Mission convention at Sedaven filled with spiritual growth

The weekend of March 21 marked a significant event at Sedaven Camp Grounds in Heidelberg.

The annual Mission Convention held by the Seventh-day Adventist Church welcomed international speakers and religious leaders for a weekend filled with inspirational messages, sermons, networking opportunities and workshops.

The convention also included exhibition stands where various ministries could sell items relating to the goal of evangelism and raising funds.

Heino Torlago from Dundee was the event organiser. He said the convention brought missionaries from all over the world together.

“The aim was for people to network and learn from each other. To see people from various ministries sharing knowledge during workshops was amazing,” he said.

He added the Adventist Church wanted to involve the youth, and the convention included entrepreneur workshops for youngsters.

Hennes Steyn (19) from Vredenburg said the convention was interesting. Although he was busy with logistics and behind-the-scenes work, he could engage with great religious leaders and learn from them.

Hennes, with a passion for motor vehicles, wants to become a qualified mechanic.

“My goal firstly, is to do missionary work and secondly to open a motor vehicle workshop. With all I have learnt this weekend, I cannot wait to start my journey and not only fixing motor vehicles but through missionary work, influencing broken souls,” Hennes said.

Dr Conrad Vine, from the USA, is a prominent figure in the Seventh-day Adventist Church and served as president of Adventist Frontier Missions (AFM), an organisation dedicated to spreading the gospel to unreached people groups around the world.

Vine shared his involvement in recruiting missionaries from Africa, the Czech Republic, and South East Asia.

“There was a positive vibe at the convention and people with vision. It was a blessing and a humbling experience to share my knowledge and collaborate with missionary groups in South Africa,” he said.

Another seminar presenter, also from the USA, was Brooks Payne, a retired missionary associated with the General Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. He has been involved in mission work and recognised for his contributions to the church’s outreach efforts. His presentation touched on sensitive topics like pornography that is destroying families.

“There are many tools available that can help and acknowledging a secret sin is the first step towards overcoming it,” Payne said.

Dr Jony Hajaj, originally from Jordan but living in the USA, presented a lecture on intercultural studies and talked about how people can interact within different cultures.

“The openness and willingness to learn and grow spiritually stood out for me during the convention,” Hajaj said.

Johan Olckers (17) from George in Western Cape said what stood out for him over the weekend’s convention was how the keynote speakers spoke to the youth on their level.

Olckers studies theology and has a heart for children and people living in poor conditions. He said besides the weekend’s dedication to spiritual renewal through prayer, worship, and Bible study, they also did an outreach to the young and old at an informal settlement and the Advent Haven Retirement Village in Heidelberg.

One attendee at the convention shared his experience: “This was our first mission convention and we travelled from Vredenburg on the West Coast to attend. It was without a doubt worth every kilometre.

“Miracles are still happening and we were so blessed to experience how God provides for those who serve and honour Him.

“We are going home inspired and strengthened by the Holy Spirit through the speakers to continue the great mission of being a witness for Jesus at our tutoring centre,“ said Henk Steyn.

“The weekend was a testimony to the mission work, evangelism, community service, and effective communication of the church’s teachings. We are looking forward to another amazing convention next year,” Torlago concluded.