

Inside:

- The Woes of a Constituency Meeting

- Evangelism Results in 745 Baptisms
Ontario Highlights | Winter 2013/14 | 

Editorial

Diverging Pathways

ts not very often that

I worry. Im not even
sure if worry is the
term that I want to use. But
how else would I describe
my response to recent
information that the Seventhday Adventist Church in North
America is losing its youth
and young adults?
This state of affairs is not
news to us. The greying of
the church in North America
was first reported in 2008. At
that time, we learned that
the median age of Adventists
in the division was 51. Now,
six years later, it seems as if
some of us are now seeing it
in our congregations and are
beginning to pay attention.
Its something that
should cause us the gravest
concern because with what
is being described as the
haemorrhaging of youth and
young adults, our church
is faced with an uncertain
future. Without youth and
young adults, there is no
future for the church. Its as
simple as that!
Its a problem facing many
Protestant denominations in
North America, but this offers
no comfort. Its happening to
us.
For some, it would
appear that I have become
a Jeremiah--a prophet of
doom--because as they
glance around their churches,
they see plenty of youth
and young adults. A closer
look will reveal that youth
and young adults who were
there two or three years ago,
no longer attend. Yes, they
see youth, but these were
mid-teens who have grown
older. However, within the
next two or three years, as
they too come of age, if the
trend continues, a significant
number of these will also
leave. There are others who
are still present in the church

but are partially or completely

disengaged from it.
Young adults could
become an endangered
species in our church.
Will we take this seriously
or not? Too often, in the
past, our response to news
of young adults leaving the
church has been to shake
our head, forget about them
and carry on with church as if
their loss is unimportant to us.
We need a radically different
response.
With the publication of
formal studies including
Roger Dudley1, and most
recently by the Barna Group2,
the North American Division
has taken steps to halt and
reverse the trend. It has made
the retention of young adults
one of its building blocks
(see page). While the NAD
must be commended for this
initiative and encouraged to
fulfil its objectives, its at the
local church where young
adults will either remain or
leave the church. Its the
daily or weekly experience
of young adults in their
interaction with fellow church
members and leaders that will
determine the well-being of
our church.
What are we to do? Some
voices will simply blame the
young adults themselves
saying that they are too
worldly or blame the church
for lowering standards.
Clearly, this is too simplistic
to warrant serious discussion.
Its far more complex.
Society and societal values
have significantly changed in
the last twenty years, but the
church has not necessarily
adjusted itself in order to
adequately meet the changes.
The path of the church and its
young people has diverged.
Other voices call for the
church to change, but the
change some suggest is often

Ontario Highlights | Winter 2013/14 | 

seen by others as threatening

the identity of the church.
Occasionally, I come
across a congregation that
gives me hope. These are
congregations that highly
value their youth and
young adults. They do not
simply offer lip-service but
intentionally create church
cultures and practices that
fully integrate them. They
have tapped into the fact that
this segment of the church
is no less spiritual than their
parents or grandparents.
They want their church to be
relevant to them and to the
community. They want their
church to practice a gospel
that clearly speaks to the
needs of the poor and to the
marginalised. They want a
modern church that follows
the Bible interpreted to meet
the needs of the 21st century
culture instead of a 19th
century one.
I recently visited such a
church while on a visit to
Houston, Texas. My host
attended a different church
but wanted to show me the
church her adult children
attend. Her daughter and son
were at church long before
we made our way across the
city.
Calling her daughter
for directions, she was
reprimanded for being late,
You will miss the worship,
her daughter said. You
should have left home earlier!
Clearly, here was a young
adult who was passionate
about her church. Yet, when
I saw her and many of the
young adults attending the
church, it was clear that the
church is more interested in
the person than in his or her
appearance. I later learned
that the leadership of the
church of over 1541 members
is intent on creating a church
where everyoneincluding
youth and young adults--

will be accepted and will

find a home. It is a dynamic
congregation that has a vision
to win thousands of people
in Houston and beyond. Their
name change from Bellfort
to World Harvest Outreach
reflects the vision of a church
where young adults and all
generations are working
together to fulfil the gospel
commission.
I am encouraged. I have
hope because there are some
congregations in Ontario
that young adults happily call
home. Is your congregation
one of these?
1.

2.

References:
Roger L. Dudley, Why Our
Teenagers Leave the Church:
Personal Stories From a 10-Year
Study (Hagerstown, MD: Review
and Herald, 2000), 35.
Presentation by David Kinaman,
of Barna Group to NAD
Ministries Convention, 2014

Halsey Peat,
Editor

CONTENTS
WINTER 2013/14

COVER
STORY
5 The Vision
The North American
Division of Seventh-day
Adventists responds to
the growing needs of the
church and the continent
by establishing Six Building
Blocks--six priority areas for
its attention in 2014 and
beyond.

BUILDING
TOGETHER

REGULARS
2 Editorial
20-26 In the Local Church
Conference News
13 Youth
14-16 Evangelism
17 Camp Frenda
18 Mens Ministry
19 Consecration Service
27 Pastoral Changes

FEATURES
4 When Landy

Turned His Head

Focus on the goal and
avoid the pitfall of
Landys mistake.

7 Sabbath SchoolReady-made for

Evangelism
Long taken for granted, yet
many miss its true evangelistic
value.

9 Woes of a
11 My Lungs Expands
Constituency Meeting with His Praise
The need of a new
paradigm for constituency
meetings.

An inspiring testimony of a
woman grateful for her new
lungs.

Ontario Highlights | Winter 2013/14 | 

When Landy Turned His Head

t our 2013
camp
meeting, Dr.
Alvin Kibble, vicepresident of the North
American Division of
Seventh-day Adventists,
entitled his final
message, Finishing
Strong.
In the sermon, he
challenged us to be
faithful, diligent and
persevering to the
very coming of Jesus
Christ. Finishing
Strong could be an
appropriate theme for
any Olympics.
There is hardly any
other event which
arrests the attention of
the world, generating
the celebration of
competition, as
does the Olympics.
Currently, there is a
buzz about the 2014
Winter Olympics being
held in Sochi, Russia.
Canadians follow this
US$51 billion event
with high expectations
and bated breaths.
The modern
Olympics date its
existence to the ancient
Olympic Games, which
were held in Olympia,
Greece, from the 8th
century BC to the 4th
century AD. In fact, it seems that some
early Christians, including the writer of
Hebrews, paid attention to some of the
early Olympic Games and found in them
a parallel to the race of life in which we
are privileged to run.
Then, like now, spectators would fill
the stands to watch the athletes compete
for gold. On the tracks, the runners
would jog, stretch, and do everything to
get psychologically prepared for the race.
Thousands of years have not diminished
the energy and excitement of these
games.
Ontario Highlights | Winter 2013/14 | 

Hebrews 12:1, 2 captures the moment

with powerful counsel: Wherefore
seeing we also are compassed about
with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us
lay aside every weight, and the sin which
doth so easily beset us, and let us run
with patience the race that is set before
us, looking unto Jesus, the author and
finisher of our faith; who for the joy that
was set before Him endured the cross,
despising the shame and is set down at
the right hand of the throne of God.

For the ancient

Olympics, the athletes
would train with weights
strapped to their bodies,
but on the day of the
race, they would take
the weights off so that
they could run free of
encumbrances. That is
the advice of Paul. Let us
throw off everything that
hinders.
Hebrews 12:1.
We are all faced with
potential hindrances.
New Years resolutions are
usually designed around
getting rid of these
hindrances, but they seem
to hang on to us.
What is your
hindrance?
Recent research,
spearheaded by Dr. David
Trim, director of archives,
statistics and research at
the General Conference,
securing response from
approximately 41,000
Adventists across the
world, has revealed
troubling trends. A sample
of the statements and the
responses given may be
seen below:
I expect the world to
end within the next 20
years
22% strongly agreed
45% disagreed
15% disagreed more
than they agreed.
He concluded that there is clear
scepticism regarding the imminence of
Christs return.
The Seventh-day Adventist Church
is Gods true, last-day church with a
message to prepare the world for the
Second Coming
82% agreed.
I believe God created the world in
six days of 24 hours each in the relatively
recent past
Only 74% agreed.
How would you answer these questions?
Continued on page 10

The Vision

Six Building Blocks for the North American Division

The following article is based on the
North American Divisions Annual Report
presented at its annual meeting,
November 2013.

he North American Division

of Seventh-day Adventists
has taken stock. Faced with
challenges unimaginable in earlier
generations, it has listened to the
voices of church members, its pastors,
conferences and unions, and it has cast
a vision of six building blocks to meet
these challenges.
The building blocks, Transformational
Evangelism, Retention of Young Adults,
Women in Ministry, Adventist Education
for EveryoneOnline, Emerging
Immigrant Populations and Media, are
the strategic initiatives to meet the
challenges. They are based on REACH,
the acronym for the churchs core values.

Transformational Evangelism
The church recognises that it
has to take a different approach to
evangelism. In the major metropolitan
cities in Canada and in the U.S., nativeborn citizens are rarely influenced by
the traditional approaches the church
has used for evangelism. In 2012, a
randomised survey of 932 new believers
asked them to indicate the first influence
that helped them decide for baptism or
profession of faith. Forty-eight percent

indicated relatives and

friends, followed by public
evangelism (12%), radio (5%)
and the Internet (2%).
The purpose of this block
is not to abandon public
evangelism but to discover
additional methodologies
that can impact large cities
with the gospel.
The strategy includes a change
of church culture from being pastordependent to one where there is
maximum membership participation.

