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OFFICE FOR REGIONAL CONFERENCE MINISTRY IN NORTH AMERICA • •
R E G I O N A L Telling Our Story SPRING 2021 https://adventistregionalministries.org
SURVIVING THE CAPITOL RIOTS— EYEWITNESS ACCOUNTS BIDEN—HARRIS NEW TEAM IN TOWN WE PAY TRIBUTE TO GREAT LIVES LIFE AFTER COVID— COMING SOON!
OAKWOOD UNIVERSITY
EMPHASIS ON
HEALTH
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EASTER SPECIAL
Breathe PODCAST
Dr. Carlton P. Byrd, Speaker
This NBC Television Special, in collaboration with the Interfaith Broadcasting Commission (IBC), features an Easter message from Dr. Carlton P. Byrd Speaker/Director of the Breath of Life Television Ministry, and special musical guests: Pastor Donnie McClurkin and the Jeremy Winston Chorale, along with actress, Crystal Day.
FEATURING Dr. Carlton P. Byrd | Host David Person | Co-Host
www.breathoflife.tv • For more information, please call 256.929.6460
Pastor Donnie McClurkin
Jeremy Winston Chorale of Ohio
Crystal Day
Watch on NBC on April 4, 2021 For a list of stations and times, call 256.929.6460 or visit breathoflife.tv
PUBLISHER’S COMMENTARY
Published by the Office for Regional Conference Ministry in the North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists 7000 Adventist Boulevard Huntsville, Alabama 35896 (256) 830-5002 Website: https://adventistregionalministries.org PUBLISHER Dana C. Edmond EDITOR Kyna Hinson ASSOCIATE EDITOR Bryant Taylor ART DIRECTOR/DESIGNER Howard I. Bullard COPY EDITOR Clarise J. Nixon CONSULTANTS Phyllis Ware Lee, Elaine Allston, Wanda Lott EDITORIAL For all correspondence and letters to the editors, write: OFFICE FOR REGIONAL CONFERENCE MINISTRY 7000 Adventist Boulevard Huntsville, Alabama 35896 or fax to (256) 830-5078 We reserve the right to publish and edit your submissions and letters.
REGIONAL CONFERENCE OFFICES
ALLEGHENY EAST CONFERENCE HENRY J. FORDHAM III, PRESIDENT LaTasha Hewitt, Communications Director P.O. Box 266 Pine Forge, PA 19548 (610) 326-4610. www.myalleghenyeast.org ALLEGHENY WEST CONFERENCE MARVIN BROWN, PRESIDENT Benia Jennings, Communications Director 1080 Kingsmill Pkwy. Columbus, OH 43229 (614) 252-5271. www.awconf.org CENTRAL STATES CONFERENCE ROGER BERNARD, PRESIDENT Brittany Winkfield, Communications Director 3301 Parallel Parkway Kansas City, KS 66104 (913) 371-1071. www.central-states.org LAKE REGION CONFERENCE R. CLIFFORD JONES, PRESIDENT Paul Young, Communications Director 8517 South State Street Chicago, IL 60619 (773) 846-2661. www.lakeregionsda.org NORTHEASTERN CONFERENCE DANIEL LAMARTINE HONORÉ, PRESIDENT JeNean A. Lendor, Communications Director 115-50 Merrick Blvd. Jamaica, NY 11434 (718) 291-8006. www.northeastern.org SOUTH ATLANTIC CONFERENCE WILLIAM L. WINSTON, PRESIDENT James Lamb, Communications Director 3978 Memorial Drive Decatur, GA 30032 (404) 792-0535. www.southatlantic.org SOUTH CENTRAL CONFERENCE BENJAMIN JONES, PRESIDENT Anthony Chornes, Communications Director 715 Youngs Lane Nashville, TN 37207 (615) 226-6500. www.scc-adventist.org SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE DR. MICHAEL OWUSU, PRESIDENT Noel Grant, Communications Director 1701 Robie Avenue Mt. Dora, FL 32757 (352) 735-3142. www.secsda.org SOUTHWEST REGION CONFERENCE CALVIN WATKINS, PRESIDENT Taryan Ramsarran, Communications Director 2215 Lanark Avenue Dallas, TX 75203 (214) 943-4491. www.southwestregion. adventistchurchconnect.org 2018 REGIONAL DIRECTORS/COORDINATORS ROSTER Virgil Childs, Director Regional Ministries Pacific Union Conference 2686 Townsgate Road Westlake Village, CA 91361 (805) 413-7100. www.puconline.org Cell: 909-225-6438 Kingsley Palmer, Vice President African American Dept. Arizona Conference Cell: 775-338-0858 | genx58@gmail.com Frederick Anderson, Coordinator African American Ministries | Central California Conference (831) 262-3838 | famar@sbcglobal.net O’Neil Madden, Coordinator African American Dept. | Nevada-Utah Conference Cell 702-875-5979 | pastoromadden@aol.com Byron Dulan, Vice President North Pacific Union Conference 5709 N. 20th Street Ridgefield, WA 98642 (360) 857-7000. www.npuc.org Robert Edwards, V.P. Black Ministries Southeastern California Conference (909) 202-0147 | kinggm@seccsda.org Royal Harrison, Director G.L.A.R. | Southern California Conference (503) 819-1498 | hroyal2@yahoo.com
Dana C. Edmond Director, Office for Regional Conference Ministry
What’s Next— A Preliminary Look at Post-COVID 19 Ministry
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or the first time, the thought is beginning that there may be a return to a semblance of normalcy sometime this year. There are vaccines and if everything goes right with the distribution (a big IF), we could return to something resembling normal. There were about a million qualifiers and caveats in that paragraph. First of all—think about where you were this time last year, in 2020. Virtually no one saw this pandemic coming. And once the pandemic hit, most people did not see its effects lasting this long. So to try to predict when things are finally going to end and what will happen next, literally, only God knows. Moreover, I think that even when and if things return to “normal,” I do not believe that things will ever be “normal” again. They will never be exactly the way things were before. But I do believe that in the absence of things going from where we are now directly into the time of trouble and the end of time (and it is fairly easy to see how that could happen), there will come a time sometime this year when COVID 19 is manageable and not killing 100,000 people a month in the United States-as it did in January. If some normalcy should finally happen, then what will our church and ministry look like and be like post-COVID 19? I do not even pretend to know—but here is one thing that I do know—and it was true before COVID 19: What kind of church we shall have then is being decided by what we do -and don’t do—now. That has always been true. As a little boy growing up as a church school student in Cleveland, Ohio, I remember one of my teachers saying, “What we are to be, we are now becoming.” And that is true. I hear a lot of people talking about how different things will be in the church when the pandemic is over. I do believe things will be different. But whether that is a “good” different or a “bad” different is something that remains to be seen. If we are going to come out of this terrible ordeal better as a church, then we have to plan what we are going to do to make things better than they were before. That is not to say that things were terrible in our church preCOVID 19. I do believe we have learned some things during COVID 19 that can make us more effective in ministry and in fulfilling the mission of the church. But applying those things will not come easily or automatically. One of my favorite expressions is: “Everyone ends up somewhere. But not everyone gets there on purpose.” To apply the hard lessons of COVID 19 is going to take what success has always taken: Intentionality and purpose. In other words, what are we going to do differently, rather than just talk about doing things differently? Here are some thoughts/ideas/ suggestions: 1. Most of us believe that ministry will be different post
COVID 19. But what does that mean? What does that look like? And what will it take for whatever changes that we believe will inevitably occur to be good changes and not bad ones? If we are talking about post-COVID 19 Ministry, then we are talking about the future. Here is what I have learned about the future: Ready or not, the future will come. We can either prepare for it now-in which case, we can help shape our future-or we can do nothing about it except talk about doing something. That means all we shall be able to do is react to the future. When COVID 19 first was discovered overseas, there were some things that could have been done to shape the course of this disease. But those things weren’t done and we have spent the past year reacting to a global pandemic. If some of the things that are being done now in reaction to COVID 19, had been done before the pandemic, there wouldn’t have been one. We either prepare for the future on the front end and help shape it. Or we can fail to prepare -and just react to it. Whatever will happen to your church or organization is being decided right now. 2. It is going to take involvement by all of us in the planning that will help shape our future. That includes the older generations in our church, the Elders and the Boomers, plus, all of the generations below them on the age scale. Why would we have a discussion about making the decisions that will shape the future of our church without including the people who are the future of our church? Most of the decisions in our church-from the local church to the General Conference are made by older people. That needs to change. And that change primarily has to be made by older people (i.e., people of my generation). And that change usually does not involve older people having to move out. All we usually have to do is move over. There is enough to do and there is enough room at the decision-making table for everyone—if we are intentional about it. Leadership author Carey Nieuwhof said, “A diversity of opinions makes for better decisions.” We need everybody. We need people who understand that everything old isn’t bad and everything new isn’t good. That before you tear down a fence, you make sure that you know why it got put up in the first place.
But we also need people who understand-as Carey Nieuwhof says: “Not every new idea is a good idea-but having no new ideas is a bad idea.” That simply saying “We’ve never done it this way before” can never be (as it is in some churches) the sole reason for not doing things a different way now. 3. It’s also going to take all of us to get involved in the funding of our church. If it’s true that most of the decisions in our church are made by older people, I suspect that most of the dollars that operate our church come from older people. Both of those things need to change. Older people need to stop assuming that younger people will do what they did-fund the church automatically and virtually unquestioningly. They won’t—and, that does not make them bad people. People ought to ask questions about their church and how it is funded. But younger people need to stop thinking that they get to support the church only when they want, at whatever level they want and only if the church does what they want. I keep hearing that younger people don’t feel motivated to give. Let’s be direct. That might fly if you were giving to man, but you’re not. You’re giving to God. It’s not about the conference--it’s about the cross. And if the cross doesn’t motivate you, in the end--nothing else really matters. That does not mean that churches, conferences and unions are not accountable for what they do with God’s money. They absolutely are. But each of us is accountable for the monies that we have. Because all of it belongs to God. The fact is that God has set aside a certain portion of whatever we have to fulfill the mission that He gave to the church: To take the gospel to all the world. Not just to your church. But to all the world. To do that requires an organization. That organization requires funding. Funding that organization requires faithfulness. And faithfulness is what God asks of all of us. And faithful is what God is to all of us. t __________________________________________________________ Dana C. Edmond, Director, Office for Regional Conference Ministry, is publisher of Regional Voice Magazine. REGIONAL VOICE
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PUBLISHER’S COMMENTARY
What’s Next—A Preliminary Look at Post-COVID 19 Ministry We may return to a semblance of normalcy sometime this year. To predict what will happen next, literally, only God knows. By Dana C. Edmond
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Oakwood University and Huntsville Hospital System to Open Community Health Venture
Construction is underway for the new Oakwood University Community Health Action Center.
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Alabama Awards Oakwood University $1.4 Million Grant
When Gov. Ivey announced the funds, President Pollard assembled a team to write the grant. Their work has paid off and Oakwood was awarded.
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Regional Conference and Regional Retirement Plan Officials Hold Winter Session Administrative officers of the nine Regional Conference met virtually for the Annual Winter Regional Conference Officers Meeting. Officers from across the North American Division joined in the sessions. Coverage by Dana C. Edmond 6
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In Transition Pastor Chanda M. Nunes Becomes Lead Pastor for Pacific Union College Church Pastor Nunes has made Seventh-day Adventist history by becoming the first female Lead, or Senior Pastor, of an institutional church in the North American Division of African descent.
REGIONAL NEWS
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South Atlantic Conference The Berean Seventh-day Adventist Church in Atlanta is installing an elevator, especially to help disabled members and senior citizens. Reported by Lessie Scurry
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South Central Conference This conference surpassed new records in tithing—during the year of a pandemic! The Oakwood University SDA Church and the Orchard Park SDA Church In Chattanooga, Tennessee were both blessed with tithe gains.
