2023 Summer Issue

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

COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR

Gerson Pancorbo COPY EDITOR

Clarise J. Nixon

PAGE PROOFING

Patrice T. Conwell CONSULTANTS

Elaine Allston, Yvonne Collins, Wanda Lott, Margaret Neckles

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

MARCELLUS ROBINSON, 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

Cryston Josiah, Communications Director 3301 Parallel Parkway Kansas City, KS 66104

(913) 371-1071. www.central-states.org

LAKE REGION CONFERENCE

GARTH GABRIEL, PRESIDENT

JeNean Lendor, Communications Director

19860 South La Grange Road Chicago, IL 60619

(773) 846-2661. www.lakeregionsda.org

NORTHEASTERN CONFERENCE

DR. ABRAHAM JULES, PRESIDENT

Duddley Francois, Communications Director 115-50 Merrick Blvd. Jamaica, NY 11434

(718) 291-8006. www.northeastern.org

SOUTH ATLANTIC CONFERENCE

CALVIN B. PRESTON, PRESIDENT

James Lamb, Communications Director 3978 Memorial Drive Decatur, GA 30032

(404) 792-0535. www.southatlantic.org

SOUTH CENTRAL CONFERENCE

BENJAMIN JONES, PRESIDENT

Roger Wade, Communications Director 715 Youngs Lane Nashville, TN 37207 (615) 226-6500. www.scc-adventist.org

SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE

DR. MICHAEL OWUSU, PRESIDENT

Arnaldo Cruz, Communications Director 1701 Robie Avenue Mt. Dora, FL 32757 (352) 735-3142. www.secsda.org

SOUTHWEST REGION CONFERENCE

DR. CARLTON P. BYRD, PRESIDENT

Norman Jones, Communications Director 2215 Lanark Avenue Dallas, TX 75203 (214) 943-4491. www.southwestregion. adventistchurchconnect.org

2021 REGIONAL DIRECTORS/COORDINATORS ROSTER

Virgil Childs, Vice President 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

James Scarborough, Coordinator

African American Ministries | Central California Conference (831) 262-3838 | famar@sbcglobal.net

Oneil 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, Vice President, 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

WHY WE STILL NEED CAMP MEETING

This is camp meeting season. Beginning with the second week of June and extending into the first week of July, the nine Regional Conferences will have camp meetings varying from a weekend to the old-fashioned ten-day event.

Let me confess my bias at the outset: I love camp meeting. When I was a conference president, camp meeting was my favorite thing— much to the consternation of our financial people, who were understandably concerned about its enormous cost.

And make no mistake about it; camp meeting is expensive. Even back in my day, costs ran between $250,000.00 to $300,000.00. Other conferences spend more than that. It was the single most expensive item in our budget in those days, after salary and benefits.

While I do believe how we conduct camp meeting will continue to change and evolve over time, I don’t believe these sessions will ever completely go away. But if they do, a major culprit will be the cost. The cost of transporting, housing and feeding an entire conference staff is enormous. Our costs in South Central were less because we could use the Oakwood University dormitories. We had to pay to use those dormitories but it was nowhere near the cost of having to house an entire staff in hotel rooms, as other conferences do.

And then-there are costs such as children and youth programs, and the costs of bringing in guest speakers and seminar facilitators. This generated enormous expenses in those days and I am sure they have only grown even more enormous over time.

But-I believed that the cost of camp meeting was worth it. I still believe that. Part of that comes from my background.

I grew up in a very traditional Seventh-day Adventist home. My father was the breadwinner in our family. He had a couple of weeks for vacation every year and he spent them taking his family to camp meeting. My parents did not take us to Disneyland for vacation; we went to Joyland (that was the name of the children’s tent back in the old Allegheny Conference where I grew up).

Every summer, my parents would pack up my two sisters, my brother and me, along with bedding, clothes and food for 10 days, and we would make the eight to nine-hour drive to Pine Forge for the Allegheny Camp Meeting. How my father got all of us and all of our gear in one car, without a trailer, is a mystery to me—especially after one year when I watched my wife pack for another ten-day period for a General Conference session. She took enough shoes to fill up my father’s station wagon by herself!

For the first several years, we would spend those 10 days of camp meeting, outdoors in a tent. We had a gas camping stove that my mom used to cook our meals. The tent had two beds, and somehow, my parents made them work for six people. Although the weather was hot during the day, it could get chilly at night.

Later, in the words of the old television show, The Jeffersons, we “moved on up” from a tent to the home of my parents’ friends, the late Elder and Mrs. Walter Starks (Mrs. Starks, who was a wonderful lady, just passed away at age 100). The Starks, who I believe had seven children, lived in a large house near the campus of Pine Forge. They needed a large house, because not only did we stay with them for camp meeting, so did another family. There were 20 people in that house! And we loved it. When I tell my children those stories about sleeping outside in a tent and then moving in with 20 people and how much I enjoyed all of that, they look at me as though I have two heads.

While I certainly would not want to do that again, I have great memories of those days. Meeting new people, going to the children’s tent, and later, to the youth tent.

We would hear great music, from groups like the Dale Wright Memorial Choir and the Blendwrights. As far as I am concerned, the Blendwrights invented gospel music in the Adventist Church. They were the first people I ever knew who used drums, which caused quite a stir. Drums? In the Adventist Church? For some people, the next thing they thought would happen after drums in the Adventist Church was the Mark of the Beast!

Then, there was great preaching that, even at a young age, made a lasting impression on me. Those were the days!

Camp meeting—as a child, as a youth, as a youth director and as a conference president— was about connecting with other Adventists and connecting with God. To connect with people who you had not seen since the last camp meeting and to see them again at a new camp meeting— well, that is special. There is no fellowship like Adventist fellowship and there are few things that foster Adventist fellowship like camp meeting.

In terms of connecting with God, come to early morning prayer meeting. If you have never been to an early morning service, you may not understand what I am saying. But if you have, I suspect you know exactly what I mean.

Things have changed now. Today’s parents are not nearly as willing to spend their vacations at camp meeting. That does not make them bad parents at all; just different parents, who live in a very different time, with very different options.

My parents drove almost 500 miles to go to camp meeting. My daughter turns on a computer and brings camp meeting in every single Regional Conference to her.

I took my grandson to Disney World last year. It was a very special, albeit, very expensive experience. I do not think my grandson would choose camp meeting over Disney World. When I was seven years old, I don’t think that I would have chosen camp meeting over Disney World, either.

But when I was seven, there was no Disney World. There was a Disneyland but it was across the country in California. And for someone who grew up with only one person on either side of his family—an aunt—who had ever been on a plane before, Disneyland may as well have been in a foreign land.

My grandfather never rode on a plane. My father was in his 50s when he (very reluctantly) took his first plane ride. My first plane ride came when I was in college. My grandson’s first plane ride came when he was in kindergarten; my son’s first plane ride came when he was even younger. It’s a very different world. And that means that camp meeting must be done differently and marketed differently to a different generation that has different options and different choices. My children and their peers see nothing nostalgic or beneficial about giving up their vacation time to spend 10 days in a tent. And now that I have not done that in about 50 years, spending 10 days in a tent has kind of lost its appeal for me as well!But I still see the benefit of going to camp meeting. And if you try it, I believe you will, too. t

Dana C. Edmond, Director of the Office for Regional Conference Ministry, (ORCM), is also publisher of Regional Voice Magazine.

CONTENTS

4 PUBLISHER’S COMMENTARY Why We Still Need Camp Meeting

There is no fellowship like Adventist fellowship and there are few things that foster Adventist fellowship like camp meeting.

By Dana C. Edmond

8 COVER STORY Camp Meeting

1992—REVISITED!

Elder Charles Dudley was the South Central Conference President. Elder Dana Edmond was the Youth Director, leading drills and parades. Dr. E. E. Cleveland and Dr. Benjamin Reaves were the Sabbath speakers. Rich indeed! Let God enrich you even more at Camp Meeting 2023!

By Elder R. Steven Norman

12 KNOW YOUR REGIONAL CONFERENCES AND LEADERS

Our membership numbers in the hundreds of thousands. Many faithfully pour into God’s Store house, and He pours out His bless ings in abundance. Study the facts

and figures. Get to know the Re- gional Conference leadership, not just at your home, but across

the entire North American Division. Data Compiled By Dana C. Edmond

20 DUDLEY MONUMENT IS DEDICATED

The Office for Regional Conference Ministries, the Regional Conference Retirement Plan and the Charles and Etta Dudley Foundation dedicated a new monument in the front of the new Regional Conference headquarters. The statue is entitled, “What Meaneth These Stones?”

By Dana C. Edmond

26 NEWSMAKERS SURVIVORS!

The Oakwood University Class President of 2023 delivered a rousing, dynamic, heart-stirring address, looking back over incredible experiences and looking forward to God’s incredible plans for all of these emerging leaders, her classmates.

By Christyn Byrd

32, 34 IN MEMORIAM

Mrs. Mable Hubbard Cox

Elder Horace Jones

Mrs. Mable Cox gave her all to God, her family, her profession,

to those in need, in her church and community.

Elder Horace Jones offered decades of service in ministry and administration. We are honored that their families have shared their life accounts with us.

36 FOLLOW UP

First The Historic IAD/ORCM Summit—Now, the Strategy

Read all about the great plans for Collaboration, Evangelism, Ministry and Church Growth between the Inter-American Division and the Office for Regional Confer- ence Ministry that will last through Eternity, and be inspired!

By Dana C. Edmond

40 RCRP FEATURE

Break Out of the Prison of Loneliness

It’s a high-risk condition that cuts us to our very core, taking our health and quality of life. Fortunately, there’s some good news to successfully combat the dangers of loneliness.

By Dr. Delbert W. Baker

44 IN TRIBUTE

Harry Belafonte

He was a top-ranked entertainer, but so much more. Learn the fascinating accounts of this warrior for Civil Rights who also mas terminded global campaigns against poverty, famine, illness, starvation and death.

Coverage from news dispatches

46 BOOK FEATURE

SCOOP!

