Praying for the World Church

Dear church family, we have completed a whole year of praying for different countries of the world, and now I have opportunity to use this blog again to bring prayer request for many urgent matters to your attention, and to communicate important undertakings of our church and community.

Before the “prayer requests” I wish you good family time, enjoy the Thanksgiving weekend with your family and bless someone by inviting them over for time of fellowship and sharing. And remember – the celebration is more than about food, it’s about relationships.  We are in Minneapolis, MN conducting evangelistic efforts, and folks here are also on holidays – Columbus Day.

First major prayer request comes from the leadership of the North American Division of our church.  The Annual Council of our world-wide church will be starting next weekend, October 12.  The administration of the General Conference will announce what they plan to do because of the various unions decisions to ordain without regard to gender. North American church president Dan Jackson and the team need our prayers.  Pray for representatives from all countries of the world to be guided by the Holy Spirit.

Another matter that needs all our prayers is developing in Maryland. In November voters in the state of Maryland will be asked to vote on a measure that would permit marriage between two partners of the same sex. There are more than 40,000 members of the Seventh-day Adventist in that state.  This Sabbath (October 5 and 6) two Adventist churches in the Washington DC area will be hosting presentations and discussions on the topic of homosexuality. As you will read this, the first meeting already happened, last evening, Friday, at the Capital Memorial Seventh-day Adventist church where a screening of the documentary “Seventh-gay Adventist” took place with a discussion panel including two Adventist theologians Nicholas Miller and Roy Gane, co-editors of the new book “Homosexuality, Marriage, and the Church” published by the Adventist University Press, Bill Knott, editor of the Adventist Review, Jason Hines, an Associate Editor for ReligiousLiberty.TV and the producers of the film, Daneen Akers and her husband Stephen Eyer.  This is a continuation of a dialogue that had began earlier this year.  18 screenings were already held in major Adventist communities.

What do we do with the faith on the margins?  With people who are different and yet do not want to give up their religious heritage?  In plain, how do we treat people of LGBT community?  Are we ready to put a spotlight of grace to people who have been excluded from fellowship because of their choices? Are we ready as a church community in London to address this?

Pray for our leaders navigating in a fast changing world to stay faithful to the teachings of Christ, and the truth once delivered to all saints of God.  Pray that we would see the Kingdom of God growing beyond the walls of our church.  Pray for you to be a spotlight of grace shining in the darkness of the world around you.