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22, 23, 24, 25, 28, 29 Dr. Esther Gill devoted her life to professional growth and development—her own, then the thousands of young people she taught as a professor in business administration. She loved and was beloved by her family, as well. Mrs. Mytonia Newman’s life was not lengthy, but was filled to the brim with well-thought-out, compassionate programs and acts of service. Mr. James Roddy trained generations of athletes, developed a strong academic curriculum, led multiple teams to national championships, shared his strong faith, loved and was loved by his family and wide circle of friends. Dean Herbert Davis worked as a church school teacher, principal, college administrator and residence hall dean of men. He poured wisdom and substance
PELC 2020 Report “Selah: Strength for the Struggle” In early 2020, the PELC planning committee, led by Dr. Jesse Wilson, began shifting toward a virtual experience that would still capture the essence of this global conference. Read all about how these proceedings were carried out. Report by LaTasha Hewitt Photography by Keith Goodman NATIONAL NEWS
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President Joseph R. Biden, Jr., and Vice President Kamala Harris Make History A new day has come. A new administration assumes power. New leaders face challenges with competence.
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Regional Conference Summit Postponed Until 2022 The Summit was to offer presentations and discussions regarding issues from the virtual Regional Conference Convocation held in July of 2020. The sessions have been rescheduled to the spring of 2022. By Dana C. Edmond
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In Transition Dr. Bryant Taylor is SAC President Bryant Taylor serves as the president of The Society of Adventist Communicators (SAC), an organization designed for the professional development, continuing education, recognition, networking, and nurturing of Christians with careers in communication.
into countless lives. Dr. Rockather Smith suffered in a segregated U. S. Army during World War II; was captured by Germans; lived to be liberated; embraced married family life; earned advanced degrees and taught chemistry to thousands. Elder Duane Thomas learned to talk and sing in public at an early age—which served him well in ministry. God blessed him with love and service to his congregations and his family. He understood and mastered pastoral care.
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Cicely Tyson This trail-blazing actress received the NAACP Image Award again and again, among many awards, because she chose and played her roles with such care. Profiles by Kyna Hinson
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ORCM Construction is Underway The Office for Regional Conference Ministry (ORCM) construction on the campus of Oakwood University has begun. Follow the progress of this building project.
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“I Could Feel His Presence” An Eyewitness Account of the Capitol Riot This U.S. Capitol staff member had transcribed thousands of words from congressional sessions—but none of them had ever threatened her very life. As told by Christina Anderson Smith
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IN TRIBUTE
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Henry Louis Aaron He rose from humble beginnings, playing with sticks and bottle caps, to break the great Babe Ruth’s home run record. Then he made history as a post-game athlete who rose in club management and as a successful business leader in his own right.
CORONA Stats Now, the U.S. has reached and surpassed the awful death toll of 500,000. Millions in this country and around the globe are still infected. Suffering from the health and economic losses remains. There is still darkness before the dawn. HOPE SERIES Sabbath After the Mayhem The Capitol was attacked by the British in the 19th century, but we have not had domestic terrorism on this level, this demonic level, in the history of our nation. Testimony by Chaplain Barry C. Black Interview conducted by Dr. Carlton P. Byrd REGIONAL VOICE
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RV COVER STORY BREAKING NEWS
Oakwood University and Huntsville Hospital System Partner to Open Community Health Venture “Huntsville Hospital Health System is very pleased to work with Oakwood University in bringing this dream to fruition. David Spillers
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n February 24, 2021, at 1:00 p.m., Oakwood University and Huntsville Hospital hosted a Lease Signing event at the Oakwood University Community Health Action Center construction site at Sparkman Drive and Bronco Circle. Huntsville Hospital will establish an ambulatory care clinic within the Health Action Center. Oakwood students, employees, as well as community residents, will have access to quality care at the walk-in clinic. Establishing this facility will also allow for continuity of care from the walk-in clinic to in-patient care at Huntsville Hospital. “Huntsville Hospital Health System is very pleased to work with Oakwood University in bringing this dream to fruition. The clinic will provide important health services to people throughout this community,” said David Spillers, CEO of Huntsville Hospital Health System. “The Community Health Action Center launches Oakwood’s community-facing phase of our nationally-recognized Healthy Campus 2020 campus wellness initiative. Our event today underscores our Healthy Campus, Healthy Community commitment to our community. This vision began with a request from yours truly to the CEO of Huntsville Hospital to consider a partnership with Oakwood in order to transform the health outcomes of Northwest Hunts-
ville. Oakwood University has been in the Huntsville community for 125 years and so has Huntsville Hospital. Together, we plan to bring health and healing to the morbidities affecting the citizens of NW Huntsville. The partnership today between Huntsville Hospital and Oakwood University is designed to improve the health status underserved citizens of the city of Huntsville," said Oakwood University President Dr. Leslie Pollard. “The completion of Oakwood’s 10,000 square foot Community Health Action Center will not only deliver health care on one side of our facility, but the other side of our facility will house real-life service learning activities for our students and faculty as they deliver health education, nutrition education, job skills training, and the services of our Mobile Food Market. Faculty are already planning life-skills classes and after-school learning supports to children. We look forward to our Grand Opening during the first week of June 2021," he continued. “Today, we are pleased to sign this agreement with our partner, the Huntsville Hospital System, as a symbol of our shared care for our community,” Dr. Pollard concluded. t REGIONAL VOICE
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FINANCIAL AWARD
Alabama Awards Oakwood University $1.4 Million Grant in Funds from The CARES Act When Governor Ivey asked the public to submit suggested areas of impact to respond to the disruption of the Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic in early June 2020, President Leslie Pollard quickly appointed a team of Oakwood University administrators to create the request for grant support.
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labama Governor Kay Ivey announced on Thursday, September 10, 2020, that $72.34 million of the CARES Act funding for higher education institutions would be awarded. When Governor Ivey asked the public to submit suggested areas of impact to respond to the disruption of the Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic in early June 2020, President Leslie Pollard quickly appointed a team of Oakwood University administrators to create the request for grant support. The three writers were Dr. John Anderson, Associate Provost; Dr. Prudence Pollard, VP for Research and Faculty Development; and Ms. Sabrina Cotton, VP for Financial Administration. Their work has paid off, and Oakwood was named an awardee of $1,455,632. "I am grateful for the support of our rapid-response team of administrators, as well as the Grants and Research Office, and our Office of Development in the Division of Advancement. We are also grateful for the support of Governor Ivey, our Assembly representatives, and our Senators in the Alabama Legislature," said Dr. Leslie Pollard. "This grant funding will facilitate Oakwood's continuing educational impact on our students, and on the citizens in our community." The State of Alabama has allotted $1.8 billion for the Coronavirus Relief Fund as one of the provisions for the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The CARES Act requires that the payments from the Coronavirus Relief Fund only be used to cover expenses that are necessary expenditures incurred due to the public health emergency with respect to COVID-19. Oakwood University requested reimbursement and financial support from Governor Ivey to address the past and future impact of COVID-19 on the University, its students, the community, and the ability of our HBCU to continue its educational mission, which now includes the innovative mission of the Alabama School of Cyber Technology and Engineering, and the building of our off-campus Community Health Action Center and Clinic. "In our requests, we chose potential ini-
Governor Kay Ivey
When Governor Ivey asked the public to submit suggested areas of impact to respond to the disruption of the Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic in early June 2020, President Leslie Pollard quickly appointed a team of Oakwood University administrators to create the request for grant support. tiatives intended to make maximum impact on our campus and the Huntsville community. The economic situation of our Northwest Huntsville zip code 35896 and 35810 is significantly disadvantaged, with 33 percent of the residents listing no income” observed President Pollard. This grant will support: • the delivery of healthcare and related services to citizens of North Alabama; • our partnership of the Alabama School
Dr. Leslie Pollard
Dr. Prudence Pollard
Dr. John Anderson
Ms. Sabrina Cotton
of Cyber Technology and Engineering; • the Alabama Department of Public Health’s social distancing guidelines; and • technology and infrastructure expenditures related to remote/online instruction and learning.
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akwood University is a member of the Alabama Association of Independent Colleges and Universities that serves 25,000 students. The Alabama Independent Colleges will receive $20,000,000. In addition, the Alabama Community College System will receive $27,345,000, and Alabama Public Four-Year Institutions will receive $25,000,000.
The Alabama Association of Independent Colleges and Universities President Paul Hankins said, “The additional support is greatly appreciated in this unprecedented time of financial need. These funds will go a long way to ensure our schools can remain open. Our colleges have done everything necessary to keep their students safe and on campus.” “We are grateful and give glory to God for this external funding that will help fuel the mission of Oakwood University,” said President Pollard. t _____________________________________ This original report was written for Inside Oakwood, September 2020. Reprinted with permission. REGIONAL VOICE
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OFFICE OF GRADUATE EDUCATION
OAKWOOD UNIVERSITY OFFERS FOUR MASTERS DEGREES by John Anderson, Ph.D.
In alignment with its mission to transform students through biblically-based education for service to God and humanity, Oakwood University currently offers four graduate programs: • The Master of Arts in Pastoral Studies (MAPS) is a professional degree designed to foster the spiritual development and integrative practical skills of pastors and lay leaders, with emphasis on the development of Christian identity, integrity, and service to others.
MASTER YOUR NEXT MOVE By enrolling in one of Oakwood University’s graduate degree programs: • Master of Public Health • Master of Arts in Urban Ministries • Master of Business Administration • Master of Arts in Pastoral Studies
ACCESSIBLE Online/Distance Learning available
ACCELERATED Complete degree in 18 Months to two years
AFFORDABLE Competitive pricing/Financial Aid available
Contact Oakwood University:
w gradadmissions@oakwood.edu # graduate.oakwood.edu 8 256.726.8091
• The Master of Arts in Urban Ministry (MAUM) is both a professional and academic degree that emphasizes the role of the Christian Church in ministry in and for the urban community. The MAPS and MAUM degrees are offered in hybrid formats where students complete elements of the coursework online (asynchronously) as well as in real-time settings (synchronously). Both degrees can be completed in as little as 18 months. • The Master of Public Health (MPH) degree prepares current or prospective health professionals with knowledge for providing innovative evidence-based nutrition education to diverse communities. Graduates will be able to articulate cultural approaches to food, nutrition and health with an emphasis on plant-based diets; assess population needs; and evaluate programs and health policies. • The Master of Business Administration in Leadership (MBA) degree is designed for anyone desiring to effectively meet the challenges of the global marketplace with application of sound ethical leadership and management principles, as well as practical skills for using a research-driven approach to address an array of leadership and management issues. The MBA and MPH degrees are offered fully online and can be completed in as little as 18 months. If you have any questions, contact Kenesha Bennett, '16, at (256) 726-8091. Click here to apply to Oakwood University’s Graduate programs, and send the required documents by email to: gradadmissions@oakwood.edu, or by U.S. mail to Office of Graduate Education Oakwood University 7000 Adventist Blvd. Huntsville, AL 35896 ___________________________________ Dr. John Anderson is the Dean of the School of Business, and Assistant Provost for Graduate Education and Distance Learning, at Oakwood University.
