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Washington Adventist University Student and Professor Receive National Recognition in Social Work

Story by Washington Adventist University Staff

The National Association of Social Workers (NASW), DC Chapter recently presented awards to a professor and student from Washington Adventist University (WAU) in Takoma Park, Md. The NASW is the largest professional association of social workers in the world, and the only organization dedicated to advocating for the entire profession of social work and the populations they serve.

Student Cindy Ascencio (pictured left) received the "Social Work Student of the Year" award for her leadership in the field of social work. She is president of WAU's social work club, is a member of the Pi Alpha National Honor Society for Social Work, and is active with the WAU Student Association.

Academies Around Columbia Union Celebrate Graduation

Shenandoah Valley Graduates celebrate their graduation weekend

A Pine Forge graduate celebrates with Nicole Hughes, principal. Photo by Lincoln Tyler FieldsStoy by V. Michelle Bernard / Photos courtesy Shenandoah Valley Academy & Lincoln Tyler Fields

Last weekend six academies from around the Columbia Union Conference celebrated graduations: Blue Mountain, Highland View, Pine Forge (pictured left), Shenandoah Valley, Spencerville and Spring Valley. Richmond and Takoma academies will hold graduations next weekend.

Academy leaders report the following graduation totals:

WGTS 91.9 Watches God Impact Hundreds at Night of Hope

Story by Lisa Krueger and Jerry Woods / Photos by Vanessa Marie Studios

A record 2,000-plus people attended WGTS 91.9 FM’s sixth annual Night of Hope, one of the station’s key evangelistic pushes. Immanuel’s Church in Silver Spring, Md., hosted. This year the event started on Friday with a special broadcast dubbed the Day of Hope.

WGTS Prayer team member Gladys Guerrero prays with a listener“Day of Hope was created specifically to allow listeners (not able to attend Night of Hope) the opportunity to be part of the celebration,” says Brennan Wimbish, WGTS program director. “We pre-recorded and took listener stories of how they'd seen hope in their lives.”

WGTS 91.9 Videographer Wins Television Award

Story by Jerry Woods / Photod by Colin Young-Wolff/Invision for the Television Academy/AP Images

Eugene Simonov, director of video and creative marketing for WGTS 91.9 and 2016 graduate of Washington Adventist University in Takoma Park, Md., was awarded second place in the 37th College Television Awards, presented by the Television Academy Foundation – Emmy, for Best TV Series – Unscripted. Simonov won as producer of the WGTS 91.9 video series, Words of Hope. The awards ceremony took place Wednesday, May 25, at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles.

Potomac Conference Names Vice President for Pastoral Ministries

The following is a statement released by the Potomac Conference.

Potomac Conference Team:

We are pleased to announce that Rick Jordan, pastor of Woodbridge (Va.) Seventh-day Adventist Church, has accepted the offer to be Potomac’s Vice President for Pastoral Ministries, starting July 1. “We are delighted to be welcoming Rick to the team,” says President Bill Miller. “He brings strong administrative skills to the table and has a passion for the local church that is very much in alignment with Potomac’s mission and vision.”

ADRA LAUNCHES CAMPAIGN IN SUPPORT OF REFUGEES

Story by Jessica Duffy

ADRA is launching a month-­long campaign  in support of refugees, beginning on May  30.  Through this campaign, ADRA will join other non-­profit organizations around the  world in showing support for refugees in the lead up to World Refugee Day June  20.  The campaign will also complement World Refugee Day Sabbath on June 18.    

In addition to showing ADRA’s support for refugees, the campaign aims to engage the  public in an open dialogue,  providing a better understanding of refugees,  and  challenging some of the prejudices and misinformation which surrounds the topic.    

Since refugees began arriving in Europe in unprecedented numbers in 2015, ADRA has been active in seven Eastern European countries, helping over 120,000  refugees.  Their dedicated staff and volunteers provided essential items including  food, winter clothing, and hygiene kits, as  well as  services such as transport,  information and translation services,  psychosocial support, and charging stations.   

The closure of European borders in March 2016 has left around 50,000 refugees  stranded in Greece. ADRA has established a presence in Greece and is responding  to some of the immediate needs of the camps in  the country’s north. The overall  project goal is the improved living conditions fo  vulnerable refugees and migrants.    

Watch the Columbia Union Conference Treasury Video

Seth Bardu, Columbia Union Conference treasurer, shares the 27th Constituency Treasurer’s Report about the work of his team during the last five years.

“Treasury is about more than managing the tithes and offerings, more than creating budgets, processing payroll and furnishing reports,” he says. “It’s about doing our part to help people gain a greater understanding of the mission and preparing them for greater service in God’s church."

View Columbia Union Constituency Meeting quotes, videos and photos on the Visitor Facebook page, Twitter and Instagram.

What is the Columbia Union?

This two-minute video provides a visual overview at the Columbia Union Conference. “We hope it will help members know who we are, where we are located, and how we serve,” says Celeste Ryan Blyden, vice president for Strategic Communication and Public Relations. “It also answers questions people have about membership, mission and the role our union plays in advancing the mission of Christ.”

Washington Adventist University Hosts Constituency Meeting

Story by Donna Bigler

Washington Adventist University (WAU) held its quinquennial Constituency Meeting  May 20, 2016 at Potomac Conference's Sligo church in Takoma Park, Md. The meeting was called to order at 9:30 a.m. by Dave Weigley, Chair of the WAU Board of Trustees and Columbia Union Conference president.  Michael Kulakov,WAU Religion professor, led the devotion and prayer.

During the meeting, new board members were nominated and approved. They included Evelyn Bata, Andre Hardy, Shawn Fordham and Donovan Ross.