SR October 2015
19
The year was 1965. It was the year that Sir Winston
Churchill died. It was also the year that Ferdinand Marcos
was elected President of the Philippines. And the year that
Singapore was admitted as a part of the United Nations.
1965 was also the year that Rhodesia proclaimed independ-
ence from Britain. And the year Malcolm X was assassinated.
That same year Israel and West Germany began diplomatic
relations. And India and Pakistan began engaging in their
border fight. And Tibet became an autonomous region of
China.
But for Seventh Day Baptists globally, 1965 was the year the
World Federation came into being with a composition of
four (4) conferences, although there are ten (10) charter
members, since that distinction was given to any conference
becoming a member up to one year after August 1965. A
world consultation of delegates had taken place in Clarksburg,
West Virginia, USA in 1964, which furnished the embryo for
the birth of the international organization. The primary
purpose of the establishment of the Federation was to
provide increased communication among Seventh Day
Baptist groups throughout the world. Other purposes were
added in subsequent years.
Since 1965, the Federation has met seven (7) times — 1971,
1978, 1986, 1992, 1997, 2003, 2008 — in four (4) countries:
USA, New Zealand, Jamaica, and Brazil. It has been ably
served by six (6) Executive or General Secretaries, namely
Alton Wheeler, K. Duane Hurley, Dale Thorngate, Frits
Nieuwstraten, Jan Lek, and Andrew Samuels. Presidents of
the organization have also numbered six (6) in the persons
of Loren Osborn, David Pearson, James Skaggs, Gabriel Bejjani,
Joe Samuels, and Dale Thorngate. So, to date, Rev. Dr. Dale
Thorngate has the distinction of being the only individual to
serve the SDB World Federation as both Executive Secretary
and President.
2015 then is the fiftieth (50th) anniversary of the Federation.
That is a milestone worth recognizing and celebrating. We
are very grateful to the Lord, without whose enabling power
none of the above would be possible. We are also appreciative
of the current 18 member conferences of the Federation,
as well as those who have been members in the past, for
their support of the organization’s work over the years. The
current officers who make up the Executive Committee, plus
those previous officers, also deserve special mention and
commendation.
The purposes of the Federation have been broadened in 50
years, and the facilities for international communication
have greatly improved with the development of technology.
The Federation’s leadership remains committed to positioning
us to be world class Seventh Day Baptists, where we change
our thinking from local to global, and our perspective is
adjusted from self-centered to other-centered.
As we continue to plan for the next Session of the World
Federation in Brazil, January 22-28, 2017, we want to use
this semi-centennial (50th) year to give Seventh Day Baptists
all over the world, an opportunity to join us in raising funds
to ensure that at least one delegate from each of the member
conferences will be able to attend the upcoming Session in
Brazil in 2017. The Session is not just a meeting. It is more
than simply an event. It is an integral component in the all-
important and continuing process of uniting Seventh Day
Baptists globally.
As we celebrate 50 years of existence, we are hereby launching
a campaign to raise US$50,000 by asking 1,000 Seventh Day
Baptists to invest the equivalent of US$50 each. This drive
will continue until June 30, 2016, and for your donation you
will become a GLOBAL SEMI-CENTENNIAL PARTNER WITH
THE SDB WORLD FEDERATION. As a further incentive, the
first 500 donors will receive an inflatable globe which can
be helpful in locating each of the member conferences in the
world, and motivate you to pray for them even more. 1,000
is only 3.3% of the estimated 30,000 SDB’s worldwide in our
member conferences, so this should not be a difficult goal to
reach, even with great disparity in the availability of dispos-
able income among our people. We urge you to view this as
an investment, not as an expense.
Of course, this specific fundraising drive does not mean
that larger or smaller donations will not be accepted. Nor
does it mean that churches and/or other entities may not
contribute. We continue to encourage you to be responsive
to the leading of the Lord in your stewardship to the Seventh
Day Baptist World Federation.
Donations
he Federation Treasurer,
Gavin Fox, a
pring, MD 20907, USA or
by paypal at
.
Celebrate 5
inistry with us. To God be
the glory!
SR
Become A Semi-Centennial
Global Partner With
The SDB World Federation
