Ministerial

The story continues from the October 26 Northern Lights Article Baptisms and Mysterious Guests.

This story continues in the words of Sasa Andelkovic. district pastor of the West Sacramento and Sacramento Yugoslavian churches:

Recently, after a sermon, I made a call to baptism. Seven guests in the back row all stood and emphatically raised their hands. I didn’t even recognize them!

Observing the seven new faces in the back row, all eagerly raising their hands for baptism, stirred a multitude of questions in my mind: Did God guide them to us? Is this genuinely happening?

Post-service, I approached them, discovering they had recently relocated from Nepal and were raised in Hinduism. Their journey to Christianity began in 2010 when the compassionate acts of local Christians moved them. Engaging in community service and medical missionary projects, they gradually embraced the message of salvation in Jesus.

Despite their limited understanding of Biblical theology, they remained faithful, praying daily for guidance. Baptized in Nepal under the belief of purification, they continued reading the Bible, seeking the truth. As they studied and prayed, they felt God warned them that “the end is near and that they must be ready for it.” Not fully grasping the Biblical meaning of “the end,” it indeed became a real threat in their lives. At the same time, they started experiencing much persecution from gangs in their local community.

They were bullied constantly and even beaten with sticks. One of them was stabbed. Another was pushed to the ground and run over by a motorcycle. Astonishingly, the faithful band was still willing to risk their lives for Christ, somebody they admittedly did not wholly comprehend yet. What they did come to understand was that God is real, loving, and was collecting them to Himself.

As time passed, they were able to flee to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, where a hired “travel consultant” took their passports and consigned them to a debtor sweatshop. They had to work for a year, “earning” their

documents back. But their faith didn’t waver. Eventually, with the help of some missionaries, they traveled to Guatemala and then to Mexico. From there, they could enter the United States with refugee status, later settling in Sacramento.

So how did they end up standing in my church, all at once, in joyful hand-waving after my baptism call? They met Linda Quillen, a Granite Bay Hilltop Church member. She encouraged them to attend one of our churches, and through that introduction, they eventually stumbled upon one of my sermons online.

Reflecting on this experience, they lived their lives with the same unknown we do, not knowing much, but they followed God the best they knew, and God brought them to the destination. What is also astounding to me is that we prayed that God would send us people hungry for the truth. Little did we know that God would bring this wonderful Nepalese group to our humble West Sacramento church. It was like God looked at the globe and said, “Let me see what church would be right for them; here it is West Sacramento.”

Featured in Northern Lights, November 30, 2023
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November 4-The Napa Community Church celebrated its 150th anniversary.

Members and guests of the church crowded in for a celebration marked with jubilant singing and speakers. Diane Bennett, church secretary, exclaimed, “It was a great sabbath! We had over 230 congregation members, and 180 watched online. We have a great heritage here.”

Marc Woodson, President, stated, “I want to congratulate the Napa Community Church for its ministry to the greater Napa community for an amazing 150 years! It was a blessing to participate in the worship service and bring greetings on behalf of the Northern California Conference. I enjoyed the slide presentation from Ted Calkins that showed the church’s history in pictures.”

At the celebration, Mayor Scott Sedgley of Napa expressed his appreciation towards the church, praising the age diversity of the congregation. He acknowledged the importance of having more kids in the community and commended the church for providing a nurturing environment for children. Sedgley thanked the church members for their positive impact on the community.

Jose Marin, Executive Secretary, remarked, “What a blessing it was to be a part of the 150th Napa Community Church celebration, where the church commemorated its origins and its profound impact through pastoral ministry and Adventist education. This impact continues to shape past and future generations, preparing them for a life of service here on earth and for the eternal ages to come.”

Featured in Northern Lights, November 16, 2023
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God is doing some fantastic things in the West Sacramento SDA Church.

Sasa Andelkovic, district pastor, explains, “During the pandemic, our church attendance significantly dropped. Around the same time, many of our youth graduated from high school and went to college. Our church looked desolate. Only about twenty-five people were attending on Sabbath, one-third of normal.”

The congregation began earnestly praying that God would fill their church, especially with young people. Andelkovic continues, “From our prayers, strange things started to happen! We had a student from UC Davis join us with her boyfriend. She had learned about the Sabbath over the internet, and two more young adults arrived at our church having seen our web page.”

The new guests attended Bible studies, eager to know more about Jesus. Church members worked diligently to include their new friends in activities, drawing them into the church. Andelkovic states, “We were happy to see things happening and the spirit moving, but that was just the beginning!”

In time, the church had its first baptism, a rebaptism. This decision by a gentleman seemed to encourage others. Andelkovic exclaimed, “As a district pastor, I am there every two weeks, and when I baptize, I always appeal to the congregation, asking if others wish to make that commitment. After this baptism, every time I was there, a new hand would go up in the church!”

“After the third Sabbath with a baptism,” Andelkovic continues, “I jokingly told the congregation that we needed to continue the tradition asking, ‘Who will be baptized next?’ I couldn’t dream up what happened next! The whole back row of the church stood up joyfully, waving their hands. I was stunned! It was a group of people I hadn’t even met yet! Needless to say, I couldn’t wait to meet them and hear their stories.”

Andelkovic states, “The original couple from UC Davis just made a commitment too, requesting baptism as well, our cup runneth over.”

Andelkovic reflects, “You just never know how God will answer your prayers! We often ask for blessings and then try to predict how He will work. But I must tell you, this experience left me in awe of how His way is not our way, but the experience is always wonderful!”

[Stay tuned for a story of the mysterious back row!]

Featured in Northern Lights, October 26, 2023
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