Outpost Centers International
Encyclopedia
Outpost Centers International (abbreviated OCI) is a non-profit umbrella organization
for lay ministries supporting the Seventh-day Adventist Church
. OCI's headquarters are located in Apison, Tennessee, USA, and it has member ministries on the six continents.
As a Christian
organization designed to spread the Gospel
, OCI's aim is to work in harmony with the Bible
, the writings of Ellen G. White
, and the teachings of the Seventh-day Adventist Church
. OCI members work with local church leadership, seeking areas to strengthen the church and complement its mission.
's influence and support, E.A. Sutherland and P.T. Magan established the Madison School. Then known as self-supporting work
, many new institutions sprang up around the world.
By 1982, Warren Wilson - then president of Wildwood Sanitarium and Hospital - realized these independent institutions would benefit by joining together. He envisioned an organization to facilitate the growth of self-supporting work, train and strengthen leaders, give encouragement, and form a network. Thus OCI was established.
OCI's name and calling are derived from a quote by Ellen G. White:
office or the 90 ministries that are members of the organization. The purpose of the office is to link the members together in such a way that each ministry can benefit from both the leaders of OCI and the other member ministries.
The headquarters office also promotes the ministries, organizes annual leadership seminars for its members, and channels funds to the ministries. In addition, the office organizes Mission Extreme and the Educational Assistance Program for young people, and the Missionary Assistance Program for missionaries who are serving outside their home country.
where they are.
The ministries are grouped into five categories: Education
, Evangelism
, Health Food
, Health Services
, and Media
. Most of the ministries fall into two or more of these categories, and many of them include an agricultural aspect, as well.
Umbrella organization
An umbrella organization is an association of institutions, who work together formally to coordinate activities or pool resources. In business, political, or other environments, one group, the umbrella organization, provides resources and often an identity to the smaller organizations...
for lay ministries supporting the Seventh-day Adventist Church
Seventh-day Adventist Church
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a Protestant Christian denomination distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the original seventh day of the Judeo-Christian week, as the Sabbath, and by its emphasis on the imminent second coming of Jesus Christ...
. OCI's headquarters are located in Apison, Tennessee, USA, and it has member ministries on the six continents.
As a Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
organization designed to spread the Gospel
Gospel
A gospel is an account, often written, that describes the life of Jesus of Nazareth. In a more general sense the term "gospel" may refer to the good news message of the New Testament. It is primarily used in reference to the four canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John...
, OCI's aim is to work in harmony with the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
, the writings of Ellen G. White
Ellen G. White
Ellen Gould White was a prolific author and an American Christian pioneer. She, along with other Sabbatarian Adventist leaders, such as Joseph Bates and her husband James White, would form what is now known as the Seventh-day Adventist Church.Ellen White reported to her fellow believers her...
, and the teachings of the Seventh-day Adventist Church
Seventh-day Adventist Church
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a Protestant Christian denomination distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the original seventh day of the Judeo-Christian week, as the Sabbath, and by its emphasis on the imminent second coming of Jesus Christ...
. OCI members work with local church leadership, seeking areas to strengthen the church and complement its mission.
History
The roots of OCI can be traced back to the early 1900s when, with Ellen G. WhiteEllen G. White
Ellen Gould White was a prolific author and an American Christian pioneer. She, along with other Sabbatarian Adventist leaders, such as Joseph Bates and her husband James White, would form what is now known as the Seventh-day Adventist Church.Ellen White reported to her fellow believers her...
's influence and support, E.A. Sutherland and P.T. Magan established the Madison School. Then known as self-supporting work
Independent ministries of the Seventh-day Adventist Church
The Seventh-day Adventist Church has a number of supporting, parachurch, independent, self-supporting and other such organisations that work adjunct to the official church....
, many new institutions sprang up around the world.
By 1982, Warren Wilson - then president of Wildwood Sanitarium and Hospital - realized these independent institutions would benefit by joining together. He envisioned an organization to facilitate the growth of self-supporting work, train and strengthen leaders, give encouragement, and form a network. Thus OCI was established.
