Q: How can you respond to a person who has never heard about God without using Adventist doctrine? How can we help them to understand? — Ney Khut, from Cambodia
A: Ney Khut, Thank you for your interest in sharing God’s love with those who have never heard of Him!
Of course, while you may not want to begin by showing them a list of the 28 Fundamental Beliefs, please recognize that “doctrine” is another word for “teaching” and that all of our Adventist teachings are centered in Christ and come straight from God’s Word — the Bible.
I believe one of the best ways to introduce people to God is by pointing them to Jesus — His sacrificial life and mission. Share His love, His teachings, and His Word with them. Tell how He healed people and forgave their sins. Tell about His death on the cross and how He rose again and is now interceding for us in heaven. And share your joy about His soon return to take us to live with Him forever! Introduce them to Jesus as your Best Friend and how He wants to be their Friend, too.
If possible, spend time with the person with whom you are sharing. Develop your friendship and be open to any question they may ask. Show them that you are genuinely interested in them as a person and care about them. Pray for (and with) them, and I am certain that God will lead.
The Church’s Office of Adventist Mission operates a number of Global Mission Centers around the world, offering some great resources for reaching people of various backgrounds and faiths. For more information, visit the Global Mission Centers website, which has a section dedicated to the religions of East Asia.