This year marks the 120th anniversary of establishing both the Central and Northern unions of Seventh-day Adventists. In1932 these two unions joined together for five years, then separated again until 1980 when the Mid-America Union Conference was formed.
I am sure if you asked those who voted our union into existence if they thought we would be here 120 years later, they would have never dreamed the Lord would not have come by now. While no one can know when Jesus is coming, I do believe that God’s Word gives us waymarks to know the times we are living in, and it can only be the last days of earth’s history.
So, what has happened in Mid-America territory during the past 120 years? How have they been profitable years for our mission?
There are many “It’s not about the destination but rather the journey” quotes out there, but my favorite comes from Tony Dungy, retired Super Bowl winning Christian coach from the NFL, who put it this way: “It’s about the journey–mine and yours–the lives we can touch, and the legacy we can leave, and the world we can change for the better.”
Tony Dungy is right. As we look for our Savior’s return, how can we touch people’s lives to bless them? Have we in Mid-America been faithful, helpful, generous and visionary? Have we loved one another as we spread the Three Angels’ Messages?
I can honestly say that the 13-plus years my wife Diane and I have been in Mid-America serving in various places have been some of our happiest because of the people with whom we have worked and shared the church’s mission. Mid-America has some of the most creative, hard working people I’ve ever met.
Mid-America’s legacy
I recently learned that the Adventist work in South America was started by a missionary named Jorge Riffel who moved his family from Tampa, Kansas, to Argentina in 1890. The church they planted is about 20 miles away from the large Adventist university there. Today there are over 2.6 million Adventists in South America.
Additionally, did you know that a number of great Adventist leaders and preachers have come from Mid-America territory? H.M.S. Richards Sr., who pioneered radio ministry, came from the Eastern Plains of Colorado. Grace Lake, the Junior Guide editor for many years, also came from Colorado, as did her brother Willis Hackett, who went on to serve as a vice-president for the General Conference and one of our greatest preachers.
Established in 1891, Union College was the first accredited Adventist post-secondary institution in North America. To date, Union College has sent out nearly 2,000 student and career missionaries. Dr. Everett Dick, Union College educator and historian, launched the Medical Cadet Corps for Adventists in the armed services, while Union College alum and renowned sculptor Victor Issa has created a host of compelling sculptures for Adventist institutions around the country.
More recently, people like Tom Werner, Rich Reiner and Ken Bacon—to name a few from our territory—have spearheaded our medical ministry for the Adventist Church here in Mid-America and other locations. G. Alexander Bryant, our current North American Division president, also hails from Mid-America.
Today church membership in the Mid-America Union stands at more than 65,000. And the mission of the union continues to be to strengthen the local conferences and institutions by offering a steady flow of leadership, communication, mentoring and training as we all work together in sharing the message of hope and healing that helps people be ready to meet Jesus.
Despite the challenges, the past 120 years have been a beautiful journey. Let’s keep our arms around each other and those the Lord puts in our path so that the journey to our final destination will continue to be filled with joy, friendships and exciting miracles as we serve our Savior.