WINTER REGIONAL SESSION
ORCM, RCRP Boards Meet for Winter Regional Officers Meeting Reported by DANA C. EDMOND
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he Administrative officers of the nine Regional Conferences met virtually on January 25-27, 2021, for the Annual Winter Regional Conference Officers Meeting. They were joined by Dr. G. Alexander Bryant, President, North American Division (NAD), Dr. Kyoshin Ahn, Executive Secretary, NAD, Dr. Leslie N. Pollard, President, Oakwood University, Dr. Carlton P. Byrd, Senior Pastor, Oakwood University and Speaker/Director, Breath of Life, Attorney Carmela Monk Crawford, Editor, Message Magazine, Elder Patrick Graham, Youth Director, Allegheny East Conference, Pastor Chanda Nunes, Lead Pastor, Pacific Union College, as well as Elder Virgil Childs, Vice President for Regional Ministries, Pacific Union, Elder Byron Dulan, Vice President, North Pacific Union and Dr. Ken Manders, President, Bermuda Conference (the latter three are members of the Regional Presidents Council). Beginning with the January meeting, this group meets four times each year to receive reports from the various entities, for training and for sessions to advance the work in Regional Conferences of the North American Division. The pandemic has temporarily thwarted the group from meeting physically, as it has affected ongoing business globally. Ms. Melonie Gurley, Executive Assistant to the Office for Regional Ministries (ORCM) Director, led a team consisting of Mrs. Michelle Pruitt, Administrative Assistant for the Regional Conference Retirement Plan (RCRP), Ms. Wanda Lott, Office Receptionist and Treasury Assistant and Ms. Courtney Curtis, Graduating Senior, Oakwood University, who addressed the logistics of this virtual meeting. They set up virtual meeting rooms. Participants were able to enter and exit these rooms smoothly, and could come together in the main meeting room as well. The meeting began with devotions each morning. Typically, these thoughts are given by a Regional Conference President, a Regional Conference Secretary/VP for Administration and a guest. This year’s devotional speakers were: Dr. Michael Owusu, President, Southeastern Conference; Pastor Chanda Nunes, Lead Pastor, Pacific Union College Church (please see our In Transition feature) and Dr. Oswald Euell, Executive Secretary, Northeastern Conference. After the devotions on Monday and Tuesday, the groups went into their various caucuses for specific discussions that pertained to them. The Presidents Council was led by Elder William L. Winston, President, South Atlantic and the President of the Regional Presidents Council and Elder Dana C. Edmond, Executive Director, ORCM. These leaders met with the NAD Administrative team, led by Dr. Bryant and included Dr. Ahn as well. The Regional Conference Secretaries/Vice Presidents (VPs) for Administration Caucus was led by Elder Cryston Josiah, VP for Administration, Central States Conference. The Treasurers/VPs for Finance Caucus was led by Elder Yvonne Collins, Treasurer, Lake Region Conference. After a day and a half of individual officer caucuses, the entire 14
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Dr. G. Alexander Bryant
Dr. Leslie Pollard
Attorney Carmela Monk Crawford
Pastor Chanda Nunes
Elder Byron Dulan
Dr. Ken Manders
Dr. Kyoshin Ahn
Dr. Carlton P. Byrd
Elder Patrick Graham
Elder Virgil Childs
Elder William L. Winston
Dr. William T. Cox
group met on Tuesday afternoon for the ORCM Board Meeting. The overall group received institutional reports (Oakwood University, Breath of Life, Message Magazine); the reports of the Secretaries Caucus and the Treasurers Report. The Secretaries Report shared the total membership of Regional Conferences, standing at 323,000. Baptisms for 2020 were obviously impacted by the coronavirus and the closure of virtually all Regional Conference churches for most of the year. Still, nearly 4,000 individuals were added to Regional Conference churches in 2020, led by Southeastern Conferences at 1,300 baptisms. The Treasurers Caucus report showed that despite the closure of Regional Conferences, God’s people returned approximately $190 million in tithe, which is nearly 97 percent of the tithe returned in 2019. This is truly a miraculous move of God, as: 1. The coronavirus hit communities of color disproportionately. 2. The two largest Regional Conferences are on the East
Coast of the U.S., where the pandemic hit first. 3. At the time the pandemic hit, more than 60 percent of Regional Conference churches were not set up for on-line giving. Five of the nine Regional Conferences reported tithe gains, led by South Central Conference’s nearly $2 million tithe gain-the largest tithe gain in their history-which came in a pandemic, with churches closed for ten months. South Central’s tithe gain was the fourth largest tithe gain in the North American Division-which includes 58 conferences. Other conferences reporting tithe gains included Allegheny West, Lake Region, South Atlantic and Southeastern. The Black Adventist Youth Director’s Asso-
ciation (BAYDA),and the ORCM Executive Director also submitted reports. On Wednesday, ORCM appropriated time for the Regional Conference Retirement Plan (RCRP). Dr. William T. Cox led this session, his first formal meeting since becoming Executive Director after Elder Joseph McCoy, who retired December 31, 2020. Newly elected RCRP Board Chair, Elder Calvin Watkins, President, Southwest Region also attended. The RCRP Board closed the 2021 Winter Regional Conference Officers Meetings. t ________________________________________ Dana C. Edmond, Director of the Office for Regional Conference Ministry, (ORCM), is also publisher of Regional Voice Magazine.
Elder Dana C. Edmond
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IN TRANSITION
IN TRANSITION
Dr. Bryant Taylor Serves as Communication Organization President
Pastor Chanda M. Nunes Receives Historic Call—
Lead Pastor for Pacific Union CollegeChurch
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n July 1, 2020, Pastor Chanda Nunes made Seventh-day Adventist history by becoming the first female Lead, or Senior Pastor, of an institutional church in the North American Division of African descent. An institutional church is one that is connected to an institution—often educational, and often a college or a university. Almost always, those churches are the largest and wealthiest in terms of tithe in their respective conferences. For example, the Oakwood University Church is the largest tithe church in the Regional Conference work. Once upon a time, even in recent history, these churches were led by older men, such as the late, legendary Elder E.C. Ward, of the Oakwood University Church. But all of Pastor Nunes’ ministry has found her being placed in groundbreaking, mold-breaking assignments. It began for her in Toronto, Canada, where she was born of “two, God-fearing, Jamaica-born parents.” At age 9, she felt a call to the ministry. Adults supported her in recognizing that call by affirming God’s call on her life. This in itself was groundbreaking in those early days of women in ministry. She graduated from what is now Burman University (then Canadian University College), with a degree in Theology. Her first assignment came when she was hired by the Alberta Conference. 16
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After completing her Master of Divinity Degree from Andrews Theological Seminary, she was called of God in 2008 to be the first black pastor in the history of the Kansas-Nebraska Conference and the first black female pastor in the history of the Mid-American Union. After serving there for seven years, she accepted a call to the Northern California Conference where she was once more the first black female pastor in the history of that conference. The pastorate of the Pacific Union College Church had been open for approximately one year. It was at This time last year, while attending PELC, that the Lord revealed to her that His next assignment for her would be another first—a string of them, in fact: The first black Senior Pastor of the Pacific Union College Church and the first female Senior Pastor of the church. Sure enough, on the flight home, she received a text from the President of the Northern California Conference, Dr. Marc Woodson, asking her if she would be interested in being considered. She answered in the affirmative, and the rest is history. Pastor Nunes—who was ordained in 2018—leads a pastoral staff of five at the
B Pacific Union College Church. The tithe of the Pacific Union College Church would place it among the 20 largest tithe churches among Regional congregations if her church were in a Regional Conference. Though the pandemic has required her to lead in a different way, it seems obvious that the Lord has been leading her all of her life for this moment and to this assignment. What history will she and the Lord make next? t
ryant Taylor serves as the president of The Society of Adventist Communicators (SAC). Prior to this he served as the general vice president for a term. SAC is an organization designed for the professional development, continuing education, recognition, networking, and nurturing of Christians with careers in communication. He has accepted this role to continue the legacy of those who preceded him by providing leadership for the development of Adventist communicators. He oversees a board of 17 highly qualified communicators who live the values of the society. The SAC organization hosts an annual convention to foster fellowship among communicators from around the world and their development of ties with each other. There is special emphasis on networking for college students. They are encouraged to meet with professionals in the field, hoping to result in at least one student leaving with a job and others following up with their new contacts after graduation. Bryant’s goal is to expand SAC beyond the circle of denominational employees to reach and target communication professionals who do not work for the church. As with all annual conventions and meetings due to COVID 19, the 2020 convention sessions were virtual, but still attracted many in that target group that Bryant hopes to reach. One of the many lessons for us from the pandemic is the value of the Adventist creative community. There is now a genuine appreciation for those who share their gifts and talents in communication, media and technology with the church. It is the creative ones who have sustained the church
and allowed it to flourish. As one with a long standing love of communication technology, this is Bryant’s passion. He purposes to partner with others in the communication field to expand as many gifts and talents as possible. t _____________________ Bryant Taylor, D.Min., is President of the Society of Adventist Communicators, a professional organization with a global reach. He is the Worship and Media Pastor at the Azure Hills Seventh-day Adventist Church in California. He also serves as the Associate Editor of Regional Voice Maga-
zine. In all of these roles, Dr. Taylor has carefully trained and mentored scores of young, aspiring communication professionals ranging from the junior high level to college.
SOCIETY OF ADVENTIST COMMUNICATORS MISSION To nurture the professional growth of communicators in a spiritual and social environment. VISION To expand and strengthen our global network by developing leaders who pursue excellence in communication. VALUES We value... • Every communication/media profession as a holy calling • The gospel commission as a call to action and involvement in our community • Excellence and integrity in all communication • Diversity of persons, precepts and expression • Cooperation and fellowship among all Adventist communicators • Freedom to communicate in an open climate • Respect and support for fellow communicators, whatever the medium, whomever the employer
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REGIONAL NEWS SOUTH ATL ANTIC
Berean SDA Church in Atlanta Breaks Ground for Elevator By LESSIE SCUR RY
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he Berean Seventh-day Adventist Church in Atlanta, Georgia, recently held a historical groundbreaking ceremony for an elevator that will enhance the church experience for countless members and visitors for years to come. Under the leadership of Senior Pastor Sherwin Jack, Ph.D., and with the support of the South Atlantic Conference, the 58-year-old, three-story building will be retrofitted with an elevator that could comfortably accommodate up to six people. The project is poised to allow senior citizens and physically challenged attendees to finally see parts of the church that they couldn’t access since the building’s purchase almost 22 years ago. Pastor Jack said, “We trust that it will be a blessing not only for the near future but in going forward to enhance what we do at the Berean SDA Church.” Because the socially-distanced ceremony was held during the Corona pandemic, it was live-streamed. Those in attendance included South Atlantic Conference president, William Winston; Berean associate pastor, Gregory Saunders; first elder, Michael Spann; head deacon, Sam Palmer; Senior Ministries leader and local elder, Dorothy Mants; Disabilities Ministries leader, Joann Dickson-Smith; project advocate and deacon, Norman Smith, and project manager and deacon, Kenneth Frazier.
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Bookmarks with artist renderings were distributed to commemorate the occasion. Elder Mants spoke on behalf of the seniors, stating how the elevator will eliminate their fear of falling on stairs. The installation will also improve their level of participation in church activities. The six-month project is scheduled for completion in July 2021. God has shown His hand in the process. The project received approval of the Atlanta Urban Design Commission (known to be stern), with no discussion or questions. The general contractor held the lowest bid well past its expiration date. A glitch at the City of Atlanta provided just enough time for the permitting process to be completed without having to start it all over again. Deacons Frazier and Smith have been involved with making this vision a reality ever since members of the Elder and Deacon Boards joined forces in 2006 to explore its feasibility. But it wasn’t until recently, with the help of the church’s R3 Project Committee, that plans gained traction. Deacon Frazier said he's stuck with the vision all these years because of what he’s witnessed on those Sabbaths when he was assisting churchgoers into and out of the building. “While helping them, I’d see them struggling to get up steps, struggling to get down steps, every single Sabbath,” he said. “That’s what helped me to push this.” t
Dr. Sherwin Jack
Elder William Winston
____________________________________ Leslie Scurry is Communication Press Secretary for the Berean Seventh-day Adventist Church in Atlanta, Georgia, as assigned by Urick LaDonis, Berean Communication Director.
EVENT PHOTOS BY BRIDGETTE MACK, BEREAN PHOGRAPHY TEAM.
Berea SDA Church, Atlanta, Georgia
Elder Gregory Saunders
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REGIONAL NEWS
SOUTH CENTRAL
Praising God in the Pandemic—
A RECORDBREAKING YEAR IN TITHE
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e have learned many lessons in the past 12 tumultuous months of the COVID 19 pandemic. One of the most valuable is that no matter what the circumstances, God takes care of His church. Approximately $2.5 billion was returned to God by His people in tithe in the year 2019. This funds the church on all levels (though the bulk of the funding of the local church comes via giving by the local member to what is often referred to as “Church Expense.”) Up until the time of COVID 19, the bulk of that tithe came into the coffers of the church during the portion of the Sabbath worship service devoted to, in Adventist vernacular, “the lifting of the tithe and offering.” But what happens when there is no Sabbath worship service, at least-not an in-person service? That has been the case in the vast majority of the 1,200 plus churches in Regional Conferences. The easy answer is “Online giving.” But at the time the COVID 19 pandemic hit and churches closed, more than 60 percent of all Regional Conference churches did not have online giving capacity. Another answer is simply this: God took care of His church. He used His people and influenced them by His Spirit to come up with innovative methods. But in the end, it was God’s doing. God particularly blessed the South Central Conference, under the leadership of President Benjamin Jones, Jr., and his administrative team, Executive Secretary, Dr. John S.Nixon, and Trea-
Oakwood University Church
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Benjamin Jones, Jr.