Retention of Young Adults

It is alarming. The Adventist Church
in North America is greying. It has a
median age of 51. Nearly half of all
white NAD Adventists are over 60 years
of age (Sahlin, 2012). Nearly half of all
Adventists between the ages of 15-26
leave the church (Dudley, 1997).
The church is faced with the task of
retaining its youth or face extinction. In
Ontario, a visit to many churches outside
of the metropolitan areas will confirm the
problem facing the Ontario Conference.
Also, while children are plentiful in
churches in Toronto and in other urban
areas, the same cannot be said of young
adults.
It has been too easy for youth
and young adults to leave the church
unnoticed and quickly forgotten if

noticed. Again, church culture must

change. It cannot approach its youth
and young adults with the mindset and traditions of 60 years ago. It
will be difficult for young adults to
leave a church that offers LIFE (Love,
Inclusiveness, Forgiveness, and
Encouragement)abundant LIFE in
Jesus!
The NAD will be using the LIFE
strategy to establish connection with
and ensure retention of collegiate young
adults. This initiative focuses on involving
and retaining young adults for the
mission of the church as they transition
from high school to their college years
and on to careers and adult life.
The NAD envisions that LIFE, within
the next five years, will retain at least
80% of collegiate young adults.

Women in Ministry
This building block is based on a
human resource platform. It is very
specificincreasing female pastors in
the North American Division. There are
currently 107 female pastors out of 4,000
pastors in the NAD. Studies show that
fifty percent of the current pastors will
be eligible for retirement in the next ten
years.
The goal is to double the current
number of female pastors in the next five
years.

Ontario Highlights | Winter 2013/14 | 

Adventist Education for

EveryoneOnline

The building block includes:

Actively recruit female pastors who
have graduated from the seminary
but are working in other professions

Actively recruit females in Adventist

colleges and universities who sense
Gods call to ministry

Compile and maintain a list of highly

qualified females who are available
for pastoral leadership

Create a funding formula to

encourage the hiring of female
pastors.
Ontario has three highly-qualified
female pastors serving with distinction
among its pastors. Two of these,
Elizabeth Pule and Ida Smith, are church
pastors. Sherry Augustus is chaplain at
Crawford Adventist Academy.

E. Pule

I. Smith

S. Augustus

The Ontario Conference is committed

to hiring additional suitably-qualified
females to join its ranks of pastors.

Adventist education has long been

seen by many parents as the ideal for
their children, but its cost seemed
prohibitive, or they were located too far
from a school. Consequently, Adventist
education serves only about 30% of
Adventist children. The church needs
a system for delivering high quality,
low-cost learning to anyone desiring an
Adventist education.
This building block envisions
approaches for extending Adventist
education to all:

Online as well as asynchronous

computer-enriched instruction
for K-12 pupils who lack access to
Adventist schools

Adventist college courses online

taken by students attending public
institutions with credits from those
courses transferred to the public
university

A training curriculum delivered

online to leaders, pastors and other
Adventist employees

Church-based seminars for training

members in various ministries

Seminars based at local churches for

community outreach.

Emerging Immigrant Population

The entire world may be found in
Ontario. The same may be said of the
North American territory and of the
Adventist Church in particular. Much of
the evangelism taking place in Ontario
and in North America is among people
who are first generation immigrants and
often had contact with Adventists in
their native countries. However, among
other immigrant groups, there are many
who have negligible or no exposure to
Christianity.
In Ontario, some of the largest
immigrant group are from southern Asia
and China. Hispanics and Africans make
up significant numbers also.
The NAD identifies the present
and future face of the church in North

America as multinational, multicultural

and multilingual.
This building block focuses on
evangelising these immigrant groups
through culturally appropriate
evangelism, events and witnessing
efforts.
It recognises specialised small group
ministries to work with immigrant
populations, and will use the Internet
and language-appropriate print as
witnessing tools.
A key element for this block is
providing appropriate training for
pastors and leaders.
It will also focus on innovative
approaches for providing immigrant
children with quality Adventist
education.

Media
The NAD recognises that social media
has changed the way many people
communicate. A recent poll by Harris/
Decima for the Canadian Imperial Bank
of Commerce (CIBC) says that on average,
Canadians check their cell phones every
ten minutes--the majority being 18-24
year-olds.
Social media as a means of reaching
people, especially young adults, is a
very useful tool especially
when, according to Barna
Group, only 40% of 18-24
year-olds in the United
States have never heard of
the Seventh-day Adventist
Church. Of all US adults
2% claim an awareness
of Hope TV and 1% Three
Angels Network.
It is clear that bolder approaches
are needed. Social media can help the
church connect in new and effective
ways with the strengths of the mission,
message and members of the Seventhday Adventist Church.
Social media also has the potential
to advance all of the above strategic
building blocks.
It is seen as a way for the church to
engage with its communities for service,
renewal, and outreach.
Some churches are already making
good and effective use of social media.
However, its the first time that the NAD
is giving social media such a prominent
place in its vision.

Halsey Peat
Ontario Highlights | Winter 2013/14 | 

bring new people to God. However,

what was normal in bygone years has
become a challenge to us today because
many of our Christian soldiers who
should have been reaching out to the
world are falling away from the church at
an alarming rate.
At our recently concluded
quadrennial session, the executive
secretarys report revealed that while the
Ontario Conference had 4,367 accessions
through baptisms/professions of faith,
we also lost 1,196 members through
apostasy or missing. The report did not
account for those who attend church,
but thats all they do, attend. They are
inactive. Many of those missing members
or those who apostatised started their
walk away from the church by first being
absent from Sabbath School.
Its time for the Sabbath School to
return to its standard of care and nurture.
We can no longer afford not to be our
brothers keeper.
Since a number of our churches
do not have an active Sabbath School
Committee, let alone a Personal
Ministries Committee, a huge
accountability gap now exists and it
gives the impression that the problem
of lost/missing members is unimportant.
We can no longer treat this situation
lightly. If no one is counting, there is no
accountability. Therefore, the church

must have a conversation about seeking

the lost both inside and outside the
church.
The reconciliation process must start
in the Sabbath School class. Every
Sabbath School class or group should
have a record, listing the names of
members. This should be checked
regularly so missing members can be
contacted. Periodic reports should
be given on how the Sabbath School
is doing, in areas such as giving and
attendance. Leaders of every successful
ministry should take time for reflection,
think about their successes and failures,
and learn from them.
In line with the REACH initiative of the
Ontario Conference, the Sabbath School
ministry sits under at least three letters of
the REACH acronym; namely, Alignment,
Education for discipleship and
Community outreach and evangelism,
because:
1. Successful Sabbath Schools include
elements of outreach and soul
winning.
2. A primary mission of Sabbath School
is to teach members how to work for
the Lord, reach people successfully
and share Gods grace and truth.
Sabbath School is referred to as the
heartbeat of the church. It is truly
the barometer by which the church
should be measured.

Sabbath School, the heartbeat of the church

iStockphoto.com

ts an ongoing quest in almost

every churchto find the perfect
evangelistic tool that works!
At no time is this more relevant than
now, especially in an increasingly secular
society such as present day Ontario
where religious practices and views are
being marginalised.
Its against this background that the
Seventh-day Adventist Church is called
to proclaim the Three Angels Messages
to everyone and to prepare people for
the Lords soon return.
The church in Ontario is uniquely
poised to effectively do this.
From its inception, Sabbath
School has played a pivotal role in the
proclamation of the gospel commission,
and it is a natural evangelistic tool that
may be effectively used to do so until the
end of time.
Small groups and Branch Sabbath
Schools were used to open up
the Adventist work in numerous
communities and countries around the
world. In those early days, it was the
norm for members of the church to
purposefully talk about their Saviour
wherever they went. Early pioneers
in the Seventh-day Adventist Church
recognized the need and potential for
believers to fellowship together around
the Word of God, and to band together
for service. It was effectively used to

iStockphoto.com

Sabbath School
Ready-Made for Evangelism!

Yet, Sabbath School is not just about

nurture. It really can be an effective
outreach tool because it operates under
the small group principle. Sabbath
School is about evangelism. Its all about
providing opportunity for the millions of
children and adults in our communities
who receive little or no religious training
or instruction whatsoever. Its potential is
vast! The evangelistic possibilities should
appeal to every Sabbath School worker
to organize for service.
Ontario
Ontario
Highlights
Highlights
| Winter
| Autumn
2013/14
2013 | 

The Woes of a

iStockphoto.com

Many churches have been raised up

through Branch Sabbath School work.
Ellen White counselled, The Sabbath
School should be one of the greatest
instrumentalities, and the most effectual,
in bringing souls to Christ, and The
object of Sabbath School work should
be the ingathering of souls. Counsels on
Sabbath School Work, pp. 10, 61.
For example, visitors days should be
especially planned for non-Adventists.
The music used, the words spokenall
should be relevant to the unchurched. A
secondary consideration must also be for
those who have apostatised. However,
we should not expect them to return
only to find the same old things they left
in the first place.
On the streets and in the homes
of our cities and towns are literally
thousands of people who, if invited
in a proper way, would be more than
happy to be visitors in a Seventh-day
Adventist Church. When they experience
a carefully thought-out, well prepared,
pleasantly presented, refreshing and
relevant Sabbath School, they will want
to return and will later continue through
to a similarly-planned worship service on
at least one day of the year.
A greater degree of co-operation
and support will be obtainable from the
whole church if they experience relevant
Sabbath Schools and are kept fully
informed as to the plans and progress of
the Sabbath School.

The chairpersons role is pivotal

Theodore Sargeant,
Sabbath School Director

Correction
In the autumn 2013 edition of
Ontario Highlights, in the article
Kingston Church Celebrates 100
Years, it was incorrectly stated that
Kingston Adventist Church is the third
oldest Adventist Church in Ontario.
Six Nations, London, Brantford and
Hamilton were all organised prior to
1912.

