News

Snapshot of the Man Behind the Official Portraits
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.

Here I am, Lord: The Choir that Said Yes to Singing at GC Session
“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.

Adventist Retirement Garners National Praise with Creative, Christ-Centered Vision
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.

Together in Mission: North American Division Ministries a Unified Presence at 2025 GC Session
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.

Evangelism in Focus: Highlights from 2024 NAD Year-End Meeting Breakout
At the 2024 NAD Year-End Meeting, evangelism was a recurring theme, evidenced in reports on how NAD departments and territories are leveraging their resources to spread the gospel. Evangelism took the spotlight on day three of the business meetings, Sunday, Nov. 3, with attendees tackling questions clarifying mission in the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

Southern Adventist University Celebrates Record Undergraduate Enrollment
Southern Adventist University has experienced record growth in recent years, fostering new opportunities for students and expanding their experiences and avenues for success. The largest freshman class in the university’s history enrolled in 2023, and, this year, Southern is hosting its largest undergraduate student body ever, totaling 2,929 students.

AdventHealth Gifts Painting of Charles E. Bradford, Former NAD President, at Year-End Meeting
On Sunday, November 3, 2024, AdventHealth leaders presented a portrait of Charles Bradford at the North American Division Year-End Meeting in Columbia, Maryland. The painting — Preaching the Word — was commissioned by AdventHealth in 2000. It was designed to honor Bradford’s leadership while serving on the AdventHealth board and to celebrate his treasured friendships with former CEO Mardian Blair and others.

Walla Walla University Research on Octopuses Featured in Prominent Science Publications
Research on the high energetic cost of color change in octopuses, conducted by Kirt Onthank, biology professor at Walla Walla University, and WWU graduate Sofie Sonner, has been published in one of the world’s most prestigious and cited scientific journals, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). Onthank’s and Sonner’s findings have sparked interest in the scientific community, and within hours of the initial PNAS publication, Popular Science and ScienceAlert also published stories about the research.