Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they opened the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the man’s mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” (Mark 2:3-5, NIV)
After COVID-19 devastated the economy and job market, many businesses collapsed, schools depleted their savings, parents lost jobs, and children were withdrawn from Adventist schools. It’s been a challenging time for Adventist families and education.
“I Will Go” is the strategic focus of the Seventh-day Adventist Church this quinquennium (2020-2025). The East Central Africa Division (ECD) is dedicated to making disciples of Jesus Christ throughout the region and beyond. The ECD encourages every church member to get involved, reach out, and bring new members into the fold. I believe it is possible to increase and double the current membership by 2025 and march forward to finish God’s work in this generation.
The theme for the ECD Education Department this quinquennium is “Every Adventist teacher is an evangelist. And every Adventist school is a house of God and a gate of heaven” (Genesis 28:16-17 NIV). The 3,500 Adventist schools in the ECD can become their communities’ lighthouses and centers of evangelism. What if the 27,000 Adventist teachers were filled with the Holy Spirit and inspired the 728,000 students to become a mighty army for God? It is about time we finished the work God entrusted to the Remnant Church.
Why Adventist Education?
Let us reflect on the reasons why we still need Adventist education. In February 1894, Ellen G. White received a vision in which God showed her clear education principles. The vision highlighted the fact that the essence of true education should be “the harmonious development of physical, mental, and spiritual powers” of our young people. God further revealed to her that “in the highest sense the work of education and the work of redemption are one.” We each need to support this vision and carry out this mission like never before. Below are seven reasons why we still need Adventist education:
- Ellen White’s vision calls for Adventists to offer a holistic education.
- 70% of about 400 million people in ECD territory are young, school-going people below the age of 25. This is an opportunity for evangelism and a great harvest.
- About 40% of young people who attend Adventist schools remain in the church and are more likely to become active lay leaders or work full-time for the denomination.
- A typical Adventist Church is only open about five hours a week, while an Adventist day school is open 40 hours and a boarding school is open 24/7.
- The places where our young people go to school determine their careers, life partners, faith, and eternal destiny.
- Adventist schools are the “cities of refuge” for many of our young people living in a broken world full of moral decay.
- Adventist education prepares our young people for this life and for life to come. Our young people can be “taught” into the kingdom of God. Indeed, the best time to teach and preach to the young is between the ages of 7 and 17.
In Part 2 of this four part series, I will show how the biblical story of the paralyzed man and his friends, as told in the Gospel of Mark, is an example of how God is calling us to assist and repair Adventist education.
Author
Andrew Mutero
Mutero currently serves as the Education Director for the East-Central Africa Division, which includes the countries of Burundi, D.R. Congo, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Uganda, and Tanzania.