News From Around the World

• Ministerial Training Seminar Held in Australia
• Pastor Visits French-Speaking Areas

Ministerial Training Seminar Held in Australia

by Elizabeth Burchard

From Jan. 24 to 28, 44 elders and wives from all parts of Australia, and also from New Zealand, Tonga and Fiji, assembled at the Twin Towns resort complex on Queensland's Gold Coast for a ministerial training seminar.

It was the first time since 2000 that all the Australian ministry had the opportunity to be "with one accord, in one place." The seminar took place over the Australia Day weekend, which commemorates the arrival in the new British colony of the first fleet of ships in 1788.

The land down under has approximately 600 Church members scattered across a vast continent. They are served by five full-time ministers whose separate areas of responsibility cover thousands of square miles. Ten other elders assist in serving the Australian brethren.

Richard Pinelli and his wife Mary and Greg Sargent and his wife Marian traveled from the United States to participate in the seminar. Mr. Pinelli serves as coordinator of ministerial development programs, focusing on training the trainers of future ministers. He has mentored 36 trainees in his 45 years in the ministry.

Mr. Sargent, a minister for 41 years, is based in Kansas City and is regional pastor for the U.S. Central Region.

Opening proceedings, Queensland pastor Bill Bradford commented that the purpose of such training seminars was to bring uniformity to the ministry, and the same mind and standards of conduct. He added that the way issues are approached should be the same everywhere, with allowances made for cultural differences. This is the biblical model.

The all-day training sessions were divided into six hour-long segments. Mr. Pinelli covered pastoral principles from Timothy and Titus, baptismal counseling, the importance of sound doctrine and discernment, and Church ceremonies. Mr. Sargent gave helpful information on preparing split sermons, premarriage counseling, teaching as we have been taught and developing wisdom and judgment.

Mr. Bradford's contributions included counseling from Scripture, mentoring and training within the local pastorate and pastoring and developing churches in Australia.

Bruce Dean, pastor of New South Wales, Australia's most populous state, talked on working with your pastor, being all things to all men and dealing with legal issues.

Attendees were able to enjoy helpful and uplifting fellowship during the group lunches and dinners held in the seminar meeting room.

Some of the many favorable comments made on the value of such seminars included the following:

"The seminar exceeded our expectations, with much sound instruction being presented by experienced and seasoned pastors. The warm camaraderie among ministers and wives present was clearly evident."

"It really was an honor to be present. All the information from the presenters was tops—heaps and heaps of food for thought."

"The lectures set my feet firmly on God's ground. I now have a deeper understanding, appreciation and respect for the Creator."

"As a relatively recently ordained elder, ministering from a somewhat remote location, I found the seminar to be of inestimable value. I left the seminar with a much clearer vision of our objectives: to point God's people towards and to assist them with their efforts to become inheritors of the Kingdom of God." UN

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Pastor Visits French-Speaking Areas

by Joel Meeker

During January and February I had the opportunity to make a three-week trip through Africa, an Indian Ocean nation and French Europe. The first stop was Ivory Coast. I visited our brethren in the village of La Mé. I held a Bible study on the topic of prayer, took many Bible questions and counseled several people for baptism. One of our local leaders, Paul Tia, was very ill with a large abscess and had to be hospitalized the day after I left. He underwent an operation and is now recovering well.

In Lomé, Togo, we had 3½ days of leadership seminars in our new Good Works-sponsored Church hall. Eight men came to Togo from Ivory Coast, Benin, Cameroon and Rwanda. An additional five men from Togo participated. We spent a great deal of time covering our fundamental beliefs in detail. We also covered how to set priorities in service, wisdom and discernment, organization for the Feast, preparing and delivering "difficult scripture" sermonettes and the importance of living by faith.

On the Sabbath, Jean-Marie Mundeli, our elder in Rwanda, joined me in ordaining Kossi Fiaboé as an elder. Mr. Fiaboé has been a pillar in the Church in Togo for many years. We also ordained Pierre Kloutsé, also of Lomé, a deacon.

After a 36-hour trip, I arrived in Bujumbura, Burundi, to visit several congregations of Sabbath-keepers. The elder who cares for them, Nathan Mokeshimana, was ordained by the Church of God (Seventh Day). He is sometimes assisted by Moïse Ntigirinzigo. These men found UCG on the Internet; we've been corresponding for several years, but this was my first visit.

Burundi is in the aftermath of a civil war that split the country along tribal lines. There are still occasional outbreaks of violence. A few days before, a French aid worker was ambushed and killed. I told Nathan and Moïse that I wanted to check with the U.S. embassy before deciding if I would travel into their rural area. They told me I didn't have anything to worry about—we were Christians! I smiled and reminded them that Jesus said we shouldn't tempt God.

The embassy security officer told me that their personnel did not go to that province, but there hadn't been any recent reports of trouble there. He said if I did go, it was vital that I be back before dark.

The first day I met with members from three congregations. My sermon each time was based on Revelation 17:14: Those who will be with Christ at His return will be "called, chosen and faithful."

On the second day I met for seven hours with 15 congregational leaders. We went through our fundamental beliefs booklet, and I answered their questions. I found there are a few issues that will need further study for them: They use grape juice for the Passover and don't understand about all the annual Holy Days. They urgently requested another visit soon.

From Burundi I flew to Nairobi, Kenya, where I had to spend one night. It was sad to see people in beautiful Kenya so upset and afraid because of the post-election violence. At least 1,000 people had been killed, women and children even burned alive in their homes. The tourist hotels were empty, and the taxi driver told me that even a few days earlier we could not have driven into town from the airport: the car would have been stoned, he said, and the police were shooting rather indiscriminately at crowds to try to restore order.

My next stop was the beautiful Indian Ocean nation of the Seychelles. We have a number of French and English subscribers there, and we had received several visit requests. I met with three people and had a phone conversation with a fourth. Two of the visits seemed very promising.

After the flight to Paris, I drove to Belgium, where I had been invited to speak to an independent congregation with an attendance of around 100. On the Sabbath I was able to have an hour's visit with the pastor, Jean Carion, whom I have known for many years. He was 84 years old. Sadly, Mr. Carion died the following Friday.

My visit was warmly received. Time will tell how our relationship with this congregation will develop, but it was pleasant to see old friends after 15 years.

Thank you for your prayers for guidance and protection both for our brethren in such far-flung areas and for those who travel to serve them. UN

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