Columbia Union Visitor--March/April

Perspectives mike hewitt

From Police Officer to Pastor

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s my high school graduation drew near, I was unsure about what would come next.

I was raised in a Seventh-day Adventist home, but in my teen years, I began to stray from God and the Church. My maternal grandmother, a dedicated member, continually reminded me that Jesus loved me and had an awesome plan for my life, but all I could think about was what I wanted to do.

About that time, I met a police officer who shared his thoughts on serving in law enforcement. I decided this would be my future, and began pursuing a criminal justice degree and interning with a police department. After graduating from the police academy, I was hired and thought I was living the dream.

For the next seven years, I occasionally attended church to appease my grandmother and mother. But one night, after I responded to a car accident where two teenagers died, the situation left me wondering if they were ready to meet Jesus. It also made me question where I stood with God.

CONVICTED! About this time, my grandmother shared videotapes of an evangelistic series. As I viewed those presentations, I sensed Jesus calling me back to Him and a strong conviction to become a pastor—something my paternal grandmother had predicted on her deathbed. When I excitedly shared this revelation with others, some said I was throwing away my law enforcement career. But that no longer mattered to me. Serving Jesus was all I wanted to do!

I returned to church, became a deacon and later an elder, and eventually a lay pastor. While pursuing a theology degree, I was invited to become a full-time pastor with the Potomac Conference. In time I completed a bachelor’s degree and then a master’s degree in Pastoral Ministry. Reflecting on my journey, I can see that God was working out His plan in my life before I even knew it. I love the calling that He has placed on my life, and serving Him continues to bring me great joy and fulfillment.

Mike Hewitt serves as president of the Mountain View Conference.

Celeste Ryan Blyden n Editor and Publisher V. Michelle Bernard n News, Features and Online Editor Ricardo Bacchus n Newsletter Editor Kelly Butler Coe n Art Director and Designer Sandra Jones n Advertising and Circulation Manager The Visitor is a publication of the Columbia Union Conference reaching approximately 64,000 Seventh-day Adventist homes in the mid-Atlantic area and 81,000 online.

The Visitor provides news and information, inspiration for effective ministry and insight on issues with a spiritual focus to help engage members in experiencing the mission.

CONTACT n (410) 997-3414 n columbiaunionvisitor.com visitor@columbiaunion.net n To subscribe, change address or discontinue Visitor mailings, call your local conference, as listed below. Ask for the membership clerk. Free to members.

All others, $18 annually. Email sjones@columbiaunion.net.

PUBLISHING BOARD n Dave Weigley (chair), Celeste Ryan Blyden (secretary), Jorge Aguero, Emmanuel Asiedu, William T. Cox Sr., Henry J. Fordham III, Gary Gibbs, Mike Hewitt, Bill Miller, Rick Remmers, Rob Vandeman

5427 Twin Knolls Road, Columbia, MD 21045 (410) 997-3414 n columbiaunion.org Dave Weigley n President Rob Vandeman n Executive Secretary Emmanuel Asiedu n Treasurer Celeste Ryan Blyden n Vice President, Communication and PR Frank Bondurant n Vice President, Ministries Development Walter Carson n Vice President/General Counsel and PARL Rubén Ramos n Vice President, Multilingual Ministries Donovan Ross n Vice President, Education H. Candace Nurse n Secretary/Treasurer, Revolving Fund Curtis Boore n Director, Plant Services Harold Greene n Director, Information Technology Tabita Martinez n Undertreasurer CONFERENCES ALLEGHENY EAST: Henry J. Fordham III, President; LaTasha Hewitt, Visitor Correspondent n Tel. (610) 326-4610 n visitaec.com ALLEGHENY WEST: William T. Cox Sr., President; Benia Jennings, Visitor Correspondent n Tel. (614) 252-5271 n awconf.org CHESAPEAKE: Rick Remmers, President; Andre Hastick, Visitor Correspondent n Tel. (410) 995-1910 n ccosda.org MOUNTAIN VIEW: Mike Hewitt, President; Valerie Morikone, Visitor Correspondent n Tel. (304) 422-4581 n mtviewconf.org NEW JERSEY: Jorge Aguero, President; Mario Thorp, Visitor Correspondent n Tel. (609) 392-7131 n njcsda.org OHIO: (vacant), President; Heidi Shoemaker, Visitor Correspondent n Tel. (740) 397-4665 n ohioadventist.org PENNSYLVANIA: Gary Gibbs, President; Tamyra Horst, Visitor Correspondent n Tel. (610) 374-8331 n paconference.org POTOMAC: Bill Miller, President; Debra Anderson, Visitor Correspondent n Tel. (540) 886-0771 n pcsda.org EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS KETTERING COLLEGE: Nate Brandstater, President; Lauren Brooks, Visitor Correspondent n Tel. (937) 395-8601 n kc.edu WASHINGTON ADVENTIST UNIVERSITY: Weymouth Spence, President; Richard Castillo, Visitor Correspondent Tel. (301) 891-4000 n wau.edu HEALTHCARE NETWORKS ADVENTIST HEALTHCARE: Terry Forde, President & CEO; Thomas Grant, Visitor Correspondent Tel. (301) 315-3030 n adventisthealthcare.com KETTERING ADVENTIST HEALTHCARE: Fred Manchur, CEO; Christina Keresoma, Visitor Correspondent Tel. (937) 395-8167 n ketteringhealth.org Printed at Pacific Press® Publishing Association in Nampa, Idaho.

About the Cover: Kosly Joseph, former Apple "Genius" turned pastor, was photographed in Harrisonburg, Va., by Eric Kane/AP Images.

Adventist® and Seventh-day Adventist® are the registered trademarks of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists®.

Volume 125 n Issue 2

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UpFront

v. michelle bernard

5 Things You Should Know (columbiaunionvisitor.com/5Things)

Adventist HealthCare (AHC) and Howard University—which operates Howard University Hospital in Washington, D.C.—announced they have signed an agreement in which AHC will bring in a senior leadership team, including a new CEO, Anita L. A. Jenkins, to help strengthen the hospital’s presence in the region.—Tom Grant

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The Columbia Union Conference Executive Committee voted 2021 the “Year of the Bible.”

In preparation, the Visitor team seeks to collect stories from members to include in a devotional book, videos and on social media. What is your favorite Bible verse, and how has it impacted your life? Share with the Visitor team by May 31, and we may include it.

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The Ohio Conference Executive Committee recently named Roy M. Simpson conference treasurer. He has been with the conference since 2015, serving as assistant treasurer before becoming interim treasurer in 2019. “I’m excited for the opportunity to serve. … I love this Church,” says Simpson.

—Heidi Shoemaker

DESERVING OF GRATITUDE “Thankfulness and worship do marvelous things for the believer.

They assess a proper value for the astonishing gift of grace Jesus provided for us.

No matter what type of sin we have been involved in, it created a debt we cannot pay.

“We don’t need more of the Holy Spirit; we need less of us so God can fill us with the Holy Spirit’s presence.”

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Kettering Adventist HealthCare (KAHC), based in Dayton, Ohio, recently made several key leadership changes: Brenda Kuhn, chief quality officer, now serves as executive vice president and chief clinical officer. Daniel Tryon has been promoted to president of KAHC’s Southview Medical Center, succeeding Richard Manchur, who was named president of the network’s Grandview Medical Center.—Elizabeth Long

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A record 65 churches were planted across the Columbia Union Conference in 2019, reports Frank Bondurant, vice president for Ministries Development. “We support the development of new churches so as to establish a presence in communities that are not being served by our existing congregations, including in major urban centers like Baltimore, Reading, Pa., and Washington, D.C.,” he says. “It’s exciting to see them grow.”

tapp illustration by jim starr

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Save the Date The next Columbia Union Conference Pathfinder Camporee will be held October 6–10, 2021.

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Only because of God’s amazing grace can we still live and breathe— and that is deserving of our gratitude,” writes Lola Moore Johnston, senior pastor of Potomac Conference’s Woodbridge (Va.) church, in her new book, Pursued.

Charles Tapp, senior pastor of Potomac Conference’s Sligo church in Takoma Park, Md., at the Columbia Union Conference’s Spiritual Emphasis Day.

REMINDER TO TAKE PHOTOS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR FOR THE 2021 COLUMBIA UNION CALENDAR.

6:30

The time that many Blue Mountain Academy students meet for an exercise class on weekday mornings.

Principal and instructor Burney Culpepper reports that ever since the school started the class, he’s noticed increased attendance at breakfast and a more alert and engaged student population. “Studies are confirming that exercise is preventive medicine for a variety of issues: depression, obesity, [brain fog]. Exercise releases endorphins that help us to ‘feel’ good and help to provide happiness,” he says. Visit columbiaunionvisitor.com/ healthy2020 to see a video of the class and tips for a more successful workout routine.

twitter.com/visitornews

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columbiaunionvisitor.com VISITOR | 3

UpFront the new Potomac People podcast.

Reid recently painted “Mercy, Justice” while Reed Richardi, associate pastor of Potomac’s New Market (Va.) church, preached on Zephaniah 3:17.

LIGHTEN YOUR LOAD As noted in the 2020 Columbia Union Calendar, laughing doesn’t just lighten your load mentally. According to the Mayo Clinic (Minn.), “it actually induces physical changes in your body.” There are purposeful ways you can include more laughter into your life. Read more from Tim Scanlon, Kettering College’s director for the Physician Assistant program, at columbiaunionvisitor.com/healthy2020.

FIND VICTOR Kids, did you find Victor the Visitor mouse in our last issue? If not, don’t worry; you can try again now! The first 15 children to post a picture of themselves pointing to him and tagging us on Facebook or Instagram will receive a bookmark from LivingWell in Silver Spring, Md.

kinesthetic learners. Times are changing, and we should definitely adjust and adapt,” says Jyremy Reid (pictured, below), Potomac Conference’s communication specialist intern, who also hosts

MEMBERS COMMIT TO PRAY FOR 5 FRIENDS This winter, conference leaders and Rubén Ramos (pictured, below), vice president for Multilingual Ministries at the Columbia Union Conference, traveled throughout the territory in the Caravan 2020, themed El dia es Hoy (today is the day).

At each stop, they encouraged members to pray for five specific friends, family members or acquaintances, praying especially that one of the members would make a decision for Christ.

Ramos hopes that the friend who accepts Christ will in turn do the same thing, praying for people within their sphere of influence.

“Our goal is to see 3,500 souls for Christ in 2020,” he says.