Ontario Highlights | Autumn

2013 | | 
Winter 2013/14

ts finished. With the conclusion of

the special constituency meeting
held on November 10, 2013, its
time to move on. However its important
to reflect on what happened during our
constituency meetings in August and
November.
What happened? We received reports;
officers and directors were either kept
or changed; bylaws were amended and
actions approved. But, was there more?
There is always more. Behind most
actions approved or bylaws amended,
there is often a subtext. No, its not a
conspiracy but, like every local church,
election or business meeting, very
few people turn up without personal
preferences, desires, alignments or
political agendas in tow. These often
constitute the woes of a constituency
meeting.
So what was the 33rd constituency
like? It depends on whom you ask. Some
loved it. Others were frustrated by it.

Then, there were some who were

simply bored, especially when discussion
centred around the minutiae of the
bylaws.
Well, the 33rd constituency
accomplished most of what had been
planned. New officers were elected,
but once again it seemed that the
nominating committee was committed
to follow the pattern of electing a new
executive secretary at each constituency
meeting. It is hard to remember hearing
of any executive secretary who has
served for two terms within the last
twenty years. Why is this? It seems too
great a coincidence to think that all
the men were the wrong choices. The
executive secretarys role requires a very
steep learning curve. Much of it is the
time-consuming learning and mastering
of church policy that goes to waste as
soon as the four-year term expires and a
new person is elected.
A constituency meeting always seems
to raise questions for which answers
are elusive. One seemingly answerless
question has to do with the composition
of the nomination committee. Another
is about what actually happens on
a nominating committee. These are
important because the nominating
committee is often seen as the lynchpin
of a constituency meeting.
Firstly, with only twenty members
(plus the chairperson), including seven
denominational workers, the chance of
sitting on a nominating committee is
approximately 1 in every 1,500 members,
based on a 30,000 membership. Yet, five
members (25%) of the 2013 committee
also served on the 2009 committee!
Why? The odds of this happening is very
similar to the odds of a person winning
the grand prize in a popular gaming
event in society. Even though the bylaws
do not prevent a person from serving on
consecutive nominating committees, it
does not mean that it should be done.
Ontario Adventists are able to select
numerous groups of 20 people from an
abundant supply of very intelligent and
spiritual people who love their church.
Perhaps this is a bylaw that should be
amended.
With a ratio of 1 in 1,500 being able to
serve on a nominating committee, very

few of us will ever have the opportunity.

Hence, we will never know the guidelines
or practices that govern the work of the
committee. It will always be a mystery to
many.
The desire to know how a nominating
committee works has nothing to do
with wanting to know the content of
its discussion or the result of its actions
before they are presented. Rather, it has
to do with its mode of operation. Its a
desire to help build confidence in the
committee.
For example, I am not aware of a
nominating committee calling in a
director or officer to answer questions
regarding his or her work. Wouldnt it
make sense to do so with an incumbent?
Or, when a decision is made to nominate
someone other than an incumbent, is
the incumbent informed of the reason?
Would it not be helpful for the individual
so that he or she could grow from the
errors that were pointed out, rather
than simply being informed that the
committee is moving in a different
direction? Unfortunately, other than
following the GC Rules of Order, there
are no written guidelines or principles
governing the functioning or operation
of a nominating committee outside of
a local church. It is simply left to the
discretion of the chairperson.
Its time to reconsider our approach
to our governance and selection of
officers and directors. Our present system
is close to 150 years old. It worked very
well 150 years ago because the church
was very small, geographically local,
and everyone knew everyone else.
The entire membership was able to
carefully observe its leaders, and it was
easy for a representative group such
as a nominating committee to make
informed decisions. Not so in 2013 or in
2014.
Given the size of our territory in
Ontario, it was not surprising to hear
a delegate request that the nominees
stand at the front to be seen because
some were unknown to her. Yet, she was
being asked, along with other delegates
with similar concerns, to vote for officers
and directors.
One wonders if there are members
of the nominating committee who

iStockphoto.com

Constituency Meeting

also found it difficult to adequately

contribute to discussions regarding some
nominations.
Is the committee sufficiently
conversant with the direction in which
the conference leaders have been
leading the church? Is it aware of the
challenges facing leadership in order
to determine the qualities required of
its leaders? What about future plans?
How well do incumbents fit into those
plans? Can some incumbents be given

new portfolios, or is new personnel

needed? Does it operate in a vacuum
when the president of the conference is
not directly involved in its discussions? It
seems to me that officers and directors
should be selected according to the
clearly stated needs of the conference
and in line with its strategic plan. Hence,
every member of the committee should
have good knowledge of these.
Two ways of selecting appropriately
skilled and spiritual leaders are: to
Ontario Highlights | Winter 2013/14 | 

change the system to allow periodic

evaluation of officers/directors, and to
implement a programme of succession
planning. The most natural body to do
this is the Board of Directors.
Evaluation should be periodic and
involve performance reviews. The
Board of Directors may also oversee a
plan to help develop potential leaders
from among its worker force of pastors,
teachers and from among church
members. Evaluation should not be left
to a few months before the session, as it
is presently practised.
Armed with at least two evaluations
and performance reviews of officers/
directors during the quadrennium, the
Board of Directors may then inform the
nominating committee of its findings
and offer recommendations.
The need to change how we run our
constituency meetings is clearly evident
from the passionate discussions that
arose over some amendments to the
bylaws.
Bylaws govern all meetings. However,
the sterile written words of the bylaws

Continued from page 4

When Landy Turned His Head

Too often I find myself meeting
members who are fussing with each
other. As Christians, we are not called
to compete against one another; on
the contrary, we must help one another
to the finish line. The race is not for the
swift.
In both the ancient and modern
Olympics, only one winner is possible
in each race; but in the Christians
Olympics, everyone completing the race
is a winner. This is truly great news.
I once read the story entitled, The
Miracle Mile. It is based on a one-mile
race, which took place in Vancouver, BC,
in 1954. This story affirms Pauls counsel
in Hebrews 12: 1, 2. This race over a
1-mile distance is considered to be one
of the greatest races of all time. It pitted
the two fastest men in the world over
this distance--Roger Bannister and John
Landy.
Sticking to his usual style, Landy
started fast. His strategy was to move

do not always reflect the spirit of

their intent. For example, prior to the
change made to the bylaws in 2009, the
nominating committee was required
to meet three months before a session.
The intent was that the committee
would act differently from the way it
had acted previously. It would operate
much like a search committee. Potential
nominees could be carefully considered,
resumes taken up and, if necessary,
candidates could be interviewed.
The advantage of finding the best
possible candidate is clearly evident.
However, the spirit behind the intent
was never recorded and was lost in the
legalese of the bylaws. The result was
that people became more concerned
with minimizing leaks because of the
length of time between the nominating
committee meetings and the start of the
constituency meeting. If the bylaws had
described the role of the nominating
committee as operating like a search
committee, the committee would
have taken the three months to search
and discover before finally making its

selection one or two weeks before the

commencement of the meetings.
What has been said above does
not take away from the work done by
members of the Nominating Committee
for the 33rd Constituency Meeting.
They sacrificed many hours away from
their families and gave of themselves
to ensure the selection of candidates
that the delegates would accept, and
acknowledge that God had led in the
process. They bore heavy responsibilities
and did so within the framework of the
bylaws. We must be grateful to them.
However, we must also make sure that
the process by which we choose to
operate will provide future members of
nominating committees with far more
useful information to lessen the burden
of their work.
The woes will always remain with us,
but it is our collective responsibility to
ensure that they are minimised and that
we improve our present system until it
becomes the best for and most relevant
to our needs.

ahead of his competitors early and

outlast those who would reserve their
strength for a final thrust.
The race was clearly between
Bannister and Landy, as very early on in
the race, they moved well ahead of the
other runners. These two athletes set
a pace that signaled the possibility of a
new world record being set.
On the final lap, Landy was in front
leading as he had throughout the
race, but as they approached the finish
line, Bannister was looming closer and
closer. The crowd stood, shouting
and encouraging the two outstanding
athletes.
Approaching the tape, Landy turned
his head to see where Bannister was, and
Bannister, seizing the moment, made a
last thrust, passing Landy on the other
side, beating him to the tape.
A statue in Vancouver memorializes
the moment. It shows one runner
breasting the tape, while the other just
behind him turns his head.
What a lesson for you and for me.
Hebrews 12: 1 says, Wherefore seeing
we also are compassed about with so
great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside

every weight, and the sin which doth

so easily beset us, and let us run with
patience the race that is set before us.
As we look towards the coming
of Christ, we cannot afford to be
distracted. We must keep our eyes on
the prize.
I call upon every pastor, elder,
leader and elected officer to be
intentional in leading those you serve
to a spiritual revival in 2014. I call upon
every member to take seriously his or
her personal relationship with God. I
especially call upon parents to make
sure that we pass on the legacy of our
faith to our children.
We are living in the prophetic
period called the time of the end.
Jesus is coming soon. Keeping our
focus and Finishing Strong must be
our theme.