There are so many life lessons embedded in the game of basketball, in the lives of the Seventh-day Adventists who love it and in the parallels we draw from Scripture that underscore God’s best plans.

By Tim Allston

49 NATIONAL NEWS

President Biden Ends National COVID Emergency

The COVID emergencies in public health that brought much-needed aid to the nation have come to a close, ending some main line free services. Some services

remain—and so does the virus. The Biden Administration

52 HOPE SERIES

God’s Timing is the Best Timing

Look at how God works. This young wife, mother, graduate and minister got to know the Oakwood campus from attending Camp Meetings. She felt His call on her life, and followed Him.

By Autumn Alexander

56 CAMP MEETING SCHEDULES

Find out when your Regional Conference sessions will be. Find out about all of the other sessions will be. Make your plans to attend, and GO!

58 ADVENTIST COMMUNITY SERVICES

A Sabbath Like No Other

Trace the movements of an ACS volunteer and his wife once they got word of the deadly tornadoes that struck in their region in March 2023, and their immediate response to offer assistance,

By W. Derrick Lea

CAMP MEETING 1992— REVISITED!

BY R. STEVEN NORMAN III

I“I’m so glad I went to camp meeting. It was so spiritual, and brought so much peace to me that I am going to take my vacation every year at camp meeting.”

This testimony of Judy Thomas of Birmingham is the sentiment shared by many of the thousands who attended the South Central Conference camp meeting at Oakwood College, June 5-13. Using the theme “When We All Get To heaven,” President C. E. Dudley and the Conference staff planned many features that made this camp meeting a success.

Preaching

The preaching was charged with a sense of urgency that everyone seemed to feel. References to this urgency was the table talk at dinner, and the topic of discussion in the shade of Oakwood’s many trees. This powerful preaching came through the ministers of South Central’s team and guest speakers. Dr. E. E. Cleveland preached the first Sabbath sermon, “The Bottom Line,” which caused us to evaluate the depth of our commitment to God. Benjamin Reaves, Oakwood College president, preached “The Power is in the Presence” on the second Sabbath.

He took us to the burning bush experience with Moses and helped us to recognize that all of our power depends on the presence of God in our lives. Guest speakers from the denomination’s radio and television ministries included Walter Arties of Breath of Life, and Lonnie Melashenko of the Voice of Prophecy who brought with him members of the Voice of Prophecy team including Gale Murphy, a member of South Central, from Memphis, Tennessee. Other guest speakers included Willie Lewis, president of the Allegheny East Conference; Deborah Harris; Barbara Jackson Hall; and Laura Smith who spoke on Women’s Ministries Day; S. J. Jackson, stewardship director of the Southeastern Conference; Sandy Robinson from the Review and Herald; Ronnie Vanderhorst who spoke at the youth tent and Robert

C. E. Dudley

Gale Murphy

E. E. Cleveland

Edwards from Southern California, who preached and oversaw the activities at the teen tent.

Youth

As always, the Pathfinder camporee and parade attracted large numbers of youth who participated, and spectators who gathered to watch the drum corps and Pathfinder units march from the youth tent to the Oakwood College church and back led by Dana Edmond, South Central’s youth director, and Allan Williamson, an associate in the Southern Union Conference. A new feature for the Pathfinders this year was a successful Pathfinder Fair.

Michael Faison and his wife Joyce conducted a puppet show entitled, “Urukundo” (a Nigerian for love) each

afternoon. This exotic production introduced the children to African culture, helped them respect other cultures and to celebrate global brotherhood.

Seminars

At 9:30 each morning and again at 2:00 each afternoon, people raced to the Moseley Complex where the seminars were offered. Approximately 14 seminars were conducted covering a wide spectrum of interests and needs. The Sanctuary seminar by Dwight Haynes attracted crowds of 100 or more in both morning and afternoon sessions. Other seminars included: Black SDA History, Women’s Issues, Health, Sign Language, Single Parenting, Stewardsship, and Soulwinning. Several seminars were designed to

train church officers for more effective ministry.

Baptism

Nine persons were baptized in an early morning baptism service on the final Sabbath of camp meeting. Isador Desouza, a lay pastor, brought two persons for baptism from Stevenson, Alabama. Dorothy Lee, a lady from Huntsville, learned about the Sabbath on Friday and was baptized on Saturday. On Friday she needed some repairs made on her home. She called Aubrey Thompson, a Seventh-day Adventist repairman, who started the job but told her that he would have to finish on Sunday because he did not work on Sabbath. Lee wondered why he did not work on Sabbath. Thompson took the Bible and explained

to her why he kept the Sabbath. The Bible study became so exciting, and the answers so convicting that after just a few hours study, they had studied all the doctrines of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Then Dorothy asked to be baptized. After a review by one of the ministers at the Oakwood College Church, it was clear that she was ready for baptism. She was among the nine baptized Sabbath morning. God has many people on the verge of salvation who will make decisions for Him when someone opens the word to them. This baptism encouraged other soulwinners to let God lead them to witnessing opportunities.

Ordination

Three ministers were ordained. 0. J. McKinney, ministerial secretary for the Southern Union, challenged the ordainees with a sermon from Ezekiel 33. The three ministers ordained are: Edmund Julius, Michael Ross, and Alonzo Wagner. Julius is originally from South Africa and currently pastors the Natchez, Fayette, and Woodville churches in Mississippi. He is married to the former Averil Fredericks. Michael Ross came to the South Central Conference on the “infiltration program.” As such he was sent to Union Springs, Alabama, and given one year to preach out a church. During the year he raised and organized the First Union Springs church. Ross is currently the pastor of the Franklin and Columbia, Tennessee, churches. He is

married to Judy Norford. Alonzo Wagner, Ill, is a third-generation minister and a fifth generation Seventh-day Adventist. Wagner reopened the Adventist church in Covington, Kentucky, and is currently pastoring the Word of Life church in Memphis. He is married to Elizabeth Anne Wagner. t

Elder R. Steven Norman III completed this rich Camp Meeting coverage for Southern Tidings magazine and has recaptured the account for us three decades later. The recently retired, veteran Communication Director for the Southern Union, is making this an active, working retirement.

Walter Arties

Lonnie Melashenko

Dana Edmond

Ronnie Vanderhorst

THE BIBLE STUDY BECAME SO EXCITING, AND THE ANSWERS SO CONVICTING THAT AFTER JUST A FEW HOURS STUDY, THEY HAD STUDIED ALL THE DOCTRINES OF THE SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH.

KNOW YOUR REGIONAL CONFERENCES, KNOW YOUR LEADERS

Welcome to this new series in The Regional Voice on the nine Regional Conferences, the two West Coast Unions, the Bermuda Conference and the individuals who lead them.

We begin with two conferences, the oldest Regional Conference, at nearly 80, the Lake Region Conference and the South Atlantic Conference. We shall share statistical information on both conferences, along with biographical information on each of their Presidents, Lake Region President, Elder Garth Gabriel and South Atlantic Conference President, Elder Calvin B. Preston.

We shall continue this series, highlighting two conferences and their presidents in each issue until all nine Regional Conferences, the Bermuda Conference, the North Pacific and Pacific Unions are profiled.

We hope you will enjoy learning about our Regional entities and their leaders!

First, here is some general information about the nine Regional Conferences: t

Dana C. Edmond, Director of the Office for Regional Conference Ministry, (ORCM) and publisher of Regional Voice magazine, compiled the data for this Special Report.

Regional Conferences - Ranked According to Memberships

(Membership and Tithe Figures According to the December, 2022 North American Tithe Report):

Northeastern

Approximately 61,000

Southeastern

Approximately 60,000

South Atlantic

Approximately 55,000

South Central

Approximately 39,000

Allegheny East

Approximately 32,000

Lake Region

Approximately 31,000

Southwest

Approximately 21,000

Allegheny West

Approximately 17,000

Central States

Approximately 9,000

Regional Conferences - Ranked According to The 2022 Tithe Reports:

Northeastern

Approximately $52.1 million

Allegheny East

Approximately $38.2 million

Southeastern

Approximately $30.8 million

South Atlantic

Approximately $28 million

South Central

Approximately $24.6 million

Southwest Region

Approximately $14.2 million

Lake Region

Approximately $12.3 million

Allegheny West

Approximately $8.4 million

Central States

Approximately $5.2 million

The Lake Region Conference

Kenneth Elliott Ministerial Director

Elder Garth Gabriel President

Dr. Abraham Henry Vice President for Administration Kent Nichols Treasurer & Chief Financial Officer

Eddie Allen Vice President of Multicultural Ministry

The South Atlantic Conference

The South Atlantic Conference

Founded 1945 Headquarters Decatur, Georgia Territory

Georgia (except for southern Georgia), North and South Carolina

Membership

Approximately 55,000 2022 Tithe

Approximately $28 million President

Elder Calvin Preston Executive Officers

Elder David Smith, Executive Vice President

Mrs. Merkita Mosley, Treasurer/Chief Financial Officer

Dr. Everton Ennis, General Vice President

Elder Calvin Preston – Biographical and Professional Data

Birthplace Columbia, South Carolina Years As President

Calvin B. Preston President

David A. Smith Executive Vice President

Markita Mosley Chief Financial Officer/Treasurer

The South Atlantic Conference

Everton Ennis General Vice President/PARL

Kim Gaiter Vice President for Education

Allen Baldwin Vice President for Pastoral Ministries

DUDLEY MONUMENT DEDICATED

The Office for Regional Conference Ministries, the Regional Conference Retirement Plan and the Charles and Etta Dudley Foundation dedicate a new monument in the front of the new Regional Conference headquarters-the Charles E. Dudley, Sr., Center for Regional Conference Ministries, on April 7, 2023.The Dudley Center is on the campus of Oakwood University, in Huntsville, Alabama, and opened in October 2022.

The statue is entitled “What Meaneth These Stones?”

THE STATUE IS ENTITLED “WHAT MEANETH THESE STONES?”

