1971 – 1975

Three new Fields were opened during the period 1971–1975–Zaire (1972), Indonesia (1973), and South Korea (1975–1978).

In 1972, A. Balbach and family were transferred from Sao Paulo, Brazil, to Sacramento, California, USA, where he was given ministerial and editorial responsibilities. J. Devai and his family were transferred from Portugal back to South America. F. Devai Papp and family were sent from Uruguay to Portugal to take the place of J. Devai. In 1974, Noboru Sato was sent from Brazil to Japan to start the work in his native country.

By a decision of the General Conference Executive Committee (1972), the editorial work in connection with the Standard Bearer, a magazine of general interest, was given to Brother Balbach. He was also requested to prepare a series of studies for SDAs. After all the improvements recommended by the Literature Review Committee had been made, the Good Way Series, comprising 13 studies, were finally given to the Publishing Department at the end of 1988.

Brethren A. C. Sas and C. T. Stewart were given the responsibility of preparing a draft for two publications (1974)–The Ministerial Guide, setting forth the duties of ministers, and The Church Officers’ Guide, dealing with the duties of church officers. The manuscripts were submitted to the General Conference session in 1975. The delegation placed them into the hands of a special committee for improvement. These two materials were printed and sent to the Unions and Fields in 1982.

1975 – 1979

From 1975 through 1979 the Lord helped us organize the work in three new fields–Dominican Republic (1976), South India (1976), and South Korea (1978).

The need for a book dealing with the history of the Reform Movement had often been mentioned. For the first time (November 1975), the General Conference Executive Committee took a positive step in this direction and resolved that the General Conference secretary be authorized to collect from the Unions and Fields as much data as possible concerning the history of the Reform Movement. Unions, Fields and individual persons were approached for this purpose. Information and pictures were collected little by little, and the brother in charge started writing the book (this present book) in 1986.

The General Conference Executive Committee discussed (March 17, 1976) the possibility of establishing a missionary training center in Europe. In this connection, the German Union submitted a plan which was to answer the needs of the European countries as follows: A nine-month training program to be divided into three parts–three months of theoretical instructions, three months of practical work, and again three months of theory. This work began in Hofheim, near Frankfurt, on May 16, 1976. A minister (Gabrijel Popek) from Yugoslavia was invited to attend so that he could later organize and conduct a similar training program in his country. The plan was carried into effect with success. There was an attendance of about 15 students. It is to be regretted that this plan was not continued.

In harmony with a decision of the General Conference Executive Committee (March 1976), Daniel Dumitru spent about two months in Southern Africa (end of July through end of September 1976) training colporteurs and testing the market for our books. That was to be a preparatory step for the sending of colporteurs from Brazil to South Africa at that time. For several reasons, however, the carrying out of the plan was delayed until 1986, when the first Brazilian canvassers arrived in South Africa and began to work with much success.

In view of the reasons for our existence as the prophesied Reform Movement, the General Conference Executive Committee decided (September 20, 1977) to instruct our editors and preachers to put more emphasis on the message of Christ’s Righteousness and to show more clearly the relationship between faith and obedience.

In 1979, immediately before the General Conference session, an international youth congress took place at Bushkill, Pennsylvania, USA, August 31 through September 2, 1979.

The following workers were transferred during the administrative period 1975–1979: Pablo Briones, from Peru to Mexico (1978); Milivoj Dimitrijevic, from the Philippines to Australia (1979); Francisco Devai Papp, from Portugal to Argentina (1979).

1979 – 1983

In 1975 our Publishing Department (Reformation Herald Publishing Association) printed large quantities of the following paperbacks for distribution:

Calls from Sri Lanka were answered, and a little group of Reform believers was established in 1980–1981.

In 1982 the Central American Field was reorganized as follows: Guatemala and El Salvador became one Mission (the Guatemalan Mission), and Honduras became a Field by itself (the Missionary Field of Honduras).

In 1982–1983 the work of Reform was established in French Polynesia.

Until 1983 we had only one missionary school in South America–the one in Brazil–where also some students from other countries received a training. The need for a missionary training center in a Spanish-speaking area, for young men and women from all Hispanic countries, was often considered. Such a school was established, with the help of God and the assistance of the General Conference, at Puente Piedra, near Lima, Peru, in 1983.

In 1979, N. S. Brittain, with his family, was transferred from Australia to South Africa, and I. W. Smith from South Africa to USA. Moises Quiroga, from Brazil, worked in Iberia (Portugal and Spain) for one year (1980–1981). Pablo Briones could not get a resident visa in Mexico; so he moved to Honduras (1981). Esmeraldo Heredia was transferred from Chile to Portugal (1982), and Jung Kum Bai from Korea to the United States (1982).

1983 – 1987

Temporarily (1984–1995), the General Conference used several small buildings on a 10-acre lot that was secured for the building of the GC headquarters (Roanoke, Virgina, USA). In front of one of these buildings are the members of the GC Council elected in 1983.

Until 1983 we did not have any members in Northeast India. But, toward the end of 1983, the Lord opened the way and the message found access to that area.

Early in 1983, one more country was reached by the message of reformation. W. Volpp, and later N. S. Brittain, visited Kenya, East Africa, and confirmed the souls that were waiting for our representatives. A. C. Sas was there in 1985, when a substantial number of souls were added to the church. In 1995, we had over ten workers spreading the message in Kenya.

For many years we had interested people in Burma, but were not able to get a visa to visit them. A door was opened for the first time in 1985, when a minister from North India Mission, who has no problem getting across the border, spent over two months with them, baptized those that were ready, and organized a group.

Also, in 1984, the General Conference headquarters were transferred from Blackwood, New Jersey, to Roanoke, Virginia.

The following workers were transferred during the quadrennium 1983–1987: Brethren Chang Chong Kyu, from the Philippines to the USA (1985); Kim Jung Shin, from Korea to Japan (1984); Herinaldo Gomes, from Brazil to Venezuela (1985) and later to Ecuador; Dorival Dumitru from Brazil to Puerto Rico (1985).