Tragically, millions of children all over the globe have become orphaned for many reasons: war, famine, displacement, disease, or poverty. Of the more than 155 million children classified as orphans, 15.1 million have lost both parents.
Throughout Scripture, God has expressed His concern by asking that His people show interest in and care for orphans. He pictures Himself as “a father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in His holy habitation” (Psalms 68:5). Adoption is one of the metaphors used in the Bible to explain how Christians are brought into the family of God. Jesus came “that we might receive adoption to sonship” (Galatians 4:5), and He was successful: “You received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children” (Romans 8:15, NLT).
Orphans and the Seventh-Day Adventist Church
Seventh-day Adventists are reminded of their responsibility to care for orphaned children. The way they care for these children along with others who have “special needs” was presented as a test of their character. Note what Ellen G. White – American writer and co-founder of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church - said: “I saw that it is in the providence of God that widows and orphans, the blind, the deaf, the lame, and persons afflicted in a variety of ways, have been placed in close Christian relationship to His church; it is to prove His people and develop their true character. Angels of God are watching to see how we treat these persons who need our sympathy, love, and disinterested benevolence. This is God’s test of our character. It is strange that professed Christian men should disregard the plain, positive teachings of the word of God and feel no compunctions of conscience. God places upon them the responsibility of caring for the unfortunate, the blind, the lame, the widow, and the fatherless; but many make no effort to regard it.” —Ellen White in Testimonies for the Church 3:511,517
Adventist Possibility Ministries
Adventist Possibility Ministries supports the many approaches of care provided for orphans, but all need to show concern and care. The ultimate goal is to provide a loving, caring home in which these children will grow up to love and serve Christ as their Friend. The following counsel given by Ellen White is indeed noteworthy: “Let those who have the love of God open their hearts and homes to take in these children. It is not the best plan to care for the orphans in large institutions. If they have no relatives able to provide for them, the members of our churches should either adopt these little ones into their families or find suitable homes for them in other households”. – Ellen White in Counsels for the Church, p. 286.
Rainer Wanitschek, Inter-European Region (EUD) Family, Children’s Ministries & Adventist Possibility director, said: “As the oldest of 4 young siblings, I never had the thought of being without a parent myself one day. But suddenly and unexpectedly my mother passed away and left my dad with 4 small children. I was 10 years old, my sister [was] 8 years old, one younger brother, 7 years old, and the other [was] 6 months old. It was so unreal. We always hoped mom would come back somehow. Many tears flowed. It took me many years to come to terms with that as a child - and I actually didn't come to terms with it until many years later as an adult,” confessed Wanitschek.
“I have experienced firsthand what it means to lose a mother through death. It is even worse for children when they lose both parents. It is not primarily a matter of someone giving the orphans something to eat - of course, food is important. But the spiritual and emotional needs are much more important - to be able to be at home because there are those who love me as I am. How good it is that there is God's family on earth [that] has a great responsibility here, [which] is to care for widows and orphans because our good God wants us to let them know, and then they [will] also experience [it]: they are not alone. Orphaned or not, children become vulnerable when there are decreased economic resources, psychological or social instability, increased risk of abuse, and limited access to healthcare. There are multiple ways of providing the much-needed support for these children. So let this special Sabbath be a reminder, a support, or a start to care more for orphans and vulnerable children,” concluded Wanitschek.
Adventist Possibility Ministries is appreciative of the several Adventist organizations working for orphans and vulnerable children. This Sabbath has been set aside to especially remind us of orphans who live in the shadows, and to remind us that we have the possibility to alleviate the suffering. Will you heed the call?
To visit the Adventist Possibilities Orphans’ section, please go here.
For more information and material, please go here.