THE TITLE IS FOUND IN JOSHUA 4:6, AND COMES FROM THE STORY OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL PASSING OVER THE JORDAN RIVER AND ENTERING THE PROMISED LAND.

The title is found in Joshua 4:6, and comes from the story of the Children of Israel passing over the Jordan River and entering the Promised Land. The Lord miraculously opened up the Jordan River for the Israelites. When they passed over safely on the other side, Joshua directed that an altar of 12 stones be erected as a memorial of the miracle.

He said that in the future, their children would see the altar and ask, “What do these stones mean?”

Then the Israelites would relate the miraculous way that God has opened up the Jordan River, and the story would never be lost.

The statue depicts Elder and Mrs.

Dudley and a small child, with Elder Dudley explaining to the child that “these stones,” the two-story, 32,000 square foot Dudley Center, tell the 80-year story of how God has led the Regional Conferences of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

The sculptor for the statue is Professor Pamela Sue Keller, Professor of Art and Chairperson of the Visual and Performing Arts at Athens State University. Professor Keller visited the site several times during the construction of the Dudley Building.

Though she is not a Seventh-day Adventist, when the statue was delivered, she, her husband and grandson toured the Dudley Center. They met Breath of Life Speaker/Director and Oakwood University Church Senior Pastor, Elder Debleaire Snell, with whom she had become acquainted by listening to Breath of Life broadcasts.

The Dudley Foundation is a philanthropic organization started by the South Central Conference. It resulted from the vision of the late South Central Pastor and Oakwood University Professor, Dr. G. Russel Seay, who wanted to memorialize the enormous contributions given to the Seventh-day Adventist Church by the late Elder and Mrs. Charles E. Dudley. Elder Dudley served as President of the South Central Conference from 1962 to 1993. t

Dana C. Edmond, Director of the Office for Regional Conference Ministry, (ORCM), is also publisher of Regional Voice Magazine. Elder Edmond first completed this report for the ORCM Website.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY GERSON PANCORBO

THE SCULPTOR FOR THE STATUE IS PROFESSOR PAMELA SUE KELLER, PROFESSOR OF ART AND CHAIRPERSON OF THE VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS AT ATHENS STATE UNIVERSITY. PROFESSOR KELLER VISITED THE SITE SEVERAL TIMES DURING THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE DUDLEY BUILDING.

Duane Hamilton, audio production coordinator of BLQ is a DJ and producer at the top adult contemporary station in Nashville. He sang for three years with the Heritage Singers U.S.A. and has shared the stage with Larnelle Harris, Dottie Rambo, Andrae’ Crouch, the Hawkins Family and many other notable musicians.

From left to Right Albert Dudley, Charles E. Dudley, II, and his wife Debby.

Elder Dana C. Edmond, executive Director of ORCM

Leslie N. Pollard, PhD., D. Min.

Elder Russell Bates and Judy B. Chiles-Dent principal of Oakwood Adventist Academy.

Pastor Benjamin Jones is currently the 8th President of the South Central Conference

The artist Pamela Sue Keller (Right) who created the statue.

SURVIVORS! OAKWOOD UNIVERSITY

SENIOR CLASS PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS

BY CHRISTYN BYRD

Good Evening.

My name is Christyn Byrd and I have the honor and privilege of serving as the Class President of the graduating Class of 2023. I would like to thank Mrs. Lauderback for her inspirational message to the Class of 2023.

Thank you for highlighting the rich history of our beloved school, Oakwood University and the importance and significance of HBCUs. You told us that “Life is a journey, not a destination.”

We will accept your challenge to “step up rather than give up.”

We will remember to focus on the big picture so we can all be agents of change. You have encouraged us to be the future leaders of the world, to get a seat at the table, to speak up, embrace failure and to create our own opportunities. Thank you so much for your words of wisdom. As we pursue our future endeavors, we will think back to this moment and allow the words you shared to resonate with us.

On behalf of the class of 2023, I would also like to thank the [Oakwood University] Board of Trustees; the administration, faculty and staff; the graduation committee, our distinguished guests; family and friends. You all have all contributed to our success as we have matriculated through Oakwood University. I would like to especially thank Dr. Karen Benn Marshall, and Mrs. LaKeisha Smith Johnson for ensuring that our graduation ceremony was a successful culmination to celebrate the

academic achievements of the illustrious Class of 2023. To our sponsors, Dr. Julie and Mr. Preston Foster, you all are the absolute best. Thank you for supporting us, advocating for us, and making our senior year a memorable one. We love you.

To my class officers, Charles, Nandi, David, Tammy, SIMRA, Aaren, Elisa and JoAnn. You all are amazing people and workers and I couldn’t have asked for a better team. Thank you for your continued effort in answering questions, planning events, creating budgets, serving food, and all the other tasks in between.

To our family and friends: Thank you for being our ROCKS, our support system, and our anchors. We love you. I want to take this opportunity to shout out to my family, my village, my parents, my sisters, I LOVE YOU more than you know!!

And most importantly, To God: Thank You for seeing fit in Your will that we have arrived here at this very moment. Without You, none of this would be possible.

When I think of the words to describe the class of 2023, I noticed that the thesaurus and dictionary do not contain a word that truly embodies and encapsulates all of our numerous qualities. There are several words that are fitting to describe this class: resilient, determined, tenacious. Yet no singular word fully explains all that we went through, all that we endured and all that we overcame. However, when sitting with the best team ever, your class officers of 2023, we determined that if we had to use one word to describe our class, we would say survivors.

YOU HAVE ENCOURAGED US TO BE THE FUTURE LEADERS OF THE WORLD, TO GET A SEAT AT THE TABLE, TO SPEAK UP, EMBRACE

FAILURE AND TO CREATE OUR OWN OPPORTUNITIES.

We entered Oakwood University, hopeful, knowing that this would arguably be the best time of our lives, “the golden days.” We [would look back on them and say], “Oh I remember the days when.”

We had an amazing first semester, made a lot of friends, socialized, did well in our classes, got involved in extracurricular activities… We were just getting our feet wet. To better explain it we got a Costco sample and a small taste of what we thought would be our future at Oakwood University. We were optimistic and hopeful of what was to come.

To put it candidly, when we first heard of the pandemic, many of us thought we would be getting an extra week of spring break. However, what we thought would be a few extra days of spring break, turned out to be one of the most catastrophic and notable events in our lifetime. The start of the pandemic took place during our second semester

of our freshman year at Oakwood. All we know is a COVID Oakwood. This changed our definition of reality, not only with school but [with] life. Masks became a part of our image. Hand sanitizer became a part of our hygienic routine. Lysol, toilet paper, and paper towels became hot commodities. And our noses were swabbed more times than I can count. A lot of us lost loved ones. Many of us experienced symptoms of depression or anxiety, or other mental illnesses during this time. Yet we survived.

And we endured all of these trials and tribulations while matriculating through Oakwood to obtain a degree. This class has faced what many others have never and will never have to. Not only did we survive the pandemic, but we survived the racial war. We survived the mental toll of the wrongful killings of our Black brothers and sisters, including George Floyd, Ahmad Arbery Breonna Taylor , and too many others. We survived breakout rooms. We survived Zoom meetings. We survived long lines. We survived no Wi Fi, We survived “Biblical Foundations,” We survived the mold. We survived contact tracing. We survived the speed bumps.

We survived GroupMe! We survived OU confessions. We survived the runaround. We survived quarantine. We survived the cafe. We survived a cyberattack.

We are survivors and our experiences have made us stronger and have better equipped us with skills to handle the challenges we will face in the future. Despite all that we went through, we made the best of our OU experience. We led, we encouraged each other, we collaborated, we stayed close, we comforted each other, we pulled each other up and we pushed each other through. We had some of our best spiritual experiences at Oakwood. We met amazing mentors and friends in our teachers at Oakwood.

that we will have for the rest of our lives at Oakwood. So, when I look out into our class, I see survivors. I see overcomers. I see future world changers; I see future innovators; I see future servants for the Lord.

I see individuals that choose hope over fear. Individuals who do not see the future as something out of our control, but as something we can shape for the better. Class of 2023—Excuses did not encumber us. Heartache and headache

WE ARE SURVIVORS AND OUR EXPERIENCES HAVE MADE US STRONGER AND HAVE BETTER EQUIPPED US WITH SKILLS TO HANDLE THE CHALLENGES WE WILL FACE IN THE FUTURE.

did not hinder us; oppositions did not obstruct us; and COVID did not kill us, WE. ARE. SURVIVORS.

Christyn’s Story

Christyn Byrd is a recent 2023 graduate of Oakwood University, where she majored in Biology: PreMed/PreOsteopathic, and received the Presidential Award for the highest academic achievement at Oakwood University—maintaining a 4.0 GPA with the completion of 133 credit hours.

At Oakwood, Christyn was very involved in many clubs, organizations, research studies, and other extracurricular activities.  This past academic year she served as the Class President for the Class of 2023 and the President of the Oakwood Biomedical Association (OBMA). Christyn is also a Fund II Foundation UNCF STEM Scholar, and a former member of the 2017 Choir of the World, the Oakwood University Aeolians.

want you to know that we’ve been down for a long time, but we’re coming up.

We have experienced dark days where we didn’t see the light at the end of the tunnel. There were nights where we cried ourselves to sleep. There were nights when we wondered how we were going to get that assignment in at 11:59.

We joined choirs and praise teams at Oakwood. We played sports and intramurals at Oakwood. We dangled out keys at Oakwood. We threw our shoes at Oakwood. We skated at Oakwood.

Some of us found our Oakwood man or woman that we were promised at Oakwood, and we have all made friends

When you survive an experience, it makes you stronger. It makes you appreciate the journey. It facilitates stronger connections and bonds. It makes you appreciate the hard times so you can relish in the good times. It makes you appreciate when you’re down, so you know when you’re up. Class of 2023, today I

Christyn has participated in several summer research internships including the University of Alabama (UAB) Summers Health Professionals Education Program (SHPEP), the Mayo Clinic Undergraduate Plummer Scholars Summer Program (UPS+), the Johns Hopkins Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine (PCCM) Summer Internship Program, and an internship with the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in the Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Division.  In her junior year at Oakwood, Christyn was accepted early into the University of Alabama (UAB) Heersink School of Medicine through the inaugural Burroughs Welcome Scholars Cohort.

