In 2004, Pastor Eglan Brooks was impressed with a vision. It was to keep "the significant teachings of the Seventh-day Adventist Church at the forefront of our ministers', elders' and lay members' minds." This is how the annual British Union Conference (BUC) programme Core of Adventism came into being. Dr Kirk Thomas, BUC Evangelism Director, explained that in previous years, the rich collection of themes has included Creation & Evolution, Daniel Two, Family, The Sabbath, The Sanctuary, The Second Coming, The State of the Dead and The Spirit of Prophecy. In moments of crisis, it is vital to remember our core values. No one could have envisaged that the programme would one day coincide with a moment when this need has rarely been greater for us as a Church. For these reasons, the Inaugural Virtual Members' Core of Adventism 2021 that took place from 1-8 May with the theme Christian Living: Covid-19 and Beyond, was just what was needed in our time.
Attendees gathered on Zoom and YouTube for an 8-day period of dazzling presentations, intercessory prayer, music, stories, personal testimonies and sermons broadcasted from Holloway church.
There were so many special elements, including a treasury of daily messages. In a challenging sermon on Sabbath morning entitled 'Why Do Trumpets Blow?', Dr Jeffrey Brown, Associate Secretary of the General Conference Ministerial Association, said:
"The last days are like having a baby: the closer we get to the delivery, the greater the pain." Comparing the pandemic, mass shootings, various injustices and natural disasters to increasing birth pains, he reminded us that challenging times prepare us to get ready for the Second Coming when God will "take people who look like His Son to live with Him forever."
In his practical message entitled 'Not Me, but We', on Sunday, Pastor Jefferson Melki of Drumcondra church, the Irish Mission Youth Sponsor, encouraged thoughtful consideration for others as the Church emerges from lockdown. "Selfishness ruins everything" he said, revealing how it fuels conflict the enemy often uses to distract us from our mission. Pastor Melki reminded everyone that some have been broken, lost their purpose, lost their way, felt isolation or desperation during the pandemic period. Drawing from the story of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32) he encouraged a mindset of being prepared to reach out to them, love, support and meet them where they are. 
On Monday, Pastor Ivana Mendez of the Glasgow district of churches highlighted various catchphrases we have heard during the pandemic period like 'Stay home; save lives' and 'hands-face-space'. She proposed a new 'exit slogan' captured in the title of her insightful sermon 'Measure for Measure' (based on Matthew 7:1) as we re-enter the world ready to 'make a difference'. This meant not condemning others for lockdown weight gain, struggles and decisions to have or not have vaccinations. Instead, we could reunite to scenes of rejoicing that God has brought us through and listening to what He has done in one other's lives.
In the sermon for Tuesday entitled 'The True Source of Strength', Pastor Jonathan Burnett of North Shore church USA, gave insight into strengths and challenges revealed by the pandemic. He observed that while it is apparent that we are blessed to have been given a health message at this time, it should not be approached as a source of disunity. Pastor Burnett explained that unlike Samson's community in Judges 13-16 who gave him a set of rules on what he should eat and drink, this should not be our focus.
Dr Daniel Duda, Education Director at the Trans-European Division, Field Secretary and Adventist Mission Director gave a message entitled 'To Whom Shall I Show Kindness?' on Wednesday evening. He looked at the story of Mephibosheth (2 Samuel 4:4), Jonathan's son who had become lame in a childhood accident and described himself negatively (chapter 9 verse 8), revealing brokenness inside. Dr Duda referred to us all as 'Mephibosheth people: poor, broken, in need of a Saviour'. 
Dr Gina Miller, graduate of the Theological Seminary of Andrews University USA, gave Thursday's sermon, remarking on storms of life like the pandemic, job losses, conflict, unwanted singleness, isolation and mental health challenges. Referring to the story of the disciples in the boat caught on choppy seas with Jesus (Mark 4:35-39) she encouraged everyone to 'RISE above the storm', using the word as an acronym. 'R' stood for 'recognise your situation', 'I' – 'intercept your fear with faith', 'S' – 'speak in faith to your situation' and 'E' – 'expect your deliverance'.