John S. Nixon
surer, Mrs. Sonja M. Crayton. In 2020, the Lord gave them, despite a pandemic, the largest tithe gain in the history of the conference—a gain of nearly $2 million. This was the fourth largest tithe gain in the North American Division (NAD) in 2020. The Lord especially blessed two of the churches in South Central relative to tithe: the Oakwood University SDA Churchwhich had a tithe gain of more than $750,000. To put that in perspective, the Oakwood University Church’s gain last year was larger than the total yearly tithe of approximately 97 percent of all Regional Conference churches in 2020. The Orchard Park SDA Church In Chattanooga, Tennessee
Sonja M. Crayton
was also blessed with a tithe gain. The Orchard Park Church gain of $140,000 continued a powerful trend. The tithe of this church has nearly doubled in four years, coming to a total last year of nearly $850,000. In speaking with Oakwood University Senior Pastor and Breath of Life Speaker/Director, Dr. Carlton P. Byrd, he listed several reasons (the blessing of God was obviously the first reason in the case of both churches). • The faithfulness of the Oakwood University membership • The maturation of members who had been baptized over the past several years (Oakwood has led all Regional Confer-
Orchard Park Church
ences churches in baptisms over the past several years) • The Oakwood University Church demographics have shifted over the years (As the faithful stalwart members of the past have passed away, a group of young professionals has arisen with equal faithfulness.) • The Children’s Ministry (led by Pastor Marc Raphael and the renowned “Oaktown” productions, and the Youth Ministry, led by Pastor Jason North. They minister to the children of the aforementioned young professionals. • The Online Media Ministry To his credit, Dr. Byrd transparently shared that there were two one-time gifts that aided this nearly unprecedented tithe gain. But even minus those one-time gains, the Lord blessed Oakwood to have a very substantial tithe gain--one that still would have been among the largest of any Regional Conference. Another large tithe increase came from the Orchard Park SDA Church in Chattanooga, Tennessee, where Elder Troy Brand is the Senior Pastor. He shared that God had blessed Orchard Park in the following ways, contributing to their amazing tithe growth: • The foundation laid by his three immediate predecessors: Elder Samuel Thomas, Jr., Elder Seth Yelorda and Elder Martin Lister. • Community Outreach Ministries, such as “Getting Ahead” and “Compassion Weekly.” • Transparency with the congregation via regular church business meetings (relative to what was being contributed and how it was being spent.) • Successful Building Projects that addressed some needed improvements. (The remodeling of the kitchen; repairing of the roof and the remodeling of the sanctuary.) • A partnership with the television ministry “It Is Written,” (where one of their ministry project locations was done in Orchard Park.) The blessings in giving have not been limited to the tithe alone. Local giving has substantially increased at Orchard Park as well. While the tithe has nearly doubled (81 percent ) in the past four years; local giving has increased 51 percent over that same time period. To God be the glory for the great things that He has done and is doing at the Oakwood University Church and at Orchard Park. t
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IN MEMORIAM
IN MEMORIAM
ESTHER NAOMI GILL 1932 | 2021
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r. Esther Naomi Gill lived an amazing life full of service. She was born on January 31, 1932 in Penn Yan, a small town near the Finger Lakes in up-state New York, roughly 50 miles from Rochester. Esther Gill was the fourth child of seven born to Robert and Mable (Walker) Gill. Dr. Gill is preceded in death by Robert and Mable Gill (parents), Robert Gill Jr. (brother), Ravynnia Brock (sister), Theresa Brown (sister), and Irvin Gill (brother). Education would prove to be a driving force in Esther’s life. She graduated from Penn Yan High School. She continued her intellectual pursuits at the Rochester Business Institute (RBI), graduating and receiving her certification in administrative competencies (i.e. typing, dictation, shorthand, and secretarial proficiency). Upon completing her studies at RBI, she went on the pursue her baccalaureate degree from Oakwood College, graduating in 1953. She completed a Master’s degree from Temple University and went on to complete a doctoral program at the University of Tennessee – Knoxville, receiving a Doctorate in Education in Computer Science. Following her matriculation on the beautiful campus of Oakwood College, Esther began her career in service, accepting a position with the Riverside Sanitarium in Nashville, Tennessee, distinguished as the first black Seventh-day Adventist medical facility. Dr. Gill served as secretary for the Treasurer/Business Manager, Frank Jones. At the conclusion of her duties at the Riverside Hospital, Dr. Gill began what would become the guiding passion of her life, the education of young black men and women, imparting business skills and Christian values. That burgeoning life pursuit began to take shape when she accepted the position of faculty member at Pine Forge Academy, then Pine Forge Institute in 1953. Esther served for nine years in various capacities including instructor and as the school’s Registrar. Many students remember her leadership as Senior Class Sponsor for the class of 1954 and the class of 1960. After completing her time at Pine Forge Academy, she began her 40 years of service at Oakwood University (1962-2002), where she was a Professor in the Depart-
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ment of Business Administration and Technology, instructing students in Accounting, Computer Literacy, and Business Math, among other courses. Dr. Gill retired from Oakwood University in 2002, accumulating close to 50 years in church service. Esther was extremely engaged in her church. She was a long-time member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, attending Oakwood University Church and New Life SDA Church in Huntsville, Alabama. She was a Master Guide and served as Pathfinder Director for the Oakwood Pathfinders. Dr. Gill ministered in song as a member of the Oakwood University Church Chorale and participated in the Bell Choir. She also served in the treasury department. Esther served on the Church Board as Head Treasurer and Assistant Head Treasurer at the New Life SDA Church for several terms. As a strong and committed believer in Christian education, Dr. Gill demonstrated her generosity by providing tuition assistance to numerous students in their educational pursuits through Pine Forge Academy, Oakwood Academy, and Oakwood University. Esther loved her family and her family adored her. Esther treasured family, laughed easily, loved playing games, and enjoyed the outdoors. She never missed a family reunion, family camping trips, graduations, little league baseball games, recitals, or birthday parties. Oh, how she blessed our lives! On December 1, 2020, Dr. Esther Gill’s journey ended while resting comfortably in her home in Huntsville, Alabama. Dr. Gill leaves to cherish her memory: her brother Dr. Conrad Gill, her loving sister-in-law Mildred Gill, and her brother John Gill; nephews and nieces: Charles Banks, Kymberlaine Banks, Darryl Banks, Philip Saulsbury (Adrienne), Garth Brown, Lamont Parker, Jennifer Gill Fordham (Furman), Shelton Gill (Della), Keith Gill, Pamela Harraway (Curtis), Wendye Gill, Hansel Gill (Arnissa), Rashida Dossman, and Ariana Gill, as well as a host of grandnieces, grandnephews, friends, colleagues, and loved ones. t __________________________________________________________ Regional Voice Magazine offers special thanks to the family of Dr. Esther Gill for this tribute. May the works she has done speak for her.
MYTONIA HARTLEA NEWMAN 1977 | 2020
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n November 7, 1977, God blessed Anthony and Sonya Paul with the birth of a baby girl, Mytonia. With both of them coming from large families of mostly boys, they already had a boy’s name picked out. The baby was to be named Hartley after Anthony's younger brother. However, Sonia quickly changed it to the middle name of Hartlea. Kudos to Mrs. Zeola Allston, Mytonia’s multigrade, third grade to fifth grade teacher, whose love and commitment was dedicated to academic excellence. These qualities developed Mytonia into a well-rounded intellectual who could interject her thoughts on any topic. She was an active participant in all school activities. Mytonia's administrative skills were further noted as she successfully won the nomination for senior class president in 1995. After being in Christian education from grades K through 12, she completed undergraduate studies at Oakwood University. She continued in Christian education, enrolling at Loma Linda University, where and completed a master’s degree in public health. One of the highlights of her matriculation in graduate school was a required trip to Cuba to review the Cuban public health system. It was at Loma Linda University that she met the love of her life, Naeem Newman, a second year medical student. On August 31, 2003, the couple sealed their vows in holy matrimony. With Naeem’s having completed the requirements for a medical degree, the newlyweds were off to begin a surgical residency at the Washington Hospital Center in Washington, D.C. Mytonia was very ministry-minded. As public health coordinator for the Washington, D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services, she successfully developed “Street Calls,” a service designed to reduce non-emergency 911 calls. While at Howard University she developed a program for a level one trauma center. Her job description for this service was to prevent traumas by injury and violence prevention. She was successful in assisting cancer patients
to make simple, beneficial diet changes. She trained and instructed believers and nonbelievers referred by her surgeon husband with tools for healthy living through diet. Food demonstrations were her specialty. She and her husband were a team and they believed in saving souls for God's kingdom through a weekly Bible study in their home. Another project she maintained for the past three years was the Christmas Wish List for The Children's Home (a residential care facility for youth) in Catonsville, Maryland. Mytonia ensured that whatever it took, each wish list was satisfied. She was always one who cared for “the least of these” – a trait she learned from Jesus and her earthly dad. That's how she was — compassionate, kind to strangers, loving, and a witness to others! It would be nothing for Mytonia to pay for the groceries of a stranger. “You may add whatever you need to my bill,” she’d say. Mytonia enjoyed traveling with her family and friends, to such places as St. Lucia, Dominican Republic, Aruba, Italy, Nassau, Martha’s Vineyard, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Bermuda, and South Africa. Mytonia lived a full life and she was very ready! Her service on earth was complete. She fulfilled God’s purpose for her life on earth as a caterer while serving “the least of these.” She looked forward to Jesus’ coming—any day now. It is our prayer that when she hears the sound of the final trumpet, she will see all of her family, friends, and loved ones in God’s eternal kingdom. She leaves to be inspired by our blessed hope, her husband Naeem; her father, Anthony; her mother, Sonia; and a host of family, friends and loved ones. t ________________________________________________________ Regional Voice Magazine offers special thanks to the family of Mytonia Newman for this tribute. Her kind heart and faithful spirit will be greatly missed. REGIONAL VOICE
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IN MEMORIAM
IN MEMORIAM
JAMES ALLEN RODDY 1941 | 2020
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ames Allen Roddy was born July 5, 1941, to Dr. James Wade and Mrs. Helen Jean Roddy in Charlotte North Carolina. Raised in Richton, Mississippi, he attended Southern Missionary College (now Southern Adventist University) in Collegedale, Tennessee. At Southern, he met the love of his life, Norma Jean. Their marriage, which lasted more than 55 years, began August 15, 1955. That same year he earned his undergraduate degree at the University of Southern Mississippi (USM) and accepted a faculty position at Oakwood College (now Oakwood University) in Huntsville, Alabama. At his beloved Oakwood, Coach Roddy established the Physical Education Department, intramurals and the intercollegiate sports program. While teaching, he continued his education, earning his Master of Education Degree from USM. He devoted 52 years to teaching and coaching at Oakwood. He helped with the development of a cooperative Physical Education Program with Alabama A&M University in 1986, and subsequently in the development of Oakwood’s Physical Education Major in 1988. In the course of his tenure, he served as the Oakwood Athletic Director, a member of the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education, and in 2003 was a member of the committee that established guidelines for Seventh-day Adventist athletes. In 2007 he fulfilled his life-long dream of developing a competitive athletic program at Oakwood by joining the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) in seven states. Oakwood teams won the National USCAA Basketball Championships in 2008, 2012 and 2016. Before retiring in 2017, he professed that it had been his true honor to serve Oakwood University, witness to the students and lead by example. Despite a vast array of accomplishments and awards bestowed
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upon him, James’ greatest love in life was God. He enjoyed speaking with the Lord frequently and journaling most of his prayers. In sharing this passion for God with his wife, they shared it with their children and extended it to the athletes and students they held dear in their hearts. As an active Elder and Sabbath School Teacher at the Oakwood University Church, he modeled God’s love through servant leadership and engaging lesson studies. He was a godly man; a devoted husband, father, grandfather, mentor and friend. After a month-long fight with COVID-19, Coach Roddy, age 79, died Thursday, December 31, 2020, with his wife holding his hand at his bedside. Preceding him in death were his parents, two sons, Landon and Brenden, and his sister Carolyn. He is survived by his faithful and loving wife, Norma Jean, and their five children: Jordan (Gilda), Jamie (Stephen), Jeramy (Premala), Carie (Anthony) and Katie (Josia). He will be greatly missed by his nine grandchildren: Lea, Gisele, Charlize, James, Jude, Brooks, Brayden, Ella, Mary Brenden and Bronson. He will also be fondly remembered by his brother, Charles, as well as countless relatives, friends, colleagues and students. To honor Coach Roddy, we celebrate his life reflecting on his devotion to God, dedication to his family, students and friends, along with his many accomplishments. Despite his absence, the best way to honor Coach Roddy’s legacy is to meet him when the Lord returns. As a trailblazing coach, the “Crown of Life” still remains the ultimate championship prize. t __________________________________________________________ Regional Voice Magazine offers special thanks to the Roddy family for this tribute. Our faithful colleague and friend, Coach Roddy, will be sorely missed by many.
