Eight lessons from SDA leader Pr Ted Wilson sermon

MAIDEN. In a recent visit to Uganda, Pastor Ted Wilson, the SDA church world leader, preached about love for God and the need to embrace development. explores key points from the sermon.

The world leader of Seventh-day Adventist Church, Pr Ted Wilson with his wife Nancy were on a pastoral visit in Uganda on Wednesday February 14. The couple visited Kasese, Lira, Jinja, Bugema University and the Central Uganda Conference office in Kireka. Pr Wilson crowned the visit with a grand worship at Kololo ceremonial grounds during which he preached a captivating sermon with outstanding lessons. We highlight his message.

1. There is no higher responsibility in the world than that of child guidance. It is a sacred duty God gives to every parent. We may be educated and want to have good jobs but having children and taming them in the Christian character is the first job and calling.
2. Before they go to school, the parents, especially a mother should be their first teacher who must teach them in the fellowship of Jesus. Teach them the power of prayer and this is where your involvement in church activities starts.
3. Teach your children to care for the sick or needy people by even just offering a prayer for them and they will grow with the mind of telling other people about Jesus. Teaching your children is the best calling you have, not your education. Through them, you have the power to influence the world through the morals you have instilled in the child.
4. To understand the real objective of Christ is not to point people to ourselves. God asks us to be humble because he who wants to be the greatest among men should be a servant and when we humble ourselves before God and men, God will exalt us. We should remember that this is not our final home.
5. We should be the best representatives, examples and disciples of Jesus Christ by being his humble warrior. It is time we work for God while it is still day for the night will come when our work will be no more. Until the men and women in the church of God get united with church officers to spread the gospel then the end will come.
6. Take time in the morning to read the Bible and pray directly to God. Consecrate yourself for God each day because there is no limit to his love and promises. He will be able to finish the good work he started in you.
7. Africa is one of the few continents that do not believe in same sex marriages. Do not let the influence of foreign cultures affect this. It is therefore very important for husbands to marvel, cherish and love their wives as in Ephesians 5:25. Treat them with the greatest respect and wives should be submissive and respectful too.
8. Let the Bible alone be the judge for all the teachings in church. Do not be forced to believe any teachings that are outside the Bible. You do not for example, have to pay for prayer or a miracle in your life. Let every church teaching be backed by proof from the Bible.

Who is Pastor Ted?
Ted N.C. Wilson was elected as president of the SDA world church in July 2010 during the General Conference Session in Atlanta. Born in Takoma Park, Maryland on May 10, 1950, son of former Adventist world church president Neal C. and Elinor E. Wilson, Ted spent part of his childhood in Egypt.
He began his church career as a pastor in 1974 in the Greater New York Conference.
Wilson served as an assistant director and then director of Metropolitan Ministries in New York from 1976 to 1981. He served in the then Africa-Indian Ocean Division, based in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, until 1990 as a departmental director and later executive secretary.
Following his post in West Africa, he served for two years at the Adventist world church’s world headquarters in Silver Spring - Maryland, US, as an associate secretary. He served as president of the church’s Euro Asia-Division in Moscow, Russia from 1992 to 1996.
Pastor Wilson returned to the United States serve as president of the Review and Herald Publishing Association in Hagerstown, Maryland, until his election as an Adventist world church vice president in 2000.

Others say…
“Pr Ted Wilson’s trip to northern Uganda is significant for people who suffered the brunt military conflicts for many years and continue to hurt even when the guns went silent. The devastating effects of the war continue to be felt. He will encourage and pray with them,”
Uganda Union director of communication, Immanuel Ogwal

“When leaders of this calibre visit, they give boost to our visibility as a church at national level. His visit is majorly pastoral in nature. The church is equally involved in education, social transformation of Ugandans and health work. We run Bugema University which attracts students across Africa. We operate an NGO called ADRA which is involved in relief work and social development,” Daniel Matte, Archbishop SDA-Uganda.

“His visit was of great impact to many believers in Uganda, especially the students who were compelled to write their exams on the Sabbath. President Museveni, after having a talk with Dr Wilson advised that the students can choose to write the exams some other day which is not the Sabbath.” Rogers Kaggwa, education, communications director - Central Uganda Conference SDA