Romania Recognizes Religious Freedom Leader
Romania's national leaders recognized Dr. John Graz, director of Public Affairs and Religious Liberty for the Seventh-day Adventist Church, for his contribution to "the consolidation of peace and social harmony" in that country. Graz has also been recognized for contributing to "the promotion of human rights and the fundamental freedoms," said President Ion Iliescu of Romania.
Iliescu and Prime Minister Adrian Nastase signed the National Medal "For Merit" with the rank of Commander award. This award "represents the recognition of the International Religious Liberty Association (IRLA) and of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, for the contributions to the development of peace and social harmony, especially religious rights and freedoms," said Viorel Dima, general secretary of the Conscience and Liberty Association.
In 1893, the Adventist Church established the IRLA, a non-sectarian organization, to promote and defend religious freedom for all people.
Canada: Adventists Call for Prayer on Marriage Issue
Oshawa, Ontario, Canada...[Barry Bussey/ANN Staff]..."Our community needs to seek God's guidance on the issue of marriage," says Pastor Dan Jackson, president of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Canada. Jackson is calling on all Seventh-day Adventist churches across Canada to have a special day of prayer on Sabbath, Jan. 29. "Canada is about to make a monumental decision on our cultural framework by redefining marriage to include any two persons," he said. This is a social experiment with unforeseen consequences that will affect our children and our collective future."
Jackson noted that the church is sympathetic to the basic human rights of all. However he expressed concern about the recent court decisions to modify the designation of marriage to include same-sex relationships. The upcoming Parliamentary vote will legislate a new sexual ethic and alter the national moral code. "There is also concern over the recent decisions in British Columbia and Manitoba that has told its civil marriage commissioners that they must solemnize same-sex marriages or lose their licenses to marry even if it violates their consciences," said Jackson.
"I believe that with the redefinition of marriage, the church will come under increasing pressure to either cooperate with the law of the land or to maintain its belief in and loyalty to the directions of God as found in the Holy Scriptures. It is the role of the church to remind our country that our nation was built on the faith and discipline of our forefathers."
More than 52,000 church members worship in 329 Seventh-day Adventist congregations in Canada, which has a population of 31 million.
Philippines: Graduate School Gets High Marks
Cavite, Philippines [ANN Staff] ... The Adventist International Institute of Advanced Studies, AIIAS, has been given a "superior" ranking for its business education programs and a "very good" grade for teacher education by the Philippines Commission on Higher Education, according to Dr. Graeme H. Perry, dean of the AIIAS School of Graduate Studies. According to the commission's regional director, Dr. Isabel F. Inlayo, "very few institutions" in the area received the superior ranking.
AIIAS, which will celebrate its 48th anniversary this year, descends from several graduate programs, primarily in the area of religion, that were first offered on the campus of Philippine Union College, now the Adventist University of the Philippines. These programs were organized into a Theological Seminary and led to the expansion of graduate programs into other areas, such as public health. In 1987, the programs were combined under the AIIAS name, with the school becoming a unit of the Seventh-day Adventist Church's world headquarters.
Silver Spring, Maryland United States,
ANN Staff
Romania's national leaders recognized Dr. John Graz, director of Public Affairs and Religious Liberty for the Seventh-day Adventist Church, for his contribution to "the consolidation of peace and social harmony" in that country. Graz has also been recognized for contributing to "the promotion of human rights and the fundamental freedoms," said President Ion Iliescu of Romania.
Iliescu and Prime Minister Adrian Nastase signed the National Medal "For Merit" with the rank of Commander award. This award "represents the recognition of the International Religious Liberty Association (IRLA) and of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, for the contributions to the development of peace and social harmony, especially religious rights and freedoms," said Viorel Dima, general secretary of the Conscience and Liberty Association.
In 1893, the Adventist Church established the IRLA, a non-sectarian organization, to promote and defend religious freedom for all people.
Canada: Adventists Call for Prayer on Marriage Issue
Oshawa, Ontario, Canada...[Barry Bussey/ANN Staff]..."Our community needs to seek God's guidance on the issue of marriage," says Pastor Dan Jackson, president of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Canada. Jackson is calling on all Seventh-day Adventist churches across Canada to have a special day of prayer on Sabbath, Jan. 29. "Canada is about to make a monumental decision on our cultural framework by redefining marriage to include any two persons," he said. This is a social experiment with unforeseen consequences that will affect our children and our collective future."
Jackson noted that the church is sympathetic to the basic human rights of all. However he expressed concern about the recent court decisions to modify the designation of marriage to include same-sex relationships. The upcoming Parliamentary vote will legislate a new sexual ethic and alter the national moral code. "There is also concern over the recent decisions in British Columbia and Manitoba that has told its civil marriage commissioners that they must solemnize same-sex marriages or lose their licenses to marry even if it violates their consciences," said Jackson.
"I believe that with the redefinition of marriage, the church will come under increasing pressure to either cooperate with the law of the land or to maintain its belief in and loyalty to the directions of God as found in the Holy Scriptures. It is the role of the church to remind our country that our nation was built on the faith and discipline of our forefathers."
More than 52,000 church members worship in 329 Seventh-day Adventist congregations in Canada, which has a population of 31 million.
Philippines: Graduate School Gets High Marks
Cavite, Philippines [ANN Staff] ... The Adventist International Institute of Advanced Studies, AIIAS, has been given a "superior" ranking for its business education programs and a "very good" grade for teacher education by the Philippines Commission on Higher Education, according to Dr. Graeme H. Perry, dean of the AIIAS School of Graduate Studies. According to the commission's regional director, Dr. Isabel F. Inlayo, "very few institutions" in the area received the superior ranking.
AIIAS, which will celebrate its 48th anniversary this year, descends from several graduate programs, primarily in the area of religion, that were first offered on the campus of Philippine Union College, now the Adventist University of the Philippines. These programs were organized into a Theological Seminary and led to the expansion of graduate programs into other areas, such as public health. In 1987, the programs were combined under the AIIAS name, with the school becoming a unit of the Seventh-day Adventist Church's world headquarters.
Silver Spring, Maryland United States,
ANN Staff
