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Adventist youth reach out to poor in South Africa

Adventist youth reach out to poor in South Africa

July 1-5, 2013 – Adventist youth reached out to the poor in South Africa, providing meals and food parcels to those in desperate need.  Working in collaboration with Meals on Wheels, thousands received nutritious meals every day, as part of the community Service projects embraced by hundreds of young people of the Seventh-day Adventist from more…

Adventist youth reach out to HIV AIDS orphans in South Africa

Adventist youth reach out to HIV AIDS orphans in South Africa

July 1 – 5, 2013 – Adventist youth from all over the world participated in COMMUNITY SERVICE PROJECTS in the cities of Cape Town, Pretoria and Johannesburg in South Africa.  With a planned roll-out of more than seventy projects, many groups united their efforts demonstrating the Power of One and made a lasting difference, rekindling hope for those living…

United States Embassy honors Adventist Physician in Madagascar

United States Embassy honors Adventist Physician in Madagascar

This is the first time that an Adventist Physician has ever  received such a recognition from the US Embassy in Madagascar. Madagascar is part of the territory of the Indian Ocean Union mission which has more than 811 churches and a total of 134 436 members of the Seventh-day Adventist church.  There are more than…

Adventist Church At The Forefront Of Disaster Relief In Mauritius

Adventist Church At The Forefront Of Disaster Relief In Mauritius

March 30, 2013.  In Port Louis, the capital city of Mauritius, many people were caught in the just one hour of torrential waters. Many cars were dragged off their tracks with passengers inside. Stationary cars were pushed one upon the other and pedestrians were baffled.   It was general panic.  In one hour of downpour,…

Last One-day church in Malawi completed

Last One-day church in Malawi completed

Maranatha has been constructing churches and schools in Malawi, where a rapidly growing Church has created a need for new church structures. Many congregations are finishing their One-Day Church with fired brick walls. Maranatha Volunteers International, founded in 1969, is a non-profit Christian organization, which organizes and implements the construction of urgently needed buildings all over…

Urban Evangelism is Ratsara’s Call to Adventist Church in SID

Urban Evangelism is Ratsara’s Call to Adventist Church in SID

More than 20 000 Seventh-day Adventists gathered in Cento Despotiva Da Cidadela Stadium, in Luanda, Angola to launch: “Luanda forChrist,” part of the initiative of the Southern Africa Indian Ocean Division to reach every major city with the life-changing truth about God’s grace through Jesus Christ. Members, who were enthusiastic about their faith, personally sacrificed…

New Directors appointed at Extra-ordinary Executive Committee – SID

New Directors appointed at Extra-ordinary Executive Committee – SID

February 7, 2013 – During an Extraordinary Executive Committee held at St George, Pretoria, it was voted to elect Pastor Aniel Barbe to serve as Stewardship and Trust services Director for the Southern Africa Indian Ocean Division.    Pastor Aniel Barbe (former President of Indian Ocean Union Mission – IOUM) replaces Pastor Micah Choga, who served…

Successful women stand beside their Husbands

Successful women stand beside their Husbands

A unique feature of the SID Leadership summit (February 2013) was the intentional inclusion of the spouses of Leaders and designing a special program for them.  More than 70 women gathered to focus on issues relevant and unique to their special calling.  The seriousness and privilege of being a leader’s spouse was clearly spelled out…

SID Serious about the Call to the Gospel Ministry

SID Serious about the Call to the Gospel Ministry

The need for a period of time to prove one’s calling may be even greater today when so many new Christians are training for the ministry.  This makes the need for supervised internship critical to maintain the integrity of the gospel ministry. The SID Leadership Summit highlighted the critical need for consistent evaluation of ministerial interns….

Unity is not optional

Unity is not optional

Unity has become a buzzword in organizational circles recently, and indeed it should, when we understand the mission of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.  Dr Paul Ratsara, SID President, summed it up well, in his presentation on “Teamwork,” when he said that unity is not optional for church leadership. The SID Leadership Summit – 2013 was…

Called to be Agents of Reconciliation

Called to be Agents of Reconciliation

Two things characterized the 2013 SID Leadership Summit – February 5, 2013: A Commitment to the reading of God’s Word, the Holy Bible.  This is a regular practice throughout the entire SID Territory.  Seventh-day Adventists, together with others are enriched and blessed with the systematic reading of God’s Word following the Revived by His Word initiative of…

Theology of Ordination Committee ends first session

Theology of Ordination Committee ends first session

Members of the Theology of Ordination Study Committee (TOSC) ended their first session – held January 15-17 at a meeting site near the church’s world headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland, United States – on an optimistic note. “We have real hope that the church will be able to find a way to resolve the differences…

