Pastor Roger Caderma, the president of the Adventist Church in the Southern Asia-Pacific region (SSD), delivered the keynote address during the opening ceremony of the Division-Wide Congress of the Sabbath School/Personal Ministries (SS/PM), Integrated Evangelism Lifestyle/Nurturing Discipleship Retention (IEL/NDR), and Children's Ministries (CM) today.
Held at Mountain View College, Valencia City, Bukidnon, this Division-Wide Congress of the SS/PM, IEl/NDR, and CM is a six-day event that starts June 10 and culminates on June 15.
In his address, Pastor Caderma emphasized this congress's theme, "Jesus Is Coming: Get Involved." He gave awakening insights that elaborated the deeper meaning of the theme by breaking it down into only three critical points: urgency, power, and courage.
Bringing the delegates back to the three angels' message in Revelation 14:6–12, Caderma cited the focal points of carrying out the call that boil down to three important points.
Urgency, he emphasized, is exemplified in Luke 10:2-4, where Christ dispatches His disciples with urgency, urging them to focus solely on their mission. While mingling with others is integral to their task, the paramount need for urgency cannot be overstated in preparing communities for Christ's imminent return.
However, urgency alone is insufficient; it must be complemented by power, as illustrated by the narrative of Gehazi in 2 Kings 4:29–37. Pastor Caderma underscored the indispensable role of the Holy Spirit in empowering believers to fulfill their divine mandate effectively.
Furthermore, courage is indispensable alongside urgency and power, as elucidated through the account of Ahimaaz in 2 Samuel 18:22–23. Despite reaching King David first, Ahimaaz faltered in conveying the news of Absalom's demise due to a lack of courage. Pastor Caderma urged attendees to embrace courage as they engage in the Lord's work.
In concluding his poignant address, Pastor Caderma issued a stirring challenge for all present to actively participate in the Lord's mission, equipped with urgency, power, and courage. With the impending return of Jesus Christ, the imperative for involvement resonates deeply within each member of the Adventist Church.
As the Adventist community continues to burgeon globally, with SSD boasting 1.9 million members, the imperative for widespread engagement remains pertinent. The challenge laid before every member is clear: to actively contribute to the collective mission of heralding the imminent return of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
Lyn Lucero, Central Philippine Union Conference