Ramos, who spoke at the events, adds, “The main reason isn’t just to have more baptisms.

Of course we want to have as many as we can. This initiative is to allow the member to experience the mission, and in doing so, they will grow spiritually and have a deeper relationship with the Lord. … We want to invite members to ‘experience the mission.’”

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Number of years black Seventh-day Adventists have been active in Cleveland, and the number of years Allegheny East Conference’s Mt. Olivet church in Camden, N.J., has been ministering in their community.

THE REST OF THE STORY: Read full content at columbiaunionvisitor.com/upfront.

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photo by jorge pillco

ADJUST AND ADAPT “When I am able to see [art] and how it relates to a message, I grasp it a lot better. … The majority of my generation and later are more visual and

Noticias

v. michelle bernard

LOS MIEMBROS SE COMPROMETEN A ORAR POR 5 AMIGOS Este invierno, los líderes de la conferencias y Rubén Ramos, vicepresidente de los Ministerios Multilingües de la Unión de Columbia, viajaron por todo el territorio en la Caravana 2020, con el tema El Día es Hoy. En cada parada, alentaron a los miembros a orar por cinco amigos, familiares o conocidos específicos, orando especialmente para que uno de la lista tome una decisión por Cristo. Ramos espera que el amigo que acepta a Cristo, a su vez, haga lo mismo, orando por las personas dentro de su esfera de influencia. “Nuestro objetivo es ganar 3.500 almas para Cristo en el 2020”, dice.

Ramos agrega: “La razón principal no es solo para tener más bautismos. Por supuesto, queremos tener tantos como podamos.

Esta iniciativa es para permitir que el miembro experimente la misión, y al hacerlo, crecerá espiritualmente y tendrá una relación más profunda con el Señor”.

5 Cosas Que Debes Saber (columbiaunionvisitor.com/noticias5cosas)

El año 2020 comenzó con desastres naturales en todo el mundo, incluidos los incendios forestales en Nueva Gales del Sur, Australia; lluvia torrencial en Indonesia; una erupción volcánica en Filipinas; y terremotos en Puerto Rico. ADRA ha estado allí para responder a todos.

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El Comité Ejecutivo de la Unión de Columbia votó al 2021 como el “Año de la Biblia”. En preparación, el equipo de la revista Visitor busca recolectar historias de los miembros para incluirlas en un libro devocional, videos y redes sociales. ¿Cuál es tu versículo bíblico favorito y cómo ha impactado tu vida? ¡Comparta con el equipo de la revista Visitor antes del 31 de mayo, y tal vez podamos incluir su testimonio en nuestra compilación!

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El Comité Ejecutivo de la Conferencia de Ohio nombró recientemente a Roy M. Simpson como tesorero de la conferencia. El ha estado en la conferencia desde el 2015, sirviendo como tesorero asistente antes de convertirse en tesorero interino en el 2019. “Estoy emocionado por la oportunidad de servir. ... Me encanta esta iglesia”, dice Simpson.

—Heidi Shoemaker

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Kettering Adventist HealthCare (KAHC), con sede en Dayton, Ohio, recientemente realizó varios cambios de liderazgo clave: Brenda Kuhn, directora de calidad, ahora se desempeña como vicepresidenta ejecutiva y directora clínica. Daniel Tryon fue ascendido a presidente del Centro Médico Southview de KAHC, sucediendo a Richard Manchur, quien fue nombrado presidente del Centro Médico Grandview de la red.

Kettering opera nueve hospitales en el suroeste de Ohio con casi 12,000 empleados y 2,100 médicos.—Elizabeth Long

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Un récord de 65 iglesias se plantaron en la Unión de Columbia en el 2019, informa Frank Bondurant, vicepresidente del Desarrollo de Ministerios. “Apoyamos el desarrollo de nuevas iglesias para establecer una presencia en comunidades que no están siendo atendidas por nuestras congregaciones existentes, incluyendo los principales centros urbanos como Baltimore, Reading, Pensilvania y Washington, D.C.”, dice. “Es emocionante verlos crecer y también dar a luz más plantaciones de iglesias”.

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foto por jorge pillco

Alex Grajales, Coordinador de “Hispano de Oración” de la Conferencia de Nueva Jersey, habla durante una parada de la caravana en Nueva Jersey.

SOLDADO DEL SEÑOR Nativo de México, Marco Estrada no tenía idea de que terminaría siendo pastor. “De hecho”, dijo, “mi sueño era ser un soldado”.

Pero Dios tenía otros planes.

Estrada, quien fue criado católico,

emigró a Atlantic City, N.J., a la edad de 15 años, y trabajó como cocinero durante 14 años en un casino antes de aceptar el llamado al ministerio. Regresó a México para obtener su licenciatura en Teología en la Universidad de Montemorelos, y ha sido pastor durante los últimos siete años en la iglesia Hispana Camden de la Conferencia de Nueva Jersey, donde le gusta usar sus habilidades culinarias para preparar comidas para la congregación.

Lea más historias de pastores cuyo pastorado es su segunda carrera en las páginas 8-11.

ENCUENTRA A VICTOR! Niños, ¿encontraron al ratón Victor de la revista Visitor en nuestro último número? Si no, no te preocupes; ¡puedes intentarlo de nuevo ahora! Los primeros 15 niños que lo vean, publiquen una foto suya apuntando a él en la revista y nos etiqueten en Facebook o Instagram recibirán un marcador de LivingWell.

columbiaunionvisitor.com VISITOR | 5

Nouvelles

v. michelle bernard

5 Choses à Savoir

(columbiaunionvisitor.com/nouvelles5choses) L'année 2020 a commencé par des catastrophes naturelles à travers le monde qui ont frappé plusieurs pays et affecté d’innombrables vies, notamment des feux de brousse en Nouvelle-Galles du Sud, en Australie ; pluie torrentielle en Indonésie ; une éruption volcanique aux Philippines ; et tremblements de terre à Porto Rico. En très peu temps, ADRA a été sur place pour répondre aux besoins liés à ces crises climatiques.

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ENGAGEMENT DES MEMBRES À PRIER POUR 5 AMIS Cet hiver, les dirigeants de la Fédération et Rubén Ramos, vice-président des Ministères Multilingues à l’Union de Fédérations de Columbia, ont parcouru tout le territoire dans la Caravane de l’Espoir 2020, sur

Le Comité Exécutif de l’Union de Fédérations de Columbia a voté 2021 « Année de la Bible ». En préparation, l›équipe de Visitor cherche à recueillir des histoires des membres afin de les inclure dans un livre de dévotion, des vidéos et via les médias sociaux. Quel est votre verset biblique préféré et quel impact cela a-t-il sur votre vie ? Partagez avec l’équipe de Visitor d’ici le 31 mai et nous pourrons inclure votre témoignage dans notre compilation !

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Le Comité Exécutif de la Fédération d’Ohio a récemment nommé Roy M. Simpson trésorier de la Fédération. Il fait partie de la Fédération depuis 2015, occupant le poste de trésorier adjoint avant de devenir trésorier par intérim en 2019. « Je suis ravi d’avoir l’opportunité de servir… J’adore cette église », déclare Mr Simpson.—Heidi Shoemaker

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Kettering Adventist HealthCare (KAHC), basée à Dayton, Ohio, a récemment apporté plusieurs changements clés à son leadership : Brenda Kuhn, chef de la qualité, occupe désormais le poste de viceprésidente exécutive et chef de clinique. Daniel Tryon a été promu président du Southview Medical Center de KAHC, succédant à Richard Manchur, qui est nommé président du Grandview Medical Center du réseau. Kettering exploite neuf hôpitaux dans le sud-ouest de l’Ohio avec près de 12 000 employés et 2 100 médecins.—Elizabeth Long

Julian Tinoco, pasteur de l’église espagnole Edison de la Fédération de New Jersey baptise Luz Pino pendant la Caravane de l’espoir.

Un record de 65 églisesont été implantées à travers l’Union de Columbia en 2019, rapporte Frank Bondurant, vice-président pour le développement des ministères. « Nous soutenons le développement de nouvelles églises afin d’établir une présence dans les communautés qui ne sont pas desservies par nos congrégations existantes, y compris dans les grands centres urbains comme Baltimore, Reading, Pennsylvanie et Washington, D.C. », dit-il. « C›est excitant de les voir grandir et aussi faire naître plus d›implantations d›églises ».

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TROUVEZ VICTOR !

Les enfants, avez-vous trouvé Victor, la Souris de Visitor dans notre dernier numéro ? Sinon, ne vous inquiétez pas ; vous pouvez maintenant essayer une fois de plus ! Les 15 premiers enfants qui arrivent à la repérer, à publier une photo le montrant dans le magazine et à nous « taguer » sur Facebook ou Instagram recevront un signet de LivingWell à Silver Spring, Maryland.

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le thème El Dia es Hoy (Le Jour, c’est aujourd’hui). À chaque arrêt, ils ont encouragé les membres à prier pour cinq amis, membres de la famille ou connaissances spécifiques, priant en particulier pour que l’un des membres prenne une décision pour Christ.

Pasteur Ramos espère que l’ami qui accepte le Christ fera à son tour la même chose, priant pour les personnes dans leur sphère d’influence. « Notre objectif est de voir 3 500 âmes pour Christ en 2020 », dit-il.

Ramos, qui a pris la parole au cours de ces réunions, ajoute : « La raison principale n'est pas seulement d'avoir plus de baptêmes. Bien sûr, nous voulons en avoir autant que possible. Cette initiative vise à permettre au membre de faire l'expérience de la mission et, ce faisant, il grandira spirituellement et entretiendra une relation plus profonde avec le Seigneur. Cela aide le croyant à mener une vie concentrée non sur lui-même, mais sur les autres et sur Dieu ».

photo de jorge pillco

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columbiaunionvisitor.com VISITOR | 7

arco Estrada had no idea he would end up being a pastor. “As a matter of fact,” he said, “my dream was to be a soldier.”

But God had other plans. Estrada, who was raised Catholic, immigrated to Atlantic City, N.J., from Mexico at the age of 15, and worked as a cook at a casino for 14 years. After enlisting in the Lord’s Army, he decided to return to Mexico to attain his bachelor’s degree in Theology from Montemorelos University.

He has been a pastor the last seven years in New Jersey Conference’s Camden Spanish church, where he still enjoys using his culinary skills to cook meals for the congregation.

