News

Adventist Community Services Prepares to Help After Tornadoes Strike Missouri, Kentucky, and Wisconsin
Yesterday afternoon, a devastating tornado struck Kentucky and St. Louis, Missouri. In Kentucky, 14 are reported dead. In St. Louis, five deaths have been reported, along with widespread damage. At least 20 blocks of the city sustained damage. More than 5,000 properties are without power, and local emergency services are actively responding. As ACS begins to respond, they urge members to pray for those impacted and those providing assistance.

Union Adventist University Receives Grant for Culinary Medicine Teaching Kitchen
The Ardmore Institute of Health has awarded Union Adventist University’s Master of Public Health Program a grant to establish a culinary medicine teaching kitchen (CMTK). The $35,000 will purchase six commercial-grade mobile workstations, each including the culinary tools and appliances to support two students at a time, enabling the university to host classes of up to 12 students in the teaching kitchen. Any remaining funds will support a student garden that was established by the university’s first public health cohort last year.

Mid-America Union Conference Executive Committee Appoints New Communication Director
During its regular spring meeting, the Mid-America Union Executive Committee voted to approve a recommendation by MAUC’s administrative team outlining a leadership transition for the union’s communication department. Following the vote, then-director Brenda Dickerson became the associate director, and then-associate director/digital media manager Hugh Davis became the new director, effective May 1, 2025. This transition of titles, initially proposed by Dickerson, serves as a model for succession planning and smooth leadership transitions in appointed positions.

James P. Willis II Elected as New Vice President for Education for the Pacific Union Conference
The Pacific Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists has elected James P. Willis II as its new vice president for education, effective July 1, 2025. He will succeed Dr. Berit von Pohle, who is retiring after a distinguished career spanning 46 years in Adventist education

Millionth Download from Digital Commons at Andrews University
August 29, 2018, marked the millionth download from Digital Commons at Andrews University. “For the number of documents in the repository, and the size of our university, achieving this milestone in just over three years is remarkable,” says Terry Robertson, associate dean of libraries and repository librarian at the James White Library.

Former Miss Alabama, Miss America First Runner up, Rediscovers 34-Year-Old Gifted Copy of “The Great Controversy,” Joins Adventist Church
Paige Phillips (now Parnell) and her husband Hayes joined the Summerville Seventh-day Adventist Church in Georgia after Parnell rediscovered a copy of The Great Controversy by Ellen G. White that she placed in her attic 34 years ago. The book came from two teenage boys who visited her and her first husband’s home in Arizona in 1984.

Ending Domestic Violence — No Time to Waste
The church plays an important role in creating a safe community and an environment in which domestic violence, or intimate partner violence (IPV), is addressed, not covered up. An appropriate understanding of Scripture is also protective. Local churches must become aware of resources in their communities designed to help both victims and perpetrators.

Adventist Giving Announces Launch of Mobile App
For members of the Adventist Church in North America, giving tithes and offerings on digital platforms — especially smartphones — recently got much easier with the launch of the Adventist Giving mobile apps for both Apple (iOS) and Android devices. Members can search “Adventist Giving” in the respective application stores to find the apps.