Potomac Conference

Editorial by Charles A. Tapp

For nearly a year-and-a-half, our world, and, yes, our church, has been on a journey that even the wildest of imaginations could not have imagined. The onslaught of this global pandemic has wreaked such havoc in our lives that it has almost removed the word “normal” from our vocabularies. But despite the great sense of unimaginable loss that the COVID-19 virus has brought upon us, in many ways it has allowed the church to recapture its mission of becoming “salt and light” to a world that is in desperate need of both.

Zirkle Gym Groundbreaking, Shenandoah Valley Academy

Story by Janel Haas Ware

Keynote speaker Charles A. Tapp, president of the Potomac Conference and chairman of the Shenandoah Valley Academy (SVA) Board of Trustees, shares a message (excerpted) at the Zirkle Gymnasium Renovation Groundbreaking Ceremony, May 14, 2021:

Reflecting upon the impact Shenandoah Valley Academy has had and continues to have on the lives of students, these words of Ellen White came to mind: “Higher than the highest human thought can reach is God’s ideal for His children” (Education, p. 18).

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“Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You” (Ps. 73:25, NKJV).

It was 25 years ago, and I’ve never experienced anything like it before or since; not that anyone else hasn’t had the same issue. In my mid-30s, I experienced depression for the first time in my life. Being a very positive person who is known for my laugh and optimistic demeanor, it was such a stark contrast from my usual state of mind.

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“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand” (Isa. 41:10, NIV).

One summer, my family decided to take a road trip to Tennessee. We started off very early, and, by the time we stopped for a bathroom break, it was already noon. My sister dashed to the restroom while the line was short. By the time I got there, the line had grown, so I had to wait.

When I finished and walked back to the parking lot, to my shock and dismay, our van was nowhere in sight. After five minutes of searching for my family, panic set in. Had they left me?