Our Challenge and Our Commitment

“Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6).

In many areas of the world, a large percentage of the population is young. In East-Central Africa Division territory, for example, 70% of the total population is made up of young people 25 years of age and younger. Much of this large segment of our population is found in schools, so it would make good sense in our evangelistic strategy to target this population segment that we sometimes ignore.

The evil one, in order to destroy our children and the young, has targeted our homes and schools. The million-dollar question is, who is really raising our children? Do you really know the school or the teacher of your child? Is your child safe? Studies have shown that a child spends about 40 hours a week at school, and maybe 2 hours of quality time with biological parents. The same child could be spending only 3 hours in church.

It is now time to go back to a system of schooling like the schooling God gave to Adam and Eve in Eden. Ellen White reminds us that “the system of Education instituted at the beginning of the world was to be a model for human beings all the time. As an illustration of its principles a model school was established in Eden. The Garden was the school-room, nature was the lesson book, the Creator Himself was the instructor, and the parents of the human family were the students” (True Education, 14).

Later, during the time of Samuel, God instituted the schools of the Prophets. According to Ellen White, “These schools were intended to serve as a barrier against the spreading corruption, to provide for the mental and spiritual welfare of the youth, and to promote the prosperity of the nation by furnishing it with men qualified to act in the fear of God as leaders and counselors” (True Education, 32).

We have an opportunity to build Adventist Schools as the modern schools of Eden and schools of the Prophets, to protect our children in this age of moral decay. We need an environment that will enable us to develop Adventist spiritual and moral values in our children and youth. We have a divine call to train up our children and youth.

As Ellen White says: “in the highest sense the work of education and the work of redemption are one, for in education, as in redemption, ‘other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ’” (True Education, 21).

Note: Article written and posted in English

Author

Andrew Mutero

Mutero currently serves as the Education Director for the East-Central Africa Division, which includes the countries of Burundi, D.R. Congo, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Uganda, and Tanzania.