Second-career pastors are becoming more common across the North American Division and the Columbia Union Conference. In fact, about one-third of students enrolled at the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary in Berrien Springs, Mich., are studying to be pastors after leaving another career, says Ivan L. Williams, Sr., director of the division’s Ministerial Association.

The number of these non-traditionally trained pastors is increasing as fewer undergraduate students study theology and newer converts abandon their careers to enter the ministry.

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Edwin Manuel Garcia

ABOUT SECOND-CAREER PASTORS CHANGE COURSE FOR MINISTRY

Gene Donaldson, ministerial director and chief recruiter of pastors for the Allegheny East Conference, says at least a quarter of the 120 full-time pastors from the conference came from different careers, and they are enriching their churches, a similar statistic to other conferences.

He appreciates their maturity level. Most people who become second-career pastors “are usually very clear about the fact that they feel the Lord has called them,” Donaldson says.

Here are the stories of four other ministers who joined the pastoral ranks in the Columbia Union after working in other careers:

KOSLY JOSEPH: GENIUS PASTOR

Pastor Marco Estrada, a former casino cook, now enjoys cooking for his congregation.

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Though Kosly Joseph may not have seen his future as a pastor, multiple people questioned if he had considered the ministry or if he was a pastor before becoming one. Once during an employee review while serving as an air traffic controller (ATC), his boss told him he was a great worker, but asked, “Have you ever considered the ministry?”

Joseph’s past careers as an ATC, an educator at a technical school teaching multimedia classes and a “Genius” at an Apple store have come in handy in his new line of work.

He also keeps technical skills sharp, sometimes helping members with their computer and iPhone issues, saying, it’s a great way to make inroads.

LERONE CARSON: A NATURAL FIT

Having worked as an air traffic controller, among other jobs, Pastor Kosly Joseph is used to high stress environments, telling church members, “There’s very little you can do to stress me out.”

He aims to deliver 20-minute sermons because he remembers that in his previous teaching job, if he spoke longer, he would lose the students’ attention.

“If you’re in my church, you’re not going to fall asleep because I walk all over the church,” says Joseph, the pastor of Potomac Conference’s Charlottesville and Harrisonburg congregations in Virginia. “I’m looking at each and every member, and as I get closer to them, people naturally sit up because they know that I’m going to ask a question.”

For a sermon on David and Goliath, Joseph walked to the left side of the sanctuary to preach from David’s perspective, then scooted to the right of the sanctuary to preach from Goliath’s perspective.

“The science behind it for me is, as I move side to side, they’re naturally more alert because their eyes are moving,” he says.

While employed as an ATC, Joseph refused to work on the Sabbath, which resulted in discipline, until he realized he needed to abandon the career altogether.

That painful experience, though, has been useful in understanding congregants when they confront Sabbath work issues. It’s a useful experience and much different than that of pastors who majored in theology, served in churches, attended seminary and never encountered Sabbath work complications.

Working at the Syracuse, N.Y., Apple store as a “Genius” taught Joseph a wealth of knowledge about troubleshooting computers and handheld gadgets, as well as developing exceptional customer service skills.

He also learned to treat customers with respect and take care of their needs. “If we create a church where our guests come in and we exceed their expectations,” he says, “they are highly likely to come back.”

Lerone Carson followed her passion for psychology into a successful career in the business world where she helped companies develop, manage and analyze projects designed to improve employee engagement.

“I love working with people. I love the way the mind works and observing how people make decisions and what influences happiness and suffering that people experience,” she says. “Psychology was a natural fit.”

At the Gallup Organization, she often worked with public and private sector clients to identify specific behavioral needs of employees, then proposed ways to improve their productivity. Later in her career, at a startup, she was responsible for reviewing data collected from employees and identifying ways to reduce turnover at health care organizations.

On weekends, meanwhile, Carson was an active volunteer with Children’s Ministries programs at Chesapeake Conference’s Spencerville church in Silver Spring, Md. One day in late 2016, church leadership approached her about joining the ministry staff as the pastor for children and families.

“My intent was to continue in psychology. However, I received that calling and prayed about it, consulted with my family and friends and felt that that’s where God was calling me at that time,” she recalls.

In early 2017, Carson, the daughter of a pastor, became a pastor herself and has found ways to apply what she had learned in organizational psychology.

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of students enrolled at the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary left other careers to pursue pastoral ministry.

Once an active volunteer with Children’s Ministries at her church, Pastor Lerone Carson is now the pastor for children and families.

Carson, for example, frequently checks in on the health of the church’s pastors who are responsible for different ministries. “A lot of my interest is on ensuring that our team environment is one in which we function at our best, so I’m always concerned about how my teammates are doing, because a lot of what happens at the membership level trickles down from the top.

The same goes for the leaders within our Children’s Ministries Department, because I know that if the leaders are doing well, they will be more engaged in their interactions with the children and their families.”

It’s also easier for her to read how church members are doing. “There are certain indicators and behaviors that can identify engaged from disengaged—whether it’s employees, members, families—and I tend to pick up on that maybe a little quicker than others.”

She’s now working on a new initiative to create an advisory team that could step back and assess the overall health of the Children’s Ministries Department and learn how to best serve families based on their needs.

JASON DIETZ: LEAD FROM THE FRONT

Sgt. Jason Dietz, the heavily armed leader of a four-man U.S. Army combat team fighting to help Iraqis regain control of their country, was on a high-stakes assignment in late 2007. Jumping from rooftop to rooftop in a Baghdad neighborhood, he was responsible for protecting a larger team of soldiers from enemy fire as they moved closer to a house across the street that was the focus of their mission.

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Pastor Jason Dietz, pictured front row, center, and right (inset), started his career serving in the Army. n Opposite page: Pastor Therezinha Barbahlo, pictured second from the right, uses her negotiation skills to make her case in sermons.

Then the unexpected happened.

A roof collapsed, sending Dietz and the 80 pounds of equipment on his body pummeling to the hard ground two stories below, shattering his ankles. He was only 21 years old at the time.

Shortly after being medically discharged, Dietz, who considered himself a “Catholic in name,” sat at home recovering from his injury, pondering his future and wondering about the topic of mortality. “What happens when you die?” he asked.

His search for answers led him to Pennsylvania

THEREZINHA BARBALHO: BOTH SIDES

The second-career pastor trend has advantages and challenges for the Adventist Church.

“The benefits are, these individuals tend to be a little more mature than, say, straight out of college or straight out of seminary. They have experience that yields greater people skills and also greater experiences to lead volunteers or people in general,” says Ivan L. Williams, Sr., director of the North American Division’s Ministerial Association. Read more about the pros and cons at columbiaunionvisitor.com/secondcareeradvantages.

Barbalho present a good argument when making her case in sermons. “For me, to make a case, you have a point to develop from the Bible,” she says, “so I do use it to advocate for Bible principles.”

The legal experience has also been useful in handling interpersonal conflict between members.

“An attorney not only has an organized way to handle problems, but also … we were taught how to see further as we go to find a solution for something,” says Barbalho, who, for seven years, practiced as a civil lawyer dealing with contracts and copyrights.

She finds it easy to be impartial when mediating disagreements.

“As an attorney, I have to see both sides. I’m trained for that,” she says.

photos by arisai estrada, eric kayne, italo osorio and ruth annan

Therezinha Barbalho grew up in Brazil and wanted to be a pastor more than anything. But after graduating from the Adventist seminary, she faced difficulty finding pastoral employment beyond being a Bible worker, due to the region’s attitudes toward women in ministry.

She realized her dream career wasn’t going to happen, so she went back to school and became a lawyer.

Years later when Barbalho and her husband sought better medical care than Brazil could offer for their daughter who has autism, she sent her pastoral résumé to conferences in the United States. She was offered a job as a Bible worker at New Jersey Conference’s Luso-Brazilian church in Newark in 2004, then promptly became the associate pastor.

She later moved to the Potomac Conference to be the senior pastor of the Richmond (Va.) Brazilian church, then attended seminary, and today is the senior pastor of three Maryland churches: Silver Spring, Gaithersburg and National Brazilian, also in Gaithersburg.

The experience from her previous career has helped

& CHALLENGES

ADVANTAGES

Conference’s Erie church, then baptism, evangelism school, chaplaincy, Andrews University (Mich.) for a theology degree—and back to the Erie church where he is now the pastor.

He is grateful for the military experience and how it’s helped him as a minister.

“One of the most valuable skills when it comes to leadership [is] leaders always lead from the front; leaders are the ones setting the example. You never want anybody doing something that you yourself wouldn’t feel comfortable doing or wouldn’t do—that’s one of the pinnacle things I learned from my previous job that directly helps me in pastoral ministry and pastoral leadership.”

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EASTER SPECIAL

Special Musical Guests:

WATCH ON ABC

Pastor Donnie McClurkin

Yolanda Adams

Dr. Carlton P. Byrd, Speaker

This ABC Television special, in collaboration with the Interfaith Broadcasting Commission (IBC), features an Easter message from Dr. Carlton P. Byrd, Speaker/Director of the Breath of Life Television Minstry, and Special Musical Guests: Pastor Donnie McClurkin, Yolanda Adams, and the Jeremy Winston Chorale of Ohio.

Watch on ABC on April 12, 2020 For a list of stations and times, call 256.929.6460 or visit breathoflife.tv

,,

NO MAN ,, A DID THIS! WR Wisam’s story bears evidence to God’s miraculous intervention.

1-800-337-4297 awr.org /awr360 @awr.360 @awr360 awr.org/videos

Wisam belonged to a powerful Muslim family.

When he converted to Adventism, they tried to stone him to death. Years later, when he returned as a pastor, his cousin—in a moment of rage—grabbed a butcher knife and

12501 Old Columbia Pike Silver Spring, MD 20904 USA

plunged it into Wisam’s back. Miraculously, the knife bent, tearing his shirt but leaving Wisam unscathed. Watch the amazing story in our video to find out what happened next! See it here: awr.org/wisam

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Prison Ministries Celebrates Volunteers Allegheny East Conference’s (AEC) Prison Ministries Federation hosted its 35th annual awards banquet at Galloping Hills Caterers (N.J.) last fall. More than 100 attendees from across the conference attended the event, themed “Ministering to the Least of These.”

Guests attend the 35th annual awards banquet of the Prison Ministries Federation.

Colin Brathwaite, AEC’s Prison Ministries director, welcomed attendees, offered a prayer and facilitated a moment of silence for Prison Ministries volunteers who had deceased by reading each of their names.

