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“I had rehearsal right up until three days before I gave birth,” she said without much fanfare. Koo is the director and co-founder of the Emmanuel Missionary Choir, a group made up of children ages five to 19, mostly from the Living Word Fellowship Church in Berrien Springs, Michigan. Since 2022, the choir has grown from 18 to 47 members, representing youth from 16 countries including South Korea, Indonesia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Brazil, Romania, Peru, Russia, Israel, Pakistan, Venezuela, Mexico, Taiwan, Samoa, and the United States.

As lead photographer for the Adventist Review, Sherwin is responsible for capturing all the official portraits of newly elected leaders, often just minutes after their lives have been upended by a vote. It is a role that demands both technical skill and a gentle respect for the weight of the moment.

In 2020, the North American Division voted “Together in Mission” as its strategic focus for the next five years: a call for every entity, ministry, and department to work together to share the gospel. Five years later, at the 2025 General Conference Session in St. Louis, Mo., visitors to the NAD’s exhibit space were met with a striking visual representation of this theme. The first stop, and perhaps clearest showcase of this unity, in the NAD’s GC Session home was a first-ever combined ministries booth.

Tucked away in a secure area of the North American Division headquarters, the Adventist Retirement team is hard at work. More than crunching numbers, they are constantly looking for innovative ways to help 74,000 participants — current and former employees of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in North America — retire with confidence and peace of mind. In recent years, their efforts have made waves on the world stage. In 2024, Adventist Retirement earned four internationally recognized honors, including a Viddy Award, an Eddy Award, and two Gold MarCom Awards, recognizing excellence in retirement planning and financial wellness communication.