In her spare time, Christyn loves to be with her parents, Dr. Carlton and Mrs. Danielle Byrd; sisters, Caileigh and Carissa Byrd; family members and friends. She enjoys singing music, photography, as well as watching movies and television.

Christyn’s plan is to pursue a career in medicine to make a difference and to do her part to address the health disparities that disproportionately affect African Americans.  Ultimately, she is desirous of fulfilling the plans God has for her life, to use her platform to be a witness for Christ. t

Days when you wondered how you’d get the money to clear. Days when you wondered how you’d pass the class that you needed to graduate. Days when we wondered if we’d make it to this day. We have seen the lowest of lows. We did not know what our future held, but we know Who holds our future. Our Greater is coming. Our present sufferings are not worth comparing to the glory that will be revealed in us. Greater is coming! This is only the beginning. So, since everyone at Oakwood can sing. Sing this with me!

“We are survivors!

We are not gon give up, We’re not gon stop, We’re gon work harder, We are survivors!

We’re gonna make it. We will survive, Let’s Keep on surviving.”

Because if God is before us, WHO can be against us?

Class of 2023, LET’S KEEP SURVIVING! t

MRS. MABLE HUBBARD COX 1927 – 2023

Life Reflections

Mable Matilda Hubbard Cox was entered this life on June 3, 1927, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the fifth of eight children born to George and Laura Hubbard.

Her brilliance was noted at an early age, as she learned to read before entering Scott Street Elementary School. She graduated from McKinley Senior High School with honors and began working, along with her sister Laura, as a teacher in a small country school just outside of Baton Rouge. She and Laura later realized their dreams of becoming Registered Nurses after graduating from the General Hospital #2 School of Nursing in Kansas City, Missouri. She would later excel in achieving a stellar nursing career that spanned over 43 years, beginning at Flint Goodrich Hospital from 1949 to 1952; Charity Hospital from 1952 to 1954 and the U.S. Public Health Hospital, including becoming the first African American Head Nurse in Louisiana, actively participating in the desegregation of the hospital, receiving certification as an Infant Care Specialist; certification as an Enterostomy Therapist from Atlanta’s Emory University, then developing and managing the Enterostomy Program at the hospital. During her 27-year tenure at this hospital, she accelerated to become a chief administrative nurse and was appointed as director of all hospital operations before its closure. She was pivotal in the opening of the New Orleans Child and Adolescent Hospital—the first state-operated mental hospital for children and adolescents in the city, where she served as a nurse administrator from 1981 to 1992. She was honored to work with her RN colleague and best friend, Georgia Simon at both the U.S. Public Health Hospital and the New Orleans Child and Adolescent Hospital. Additionally, for a few years to occupy her time, energetic Mable came out of retirement and took a part-time Office Assistant position at the property management business of her friend Lurene Castro, until the ripe age of 84. She was proud to recount that she had retired three times during her lifetime.

Her love for Jesus was nurtured at an early age by her mother, as she and her siblings attended an evangelistic meeting held by Elder Charles Bradford, which resulted in the family’s baptism into the Seventh-day Adventist church, and becoming faithful members of the Berean Baton Rouge Church. Grand-

ma Hubbard served as a wonderful role model to her family, as she worked untiringly at the church, including serving as a personal assistant to visiting evangelists. Her sister Doris introduced her to James Wallace Cox at a Baton Rouge church function. After losing touch, she met up with him again while living onsite at the Flint Goodrich Hospital. She frequently remarked how James had a special doorbell ring to alert her of his presence at the hospital quarters (two short rings and one long ring). They were known by all to refer to one another as “Sweetheart” and “Sweetie.” During their courtship their love blossomed. They had a modest marriage ceremony on April 17, 1951. (Fifty years later, they had the lavish ceremony of Mable’s dreams to reaffirm their love.) James and Mable were proud of their first home in Little Farms, built by James’ own hands. They soon started their family, welcoming three sons, James, Jr., William and Michael. The family later moved to the ‘new’ prestigious golf community in Pontchartrain Park in 1958.

Mable and James were prominent members of the New Orleans Ephesus Seventh-day Adventist Church, where James helped build the church. Along with James, Mable served in several offices, including many years as Sabbath School Teacher and Church Clerk. They later moved to the Caffin Avenue Church to support the ministry of their middle son, William. There she served as Health and Temperance leader. She was most notably known for the kindness, love and generosity shown to her family, church members, neighbors and friends. She often provided nursing care, meals, clothing and hospital and home visits to those in need. She reached out to everyone, using a straightforward, motherly approach to encourage and uplift others, especially those in despair. She proudly mentored her adopted daughter, Dr. Shelia Webb, who became a renowned government official in the city of New Orleans. Her love for her three sons was unmatched. She and James frequently traveled to the homes of their pastor sons James, Jr., and William, giving them spiritual counsel and support. She

often boasted that she had gained three daughters, Adela, LaTanya and Michelle, refusing to use the term daughter-inlaw. In 1997, James and Mable moved in with Michael and Michelle, while they awaited the building of a huge addition to their home. This faithful pair, with the help of their children Michael, Miguel and Michele (Nikki) became the primary caregivers of Mable and James during their golden years, keeping the promise they would never have to reside in a nursing home. Affectionately called Momé, Mable had a significant bond with each of her nine grandchildren, teaching them many life lessons. Each can eagerly recite her favorite saying, “When a job is

daughter Michelle, grandson Michael and his wife Ashley; grandson Miguel and his wife Jessica and their children, and granddaughter Michele (Nikki) and her husband Clinton and their children. She continues to sleep in Jesus, awaiting the sound of the last trump, when she will be resurrected with her husband and other family members and friends, to live eternally.

first begun, do it right until it’s done. . .” Every grandchild cherished visits from their grandparents and upon their arrival, devoured Mable’s “famous” veggie spread sandwiches. Mable was also known for her love of shopping and bargain hunting. Her family and friends were the cheerful recipients of her conquests. The grandchildren who lived in the New Orleans area relished the privilege of receiving her love and tutelage daily. Her 23 great grandchildren came to know and love her as well.

With the loss of James on January 8, 2022, Mable continued the race until her final rest on April 25, just after midnight. Mable expired peacefully in her sleep, surrounded by her three sons,

She will be sorely missed by all who knew and loved her. She leaves to mourn her loss her sisters Laura Thomas and Betty Jean Stanford; sons James Jr., (Adela); William, Sr., (LaTanya), and Michael Sr., (Michelle); adopted daughters Dr. Shelia Webb, Linda Theriot and Wilda Smith; adopted sons Cedric Francois, Hezekiah Brinson, Ricki Mooney and Dr. Joe Grider; grandchildren Karin Lindsey (Kelvin); William, Jr., (Whitley); LaTisha Spence (Shadeed); Jamaal, Sr., (Anita); Michele Craddock (Clinton); Krystal, Michael, Jr., (Ashley); Miguel (Jessica), and Dr. James W. Cox III; adopted grandchildren Ashleigh Webb and Warren Webb, Jr., (Kristin); great grandchildren Khalil, Miguel, Jr., Aiden, Gabriel, Jamaal, Jr., Lailah, Michael Christian, Sydney, Juliana, Morgan, Alexandria, Khash, Clinton, Jr., Beylyn, Khace, Jaden, Saige, Leo, Elaina, Harper, Tatum, Audriana and Weslee; special friend Georgia Simon; special nieces Barbara Hubbard Spence, Charmaine Taylor, Curtrel Cutno, Helga Hubbard; special nephews Earl Hubbard, Sr., Earl Hubbard, Jr., and Samuel Thomas III, and a host of other beloved nieces, nephews, family and friends.

“But we would not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning them that fall asleep; that ye sorrow not, even as the rest, who have no hope” (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). We will see you again Momé, and look forward to spending eternity with you! t

Special Thanks to the Cox family from Regional Voice magazine for sharing this tribute to Mrs. Mable Hubbard Cox, Mother of RCRP Director Dr. William Cox, Sr. Her inspiring life revealed dedication to God, her family, her profession and to humanity.

PASTOR HORACE LAWRENCE JONES

1926 – 2023

A Lifetime of Service

Pastor Horace Lawrence Jones was born in Salem County, New Jersey, on January 24, 1926. After his early years of education in Alloway, New Jersey, he spent his senior year of high school at Oakwood Academy. He continued his education at Oakwood College, and while there, established himself as a very skillful first tenor, singing for the college and for multiple evangelistic efforts. He graduated with a degree in theology in 1947.

AFTER GRADUATION, HORACE WAS HIRED BY THE SOUTH CENTRAL CONFERENCE OF SDA, BEGINNING HIS MINISTRY IN THE YAZOO CITY AND GREENVILLE, MISSISSIPPI, DISTRICT. FROM THERE, HE WAS SENT TO CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE.

After graduation, Horace was hired by the South Central Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, beginning his ministry in the Yazoo City and Greenville, Mississippi, District.

From there, he was sent to Chattanooga, Tennessee. During his pastorate in Chattanooga, he married the love of his life, Chlora McClure, on March 4, 1951. Also, while working in the Tennessee area, he held a tent meeting in Cleveland, Tennessee, and baptized numerous individuals.

From that meeting, a church was established. Horace also pastored in Knoxville, Tennessee, before being moved to the Gulf States Conference, where he pastored in three states simultaneously: Alabama, Mississippi and Florida.

While ministering in the Gulf States, Horace held a meeting in Atmore, Alabama, where 41 people were baptized, and a church was established from that effort.

Horace was called to the Lake Region Conference in 1963, where he pastored and won souls for Christ in Illinois, Michigan and Indiana. He also worked in the Community Service and Sabbath School Departments of the conference. He continued his ministry as the Personal Ministries Director before moving to the South Atlantic Conference. While in South Atlantic, he pastored in Savannah, Griffin, and Lawrenceville, Georgia.

