Michiana Adventist Forum

"There Goes the Neighborhood: Embracing Diversity in a Multicultural World" with Carmelo Mercado

Michiana Adventist Forum will present "There Goes the Neighborhood: Embracing Diversity in a Multicultural World" with Carmelo Mercado, General Vice President and Multicultural Ministries Coordinator, Lake Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, on Saturday afternoon at 3:30 pm, December 9, 2017. The program will be in Chan Shun Hall on the campus of Andrews University in Berrien Springs, MI.

About the Speaker
Carmelo Mercado was born and raised in the Catholic faith in New York City to parents who originally were from Puerto Rico. In 1965, his mother discovered and was baptized into the Adventist faith. Three years later, Carmelo made his decision to be baptized into the Adventist faith.

In 1971, he came to Andrews University to begin his pre-med studies. After a year as a student missionary in Bolivia, he decided to become a minister instead of a physician. He graduated from Andrews in 1976 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and again in 1979 with a Masters of Divinity.

He served in multiple pastoral and administrative roles in Indiana before becoming general vice president of the Lake Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists 11 years ago. He also serves the Lake Union as Coordinator of Multicultural Ministries and as secretary for the Adventist-laymen's Services & Industries (ASI) Lake Union chapter.

His wife, Rosanne, is an occupational therapist at St. Joseph hospital in South Bend, Indiana.

About the Topic
The United States reached an important milestone in 2011 when for the first time in the nation’s history more minority babies than white babies were born in a year. This milestone signaled the beginning of a transformation of this country from a mostly white baby boom culture to a more globalized multiracial country. Pew research released a report in 2014 which demonstrated how this reality has impacted the Seventh-day Adventist church by revealing that it is far and away the most racially diverse group in the country. This has presented the church unprecedented opportunities and challenges, especially in the areas of education and church growth. In light of this demographic reality, cross cultural competence is now seen as a must-have skill needed to fulfill the Great Commission in this nation. By improving our cultural intelligence, we can cross the myriad of cultural differences and fulfill the longing of Jesus that His church “may be one”.

Adventist Forum is open to the public.  All are welcome.  For
information, contact Art Robertson at robertsa2@earthlink.net or call
471-7150.