News Articles

Congregational care during this coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic is essential, however, traditional congregational care is, at best, now very strained. Ministry is quite different than it was a few weeks ago. We cannot meet or gather as congregations. Caregiving for bereaving families unable to attend funeral services, members who may not be digitally connected, and those losing employment while working from home are just some examples of how ministry has shifted. The congregational need for dedicated pastoral care is self-evident.       

Emergency departments across the United States are seeing an influx of patients with symptoms associated with the virus, creating compounded high-stress situations for health care providers. Meanwhile, there are still patients with other conditions, illnesses, and injuries who also need medical attention.

Doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists, and more are just some of the countless workers in health care on the front line fighting against time to help severely-ill patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. As the battle wages on to aid numerous patients, so does the need for personal protective equipment (PPE).

The April 17, 2020, opening night of It Is Written’s virtual, online evangelist series, got off to a rocky start as the media ministry’s main platform was disrupted by a targeted and malicious cyberattack. This attack comes on the heels of a close call when tornadoes touched down just feet from the It Is Written headquarters in Collegedale, Tennessee, on April 13.

Although the current COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted our campuses, temporarily transitioning us to remote education, the mission of Seventh-day Adventist higher education remains the same. Driven by passionate care for our students, our faculty and staff are innovating to sustain a quality, whole-person education for the duration of this crisis.

On the night of April 12, 2020, my wife Lou and I were getting ready for bed and listening to the weather forecasters announce the tornado watches and warnings. When they announced that the worst of the storms had passed, I turned the TV off. We changed ino our pajamas, said our prayers together, which is our nightly custom. The screech of metal and loud banging woke me from sleep. It was our tin roof being yanked off the house as a tornado hit.

Uber drivers Alex and Janeth Partyka found that one of the more difficult — and intimidating — aspects of witnessing was knowing when and how to witness in a non-invasive way. When Janeth started driving full time, she came up with an idea that has opened up many more opportunities to witness to their riders in a natural, personal way.

The New Hope Seventh-day Adventist Church, Columbia Union Conference, and several ministries at the North American Division (NAD) contributed funds to provide two separate meals to the approximately 1,000 healthcare workers on staff at Howard County General Hospital.

Behind the numbers of cases and deaths related to COVID-19 are human beings with loved ones and families. Those loved ones are not able to say their goodbyes gathered around the bedside, nor are they able to lay the deceased to rest with a memorial service, or any of the customary practices. This creates an unusual circumstance for those who care for the living and the dead.

Can our Adventist students make a difference in the global fight against COVID-19? Brendon, a student at Forest Lake Academy, gives a resounding “Yes!” When asked about his innovation with the face masks, Brendon explains, “God has put me in this position knowing the skills I have to help put an end to this crisis.”