News
Providing Encouragement and Assessment
NAD Administrators Affirm Work and Assess Needs During Visit to the Guam-Micronesia Mission
Beginning January 4, 2024, a North American Division administrative team visited several islands within the Guam-Micronesia Mission for two weeks. “We wanted to provide encouragement and do an assessment of needs and see how we could better support the work there,” said NAD president G. Alexander Bryant.
Sonscreen 2024: Bridging Faith, Tough Topics, and the Power of Film
Seven professional films and 40 student films were screened at the Sonscreen Film Festival held at the Loma Linda University Church Complex in California on April 4-6. Sonscreen also provided networking and professional development opportunities, including career advice from seasoned filmmakers and a new “LA luncheon with a professional.”
Southern Adventist University Only Designated Hispanic-Serving Institution in Tennessee
Southern Adventist University recently announced that it is the only institution in Tennessee designated as a Hispanic-serving institution. The designation comes from the federal government, which considers colleges and universities with Hispanic student enrollment of 25 percent or higher to be Hispanic-serving institutions.
Walla Walla University Names Alex Bryan as New President
On Monday, May 6, 2024, the Walla Walla University Board of Trustees unanimously elected Alex Bryan, to become Walla Walla University’s 24th president.
More than 60,000 Youth to Set Up Camp in Gillette, Wyoming, for Week-Long Event Filled with Learning, Worship, and Community Outreach
More than 60,000 young people, hailing from more than 100 countries, will set up a tent and RV city August 5-11, 2024, as they attend the Ninth International Pathfinder Camporee at the Cam-Plex Facilities in Gillette, Wyoming. Themed “Believe the Promise,” the six-day camporee, held every five years, is sponsored by the Seventh-day Adventist Church in North America, headquartered in Maryland, and the Center for Youth Evangelism, located in Berrien Springs, Michigan.
Adventist Youth Serve Indigenous Communities in Northern Ontario
The youth and young adults of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Canada (SDACC) cast a vision for what it would mean to make a difference right at home. Their vision was clear: to work for the betterment of people’s lives in ways that were responsive to their actual needs. From there, a goal sprang up: to assist Indigenous people in a tangible, practical, and non-manipulative way that fostered genuine connection and friendship. Beginning on August 10, 2023, four groups of young Adventist volunteers, accompanied by ADRA Canada leaders, traveled to various Indigenous communities in northern Ontario – Lac Seul First Nation, Pikangikum First Nation, Whitesand First Nation, and Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug First Nation.
Ephesus, the “Spaghetti Church,” Impacts Lives in South Los Angeles, California
Clients come to the Ephesus Seventh-day Adventist Church Adventist Community Services Center in South Los Angeles, California, on Mondays for free clothes and shoes from The Closet and to receive showers and plates of hot spaghetti. Through the years, the church has been affectionally known as the “spaghetti church” by regulars. The food pantry, open on the fourth Thursday of each month, welcomes guests to choose from fresh produce, canned goods, hygiene products, and more.
La Sierra University Charts Path Toward Growth
Heading into 2024, La Sierra University is charting an upward trajectory based on enrollment targets, with near-term strategic investments in personnel, increased salaries, scholarships, software upgrades, and athletics initiatives. On Jan. 29, 2024, the university’s board of trustees voted on a budget and funding for the remainder of this fiscal year, ending June 30 and continuing two years through 2025-26. The university leadership also drafted a follow-on aspirational plan through 2028-29 for a five-year proposed strategic document focused on La Sierra’s growth. On Jan. 30, the plan was presented by La Sierra University Interim President Richard Osborn during a campus town hall at the Zapara School of Business.
Atlantic Union and Southern Union Joint Tent Evangelism Endeavor Leads to 253 Baptisms
Tent evangelism, often considered an outdated method of evangelism, recently demonstrated its continued effectiveness through a joint evangelism event. The Atlantic Union, with the support and assistance of the Southern Union, recently hosted a 20-day "System for Survival" evangelistic initiative. The endeavor reaped 253 baptisms. The meetings took place in a 270-person tent set up in a vacant lot in Buffalo, New York.