Herbert Melvin Davis 1929 | 2021
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erbert Melvin Davis was born on January 17, 1929, to the late Eddie and Rosa Lee Davis of Tampa, Florida. Herbert, along with many of his family members, was baptized at the Mt. Calvary Seventh-day Adventist Church in Tampa. He was educated in the Tampa Public School System. While in high school, Herbert played on the football team. He graduated from Milton High School in 1947. In August of 1947, his dad gave him and his brother, Oliver Sr., each one-way train tickets to attend Oakwood College in Huntsville, Alabama. It was there that Elder Davis began showing his leadership skills when he served as Student Government (United Student Movement, USM) President. His experiences at Oakwood changed his life and opened up a window of opportunity for Herbert to become the man who helped empower thousands of youthful lives. Herbert went on to receive graduate degrees from Morgan State University, Texas Southern University, and North Carolina A&T University. He served our country in the United States Army and was honorably discharged. On March 29, 1953, Herbert married Irmalene “Irma” E. Gibbons of Cincinnati, Ohio. The couple met during their days at Oakwood College. They were blessed to have twin sons, Eric and Earl, who were the joy of their lives. Irma, who Herbert affectionately called “Sweetie,” and “Baby Doll,” passed away on April 3, 2018. Throughout their 65 years of marriage, they were a fun couple who poured love into their family and all who came in contact with them throughout their many years of service in Christian education. Dean Herbert Davis dedicated his life to Seventh-day Adventist education. He served as the principal of Baltimore Junior Academy in Maryland. He was called twice to work at Pine Forge Academy in Pennsylvania, where he was Dean of Boys at Handy and Jefferson Halls. There, he was also known for planning and presenting excellent Adventist Youth Programs every Sabbath afternoon. Dean Davis was also an excellent disciplinarian with a voice tone that commanded respect and obedience. He provided a positive father
image to male youth in the dormitories and was loved by the students. Dean Davis was also called to serve in Greensboro, North Carolina, as principal of the East Market Street Seventh-day Adventist Junior Academy, now the N. B. Smith Academy. Under his leadership, the school greatly expanded, especially the kindergarten classrooms. He then went on to serve as principal of the Berean Junior Academy in Charlotte, North Carolina. He also taught at schools in Savannah, Georgia, Mobile, Alabama, Houston, Texas, and in various locations in South Carolina. In 1986, he accepted a call to become Dean of Men at Cunningham Hall at Oakwood, where he served for several years. During this time, Herbert also served as an Elder at the Oakwood University Church. He left an example as a worker who believed in excellence without excuses. He had the ability to speak truth to power, along with a unique way of encouraging his students, faculty members and friends. He was a master gardener who loved this work. He also had gifted hands in painting and home repairs. One of Herbert Davis’ favorite phrases was “These are the last days!” On January 16, 2021, just hours before his 92nd birthday, Elder Davis passed away in Huntsville. Cherishing his memory are his two sons, Eric Davis and Earl Davis of Huntsville; his brother Dr. Oliver Davis, Sr., of Huntsville; his sister-in-law, Mrs. Delores B. Davis, of Tampa; his grandson, Eric Davis, Jr.; Eric’s mother, Connie Davis, both of Huntsville; his aunt, Mrs. Amanda Girtman of Cairo, Georgia, and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, former students, church members and friends. The family is grateful to Mr. and Mrs. Patrick Douglas for the many years of care they gave to Herbert and Irma Davis, along with the care provided by Mr. Travis Shaw and Connie Davis. To God be the glory for the life of Herbert Melvin Davis. t ___________________________________________________________ Regional Voice Magazine offers special thanks to the Davis family for this tribute. The good and faithful service Dean Davis offered was exemplary. REGIONAL VOICE
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IN MEMORIAM
IN MEMORIAM
ROTHACKER CHILDS SMITH, JR., PhD.
DUANE JOEL THOMAS
1923 | 2021
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r. Rothacker Smith looked death in the eye several times during World War II. In these moments during his wartime service, during captivity as a German POW and beyond, his faith carried him through and indeed directed much of his life, as did the proud tradition of the Buffalo Soldier which he upheld. Evolving out of the Black Cavalry’s regiments beginning in 1866 and into the Spanish American War, World War I and beyond, Buffalo Soldiers have faced the nation’s enemies while fighting segregation and oppression in the US military. Smith’s service began in January 1943, when the Seventh-day Adventist entered the Army as a Conscientious Objector and began training as a medic. He trained at Camp Stewart in Georgia with an additional surgical technician’s course at Beaumont General Hospital. To Smith and other African American soldiers who grew up in the north, but did their training in the Jim Crow south, enduring the racist atmosphere was a difficult experience. But this experience was almost a pre-trial by fire. The 366th division was made up of all African Americans. Smith suffered from persecution not only because he was African American, but because of his religion. Smith had earned the rank of T5, but was busted down to buck private by his own commanding officer for advocating to attend church services on the Adventist Sabbath of Saturday. In late November and December, the 366th made its way north in Italy. They had a cold, soggy Thanksgiving day dished out on mess kits near Pisa. For weeks, the 366th would exchange daily fire with the Germans who were very close by, just across a small valley
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On December 26, the German counterattack began. Mortar shells, which had been falling all day on Christmas, hit closer and more frequently. Smith and his unit took shelter in a partially bombed out building. One day he heard an “inner voice” tell him to put his aid kit on, so he walked to the opposite side of the room from the window, just as a German mortar shell exploded. This action likely saved his life. Smith and other wounded men of the 366th feared discovery by the Germans believing that as black troops they would be killed rather than taken prisoner. The next day, they were captured and began the long journey into POW camps. Smith was badly injured, tired, and hungry, but he held on, making it eventually to a camp in Italy (with 21 other African Americans.) Dr. Rothacker Smith is featured in the WWII Museum’s exhibition Fighting for the Right to Fight: African American Experiences in World War II. Dr. Smith’s autobiography No Way Out: The War Story of A WWII Black Buffalo Soldier is a fascinating account
of his life and service. View Dr. Smith’s oral history on the Museum’s Digital Collections. He described feeling the joy of liberation sweep over him when he saw American soldiers hoist the Stars and Stripes over the German prison camp, Stalag VII- Smith did not suffer from post traumatic stress but was recaptured in his mind every night for three years. He returned to Detroit but immediately felt the weight of civilian society as it exposed in himself a sense that the war had left him uncivilized. He slept on the floor for a time because beds were too soft. He ate exclusively with a spoon for a time because he disliked forks. Forks leaked. His mother convinced him to start using a fork again. He offended people sometimes due to the direct approach to conversation he took after experiencing so much death during the war. In Smith's estimation, it took him three years to become fully civilized again, but he then married and went on to pursue his postwar life in peace. t ______________________________________ Dr. Rothacker Smith, June 10, 1923 to January 12, 2021, earned undergraduate and graduate degrees, married, had a family, and filled his lifetime with work as a chemist, a teacher at Pine Forge and Oakwood Academies, and as a professor at Oakwood College, later Oakwood University. He provided a solid scientific foundation for countless scientists, medical personnel and professionals. All are grateful. In lieu of flowers, the family requested that donations be made in his memory at either Oakwood University, Pine Forge Academy or Oakwood Adventist Academy. "Our father touched many lives at these institutions and through you he continues to touch the lives of young people around the world."
1967 | 2021
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ornelius and Viola (Jackson) Thomas were overjoyed when their union was blessed with the birth of Duane Joel Thomas on February 23, 1967 in the city of Baltimore, Maryland. Duane joined his older siblings, Theron, Deborah, and Leon as the youngest of four. He was quickly known as the family comedian. Duane was the only child who had a slight age gap between the other siblings. You see Cornelius and Viola had their first three children in 1960, 1961 and again in 1962. At this point they felt they needed a little break and did not have Duane until 1967. He was able to get away with things the first three did not because they were just tired. However, his siblings loved their little brother. At an early age, Duane was introduced to talking and singing in front of an audience. This helped him in his later years when he became a pastor. The Thomases believed in Christian education, and they sacrificed and sent Duane and all his siblings through SDA Christian schools from the first grade through college. Duane attended Baltimore Jr. Academy (BJA) from first grade through the sixth grade. His mother moved from Baltimore to Pine Forge, Pennsylvania. He completed seventh and eighth grades at Pine Forge Elementary School, then advanced to Pine Forge Academy, where he fell in love with music and was part of the Pine Forge Academy Concert Choir. He matriculated at Columbia Union College and Oakwood College, where he graduated with a degree in theology. He attended the Andrews University Seminary and completed a Master of Divinity degree. Duane was currently attending Southern University, pursuing a Master’s degree in Social Work.
While attending Oakwood College, Duane took a trip to Maryland one weekend which changed the trajectory of the rest of his life. During this trip he met the “love of his life,” Joy Walton. They became very close even from afar. They sealed their union August 13, 1995. To this union was born Joshua Carlton Thomas, 1997 and Calen Maur Thomas 2002. Duane loved being a family man and was close to both of his children. They loved going on vacations with him. He would always plan exciting and adventurous trips, such as parasailing, water skiing and deepsea dolphin watching. They loved his adventurous spirit. Because of his upbringing he learned the importance of Christian education and made sure that his children also had the opportunity to attend Seventh-day Adventist church schools. During his time at Oakwood and Andrews University Duane had an opportunity to help with several major evangelistic
crusades throughout the United States and. worked with several outstanding evangelists. This experience was instrumental in his selection to work for the Central States Conference of Seventh-day Adventists in 1994. He was ordained in 2001, and pastored in this conference for 18 years and pastored for the South-Central Conference of Seventh-day Adventists for the past eight years. Duane was known as not just being a preacher he was known as a true pastor. He loved his congregations and they loved him. He loved music, evangelism and outreach, and was known for his member visitations. Duane's family will greatly miss him. He served as their resident pastor. He performed some of their marriages. He eulogized several family members, including his own mother and father. He kept laughter in their home. Then, over the past few years Duane was faced with several health challenges. His family believed he had made it past them. However, early on Saturday morning February 20, 2021, his challenges came back, and he was laid to rest from this world. He leaves to mourn his wife, Joy Thomas, his two children Joshua and Calen Thomas, his three siblings Theron (Gwen)..Thomas, Deborah (Donald) Robinson and Dr. Leon (Crystal) Thomas; his mother-in-law, Olga Walton, one brother-in-law, Carlyle (Astrid) Walton, one sister-in-law, Drs. Simone (Victor) Walton-Marcelle, three aunts, Marie Williams, Lorraine Ricks and Valarie Baynard; two uncles, Edward Jackson and Milton (Doralyn) Thomas, cousins, nieces and nephews. t _____________________________________ Regional Voice Magazine offers special thanks to the Thomas family for this tribute to God’s faithful servant.
