News | Seventh-day Adventist Church

Adventist Pastor Attends Memorial Service for Heather Heyer

Story by Celeste Ryan Blyden, Columbia Union Visitor

Today Nathaniel Drew, pastor of Allegheny West Conference’s Bethany church in Charlottesville, Va., and the Calvary church in Gordonsville, Va., attended the memorial service for Heather Heyer, the woman killed last Saturday when a car plowed into a crowd of counterprotesters at a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville. As an active member of the local Clergy Collective, he and other spiritual leaders joined more than 1,000 people who came to support and comfort Heyer's family, friends and the community.

A JOINT RESPONSE TO THE VIOLENCE IN CHARLOTTESVILLE AND A CALL TO PRAYER

Photo by Teri Lynne Underwood from Flickr

William T. Cox Sr., President of the Allegheny West Conference; William Miller, President of the Potomac Conference; and Dave Weigley, President of the Columbia Union Conference, release the following joint statement regarding the unrest in Charlottesville, Va.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of Heather Heyer and Lieutenant H. Jay Cullen and Trooper-Pilot Berke M. M. Bates of the Virginia State Police, who lost their lives on Saturday, August 12, during the violent uprising in Charlottesville, Va. We’re also praying for healing for all who were injured and impacted.

Conference Welcomes New Education Team

The Chesapeake Conference Executive Committee recently named Janesta Walker (below) as superintendent of schools, and Michael Jakobsons (right) as associate superintendent. Walker fills the vacancy left by Jacqueline Messenger, who is now associate director for secondary education for the Columbia Union Conference. Mark Walker, the current interim superintendent, is set to retire August 1.

“We welcome both of these educators to the Chesapeake Conference. Their combined training and experience, in a variety of school settings, will prove to be a genuine benefit to our schools,” says Rick Remmers, conference president.

Alpha & Omega Member Helps Nurses Pass Exams

Registered nurse Regina Callion, a member of the Alpha & Omega church in Warren, Ohio, is the owner and instructor of ReMar Review for the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX®).

Story by Bryant Smith

Kettering Health Network First in Dayton to Offer More Accurate, Less Painful Breast Surgery Procedure

Story by Elizabeth Long

Kettering Adventist Healthcare is the first in Dayton to offer a more accurate, less painful breast surgery procedure. The procedure, called radioactive seed localization, is a new approach to pinpointing breast lesions.

Breast imaging technology has become more refined, allowing many breast abnormalities and cancers to be detected before they can be felt with a physical exam. While early detection allows for treatment to begin sooner and the patients to have better outcomes, it also presents a greater challenge in precisely locating and removing smaller or deeper lesions.

New Faculty, Staff Join Pine Forge Academy

Story by Dinah Jordan

Pine Forge Academy is happy to welcome several new team members for the 2017-18 school year. Each new faculty and staff member is uniquely gifted to help PFA achieve its mission, vision and strategic initiatives.

Washington Adventist University Gains Approvals To Offer New Bachelor of Music Therapy Degree

Story by Donna Bigler

Washington Adventist University (WAU) in Takoma Park, Md., has been approved to implement a new Bachelor of Music Therapy degree program. WAU is the first institution in the State of Maryland and currently the only Seventh-day Adventist institution in North America to offer this degree.

“We are thrilled beyond measure to be gaining this important new program on our campus, as it prepares students to use music as a vehicle for service and outreach,” says Cheryl Kisunzu, WAU provost. “It is a wonderful addition to this university which has, for more than a century, functioned as a gateway to service for those who seek to help others.”

Psalm 27: The Changing Moods of Faith

Blog by Rob Vandeman

Psalm 27 opens with one of the most sublime Old Testament affirmations of the security of God’s people. The Lord is my light, to guide me, my salvation, to deliver me, and the stronghold of my life, in whom I take refuge. Of whom, then, shall I be afraid? It is a defiant, unanswerable question reminiscent of those at the end of Romans 8. When David’s enemies attack him, they will stumble and fall (verse 2). Indeed (verse 3), if a whole army should make war against him, even then he will be confident.