Friday's sermon entitled 'Passing on the Torch' was given by Dr Anthony Kent, Associate Ministerial Secretary to the General Conference and Director for Continuing Education. He encouraged the Church to know something of the life of every child in their midst so they can pray for them 'specifically' and 'intelligently'. He recounted a transformative childhood experience of a church member training him to preach, sharing the pulpit with him. Speaking of the bond he developed with his father during Sabbath hours, Dr Kent encouraged adults to establish special Sabbath memories for children.
On Sabbath morning, Dr Kent gave a message on 'A Tale of Two Towns', Nazareth and Capernaum. Jesus visited both, but only Capernaum welcomed Him (Luke 4:18-19), an openness Dr Kent urged us to have too. Reminding everyone that Jesus visited the synagogue on the Sabbath day, he urged people to return to local churches when the doors are open.
These messages harmonised with a chorus of candid testimonies given by various individuals who shared spiritual journeys with God including during a 'roller-coaster' 14-month pandemic period. Some told stories of receiving divine strength to navigate employment uncertainty, downheartedness, steep learning curves and psychological adjustment so as to uphold the responsibility to be a light to the world.
An emphasis on whole-person restoration was enhanced further by informative daily health and relationship presentations. Dion Henry, Pastor of Altamonte Springs Seventh-day Adventist church USA and his wife Dilyn, a Mental Health Counsellor, delivered a rewarding marriage workshop on 'Commitment Through Crisis'. They encouraged couples to set goals and adjust plans in realistic ways during a crisis and to remind themselves of why they got married in the first place.
Pastor Leslie Ackie, Director for Family and Children's Ministries at the BUC also took attendees through a series called 'Principles for Healthy Relationships', sharing a variety of concepts such as emotionally intelligent parenting, establishing family worship and the need to practice forgiveness as hurts arise over time. Pastor Ackie encouraged those who are grieving to give themselves space, self-care and seek support, sharing the promise: "Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted" (Matthew 5:4).
Sharon Platt-McDonald, BUC Director for Health, Women's Ministries and Community Services spoke on 'Resilience in Times of Crisis'. She shared results of her survey which found that over 80% of the members who took part reported feeling more anxious about the future than they ever have before. To combat this, she suggested spending specialtime with God, talking to someone about mental health challenges, looking after the body, thinking positively, being more social, maintaining a calm mind, journaling, using gratitude jars, taking time to reflect and strategic prayer based on Bible promises and spiritual armour.
This year, the family emphasis was amplified by the colorful addition of Children's Core of Adventism. Children and youth played prominent roles in creative segments using their talents to present songs, stories and even kick off the service, leading out in prayer. Supported by her husband Pastor Rory, 'Aunty' Ivana Mendez's stories had both children and adults riveted from start to finish.
A sense of community could also be seen in the way in which many attendees – sometimes hundreds at a time, tuned in online, sending greetings from as far afield as Holland, Trinidad, Guyana, Tobago, Belgium, Jamaica and the Turks and Caicos Islands. Due to the online availability of the Inaugural Virtual Members' Core of Adventism, Pastor Thomas called it "a blessing from God" that the "global family" could attend for the first time.
Each night, a Spirit-filled service was rounded off by attendees lingering online for heartfelt prayer. Pastor Thomas noted that over 100 individuals and whole churches with their pastors had been praying online, updating everyone that prayers had already been answered.
Pastor Kwesi Moore of host church Holloway and Chairman of the Minister's Council called the Inaugural Virtual Members' Core of Adventisma "local event that went global." He remarked on Pastor Thomas's dedication and vision for the programme, thanking God.
The climax of the week was the very special moment attendees witnessed individuals giving their hearts to Christ in baptism after being virtually transported live first to Glasgow then Reading Ghana church. Attendee Darell J Philip, Elder, PR and Communications Assistant of Hackney church described the baptisms as 'the icing on the cake', explaining:
"This was my first time at the Core of Adventism and what a blessing it was. Like Camp Meeting, I was sad when this came to an end. Every speaker brought an uplifting message which spoke to these present times of Covid-19 and the pandemic... God showed up this week and now we must share with others the messages of hope we received, bringing light to a world that is momentarily perplexed by darkness."
Dr Kirk Thomas remarked, "the hope is that the Core of Adventism will long continue and the newly digitised event will be a conduit of blessings, reaching people far and wide in the future."
