Southwestern Union Record

The logo for the Texico Conference has the following words inscribed on it: "Unity in Diversity—Partnership in Mission." We are a diverse conference in geography and people. We have the majestic peaks of northern New Mexico, the flat farm and ranch lands of west Texas, as well as the desert sands of our southwest, and the oil wells of the plains.

We are a diverse people. We have businessmen, oilmen, cattlemen, farmers, nuclear scientists, and construction workers. We have nurses who teach and teachers who nurse. We have Mexicans, New Mexicans, Indians, West Indians, East Indians, African-Americans, Africans, and the list goes on. Our members range from no high school to PhDs plus. And yet we all belong to the same conference with the commission to reach our territory for Jesus.

Our diversity at times makes it difficult to have unity and partnership in mission, but as we embrace our differences and put them to work to reach our world for Jesus, we will accomplish our mission. When my daughter-in-law, Sarah, visited with us, she liked the multicultural nature of our church and she liked the music. How do we as a people of such diversity get along? We must rise to God’s standard of love. “We love because He first loved us. If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God who he has not seen. And He has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother” (1 John 4:19-21, NIV). That, my friends, is the living fact of the gospel. Rhetoric means nothing without action.

This month as our nation celebrates its diversity, we should do the same by putting love into action. Our territory is filled with people who are different (diverse) from us. They are not Seventh-day Adventists; but they need to be! We must first love their diversity, then we must open the Bible for them in public evangelism and personal Bible studies. If we do not, their diversity may cause them to go to Christ-less graves.

My challenge to you who believe in diversity is to reach out to those who are different than you. Put your belief into action. Love them and make them your brothers and sisters who make up the diverse family of Christ known as the Texico Conference. Let’s be partners in this mission.