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REGIONAL CONFERENCE SUMMIT
Regional Conference Summit Postponed Until 2022 By DA NA C . EDMOND
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he Regional Conference Summit, originally scheduled for March 5-7, 2021, in Dallas, Texas, has been re-scheduled for the spring of 2022. The Summit was to have offered the culmination of issues raised during the virtual Regional Conference Convocation held in July of 2020. Each evening before the full nightly services, a virtual roundtable was held on singular issues that Regional Conferences are collectively addressing. The first night, the roundtable focused on the area of evangelism. How can we address the issue that deals with the primary mission of the church: Going into all of the world and making disciples? How can that be done in a country that is rapidly becoming post-Christian and currently is in throes of the COVID-19 pandemic, which makes face-to-face ministry impossible? The second night, roundtable participants dealt with what was termed “efficiency.” They asked, “Are we making the best use of the financial and human resources that the people of God are making available to His church through their returning of tithe and giving of offering?” One of the favorite sayings of a leader who serves on the Efficiency Subcommittee is: “Any business that does not constantly examine how it is doing business is asking to go out of business.” This subcommittee is designed to delve into how we do business. On the third night, a lively roundtable discussion developed around Seventh-day Adventist Education. It was clear that there was not going to be nearly enough time to delve into all of the aspects of this important topic, so immediately there began to be a discussion about a “Part II.” The Regional Conference Convocation concluded with an even livelier roundtable which included the Regional Conference Presidents on the final Sabbath. Three commitments were made by the Office of Regional Conference Ministries (ORCM):
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The First Commitment 1. That there would be a follow up on the issues raised at the various roundtables. That occurred in the fall of 2020 during the “5 At 5 Roundtable Series.” Each Sabbath afternoon at 5:00 p.m., for five weeks, there were follow up discussions to the issues that had been raised at the summer roundtables. The first set of roundtables brought back the educators to address some of the aspects of Seventh-day Adventist Education that had not been as specifically addressed in Adventist Education Roundtable Part I, i.e., K-12 Education. The second roundtable dealt with the Regional Presidents. ORCM went back through the chat room for the first Presidents Roundtable and pulled out the questions that had not been answered and led that discussion by asking those questions first. The next discussion in Week 3 of the “5 At 5 Series” included the “Next Gen” Caucus. Next Gen is a group of young adult leaders who meet with the ORCM Board to advise the Regional Conference leadership. Their roundtable addressed the church from a young adult perspective. Week 4 brought Regional Conference Treasurers together. They explained how the funds of the church were used and addressed the costs of some of the things that had been raised at the original set of roundtables in the summer—in particular, the subsidizing of Pine Forge by all of the Regional Conferences. The “5 At 5 Series” concluded with the Regional Conference Secretaries. They shared their job responsibilities and gave the constituents the opportunity to meet the second-in-command for each Regional Conference. The Second Commitment 2. That each subcommittee (Evangelism, Efficiency and Education) would begin work. That work has already begun.
For example, the Efficiency Subcommittee has met twice, with a third meeting set and a final report due in the spring. This report will be shared with the Regional Conference Presidents so that Regional Conferences can—if they so choose— begin implementing some of the recommendations even prior to the (now) 2022 sessions. Another area that received some discussion during the Regional Convocation was the issue of leadership development. The question was this: Is there a way to become more intentional relative to developing the next generation of leaders? The Regional Presidents commissioned a subcommittee to be chaired by Elder Byron Dulan, Vice President for Regional Affairs, North Pacific Union. His committee’s report was adopted by the Regional Conference leadership and can be seen in another story posted on the ORCM website. The Third Commitment 3. To definitively address all of the issues raised along with all of the recommendations made by the various subcommittees at the Regional Conference Summit. It was ultimately decided to postpone that until a face-to-face meeting could be had in 2022 when (prayerfully!) these rescheduled meetings can actually take place. t ______________________ Dana C. Edmond, Director, Office for Regional Conference Ministry, originally ran this piece on the ORCM website, February 4, 2021.
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RV 2020 PELC REPORT
“SELAH:
STRENGTH FOR THE STRUGGLE” By L ATASH A HEW IT T
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or more than 40 years, the Pastoral Evangelism and Leadership Conference (PELC) has brought together more than 1,500 leaders from all over the world for a 4-day convocation and retreat on the grounds of Oakwood University in Huntsville, Alabama. However, 2020 brought a global pandemic, which made gathering impossible. Many wondered how this would impact the much-anticipated conference. In April of 2020, the PELC planning committee, led by Dr. Jesse Wilson, began shifting toward a virtual experience that would still capture the essence of what attendees enjoy about the conference. “Going virtual required stretching the team like never before, but Dr. Wilson’s exceptional, Holy Spirit-inspired leadership moved us through the process,” says Orville Brissett, a PELC planning committee member. Attendees were still required to register online in order to gain access to all of the seminars, presentations, and worship programs. The online platform proved to be more advantageous, as now attendees were able to have access to all presentations. In-person, attendees have had to choose among the various break-out options. The theme, “Selah: Strength for the Struggle,” was selected before the pandemic hit, yet proved to be heavenly designed, as it focused on pastoral and leadership wellness. Featured speakers included Dr. Ron Smith, Roger Hernandez, Dr. Gina
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Stewart, Dr. Howard John Wesley, Pastor Kim Mann, Dr. Johnson Caesar, Dr. Morgan Medlock, Dr. Abdele George, Dr. MyRon Edmonds, and Elder Calvin Watkins. Each speaker spoke to some area that encouraged church leaders to make self-care a priority and to endure the challenges ministry presents. Though speakers were in their virtual pulpits, this format did not hamper the power behind the messages shared over computer screens, phones, and tablets around the world. PELC attendees took to social media to share the impact the messages had on them. “Dr. Howard John Wesley just wrecked #PELC2020 and has stirred up a much-needed conversation amongst our pastors about the importance of rest. This discussion has even encouraged and confirmed my rest, but also challenges me to see how I can better support those in full-time professional ministry to Selah,” said Claudia Allen, content manager for Message Magazine. “Dr. Gina Stewart made the CASE for Jesus as our Intercessor! Jesus ain’t in heaven twirling his thumbs. He is running interference. Where would I be without the prayers of the righteous, but more specifically the prayers of JESUS! She preached a Biblical word and drew me closer to Jesus, #pelc2020,” shared Tina Carriger, a pastor in the South Central Conference. A favorite PELC component has always been the fellowship it provides those in attendance. This was an obvious challenge to moving the conference to a virtual setting.
Dr. JCarlton and Mrs. Danielle Byrd
Dr. Jesse Wilson
Though speakers were in their virtual pulpits, this format did not hamper the power behind the messages shared over computer screens, phones, and tablets around the world. However, the inclusion of PELC 2020 programs hosts—Pastors Austin Humphreys, Kaggia Scott, and Michelle Mota—encouraged live interaction between online attendees. The chatroom also played a major role in connecting viewers from afar. “The chat was an amazing feature that was completely unexpected. The chat was full of laughter, encouragement and just overall camaraderie, as we were able to have a sense that we were worshiping together again,” says Humphreys. Seminars continued to be an import-
President Leslie Pollard
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ELDER KEITH GOODMAN
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RV 2020 PELC REPORT
ant part of the conference, including the Hispanic and clergy spouses tracks. General seminars included topics such as depression and suicide, pastoral burnout, and the dynamics of pastoral marriage. The Hispanic track seminars included presentations on mental health, healthy ministry, and planting healthy churches. Clergy spouses’ seminars dealt with healing and restoration, maintaining your identity and making your mark, and the secret to academic success and emotional mastery.
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he conference received tremendous affirmation for inclusion of more female speakers, and highlighting pastoral couples during each evening worship service. The caliber of music was also maintained through the virtual selections included as part of the worship services. There were also late-night sessions that occurred after the evening worship service each night. One popular session was the “Best Practices for Church Media” led by Roger Wade, Kirk Nugent, Baron Savoy, and Bryant Taylor. Overall, PELC was able to accomplish its ultimate goal of encouraging pastors, administrators and local church leaders as they forge ahead in ministry. Even when gatherings resume, the PELC planning committee recognizes that there is still value in providing virtual content, which allows them to expand their impact to a worldwide audience. “PELC has done a phenomenal job presenting a first-time virtual conference. Well done,” said John Coaxum, a pastor in the Allegheny West Conference. “This conference has been on point and very much needed! You may have even saved my life!” added Monte Newbill, Sr, a pastor in the South Atlantic Conference. If you were able to register for the virtual PELC 2020, you still have an opportunity to access recordings from all presentations on the PELC website, https:// pelc2020.com, for $29. t _______________________ LaTasha Hewitt is Communications Director for the Allegheny East Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.
Producer Cheddar films Elder Furman and Mrs. Jennifer Fordham
Technical directors stream programing.
Sound engineer Christian Lawson; Technical Director Pastor Baron Savory.
Pastor Baron Savory conducts webinar.
Technical Director Pastor Roger Wade
Elder Debleaire and Mrs. Gianna Snell pause during shoot.
Pastors Savory and Wade study content. 34
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BIDEN-HARRIS INAUGURATION NATIONAL NEWS
President Joseph R. Biden, Jr.
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oseph R. Biden Jr., took the oath of office to become the 46th President of the United States, on January 20, 2021. He had run for this office three times—in 1988, in 2008, and finally in the 2020 race. He won his first race for the U.S. Senate, representing Delaware at age 29, in 1972. Before he could take his oath for the Senate, his wife, two young sons and infant daughter were all in a horrific auto accident. His wife and baby did not survive. His political career was almost over before it began. Joe Biden would not leave his sons in the hospital, and just wanted to quit. A group of senators from both parties came to that hospital to stand beside their new colleague, and they meant it. Officials swore him in. The Bidens would survive. He would remarry, and have another daughter. He would serve in the Senate until 2008, then join the Barak Obama campaign and go on to work as his Vice President for eight years. The year 2020 was his year. Despite the dangers of running a national campaign during a global pandemic from the beginning, and the irresponsible claims by his predecessor of a false victory at the end, 2020 remained President Biden’s year. t
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Vice-President Kamala Harris
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amala Harris took her oath of office just moments before President Biden, shattering multiple glass ceilings with a string of firsts—The first African American, first Asian American and first female Vice President of the United States. She too had sought the presidential office leading up to the 2020 election. They were rivals on the debate stage. As a veteran of childhood busing, she challenged him for not taking a tough enough stance against segregation. She knew what it meant to be a minority. Joe Biden saw her point, and they joined forces. Wise move. Her parents had met as graduate students at UC Berkley during turbulent times. As people of color, both parents were sympathizers who later joined the Civil Rights movement. Her father, Dr. Donald Harris, now a retired Professor of Economics from Stanford University, was from Jamaica. Her mother, Dr. Shyamala Gopalan Harris, a native of India, earned a doctorate in nutrition and endocrinology, and became a world class biomedical scientist. The couple’s professional lives flourished. Their marriage did not, and they divorced. Kamala and her sister grew up in a single-parent household. Though their father did stay in touch, their mother became a great influence in both their lives. Kamala ventured across country and graduated from Howard University before returning to the West for law school and a groundbreaking career in politics. She met and married attorney Doug Emhoff, embracing his children from a previous marriage. She ran for District Attorney in San Francisco, and won. She ran for the U.S. Senate and won. Now this. The rest is history. t
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U.S. CAPITOL E YEWITNESS ACCOUNT
“I Could Feel His Presence” An Eyewitness Account of the Capitol Riot • As told by CHRISTINA ANDERSON SMITH
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hristina Anderson Smith knew something could happen that day. But she never expected that what did happen would ever happen. A student who attended Pine Forge Academy and a graduate of Oakwood College, her title is Official Reporter for the House of Representatives. She has also served as the stenographer for constituency meetings for three different conference’s constituency meetings, and this may have taught her a little about occasional problematic transitions from one administration to another! Like many people who live and work in the Washington D.C., area, she had heard the admonishments that had been given to local residents not to venture into the area surrounding the United States Capitol on January 6 unless they had specific business there. That day the United States Congress was to certify the election of Joseph R. Biden as the newly and duly elected President of the United States. This ordinary, routine and uneventful process took place every four years for nearly 250 years. Tragically, there was nothing that would be routine or ordinary about this day. For many people, January 6, 2021, will stand alongside the Twin Tower attacks of September 11, 2001, and the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, as days that altered the course of history. Things did not seem out of place in the beginning of that day. Mrs. Smith took her normal place in the chamber, the room where the United States House of Representatives meets, just as she had done for nearly 20 years. She had come to the U.S. House of Representatives from the Prince George’s County Court System in Mary-
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land, where she had worked for two years. Her providential path to the U.S. House of Representatives began 35 years earlier when she heard an advertisement for becoming a court reporter. Though her degree from Oakwood was in Music Education, she did have a minor in Communication. She decided to further develop the Communication portion of her education and enrolled in the Southern Business College in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Though this was a two-year program, the Lord blessed her to complete her studies in one year. Her new career as a court reporter was launched, and she worked as a court reporter in Broward County, Florida, for 13 years. When she applied for the position at the U.S. House of Representatives, her concern was not compromising relative to working on the Sabbath; the House can be called back into session at any time. Or a session can go unexpectedly long—just as the session did on January 6, 2021. She made it clear in the interview that she would not consent to working on the Sabbath. The Lord honored her stand by having one of the interviewers take extensive notes, which were placed in her employee file. Her religious convictions have been honored ever since by the government of God and the government of man. She is part of a rotating team of House stenographers that works in 15-minute shifts. After her shift is complete, she goes back to her office to edit her notes, then sends them to a transcriber. She then gets back into the rotation, which takes a little under two hours to wind back around to her. This goes on until the House ends its session. On the fateful day of January 6, that would not happen until approximately 4:00 a.m. the following day, when another
Seventh-day Adventist, United States Senate Chaplain, Dr. Barry Black—ended the session with prayer.