During the luncheon, attendees enjoyed music from James Rufflin and Ricardo Moore. Later, AEC’s Prison Ministries Federation president, Ron Timpson, a member of the Miracle City church in Baltimore, presented awards to various volunteers. He expressed his appreciation for the work and sacrificial hours volunteers consistently put in throughout the year.

Several Prison Ministries volunteers from the northern New Jersey area received Lifetime Awards for 30 years or more of service to Prison Ministries. The list included Fitz Eugene Wilson, David Sidney Forrester, Arminta Jewette Wilson, Eunice Taylor and Charles Winbush.

Also, individuals and ministries received federation awards in the following categories: Pastor of the Year Award—Leon Beckles; Good Neighbor Award—Kenton Matthew (from the New Jersey Conference); Community Humanitarian Award—the Reformation Prison Ministry; and Chaplain of the Year Award—Jerry Morgan.

Philadelphia Ghana Holds 21 Days of Fasting, Prayer The Philadelphia Ghana church ended the year with prayer and fasting. Beginning December 1, leaders organized three prayer sessions until December 21. On the last Sabbath of the year, members held a special music and prayer service, thanking God for His continued blessings and protection, praying for the world, and particularly for the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

Speaker Appiah Kubi Kwarteng, Philadelphia Ghana pastor and president of the North America Ghanaian Seventh-Day Adventists, stressed the need for Christians to seek the Lord, study His Word and prepare for the Second Coming. “I am grateful to God that the 21 days of prayers were well attended and that the Lord answered the prayers of individuals,” shares Kwarteng.

During the last Sabbath afternoon session, Kwarteng and other church leaders offered a prayer of dedication (pictured) for the 37 donated choir robes for the youth chorus. Music director Amos Adomako Amoako says, “It is my hope that these robes would grant us a formal and ‘angelic’ appearance during church services and help the youth to maintain

discipline and decorum during Sabbath worship.”

The celebration brought together Ghanaians living mainly in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and featured musical talent and youth choirs from the Ebenezer Ghana and the New Life Ghana churches. One member described this day as a foretaste of the joy we will experience in heaven.

columbiaunionvisitor.com VISITOR | 13

Haitian Federation Hosts First Young Adult Retreat “We’ve received several testimonies from attendees on how this weekend helped recharge their spiritual lives and gave them an experience with God,” says Duvernay.

photo by marvens victor

The Haitian Youth Federation of Allegheny East Conference (AEC) recently held its first annual young adult retreat at Sandy Cove Ministries (Md).

Close to 70 young adults between the ages of 18 and 40, including staff, attended the weekend retreat (pictured).

The Haitian Federation intentionally reached out to the 18- to 35-year-olds—the sometimes disengaged and forgotten demographic. “Our mission was to help our young adults connect with God and each other in order to be transformed into the image of Christ through His Word, His creation and our community,” shares Nadege Duvernay, AEC Haitian Federation president.

The weekend featured guest speakers Abraham Jules and Gregory Nelson for the main assemblies.

There were also seminars, worship services and fellowship times during the weekend.

Baby Blessings, Baptisms Spark Dupont Park Revival Michael Gray was making a quick run to the store for baby food and diapers. As he got into his car, field representatives from the Breath of Life Ministries approached his house, knocked on his front door and struck up a conversation with his girlfriend, Geraldine Cunningham. A friendship started.

Over the next few weeks, “we became family,” says Cunningham. They talked about faith, the Bible, health and church. So when the Dupont Park church in Washington, D.C., started its revival, the couple happily

accepted an invitation from their newfound family.

They attended the revival almost every evening and professed that they not only wanted to live for God themselves, but wanted to ensure that their children would grow to learn the ways of God too.

This effort was the result of a full year of preparations made by Dupont Park, in partnership with the Breath of Life Television Ministries. Carlton P. Byrd, speaker/director of Breath of Life Ministries, preached for two weeks about the central doctrines of the Adventist message. “It’s always a blessing to be involved in evangelism!” he says.

Marcus Harris, Dupont Park pastor, notes multiple ways that the revival preparations helped the church to become more service- and ministry-oriented. One way was that Dupont Park organized a special VBS program that transpired alongside the evangelistic revival, wherein leaders gave community children the opportunity to learn the Advent message right along with their parents.

Gray and Cunningham asked for their children to be dedicated to the Lord on the final day of the revival.

After Byrd dedicated their two small daughters (pictured), he baptized both Michael and Geraldine. Along with them, 51 other guests made the same decision and dipped into the water.—Christopher C. Thompson

Allegheny East Exposé is published in the Visitor by the Allegheny East Conference n P. O. Box 266, Pine Forge, PA 19548 Phone: (610) 326-4610 n visitaec.com n President, Henry J. Fordham III n Editor, LaTasha Hewitt

14 | VISITOR March/April 2020

Cleveland Churches Celebrate 100 Years of Adventism Cleveland area pastors and members recently celebrated the history of Black Adventism, as 2019 marked 100 years since the organization of Cleveland’s first Black Adventist congregation.

The event began at the Mount Gillium Baptist church, formerly the 71st Street Adventist church.

Allegheny West Conference (AWC) President William T. Cox Sr. (pictured with Nathaniel Drew, pastor of the Temple of Praise church in Cleveland) thanked Mount Gillium for welcoming AWC and its Cleveland churches.

Curtis Hall facilitated the Sabbath School lesson.

Hall is the founder of Sabbath School Coaching, a training and consulting ministry in Atlanta, Ga. “My grandmother, Edna Long, was a member of that early congregation,” says Hall. “To this day, her membership has produced dividends that have helped spread the Advent message throughout our country.”

Dana C. Edmund, executive director of the Office for Regional Conference Ministry, spoke for the divine worship service. “The city of Cleveland has been used

by God to make significant contributions to Black

Seventh-day Adventism in North America,” he said.

The celebration concluded with a panel discussion on the relevance of Black Adventism today, followed by an “old-time sing-a-long” and vespers, hosted

by Jerome Hurst, the senior pastor of the Southeast church in Cleveland.

Central Church Fulfills a Christian Calling It’s 3 p.m. and 15 cars fill the parking spaces at the Central church in Columbus, Ohio. Teenagers, young adults and older adults gather together, ready to serve the large homeless population on the Westside of downtown Columbus. The group carries hot meals, clothing, hygiene packages, literature, Bibles, bus passes and gas cards with them, and they make it a

point to pray with everyone they meet.

Ephraim and Betina McNeil Laidley started Food Fight—the church’s outreach ministry to the homeless—a few years ago out of their love of service and outreach programs. They’re both dedicated and invested in this project, and have a devoted group working with them. In fact, members from sister churches in the Allegheny West Conference and Ohio Conference complete the ministry team.

According to the Laidleys, the thing that keeps them going are the testimonies of the people they serve. Some people have never heard of Seventh-day Adventists prior to their interaction with Food Fight.

“Above all, it is so rewarding,” states Betina.

“Food Fight is the epitome of the of the gospel in action,” says Marc Fequiere, Central church’s communication director.

Members from the Allegheny West and Ohio conferences pray and receive instructions before going out to “Food Fight.”

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Spirit is published in the Visitor by the Allegheny West Conference n 1080 Kingsmill Parkway, Columbus, OH 43229 Phone: (614) 252-5271 n awconf.org n President, William T. Cox Sr. n Editor, Benia Jennings

16 | VISITOR March/April 2020

Being Intentional The word intentional means that an action is taken on purpose. Interestingly, when it comes to the most important things in life, it often seems that few people treat them with an intentional mindset.

Maintaining a marriage, family life, career and even our spiritual walk with God is often driven by happenstance.

Ellen White speaks on the benefits of living purposefully: “The soul that is indolent falls an easy prey to temptation; but in the life that has a noble aim, an absorbing purpose, evil finds little foothold” (Prophets and Kings, p. 660).

What would happen if we were always intentional about the important things in life? Think of how you could enhance your marriage or spiritual life because you made the decision to choose positive habits over mere chance. Imagine your family growing to the next level in relationships and connectivity as you become more intentional about pursuing a better life together. The possibilities are endless!

This renewed life starts with you and your relationship with God. Ellen White continues, “The faith of him who is constantly advancing does not weaken; for above, beneath, beyond, he recognizes Infinite Love, working out all things to accomplish His good purpose” (Ibid.).

John 3:16 and John 4:1–3 tell us of God’s intentions for our lives, proving His continuous love for us. Be intentional about spending quality time with God daily. Be intentional about Eli Rojas making your prayer life more real. Be intentional in your service to God, and decide that Ministerial Director you will be a true disciple of His.

Women Find Deeper Love With Jesus at Retreat Deshirl Rankins, one of the 200 women who recently attended the Chesapeake Conference “Deeper Love Experiencing Jesus” Women’s Ministries retreat in Ocean City, Md., has been blessed by the annual gathering for the past 10 years.

“I think women’s retreats are vitally important for the conference,” says Rankins, a member of the Park church in Salisbury, Md. “It gives the women time to come together and [share] what God has done for them. I’ve met so many people over the years where they had some amazing testimonies of God seeing them through tribulation.”

Marta Duffis, the pastoral supervisor at St. John’s Episcopal Hospital (N.Y.) and keynote speaker for the Spanish track, encouraged attendees by sharing biblical insight on how to navigate grief.

Between sessions, attendees had the opportunity to commune with God in a designated prayer room.

Additionally, as an outreach project, retreat-goers gathered cleaning supplies and personal items to donate to the Diakonia homeless shelter in Ocean City.

Andrea Jakobsons, the pastor for youth, collegiate and young adults at the Spencerville church in Silver Spring, Md., and keynote speaker for the English main session, reminded women of the common barriers to having a closer relationship with God, and gave them

the opportunity to surrender all to the Lord. Jakobsons emphasized the importance of resisting the urge to rush through devotions, and, instead, being intentional about spending quality time with God. “You can pray and read the Bible every day and have it make no difference,” said Jakobsons, “but you can also pray and read the Bible and have it make all the difference in the world.”

Attendees gather in prayer during the Women's Ministries retreat.

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Conference Holds Annual Town Hall Meetings Recently the Chesapeake Conference held midterm town hall meetings in each of the four regions of the conference. The purpose of these meetings is to receive reports from the conference officers regarding the various activities and initiatives in which churches, schools and other institutions of the conference have engaged in since the 2017 Constituency Meeting.