ADVENTISTS ‘POSITIVE’ about HIV AIDS

ADVENTISTS ‘POSITIVE’ about HIV AIDS

December 1, 2012. The Seventh-day Adventist church in the Southern Africa Indian Ocean region commemorates another World AIDS Day. Mrs Rhoda Nthani, highlighted that we are not willing to let this day pass without a historic declaration of the intention of the Seventh-day Adventist church to de-stigmatize those living with HIV AIDS. She said: “We…

New President for South-Western Angola Union Mission

New President for South-Western Angola Union Mission

Pastor Manuel Filipe Pacheco was elected and introduced to the Executive Committee of the Southern Africa-Indian Ocean Division (SID) as the new President of South-Western Angola Union.  In his remarks to the committee, Pastor Pacheco said: “If I had a choice, I know that there are others who are more experienced than myself.  I plead…

Seventh-day Adventists stand against child abuse

Seventh-day Adventists stand against child abuse

Leaders of the Southern Africa-Indian Ocean Division have reaffirmed their position against child abuse.   We need to be constantly sensitized to the plight of children who are victims and potential victims.  Pastor Busi Khumalo, SID Youth Ministries Director added to the discussion.  He said: “we need to implement stringent screening processes before appointing employees or…

Southern Africa Indian Ocean Division Affirms Biblical Understanding of Marriage

Southern Africa Indian Ocean Division Affirms Biblical Understanding of Marriage

As the SID Executive Committee resumed their year-end meetings, one of the first items discussed was the response of the SDA church to same-sex unions and the reaffirmation of Christian marriage.   Dr Pardon Mwansa, General Vice President of the General Conference presented the recently voted statements on the Seventh-day Adventist Response to same-sex unions/marriages –…

SID EXCOM Adopts Statement on Church Polity

SID EXCOM Adopts Statement on Church Polity

In a recent action of the SID Executive committee, members of the SID EXCOM adopted and affirmed one important document as adopted by the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. The document was the Statement on church polity, procedures, and the resolution of disagreements in the light of recent Union actions on Ministerial Ordination. After careful reading of…

Hope For Luanda

Hope For Luanda

The Southern Africa-Indian Ocean Division has chosen the city of Luanda in Angola to be the focus of an integrated evangelism initiative in 2013.   While members of the SID EXCOM watched a DVD Presentation of motivation for the initiative, excitement filled the auditorium as support, for the initiative was unanimous. Dr Pardon Mwansa speaking…

2012 year-end Meetings focus on Mission of the Church

2012 year-end Meetings focus on Mission of the Church

Leaders of the Seventh-day Adventist church in the Southern Africa Indian Ocean Division (SID) of the General Conference met in Pretoria for their 2012 year-end Executive Committee meetings.  In his opening message Dr Paul Ratsara, (SID President) said:  “… it is a blessing and privilege to serve the Lord as members of the Southern Africa…

Revived By His Word

Revived By His Word

Seventh-day Adventists have been taking the lead in a daily Bible reading plan (Revived by His Word) under the initiative Revival and Reformation since April 17, 2012.  By reading one chapter each day, and two chapters during the General Conference Session in San Antonio Texas, the Bible Study Plan will conclude by the end of the session…

Mission To Matandani

Mission To Matandani

Matandani Mission is a Seventh Day Adventist School and Clinic situated in the beautiful Kirk Mountain range approximately 100 kilometres northwest of Blantyre in Malawi. The early Missionaries there were certainly following in the footsteps of Dr David Livingstone, the first Medical Missionary to Malawi. You may recall the famous words of Dr David Livingstone…

Affirmation of the uniqueness of the Bible At Biblical Foundations Conference – South Africa

Affirmation of the uniqueness of the Bible At Biblical Foundations Conference – South Africa

Jo Ann Davidson, at the Biblical Foundations Conference held in South Africa, addressed Non-biblical concepts of Scripture.  “The Bible is unique because of its unique origin – so different from other contemporary literature,” she said. The Bible contains consistent history, biography, ethics, etc.  Because God is the author, the Bible is consistent throughout endearing it…

SID Biblical Foundations Conference celebrates Diversity

SID Biblical Foundations Conference celebrates Diversity

We can learn from one another, but first, we must have a level of understanding about one another in order to work together effectively. Effort Bhebhe, Financial Director of ADRA SA co-ordinated the program which brought laughter and joy underlining a deep appreciation for the different cultures in the Southern Africa Indian Ocean Division territory. …