Halsey Peat

Mansfield Edwards,
President
Ontario Highlights | Winter 2013/14 | 10

bless God every chance I

get; my lungs expand with
his praise. I live and breathe
God; if things arent going well,
hear this and be happy: Join me in
spreading the news; together lets get
the word out (Ps. 34:1-3, Message).1
This passage has become Ilyn Clarkes
favouriteand for good reason. On
February 7, 2013, the Ajax Church member
celebrated six years as a double-lung
transplant recipient. Hers is an amazing
story of faith in a God who has allowed
her the incredible opportunity to breathe
and move again without pain. Her story
has been adapted with permission from
an interview by Maria McClean, Health
and Childrens Ministries director for the
Ontario Conference, first published in the
Adventist ReviewEditor.
Ilyn didnt exhibit any symptoms of
lung issues at first. As a child, she had
severe muscle cramps in her legs and
arms. In her late teens and early 20s, she
was having constant abnormal blood
work and continuous muscle cramps.
Doctors began searching for the cause,
and after a muscle biopsy, she was
diagnosed with malignant hyperthermia
(MH).
The medication prescribed had the
side effects of making her muscles so
relaxed that she could hardly walk. Later,
she developed Raynauds syndrome, a
condition that affects circulation.
In her mid-30s, she had another
muscle biopsy. The result came back

iSt
oc

kp

ho

to
.co

My Lungs Expand with His Praise

perfectly normal. The doctors thought

for sure they would have a diagnosis.
Instead, they were more puzzled than
ever. Her face started to swell for no
apparent reason. Ilyn recalls, My eyelids
were so swollen that I had to lift them to
see.
She was tested for every possible
allergy but only had environmental
allergies. She was a medical mystery.
It took about six months for the
swelling to resolve, and no definitive
diagnosis was made. Further
investigation revealed that she did not
have MH after all, but there was still no
solution to her problems.
She started having greater difficulty
digesting her mealsdigestion
seemed slow. While she was working at
Toronto General Hospital (TGH) she was
diagnosed as having mixed connective
tissue disease. There was nothing the
doctors could do but treat symptoms as
they arose.
They told me I had handed them a
deck of cards that made no sense, she
said.
The Canadian winters were also
taking their toll on Ilyn. The cold
weather caused her so much pain and
discomfort in her extremities that in
1999 she relocated to North Carolina
to enjoy warmer weather. She found
employment in the operating room at
Duke University Hospital in Durham.
While she was able to enjoy
warmer weather, she soon found other

challenges. In the summer of 2004, she

began having shortness of breath which
she attributed to humid weather. Within
a few months, she had developed a
productive cough, which was treated
with antibiotics, but the coughing would
return every few weeks accompanied
by laryngitis [hoarseness] and extreme
fatigue. Getting things done required
extra energy and time. The shortness of
breath also affected her rest. She recalls,
I spent the first weekend in March 2005
in bed sleeping in a sitting position
because every time I tried to lie on my
bed, I felt I would drown from the fluid in
my lungs.
Within a few days, she was
hospitalised after being diagnosed with
pulmonary hypertension (PH).
Medication greatly helped, and she
returned to work, feeling great for an
entire year. Concern returned when
she started slowing down again and
experienced severe muscle cramps as
well as shortness of breath when she
exerted herself. She was placed on
experimental drugs and was told that
she needed to be on oxygen 24/7. She
was still working and skilfully managed
to conceal her illness. As soon as my
shift finished, she said, I would head to
my car, connect to the oxygen, and drive
home.
Susceptible to fainting spells after
severe coughing spells, she praised
God that she never coughed or lost
consciousness whilst driving.
Ontario
Ontario
Highlights
Highlights
| Winter
| Autumn
2013/14
2013 | 11

L. Flash

Ilyn Clarke

In Ilyns mind, there was no question

regarding Gods care and provision. I
believed my life was in Gods hand; she
said, whatever He decided was fine with
me.
Deciding that it was best to return
to Canada, she did so at the end of
November 2006. Upon her return, she
was seen by her former pulmonologist,
who had received all her medical records
from Duke Hospital. He arranged for her
to consult the lung-transplant team for
an assessment to determine if she were
a possible candidate. It was imperative
that something be done because
her health was rapidly deteriorating.
Another fainting spell in January 2007
resulted in a broken right ankle. She lost

her appetite and a significant amount

of weight. Eventually, she was placed
on the waiting list for a transplant. Nine
days after that decision was made, she
received the call that compatible donor
lungs were available. She says that she
will always remember the date because
on February 7, 2007, I received those
lungs at Toronto General Hospital in an
operation that lasted six hours. God be
praised!
There is no doubt in Ilyns mind that
God had worked things out for her. It
was no coincidence that the team that
performed the transplant were her
former work colleagues. They were the
cream of the crop, she says. This was
part of Gods amazing plan!
Recovery was slow, and it was nine
months before her incision closed
properly, largely because her immune
system was so compromised. However,
by September 2008, she had regained
enough strength to return to work in the
operating room on a part-time basis.
Today, she is giving thanks that
to date she has not experienced any
episodes of rejection. Living with donor
lungs means that she will be taking
anti-rejection medication for lifesome
18 different types twice daily. Many of
the medications are to offset side effects
of other drugs that are included in her
regimen. In the absence of an adequate
drug plan, her medications are costly,
but she recognises Gods faithfulness to
supply all my needs according to His
riches in glory by Christ Jesus [Phil. 4:19,
NKJV].2
The only outward sign of Ilyns
transplant is the Medic Alert necklace

Are You the New

Communication Leader
in Your Church?
Now you may access free training in your own
time. Simply visit AdventistOntario.org and select
the Resources tab. Under Communication, you
will find archived webinars that you may use for
training for yourself and for your team. Every leader
may benefit from the series of training events by
conference communication director, Halsey Peat.
Upcoming Training (date to be announced):
Social media and website development.

Ontario Highlights | Autumn

Winter 2013/14
2013 | 12
| 12

she wears. Inside her ribcage are two

lungs that joyfully expand with His
praise, she says. And I look forward to
continuing this praise song all through
eternitywith the help of an immortal
pair of lungs in an immortal body.
Awesome! Awesome God!

Become an Organ Donor

As an organ recipient, Ilyn cannot
stress enough the value of organ
donation. There is a great need for organ
donors worldwide, she says. There are
currently 1,500 people in Canada on the
waiting list for organ transplantation.3
Hundreds of people die every year while
waiting for transplants. [In Canada]
its not enough to sign a donor card;
those interested in becoming donors
must be registered online as well.4
Organ donation offers the gift of life to
people like me. Information about my
donor remains private, but God alone
knows how truly grateful I am to this
individual for consenting, and to his or
her family, for honouring the request, to
donate organs that have given me this
tremendous opportunity to continue
fulfilling Gods plans for my life.
1.

2.

3.
4.

Texts credited to Message are from The

Message. Copyright 1993, 1994, 1995,
1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission
of NavPress Publishing Group.
Texts credited to NKJV are from the New
King James Version. Copyright 1979,
1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by
permission. All rights reserved.
www.giftoflife.on.ca/en/transplant.htm.
To find out more or to register as an organ
donor in Canada, go to beadonor.ca

Youth and Young Adults Department

Restructured
The Ontario Conference has
restructured its Youth and Young Adults
department.
With the election of a new director,
Pastor Gerardo Oudri, the Board
of Directors appointed a standing
committee to work with him.
Shortly after getting over the surprise
at being elected as the director, Oudri
was suddenly faced with the weight that
had been laid on him.
This is not going to be easy; he
remembers thinking, the challenges are
many: How do we stem the hemorrhage
of youth and young adults leaving
the church? How do we motivate and
mobilize our young adults to reach out
to a society that is becoming increasingly
hostile to Christianity? What is the best
approach for this ministry to take in
Ontario in order to be truly relevant to
the needs of young people?
Oudri recognised that the answer
to his questions lay with God, so he did
what he always does when faced with
a taskseek God in prayer. The answer
that came to him was to create a group
of intercessors, youth leaders from across
the province who pray for youth and
young adults ministry in Ontario. This
group is open to whoever has a passion
for prayer and wants to specifically
intercede on behalf of our young people.
He also sensed that God wanted
him to create a team of specialised
individuals, again from across the
province, who would work closely with
him as an advisory.
Ministry is never a solo enterprise;
he said, God has blessed us with
different gifts to build His church, so
its logical to want a team with whom
to work for the good of our youth and
young adults.
The team, or advisory committee, is
designed to provide assistance in the
planning and visioning for the youth.
The team consists of: conference
youth director (Chair), Camp Frenda
director, two members from the Board
of Directors and one representative,
each from the 11 ministerial districts.
Members from the districts reflect a
balance among pastors, laypersons,
youth and young adults, gender and
ethnicity.

Committee members are listed

below:

Position/
Name
Ministerial Region
Pr. Gerardo Oudri
Pr. Glenn De Silva
Pr. Elizabeth Pule
Matt Bujok
Nina Lim
Lennox Cameron
Patricia Camacho
Pr. John Scott
Keisha Antoine
Nicole Valentine
Pr. Philip Lee
Pr. Jiwan Moon
Pr. Juan Carlos Atencio
Leo Campbell
Royson James

Chair
Frenda Dir.
Eastern
East Cent.
Metro East
Metro North
Metro South
Metro West
Metro West Cent.
Near North
Northern
Southern
Western
B.O.D.
B.O.D.

The committee met for the first time

on January 19, 2014 and began working
on its mandate, including:
1. Developing a clear understanding of
the challenges and opportunities of
Adventist young people.
2. Considering a broad spectrum
of creative ideas, imperatives,
strategies, programmes and events
that address the needs of Adventist
young people.
3. Making appropriate
recommendations to the Board of
Directors.
It also agreed to:
a. Create four focus groups that will
recommend ideas and initiatives in
the following four areas: community/
fellowship, discipleship, mission, and
media.
b. Adopt a new structure for youth
ministry in Ontario, using the current
ministerial districts. Regional associations
will be formed comprising AY leaders of
each church.
In the near future, AY leaders will be
called to a meeting in their respective
regions, where they will select a
coordinator. The members of the Youth
and Young Adults Advisory Committee,
listed above, will be ex officio members
in their respective regions and will serve
as liaisons between the two entities.
I believe that we have some great
years ahead of us, says Oudri, because
God is going to do some amazing things

in His church through our youth and

young adults. I am privileged to be part
of it, and I encourage each youth and
young adult to be part of it also. No one
must be left behind.