OCI's name and calling are derived from a quote by Ellen G. White:
-
- Repeatedly the Lord has instructed us that we are to work the cities from outpost centers. In these cities we are to have houses of worship, as memorials for God, but institutions for the publication of our literature, for the healing of the sick, and for the training of workers [colleges], are to be established outside the cities. Especially is it important that our youth be shielded from the temptations of city life.
Headquarters
The name "OCI" can refer to the headquartersHeadquarters
Headquarters denotes the location where most, if not all, of the important functions of an organization are coordinated. In the United States, the corporate headquarters represents the entity at the center or the top of a corporation taking full responsibility managing all business activities...
office or the 90 ministries that are members of the organization. The purpose of the office is to link the members together in such a way that each ministry can benefit from both the leaders of OCI and the other member ministries.
The headquarters office also promotes the ministries, organizes annual leadership seminars for its members, and channels funds to the ministries. In addition, the office organizes Mission Extreme and the Educational Assistance Program for young people, and the Missionary Assistance Program for missionaries who are serving outside their home country.
Member Organizations
OCI's members are located in various countries around the world. Member ministries do not pay dues, but they are required to meet a set of criteria and comply with OCI's standards. The ministries are varied, but each one focuses on spreading the GospelGospel
A gospel is an account, often written, that describes the life of Jesus of Nazareth. In a more general sense the term "gospel" may refer to the good news message of the New Testament. It is primarily used in reference to the four canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John...
where they are.
The ministries are grouped into five categories: Education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
, Evangelism
Evangelism
Evangelism refers to the practice of relaying information about a particular set of beliefs to others who do not hold those beliefs. The term is often used in reference to Christianity....
, Health Food
Healthy diet
A healthy diet is one that helps maintain or improve general health. It is important for lowering many chronic health risks, such as obesity, heart disease, diabetes, hypertension and cancer. A healthy diet involves consuming appropriate amounts of all essential nutrients and an adequate amount of...
, Health Services
Health care
Health care is the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in humans. Health care is delivered by practitioners in medicine, chiropractic, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, allied health, and other care providers...
, and Media
Mass media
Mass media refers collectively to all media technologies which are intended to reach a large audience via mass communication. Broadcast media transmit their information electronically and comprise of television, film and radio, movies, CDs, DVDs and some other gadgets like cameras or video consoles...
. Most of the ministries fall into two or more of these categories, and many of them include an agricultural aspect, as well.
OCI Members
| Member Group Name | Country |
|---|---|
| A Chi Nae Farm | Korea Korea Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the... |
| A Door of Hope Ministries | USA |
| Advent Home Learning Center | USA |
| Adventist Medical Aviation | Venezuela Venezuela Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south... |
| Amanecer Institute | USA |
| Baraka Association | Senegal Senegal Senegal , officially the Republic of Senegal , is a country in western Africa. It owes its name to the Sénégal River that borders it to the east and north... |
| Black Hills Health & Education Center | USA |
| Cave Springs Home | USA |
| Cedarvale Health & Lifestyle Retreat | Australia Australia Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area... |
| Center for Health & Prevention | Bulgaria Bulgaria Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east... |
| Center of Health & Preventive Medicine | Moldova Moldova Moldova , officially the Republic of Moldova is a landlocked state in Eastern Europe, located between Romania to the West and Ukraine to the North, East and South. It declared itself an independent state with the same boundaries as the preceding Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1991, as part... |
| Centro Misionero de Salud | Mexico Mexico The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of... |
| Centrul de Pregatire Misionara | Romania Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea... |
| Congo Frontline Missions | Democratic Republic of Congo |
| Country Life Basel | Switzerland Switzerland Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition.... |
| Country Life Institute | Austria Austria Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the... |
| Country Life Institute | Dominican Republic Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries... |
| Country Life Marseille | France France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... |
| Country Life Ministries | USA |
| Country Life Nashville | USA |
