THIS year, 1972, has been declared by the church as MISSION 72, with the purpose of an all-out thrust for soul winning such as we have never before witnessed. Hours and hours of preparation have gone into the approaches and materials now being used. The signal has been sounded and the great army of God in North America is on the offensive.
It would be difficult for us to believe that MISSION 72 just coincidentally comes in the same year as the century of Adventist education, 1872-1972. Divine inspiration tells us much about the role that education must play in our church. The fact that our education program must continue to be a top priority of our church is attested to by our growth in North America, which has been chiefly biologic.
Seventh-day Adventist education has made some real strides during this past century, but truly not enough for us to attempt to rest on our laurels. When we know that some half of our youth are not attending our schools, are not being ex posed to the blessings of Adventist education, are not, in many instances, being made aware of what this church offers in its educational program throughout North America, then we must realize that our task is far from complete.
As we preach, as we evangelize, what stress or what emphasis are we putting on the role of Adventist education? Do new believers have to wait months before they learn there is such a thing as an Adventist school? Is the concept of Adventist education brought into the evangelistic series as an important facet of church belief? Or do some feel there is more drama, more color, in portraying the beasts in prophecy, or in individual conjecture on the "king of the North," the 144,000, et cetera?
As we move along with MISSION 72, may we keep in mind the real significance of the year 1972 and where there have been "sins of omission" may they be for given by acts of commission in what is really the heart of the church Seventh-day Adventist Christian education!