Gerardo Oudri,
Youth Director

UPCOMING EVENTS
February 14-16
Campus Ministries Retreat at Camp
Frenda
February 28 March 1
Church Planting Conference
(Youth Track)
March 8 15
Youth Week of Prayer
March 15
Global Youth Day (Be the Sermon)
April 11 13
Discipleship Conference
May 29 June 1
CANADA WIDE YOUTH SUMMIT
Hamilton, ON
June 28
Camp Meeting
July 13, 19
Bible Bowl
July 26 August 2
Mission Trip Sioux Lookout
(Northern Ontario)

Ontario Highlights | Winter 2013/14 | 13

Evangelism Results in
745 Baptisms in 2013

Ontario Highlights | Autumn

Winter 2013/14
2013 | 14
| 14

New converts at Hispanic churches evangelistic meetings

ith the baptism of seven

hundred and forty-five
converts in Ontario during
2013, the flames of evangelism continue
to burn.
Many of these were baptised after
churches held evangelistic meetings.
Others resulted from personal Bible
studies given by graduates from the
Ontario Conference School of Evangelism
and other church members.
Pastor Jakov Bibulovic, in his first
few months as Church Growth and
Evangelism director of the Ontario
Conference of Seventh-day Adventists,
was very pleased with the numbers.
We praise God for these new
converts, he said. It is wonderful to
know that Gods church is increasing, and
our members are involved in bringing
people to Jesus.
Many churches participated in some
form of evangelistic outreach. Most
followed the traditional public meeting
format, but some congregations tried
different approaches.
Some congregations pooled
resources. Among these were the
Spanish and Filipino congregations.

He Did It For You

He Did It For You was the slogan
adopted by the Bet-el, Maranatha and
Brampton Hispanic Churches for their
October 26-November 2 joint meetings
at Kingsview Village Church.
Jaime Martinez nightly convincingly
preached simple but dynamic messages.
Seventeen persons were baptised.

Discover the Power

The eleven Filipino congregations in
the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) also chose
to unite in a single evangelistic series,
Discover the Power with speaker, Dr.
Mansfield Edwards, Ontario Conference
president. Despite his hectic work
schedule as president, Edwards says that
his primary work is that of an evangelist.
He believes that pastors are to lead by
example. His example resulted in 57
people baptized during the two-week
series from November 30 until December
7, 2013
Over twenty persons are now
receiving Bible studies in preparation for
another baptism in early 2014.

Gaither-Style Homecoming at
Toronto Perth
Toronto Perth, Toronto Heritage
and Woodbridge congregations also
partnered to hold a two-week series
(September 28-October 12) at Toronto
Perth Church. Pastor Omar Palmer was
the speaker for the well-attended Life of
Victory evangelistic series.
One of the highlights of the series
was a delectable Gaither-style concert
with special guest artist Lynda Randle (of
Gaither fame), on the Sabbath evening
of September 28. The church was packed
to the rafters as local artists, Tiffany
Campbell-Dailey, Norwill Simmonds,
The Chitans and the Inheritance Gospel
Choir, supported Randle to make the
evening one to remember. Eighteen
converts were baptised. Another baptism
is planned for the new year.
Almost a month after the meetings at
Toronto Perth, Kingsview Village held a

two week series (November 9-23). Pastor

Dexter Smith, assistant pastor of the
church, presented messages of hope and
assurance. Four converts were baptised.
Meanwhile, in the east end of the
GTA, Philadelphia held public meetings
in both spring and autumn, resulting in
32 baptisms.
Also in the east end, It Is Written
Fellowships lay-led series resulted in four
persons being baptised.
Also, in the west, Mt. Olive reached its
baptismal goal of twenty persons for the
year after it held an evangelistic series
with Dr. Sydney Gibbons from Bermuda.

It Is Written
Outside of the GTA, from Windsor to
Belleville, churches were reaching out to
their communities. Bill Santos and the
team from It Is Written held meetings at
both Windsor and Belleville churches.
In Windsor, It Is Writtens Countdown
to Life evangelistic series, November
8-22, added eleven more baptisms to the
churchs reaping of souls. By the end of
the year, twenty-eight new converts were
added to Windsors membership.
Since 2008, Windsor has been
enjoying an average of 23 baptisms
annually between the two churches. It
uses various approaches, including a
Thursday night community volleyball
event, to reach out to its community.
A month earlier and six hours
away, along the 401 in Belleville, It Is
Written held its Countdown to Eternity
evangelistic series. By the conclusion,
six people were baptisedall from one
family. The series was broadcast live on
the Internet.

Ontario Highlights | Winter 2013/14 | 15

Further east, in the

41-member Brockville
congregation, four souls were
baptised on November 30
by Dr. Daviceto Swaby. It was
the conclusion of the churchs
month-long evangelistic
series. An average of
20 people attended the
meetings.
In the north, North Bay
and South River Churches
launched a Discover Bible
School that now has an
enrolment of twenty-three
people. One person has since
been baptised.
At Thunder Bay Church,
thirty-nine people attended
its Healthy Choices Wellness
workshop during September
20-22, 2013.
Returning for a second
successive year, presenter Dr.
Darlene Blaney from Alberta
struck a chord with guests
who positively responded to
the wealth of knowledge she
shared.
The church followed the
workshop with two DVD
series, entitled, Unlocking the
Mystery of Life and Healthy
from the Inside Out.
Other churches have
been actively engaged in
outreach but have only sent
in baptism results. Some have
indicated the valuable role
played by graduates from the
Ontario Conference School of
Evangelism.

While Pastor Bibulovic

gladly greeted the news
of the number of people
baptised, his enthusiasm
was somewhat tempered by
the fact that 2013s figures
are down from the previous
year by nearly 200 baptisms.
Acknowledging that some
churches did not report
any baptisms at all he said,
While we are grateful to
God for the harvest, I know
that the harvest could have
been much greater. Living in
a post-Christian era, when it
seems that our neighbours
are becoming more secularminded and do not consider
Christianity as a first choice
in searching for the answers
to lifes important questions,
we need to double our efforts
and search for different ways
to reach them.
He also spoke of the need
for churches to implement
strong programmes to
disciple the new converts.
We want a movement
that will put an emphasis on
discipleship; he said, we
want our evangelism to be
transformational. We want
congregations to create an
atmosphere that is conducive
to keep and grow members.
He added that his dream
for the church in 2014 is to
have churches where every
member is intentionally
involved in winning at least
one soul for Christ.

2013 | 16
Ontario Highlights | Autumn
Winter 2013/14
| 16
Happy new converts at Philadelphia Church

Pastor Mansfield Edward leads by example

Brockville baptism

Windsor Spanish newly baptized celebrate

Camp Frenda:
Changing Lives, Building Character!

*Daniel attended an evangelistic

series this summer and it changed his
life!
Nothing unusual about this except
that Daniel is 12 years old, and his
happy mother was describing his weeklong experience at Camp Frenda, in
Ontario. The evangelists who gently
guided his experience were young adult
camp staff, volunteers, and dedicated
ministry professionals. Who would have
thought that summer camp would be an
evangelistic experience? Yet thats what
it was for Daniel and many other children
who spend a week immersed in Gods
creation.
In our wired world, many children
do not get exposed to nature on a daily
basis. Camp Frenda and similar youth
camps across North America provide an
important, back-to-nature, electronic
media-free experience for young people.
Located on the rocky, rugged shores
of Lake Rosseau in northern Ontario,
Camp Frenda has provided the ideal
setting for young people to begin their
relationship with Christ. With Exploring
Nature, Discovering God as Camp
Frendas motto, its not surprising that
campers, like Daniel, respond to Gods
voice. Many respond through baptisms
that are held in the lake and witnessed
by their peers.
The transforming power of a natural
setting is unmistakable. There is nothing
more powerful than watching a young
person give his or her heart to God. The
same may also be said of camp staff.
Over the years, many camp staff,
mainly university and college students,
have given their hearts to God as a result
of camp employment. Some even marry
fellow camp staff upon completing
their studies and committing their

lives to work for the church in some

capacity. For them, ministry is a verb, an
action, something that is done, not just
discussed.
Campers often hold onto their
summer experiences with vigour, and
through technology, maintain new
friendships and staff contact. Camp
Frenda, its staff, and programs clearly
have an impact on young lives.
Owned by the Ontario Conference
since 1976, Camp Frenda has many
buildings, some of which have been
renovated or rebuilt. The Nature Building
is one of the original structures on the
property. After many years of neglect,
Glenn DeSilva, Camp Frenda director,
invested resources to refurbish the
entire structure and redesign the nature
programme to focus on educating
campers about creation. Curriculum
and supplies were purchased that would
maximize learning in a natural setting.
Steve Atkins, biology teacher at Andrews
Academy and a co-ordinator of Camp
Frenda alumni, orchestrated the physical
and curriculum renovations in line with
the camps motto.
In the spring of 2013, the Nature
Centres main floor was renovated to
include two classrooms and a bird
viewing area. Camp Frenda rangers,
alumni volunteers, and summer staff
all contributed sweat equity to the
project! The upstairs Nature Museum
was renovated and re-arranged to reflect
the seven days of creation. Hands-on
displays encourage curious children
to interact with northern Ontarios
nature. The Sabbath day is included in
the Nature Museum with a special area
for reflection. The nature curriculum
was completely overhauled to include
exciting, tactile exploration--even

dissection! Over the summer of 2013,

campers enthusiastically embraced the
new Nature Centre and curriculum. It
quickly became a hub for learning during
the week and a priority place to visit and
relax on Sabbath.

