Silver Spring, Maryland, United States—The General Conference Executive Committee premiered a 27-minute, professionally produced film October 15, 2013, called The Creation: The Earth Is a Witness, which shows a day-by-day account of the Earth’s beginnings. It will be one of the denomination’s key evangelism efforts for 2014.
“This incredible project is going to be a blessing to every single church around the world that is able to show it,” President Ted N. C. Wilson told the gathering of 350 pastors and other Annual Council delegates who watched the film. Wilson added, “This, I believe, is going to be a magnificent tool to bring thousands of people to the foot of the Cross.”
The film was initially a project Henry Stober was preparing for his local congregation in Nuremberg, Germany. He studied photography for a year in Canada and then traveled to five continents to present God’s love and unique creative power. More than 70,000 people have viewed the film in nine countries. “I never realized it was going to be worldwide,” Stober, 46, said after the General Conference premiere.
The movie was introduced by Williams Costa Jr., director of the denomination’s Communication Department. “We need to proclaim to the world this prophetic truth,” he said, and later added, “I don’t know why many people of faith have difficulty believing that the world was created in six days.”
The Creation opens with music to a scene shot in Iceland, in which Moses shows his scroll to his son Gershom while teaching him about the Creation. A narrator, meanwhile, reads from Hebrews 11, explaining the meaning of faith. The next scenes focus on each creation day, using powerful images of nature that play out while the male narrator reads from Genesis 1:1–2:3.
The movie is the highlight of a multifaceted approach to teach creationism around the world. Other components of the educational initiative include the book Beyond Imagination, Bible studies, tracts, a Sabbath School curriculum, Hope Channel programming, and dozens of articles in various church publications.
Church officials believe the movie will captivate viewers and compel them to learn more about the denomination’s strong ties to other Bible-based beliefs. Vice President Ben Schoun made a direct appeal to the delegates, most of whom are officers of the 13 divisions and presidents of unions from every region of the globe. “We encourage you, we invite you, we challenge you, to be a part of this. Make the creation project a meaningful one in your territory,” he said. To see this movie and find more information regarding Creation, visit http://www.CreationSabbath.net.
[Edwin Manuel Garcia/ANN]