President Rick Remmers (pictured), along with Executive Secretary Jerry Lutz and Head Treasuer Eduardo Munoz, informed members of progress and development in various areas of the conference, including evangelism, church planting, education, youth and young adult ministry and more.

Remmers shared an update on each of the conference departments, and also reaffirmed the mission and vision for the future. Furthermore, he explained how the role of the conference is to support churches and schools through trainings, staff, subsidies and more. Additionally, Lutz and Munoz shared updated statistical and financial reports, respectively. Remmers also commented on the steady growth of the Spanish churches, as evidenced by increasing evangelism outreach activities, among other areas.

“Hispanic ministries are growing rapidly in the Chesapeake Conference with an expanding camp meeting program and presence. Our Spanish churches have done very well at using small groups in an evangelistic way,” shares Remmers.

With more than 16,400 members and 120 years in existence, the conference still sees future growth.

“There is a message of love that Jesus has given to us to share with the world,” says Remmers.

SEEDS Church Planting Conference Inspires Many Recently more than 180 pastors and church members from approximately 30 churches in the Chesapeake Conference gathered together at the Doubletree Hotel (Md.) for SEEDS, a church planting conference dedicated to giving local ministry leaders the tools they need to church-plant in communities.

Church planter Boyan Levterov leads a SEEDS session.

“It is exciting to see the strong and growing interest in church planting,” says Rick Remmers, president of the Chesapeake Conference. “This SEEDS conference was an informative and inspiring introduction to starting new churches, and provided some helpful training for many already on the journey.”

Attendees participated in sessions covering the importance of praying for new church plants, recruiting core team members and biblical reasons for starting new churches. At the conclusion, more than 110 people committed to becoming church plant leaders.

“It was a great conference. It was spiritual, factual and relational,” says Dale Carpenter, a volunteer lay pastor at the Providence church in Elkton, Md. On that same weekend, SEEDS for Spanish-speaking churches brought more than 150 pastors and members together to also learn how to best reach their communities.

“I was inspired profoundly to see the members seeing the necessity to plant more churches,” says Jenner Becerra, the pastor of the Dundalk, Baltimore Centro, Glen Burnie and Dundalk II Spanish churches, all located in Maryland.

The Challenge is published in the Visitor by the Chesapeake Conference n 6600 Martin Road, Columbia, MD 21044 Phone: (410) 995-1910 n ccosda.org n President, Rick Remmers n Editor, Andre Hastick

18 | VISITOR March/April 2020

Play Is Child’s Work at Forest Classroom With the support of its school board and church family, Parkersburg Academy has made a bold move in their school program this year. They are offering a non-conventional kindergarten through second-grade education called “Forest Classroom”—a classroom in the woods with no walls or artificial lights.

Under the leadership of principal/teacher Monica Zill, who implemented this program, Julie Henson teaches this classroom out in nature.

The Forest Classroom offers students an opportunity to be children, to play, explore and take risks.

Being outdoors in the richness of God’s nature offers support for health, emotional, physical, social and cognitive development that an indoor environment cannot reach, says Henson.

In the morning, students spend two to four hours in the forest—rain or shine. In their surroundings, the children get fresh air and exercise and build core strength, gross and fine motor skills, stronger immunity and sensory development. They also learn life skills, such as perseverance, self-efficacy, resilience, social skills, leadership and communication skills. The students spend their afternoons indoors for more structured learning, such as reading, art, music, cooking and sewing.

Henson grew up in Takoma Park, Md., during the 1960s. When her mother would come home from work, she would say to Henson and her brother, “It’s too nice outside for you kids to be indoors.” The siblings would change their clothes and play outside, regardless of the weather. Henson says she has many happy memories of running out in the rain, bundling up in the winter and playing outside for hours.

So imagine her surprise when her students stood beside her near a tree-lined creek the first two weeks of school and said, “I am bored,” and, “Teacher, there is nothing to do.” Henson repeatedly told them, “Please go play—find something to do.”

Unfortunately, her students did not know how to play, imagine or explore because they lacked the very skills they were created to have. The average American spends six to seven hours daily in front of a screen and only 30 minutes per week in unstructured, outdoor play—and her students were no exception.

Henson had her work cut out but was determined to challenge her students’ minds to learn how to play outside.

Today, the Forest Classroom is full of happy sounds of children playing and asking questions such as,

Worms and caterpillars create a teachable moment as Kayden, a Forest Classroom kindergartener, shares his find.

“Teacher, do you think we will find treasure if we dig far enough, and if so, may we keep it?” shares Henson.

She adds that the forest is full of happy wonderment with children collaborating together to make an arched window for a pizza oven; creating a water pipe and experiencing erosion firsthand; and understanding the pendulum effect by swinging on a vine out across the creek are just a few things they are learning without fear of failure or pressure. There is also “sit-time” for them to listen, observe and experience the woods in its stillness, yet endless sounds.

Ellen White counsels, “The little children should come especially close to nature. ... Teach them to see the wisdom and love of God in His created works; and as their hearts swell with joy and grateful love, let them join the birds in their songs of praise” (Child Guidance, p. 48).

Research reveals that children learn best while interacting with objects in their environment. What better environment for them to play and learn in than God’s nature?

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Mountain Viewpoint is published in the Visitor by the Mountain View Conference n 1400 Liberty Street, Parkersburg, WV 26101 Phone: (304) 422-4581 n mtviewconf.org n President, Mike Hewitt n Editor, Valerie Morikone

20 | VISITOR March/April 2020

Making Disciples The Great Commission of Jesus in Matthew 28:18–20 highlights three important verbs: go, make (disciples) and teach. However, to go, make and teach requires preliminary steps to successfully fulfill God’s command.

Jesus did not include these three steps in his mandate because it was implicit that, by the end of His three-year ministry, His disciples were well-acquainted with them: Go. It is difficult to follow an order or obey it unless you trust the person who gives the order. Knowing Jesus in a personal way gives us the security and confidence that the mandate to “go” will be a personal blessing and a blessing for others. The success of “going” is assured because we go with His power and authority. Jesus repeatedly gave orders to His disciples (see Matthew 21:2; 26:18; 28:10). “Go” is not an option; it is a mandate.

Victory is assured from God when we fulfill the order to “go.”

Make. One must first be a disciple of Jesus to make disciples of others. It is paradoxical to try to discipline others when we are not disciplined ourselves. In other words, the task of making disciples for Jesus has a better success rate if we are first disciples of Him, for a blind man cannot lead another blind man because the two will fall into the same hole (see Luke 6:39).

Teach. Jesus says we must teach others to keep all the things He has commanded. This requires prior knowledge of what we are to teach. We cannot teach and share what we do not know. We can only successfully teach “what we have seen and heard” (1 John 1:3, NIV).

The teacher who teaches requires continuous learning. The same is required of Jesus’ disciples. We require continuous learning; not only of the doctrine of Jesus but of the person of Jesus. It is then that we can victoriously fulfill the divine commission to “go, make disciples and teach.”

Jorge Aguero President

Haciendo discípulos La Gran Comisión de Jesús en Mateo 28:18–20 destaca tres verbos importantes: id, haced (discípulos) y enseñar.

Sin embargo, id, haced y enseñar requiere pasos preliminares para cumplir con éxito el mandato de Dios.

Jesús no incluyó estos tres pasos en su mandato porque estaba implícito que, al final de su ministerio de tres años, sus discípulos ya los conocían: Id. Es difícil seguir una orden u obedecerla a menos que confíe en la persona que da la orden. Conocer a Jesús de manera personal nos da la seguridad y la confianza de que el mandato de “id” será una bendición personal y una bendición para los demás. El éxito de “id” está asegurado porque vamos con su poder y autoridad. Jesús dio repetidamente órdenes a sus discípulos (ver Mateo 21:2; 26:18; 28:10). “Id” no es una opción; Es un mandato. La victoria está asegurada por Dios cuando cumplimos la orden “id”.

Haced. Primero se debe ser un discípulo de Jesús para hacer a otros discípulos de Él. Es paradójico tratar de disciplinar a otros cuando no somos disciplinados nosotros mismos. En otras palabras, la tarea de hacer discípulos para Jesús tiene una mejor probabilidad de éxito si somos los primeros discípulos de Él, ya que un ciego no puede guiar a otro ciego porque los dos caerán en el mismo agujero (ver Lucas 6:39).

Enseñar. Jesús dice que debemos enseñar a otros a guardar todas las cosas que Él ha mandado. Esto requiere un conocimiento previo de lo que debemos enseñar. No podemos enseñar y compartir lo que no sabemos.

Solo podemos enseñar con éxito “lo que hemos visto y oído” (1 Juan 1:3, NVI).

El maestro que enseña requiere un aprendizaje continuo. Lo mismo se requiere de los discípulos de Jesús.

Requerimos aprendizaje continuo; no solo de la doctrina de Jesús sino de la persona de Jesús. Es entonces cuando podemos cumplir victoriosamente la comisión divina de “id, haced discípulos y enseñar”.—Jorge Agüero

columbiaunionvisitor.com VISITOR | 21

Caravana de Motivación Misionera A finales del año 2019, los pastores de New Jersey Conference, fuimos desafiados por el Pastor Rubén Ramos, quien es el vicepresidente para Ministerios Multilingües de la Unión de Columbia, con un proyecto misionero innovador llamado: “El día es hoy”. Se trataba de una caravana de motivación misionera en todo el territorio de New Jersey, cuyo objetivo era animar a los hermanos a ser, más que miembros de iglesia, ser misioneros del Reino de Dios.

Junto con la administración de nuestra conferencia, adoptamos esta iniciativa, la cuál se presentó en cada distrito de habla Español.

La fecha pactada para esta actividad fue 17 al 26 de enero del 2020. Los pastores de manera entusiasta respondieron positivamente y se propusieron alcanzar 1,600 misioneros del Reino de Dios, quienes estarían orando por 5 personas que quisieran alcanzar para llevarlos al Señor, pero de esos 5 deberían señalar cuál sería el primero en bautizarse en el año 2020.

Fue interesante porque cada misionero que respondió al llamado recibió una bata bautismal, que sería de su propiedad. La idea es que con esta bata se bauticen los candidatos por los cuales ellos han de trabajar.

Nos preparamos para el desafío, se organizaron 17 estaciones, y en cada una de éstas, vimos la gloria de Dios, quien utilizó poderosamente a su siervo el Pr. Rubén Ramos, motivando y llamando a cada hermano a trabajar en la “Viña del Señor”.