Donations of $500,000
Much of the renovations and
programme development has been
made possible through the donations
and endowment funds over the past
five years by alumni and Camp Frenda
friends with one focus in mind--to
facilitate Exploring Nature, Discovering
God.
Glenn DeSilva, the Ontario
Conference, Camp Frenda staff,
volunteers, and alumni want to
say Thank You for your generous
contributions and commitment to Camp
Frenda. However, there is still much that
needs to be done. Please keep Camp
Frenda in your thoughts, prayers, plans
for giving, and in your estate planning.
You may also consider making the
camping experience a priority for the
children in YOUR church or community
next summer. One week at Camp
Frenda is like attending 14 evangelistic
meetings, with prayer, praise, and singing
in between! Lives are changed at Camp
Frenda!
Steve Atkins and Sharon Aka Camp
Frenda Alumni Co-ordinators
*Daniel is a pseudonym
To make a donation or for more
information, go to page. 18

Ontario
Highlights
| Autumn
2013 | 17
Ontario
Highlights
| Winter
2013/14

iStockphoto.com

Mens Ministry
Spirit-Led, Spirit-Filled
April 12-13, 2014
ACTS of Kindness Weekend
The Mens Ministry initiative,ACTS of Kindness Weekend,is an amazing opportunity
for men across this conference to make a difference in homes, in churches, and in
communities. The weekend of April 12 - 13, 2014 has been selected for this unique
service opportunity.
This creative weekend is not intended to conflict nor compete with the life of your
church but to enhance local church programmes. Allow and encourage mens groups
or the serving deacons in your church to lead out and be creative in their application
of appreciation and kindness.
In Acts 6, the early church faced a crisis. Some of the widows in the church
were being neglected and overlooked. The leadership of the church responded to
this emergency by choosing men who were known to be full of the Holy Spirit and
wisdom to answer this challenge. The solution involved service. Fast forward to 2014,
and the challenge of the early church is still a problem within our local churches and
communities.
Spirit-filled and Spirit-led men are still needed to meet the needs of the church and
the community.
A poster has been created by the Mens Ministry department of the Ontario
Conference to help facilitate service ideas for the weekend. To request your poster,
email loliveira@adventistontario.org.

No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted

Continued from page 17

Camp Frenda:
Changing Lives,
Building Character!

Visit the Camp Frenda

website for camping and
retreat information:
www.campfrenda.com/
campfrenda
Visit Camp Frenda
Alumni Facebook
Page: https://www.
facebook.com/#!/
groups/16474491993/
Donate directly to Camp
Frenda: http://www.
adventistontario.org/
Alumni connections can
be made by contacting
Steve Atkins,
satkins@andrews.edu, or
Sharon Aka, Sharon.aka@
humber.ca.
Camp Frendas 40th Year
Celebration Event: Planning
has begun for June 2016; BE
THERE!
Ontario Highlights | Winter 2013/14 | 18

Ontario Conference Begins New Year

with Consecration Service for New
Administration
In an inspirational
service held at Apple
Creek Seventh-day
Adventist Church on
January 4, the Ontario
Conference of Seventhday Adventists began 2014
with the consecration of
its new administration,
directors and Board of
Directors.
A congregation of
over 300, including many
pastors from the GTA
and as far as Cambridge,
came together for the 4:00
p.m. service of worship,
commitment and prayer.
Pastor Mark Johnson,
president of the Seventhday Adventist Church in
Canada (SDACC), led in the
consecration by offering a
charge to the leaders and
directing them in signing
a framed pledge of service.
Using Ephesians 3:20
as his text, Johnson spoke
of the high quality of
leadership and diversity
of skills necessary to
lead Gods church at all
levels of administration.
However, he gave special
emphasis to the need for
leaders to be filled with
the Holy Spirit. We need
Leaders and people who
know God! he declared.
Whether you are a leader
in the conference or in the
local church, God is calling
you to demonstrate the
character of Christ.

Each administrator and

director, accompanied by
his or her spouse, took
turn to publicly sign the
pledge of leadership.
When they had all signed,
Johnson offered a prayer
of consecration for them.
John Ramsay, vicepresident for Finance for
the SDACC, repeated the
process for the Board of
Directors. Before doing so,
he highlighted some of
the wording of the pledge
and acknowledged that
they are equally applicable
to every Christian leader.
We are committed to
giving good leadership
to this conference, said
Pastor Mansfield Edwards,
Ontario Conference
president. However,
we recognise that the
quality of our leadership
is directly proportional to
our dependence on the
Holy Spirit. This evenings
service is an indication of
our commitment to solely
depend on Him and to ask
our constituency to pray
for us and to join us in
seeking Him.
Apple Creek Church
provided an outstanding
selection of musical items
that richly contributed to
the impact of the service
on those present.
Also present was Stan
Jensen, Communications
director for the SDACC
and editor of the Canadian
Adventist Messenger.

Directors and spouses sign pledge of leadership

John Ramsay prays for Board of Directors

SDACC president, Pastor Mark Johnson

Ontario
Ontario
Highlights
Highlights
| Winter
| Autumn
2013/14
2013 | 19

In the Local Church

Ericas StoryWhen the Spirit Moved

There was something
missing in Ericas life, and she
could feel it. She had recently
completed school and was
actively seeking full-time
employment and a new place
to live.
She felt that somehow
God was guiding her when
she found a new apartment,
and the landlord soon proved
to be a good friend.
One Saturday morning,
after feeling a need to attend
church, Erica convinced her
landlord friend to accompany
her to one. They came across
Philadelphia Seventh-day
Adventist Church and felt so
comfortable there that she
attended for the following
two Sabbaths. She said it gave
her something to do on a
Saturday.
One Sabbath, the pastor
concluded her sermon by
appealing for people to
accept Jesus as their Saviour.
Erica timidly raised her hand
in response. However, when
invited to move to the front
of the church, she quickly

withdrew her hand and firmly

remained in her seat. She was
nervous of standing in front
of people she did not know.
God was, however, working
through Elder Julia Clarke
who sensed Ericas struggle
and quietly moved to her
side and encouraged her.
This support was just what
Erica needed, and she walked
with Elder Clarke to the
front. Shortly after, Erica was
having weekly Bible studies in
preparation for baptism.
However, October 26,
2013, the day of the baptism,
Erica felt that there was no
need for her to be baptised
at that time. It was as if the
devil had convinced her that
her decision to attend church
was the important step.
Baptism could take place in
the future. The Holy Spirit
was still working, and due to
issues with her car that day,
the lead pastor, Dr. Fitzroy
Maitland, arranged to take
her to church. He warmly
greeted her saying, You look
like someone who is going
to be baptized today. She

simply ignored the comment.

However, during the sermon,
when the preacher made
an appeal, Erica felt as if the
Holy Spirit was calling her to
be baptised on that day. She
surrendered the struggle and
felt a great sense of relief. She
was going to be baptised.

Although she arrived

unprepared for baptism,
she was provided baptismal
garments and joined the
other 14 converts.
Erica is happy that she did
not delay her baptism and
now encourages others in
similar situations to surrender
to Gods leading.

Berea Church in Lets Move Day

On Sunday, September
22, 2013, Berea Seventh-day
Adventist Church participated
in its third successive Lets
Move Day.
Forty-nine participants,
ages 3 to 70 years old,
gathered at the corner of
Sherbourne Street and
Ancroft Place to begin the
two-mile walk through the
community of Cabbagetown
and Regent Park in downtown
Toronto.
Participants came
together under a cloudy
and chilly 14 degree Celsius
sky but were keen to begin.
After prayer by Bereas pastor,
Charles Leader, they raised
their banners, displaying the
Lets Move logo and several

others, highlighting the fight

against childhood obesity.
The participants goal
was to bring awareness
to the growing problems
of childhood obesity and
all its long-term effects on
the individual and on the
community. Their message
was clearly heard and visible
as the participants marched
with their banners through
the streets chanting Lets
move? Why? To end obesity!
Along the route,
spectators encouraged the
marchers. They cheered,
blew car horns and shouted.
Marchers sometimes paused
to speak with spectators.
By the end of the march,
participants were convinced

Ontario Highlights | Winter 2013/14 | 20

that their goal had been

met. A number expressed
how they felt fulfilled by the

experience and are looking

forward to participating again
next year.

Berea Health Ministry

Testimonies Unite Different Faiths at

Filipina Retreat
The testimonies were
powerful! Hearing of how
God worked miracles in the
lives of their sisters, many
could not hold back their
tears of joy and thanksgiving.
Testimonials have become
an integral part of the Agape
Feast at the annual Filipina
(women) Retreat at Camp
Frenda.
The seventh retreat,
held September 20-22,
2013, brought together
women from all the Filipino
congregations in Ontario as
well as visitors from as far as
the United States.
For the second successive
year, Monina Vivit, an active
member of a Pentecostal
congregation, travelled from
her Chicago home to attend
the retreat. She shared her
testimony of how a family
crisis helped to move her from
a godless existence to having
a life-changing relationship
with God. She testified of
how she feels spiritually
refreshed by attending the
retreat at Camp Frenda and
vowed to invite her friends to
the next event.

Another guest, also from

a different faith, expressed
her joy and the blessing she
received. The testimonies
certainly strengthened the
faith of the daughters of God
as they listened.
Keynote speaker, Naudia
Larrow, a member of the
Ontario Conference Womens
Ministries Advisory, gave the
closing charge. The impact
of the evening was so strong
that even after the closing
prayer everyone lingered to
reflect on and converse about
the nights experience.
The Agape Feast serves
as the highlight for the
annual retreat to which
women from the nine Filipino
congregations in Ontario look
forward each autumn. It is
held as the Sabbath draws to
a close. The ladies wear white
outfits and gather around the
tables arranged to look like a
cross with a red cloth runner,
dotted with lighted candles,
running the entire table
length. The ambience of the
evening made for a solemn
worship service to make each
one reflect on Gods sacrifice

by paying our sin debt with

His blood to save sinners. The
service was punctuated with
praise and thanksgiving for
our great and awesome God.
These yearly retreats
have given opportunities for
women to re-connect with

long-time friends who no

longer attend church and also
to invite friends of other faith
groups. About five to eight
such women usually respond
to invitations. A few, like
Monina Vivit, have returned
for second and third visits.

