Our Mission Statement reads "Discipling with the Unity of our Diversity!" and as self explanatory as that is it is more powerfully exposed in the presence of our multicultural Congregation.
We could easily tell you that we believe the Great Commission given by Christ to His disciples (Matt 28:16-20). We might also be inclined to tell you that we believe in the unique message of the ministry of Christ in the Heavenly Sanctuary as is revealed in the book of Daniel, Hebrews and Revelation. In fact our faith in the simple message that Christ offered Himself as a sacrifice on our behalf is crucial. The issue is that God has given Okinawa International Seventh-day Adventist Church (OIC) a much more specific mission than your typical run of the mill promise to follow the command to make "disciples of all nations." Thats because we are all nations. OIC is building bridges across cultural divides; we are breaking down bearers separating culture. We are not ecumenist, syncretist, communist, fascist, and above all we are not prejudice or racist, but we are diversified Seventh-day Adventist and focused.
Our Focus is in the Statement
We're Focused on Discipleship as it relates to in-reach and outreach.
- Our Congregation has a responsibility to disciple itself and to build each other up in keeping with the community model of Acts 2.
- Our Congregation has a responsibility to disciple the diverse military and non military community who is already part of our extended congregation even if they do not know it yet. We will help them to know it.
We're Focused on Unity despite our multicultural differences.
- Each nationality, culture and race has a responsibility to submit to the culture of heaven above that of their own earthly heritage.
- Each nationality, culture and race has a responsibility to submit to each other in Christian love, fellowship, and koinonia (intimate family relationships), above that of being ethno-centric
We're Focused on our Diversity as it relates to the command to make disciples of all nations.
- Our Congregation has a responsibility to use Diversity as a strength in doing evangelism.
- Our Congregation has a responsibility to embrace Diversity in our church ministries and various programs to include Sabbath Worship Service. It is important that we allow each culture to remain unique.
