Church President Shares Message of Sympathy and Condolence

By: Ted N. C. Wilson, Adventist News Network

This week we have been tragically reminded we live in a world filled with suffering and sorrow, and I invite you, the world church family of Seventh-day Adventists to join me in praying for the victims and families who are suffering from these recent events.

Last Sunday a bus carrying 46 Seventh-day Adventists (many of them young people) from Chiapas, Mexico, plunged down a 90-meter (295 feet) ravine, killing 18. Another 26 were taken to a nearby hospital where a 17-year-old girl died from her injuries. The group was returning from a regional youth congress when the accident occurred.

I have asked Pastor Israel Leito, president of the Inter-American Division, to please extend my personal sympathy and the condolences of the world church family for this very sad accident. I have prayed for our dear people of Chiapas, for the families who lost loved ones, and for those who are hospitalized.

Chiapas has been a heaven-blessed model of evangelistic outreach. By God’s grace, this will continue even amidst this terrible tragedy as our members point to the great hope we have in Christ’s soon return when God will restore life to those who have died in Him.

On Monday night, we were saddened to learn of the senseless loss of life in Manchester, England, where a bomb exploded, killing 22 and wounding 120, many of whom were young people. I have been in touch with Pastor Raafat Kamal, president of the Trans-European Division, letting him know of our sorrow and prayer support.

I invite you to join me in praying for the people of Manchester, for the families who lost loved ones, for the wounded, and for our church members who can be instruments of encouragement and hope to the people of that grieving city through Total Member Involvement. The hope of Christ’s soon coming can bring great hope for the future.

In addition to praying for those affected by these recent horrific events of which we are keenly aware, let’s also remember to pray for the many victims whose tragedies may not be reported in the news, but who are experiencing terrible suffering in silence.

Let us each one determine by God’s grace to let our lights shine wherever we are so that we can bring God’s hope and comfort into this increasingly dark world.

Pastor Ted N.C. Wilson, President
Seventh-day Adventist World Church