Nine Graduate from Parry Sounds Bible

Studies Series
On Sabbath, December 7,
2013, nine people graduated
from the Search for Certainty
Bible Studies, organised by
Parry Sound Seventh-day
Adventist Church.
Local minister, Pastor
Stanley, presented them with
their certificate of completion
at the church in a moving
ceremony. It was followed
by a special pre-Christmas
fellowship meal which was
enjoyed by all.

In his remarks, Pastor

Stanley was pleased to note
the support offered by the
members of this little church
towards all its programs. He
is asking for the prayers of all
Adventists across Ontario as
the church seeks to purchase
a new facility in which to
worship and host more
community events.
Pastor Carter Stanley

Ontario Highlights | Winter 2013/14 | 21

Mayor Praises Seventh-day Ladies

at Haileyburys 6th Annual Ladies Day Out
Haileybury Member Voted Senior of the Year

It was a high day

when 60 ladies gathered
together for the 6th annual
ladies day out held at the
Cobalt Golden Age Club on
September 15, 2013.
Elegantly dressed
in an autumnal theme,
co-ordinator Ruthann
MacDonald has a flare
for attracting all the
ladies of the area with
her loving spirit and
contagious smile. She
was supported by Lorene
Heisler and Pansie Brown
of St. Thomas, Bennie
Roesel of Tennessee, and
the Haileybury Womens
Ministries Department.
Among the
distinguished guests were
Her Worship, Mayor Tina
Sartoretto, of Cobalt, and
Her Worship, Justice of the
Peace Avis Rodney. Mayor
Sartoretto welcomed and
praised all the efforts of
the Seventh-day Ladies
of Haileybury Womens
Ministries Department.
After a delicious
homemade vegetarian
meal, the guest speaker,
Justice of the Peace Avis
Rodney, spoke on the
topic of distinguished
women of the Bible.
Marg Harrison of Cobalt
followed with a timely
opportunity to get up
and stretch, and told us to
remember how important
it is to have flexibility and
the importance of deep
breathing. A second talk
from Justice of the Peace
Rodney was a humorous
presentation on dealing

with the in-laws.

Both messages
were well received.
No Ladies Day
Out would be
complete without
music. Bennie
Roesel, Heather
Borean, and Debra
Mallais sang solos
and accompanied
themselves. When
Debra Mallais
concluded the last
stanza of Love Was
in The Room many
of the women
joined in the final
chorus. They were
clearly feeling the
love in the room.
Tina Nichol,
former Cobalt
resident, presented
a small endnote
to highlight what
it means to be a
volunteer, and
she read from an
article she wrote
about Ruthann
MacDonalds love
of community
and care for all.
Ruthann was
awarded Cobalts
2013 Senior of the
Year by her peers.
The farewell was
given in form of a
song by the Lee
family singing God
Be With You Till We
Meet Again!
The community
is already looking
forward to next
years Ladies Day
Out.

Ontario Highlights | Winter 2013/14 | 22

Ruthann MacDonald (far right) serving with the sisters

Mississaugas Sabbath School Community

Project Raises $6,000 for Local Charity

On Sabbath, October 12,

2013, Mississaugas Sabbath
School Department presented
a $6,000 cheque to Kristin
Scarfone, a representative of
the Trillium Health Partners
Foundation (Credit Valley

Hospital). The money is

earmarked for a new stretcher
for the Credit Valley Hospitals
cancer department.
The cheque was the result
of the Sabbath Schools
community project for 2013.

The Sabbath School had

two fundraising initiatives
for the year--a penny drive,
Pennies from Heaven, which
started last spring and ran
throughout the entire project
and a Walk!Run!Ride event
held in July.
Almost half of the money
raised was raised from the
penny driveillustrating that
the value of a penny should
not be underestimated.
The Walk!Run!Ride 5K
event was held on July
7, 2013. The participants
collected sponsors from their
co-workers, friends, church
members and neighbours.
On the day of the event, the
participants met at 6:30 a.m.
at the church, 2250 Credit
Valley Road. After a short
devotion and some light

refreshments, they set out.

The route took them around
the Credit Valley Hospital and
then continued along the
event path and then back
to the church where they
started. Breakfast was served
to the participants.
The presentation of the
cheque during Thanksgiving
was an object lesson of how
Thanksgiving may be used
to positively impact the local
community in such a tangible
way.
The church intends to
maintain its partnership with
the hospital and with the
community. The church is
truly striving to live up to its
name Mississauga Seventhday-Adventist Community
Church.

Mississaugas Community Fun Fair

Mississauga Adventist
Church hosted a Community
Fun Fair on Sunday,
September 15, 2013, for its
surrounding neighbourhood.
A sunny day allowed
members of the Community
Services committee and
volunteers from the
congregation to lay out
a spread of delicious
international foods and
beverages.
Numerous families from
the neighbourhood turned
out to enjoy the exciting and
diverse activities. The bouncy
castle was a firm favourite
for many of the children,
but others also enjoyed hair
braiding, t-shirt making, face
painting, a photo booth and
funny caricature drawings.
Both children and adults alike
were also transfixed by the
amazing and educational
reptile show. Some were
courageous and enjoyed

petting baby alligators and

huge non-venomous snakes.
To demonstrate their
concern for the total wellbeing and health of the
community, organisers
included blood pressure
tests and general health
screenings. All Dunamis
Chiropractic was also
present and provided spinal
alignment tests.
While some benefitted
from the health features,
others happily watched live
performances by clowns,
costumed entertainers, an
ethnic dance troupe and
other performers on the
outdoor stage.
Vendors and merchants
displayed all types of quality
goods and foods for sale at
surprisingly affordable prices.
The sumptuous food was
plentiful and delicious, while
free cotton candy was offered,
as well as many tasty treats for
dessert.

The highlight of the day

for many was Dunk the
pastor when people could
show off their strong pitching
arms and see the two pastors
being repeatedly knocked off
their perch into a cold tank of
water.
By the close of day, it was
clear that the day had been
successful because people

enquired if another event

is planned for next year.
Organisers certainly have
their work ahead of them to
make next years event bigger
and better than this years.
All proceeds went into
a fund designed to provide
services that benefit the
churchs community.

Ontario Highlights | Winter 2013/14 | 23

Southern Asian Congregation Gains

Company Status
Just two years after a
group of Adventist believers
in Brampton were formed
into a group, they again
celebrated, on October 26,
2013, as they were organised
into a company.
The early morning drizzle
did not dampen spirits
nor diminish the groups
enthusiasm, as members and
friends made their way to
attend the much-anticipated
Southern Asia Seventhday Adventist Company
organisation service.
Just west of Brampton, in
the little town of Norval, an
excited group of 41 official
members, 15 regular interest
attendees, and scores of wellwishers participated in the
services led by officials from
the Ontario Conference of
Seventh-day Adventists.
Following an inspiring
Sabbath School program,
Pastor Mansfield Edwards,
Ontario Conference president,
delivered a stirring message
of hope and challenge to
the receptive congregation.
Pastor Gary Hodder, executive
secretary, reviewed the
fundamental beliefs that set
the Adventist Church apart
within the world community.
Conference treasurer, Elder
Ulysses Guarin, followed
up with a moving litany of
consecration and mission.
Church Growth Specialist,
Pastor VicLouis Arreola,
director of Asia/Pacific
Ministries at the North
American Division of Seventhday Adventists (NAD),
presented a brief overview
of the Southern Asia work in
North America. All age groups
from the small congregation
participated in the morning
services.

The establishment of a
Southern Asia congregation
in the Brampton area was
the brainchild of head elder,
Bro. V.T. Thomas. Sharing this
dream with him was a nucleus
group of approximately 20
individuals. The group had
often met in homes.
Learning of the groups
need for a sponsor church,
Willowdale Adventist Church
Board, under the direction
of Pastor Darren Godsoe,
voted to take on the project.
Wheels were set in motion
to secure a low-cost, yet
suitable, place of worship for
the group in the Brampton
area. After an ardent search
by Bro. V.T. Thomas, the Lord
led the way to the Norval
United Church within the
Halton Hills Township, just
west of Brampton, where the
group has been meeting since
August 2011. Since the initial
contact, Pastor Rick Bacchus,
then associate pastor at
Willowdale, has mentored and
provided pastoral leadership
to the group.
Starting this group was a
venture of faith and vision,
and God has indeed blessed!
To Him be all the praise and
glory for what has been done.
Not only do its members
regard their organisation into
a company within the Ontario
sisterhood of churches
as a day of celebration, a
meaningful milestone, and a
journey of faith and blessings,
but also as a starting point
for the future as individuals
and as a congregation a day
to renew their covenant with
God.

Ontario Highlights | Winter 2013/14 | 24

Sisters of the church led out in Sabbath School

L-R Pastors Gary Hodder, Darren Godsoe, Mansfield Edwards and Rick Baachus

Crawford Adventist Academys 61st Alumni

Homecoming - May 23-25, 2014
Crawford Adventist Academy (CAA) will celebrate its
61st Alumni Homecoming on the weekend of May 23-25,
2014. We welcome all our alumni and families, former
administrators, board members, faculty and staff, parents,
friends and supporters.
Honouring our Toronto Junior Academy (TJA) classes of
1979, 1974, 1969, 1963 and all classes prior; CAA classes of
2004, 1999, 1994, 1989 and 1984.
We are looking for two representatives for each
honoured year as well as volunteers to help in various areas
for this event. Please contact the Office of Advancement,
TADSB - Derrick Hall, VP of Advancement, (416) 633-0090
/ toll free (866) 960-2125, ext. 234 or dhall@tadsb.com;
Judy Cardona Gamez, Advancement Assistant, ext. 248 or
jgamez@tadsb.com.
Visit our official website www.tadsb.com; follow us on
Twitter @TJACAAAlumni; like us on Facebook The Official
TJA/CAA Alumni Group.