Pastor Jones always believed in and aggressively supported Christian education. During his pastorate in Savannah, Georgia, Ramah Jr. Academy became the largest Adventist school in the North American Division, with an enrollment of 495 students.

After 69 years of service, he retired and relocated to Huntsville, Alabama, and became a member of the Oakwood University Church in 2016. After a short illness, he passed away peacefully in his sleep on April 12, 2023.

He leaves to mourn: his wife; three daughters, Phyllis L. McCree, Alva L. Arrington and Lorna J. Knight; six grandchildren, Keith McCree, Shelly Arrington, Joel Arrington, Ern Arrington, Michael Knight and Kyle Knight; 12 greatgrandchildren, Byron McCree, Bryce McCree, Kylie McCree, Madeline McCree, Michael Arrington, Denia Arrington, Ashli Arrington, Jonathan Arrington, Alicia Arrington-Jones (Rashad), Eric Arrington, Ryan Arrington and Neveah Arrington; and one great-grandchild, Bria McCree. His family, church members and friends plan to see him again on the other side at the resurrection. t

Regional Voice magazine expresses special thanks to the family of Elder Horace Jones for sharing his life story of service and ministry.

PASTOR JONES ALWAYS BELIEVED IN AND AGGRESSIVELY SUPPORTED CHRISTIAN EDUCATION. DURING HIS PASTORATE IN SAVANNAH, GEORGIA, RAMAH JR. ACADEMY BECAME THE LARGEST ADVENTIST SCHOOL IN THE NORTH AMERICAN DIVISION, WITH AN ENROLLMENT OF 495 STUDENTS.

HISTORIC IAD/REGIONAL CONFERENCE SUMMIT LEADERS DEVELOP STRATEGY

BY DANA C. EDMOND

The historic summit meeting between the Inter-American Division (IAD) administrative team and the Regional Conference Presidents convened on March 9, 2023. The purpose of the meeting was to build bridges between two entities that share a common culture as people of color and to talk about ways to collaborate in ministry throughout the territories of Inter-America and North America. This successful summit was covered in the Spring Edition of this magazine.

However, the two entities were interested in making sure that there was follow-up to this meeting; that there was not just good feelings, good food, good fellowship and good photos, but that in the end the summit would yield some good results.

At the close of the summit, the leaders decided to task IAD General Vice President, Dr. Balvin Braham and Elder Dana C. Edmond, Executive Director, Office for Regional Conference Ministries (ORCM), with following up on their plans. The two leaders have remained in contact in the days and weeks after the summit. In collaboration with the IAD Administration and the Regional Conference Leadership, the following initiatives were agreed upon: 1. That the Regional Conferences would collaborate with the IAD in their historical evangelistic initiative “Every Family in the Mission, 2024.”

The goal is for the families of the IAD to identify two individuals—one a family member and the other a neighbor, co-worker, or friend, etc.—whom they wish to introduce the gospel of Jesus Christ. The IAD will develop a series of family life-orientated Bible studies to give to the identified individuals.

If individual members identifying the Bible study candidates do not feel

SUMMIT PHOTOGRAPHY BY GERSON PANCORBO SUMMER

The Summit Delegation from left, Dr. Byrd, Elder Bernard, Dr. Cox, Elder Johnson, Elder Jones, Dr. Henry, Elder Herrera, Elder Edmond, Elder Preston, Elder Braham, Elder Ennis, Dr. Jules and Dr. Owusu.

comfortable giving the Bible studies themselves, they can pass on the names of the Bible study candidates to others and they will follow up with the candidates.

The goal is for 300,000 members out of the 4 million members of the IAD to engage two individuals each in Bible studies in the first part of 2024, for a total of 600,000 Bible studies. Then there will be two-week reaping meetings held across the IAD, with the goal of baptizing at least one-third of those taking the Bible studies. If this goal is reached, 200,000 souls will be added to the kingdom of God.

Each Regional Conference and the ORCM will be asked to provide speakers for the reaping meetings, which will be held in the spring of 2024. ORCM has already committed to providing five speakers for this initiative. The Regional Conferences and the ORCM will pro -

vide the transportation to the various evangelistic sites and the host entity will provide housing and meals.

We are excited about this collaboration and pray that it will accrue glory to God and will expand His kingdom.

2. In return, the Regional Conferences will request the services of speakers from the IAD to assist with evangelism in Regional Conferences. The details of that exchange will be worked out in the near future.

3. This year, the Regional Conference leadership will be involved in various leadership conventions and conferences in the IAD.

Dr. Delbert Baker, Research and Development Director for the Regional Conference Retirement Plan, and his wife, Dr. Susan Baker, recently presented at the IAD’s “Invitation to Mission Conference.” Drs. Baker shared their experience in mission service in Kenya and

at the end of the program, Dr. Delbert Baker gave the charge to the program participants.

Oakwood University President, Dr. Leslie N. Pollard and Vice President, Dr. Prudence Pollard will present at the IAD Leadership Conference in Miami in July. Also, one of the devotional speakers at this convention will be Elder Dana C. Edmond, from the ORCM.

Keep looking at these pages for continuing coverage of the results from this collaboration between the IAD and the Regional Conferences. We look forward to witnessing what God will do. t

Dana C. Edmond, Director of the Office for Regional Conference Ministry, (ORCM), also publisher of Regional Voice magazine, compiled this follow-up report.

WE ARE EXCITED ABOUT THIS COLLABORATION AND PRAY THAT IT WILL ACCRUE GLORY TO GOD AND EXPAND HIS KINGDOM.

Dr. Elie Henry, right, IAD President, and Elder Dana Edmond, ORCM Director, greet each other warmly.

Left to right, IAD Officers, Elder Herrera, Dr. Henry, Executive Secretary Leonard Johnson and Vice President Balvin Braham; Dr. Cox, Elder Edmond, and Regional Conference Presidents Dr. Jules, NEC; Dr. Carlton Byrd, SWR; Elder Roger Bernard, CSC; Dr. Michael Owusu, SEC; Elder Benjamin Jones, SCC; SAC Officers Elder Calvin Preston, President and Elder Everton Ennis, Executive Secretary, listen to presentation offered by Dr. Cox.

Inter-American Division Headquarters, Miami, Florida.

BREAKING OUT OF THE PRISON OF LONELINESS

Discover Ways to Help Yourself and Others to Win

BY DR. DELBERT W. BAKER

Loneliness has been identified as a high-risk condition. Dr. Vivek Murthy, U.S. Surgeon General, recently warned that loneliness and “being socially disconnected” has a similar effect on mortality, as much as smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day. It exceeds other risk factors, such as physical inactivity and obesity. 1

The above statistics are highlighted because one in four people in the U.S. experience loneliness on a regular basis. Loneliness. That emotional wave that comes over you when you feel all alone, long to be with and feel connected to others. Other words for loneliness include feeling isolated, excluded or left out. Loosely speaking, loneliness reflects whether or not you feel connected to others. You can feel lonely when you are physically alone, and you can also feel lonely in the presence of others. Further, loneliness can be related to FOMO or the Fear Of Missing Out; that is, the apprehension that one is either not in the know, or missing out on information, events and life experiences. 2

Loneliness, a Public Health Priority

This year, Dr. Murthy declared to the nation that loneliness is a public health problem that affects everyone, either directly or indirectly. In the 82-page report, Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation, The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on the Healing Effects of Social Connection and Community, he urges public officials, community and faith leaders, etc. to treat loneliness

and isolation with the same urgency as substance abuse or tobacco. 3

THE COMPREHENSIVE REPORT WARNS THAT LONELINESS AND ISOLATION HAVE BEEN LINKED WITH HEART ATTACK, DEPRESSION, DIABETES, CRIME, AND PREMATURE DEATH IN THE U.S. LONELINESS IS AFFECTING PEOPLE, NO MATTER WHERE THEY LIVE OR WHO THEY ARE.

The comprehensive Report warns that loneliness and isolation have been linked with heart attack, depression, diabetes, crime and premature death in the U.S. Loneliness is affecting people no matter where they live or who they are. “Right now,” he said, “millions of people are telling us through their stories and statistics that their tank is running on empty when it comes to social connection.” 4

Reviewing the scientific literature on the growing intrusion of loneliness and isolation, Dr. Murthy commenced a cross-country listening tour, where he encountered person after person who told him “they felt isolated, invisible, and insignificant. People of all ages and socioeconomic backgrounds, from every corner of the country, would tell me, ‘I have to shoulderall of life’s burdens by myself,’ or ‘If I disappear tomorrow, no one will even notice.’” Calling it a “lightbulb moment,” he noted that “social disconnection was more common than he had ever realized.” 5

Loneliness and isolation are problematic across the broad

age spectrum; however, the prospect becomes riskier as one grows older. According to a CDC report, more than 25 percent of adults over 65 are socially isolated. Among the most alarming health risks that older isolated adults face are heart disease, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, depression and anxiety and dementia. The CDC report states that “Chronic loneliness and social isolation can increase the risk of developing dementia by approximately 50 percent.” In short, all the health risks that seniors naturally face are exacerbated by loneliness and isolation. 6

Reversing Loneliness

Fortunately, there is good news with the sobering news; we can do something about loneliness. We can act to resist and lessen the impact of unaddressed, unchecked loneliness and isolation. The Report highlights that “evidence consistently shows that wider social networks and more frequent social engagements with friends and family are associated with better cognitive function and may protect against the risk of dementia.”

As individuals and in our church communities, we can help to successfully counter the loneliness curve by building deliberate, intentional bonds in our communities and in society.

Here are three positive approaches we can take to address and reverse loneliness.

Interestingly, these elements, seen in Elijah’s experience are substantiated in research literature and best practices to help us cope with loneliness and isolation. Again, while quick fixes and pat formulas won’t suffice, determination and diligence will make a difference. Elijah worked through his issues, then resumed normalcy and service.

First, Face Loneliness with Understanding

A simple recognition that loneliness is a challenge in our communities, churches and homes is progress. This recognition is a good starting point for developing strategies and plans to effectively deal with it.