| Country Life Prague | Czech Republic Czech Republic The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest.... > |
| Country Life Reformhaus | Spain Spain Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula... |
| Creel Tarahumara Mission | Mexico Mexico The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of... |
| DayStar Adventist Academy | USA |
| Eastward Missionary College | Australia Australia Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area... |
| Eden Valley Foster Care Mission | Tanzania Tanzania The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state... |
| Eden Valley Institute | USA |
| Fanantenana Training Center | Madagascar Madagascar The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa... |
| Fountainview Academy Fountainview Academy Fountainview Academy is a small, parochial boarding secondary school affiliated with, but not owned or operated by, the Seventh-day Adventist Church, located 17 miles south of Lillooet, British Columbia, Canada. It enrolls approximately 85 students in grades 10-12, primarily from the United States... |
Canada Canada Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean... |
| Frontline Builders | USA |
| Fundacion Educativa Providencia | Chile Chile Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far... |
| Fundacion Nuevo Amanecer | Colombia Colombia Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the... |
| Gospel Ministries International | USA |
| Harbert Hills Academy Harbert Hills Academy Harbert Hills Academy is a private, co-educational, day and boarding school affiliated with the Seventh-day Adventist Church which is owned and operated by Rural Life Foundation, chartered as a non-profit 5013 corporation in August 1951. The 500 acre campus is in the city of Savannah, Tennessee... |
USA |
| Health Education Resources | USA |
| Herghelia LifeStyle Center | Romania Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea... |
| Heritage Academy | USA |
| Kibidula Farm Institute | Tanzania Tanzania The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state... |
| Landhaus Die Arche | Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... |
| Laurelbrook Sanitarium & School | USA |
| Laurelwood Academy Laurelwood Academy Laurelwood Academy is a private secondary school affiliated with the Seventh-day Adventist Church near Jasper, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1904 in Laurelwood, Oregon, the boarding school moved to a new campus in rural Lane County outside of Eugene in 2007... |
USA |
| Le Mas Perdu | France France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... |
| Light Bearers Ministry | USA |
| Living Springs Overseas Missions | India India India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world... |
| Luzeiro Amazonia | Brazil Brazil Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people... |
| Medical Missionary Training Institute | Australia Australia Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area... |
| Miracle Meadows School | USA |
| Mission College of Evangelism | USA |
| Mount Akagi Institute | Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south... |
| Mountain Missionary Institute | USA |
| Naturalia SRL | Uruguay Uruguay Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area... |
| New Life Health Center | Ukraine Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia... |
| OCI Latin America | Costa Rica Costa Rica Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east.... |
| Oak Haven | USA |
| OCI Headquarters | USA |
| Our Home Lifestyle Center & School | Ukraine Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia... |
| Peru Projects | Peru Peru Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean.... |
| Radiant Living Team | Canada Canada Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean... |
| Riverside Farm Institute | Zambia Zambia Zambia , officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west.... |
| School by the Sea | Poland Poland Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north... |
| Springs of Life Foundation | Poland Poland Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north... |
| The Granheim Foundation | Norway Norway Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million... |
| The Heartgood Foundation | Norway Norway Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million... |
| The Hope of Survivors | USA |
| Uchee Pines Institute | USA |
| VitaSalus | Portugal Portugal Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the... |
| Wildwood Lifestyle Center & Hospital | USA |
OCI Member Map
Each red dot represents one Member Ministry.See also
- Seventh-day Adventist educationSeventh-day Adventist educationThe Seventh-day Adventist educational system is the second-largest Christian school system in the world, after the Roman Catholic system ....
- List of Seventh-day Adventist secondary and elementary schools
- Independent ministries of the Seventh-day Adventist ChurchIndependent ministries of the Seventh-day Adventist ChurchThe Seventh-day Adventist Church has a number of supporting, parachurch, independent, self-supporting and other such organisations that work adjunct to the official church....
External links
- Outpost Centers International
- Adventist-Laymen Services and Industries
- Seventh-day Adventist Church - Official website
- Ellen G. White Estate
- Search for "Outpost" in the Seventh-day Adventist Periodical Index (SDAPI)