Recently Ron and Teresa Clark of Iowa moved with their family to Africa. They took up the challenge of assisting the publishing work of the Adventist Church in Rwanda. Ron's talent, motivated by his love for the Lord, is now guiding hundreds of literature evangelists in sharing the good news of salvation.
Pat is a health worker and Adventist "tentmaker" in a Middle Eastern country. Tentmakers are committed Christians who use secular jobs in non-Christian countries as vehicles to share their Christian faith. Pat's contagious enthusiasm and commitment have already won friends for her Saviour. Through her witness for Christ after one year at her post, two new believers have been baptized, three more are ready for baptism, and several others are studying.
Wes Olson, M.D., of West Virginia typifies the medical personnel who volunteer their time in relief service. When asked why he and his family served for three months at Mugonero Hospital in Rwanda, he responded, "In the final judgment God will ask us how we treated those in need. Did we feed them, clothe them?" Dr. Olson covets the hope of hearing the Lord's words, "Inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me" (Matt. 25:40, NKJV).
The Seventh-day Adventist Church has had a global emphasis since our first missionary, John Andrews, went over seas in 1874. The church has a comprehensive program sponsoring career and volunteer missionaries to support its ever growing global mission. Adventists are working in 185 countries, yet much re mains to be done. See the chart on the following page for the types of service opportunities available.
1. Career missionaries. Qualified applicants have specific educational qualifications, specialized skills, and the long-term commitment needed in many areas of the world. Mission service today includes administration, development/ relief, educational, health, pastoring, pioneering, publishing, office-related, and other professional and technical opportunities. Many positions require a specific academic background and experience. Some require proficiency in a second language.
Career missionary applicants should be members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church and in good health emotionally, mentally, and physically. They need spiritual vitality and dependence on prayer, along with high dedication to the sanctity of marriage, home, and family. They must commit themselves to multicultural relationships and have the educational requirements necessary for visas and work permits, plus the experience needed to meet job requirements. Some of the most critical needs at present are for health professionals.
2. Adventist Volunteer Service (AVS). Avenues for AVS assignments are open to individuals willing to serve between one and 24 months in meeting specific priority needs. Volunteers should be active members of the church and display a maturing faith. Many opportunities exist for volunteers, especially in the Far Eastern Division.
a. Educational service. Multiple opportunities on all levels are available for educators with appropriate credentials. Openings include teaching English as a second language. Beyond the need for classroom instructors are requests for educational administrators. Assignments can range from two months up to two years, with the possibility of extension to five years. Denominational service credit can be arranged when a field salary is provided.
While specific academic credentials are essential, personal commitment to God and love for people are also basic qualifications.
b. Medical/dental relief. Opportunities for relief health-care professionals are usually for a short term of one to three months. This service provides temporary coverage in places where the regular physician or dentist is away on furlough. Health-care professionals are expected to provide photocopies of a diploma or certificate and a current license to practice.
c. Medical elective. The Loma Linda University schools of medicine and dentistry provide, during the senior year, time for students to be involved in hospital/clinic service in an area of choice. Each year a number of senior medical/ dental students use this opportunity to serve in an overseas mission hospital. Assignment to a participating hospital is made by Loma Linda University and processed through the General Conference Secretariat.
d. Retirees. Scores of opportunities exist for retirees to serve in assignments ranging from 1 to 24 months. Current needs are for pastors, teachers on all levels, treasurers, physicians, dentists, allied health professionals, secretaries, maintenance and construction workers, evangelists, and Week of Prayer speakers. Retirees' expertise, experience, and faith provide a meaningful complement to the advancement of the good news in cross-cultural settings.
e. Teachers for eastern Asia. Qualified college graduates to teach English are needed in the eastern Asia program. This is an opportunity to participate in a special avenue of volunteer service.
f. Volunteers with special skills. Volunteers qualified through academic study or experience are needed to fill a wide range of service opportunities from ministry to maintenance, computer skills to construction, optometry to obstetrics, ad ministration to accounting, seminar leaders to science teachers. Term of service runs from two to 12 months.
3. Adventist Youth Service (AYS).
The General Conference sponsors a program enabling youth to volunteer their services. AYS has proved to be most adventurous and exciting for Adventists between 18 and 30 years of age to work in the following areas.
a. Student missionary. For Adventist youth currently enrolled in one of the church's institutions of higher learning. Most assignments are for teachers.
b. Adventist youth. For young Adventists studying or employed in the non-SDA Church sector.
c. ADRA short-term. For Adventist college students wishing to do pioneer work in remote areas for a short term. The Adventist Development and Relief Agency offers exciting and rewarding projects in many countries.
4. Adventists Abroad. The church cannot employ all qualified Adventists who desire to work abroad. However, outside of the regular denominational avenues there are numerous opportunities for "tentmakers." Tentmakers are committed Adventist Christians who, like the apostle Paul, use their secular skills or expertise as a means of entry into and support in another culture. Their primary purpose is to share sensitively their faith in Christ and where possible establish and strengthen churches.
As the global economy develops and the foreign job market increases, thou sands of unprecedented opportunities are opening for Adventist tentmakers in government embassies and consulates, inter national organizations, businesses, associations, research and educational institutions, consulting firms, and private voluntary organizations.
These entities are looking for professionals such as health workers, diplomats, mechanics, English teachers, computer programmers, agriculturalists, sales consultants, engineers, etc. Other avenues of overseas witness include self-employed entrepreneur opportunities, and student-study or teacher-exchange programs.
Recognizing this tremendous potential for witnessing by its laity, church leaders in 1990 voted to establish the Center for International Relations (CIR) under the umbrella of its Global Mission office. CIR particularly focuses on restricted-access areas of the world where the promotion of Christianity faces political, sociocultural, or religious impediments. Through its databases the center assists in matching interested individuals with international job opportunities.
In addition to calls processed by the various offices of the General Conference, tentmaking and other overseas mission opportunities are also offered by laymen's organizations associated with the Adventist-Laymen's Services and Industries (ASI). Guidelines have recently been provided by the General Conference that will strengthen the cooperation between supporting ministries and the church organization, thus expanding the mission outreach of Seventh-day Adventists. The Adventist Resource Management Service (ARMS) is a developing office connected with ASI. It will maintain a database of opportunities from many different entities within the church and its supporting ministries and will also serve as a clearinghouse for personnel seeking service availabilities.
Seventh-day Adventists are committed to the task of world evangelization through the implementation of Christ's Great Commission: "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matt. 28:19, 20, NKJV).
For more information, contact the General Conference Secretariat, 12501 Old Columbia Pike, Silver Spring, MD 20904.
