Welcome to this mission page: taking Jesus to the world! Learn about challenges we face in several parts of the world and fully grasp that nothing is impossible with God.
Remaining Challenges
Rick Kajiura, communication director for the Office of Adventist Mission at the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
Urban Centers of Influence
Click on the image to the left to learn more about how to start an urban center of influence, presented by Global Mission of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.
“Everywhere there is a tendency to substitute the work of organizations for individual effort. Human wisdom tends to consolidation, to centralization, to the building up of great churches and institutions. Multitudes leave to institutions and organizations the work of benevolence: they excuse themselves from contact with the world, and their hearts grow cold. They become self-absorbed and unimpressible. Love for God and man dies out of the soul. Christ commits to His followers an individual work – a work that cannot be done by proxy. Ministry to the sick and the poor, the giving of the gospel to the lost, is not to be left to committees or organized charities. Individual responsibility, individual effort, personal sacrifice, is the requirement of the gospel”
White, The Ministry of Healing, p. 147
Mission Challenges
Bio & Publications
Bio: Cristian Dumitrescu was born in communist Romania where he experienced what it means to be an Adventist Christian under a dictatorial regime. Following his theological and pastoral training, he began his ministerial activity working with disadvantaged groups and with gypsies, as well as with ethnic minorities. His experience in cross-cultural mission expanded during his MA studies in the UK where he started working with Muslims and became part of a missionary training team. After his return to Romania, he taught at the Romanian Adventist Theological Institute (currently Adventus University). Dr. Dumitrescu’s experience and interest in cross-cultural mission led to his acceptance into the PhD program at Andrews University where he both studied and taught as an adjunct professor in the Religion and Mission departments. In 2012, he was invited to join the faculty of the Applied Theology Department at AIIAS, where he taught and successively led the PhD and the DMiss/DIS programs. Besides teaching, he is currently the editor of the Journal of Asian Adventist Seminary (JAAS) and the pastor of Tagaytay Central Church. He is married to Alina, a professor in the Graduate School and the director of the English Center both at AIIAS. They have two daughters who enjoy living in the Philippines.
Dr. Dumitrescu’s interest in intercultural studies and missiology is reflected in his constant conference presentations and publications on topics related to the contextualization of Scripture to Buddhist, Muslim, animistic, or secular and postmodern cultures. He is regularly presenting at SEANET, the American Society of Missiology (ASM), the Association of Professors of Mission (APM), and various conferences and congresses. His most recent/upcoming publications include a chapter in the compendium on shame and honor (Honor, Shame, & the Gospel: Reframing Our Message for 21st-Century Ministry [2020]) and another chapter in Mission (Im)Possible: The Uniqueness of Christ, the Salvation of All, and Need of Adventist Mission.
Understanding the South Asian World Religions
Umesh Nag, MA, associate director of the GLobal Mission Center for South Asian Religions and Global Mission director of the Southern Asia Division
“He who descended is the very One who ascended above all the heavens, in order to fill all things. And it was He who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for works of ministry and to build up the body of Christ.” Ephesians 4:10-12
Global Chinese Missions: Mission Among Chinese Immigrants
Gustavo Portes, MA, coordinator of Global Chinese Missions at the Chinese Union Mission
“And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come” Matthew 24:14
Are Buddhists Really Hard to Reach?
Gregory Whitsett, director of the Global Mission Center for East Asian Religions
Amy Whitsett, associate director of the Global Mission Center for East Asian Religions
“Were every one of you a living mission, the message for this time would speedily be proclaimed in all countries, to every people and nation and tongue” -Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church 6:438
Step into the Impossible: God Still Moves in the Middle East & North Africa!
Bio: Dr. McEdwards has held his current position since 2016. Prior to that, he was the Global Mission Centers Director for the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventist. He has also held leadership roles as Associate director, Institute of World Mission, and Adventist Mission Director. He holds a doctorate in Intercultural Studies from Fuller University, and a Masters in Divinity from Andrews University. He find joy in the mission field.
“There is something for everyone to do. Every soul that believes the truth is to stand in his lot and place, saying, ‘Here am I: send me’.” Isaiah 6:8 & Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church 6:49
Presenters include: Rick Kajiura – General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists; Dr. Cristian Dumitrescu – Adventist International Institute of Advanced Studies; Pastor Umesh Nag – Southern Asian Division; Pastor Gustavo Portes – Chinese Union Mission, Gregory and Amy Whitsett – Global Mission Center for East Asian Religions, and Dr. Rick McEdward – president of the Middle East and North Africa Union of Seventh-day Adventists.
Mission Resources:
Office of Adventist Mission, General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
Global Mission Center for South Asian Religions
Global Mission Center for East Asian Religions
Middle East and North Africa Union