The classic narrative of Elijah’s experience on Mt. Carmel, and its aftermath, highlights how loneliness, isolation and depression can affect anyone, anywhere, anytime. Gifted people, all people, may accomplish significant tasks. Then, suddenly, they may have to contend with the fluctuating emotions of loneliness, anxiety, and solitude that seek to dominate and overwhelm. In Elijah’s case, 1 Kings 19 outlines some phases and keys that can help to shield and protect from these worrisome emotions.

The dramatic account illustrates the impact of the powerful partnership of loneliness and isolation (vv. 3-4) and how it can be counteracted. Equally, we see the importance and values of the antidotes of loneliness and isolation:

1. Rest (v. 5),

2. Food, water and nourishment (vv. 6-7),

3. Activity and exercise (v. 8),

4. Reflection and assessment (vv. 9-14),

5. Spiritual discipline (vv. 9b, 13),

6. Service and purpose (vv. 15-18), and

7. Partnership to labor and serve (vv. 19-21).

Ellen White shares insight in Prophets and Kings (page 164) that sheds light on the antidote for working through loneliness and isolation from a spiritual perspective: “Hope and courage are essential to perfect service for God. These are the fruit of faith… For the disheartened there is a sure remedy—faith, prayer, work. Faith and activity will impart assurance and satisfaction that will increase day by day. Are you tempted to give way to feelings of anxious foreboding or utter despondency? In the darkest days, when appearances seem most forbidding, fear not. Have faith in God. He knows your need. He has all power. His infinite love and compassion never weary. Fear not that He will fail of fulfilling His promise.”

Second, Manage Loneliness to Reach Success

While loneliness is a normal part of the human experience, it must be recognized, identified and managed. Why? Because loneliness indicates a need, it should be taken seriously. It highlights that we feel something is lacking, that we believe what we lack is important for surviving or thriving. We recognize loneliness and/or that we feel isolated. We identify why we feel that way. Is this legitimate, a real-life situation? Or is this an emotion or attitude that needs to be adjusted? In either case, we have work to do. Loneliness can be an invitation to either make changes in our lives, correct our expectations or adjust our attitudes.

There are numerous societal practices that encourage tendencies toward loneliness and isolation. For example, social media brings many advantages, but it also allows people to spend inordinate amounts of time isolated. We see people, but not personally; we don’t physically interact with them. Lack of physical contact can increase anxiety, worry and depression.

Then there was the COVID-19 pan-

demic with its complicating consequences. While families spent more time together, wider social isolation was intensified in society with the closure of schools, churches and workplaces.

Bear in mind, this remains a tough period with many confounding and confusing factors. They must be faced and dealt with. If you need help, don’t be afraid to admit it. Maybe you will find some help in a trusted friend, counselor or health professional.

The believer knows that while this earth has its share of pain, loneliness and dissonance, the ultimate confidence is in God. It is through faith and belief in Him that all believers will realize heaven, final peace, security and community. In the meantime, we can utilize the counsel from the Bible to cope with loneliness. There are more than 100 references in the Bible dealing with loneliness and how God promises to aid and support us whenever we turn to Him. The Apostle Paul experienced feelings of loneliness and abandonment. At the crucial time when he was imprisoned and on trial, his friends deserted him. He remained strong because of the Lord: “No one stood by me the first time I defended myself; all deserted me. … But the Lord stayed with me and gave me strength” (2 Timothy 4:16).

Third, Lessen Loneliness with Resources

The Report makes the case that unattended loneliness and social isolation may cause people to be less civil and to be disengaged from society. The path to better handling loneliness, according to Dr. Murthy, is to help people find their way through it by building community, creating systems

It wants you to give up, and never dare to speak.

But…

You can join a class or club and meet people who share your passion, You can volunteer for a cause and make goodness your fashion. You can call a friend or a family and have a heartfelt talk, You can go outside and enjoy nature and have a refreshing walk.

with people helping people and people helping themselves. This is done by strengthening and undergirding social connections, by creating new ways for people to show up, get involved and be in positive connections in communities and with each other.

Dr. Murthy outlines Six Pillars for the American public to build community and advance social interaction. These are suggested ways that individuals, churches, organizations, pastors and public officials can start to bring people together to address the issue of loneliness and isolation.

Those solutions include developing social information, communication and dissemination on building community. This can be created through research, writing-speaking and making social connection a priority at home, work, church and community.

See the full report on details about the Six Pillars, the entire advisory report, and resources on community building. 7

The Six Pillars are:

1. Strengthen Social Infrastructure in Local Communities

2. Enact Pro-Connection Public Policies

3. Mobilize the Health Sector

4. Reform Digital Environments

5. Deepen our Knowledge

6. Cultivate a Culture of Connection

Loneliness is a Cheat that Can Be Beat

Loneliness is a shadow that follows you everywhere, It whispers in your ear that no one really cares.

Loneliness is a liar that tries to make you weak,

You can turn to animals for comfort and feel their unconditional love, You can meditate, play music that uplifts and feel connected from above. You can fight loneliness with courage, the Word and prayer, You can reach out to God and others, to avoid its awful snare. t

Delbert W. Baker, PhD, is an author, educator, administrator and pastor. He is Director of Research and Development at the Regional Conference Retirement Plan Office in the Charles Dudley, Sr. Regional Conference Ministries Center in Huntsville, Alabama.

NOTES

1. Wigfield, A., J. Gurung and L. Makey. (2023) Is loneliness really as damaging to your health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day? The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/is-loneliness-really-as-damaging-to-your-health-as-smoking-15- cigarettes-a-day-204959

2. Weissabourd, R. et. al. (2022) Loneliness in America: How the Pandemic Has Deepened an Epidemic of Loneliness and What We Can Do About It Making Caring Common. https://mcc.gse.harvard.edu/ reports/loneliness-in-america

3. Office of the Surgeon General. (2023). Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation: The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on the Healing Effects of Social Connection and Community.

4. Ibid.

5. Ibid.

6. Loneliness and Social Isolation Linked to Serious Health Conditions. (2021). https://www.cdc.gov/aging/publications/ features/lonely-older-adults.html

7. Office of the Surgeon General. (2023), op. cit., pp. 45 to 53.

HARRY BELAFONTE

1927 - 2023

The young and young at heart in the 1950s welcomed Harry Belafonte’s burst into pop culture and fame. His renditions of bright calypso music were his very own. He was the first artist to sell a million record albums in the world, period. Harold George Bellanfanti, Jr., was born in Harlem, New York, to Mr. Harold George Bellanfanti, Sr., a chef, and Mrs. Melvine Love Bellanfanti, a housekeeper on March 1, 1927. The couple opted to send their son to live with a grandmother in her native Jamaica for his early years of education.

When he returned to Harlem as a teenager, he dropped out of high school to join the U.S. Navy while World War II was raging. At the war’s end, he found himself at loose ends,

and worked as a janitor’s assistant. When someone gave him tickets to see a production at the American Negro Theater, his life took on new meaning. He met Sidney Poitier, another struggling actor who became his lifelong friend and collaborator. In those days, they would scrape together enough to buy one ticket to plays, then rotate at intervals so they both could attend! They schooled each other on productions, techniques and style. The “schooling” paid off. Each went on to give award-winning performances in a variety of roles.

Harry became one of the rare entertainers to win the coveted EGOT set of awards—the Emmy for excellence in television; multiple Grammy awards for his recordings and a Lifetime Achievement Grammy; an Oscar, the Academy Award, for

excellence in film and the Tony for his performance on the Broadway stage. He also received the Kennedy Center Honors in 1989, and in 1994, the National Medal of Arts.

Legendary performer and activist Paul Robeson took young Harry under his wing early on, teaching him how to mix a successful entertainment career and to be an effective civil rights supporter. Harry listened to his mentor. He led a very public career in entertainment, and led an equally successful career in public and behind the scenes in civil rights. He and other Hollywood actors and singers marched publicly in that dangerous route from Selma to Montgomery. Harry himself helped to organize the March on Washington in 1963. He was a close, trusted friend of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He personally bailed Dr. King out of the Birmingham jail, where King’s famous “Letter” originated. Belafonte and Poitier also gave tens of thousands of dollars to the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), funding

their Freedom Summer education and voting programs, and gave their own in-person performances.

Harry Belafonte masterfully mixed his world of glamor with the rough and tumble world of activism and politics. He stood against racism and prejudice in America, and would not perform in the segregated South until there was progress in the 1960s. He stood against apartheid in South Africa, and worked to end it. When deadly famine struck Ethiopia, Belafonte’s planning went into high gear. The 1985 “We Are the World” production including scores of stars, was his brainchild. The USA for Africa parent organization would take in millions to alleviate hunger for those suffering in Africa—and in America.

In 1987, Harry Belafonte became a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, advocating for the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund, a position he held until his death.

In his personal life, Belafonte was married three times, to Marguerite Byrd, to Julie Robinson and to Pamela Frank. He had four children, Adrienne and Shari, Gina and David; then five grandchildren. He was successfully treated for prostate cancer in 1996. Then in 2004, a stroke affected his inner-ear and took his balance. He moved from public life but remained a drum major for justice in private. He died at the age of 96 from congestive heart failure on April 25, 2023, at his home on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, in New York City. t

Facts gathered from multiple media sources.

HE AND OTHER HOLLYWOOD ACTORS AND SINGERS MARCHED PUBLICLY IN THAT DANGEROUS ROUTE FROM SELMA TO MONTGOMERY.

SCOOP:

The First-ever Listing of SDA-bred/ NBA-blessed Ballers and Execs

BY TIM ALLSTON

(Note: The following is excerpted from the print/ digital/audiobook Where Jump Shots Meet Jesus, written and narrated by Tim Allston, the former Regional Voice Magazine managing editor.)

My “Last Dance” Game

“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things” Philippians 4:8.

Three Lasting Words after My Last Jump Shot

ESPN’s “The Last Dance” 2020 series chronicled the 1990s Chicago Bulls’ front office first creating and then dismantling this winning NBA six-peat dynasty. Conversely, my “Last Dance” game evidenced both my dismantled basketball “career” while creating hopefully my new three-peat dynasty of living, loving, and learning.

