News Articles

In 1940, the Review and Herald Publishing Association published a book with a dark blue cover that you have probably never seen — They Also Served — by Ava Covington Wall. Written roughly 80 years after the founding of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, it was the first book to detail the many women who contributed to the church's founding and growth. This now-elusive book has been out of print for more than 80 years, and many stories of women in the early Adventist denomination remain largely unknown. Thus, historian Dr. Heidi Olson Campbell created the podcast They Also Served: Stories of Adventist Women, using historical research and expert interviews to reveal how American Christianity and the Seventh-day Adventist Church were shaped by these women's contributions.

The North American Division of the Seventh-day Adventist Church is thrilled to welcome Bill Payne as the new director of Sabbath School and Personal Ministries. Payne officially assumed this role last November after being elected by the NAD executive committee on September 6, 2024.

On Jan. 22, 2025, about 80 people from diverse faith traditions gathered for the sixth Religious Freedom Prayer Breakfast hosted by the Seventh-day Adventist Church in North America and organized by its Public Affairs and Religious Liberty department. The event included prayer for religious freedom, elected officials, the community, the nation, peace, and for unity of spirit.

Southern Adventist University commends Fred Hutagaol, sophomore business administration major with a focus on health services and senior living, as the recipient of the Morning Pointe Scholars Endowment for the 2025-2026 school year. He grew up assisting his grandparents with household chores and lived with and assisted a family member who was passing due to cancer, leading to his interest in the healthcare field. He has held leadership roles in his church, as well as serving as head of logistics for a student entrepreneurial project with Enactus.

Pacific Union College Flight Center Director Nathan Tasker had the idea to build a type-specific aircraft simulator for his students. Since flight training devices in general aviation tend to be generic, limiting their usefulness, Tasker questioned how he and the program could obtain a simulator to teach basic skills, such as visual ground reference maneuvers and landing techniques. This would allow students to progress efficiently, as these skills cannot be effectively taught in traditional simulators.

“Color of Threads,” a film produced by Walla Walla University’s Center for Media Ministry (CMM), continues to make waves after its strong start in the independent film circuit. Written by WWU alumna Josie Henderson, the story follows five women who move to the Pendleton Valley in 1909 in an effort to rebuild their lives. London Director Awards, a film festival based in London, England, named Richard L. Ramsay, the director of “Color of Threads,” the best U.S.A. Director of 2025. The short film also won the title of Best Western 2025 at the Los Angeles Short Film Awards.

On January 28, 2025, La Sierra University celebrated the opening of a new center at the Zapara School of Business where students, educators, business and community leaders can explore various worldviews and their effect on informed decision-making, leadership development, and academic and professional growth.

One day in February 2024 an unusual assortment of North American Division leaders walked into the president’s office. Those represented included the Ministerial Association, vice presidents, the president’s office, Adventist-laymen’s Services and Industries (ASI), Professional Services, and communication. After prayer and an exchange of pleasantries, the leaders looked to president G. Alexander Bryant. “What do you all remember about Pentecost?” he asked. Typical answers surfaced referencing the Acts 2 account. “What if we were to do something like that at the NAD? What if we could get all our churches involved? What if we focused on prayer, outreach, and proclaiming the gospel message?”

On February 7-8, 2025, more than 900 Sabbath School teachers, ministry leaders, and Bible students gathered to livestream the North American Division Do It Together Sabbath School Conference. The event aimed to discuss new and innovative ways to connect to the Sabbath School lesson while engaging students of every age.

On January 30, 2025, the Adventist Information Ministry board voted to rename the ministry Adventist Connect, reflecting its expansion from an evangelism contact center for media ministries into a hub supporting local churches across North America in digital outreach. This change will be implemented in stages over the coming months.