News
Andrews University Music Department Receives Instrument Donations
The Department of Music at Andrews University has recently received several generous donations in the form of musical instruments. These instruments will be housed in either Hamel Hall or the Howard Performing Arts Center and will be used by various music students, faculty, and performers.
Bread and Better Life Café to Launch Summer 2025
In late March, the Southwestern Union hosted preview events in anticipation of the launch of a new community outreach initiative, the Bread and Better Life Café. The development of Bread and Better Life Café has been spearheaded by Southwestern Union Health Ministries director Randall Phillips, along with leaders from the union and a partnership with the North American Division.
Washington Adventist University Recognized as an “Opportunity University” in New Carnegie Classification
Washington Adventist University has been officially recognized as an Opportunity College and University (OCU) in the latest Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, a distinction awarded to only 16 percent of more than 3,000 colleges and universities nationwide.
International Concert Pianist, Alumnus Jonathan Mamora Returns as Assistant Professor to La Sierra University
On April 9, Mamora landed among the final field of 30 pianists selected for the Van Cliburn. The extensive selection process began in October 2024 with 340 pianists from 45 countries. Competition performances took place from May 21 to June 7 in Texas, just weeks before Mamora and his wife, Stephanie, were set to embark on a new chapter in their lives. Effective July 1, Jonathan will begin his new role as an assistant professor of music and director of keyboard studies at La Sierra University’s Department of Music.
La Sierra University-rooted Ghanaian Seventh-day Adventist Church Celebrates New Redlands Home
It began as a small gathering under the trees on La Sierra University’s campus in June 2003. Nine Seventh-day Adventist Ghanaian students and community members formed a Sabbath worship service, bound together by a shared faith, culture, and desire to connect. The small group began holding Sabbath School classes at various locations — first on campus and eventually at a nearby strip mall. Their numbers gradually grew until they had approximately 80 members in 2024, at which point the congregation decided it was time to acquire their own church building.
This Spring, North American Division to Host Second Pentecost 2025 Division-wide Prayer Meeting
On May 2, 2025, the North American Division of the Seventh-day Adventist Church will livestream a special one-hour prayer meeting. The first such meeting ushered in the 10 Day of Prayer on Jan. 8. NAD president G. Alexander Bryant shared that the division recognizes "our great need to stay in a mindset of knowing our continual need to pray for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit;" and thus, church leaders felt compelled to host another event to enrobe in prayer the churches and schools engaged in community efforts and proclamation events this spring, as well as continue to invoke the Holy Spirit in all members.
Southern Adventist University School of Business Students Excel, Rank as Top Performers
In a simulation of managing a startup company in the MGMT 364 International Business course, one of Southern’s teams placed first out of the five locally competing teams, and in the 99th percentile of more than 1,000,000 simulation teams worldwide in 2024. In another business strategy challenge, three of Southern’s teams ranked as Global Top 50 Performers out of 685 teams from 58 colleges and universities worldwide for the performance of their GLO-BUS business strategy simulations during the week of June 17-23, 2024.
2025 Safeguarding Peace Training Empowers Attendees to Build Safer Churches
From February 9 to 11, 2025, a small but dedicated group of local church, conference, and union leaders, and lay members, met at the North American Division headquarters in Columbia, Maryland, for the NAD’s enditnow® Safeguarding Peace training on abuse prevention and response. Through presentations, pair and group discussions, and hands-on exercises, attendees were empowered to help make our churches safer spaces.