Sunday, February 24, 2003, became my last basketball game as a player; local Elder Curtis Manning my last coach; and his last three words have stuck with me even longer than my last jump shot then and there.

Madison Mission SDA Church hosted our First SDA Church/Huntsville men's basketball team in a church league game, . . . And we First Church “AARP ballers” were no match for those young MMSDA thoroughbreds!

In the Zone . . .

Because our more traditional man-to-

man defense was not working to prevent or even slow them down from scoring, Curtis then switched us to a zone defense.

In a zone defense, each player is assigned to cover his specific territory or zone, instead of trying to cover a specific opponent on the defensive end of the court.

Bottom line: regardless of our defensive formation, MMSDA still beat us like an African drum!

And Then, Our Drum Major Spoke . .

On one such exchange, I launched my jump shot over my defender.

Unsuccessfully, though.

They rebounded my final jumper and raced back up the court attempting to score another basket.

Embarrassed, I too raced back up the court, now having switched to playing defense….

But now …with a bruised ego.

Following my missed jump shot, I now sought to cover or defend against the player who had successfully thwarted my earlier jump shot attempt.

But this player that I was trying to defend against was not my assignment.

To this missed assignment, Manning yelled and then motioned to me -

“Tim, . . . TIM: Stay at home, stay at home!”

In basketball lingo, this directive orders a player to return to cover his or her territory on the defensive end of the court and not an individual opponent. When a player fails to stay at home and cover his or her assigned defensive area, that area of the court is unprotected and exposes a weakness that could result in

simply because of his basketball prowess. I had to meet him because of what else he and I had in common . .

After all, he was to my knowledge the first SDA-bred/NBA-blessed player.

BONUS: The SDA-bred/NBA-blessed “Starting Five” + Two, . . .

Since meeting Bob Lanier in 1970, I have researched and identified NBA players and executives who have spent time with their families in SDA churches. They are:

1. 1992 Hall of Fame inductee Bob Lanier: Pistons/Warriors/Bucks, Emmanuel Temple SDA Church, Buffalo, NY

ismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts, are now able to compare their foot size to that of Lanier’s.

The Allen Edmonds Shoe Corporation records that the largest shoe it ever made was a size 22 for him!

Because I had then harbored the fantasy of playing in the NBA, meeting firsthand and speaking with my fellow SDA “homeboy” was non-negotiable.

On Wednesday, October 21, 1970, the Celtics hosted the Detroit Pistons featuring Lanier, their rookie center and NBA's most recent #1 overall draft pick.

I took this future Hall of Famer’s parent-like counsel as authentic.

2. 2002 and 2010 Hall of Fame inductee “Magic” Johnson: Lakers, Bethel SDA Church, Lansing, MI Coaches’ Challenge

the opponent’s easier scoring opportunity.

My behind-the-back pass

Looking back, Coach Manning’s “Stay at home” directive needs to become a mantra for all men - especially husbands and fathers - to secure their families with their sustained love, role model, and consistent presence. Otherwise, their assigned zone of home and family to defend will be left unprotected and exposed. When we men stay at home, typically:

1. Our families are more secure, our marriages are more intact;

2. Our sons and daughters possess a greater and more realistic role model to look up to; and

3. Our overall communities are more grounded and balanced.

And I also observed the importance of staying at home from the standpoint of the NBA . . .

“Stay at Home,” NBA Style “Stay at home” seems to be more than just a short snippet of wisdom, but also a pattern for successful winning NBA dynasties.

In reviewing the legacy of my book’s featured dynasty leaders, “stay at home” worked well for each of them.

For example, each of this book’s featured leaders – Bill Russell, Magic Johnson, Scottie Pippen, Kobe Bryant, and Steph Curry – stayed at home and won multiple NBA championships with their original franchises.

My “Stay at Home” Advice directly from Hall of Famer Bob Lanier In 1970, I just had to meet him, but not

Lanier, a three-time All-America center at Saint Bonaventure University grew up in Buffalo where he, his mother Nannette, and sister Geraldine attended the Emmanuel Temple SDA Church.

It was there that he befriended Cleveland “Murphy” Wilson, now the Inspirational Choir founder/director at Huntsville’s First SDA Church.

Early Remembrances - and Sports Trivia Murphy recalls, “My buddy Cleo Willis and I would get the biggest kick out of seeing Bob always come to church every Sabbath clean as a whistle: well-dressed in his suit, dress shirt, necktie, overcoatand wearing sneakers!

“His feet were growing so fast back then that his parents couldn’t keep him in dress shoes fast enough!”

The Last Laugh . . .

Lanier’s grammar school basketball coach, for example, rejected the 11-yearold prospect telling him that his size-11 feet were too large for him to succeed as an athlete . .

Today, however, visitors to the Na-

Captain

A successful businessman whose assets exceed $500 million dollar, his trademark million-dollar smile, nd a favorite corporate pitchman

A perennial champion

Self-dethroned in 1991 by his announcement of contracting HIV

Conquered HIV. the dreaded fatal disease of his day

At Last, “Bob Lanier: how are you, sir?”

After the game, I snuck into the visiting team’s locker room and introduced myself to Lanier.

I explained briefly my conflict between being an SDA and wanting to play NBA ball.

“What should I do, . . What’s your advice?”

Lanier paused from finishing getting dressed and looked me dead in the eye and said, “Young man: stay in the church and do the will of God.”

In so many words, Tim: stay at home.

As I shook his hand, wished him well, and exited the visitors' locker room, my immediate thoughts were less about the hypocrisy or the duplicity of him saying one thing and doing another.

Rather, it struck me more as a loving parent saying to their child “Do as I say but not as I do.”

But the bottom line from Lanier was still the same:

• Stay at home;

• Be true to your values and practices; and

• Do the will of God.

Captain

“. . . a great and honorable man in the eyes of his master. . . .”

“Because by him the Lord had given victory to Syria” v. 1a.

“He was also a mighty man of valor, but a leper” v.1b.

Conquered leprosy, the dreaded fatal disease of his day

• In the NBA, coaches can challenge or dispute various referees’ calls, in their efforts to reverse a ref’s previous thinking and decision, and possibly the outcome of that game.

• Here, my latest print/digital/audiobook Where Jump Shots Meet Jesus will challenge previous thinking, in an effort to reverse often long-held beliefs and expand one’s worldview.

In the end, Magic Johnson will be noted as a perennial champion, corporate pitchman, HIV victim-turned-victor, and spokesman for healing.

Who better to pair with Captain Magic Johnson the Super Laker than Captain Naaman the Syrian Leper of the Bible’s 2 Kings 5?

3. 2019 All-Rookie First Team Deandre Ayton: Phoenix Suns, Bahamas SDA Academy, New Providence, South Bahamas;

4. 2021 Slam Dunk Contest Champion Anfernee Simons: Portland Trailblazers, Patmos Chapel SDA Church, Orlando, FL;

5. Brian Wright: General Manager, San Antonio Spurs, LaSierra University Church, Riverside, CA.

Finally, our executives are —

• Phillip McDonald, MD: Medical Analyst, NBA TV, from Mount Vernon SDA Church, Mount Vernon, NY, and currently attending Vallejo Drive SDA Church, Glendale, CA; and

• Daniel Bedney, MD: Team Physician, Osceola Magic, NBA G League, Patmos Chapel SDA Church, Orlando, FL. t

Tim Allston is a Leadership Coach and three-time Amazon Best-Selling Author, specializing in “Leading from the Middle” presentations.

Bob Lanier

Magic (NBA)

Naaman (NBA 2.0)

GET YOUR FREE AUDIOBOOK ON US*

“If you are a person of faith or passionate about sports, Tim Allston’s book will speak to you.”

Pat Williams

Co-Founder, Orlando Magic

Finally, Experience the NBA and the Bible as never before. Together.

WARNING: Where Jump Shots Meet Jesus answers questions you NEVER thought to ask before:

• Compare Michael Jordan’s “The Last Dance” with Michael Jesus’ “The Last Supper”?

• Would you pair these NBA stars with these Bible characters - ex: Captain Magic Johnson the Super Laker vs. Captain Naaman the Syrian Leper?

• Where’s the Enigmatic Kyrie Irving vs. the Evangelistic Steph Curry?

BONUS CHAPTER: Is Ja Morant this decade’s emerging “Kobe Bryant 2.0”?

Three-time Amazon Best-Selling Author

For every print ($14.97) or digital book ($9.97) purchased using your unique promo code** and purchased through the www.timallston.com website, author-publisher Tim Allston will donate directly into your non-profit group 10% of either $1.50 or $1, respectively.

*As a BONUS OFFERING, embedded in both the print and digital versions will be your FREE download of the audiobook version - making it an attractive 2-for-1 price bonus for this book!

**To inquire about bulk orders or to get your special promo code, contact Tim Allston at either 256212-0949 or info@timallston.com.

Q: When Jesus and the NBA meet for the opening Jump Ball, WHO wins the tip?

The answer is GUARANTEED to catch you off guard!

Get your Where Jump Shots Meet Jesus at www.timallston.com

PRESIDENT BIDEN ENDS NATIONAL COVID EMERGENCY

At the beginning of 2023, President Joe Biden announced that the COVID national and public health emergencies in the United States would come to an end by May 11. The status actually changed about a month earlier, on April 10.

During the height of the pandemic, millions of Americans were insured by the federal government, allowing them to receive free COVID testing and later, free vaccines in the fight against the virus.

To date, members of Congress in the House and in the Senate have legislated to end these emergency declarations.

The Biden administration extended the national and public health emergencies several times since taking office in 2021.

The first public health emergency due to COVID was declared by Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar under former President Donald Trump, January 31, 2020. Trump declared the pandemic a national emergency in March 2020.

