News

Dave Weigley speaks during Annual Coucil

Story by Adventist News Network and Adventist Review

Tuesday afternoon’s much-anticipated discussion of possible discipline for church entities deemed not compliant with ordination votes and policies witnessed surprising turns as delegates to the Annual Council wrestled with competing values.

Multiple speakers underlined the contrasting importance of preserving church order while also acting with fairness toward church organizations whose constituents have voted for alternate approaches to voted positions on ordination.

Image courtesy Adventist News Network

Story originally published by the Adventist News Network and Adventist Review

Members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church’s top decision-making body deliberated over a period of two days during the 2019 Annual Council about a proposed Statement on the Biblical View of Unborn Life and Its Implications for Abortion. The document emerged in September from a longer period of study and discussion among Adventist theologians, medical experts, healthcare administrators, ethicists and Church administrators.

Juan Prestol-Puesán, General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists Treasurer speaks at the meeting. | Photo by Adventist News Network

Photos by Adventist News Network and Adventist Review

Achieving parity in tithe contributed by world church divisions to the Adventist Church’s world headquarters dominated the Monday afternoon discussion of the delegates to the Fall 2019 General Conference Executive Committee meeting, called the Annual Council.

Image by Adventist News Network

Story and image by Adventist News Network Staff

Following a period of study and discussion, a diverse group of Seventh-day Adventist theologians, medical experts, healthcare administrators, ethicists and Church administrators have worked to produce a draft Statement addressing a biblical view of abortion.

The last time the denomination issued guidelines on abortion was in 1992. A voted Statement outlines the Adventist Church’s official position on a specific matter. Guidelines offer direction for practical application on a specific subject.

Seventh-day Adventist World Church President Ted Wilson speaks to the crowd at Annual Council.

Story and Image by Adventist News Network Staff

A document outlining recommendations resulting from the 2018 Annual Council Compliance Action was distributed to General Conference Executive Committee members today. 

The 2018 decision was a continuation of the discussion from the 2017 Annual Council of the General Conference Executive Committee. The 2018 Annual Council vote outlined a process for addressing matters of non-compliance within the Seventh-day Adventist Church. 

Praying Woman Hands by Long Thiên from Flickr

Editorial by Gary Gibbs

As the evangelist preached to the crowd gathered at a stadium in Africa, a spiritual battle was raging behind the stage platform. A woman was writhing, kicking and foaming at the mouth. Her deep, gruff voice sent shivers up my spine as I and others prayed for her to be freed from tormenting demons. Through prayer in the name of Jesus, a peaceful calm ultimately swept over her, and she left that night free and happy.

Orlando Moncrieffe (pictured with his wife, Maureen)  recently celebrated his retirement from active ministry  at the University Heights church in Somerset, N.J.

Story by LaTasha Hewitt

Orlando Moncrieffe (pictured with his wife, Maureen) recently celebrated his retirement from active ministry at the University Heights church in Somerset, N.J. He pastored there for three years, totaling 14 years of ministry at the Allegheny East Conference.

Barbara Spessard is now a member of the Waynesboro church, in large part due to her son Tony Hade’s relentless prayers for 15 years.

Story by Tamyra Horst

Barbara Spessard has been intermittently around Seventh-day Adventists for most of her life. Her in-laws, Roy and Mabel Hade, shared biblical truths from an Adventist’s perspective nearly 50 years ago. Velora Gunder, a member of the Pennsylvania Conference's Waynesboro church, shared Bible studies with Spessard a number of years ago. More recently, Chris Trent, a Bible instructor for the Waynesboro church, studied with her. She attended Sabbath vespers and Sabbath School.

More than 300 young people, representing every Ohio Conference Hispanic church, attend the 2019 Hispanic Youth Camp.

Story by Heidi Shoemaker

More than 300 young people from Hispanic churches across Ohio came together for the 2019 Hispanic Youth Camp earlier this year. Themed “El Viene Por Mi” (He is Coming for Me), they met at the Indian Trail Campground in New London.

Marquis Johns, pastor of the North Philadelphia church, enthusiastically preaches the Word during the recent WaS UP event.

Story by LaTasha Hewitt

Several Allegheny East Conference churches in the Philadelphia area recently joined together for the Worship Share Urban Project (WaS UP), a creative evangelism initiative. Held in Upper Darby, Pa., the worship experience reached well over 1,000 people throughout the course of the day.

“This model is meant to introduce worship to the community, which can serve as a precursor to a more in-depth crusade, or just simply open the doors to Bible studies,” says Shawn Fordham, one of the event coordinators.