ASI-UK is rapidly gathering momentum by announcing its first General Assembly after its relaunch earlier this year. The meeting will elect new ASI-UK leadership and will recommend plans for strategic development of the organisation. It will be held on 23 June 2024 at Camp Hill SDA Church in Birmingham. All ASI-UK members and prospective members are invited to attend. The General Assembly will be preceded by networking meetings and worship on 21-22 June at the King Soloman International Business School in Birmingham. For more information and registration visit www.asiuk.org.
Adventist Laymen's Services & Industries (ASI) is a powerful worldwide network of Adventist laypeople who actively support the mission of the Church. Among its members and supporters are 3ABN, It is Witten, Amazing Facts, church leaders such as elder Ted Wilson and many more. The organization is lay-led and is composed of Adventists from all walks of life, falling into one of three categories: professionals, business owners, and supporting ministries. The life mission of ASI members is embodied in the organisation’s motto – 'Sharing Christ in the marketplace'.
ASI has its roots in Madison College, a self-supporting institution established in 1904 near Nashville, strongly supported by Ellen White. The organization expanded over time and was officially formed in 1947. During this inaugural meeting, frequent reference was made to Ellen White's statement that "the work of God in this earth can never be finished until the men and women comprising our church membership rally to work and unite their efforts with those of ministers and church officers" (Gospel Workers, p. 352). This statement encapsulates ASI's mission to inspire laypeople to engage in mission and to work in collaboration with the church ministers and officers. ASI promotes two core values: togetherness and inspiration.
The ASI chapter in the UK was restarted on 2 March 2024 at Newbold College. This historic landmark was attended by Dr Daniel Duda - TED president, pastor Egaln Brooks - BUC president, pastor Nathan Strickland - SEC Executive Secretary, and Dr Christiane Theiss - ASI Europe president. The program included powerful testimonies from ASI members throughout Europe showing that God is at work even today, including a massive international outreach event during the Olympic games in Paris with hundreds of ASI volunteers, a new oncological Adventist hospital run by ASI in Romania, young people ignited for mission by ASI Scandinavia and many more. Pastor Brooks highlighted the harmony between the BUC’s strategic priorities and ASI’s vision and emphasised that “there is work in this country that only laymen and women can do”. The culmination of the meeting was the formal inauguration of the new ASI-UK chapter, which began with ten founding members. The inauguration meeting was concluded by Elder Michael Garkov – Treasurer of ASI Europe and initiator of the ASI-UK restart, who acknowledged the prior work of ASI-UK and shared his vision to propel ASI-UK into a powerful movement led by the Holy spirt inspiring laypeople who ignite other laypeople to actively engage in sharing Christ in the marketplace and thus in reaching the UK population for Christ. The networking meetings and General Assembly on 21-23 June are fundamental milestones in that process. ASI-UK is open for new members. For more information visit https://www.asiuk.org.
On our own we achieve little. But working together, inspired by the Spirit, we can reach the UK. Like logs in the fire, when we are together, we ignite each other and thus increase the power of our mission fire. ASI stands for togetherness and inspiration. Join the fire! Be the fire!