The end of the twin emergency policies means the widespread end of:

1. Free COVID testing;

2. Free COVID vaccines;

3. Development of vaccines and treatments away from management by the federal government.

Cases of COVID illnesses and

deaths still continue. According to the World Health Organization, (WHO), in the United States, from 3 January 2020 to 6:03am CEST, 24 May 2023, there have been:

1. 103,436,829 confirmed cases of COVID-19 with

2. 1,127,152 deaths, reported to WHO.

3. As of 5 May 2023, a total of 668,168,096 vaccine doses have been administered. t

Data gathered from the World Health Organization, along with White House press conference report summaries from the Associated Press and CNN, January, April and May 2023.

Tim Allston Leadership Coach and

Richard Barron and Vivian Barron were a husband-wife team who supported the gospel commission in many fields. Upon graduation from Oakwood, the Barrons began a ministerial career that spanned 60 years which included pastoral, administrative, and chaplaincy. After retiring from the General Conference in 2003, Elder Barron became the Assistant to the President at Advent Health Sebring. He had a special place in his heart for the youth, and was known as the “Youth’s Friend.” How appropriate that he and his wife, a nurse by profession, included Oakwood University Religion and Nursing Departments in their trust for educational pursuits of young people.

� If you are interested in a living trust to support the work God has placed on your heart, please contact our Planned Giving office.

256.726.7508 Miriam

and Planned Giving

GOD’S TIMING IS THE BEST TIMING

EVERY TIME WE CAME UP HERE FOR CAMP MEETING, YOU COULD JUST SENSE THE SPIRIT OF GOD!

BY AUTUMN ALEXANDER

Hi. My name is Autumn Alexander and this is my Oakwood story.

I didn’t grow up Seventh-day Adventist. My story comes from when I first heard of Oakwood. [That] would have been when my Dad came home from prison and got married to my now Mom. She was part of the Seventh-day Adventist church and brought us into the church. We would come for [South Central Conference] camp meeting, participate in drill corps competitions and things like that. So that’s how I got to know about Oakwood, and there was just something different.

Every time we came up here for camp meeting, you could just sense the Spirit of God! It had a different “feel” than being anywhere else in the world. You could just sense God’s presence. That’s how I knew Oakwood was somewhere I wanted to be.

I had offers from the Air Force Academy because I was in JROTC, where I was the Cadet Corps Commander my senior year. But I felt a call to the ministry on my life, probably when I was around 15 or 16 years old. There was always this pull when I would come to church. I felt this tug at my heart for ministry. So, I got involved in church ministry. One of my pastors was a chaplain in the Air Force. He introduced chaplaincy to me. I knew I wanted to be in

THE JOURNEY IMPACT OF

FOR

ministry but I didn’t want to pastor a church, because my idea of ministry was not ministering to the same people all the time. I wanted to take the message outside of the four walls of the church. Being around my pastor kind of opened the avenue of chaplaincy for me. Knowing that Oakwood [has] a School of Religion, I wanted to come to Oakwood—which is why I turned down the offers to go to the Air Force Academy. Many people would say I was probably crazy for doing that. But I think that God wanted me at Oakwood for a reason.

Being a full-time mom; being a fulltime wife; being a full-time worker. . . you know it’s kind of hard to try to do traditional schooling. And that’s how I entered the LEAP program to complete my degree.

The journey impact of Oakwood for me—Oakwood has taught me to never give up. And to trust God’s process. God’s timing is the best timing. What we dream for [in] our lives might not always match God’s plans for our lives. [We must] be willing to walk the journey with God. So, Oakwood has taught me that.

I feel that Oakwood has prepared me for ministry.

So, I’ve entered to learn. Now, I’m ready to depart to serve. Oakwood has definitely offered me that. t

Autumn Alexander is a 2023 graduate of Oakwood University, and is prepared for her life’s work in ministry. She traces her knowledge and love of Oakwood to her early days when she would attend camp meeting sessions on the campus with her family.

OAKWOOD

ME—OAKWOOD HAS TAUGHT ME TO NEVER GIVE UP. AND TO TRUST GOD’S PROCESS.

I feel that Oakwood has prepared me for ministry.

CAMP MEETING CAMP MEETING 2023 REGIONAL CAMP MEETING SCHEDULE

Allegheny East Conference

Date: June 30 -July 1, 2023

Theme: Now is the Time…

Speakers: Colby Matlock, James Doggette Sr. and Dave Weigley

More Info: https://www.visitaec.org/

Allegheny West Conference

Date: June 21 – 25, 2023

Theme: Get Ready! Get Ready! Get Ready!

Speaker: Henry Wright

More Info: https://www.awconf.org/

Central States Conference

Date: June 9 – 11, 2023

Theme: On Purpose

Speaker: Nick Taliaferro

More Info: https://www.central-states.org/

Lake Region Conference

Date: June 16 – 24, 2023

Theme: Deeper Roots

Speakers: Kee’laun Crum, Errol Stoddart, James Doggette, Jr., Kent Nichols, Cody Miller, Calvin Watkins, Sr. and Emil Peeler

More Info: https://www.lrcsda.org/

Northeastern Conference

Date: June 24 and July 1, 2023 – Live June 25 – 30, 2023 Broadcast at 7 p.m.

Theme: See What the Lord Has Done

Speakers: Wesley Knight and Barry Black

More Info: https://www.northeastern.org/

South Atlantic Conference

Date: June 9 – 17, 2023

Theme: All in for Christ

Speakers: Debleaire Snell, Dr. John Trusty, Gianna Snell

More Info: https://sacsda.org/

South Central Conference

Date: June 9 – 17, 2023

Theme: It’s Time to Go

Speakers: Pastor Jamond Jimmerson, Dr. Noah Washington, Dr. Paula Olivier, Dr. Sherwin Jack

More Info: https://iamsouthcentral.org/

Southeastern Conference

Date: June 15 – 24, 2023

Theme: Grateful Hearts, Renewed Hope – Celebrating God’s Faithfulness

Speakers: Glen O Samuels and Debleaire Snell

More Info: https://www.secsda.org/

Southwest Region Conference

Date:  June 7 – 10, 2023

Theme: Relevant

Speakers: Dr. Myron Edmonds, Wintley Phipps and Judge Greg Mathis

More Info: https://southwestregionsda.org/ Facebook Twitter Pinterest

A SABBATH LIKE NO OTHER

BY W. DERRICK LEA

Friday, March 24, 2023, was a typical Southern spring afternoon, with temperatures in the upper 70s. One of our Adventist Community Services (ACS) volunteers* usually leaves work a little early in preparation for the coming Sabbath. This week was no different; however, the volunteer’s wife had invited some church members over for Sabbath dinner and he looked forward to the meal he knew she was preparing that afternoon. Upon his arrival, after greeting his wife, she rushed him out of the house to do yard work so she could focus on the Sabbath dinner preparation.

Later that evening, the couple brought in the Sabbath together in their living room. The volunteer truly enjoyed the solitude of home and the promised rest after a full week of work. The clouds had turned the evening dark earlier than expected, but his yard work was already completed, and he enjoyed hearing the rain, which was falling in spurts. They both went to sleep with the expectation of an early morning Sabbath School class that he was to teach. But at 3:00 a.m., the volunteer received an unexpected call. His ACS director was on the phone, asking if the volunteer could travel to Mississippi to help a community that had been decimated by a tornado earlier that evening. He looked out his window and saw a little rain coming down, but it was nowhere near the intensity of ravaging rains and winds necessary for a damaging storm. As he continued talking to his ACS leader, the volunteer was informed that two or three cities in Mississippi were destroyed, and it appeared that one of our Adventist churches had completely blown away.

After the call, he spoke with his wife who was now wide awake as well, informing her of the terrible news of death and destruction that had occurred earlier the night before as morning was breaking. He shared that ACS was asking if he could travel to Armory, Mississippi

to assist with distribution efforts that were being planned later that morning. As they considered these changes, they discussed the Sabbath School class and dinner planned for later that day. They both decided that this emergency took priority. They identified others to fill in for their church obligations and made the necessary calls.

With this plan of action in place, they rushed off to Amory, 150 miles away. They arrived around 10:00 a.m. As they drove through the city, they viewed damaged homes, businesses, and debris everywhere. They had previously attended the West Amory Seventh-day Adventist Church and thought it would be the distribution site. However, when they drove past the church, they saw that the building itself was no longer there.

They received a call to meet down the street where ACS volunteers had congregated. The team in place was setting up a distribution site so community members would be able to receive water, nonperishable food items, diapers for babies, and other emergency items that had been carefully stored for this type of event. By 11:00 a.m., everything was in place and ready for distribution to the community. ACS had gotten word out and people started lining up to receive these goods. This distribution went into the afternoon and 296 families were able to take advantage of their work. There were also 50 ACS volunteers from the South Central Conference joining in to help. While this might not have been a Sabbath any of the ACS volunteers had planned the day before, they truly contributed in a manner commensurate with the call for us to serve. Sometimes the provision of service may occur at the most uncomfortable times. The work itself may even be uncomfortable. But based on the

smiles and the hugs received, and the prayers with neighbors given, without a doubt those members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church who served that day were acting as the hands and feet of Jesus. They made a major impact on that beautiful Sabbath day. t

transforms communities with compassionate service. From Bermuda to British Columbia, Nevada to North Carolina - we're there.

Whether in times of disaster or under clear skies, we're always ready to help. Through showers, food, language learning or emergency supplies, ACS changes lives.

*NOTE to readers: The identity of this volunteer is undisclosed.

W. Derrick Lea is the director of Adventist Community Services for the North American Division of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

Adventist Community Services volunteers offer aid at the site of Mississippi tornadoes, March 2023.

KIA ANNOUNCEMENT: DO YOU NEED A CAR?

IF YOU HAVE FINISHED A FOUR-YEAR COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY WITHIN ONE YEAR, OR IF YOU ARE IN YOUR LAST SEMESTER AT A FOUR-YEAR COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY, YOU MAY QUALIFY FOR A SCHOLARSHIP TO APPLY TO AN AUTO PURCHASE FROM KIA MOTORS OF AMERICA.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT YOUR LOCAL KIA DEALER.