Boston’s installation is on July 16, and he says he’s looking forward to pastoring the Chicago southside church because it represents one of the greatest urban mission fields in America where “millions of stories of grace” are waiting to be told.
Debbie Michel
July 14, 2022In an effort to reach urban centers more effectively in the Lake Union and across North America, the North American Division Evangelism Institute (NADEI) and Lake Region Conference have formed an innovative partnership.
Shiloh Seventh-day Adventist Church and its adjoining Chicago Adventist Christian Academy are to be established as a laboratory for seminarians to receive enhanced, hands-on training in an urban ministry context. Overseeing the initiative is NADEI’s associate director, John T. Boston, II who will fill the role of senior pastor role at Shiloh Church.
Boston’s installation is on July 16, and he says he’s looking forward to pastoring the Chicago southside church because it represents one of the greatest urban mission fields in America where “millions of stories of grace” are waiting to be told.
“I am absolutely excited that Lake Region and NADEI are partnering together to discover fresh ways that the Holy Spirit will resolve the growth challenges facing our Adventist churches and schools,” says Boston. “We are in pursuit of a church and school environment that is multiplying in an urban context. I believe God will answer this prayer.”
Lake Region President Garth Gabriel says this joint venture was brought about by Divine providence and he is anticipating inventive, bold plans for the conference’s flagship church and school located in the heart of the city.
“Evangelism is an important aspect of ministry,” he says. “If we’re not going out into the highways and byways, we’re wasting our time. John is known as an evangelist, and we believe he will be a difference-maker, leading Shiloh to be the beacon on the hill that it has always been.”
Driving this initiative are population trends and opportunities for mission to the cities. The UN projects that 68% of the world’s population will live in urban centers by 2050. A challenge the church faces is that many Adventist faith communities are not thriving in these places.
The Lake Union is home to the North American Division Evangelism Institute based at the Adventist Theological Seminary on the campus of Andrews University. Lake Union is also the home of three of the top 30 most populated cities in America: Chicago - #3, Indianapolis - #14, and Detroit – #27.
Chicago, a city of almost three million, has historic significance for both NADEI and the Lake Region Conference. NADEI was founded in 1979 in Chicago with the goal of providing training to seminarians in practical, pastoral and evangelistic ministry. Meanwhile, Shiloh Church has a rich legacy dating back to 1944, when a group gathered there and voted into existence the first regional conference, Lake Region.
Please pray for this partnership and the pathways that will be discovered through the Holy Spirit’s work in the Lake Union.
Debbie Michel serves as the Lake Union Communication director and Lake Union Herald editor.
