Evangelism dominated the agenda at the Pacific Union executive committee meeting March 15 — evangelism reports and evangelism plans.
President Tom Mostert reported that 1,180 non-Adventist guests attended the first meeting of the “Revelation Speaks Peace” seminar (Net 2006) in Phoenix, Ariz., in spite of dust storms, rain and snow in the mountains. He also reported that Adventist students in Central California have started Adventist clubs on two state university campuses and are conducting Bible studies and evangelistic presentations for the many non-Adventists who attend club meetings.
La Sierra University president Larry Geraty reported that 120 students are out every weekend preaching and leading evangelistic meetings.
In order to make evangelism funds available more quickly, the committee voted to allow grants of up to $10,000 from the union evangelism endowment fund, to make grants twice a year instead of once, and to empower the evangelism committee to make most grants without waiting for executive committee approval. They also voted $225,281 to fund a list of evangelistic proposals, including: Youth Evangelism, Focus on the Christ, Agape Light Tattoo Removal, Proclamation — Ohana Evangelism, Residential Stop Smoking, Project: San Francisco, Gym Night, Souls-West CSU Non-Adventist Student Evangelism, Institute of Lay Ministry, Micronesia Summer Camp 2006, Pathways, and Middle-Easterners in America. Other evangelistic projects approved included the “writtenintheheart.com” website and $6,000 for a mission trip to Korea.
Arnold Trujillo, newly-elected union vice president, said he is committed to finding ways to increase church membership in the union. “Our baptisms have been stuck at the 7,000 per year level for over 30 years,” Trujillo reported. “At the same time, our annual losses have increased from about one-third to one-half the number of baptisms.” In his first report as executive secretary, Ricardo Graham reported that during 2005, church membership in the union increased by one percent, to 209,775.
Ted Benson, new union treasurer, reported that members provided faithful financial support in 2005, resulting in a tithe increase of 7.7 percent, after adjustment for an equal number of Sabbaths. Every conference showed at least a small gain. And the weekly mission offering, which has decreased steadily for many years, took a sudden upturn.
Six ministers were approved for ordination/commissioning: Michael Asuega and Eliezer A. Graterol from the Hawaii Conference; Isaac Kim and Daniel Nyirady from the Southeastern California Conference; and Hernan Granadoa and Marvin Hugley from the Southern California Conference. Five were approved to pursue doctor of ministry degrees: Eliezer Graterol, Hawaii; Jose Diza, NCC; and Ryan Bell, Alfredo Lee and Ronald Pollard, SCC. Six were approved for ministerial scholarships: Norman Cid, Eric Washburn and Bill Watson-Payne, Hawaii; James Jorito Uyeda, SECC; and Michael Kim and Joseph Oh, SCC.
In preparation for the Pacific Union Constituency meetings, scheduled for Aug. 27-28, the committee voted a parliamentarian, Charles Dickenson; a chair of the audit committee, Bruce Powers; and two audit committee members, Gerald Penick and Donna Richards.
More than $3 million in loans were approved (most are subject to meeting certain conditions): Coalinga church, $10,000; Samoa Tokelau church, $100,000; West Hollywood Spanish church, $222,722; Paradise Adventist Academy, $1,279,060; Red Bluff church, $150,000; Rio Lindo Academy, $162,500; Indio Spanish church, $182,000; Mt. Rubidoux church, $254,061; Redlands Academy, $600,000; Rialto church, $80,000; South Central Spanish church, $400,000.
Every year the General Conference sends money to the unions to assist with ethnic minority building projects. The committee voted to distribute these “capital reversions” for 2006 as follows: Asian Ministries (13 projects), $45,459; Hispanic Ministries (15 projects), $288,000; Regional Ministries (32 projects), $108,100.
