They have also been prominent in the development of mission stations in the remotest parts of Papua New Guinea since World War II, especially with the work of Len Barnard and Adventist Aviation.

Growing up an SDA, I was fascinated to learn that my grandfather had taken on the Australian government during the war years - and won a small victory.

Pastor AFJ Kranz in the early war years was principal of the church's West Australian Missionary College at Carmel in the hills east of Perth.

At Carmel, young men could undertake the first years of ministerial training (my father was one of them).

But the Western Australian government at the time ruled they should be conscripted for military service despite being conscientious objectors.

The college program required them to work on the farm and grounds for a number of hours a week to enable the college to be self-sufficient.

The government said this made them agricultural workers, not students, therefore they should be called up.

This incensed my grandfather, who mounted a campaign to change this and travelled all the way to Canberra and secured a meeting with the federal education minister.

The political minister sat down and listened to the church minister - and agreed with him, overturning the WA government's decision.

Incidentally, despite being conscientious objectors many SDA's served in the armed forces as medical orderlies, nurses and doctors - including my uncle who was a medic at Buna and Gona.

He experienced things he never wanted to talk about again.