STEPHEN CHAVEZ

A postage stamp commemorating the Seventh-day Adventist Church was issued yesterday by Canada Post, and was unveiled at last evening's opening session. The stamp marks the first time in the church's 137-year history that a General Conference session is being held in Canada.

The central visual element of the stamp is the sun breaking through the clouds on a Rocky Mountain setting, with the church's official symbol--an open Bible, cross, and flames--superimposed over the picture. The stamp was designed by Waddell Associates in Toronto to honor both the church and the session's host country. Three million stamps have been printed, and they will be on sale through the end of June 2001.

The stamp is the brainchild of Barry Bussey, director of Public Affairs and Religious Liberty (PARL) for the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Canada. About two years ago Bussey contacted Robert Roach, an Adventist philatelist in Loma Linda, California, for advice on how to get Canada Post to respond to his request for a commemorative stamp. Roach's advice was twofold: contact someone on the Canadian Stamp Advisory Committee who is sympathetic to the request, and begin a letter-writing campaign to support the request.

In addition to church members throughout the area, Bussey solicited the aid of Ivan Grose, a member of Parliament for Oshawa, who wrote a letter of support to Canada Post. Citing two Adventist institutions in his district, Mr. Grose wrote: "I am very familiar with [the church's] good works, not only locally, but nationally and internationally as well. I can think of no more worthwhile subject for a special commemorative stamp."

In January of this year Bussey received the word that Canada Post had granted his request, and had agreed to coordinate the issuing of the stamp with the first day of the General Conference session.

This latest stamp brings the number of stamps that highlight the Seventh-day Adventist Church to 17, from 11 different countries. Madagascar was the first country to feature the church on a stamp back in 1967.

Bussey, himself a philatelist, believes that the stamp issue is an exciting way to highlight the Adventist Church in Canada. "This is an opportunity to get more involved in the community and let Canadian society know we're here," he said. "I'm so pleased that I could have a small part in helping Canada to know more about the Adventist Church."