News | Seventh-day Adventist Church

I Found True Relief at the Red Building

Story by Agustina Francisco

For more than 10 years, I drove by the “red building,” not knowing it was the New Brunswick (N.J.) church. I knew it was a Christian church because on Saturdays I saw many happy people, well-dressed and with Bibles under their arms. Nevertheless, it wasn’t relevant to me.

After some time, I noticed that on Sunday mornings, another group of people, the majority of them from foreign countries, stood by the church for hours to receive food. Earlier this year, I decided to go on a Sunday, and I was blessed with the items they gladly shared.

Glenville Present Truth Church Lends a Healthy Hand

Wellness instructor Ezra St. Juste staffs the natural remedy literature display table at the Community Health Expo.

Story by Benia Jennings

Aiming to reach their local community with the biblical health message, Allegheny West Conference's Glenville Present Truth church in Cleveland—just blocks away from the world-renowned Cleveland Clinic—has made health and wellness the mission of their church.

Potomac Conference Hires Two Church Planters

Jian Lin and Boyan Levterov are Potomac Conference's new full-time church planters.

Story by Tiffany Doss

In keeping with Potomac’s 2020 mission and vision of planting churches in population/people groups of 20,000 or more that currently do not have an Adventist presence, administration has brought on two full-time church planters.

What Does it Mean to Be “Warned” By an Annual Council Vote?

Photo of Walter Carson by Ricardo Bacchus

Story by V. Michelle Bernard

“To be warned is better than to be publicly reprimanded,” said Walter Carson, vice president and general counsel for the Columbia Union Conference, at the November Executive Committee meeting, talking about the Annual Council’s recent actions.

Carson explained to the group that a 2018 Annual Council action in Battle Creek, Mich., adopted a compliance document (link to it) that imposed sanctions or discipline on entities found to be in violation of various church documents or actions taken by a General Conference session.

The four disciplinary steps in the document were outlined:

Women Pastors and Chaplains Gather for Fellowship

Story by Visitor Staff / Photo by LaTasha Hewitt

Earlier this month, women pastors and chaplains from across the Columbia Union Conference gathered with union and conference administrators for the second time in two years. Before supper at the Sheraton Hotel in Columbia, Md., the attendees took part in a debriefing about Annual Council 2019 where Columbia Union President Dave Weigley shared what the newly issued “warning status” means, and what it does not mean.

Akron Church Increases Refugee Awareness

Terri Saelee, North American Division coordinator for Adventist Refugee and Immigrant Ministries, shares a "Loss Simulation' exercise with the Junior/Earliteen class.

Story by Heidi Shoemaker

For several years, Ohio Conference's Akron First church has actively served refugees from Burma, Thailand, Rwanda, the Congo, Uganda and Kenya who have settled in the community.

Debra Brill, Longest-Serving Vice President at the North American Division, Retires

Story by Kimberly Luste Maran /NAD Communication / Image by Pieter Damsteegt

“It’s been my great joy to work with gifted leaders who love God and His church!” said Debra C. Brill, who retired on October 1, 2019, after serving the North American Division of the Seventh-day Adventist Church (NAD) as a vice president for 21 years.

Kettering Adventist HealthCare makes key leadership transitions

Story by James Buechele

Kettering Adventist HealthCare is making two key leadership transitions.

George Lewis, president of Kettering Physician Network, has been named executive vice president of Physician Enterprise for Kettering Health Network. This new role combines the leadership of Kettering Physician Network and Kettering Physician Partners, Kettering Health Network’s clinically integrated network. Lewis will be responsible for advancing the network’s primary care services, including rural health clinics and On-Demand Care clinics. Lewis joined Kettering Health Network in 2013 as president of Kettering Physician Network.

How I Give Thanks

Basket of Punkins 10-14 by Don Graham from Flickr

Story by Valerie Morikone

Mountain View Conference staff asked three members to share what Thanksgiving Day means to them. Enjoy a peek into their recollections and memories that point to the Giver of all gifts—Jesus Christ:

Thanksgiving has always been one of my favorite holidays. My parents taught their children to love each other and care for others. If my parents knew of a person without a family, they joined us for a huge dinner. No one was to be by themselves on Thanksgiving Day.

Columbia Union Hosts ‘Sola Scriptura’ Leadership Summit

Story by V. Michelle Bernard / Feature photo by Stephen Lee

Last weekend some 170 students, local, conference, health care, education and union leaders attended the Columbia Union Conference 2019 Leadership Summit, held in Columbia, Md. Attendees discussed and dissected the role of sola scriptura in guiding the Seventh-day Adventist Church’s development and organization; local church life; and their personal lives.