Ghana
Adventist University President Receives National Honor
Seth Abang Laryea, president of Ghana’s Valley View University, recently received the Order of Volta, one of the nation’s highest civilian honors. Ghana’s president, John Agyekum Kuffor, presented Laryea with the award in recognition of his contributions to college-level education. In 2006 VVU became the first chartered private university in Ghana.
SOURCE: Adventist News Netwrok
Guatemala
100 Years of Adventism
Thousands of Seventh-day Adventists in Guatemala marked the 100th anniversary of the church’s presence in their country with a celebration in Guatemala City. Jan Paulsen, world church president, joined nearly 9,000 participants during the July 12 celebration in the city’s Polideportivo Dome. Throughout the month more than 60,000 Guatemalan Adventists participated in various celebrations.
SOURCE: Adventist News Network
Mexico
Youth Trained for Web Media
Through a series of one-day workshops, church leaders in Mexico have trained nearly 130 young people to produce news articles and videos for church Web sites. The training program is designed to empower young people to maintain their congregation’s Web site and develop skills in Web design, news writing, podcasting, video and photography. The workshops have been hosted in five cities with additional training programs planned for next year.
SOURCE: Adventist News Network
China
Religious Leader Forced to Live on Streets
The Federation House Church chairman and his wife have been forced to lived on the streets after being repeatedly expelled from homes and hotels by the Chinese government. According to the Christian Aid Association, a group that monitors persecution in China, Bike Zhang, pastor, and his wife were forced out of their home, a friend’s home and a hotel by the government. Chinese officials say the couple are being expelled because they met with a U.S. Congressional delegation, an act seen to destroy “the harmony of the Beijing Olympic Games.”
SOURCE: christianpost.com
Saudi Arabia
King Calls for Religious Healing
Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah is making efforts to mend the strained relations between religious groups in his country. Saudi Arabia, which is home to one of the most conservative strains of Sunni Islam, recently hosted an inter-faith conference in Madrid, Spain. At that event King Abdullah told Christian, Jewish, Buddhist and Hindu participants that religion is not to blame for history’s conflicts, but rather extremism. The conference was part of Abdullah’s ongoing efforts to encourage religious freedom in Saudi Arabia.
SOURCE: christianpost.com
Norway
Student Workers Boost Book Sales
Sales at the Seventh-day Adventist publishing house in Norway jumped 20 percent in just five weeks thanks to the hard work of 55 student booksellers. The students are from developing countries such as Kenya, Tanzania, India and Haiti, and are participating in the program to help finance their university tuition. Norway is one of the few European countries that allow denominations to hire students from outside the country to participate in literature evangelism.
SOURCE: Adventist News Network
Lithuania
Government Recognizes Adventist Church
The Lithuanian government has granted the Seventh-day Adventist Church's request for state recognized status. This allows the church to qualify for state subsidies and certain tax exemptions. In addition, theology students and clergy are excused from military service. The Adventist Church in Lithuania was established in 1919 and currently has more than 900 members.
SOURCE: Adventist News Network