Algunas estaciones fueron engalanadas con una ceremonia bautismal, remarcando con estas primicias, el objetivo de cada misionero fiel.

Como resultado de este gran esfuerzo, para gloria

Eulalia Acevedo de 95 años de edad y ganadora de almas de la Compañía Hispana de Bayonne, participó de la Caravana junto al Presidente Jorge Agüero y el Director de Ministerios Personales Carlos Torres.

El pastor Abdiel Hernandez de la Iglesia Hispana de Trenton, levanta al niño Noe A. Alonzo Galicia, de 8 años de edad, de las aguas bautismales.

Daniel Cabezas, pastor de la Iglesia Adventista Hispana de Bridgeton I, habla sobre el amor que Marvin Ramirez’ siente de Jesús.

de nuestro Dios, hasta ahora 1,131 hermanos y hermanas han aceptado el desafío de ser “Misioneros del Reino de Dios”. Alabamos al Señor, por los hermanos valientes como Caleb, que han decidido conquistar almas para la eternidad. Aun no hemos terminado, nuestra meta es alcanzar a 1,600 misioneros para este año 2020. El llamado también es para ti, el Señor te llama y te dice: “Hijo, ve hoy a trabajar en mi viña” (ver Mateo 21:28).—Carlos J. Torres, Director de Ministerios Personales

New Jersey News is published in the Visitor by the New Jersey Conference n 2303 Brunswick Ave., Lawrenceville, NJ 08648 Phone: (609) 392-7131 n njcsda.org n President, Jorge Aguero n Editor, Mario Thorp

22 | VISITOR March/April 2020

Ohio Conference Introduces New Treasurer The Ohio Conference Executive Committee voted Roy Simpson into office as conference treasurer during their December meeting.

According to former conference president Ron Halvorsen Jr., Simpson was recommended by both conference finance and personnel committees, and was approved unanimously by all present at December’s executive committee meeting. Simpson has been with the conference since 2015, serving as assistant treasurer before becoming interim treasurer during the second half of 2019.

Simpson knew early on he wanted to serve the Seventh-day Adventist Church, though not as a pastor like his father, but specifically in finance. In order to gain the experience he knew would be required, he volunteered at the age of 16 as a cashier in the Treasury Department of his local Atlantic Honduras Conference.

There he worked closely with the accountant and treasurer, who were willing to teach and work with him, allowing him to learn how a conference operated.

A native of Honduras, Simpson earned his degree in Business Administration, with an emphasis in Accounting, while working in the Accounting Department of the Adventist University of Central America (Honduras). Simpson later moved to Cleveland in 2011, where he began his first job in the United States for a prescription benefit management company while working toward his Master of Business Administration, with an emphasis in Finance. However, Simpson did not believe he would have the opportunity to work for the Church in the U.S. “This was a sad part of my life,” he says.

Simpson began volunteering with a young adult group who met Friday nights. Later the group established Revive, a second-generation Hispanic church.

His secular position allowed him to concentrate his free time on the church and youth group. “This period of time helped me to realize and understand that wherever you are, wherever you work, and in whatever setting you are, you can always serve the Lord.”

In the early summer of 2015, Simpson’s department notified him that they were being dissolved. While looking for a new job, a providential series of events and meetings connected Simpson with Ohio Conference

Roy Simpson, pictured with his wife, Melissa, is Ohio Conference’s new treasurer.

leaders, and by August 2015, Simpson was hired as the assistant treasurer.

“God is always working something out; to me that is the only assurance. Whether you’re being let go from a job or being given a new responsibility, it’s not about what I do or what I’m good at; it’s about what God is working out,” he says.

Simpson identifies himself as being purposeoriented. His goal for the Treasury Department is “to be strong financially, so we can do ministry [here in Ohio].

I thank the Lord very much because He’s allowed me to be born into this,” shares Simpson. “I’m excited for the opportunity to serve. I’m excited for the opportunity to give my life to the Lord. I love this Church; I was born in this Church. I’m more than happy and pleased and glad to be able to give my life to this Church in every sense.”

Simpson and his wife, Melissa, have been married for two-and-a-half years and are expecting their first child later this spring.

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High School Students Get ReCharged What is ReCharge, and why did 85 high school students, along with their chaperones, commute to the Kettering (Ohio) church in January?

“ReCharge is a day set in the middle of school year, just for high school-aged students,” shares Edward Marton, Ohio Conference youth director. “Sometimes it’s in the middle that we need the presence of Christ, and sometimes it’s in the middle that we get discouraged,” he says.

Several local church youth pastors helped Marton organize the event: Jeremy Wong (pictured) from the Worthington church, Joel Grave (Centerville), Jason Calvert (Kettering) and Kojo Twumasi (Clifton). Wong addressed the struggles on identity and acceptance in today’s Church during the morning worship service. In the afternoon, the youth pastors led two breakout sessions. The first dealt with spiritual questions about God and suffering such as, “I’m going through anxieties and pain, and I have friends that are hurting … where is God?” The second dealt with relationship and dating issues such as, “How far is too far?” “When should I start dating?”

The program concluded with a live 45-minute Q&A session where teens asked questions anonymously. “You can post a question, and it’s OK,” said Marton. “We’re here to talk to you, and we won’t judge you.” Pastors were open and honest in their responses. Youth dealing with addictions or serious crises were encouraged to seek professional help.

Marton’s next event, Immersion, will be April 17–19, and is designed for young adults. For more information, visit ohiosdayouth.org/ events/immersion.

Growing Church Plant Changes Lives Massillon Connections (MC) aspires to be known as a place where connections are made and lives are changed. This church plant, located in a storefront in downtown Massillon, Ohio, turns three in May. Ken and Cindy Ferguson, MC plant coordinators, and William Rodriguez, district pastor, along with their “Connect” leadership team, work hand in hand with the community to support this growing ministry.

The team thanks Jesus “for leading us to Christian business partners, laborers, leaders, members, family and friends who contributed $31,998 in donations, in addition to 1,564 volunteer hours,” shares Cindy. Nearly two dozen individuals and businesses have donated goods and services toward MC’s recent expansion; another dozen nonprofit organizations have partnered with MC, including the local YMCA, that regularly hosts baptisms.

One of the most remarkable connections made at MC has been between Cindy and a former student. Cindy taught at an area school prior to entering ministry with Ken. More than 30 years and multiple churches later, they returned to Massillon to retire before becoming involved with MC. A familiar woman began attending MC regularly. Upon reviewing old yearbooks, Cindy found what she was looking for: the handwritten entry from a young lady named Michelle (pictured sitting, with Cindy), who had been in Cindy’s class. “Hope to see you in the future,” her entry concluded.

As a result of attending MC, Michelle and her granddaughter Delilah chose to be baptized. MC exemplifies this mission, nurturing connections while leading people to Christ.

Mission Ohio is published in the Visitor by the Ohio Conference n 1251 E. Dorothy Lane, Dayton, OH 45419 Phone: (740) 397-4665 n ohioadventist.org n President, (vacant) n Editor, Heidi Shoemaker

24 | VISITOR March/April 2020

Signs of an Eruption Many were surprised when the once dormant Taal Volcano erupted near Manila, Philippines, earlier this year. However, in the days immediately preceding the eruption, signs in the form of several small earthquakes across the Philippines signified that an explosion was impending.

Likewise, “By His Spirit,” one of Pennsylvania Conference’s eight strategic mission initiatives, is a plea for members to pray for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. As church families pray together for their communities, we’re seeing signs that something very powerful is happening.

Tiberiu Mikle-Dragos, lay pastor of the Shamokin Mission Group, has seen these signs in his church.

The church had about a dozen members before evangelist Mike Sady joined the district as pastor.

Members began talking and praying about evangelism, and set aside the first day of each month for prayer and fasting. They prayed for their community and church using the Faith for Family prayer guides for 13 weeks prior to each meeting. They were committed to seeking the Holy Spirit. Sady held evangelistic meetings in both 2018 and 2019. As a result, 17 people have joined the church.

Three of those new members include: Sandy Forbes, a lifelong member of the Ukrainian church who hungered for an understanding of Bible truths all her life

n

Evangelist Mike Sady baptizes a new member at the Berwick church as a result of the district’s evangelism efforts.

By His Spirit Prayer for the Holy Spirit is the foundation of success in God’s work. As church members pray daily for the outpouring of the Spirit, we will see the promised blessing come. “To those who wait humbly upon God … is the Spirit given. The power of God awaits their demand and reception. This promised blessing, claimed by faith, brings all other blessings in its train” (Ellen White, The Desire of Ages, p. 672).

Joan Gane, raised in a rule-based Catholic home, who longed for a closer personal relationship with God that took her on a journey of studying and searching for truth

n

David Scheib, raised in a Seventh-day Adventist home, became disillusioned with church and left, but always contemplated coming back

n

Each were impressed by the Holy Spirit to attend evangelistic meetings upon receiving an invitation.

Subsequently, they committed to baptism and joined the church, each finding ways to become actively involved and share their faith with others.

“The Shamokin group had no evangelistic plans for eight years,” Mikle-Dragos shares. “Now they want to do one every year!”

Sady also held two evangelistic meetings at the Berwick church. Members prayer-walked the community in pairs for weeks before each series. Twelve new members are worshipping with the church as a result of those prayers and meetings.

Please join me, Tiberiu, Sandy, Joan, David and the entire Pennsylvania Conference as we Shawn Shives pray for the eruption of Holy Assistant to the Spirit power in the Pennsylvania President mission field!

columbiaunionvisitor.com VISITOR | 25

A ‘New’ Old Church Changes Focus “What’s the difference between the old church and the new church?” a member who hadn’t attended the Pottsville church for 15 years asked Pastor Alex DuBee while visiting during an evangelistic meeting.

“We are now doing the mission of God,” DuBee replied.

“I’ll never leave the church again,” she responded.

The Pottsville church now not only has a newly built facility, but a new focus. Members voted to be a part of the Faith for Family (F4F) initiative in 2018. Lisa Arosarena was assigned as their Bible instructor, following up interests generated by a mailing the church sent to the community, while also building relationships within the community and with members who were no longer attending services.

Lillian Torres, the conference’s assistant evangelism director, partnered with members through every step of their evangelism preparation, providing training, encouragement and resources.

More than 100 people attended the F4F series with evangelist Mark Fox. Eleven people have joined the church as a result of these meetings. Some 15 people regularly attend a new members class on Sabbath mornings. The church has created a discipleship process that includes mentoring, training and equipping people for ministry. They’ve also established a cooking school in response to needs identified in the community and among new members, as part of their intentional plan to focus on health and wellness in 2020.