Because her cell phone cannot be used on the floor of the House, her practice upon returning to her office is to first check her phone. She is part of a cell phone group chat with her four brothers (one of whom is Chaplain Paul Anderson, Director, Adventist Chaplaincy Ministries, North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists). This time, the chat included her brothers saying that they “could not believe what was happening.” Mrs. Smith did not yet know what was happening, but she was about to find out. First, 10 minutes after she left the floor of the House, the session abruptly recessed. Five minutes later, over the intercom came the unsettling announcement: “The Capitol has been breached.”
The Capitol Police came and escorted her and her fellow workers to a room (which she understandably did not disclose). Social distancing in that room was not a priority and not all of the occupants wore masks. Several individuals who were present later tested positive for COVID-19. Mrs. Smith was among that number and as a result, other members of her family contracted COVID-19 as well. Imagine being a room, knowing there are armed individuals who have taken over the building where you are. Also, on some level, the government has the intent of reversing the results of the Presidential election in the greatest democracy on Earth, seemingly, by whatever means they deem necessary. And on that day, as a result of
Like many people who live and work in the Washington D.C., area, she had heard the admonishments that had been given to local residents not to venture into the area surrounding the United States Capitol on January 6 unless they had specific business there. that domestic terrorism, people died. But in that moment, in the midst of all the turmoil, Mrs. Smith said, “I felt His [God’s] presence.” Six hours later, order was restored. Mrs. Smith, her fellow workers, the U.S. Congress and the U.S. Senate returned to work. When asked at the end of her interview what she took away from that fateful day, Mrs. Smith said that one of the things that
makes her job special is that she gets to see history being made. She said that she learned on January 6 that history “isn’t always pretty.” And it isn’t. Indeed, we all learned some things on January 6. Some of the things that we learned about our country not only were not pretty, they also were painful. But most of all, the lesson is that our country is ultimately in the hands of our God. And no one can overthrow His government or thwart His purposes. t ________________________ Christina Anderson Smith is an Official Reporter for the United States House of Representatives.
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IN TRIBUTE
IN TRIBUTE
Henry Louis Aaron 1935 – 2021
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e was born during the throes of the Great Depression, raised in and around Mobile, Alabama, where the stifling grip of segregation was still strong, and he wasn’t supposed to make it. He dreamed of playing baseball. The odds were against him. He would beat them. His family was poor but tightly knit. His father and mother, Mr. Herbert Aaron Sr. and Mrs. Estella (Pritchett) Aaron, provided a solid home for their eight children, and Henry was one of them. There were no parks or little league teams or even basic equipment to foster his baseball dreams, so he played in the streets, hitting bottle caps with sticks. He got better, stronger. As he began high school, he heard baseball’s Jackie Robinson, the legendary player who “broke the color line” in MLB, major league baseball. That was enough to set Henry’s dream in motion. He would go on to play ball in multiple organizations: the Negro American League and in minor league baseball before breaking into the majors himself. He played 21 seasons for the Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves in the National League. By then, everyone knew he was that good. By then he was Hank “The Hammer” Aaron, number 44, with a powerful swing that would crush “immortal” New York Yankees Babe Ruth’s record of 714 home runs. Amid stacks of hate mail mixed in with letters of genuine good will—including the kind support of Babe Ruth’s widow. Amid death threats designed to break his spirit and steal his joy. They didn’t stop him. The Hammer hit a magical 715 against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the Atlanta Braves Stadium, April 8, 1974. A record-breaking, hometown crowd erupted into pandemonium.The strain of years drained away and he broke into a broad smile as his parents embraced him there on the field. His career would bring a total 755 home runs. His induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame came in 1982. Hank was truly an Atlanta Brave but was also a citizen of Atlanta—the home of Dr. 42
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Benjamin Mays, Martin Luther King, Sr., (“Daddy King,”), and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Hank once made the quiet observation that breaking the Babe’s record would never give him the same spending capacity! Right after his 715 triumph, the Braves offered him a PR job with the club— sort of “window dressing.” He turned it down and kept playing ball. Years later, his original wish for substance was granted and he broke another barrier. He moved from player to upper level management as Braves vice president and director of player development. It was high time. He took economic development seriously as well, becoming the owner of first a BMW dealership in south Atlanta, expanding to other dealerships throughout Georgia. He also owned a chain of restaurants across the nation. Awards honored him for the player he was on the field and the man he was off of it. He was presented the Presidential Citizens Medal by President Bill Clinton in 2001. President George W. Bush presented the National Medal of Freedom, America’s highest civilian honor, to him in 2002. The NAACP gave him its highest award, the Spingarn Medal in 1976 and he gave a lifetime of stalwart support, along with providing countless opportunities for youth to chase their own baseball dreams. He didn’t forget those sticks and bottle caps. Henry Aaron and first wife Barbara had five children. They divorced in 1971. He later married Billye Suber Williams in 1973, and they had one child. Ever aware of the power of influence, he and other prominent Black leaders in Atlanta got their COVID 19 shots at the Morehouse School of Medicine, encouraging the Black
community not to fear the vaccinations. At age 86, on January 22, 2021, Henry Aaron died in his sleep, and his cause of death, natural causes. A quiet end to a momentous life. t _______________________________________ Research for this piece includes decades of following local coverage from WSB-TV and radio, WAGA-TV, The Atlanta Journal; The Atlanta Constitution; The International Civil Rights Walk of Fame website and extended conversations with friends and associates of Mr. Henry Aaron.
Cicely Tyson 1924 – 2021
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he was born December 19, 1924, in Harlem, one of three children. Her parents, Mr. William and Mrs. Theodosia Tyson, immigrated from the island of Nevis in the West Indies. They were hardworking and deeply religious—intent on passing these values on to their children. Life took other turns for Cicely. At 17, she became a mother herself. At 18, she was married. Two years later, she was divorced. However, all of these choices did not begin to draw her mother’s condemnation the way her one premier choice did. Cicely decided to become an actress. Her mother wouldn’t even speak to her—until she saw her daughter on stage. And even at that early point in her career, Cicely captivated her audience. When the performance was over, she found her mother happily captivating a cluster of admirers herself with tales of a younger Cicely who always wanted to act! She gleefully shared this story in January 2021 with Gayle King of the CBS This Morning program. She was full of fun and fire and wisdom, fascinating everyone in her historic place of worship, the great Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem. We did not realize it would be her last television interview. She had a tiny frame, 5’3 in stocking feet, that always packed a powerful presence. She dug deep, making her mother’s stern values her own in order to deliver such memorable performances as Rebecca Morgan in the film Sounder, a groundbreaking epic about a sharecropping family; her Emmy-winning occupation of the title role in The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman, about a Southern woman, 100-plus-years old, determined to crack the back of segregation in her home town. Then she played Binta, Kunta Kinte’s beautiful mother in another television epic, Alex Haley’s Roots.
In all she worked for more than seven decades, playing Mrs. Coretta Scott King in another television miniseries, this time on the life of Dr. King. She also played Marva Collins, the great educator from Chicago, in another movie for television, The Marva Collins Story. She took on array of roles in multiple projects: the film Hoodlum based in Harlem; the Tyler Perry film Diary of a Mad Black Woman and another notable film, The Help. Finally, she made a triumphant return to the stage in The Trip to Bountiful as Miss Carrie Watts and won a Tony in 2013. That tiny frame really was larger than life. She won three Emmys for work in television; an honorary Academy Award for her work in film; the aforementioned Tony for her work on Broadway. Oprah Winfrey honored her at the Legends Ball in 2005. She had a star on the Hollywood Walk
of Fame and shared a tumultuous marriage with jazz star Miles Davis—that ended in divorce. Happier days came when movie mogul named a soundstage in her honor at his sprawling studio complex in Atlanta. She received the NAACP Image Award in 1981 for her work as Marva Collins, and the Spingarn Award for her cumulative work in her industry and for civil rights in 2010. She accepted Kennedy Center Honors in 2015. During her segment at this celebration, gospel great CeCe Winans joyfully rendered Miss Tyson’s favorite hymn, “Blessed Assurance.” The glittering audience became a congregation. The following year, President Barak Obama took pleasure in draping the nation’s highest civilian honor around her neck, The Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016. She accepted honorary degrees from three HBCUs, Clark Atlanta University, Howard University and Morehouse College. Columbia University also added a degree. Cicely Tyson died January 28, 2021, at age 96. Her cause of death was not made public. Her memorial service was held in her beloved Abyssinian Baptist Church, attended by devoted members of the public, Tyler Perry, godson Lenny Kravitz and Bill and Hillary Clinton. Two days before her death, her book Just As I Am, was published. As she wound up that last television interview with Gayle King, she summarized her life by saying “I did my best.” t _____________________________________ This piece is based on biographical research, along with assorted media interviews and award presentations to Miss Tyson. REGIONAL VOICE
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ORCM CONSTRUCTION
U.S. COVID 19 STATS
ORCM Construction is Underway ORCM Weekly Project Report
Mon 03/01/ – Fri 03/05/2021
Progress: • Rain: 1/2" 2/26, 1/2" 2/27&28. Monday: 1” rain (all day) – no work • Tuesday: Wright pump water from footings, remove forms from Fri pour, set rebar. • Wednesday: Wright excavate and set steel rebar. Compaction testing by S&ME • Thursday: Wright set anchor bots templates, get ready for pour. Compaction testing, checking rebar steel by S&ME • Friday: Jarrod (LBYD) site visit. Wright pour footings. Concrete testing by S&ME Subs / Suppliers / On-Site Personnel • P&C Construction – Supervision & Project Manager • Wright (concrete) + S&ME (testing) + LBYD (structural engineer)
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he Office for Regional Conference Ministry (ORCM) construction on the campus of Oakwood University has begun, with all pandemic precautions in place. What you see here are architectural renderings of the building. Stay tuned for more details from us as this project moves to completion.