Windsor Graduates
Seventeen Bible
Students
On December 1, 2013,
seventeen students
graduated from a series of
Bible studies entitled In the
Footsteps of Jesus, at Windsor
Seventh-day Adventist
Church.
The course was conducted
by Zak Sayed and was held
each Sunday for almost a year.
Zak was able to make the
lessons come alive because

he lived in the areas of study

for many years.
The purpose of the
course was to examine the
life, ministry, and teachings
of Jesus. It explored His
family life amidst the social
environment of the first
century world. In the
process, it validated His
existence and His work
through gospel accounts,

OntarioOntario
Conference
Conference
School of
Evangelism
School of Evangelism

secular history, archaeology,

and early Christian writings.
The course challenged the

students to know Jesus as the

true Son of God, consequently
helping them to more fully
follow Him.

Ontario Conference
Registration
begins for new classes
School of2014-2015
Evangelism
Dates and Locations

Barrie Church (Near North): Sunday, March 23, 2014, 10:00 a.m.
Fil-Can Church (GTA):
Sunday, May 25, 2014, 10:00 a.m.
www.adventistontario.org; rdunn@adventistontario.org
Two Tracks Available:

Two Tracks Available:

Lay Evangelism &

Learn to :

Lay Evangelism &

>W

Learn to :
Ontario Highlights
| Winter 2013/14 | 25
hz^'

Photos: Edsel Adap

Toronto Filipino Adventist Community

Mobilizes Typhoon Haiyan Relief Efforts

Seated (L-R )Ulysses Guarin, leslie B.Gatan, Junever M. Mahilum-West,

Mark Adler . Standing, Mansfield Edwards

On Friday, November 8,
2013, Super Typhoon Haiyan
slammed into the Philippines,
setting off landslides, and
knocking out power and
communications in the
central region, affecting a
reported 13 plus million
people. Over 6,000 lives
were lost, with many still
unaccounted for.
A joint prayer rally, HE
Restores: Prayer Rally for
the Philippines, coordinated
by the Ontario Conference
of Seventh-day Adventists
in conjunction with the
11 Filipino Churches and
surrounding GTA churches,
was held on Sunday,
November 17, 2013 at the
Mount Zion Filipino Seventhday Adventist Church,
Downsview, ON.
The prayer rally provided a
platform for people to unite in
intercession for a devastated
nation, as well as to provide
support and comfort for
members and friends whose
loved ones back home were
affected by the typhoon.

The importance of the

occasion was underscored by
the presence of His Excellency
Leslie B. Gatan, Philippines
Ambassador; Mrs. Junever
M. Mahilum-West, Consul
General of the Philippines;
Hon. Mark Adler, MP York
Centre; and Toronto City
Councilor James Pasternak,
Ward 10 York Centre. Also
present were officials from
the Ontario Conference of
Seventh-day Adventists,
including Dr. Mansfield
Edwards, president; Pastor
Gary Hodder, executive
secretary; Elder Ulysses
Guarin, treasurer; Pastor
Eustace Williams, Prayer
Ministries director; and
representatives from ADRA
Canada, James Astleford,
executive director; Ryan
Wallace, communications
specialist and Analynn Bruce,
programs director. Astleford
provided updates on the
situation in the Philippines
and appealed for support of
the relief efforts.

Ontario Highlights | Winter 2013/14 | 26

Members and guests give their donations

Effects of the typhoon

were felt close to home by
many members who felt
anxiety and an overwhelming
sense of helplessness,
wondering if their families
back home were safe.
Testimonies of Gods
goodness were shared by
Nonie Abrece, Mount Zion
Filipino Church; Brian Fabros,
Bramalea Filipino Church;
Cherry Garcia and Elvie
Bucayan, Filipino Canadian
Church.
Following a message
of comfort and a donation
appeal by Dr. Mansfield
Edwards, an opportunity
was given for gifts to be
brought forward in support
of two initiatives: ADRA
Canada Typhoon Haiyan
Relief and Philippines SDA
Rebuild. From November
9 December 23, 2013,
the Government of Canada
matched all donations made
through registered Canadian
charities dollar-for-dollar.

The prayer rally raised

$16,000 for ADRA Canada
relief efforts.
The service was the
second relief effort held on
November 17, involving the
Ontario Conference. With
help from Fitzroy Gordon,
founder and owner of CKFGFM 97.8, a four-hour radiothon was held on the morning
gospel show, raising $5,000.
A week later, the Ontario
Conference launched a
Philippines Aid Appeal across
the province. The offering was
collected on November 23,
2013 for Philippine Church
Rebuild. An additional
appeal, Project Rebuild, was
made by the Seventh-day
Adventist Church in Canada
and an offering was collected
nationally on November 30,
2013. The proceeds went
towards the rebuilding and
rehabilitation of Adventist
infrastructure.
Judy Cardona Gamez

Pastoral Changes and Transfers

In the last quarter
of 2013, nearly thirty
churches saw changes to
their pastoral leadership.
Four pastoral districts
were pleased to welcome
pastors new to Ontario.

A graduate of Mountain
View College in the
Philippines in 1992, he
served as a pastor in both
the Philippines and in Italy.
Since his arrival in Canada
in 2011, he has been an
active member of Mt. Zion
Filipino Church.
Jesus and his wife,
Myra, have two children,
Shadrach (13), and Bethel
(7).

New to Ontario
We welcome Pastors
Paul Antunes, Emmanuel
Perera, Jesus Agol, Jr., and
Ruel Malabrigo to Ontario.
Emmanuel Perera is
the new pastor at Thunder
Bay Adventist Church.
A pastor, chaplain and a
conference director in Sri
Lanka for over twenty-six
years, Emmanuel moved
to Quebec in 2007.
Emmanuel is married
to Vajira K. Abeysinghe.
They have one adult
daughter, Eshani.
He replaces Jim Rieder
who recently retired.
Paul Antunes will
assume his responsibilities
as lead pastor at College
Park Church in Oshawa
on February 22, 2014. He
comes to Ontario from
So Paulo, Brazil, where he
was an associate pastor
at Adventist University
Church. Previously, he
served as chaplain at
Canadian University
College for six years. He
and his wife, Raquel, have
two children, Matheus (9)
and Miquela (4).
Paul replaced Gary
Hodder who was elected
to serve as executive
secretary of the Ontario
Conference in August
2013.

Jesus C. Agol, Jr.

(pronounced Hess
Agol) fills the vacancy at
the Fairhavens Filipino
and Toronto Pilipino
congregations left by
the departure of Joseph
Batiancila in mid-2013.

Ruel Malabrigo, a
graduate of Adventist
University of the
Philippines, has faithfully
served as an elder,
personal ministries and
prayer ministries leader
at Fairhavens Filipino
Church since 2010.
Previously, he served as
a pastor in South-Central
Luzon Conference in
the Philippines. Since
January 1, 2014, he is the
new pastor for Elliot Lake
Group and North Shore
Church.
Ruel and his wife,
Merlita, have been blessed
with three daughters, ages
8-15 years old.

Transfers
The following pastors
were transferred to
different congregations
between November 9,
2013 and January 4, 2014:
Jayson Levy returns
from the seminary to
College Park as associate.
Kevin Magdamo
transitions from maternity
coverage in Ottawa to
assistant at College Park.
Frank DellErba, from
Harmony/Italian to New
Life.
Jiwan Moon, from
Kitchener-Waterloo to
Harmony/Italian.
Max Pierre gains
Orleans French and
Orleans Ebenezer Group in
addition to Ottawa French.
Lindsay Chineegadoo,
gains Orleans in addition
to Kanata/Lily of the Valley.
Patrick Jacques,
from associate at Toronto
East to Apple Creek as
associate.
Anthony Reid, from
associate at Apple Creek to
Immanuel as associate.
Didier Fourny,
Orleans/Orleans French
to Smiths Falls/Perth/
Carleton Place.
Jagos Ivanovic,
Sudbury to Barrie.
Daniel Saugh, Elliot
Lake/North Shore to
Bronte.
Garth Dottin, associate
at Immanuel to lead pastor
at Kitchener-Waterloo.
Lloyd Wilson, Smyrna
to Mississauga/Oakville
Andrew King, Toronto
Central to Smyrna.
Allan Chichester,
Toronto West to Toronto
Central.
Errol Lawrence, former
ministerial director to lead
pastor at Toronto West.

Ontario Highlights | Winter 2013/14 | 27

Calling Youth and Young Adults!

Ontario Highlights wants to hear from you. Tell us what you think your local church is doing well that is
definitely helping you as a young adult to connect with it and is helping you to want to remain in the church.
If you think that your church (local and conference) can do much better in helping youth and young adults to
remain in the church, tell us what you think should be done.

Send your comments to the editor at hpeat@adventistontario.org

Grandview Adventist Academy Christmas Mission Project

This year Grandview
Adventist Academy joined
with Living Word Christian
Fellowship and Eva Rothwell
Resource Centre to help
give Christmas gifts to
underprivileged families in
the local community.
The school adopted ten
families.
On Friday, December 6,
the upper grades students
helped to create a Christmas
Mall experience for the
families. One child from
each family, with help from
a Grandview pupil, picked a
free gift for mom, dad, and
his or her siblings. After

the child picked out family

gifts, he or she was allowed
to pick one gift for him or
herself. Additionally, the
schools Chime Choir treated
the students to special music
during the pre-shopping mall
entertainment.
This is a great program
because it helps the children
think about giving more than
receiving. Grandviews pupils
also experienced the joy of
giving to others. It was an
event to remember as they
saw the fruit of their labours
at the Christmas shopping
mall.

Ontario Highlights | Winter 2013/14 | 28

Lisa Clarke, Principal