Pennsylvania Pen is published in the Visitor by the Pennsylvania Conference n 720 Museum Road, Reading, PA 19611 Phone: (610) 374-8331, ext. 210 n paconference.org n President, Gary Gibbs n Communication Director, Tamyra Horst

26 | VISITOR March/April 2020

Tithe Envelopes Answer Questions When recently redesigning the conference’s tithe envelopes, leaders took the opportunity to bring it life and answer common questions.

“The number one question I get asked when I visit churches throughout the conference is, ‘How is tithe distributed?’” says Tony Reyes, director for Stewardship and Planned Giving. “Since we often don’t get the opportunity to explain this to members face-to-face, we decided to use the tithe envelope as an information/education piece and provide a dynamic breakdown. We also wanted to promote different conference ministries, as well as the Adventist Giving app for those who only ‘speak mobile.’”

Reyes says the main goal was to put tithe- and offering-giving into perspective. “One of the most emotionally packed moments in the worship service is the moment the offering plate makes its way down the aisle,” he says. “We wanted for this piece to be a reminder of our gratitude toward our Creator. So we were intentional about adding, ‘Thank you, God’ to the front, in order to remind ourselves that all things come from Him. A

grateful heart will always desire to advance the mission.”

President Bill Miller says he’s appreciative the envelopes provide greater clarity on distribution and add focus to conference priorities. “This envelope helps demonstrate four major priorities we as a conference will continue to focus on: education, evangelism, church planting and Camp Blue Ridge,” Miller explains.

Podcasting With Potomac People Most podcast listeners dread the moment they hit the wall, bingeing and replaying all their favorite subscribed shows. Potomac is excited to remedy that situation by introducing a new podcast called Potomac People.

Potomac People launched earlier this year and aims to highlight various individuals within the conference through interview-style and storytelling programming. The show compiles some of the most interesting backstories new to most listeners.

“For more than a decade now, the distinct storytelling medium has changed in ways no one could have ever imagined,” says Jyremy Reid, communication specialist intern. “That is why members of our conference will have an opportunity to share interesting facts about themselves with me over the digital airways.”

The podcast also includes shorter story episodes called Potomac Praise. These brief five-to-seven-minute stories focus on giving insight and encouragement to listeners through real-life situations. The first Potomac Praise episode, titled, “I Stared Death in the Face,” tells the riveting tale about God’s protection within the most uncertain circumstances.

“We want to add a full experience for our listeners with sound effects and music to help make each story come to life,” says Reid. “I want to help paint the picture and let the world know of God’s goodness in our lives every day. Everyone has a unique story to tell, and we want to hear yours on the Potomac People podcast!”

Visit pcsda.org/podcast each month to listen to a new episode.

Share your story by submitting short stories for approval to podcast@pcsda.org.

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Impact 2020: Camp Meeting Re-Imagined A conferencewide, multilingual Impact 2020: Camp Meeting Re-Imagined event will take place May 1–2 in Landover, Md., at the City of Praise facility that seats 10,000 people. This event, which will be translated into many languages, will feature three guest speakers: Carlton Byrd, senior pastor of the Oakwood University church in Huntsville, Ala., and speaker/director of Breath of Life Television Broadcast; Spanish-speaking presenter José Rojas, president of Movementum, a ministry committed to working with leaders at all levels of society to build a culture of service within their organization; and evangelist Mark Finley, assistant to the president of the General Conference.

Steve Green, a bilingual, Christian music artist, four-time Grammy Award nominee, seven-time Dove Award winner and inductee into the Gospel Music Hall

of Fame, will be in concert Saturday evening.

“We are anticipating that this will be our largest camp meeting to date,” says Debra Anderson, assistant to the president for communication. “We will bring together the diverse communities within the Potomac Conference for two days of spiritual revival and renewal. We’ll focus on evangelism with an emphasis on empowering disciples of Christ to spread the good news of a loving Savior.”

This year’s theme, “The Power of Touch,” will recognize that touching just one life through the Holy Spirit can have a domino effect on many.

Community service opportunities, as well as programming for children and youth, will also be a main feature at Impact 2020. Please go to pcsda.org/impact for more information.

The Power of Touch May 1 – 2, 2020 City of Praise

8501 JERICHO CITY DRIVE, LANDOVER, MD 20785 FEATURED GUEST SPEAKERS

Dr. Carlton Byrd

Elder Mark Finley

Elder José Rojas

MUSICAL GUEST

Steve Green

Potomac People is published in the Visitor by the Potomac Conference n 606 Greenville Ave., Staunton, VA 24401 Phone: (540) 886-0771 n pcsda.org n President, Bill Miller n Editor, Tiffany Doss

28 | VISITOR March/April 2020

Students Rise for Exercise As the sun begins to rise, so do the students at Blue Mountain Academy—for a 6:30 a.m. exercise class.

Principal Burney Culpepper runs them through a vigorous morning workout.

When the school year began, some groaned about having to get up so early. Midway through the year, the exercise time was cancelled during FOCUS week to give students early morning quiet time. Surprisingly,

students weren’t happy; they had discovered the benefits of starting their day with exercise.

“The exercise program has allowed me to feel refreshed during the day,” shares BMA junior Hannah Johnson. “I feel great, and my grades and level of attentiveness have increased.”

Teachers agree. Students are more alert and engaged—especially in morning classes. Teachers have also noticed a larger number of students eating breakfast than in years past.

Culpepper measures benchmarks, such as faster times in a mile run, increases in the number of push-ups and sit-ups and improvements in resting heart rates and flexibility. “Our benchmarks all show distinct improvement since the beginning of the year,” he states. “But we’re also seeing an improvement in grades.”

Culpepper continues, “BMA cares about all aspects of our students’ health: spiritual, mental, social and physical.”

Senior Annelise Jacobs starts the day off stretching as part of this school year’s morning workout.

Communiqué is published in the Visitor by the Blue Mountain Academy n 2363 Mountain Road, Hamburg, PA 19526 Phone: (610) 562-2291 n Fax: (610) 562-8050 n bma.us n Principal, Burney Culpepper n Editor, Esther Hernandez

columbiaunionvisitor.com VISITOR | 29

w w w. h i g h l a n d v i e w a c a d e m y. c o m

Academy Becomes First NAD STEM-Certified School Under the auspices of the National Institute for STEM Education (NISE), affiliated with Rice University (Texas), Highland View Academy (HVA) was recently recognized for being a STEM-certified school. This is a first in the North American Division (NAD). Faculty also

HVA STEM students Bradley Banuag (’20), Colin Rogers (’22), and Ian Voorhees (’22) do preliminary work on the High Altitude Balloon project.

received the National Certificate for STEM Teaching, including Myrna Biswas-Nowrangi, Ophelia Barizo and Colleen Lay (pictured, left to right) and teachers Lisa Norton and Paty Serrano (not pictured).

HVA is also the first academy in the NAD to develop a STEM certificate program for high school students. This program provides students STEM education courses and internships in preparation for STEM-related careers.

Innovative classes such as Project-Based Learning (PBL), Integrated STEM and Robotics help create hands-on education to explore and create new solutions to health- and engineering-related problems.

“Recently the STEM department has been working on a High Altitude Balloon project. The students in PBL I and II have been working in groups to design a payload containing environmental sensors, cameras, a GPS and radio communication equipment that will be carried to around 100,000 feet in the air by a weather balloon,” states STEM faculty member Kenji Nomura.

“In the process, the students developed circuits, wrote code, earned ham radio technicians’ licenses and created an online presence.” To follow their progress, visit Instagram.com/hva.stem.

Other activities throughout the school year help to enhance the STEM program, including the annual STEMfest in the fall, after-school programs for elementary and middle school students in the spring and various STEM lectures from STEM professionals.

Highlander is published in the Visitor by the Highland View Academy n 10100 Academy Drive, Hagerstown, MD 21740 Phone: (301) 739-8480 n Fax: (301) 733-4770 n highlandviewacademy.com n Principal, Harry Janetzko n Editor, Andrew S. Lay

30 | VISITOR March/April 2020

Music Department Plays a New Tune The Lake Nelson Adventist Academy (LNAA) Music Department is reaching new heights this year. The head of the department, Henoc Morrobel, a talented musician, leads the orchestra and band; the high school choir director, Mahaleth Forbes, uses her tremendous capabilities in music; and the middle school choir director, Kimberly Francis, exercises her gifts of leadership and creativity to conduct the Harmony choir.

These teachers recently organized a concert at Rutgers University (N.J.) in the Kirkpatrick Chapel.

Selling out in less than a month, the LNAA orchestra, band, high school choir and Harmony choir packed the house. By invitation, the high school choir also traveled to churches in and out of state. To round out 2019, the LNAA Music Department performed for the holiday program and Benefit Gospel Concert.

“There is evidence that God is using the department to spread the gospel and share the love of Christ with others. Not only have the students themselves been blessed, but noticeably the audiences as well, including parents and teachers,” says one LNAA parent.

“Being in the high school choir has impacted me in many ways,” says junior Amy Colon. She went on to explain how she was hesitant to join choir this year,

but after joining, she believes it was “worth it” and she “wouldn’t want to be in any other choir.” Students like Colon have realized the significance of the performances, and she is glad to be a part of the legacy LNAA is leaving behind.

To date, the Music Department members are practicing diligently for the upcoming Spring Concert.—Samantha Rivera (’20)

The high school choir sings in the Kirkpatrick Chapel at Rutgers University.

Handbell choir members ring a tune.

Middle-schoolers whistle away on their recorders.

Legacy is published in the Visitor by the Lake Nelson Academy n 555 South Randolphville Rd., Piscataway, NJ 08854 Phone: (732) 981-0626 n Fax: (732) 981-0770 n lakenelsonacademy.org n Principal, Elisa Maragoto n Editor, Ashley Boggess

columbiaunionvisitor.com VISITOR | 31

Academy Continues to Become STEM-Minded “Forging to the Future,” the theme of the 2019 National Pine Forge Academy’s (PFA) Alumni Weekend, welcomed past students to the campus. Class of 1983 alumnus Lafayette Trawick (pictured, below) issued a challenge to “Move that Needle,” in hopes of inspiring others to give back to their alma mater.