PHOTOGRAPHS
CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC THE LATEST STATISTICS GLOBAL AND USA VIEWS
114,140,104
GLOBAL CONFIRMED CASES Monday 03/01
2,535,520
GLOBAL CONFIRMED DEATHS
216 Monday 03/01
COUNTRIES, AREAS OR TERRITORIES WITH CASES
Last update: 2 March 2021 DATA PROVIDED FROM THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION
USA 28,456,860 CASES CDC | Updated: March 2, 2021 10 PM EST
USA 513,122 TOTAL DEATHS (Exceeds 500,000) CDC | Updated: March 2, 2021 10 PM EST
78.6M
TOTAL VACCINE ADMINISTERED CDC | Updated: March 2, 2021 10 PM EST 44
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TOP 20 STATES - CASES Jurisdiction Total Cases _______________________________ California . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,566,914 Texas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,653,013 Florida . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,909,221 New York . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,643,867 Illinois . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,186,613 Georgia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1,006,521 Ohio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 967,422 Pennsylvania . . . . . . . . . . . . 933,461 North Carolina. . . . . . . . . . . 858,458 Arizona . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 816,782 New Jersey . . . . . . . . . . . . . 789,356 Tennessee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 775,004 Indiana . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 661,673 Michigan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 645,550 Wisconsin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 617,367 Massachusetts . . . . . . . . . . 581,148 Virginia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .576,050 South Carolina . . . . . . . . . . 516,823 Missouri . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 495,047 Alabama . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 493,252 DATA PROVIDED FROM STATISTA MARCH 1, 2021
TOP 20 STATES - DEATHS State/Territory Total Deaths ________________________________ California . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52,158 New York . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47,615 Texas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43,697 Florida . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30,852 Pennsylvania . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23,967 New Jersey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23,252 Illinois . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22,735 Ohio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17,297 Georgia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17,295 Michigan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16,508 Massachusetts . . . . . . . . . . . . 16,118 Arizona . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15,980 Indiana . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12,573 Tennessee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11,411 North Carolina . . . . . . . . . . . . 11,212 Alabama . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9,929 Louisiana . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9,608 Virginia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8,552 South Carolina . . . . . . . . . . . . 8,546 Missouri . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8,280
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Cliff Harris DAP Co-Director
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HOPE SERIES
SABBATH AFTER THE MAYHEM OAKWOOD UNIVERSITY VIRTUAL WORSHIP EXPERIENCE
time in a protected and secured place with about 80 of the senators and a significant number of the people who worked on their staff, so there were a couple of hundred of us in a secret location. I had two and a half hours to counsel the people who were there, to pray with them individually and as a group, to do counseling, and to just have fellowship with people whom I had seen pre-COVID-19 at weekly Bible studies and a weekly prayer breakfast, and that I now interact with virtually each week with Bible studies and my participation in the prayer breakfast. I found myself letting people know four things: One: We have nothing to fear for the future except we forget how God has led us in the past. This is not the worst time we have had in the history of our nation. We went through a civil war. We went through World War I and World War II; we've had worse moments. As I told one lawmaker who suggested these times are so challenging, I said, “You know slavery was pretty bad also,” so this is not our first rodeo. Two: I told them this: no weapon formed against us will be able to prosper. It doesn't mean the weapon won't be formed; it doesn't mean that God will not permit it to come against us. But I've lived long enough, Dr. Byrd, to realize that just—I feel like preaching a little bit here—just when I need him most, Jesus is near. Just when I falter, just when I fear… So I wanted them to know that the weapon would not prevail. Third: I wanted them to know comes from the fifth Psalm, verse 12: that the righteous, the believers who are covered
An Interview with Chaplain Barry Black By C A R LTON P. BY R D
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astor Byrd: We are grateful today that one of our own, an Oakwood University alumnus, but not only that, a Seventh-day Adventist Christian, Dr. Barry C. Black, Chaplain of the United States Senate, is with us today. We're grateful to the Lord that he can share with us what has been transpiring on Capitol Hill, but also the spiritual application to what is taking place. Dr. Black, welcome to the Oakwood University Church, your alma mater. Happy Sabbath! We are glad that you are with us today. Chaplain Black: Happy Sabbath to you, Dr. Byrd, and thank you so much for permitting me to connect with my Huntsville family. Pastor Byrd: Very good. Well, we're going to get right into our interview. We want you to know we're very proud of you. We've been praying for you, as we have seen you on multiple news outlets, including CNN—you make us proud. But more than that, I believe heaven is pleased with what you have been doing, not just this week but throughout your tenure as United States Senate Chaplain. This week, however, has been a very unique week; a lot has transpired, a lot has gone on—from riots to unrest, and you have been right there on Capitol Hill—in the thick of it, as it were. We want you to know we believe that God has positioned you for such a time as this, to be a modern-day Joseph, to be a modern-day Daniel, there in the seats of government and our democracy here in the United States of America. We would like to begin with you telling us what have you felt, what have you sensed? I'm pretty sure that when you took on this responsibility that you never thought that you would experience, and our nation would experi-
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We want you to know we believe that God has positioned you for such a time as this, to be a modern-day Joseph, to be a modernday Daniel, there in the seats of government and our democracy here in the United States of America.
Dr. Barry Black
ence, what has transpired this week. In your own words, tell us what has gone on, how you have felt and the calling God has on your life for such a time as this. Chaplain Black: Well, I have felt a deep appreciation for Christian education. I grew up in the inner city of Baltimore, and I had a wonderful church. I'm still a member of it, Berea Temple Seventh-day Adventist Church. They had a program that would enable each family to ensure that the children received a Christian education. I learned very early that there were three significant reasons for a Christian education: 1) To provide a barrier against corruption. 2) To promote the symmetrical development of young people – physical, spiritual, mental and social. And 3) which excited me even as a child, to provide prosperity to any nation by furnishing it with people qualified to act with the fear of God, a reverential awe, as leaders and counselors. I felt that Baltimore Junior Academy, Pine Forge Academy, Oakwood University, Andrews University— these were all stepping stones that God used to prepare me for the moments of this week. I found myself celebrating that fact and believing Jeremiah 29:11: “I know the plans that I have for you.” A lot of times we can't see it except we're looking back, but I know the plan that I have for you. And although you're in the hood, on welfare, eating that
welfare cheese—I plan to prosper you, to give you a future and a hope, and to bring you to a desired destination. I want to tell my Huntsville friends it is no secret what God can do. What He's done for Barry Black, He will do for you Pastor Byrd: Amen, amen—sounds like a sermon right there that's priming our pumps. Let's go now to another question: What would you say is the mood right now on Capitol Hill, the mood from your perspective, in Washington, D.C.? Chaplain Black: I think the mood in Washington, D.C., is still one of stunned incredulity. What we saw this past week is unprecedented—the Capitol was attacked by the British in the 19th century, but we have not had domestic terrorism on this level, of this demonic level, in the history of our nation. It’s a reminder and I think that people on Capitol Hill are feeling it, that Ephesians 6 has it right: we wrestle not against flesh and blood. Let's not blame this on flesh and blood; we are wrestling against principalities, powers, the rulers of the darkness of the world. If you will look at what was going on you, or anyone who has any kind of spiritual discernment, for spiritual things are spiritually discerned, you know that there is a darkness and there is something borderline satanic about what we witnessed. So there is this
mood of stunned incredulity. And yet, there is also this mood of an ineluctable optimism. I think that people are aware of the truth of James Russell Lowell’s declaration: “Truth forever on the scaffold. Wrong, forever on the throne. Yet behind the dim unknown, standeth God within the shadows, keeping watch above His own.” And I believe they believe: “This is our Father's world, oh let us never forget, that though the wrong seems oft’ so strong,”—I love it every time I say it—“God is,” not was, not will be, “God is the Ruler yet.”
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hat's the mood of so many faith-filled believers on Capitol Hill. Philippians 4 has it right: there are saints in Caesar's household. Pastor Byrd: Now you shared the mood and you shared what is going on, the tension there in Washington, D.C., and the mood on Capitol Hill. You are, as I shared earlier, a modern-day Joseph; a modern-day Daniel, so God has placed you there. With that in mind, I would like to ask: have you had to offer counsel to government leaders, to senators, to congressional persons during this period, this week? And if so, what have you shared with them? Chaplain Black: Well, I had to spend REGIONAL VOICE
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HOPE SERIES
So I ended my prayer in that hideaway, hunkered down, but knowing that God was in charge, I said to them if God is woring for the good of those who love Him, let's make a commitment to major in loving Him and to minor in everything else.
with the robe of the righteousness of Christ are surrounded by the shield of God's favor. God can take your worst setback and make it a stepping stone for a comeback. Joseph probably felt when he went to jail. That's as low as you could go, but God was positioning him. When he walked in with the butler and the baker right there waiting for him, [God] was positioning Joseph to be prime minister. Calvary was the most tragic moment in the history of the universe, but early Sunday morning, while the dew was still on the roses around crowing time... So God can take what looks like a setback and turn it into a triumph.
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he Fourth and final thing that I wanted them to know, and I thought I said this in the prayer that they asked me to offer, and the Holy Spirit dropped it on me like I was taking dictation: Romans 8: 28. I want my brothers and sisters in Huntsville to hear this: In everything God is working for the “good of them that love Him” – Hallelujah! “To them who are the called according to His purposes” to bear. What do you mean by this? Well, the last time I checked Isaiah 55:89 it says–this is God speaking–“My ways are not your ways.” They're counterintuitive. You see, “My thoughts are not your thoughts. But as the heavens are higher than the earth so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts higher than your thoughts.” So I ended my prayer in that hideaway, hunkered down, but knowing that God was in charge, I said to them if God is working for the good of those who love Him,
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Go ye therefore and make disciples—be that salt and light that makes disciples, that will make disciples but also recognize that there is an anointing that our Lord guarantees will accompany us. let's make a commitment to major in loving Him and to minor in everything else. Pastor Byrd: Amen! Sounds like you're ready to preach. I want to ask you one more question. You shared what you stated to those government officials and congressional employees when you were hunkered down, as it were, but what would you share with us today, the people of God, the church of the living God, specifically what prophetic admonition do you have for the church today? We often talk about the times in which we live, we often talk about the fact that Jesus is soon to come, and we read Matthew 24 and we recite it, and we echo the things that will transpire just before Christ's return. What prophetic word would you have for the church today given what has transpired? Chaplain Black: Well, my challenge would be to the church of the living God, three things. First of all, be salt to your generation. In Matthew 5:13, our Lord said you are the salt of the earth. Salt, in the days before refrigeration, preserved. Our intercession can make a difference. James 5 says Elijah was a human being like us, and through the power of his intercession, one man shut up the heavens for three and a half years, so be salt; be an intercessor, but also make your environment more palatable so salt brings flavor. I think of Coach Roddy. I can't help but think of him because he was to me one of the most ethically congruent people I've ev-
er known. He was salt, he made the environment more palatable. One of the things I'll miss when coming to Huntsville is the big bear hug I always looked forward to receiving from this great man. A Mississippian, but what a life of ethical congruence he lived. So, if you want to know what salt looks like, think of Coach Roddy and his family. The second is very simple and that's verse 18 of Matthew 5: be light. You need enough of the word of God in you, so that you know the difference between truth and a lie. John 17:17 says, “Thy word is true.” Look at the premises you hear tossed around you, look at the evidence you hear around you, and see how it is consistent with Biblical principles or it deviates from Biblical principles, and then illuminate by asking questions. The Bible says of our Lord in Luke 2, He astounded people in the temple. But it never says He made a single declaration. It says He listened and asked questions, and that's what it's all about. If you want to illuminate, be like Colombo, okay? Do a whole lot of listening and do a lot of question-asking.
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nd then the last thing I would say is, be a disciple-maker. Our Lord said in Matthew 28 verse 18, post-resurrection, “All power is given unto me”—not some, all power is given unto me in heaven and earth. Go ye therefore and
make disciples—be that salt and light that makes disciples, that will make disciples but also recognize that there is an anointing that our Lord guarantees will accompany us. John 14:15 if you love me keep my Commandments, 16 and I will pray the father Hallelujah! and He will send you another paracletos, another comforter, oh and He will lead and guide you. Acts 1:8 “and you will receive power after the Holy Ghost has come upon you and you will be my witnesses.”
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tart at home, start in Huntsville but then go on to Judea and Samaria and to the uttermost parts of the world. I received text messages and email from around the world, letting me know that our technology now enables us to be disciple-makers from our man caves, where I am right now, okay, you can, so let's use that, and then let's so set our affection on things above as we make disciples that we can say with the tentmaker from Tarsus in 1st Corinthians 9:27, I keep my body under and make it my slave lest at any time after I have preached and taught and been salt and light to my generation, I myself will not be disqualified, that's my word for myself, and that's my word for you my dear brothers and sisters in Huntsville, Alabama, God's country. Amen. Go be salt, go be a light, and go make disciples. Pastor Byrd: Yes, yes, yes, Dr. Black,
Dr. Carlton Byrd
we thank you. We know your time is very valuable and we thank you, we praise God for you. Our prayers are with you and your lovely wife, Sister Brenda Pearsall Black. Our prayers are with both of you, that God would keep you safe and that God would be with you during this unprecedented time there on Capitol Hill. Continue to be Daniel, continue to be Joseph, continue to be God's messenger in this time in which we live. Thank you very, very much for joining us today, and you can continue to share and
worship with us here in our virtual worship experience at the Oakwood University Church. Chaplain Black: God bless you, my brother. t ______________________________________ Dr. Barry Black is Chaplain of the United States Senate. He gave this interview on January 9, 2021, to Dr. Carlton Byrd, Senior Pastor of the Oakwood University Church and Speaker, Breath of Life Television Ministry.
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