Located at the Eastern horn of the Arabian Peninsula, the Sultanate of Oman has a relatively small population -- around 3 million people -- of which about 550,000 are workers from other lands. Overwhelmingly Muslim, the presence of Christianity, though permitted, is tiny, to say the least.

Yet, last week, about 130 people attended the local Adventist Church of Muscat, Oman's largest city, to celebrate the 15th anniversary with a special commemorative service.

Addressing the church in the 30-page souvenir booklet published for the occasion, Pastor Mike Porter, president of the Adventist Church in the Middle East region, said, "You, the Muscat Church believers, are here for a reason. You are here because God has called you to be His witnesses. What an honour, what a privilege, what an enormous challenge it is to be God's witnesses in these important days in history!"

Worship services on November 5 drew representatives from Adventist churches throughout the Southern Gulf Region. It was inspired by the theme of celebration and included audience participation in a litany of praise.

Victor Harewood, senior pastor for the Adventist Church in the Southern Gulf Region, who preached during the service, said, "We remain grateful for our founding fathers and mothers for their pro-activity and vision. It is from our 15th anniversary now that we go forward together with Christ."

The first known Seventh-day Adventist presence in Oman dates back to the late 1970s when Adventist nurses arrived to work in the Sultanate's health care system. From then on, members started to connect with each other by placing ads on local hospital notice boards. The first formal meetings began in 1990. Eight people from the original group were present and publicly recognized during the service.

The Sultanate of Oman claims several notable connections with Bible characters. The patriarch Job is believed to be buried in the town of Salalah, where the Queen of Sheba also kept a palace. Since Oman is also the historical center of the frankincense trade, it is believed that at least one of the three Wise Men originated from there. [Editor: Alex Elmadjian for ANN/APD]