At the Alumni Awards ceremony, the Class of 1983 gifted the PFA Science Department with a $5,000 donation. As a result, the Science Department was able to purchase needed lab supplies for students, as well as the financial support to attend the annual SciFest at Andrews University (AU) in Berrien Springs, Mich.

At SciFest, themed “Light,” students from PFA and Potomac Conference’s Takoma Academy (TA) traveled together. They engaged in various STEM activities, toured the campus and participated in the Science Quiz Bowl. There they reconnected with two PFA alumni, now both STEM majors at AU: Marcel Mattox (’19), majoring in Graphic Design, and Patrick Minor, Jr. (’19), majoring in Aviation. To top it off, every PFA student who attended SciFest received a scholarship to attend AU. Students from the PFA and TA Anatomy and Physiology classes later attended the Cadaver Lab at Penn State Berks (Pa.). Students toured the campus and spoke to professors and current college students about their majors. Staff say it was a great experience to have both schools partner together to help encourage one another toward STEM careers.

In late 2019, the National Pine Forge Academy Alumni Association continued its support for the Academy’s Science Department by launching a

Pine Forge Academy alumni and current students Patrick Minor, Jr. (’19), Justyce Goode (’21), Caleb Williams (’21), Shemiah Hoppie (’21), Nana Ossei-Wusu (’20) and Marcel Mattox (’19) attend the annual SciFest at Andrews University.

campaign, recognized as “Giving Tuesday.” Accordingly, the association raised more than $200,000 in order to complete a total renovation of PFA’s science labs.

“Faculty, staff, students and parents say they are thankful for the dedication and hard work of everyone who donated to the cause,” says Khandi Cooper, chair of the Science Department. “PFA hopes they can continue their partnership with TA and the Alumni Association to inspire more students to become future scientists.”

Post is published in the Visitor by the Pine Forge Academy n P.O. Box 338, Pine Forge, PA 19548 Phone: (610) 326-5800 n Fax: (610) 326-5152 n pineforgeacademy.org n Principal, H. Clifford Reynolds, III n Editor, Tracey Jackson

32 | VISITOR March/April 2020

photos by rachel fuentes and robert martinez

Students Plan for Future at Career Day Spencerville Adventist Academy (SAA) recently held its first schoolwide Career Day. “Hosting such an event gives us the chance to provide our students with exposure to a variety of career fields and jobs,” says Tissiana Bowerman, head principal.

Throughout the day, students from Pre-K through high school attended presentations, listened to keynote speakers and visited booth displays. The event provided a deeper understanding of what work entails as they plan for their futures. “Our parents were given the opportunity to be involved with the program,” adds Bowerman. “Students enjoy having their parents’ support and take pride in seeing their parents present.”

Pre-K through third graders learned about what it is like to be a firefighter, chef, florist, police officer Interested in the medical field, second-graders and author. Kids in grades 4–8 dressed professionally Ely Fallet, Maya Peters, Serina Ninala, Josias Serrano, and attended presentations from a lawyer, graphic Jonathan Malin and A. J. Rivera, dress the part. designer, cybersecurity professional and author.

Sabrina Sawtell, an SAA parent who works in cyber security for Booz Allen Hamilton, presented to this age-group. an SAA parent and a morning show host from High school students learned about the communiWGTS 91.9.

Throughout the day,Academy the students Highlights from Spencerville Adventist cation field from keynote speaker Jerry Woods, also learned about a variety of topics, including marketing, nonprofit management, human resources, applied physics, public LOVE speaking, U.S. Intelligence, TO LEARN entrepreneurship and how to interview for a job. In LIVE TO SERVE turn, they were able to identify desired character ALL FOR CHRIST traits and work habits, and were equipped to develop skills necessary for job searches.

At the booth displays, professionals from real estate, dietetics, education, emergency management, naval/ armed forces, accounting and entrepreneurial fields answered questions about their specific careers. SAA parent Cheryl Toscano, a real estate professional, sums up the day: “I was both a presenter and an exhibitor on Career Day, and I was very excited to see the positive response by the students and their true interest in professionalism and furthering their education and career, At Career Day, SAA parent Walt Fennell, a partner with all while learning secrets to successful interviewing and Guidehouse, answers questions from seniors Bereket interaction techniques.”

Geremew and Matthew Nashed.

Spotlight is published in the Visitor by Spencerville Adventist Academy n 2502 Spencerville Road, Spencerville, MD 20868 Phone: (301) 421-9101 n spencervilleacademy.org n Interim Principal, Tissiana Bowerman n Editor, Heidi Wetmore

columbiaunionvisitor.com VISITOR | 33

Science Students Introduce STEM Buddies Spring Valley Academy (SVA) is making a concentrated effort to expand their science program this year. One route they have taken is an initiative dubbed “STEM Buddies.” The vision of STEM Buddies involves high school students sharing the knowledge they have acquired in their science courses with lower grades using a method that is both understandable and enjoyable.

There are two separate branches of STEM Buddies.

One branch takes the form of a science club that meets every third Friday. This club spends time practicing hands-on demos, such as making Play-Doh circuits, experimenting with inversion goggles and creating Ublicks. They then invite elementary students to the lab to interact with the demos. The high schoolers usually end the session by sharing a brief worship thought with the kids, tying in the demo with a spiritual lesson.

The second branch of STEM Buddies is more formal and tasks the students to prepare a project to teach the children a STEM concept. The SVA chemistry class recently invited fifth- and sixth-graders to the lab. Each chemistry student had prepared a demonstration that illustrated a chemical reaction.

Junior Justin Sherrod shows fifth-grader Eden Fellows the result of aluminum foil reacting with sodium hydroxide to make flammable hydrogen gas.

Mercer Fox, a fifth-grader, holds a “fire snake” during a STEM Buddies session.

They explained to the middle schoolers what type of reaction was occurring, what the reactants were and what the products were. This took the place of a traditional paper and pencil assessment.

In other cases, the middle school students assist high school students. For example, the SVA physics students brought schematics from egg drop crafts to the sixth-graders. In turn, the sixth-graders helped design and test the physics students’ initial ideas, giving them a better idea on how to proceed as they made their final egg drop crafts.

“This is only the beginning of STEM Buddies, and we’re hoping it will grow. In addition to future crossgrade level projects, SVA hopes to extend this initiative to the community. It would be a blessing to see the high school students give the children’s story during church service, teaching kids about God’s nature in Sabbath School or even assist a sister school at a science fair,” says Darren Wilkins, principal.

Wilkins adds, “SVA staff is grateful for the continued support and prayers as they foster a spirit in their students that learns well and seeks to translate that knowledge into service for others.”—Dillon Zimmerman

Connections is published in the Visitor by Spring Valley Academy n 1461 Spring Valley Pike, Centerville, OH 45458 Phone: (937) 433-0790 n springvalleyacademy.org n Principal, Darren Wilkins n Editor, Vicki Swetnam

34 | VISITOR March/April 2020

Alumni-Parent Role Models Inspire at Career Day The Shenandoah Valley Academy (SVA) Alumni Association Board is developing a database of alumni and parent professionals interested in sharing their education and career journeys with students: “It’s wonderful that many alumni specially desire to inform, inspire and encourage today’s students by returning to share their career experiences. We’ve been thrilled with the response and hope for more!” says Kelli (Fluharty) Hanon (’88), alumni president.

“We’re grateful for enthusiastic alumni and parents willing to travel and dedicate their Sunday to dialogue with students,” says English teacher Deborah White.

In line with the SVA mission of “educating disciples of Jesus prepared for college and careers,” White recruits and organizes a new group of professionals for Career Day the first Sunday of each school year.

Thank you alumni and parents who presented to students for the 2019–20 Career Day: Elizabeth Armstrong, journalism/communication; Traci (Clark) Brossfield (’88) and Jared Thompson (’88), sales; Hans Fairbank, landscape design; Shalyn Crawford-Garman (’01), veterinarian; Stacey (Malcolmson) Good (’01),

Come home to Shenandoah for the greatest reunion this side of heaven!

Shenandoah Valley Academy Alumni Weekend April 17-19, 2020 Honor Classes:

1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 1995 2000 2010 2020

dentist; Paul Griffin (’84), real estate investment; Laura (Rulona) Lowe (’91), registered nurse; Buz Menhardt (honorary, ’13), pastor; Duane White (’86), physician (pictured). Presenters discussed the training and education needed for their fields and answered a wide variety of questions from students about interests and aptitude, employment opportunities, pay scales, job satisfaction and motivation for choosing their professions.

“I liked how some presenters gave the pros and also the cons for careers because not every field is for everyone,” says senior Stella Souza, explaining that Career Day helped her pare down career choices.

Sophomore Jessa Kinney agreed, sharing, “Career day helped me rule out being a veterinarian, and I actually found landscape design interests me.”

A favorite presenter, alumni-parent Laura Lowe, is a registered nurse studying to become a nurse practitioner. “Mrs. Lowe answered many questions, explaining that nurses are in high demand and do many types of jobs. She also shared information about other medical professions,” says senior ShaDiamond Wilson, now considering a nursing major.

SVA is blessed with increasing involvement by alumni who have a special opportunity to inspire students to think about what’s possible in their future professions. “Having alumni return makes it a fun, informative Career Day for everyone,” shares Janel Ware (’86), Development and Alumni director. “It’s exciting to see alumni leave inspired by students’ interests and aspirations too.”

Impact is published in the Visitor by Shenandoah Valley Academy n 234 West Lee Highway, New Market, VA 22844 Phone: (540) 740-3161 n shenandoahvalleyacademy.org n Principal, Donald Short n Editor, Janel Haas Ware

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Senior Selected Finalist at Carnegie Hall’s Honors Series Carnegie Hall (N.Y.) is known for its history of extraordinary music and musicians. Its standard is beyond measure, including acts from around the world. Legends such as Tchaikovsky, Billie Holiday, Mahler and The Beatles have filled Carnegie Hall throughout the years, making Takoma Academy’s (TA) news extra special.

This academic year, TA was ecstatic to hear that, under the direction of renowned conductor Jeffrey Redding, the 2020 High School Honors Performance Series at Carnegie Hall selected TA’s very own J. Solomon Collins (’20) as a finalist. Collins auditioned in May of 2019 and was selected in late 2019. In early February 2020, he met musicians from around the world.

As a kid, Collins was not too keen on the idea of performing. His mother, Kelli Raí Collins, a singer and author, made him sing in the children’s choir at church, much to his chagrin. In middle school, he went on to sing in the male chorus at the Dupont Park Adventist School in Washington, D.C.

Senior J. