Ricardo Bacchus, Visitor newsletter and Visitor News Bulletin editor, interviewed Gwynavere Culpepper, a senior at Pennsylvania Conference’s Blue Mountain Academy in Hamburg, to see how her last semester of distance learning is going and what she’s doing to continue ministering to others.
Story by Tamyra Horst
“What’s the difference between the old church and the new church?” a member who hadn’t attended the Pottsville church for 15 years asked Pastor Alex DuBee while visiting during an evangelistic meeting.
“We are now doing the mission of God,” DuBee replied.
“I’ll never leave the church again,” she responded.
The Pottsville church now not only has a newly built facility, but a new focus. Members voted to be a part of the Faith for Family (F4F) initiative in 2018. Lisa Arosarena was assigned as their Bible instructor, fol- lowing up interests generated by a mailing the church sent to the community, while also building relationships within the community and with members who were no longer attending services.
Story by V. Michelle Bernard
“Historically, it is in crisis when the church has the most significant opportunity to live out its full mission of being the hands and feet of Jesus,” wrote Chad Stuart, senior pastor of Chesapeake Conference’s Spencerville church in Silver Spring, Md., in the church’s most recent e-newsletter. “When I say ‘the church,’ please note that I am not talking about the building, about programs, or events, or even preaching. When I say ‘the church,’ I’m speaking of the calling placed on each member to be a light of hope and help in their immediate proximity.”
Story by V. Michelle Bernard
“We believe in sharing God’s blessings with our entities,” said Columbia Union Conference Treasurer Emmanuel Asiedu. “[We] want to give $550,000 back to our entities to support the mission. [We’re] giving the money now so we can share the blessings now.”
Story by Edwin Manuel Garcia / Cover Image by Eric Kayne/AP Images
M
arco Estrada had no idea he would end up being a pastor. “As a matter of fact,” he said, “my dream was to be a soldier.”