I have had the privilege of serving as your vice president since January. These months have been a time of learning new roles and becoming acquainted with people who serve in the myriad of ministries within the Pacific Union.

Three of the vice president’s major responsibilities are: planning for the future, especially evangelism; coordinating research and development projects; and coordinating assorted ministries (singles, men’s, women’s, children’s, family, youth, Pathfinders, Adventurers, disabled, Adventist Community Services, disaster response, health, Sabbath school, personal and prison).

As we plan for the future, it is useful to analyze trends of our past. Let us consider net growth figures since 1985. We have grown from 158,230 in 1985 to 209,775 in 2005. That represents an increase of 51,545, or an average of 2,577.25 new members per year for 20 years. While there is much for which to be thankful in these figures, closer analysis reveals a trend that needs attention.

Once the data is disaggregated into five-year segments, the rate of net membership growth is slowing significantly. In the period from 1986-90, the growth rate was 13.1 percent. From 1991-95, the rate dropped to 7.1 percent. A further slowing occurred from 1996-2000 with a drop to 6.7 percent. And during the past five years, the growth rate dropped to 2.6 percent.

Why has there been a drop in the growth rate? Part of the answer, I believe, can be found in analyzing the trends of accessions through baptisms or professions-of-faith and the losses through apostasy or missing. Taking the same time periods used above, we find accessions in 1986-90 were 36,470; in 1991-95 were 38,764; in 1996-2000 were 37,531; and in 2001-2005 were 35,810. Analysis of the data reveals a trend of declining accessions during the last 15 years. We are winning fewer.

We are not only winning fewer, but we are also losing more. Notice the losses from apostasy and missing for the same periods used above. In the period 1986-90, the loss was 14,252; in 1991-95, the loss was 18,330; in 1996-2000, the loss was 16,400; and in 2001-2005, the loss was 23,735.

It appears to me that increasing the net membership growth rate necessitates reversing both the accessions and loss rates. We must win more and lose less. We must be purposeful about retaining members as well as winning new ones. We must make disciples of unbelievers, not just members.

What can we do? I have great faith in our God and in you, His special people. The Holy Spirit inspired Peter to write in 1 Peter 2:9, “But you are a chosen generation … that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” God chose us for this time. He will give us new ideas for new methods and/or how to utilize old methods to creatively confront the challenges as well as to optimize the opportunities for the achievement of the mission of the church which is to share the three angels’ messages with the world and thereby fulfill the Great Commission.

I also believe God will show us how we can all work together in a united and coordinated way while we use our different gifts in our various ministries for the salvation of all who are in need of Jesus.

I want to share a few ideas of how we might confront the aforementioned challenges in the hope that you will be stimulated to prayerfully think of new ideas that will lead the unsaved to the cross of Christ and then how to retain them once they are baptized.

A Few Ideas to Increase Accession Rate and Decrease Loss Rate

Personal repentance to prepare our own hearts

Personal devotional life grounded in biblical study and prayer

Passionate love for Jesus which is in response to grace

Passionate love for the unsaved which is the fruit of a love for Jesus

Personal soul-winning for network of family, friends, acquaintances

Evangelistic small groups

Target unreached/underreached population segments such as non-Christians, secular university students, prison inmates and their families, the wealthy, children, etc.

Use new modes of communication such as the Internet

Spiritual mentors

Mobilization of all—children, youth, young adults, seniors, etc., in soul-winning

Shared vision and coordinated functions of various departments/ministries in local churches, conferences, union and division

Web-based resource links

Web-based Evangelism Endowment project results

Web-based lay training classes

The above list is not meant to be exhaustive, nor have I included many of the excellent programs and methods that we have used for years. It is meant to stimulate you to brainstorm how we together can communicate the gospel to the millions of men, women and children who live in our territory in such a winsome way that they will fall in love with Jesus, accept Him as Savior and Lord, unite with us in His remnant church to finish His work now and join us in declaring one day very soon, “Lo this is our God, we have waited for Him and He will save us.”