Allegheny East Conference

Story by LaTasha Hewitt

Shelton Justin Stanley, a member of Allegheny East Conference's Edmondson Heights church in Baltimore, was tragically killed at the end of 2020, leaving his family, friends and church members to grieve his death. Church members reflect on the life he lived and the impact he had on so many:

“He was a motivator who ministered with passion to our children. With his many hats, he brought a level of continuity, consistency and dedication to get the job done."—Patrick Graham, Allegheny East Conference Youth and Children’s Ministries Director

Story by LaTasha Hewitt

Zina Johnson, choir director at Allegheny East Conference's Capitol Hill church in Washington, D.C., recently participated in the gospel musical Netflix docuseries, Voices of Fire. The series, produced by recording artist Pharrell Williams, follows his uncle, Ezekiel Williams, and a team of gospel leaders as they travel to Hampton Roads, Va., in search of talented singers to build a world class gospel choir.

Story by LaTasha Hewitt

Toward the end of 2019, Minnie Redcross, one of the matriarchs of the Hillside church in Harrisburg, Pa., passed away. Among those present at her funeral was her great-great-niece, Dereasha Leaks.

At the service, Leaks felt impressed by the Holy Spirit that she needed to return for a Sabbath worship service. Shortly after, she began attending services regularly. Her husband, Kevin, also enjoyed attending, and soon they began studying with one of the church elders and his wife. Eventually, Leaks decided to fully embrace the Sabbath message and requested to be baptized.

Story by LaTasha Hewitt

The Prayer Ministries team of First Church in Washington, D.C., recently dedicated their community prayer box. The concept for the box came about when the team, inspired by Hebrews 4:16, sought to connect with their community in a meaningful way. After a team member saw a “Free Book” sharing box, in which community members “take a book or leave a book,” they formulated an idea to start a community prayer box.

The group wanted a box that would be durable, weather-resistant and represent their care for the neighborhood. They ended up choosing a steel church barn mailbox, and a church member hand inscribed the calligraphy on the box.

Story by LaTasha Hewitt

In response to the pandemic, Rehoboth church members in Reading, Pa., wanted to reach their neighboring community. After assessing community needs, Catrice Davis-Ford, Rehoboth’s Adventist Community Services leader, proposed relaunching the church’s food pantry.

Davis-Ford discovered Helping Harvest, an organization that partners with churches for food distribution. To spread the word about the relaunch, members shared flyers within a five-mile radius and began preparing for the COVID-safe initiative.

Church members distributed food on the church grounds, making it safe and easy for individuals to pick up their pre-packaged boxes and keep the line moving. The meals included enough food for a family to eat for two weeks.