News | Seventh-day Adventist Church

Our First Priority

Editorial by Rick Remmers

What is important to you? What are the things you most want to accomplish? The Chesapeake Conference has established our priorities, and the first is very simple: Evangelism and Outreach.

Why would this be a top priority? Is it because everyone is excited to hit the proverbial sawdust trail and become a public evangelist? Or maybe people are eager to go door to door distributing literature and enrolling people in Bible studies. Perhaps members in your church are ready to open up a soup kitchen and start a tutoring program.

Breath of Life Revival Nets 70 Baptisms at North Philadelphia Church

Story and Photos by Christopher C. Thompson

The Breath of Life Television Ministries recently concluded its 2018 Fall Revival, resulting in 70 individuals choosing baptism and joining Allegheny East Conference’s North Philadelphia church. This evangelistic campaign, a joint effort between Breath of Life and North Philadelphia, featured Carlton P. Byrd, Breath of Life speaker/director, who, for two weeks, preached nightly on the foundational doctrines of the Seventh-day Adventist message.

Bainum Family Foundation Invests $500,000 to Help Lourie Center Expand Site and Serve 90 Additional Children and Families

Increased Enrollment Highlights New School Year

Story by Jaymie Pottinger

Pine Forge Academy (PFA) recently kicked off the 2018–19 school year with the theme “You Matter.” Kris Fielder (pictured), interim principal, says, “As a Christian boarding school, it is our responsibility to ensure that every student feels a sense of belonging as they develop into the leaders that they were created by God to be, with a sense of purpose, direction and confidence.” In expressing his optimism for the upcoming year, Jaymie Pottinger, vice principal, described his excitement as he watched “brilliant young scholars from across the country stake their claim on the successes that are imminent if they submit to God’s divine calling while enrolled at this excellent and historic institution.”

Cherry Hill Celebrates Eight Youth Baptisms

Story by Mario Thorp

Members of the Cherry Hill church recently celebrated as eight young people, aged 10–16, chose to make their commitment to Christ public through baptism.

Willie Bonilla, church elder, shares that the young people are all members of the same Sabbath School class. When they began talking about baptism, he started a baptismal class. They met together every other Sabbath afternoon from January through July, 2018. Bonilla says, “They all wanted to be baptized to demonstrate their love for Jesus. ... They are excited to begin this new part of their walk with the Lord!”

Mensaje de los líderes administrativos de la Unión de Columbia

Sabemos que muchos en nuestra unión se sienten decepcionados con el voto que se tomó en el Concilio Anual para implementar un nuevo sistema de conformidad para las entidades de la iglesia en todo el mundo. Nosotros también. Y si bien somos una parte fiel y leal de la Iglesia de Dios, nos cuesta ver su mano en esta decisión. Nuestra preocupación continúa por la creciente centralización de autoridad en la Conferencia General y la extraterritorialidad administrativa resultante.

Muchos se preguntan qué pasará ahora. En dos semanas, la junta directiva de la División Norteamericana discutirá y decidirá cómo abordar esta situación desafortunada. A su vez, la junta directiva de la Unión de Columbia se reunirá a mediados de noviembre para evaluar cómo abordaremos esta nueva realidad.

How to Help With Hurricane Michael Relief

Story by V. Michelle Bernard

Adventist Community Services (ACS) and Disaster Response (DR) volunteers continue to operate several distribution operations for relief efforts in North and South Carolina, but Hurricane Michael relief is now at the forefront. Click here for a revised list of distribution sites receiving goods (at the time of article publishing).

Bob Mitchell, Potomac Conference ACS and DR coordinator, Potomac Conference, reports on:

Courthouse Road Continues to ‘Build Bridges’

Heather Crews (right), pastor of the Courthouse Road church, baptizes Melissa Winn, who first attended a Christian movie night, one of many events the church hosts to introduce guests to Christ.

Story by Tiffany Doss

Movie and paint nights, quilling and Bible journaling, Financial Peace University seminars and concert series are just a few items on the calendar at the Courthouse Road church, located in North Chesterfield, Va., near Richmond. These events, designed to connect and “build bridges back to God”—the church’s mission statement—continue to foster relationships outside the church walls.

Hernandez-Ble Joins Pennsylvania Team

Horacio Hernandez-Ble is the new associate treasurer for the Pennsylvania Conference.

Story byTamyra Horst

The Pennsylvania Conference administrative team recently welcomed Horacio Hernandez-Ble as the new associate treasurer. A graduate of Southern Adventist University (Tenn.), Hernandez-Ble has served on the auditing staff for the General Conference Auditing Service (GCAS) and as an auditing intern for the Georgia-Cumberland Conference. He has also worked for Gospel Ministries International in McDonald, Tenn., and Mile High Academy in Highlands Ranch, Colo.