On Sabbath, June 6, at 4 p.m., President Dave Weigley and leaders from across the Columbia Union united to pray for justice, healing and peace. The program included personal testimonies, prayer and Scripture readings by union leaders and conference, healthcare and education presidents.
Visitor News Live went on air to discuss "What Happens Now?" following George Floyd's death and the civil unrest that ensued.
"If I'm a disciple of Jesus Christ, then I have to do what Jesus did," said Charles Tapp, senior pastor of Potomac Conference's Sligo church in Takoma Park, Md. "You know, we always ask the question, 'What would Jesus do about this?' [But we must also ask], what did Jesus do? He fought against injustice."
Déclaration du Conseil de l’Union de Columbia Un Appel à la Justice, à la Prière et à la Paix
La semaine dernière, nous avons assisté à une tragédie dans le meurtre de George Floyd à Minneapolis dans le Minnesota. À la suite de cela, ainsi que les récents assassinats d'Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor et d'autres, de nombreuses personnes à travers notre pays et dans notre union, se trouvent dans un état d'agitation. Des milliers, y compris des forces de l’ordre, sont consternés par les actions des personnes qui n'ont pas servi et protégé leurs communautés. L'angoisse et la douleur sont évidentes dans les troubles civils et les manifestations dans plus de 140 villes.
Story by Tamyra Horst
The Pennsylvania Conference is excited to welcome Pastor Todd Casey and his wife, December. Casey accepted an invitation to serve as youth director, joining the team April 1. Connecting young people to Christ, equipping them for service and providing opportunities for them to serve, fellowship and grow in their relationship with God are priorities in the conference. “Chosen and Called,” one of the eight strategic mission initiatives, focuses on discipling young people in Pennsylvania. Casey shares this vision for Youth Ministries.
Interview by Salena Fitzgerald
Story by Benia Jennings
Ekele Nwankwo is a woman on a mission to sustainable well-being. As an active member in the Health Ministries Department at Allegheny West Conference's Columbus All Nations (Ohio) church, she uses her wealth of experience as a doctor of naturopathy in original medicine to encourage church members—primarily women ages 30 and above—to live a healthy life.
Story by Tiffany Doss
At the age of nine, Guadalupe “Lupita” Nieto Arroyo felt lost in a sea of deep loneliness and depression. She had long been the target of school bullying, and her home life felt unstable, as her parents considered divorce.
Psychologists and therapists who counseled Arroyo advised her to leave her circle of friends—many of whom used drugs and listened to music with dark messages. However, she didn’t know where else to find refuge.
By Cynthia Mendoza
In a time when wearing protective masks is part of the new normal, thanks to COVID-19, Seventh-day Adventists throughout the Columbia Union Conference are stepping up to help meet those needs in creative ways, while also sharing encouragement and hope as they do so.
Story by Alicia Tucker
“Thanks to its great team, an amazing thing happened at Adventist Community Services of Greater Washington (ACSGW) Thursday, May 28,” noted Ken Flemmer, ACSGW’s Executive Director. “We set an all-time, one-day assistance record. We more than doubled the previous record.”
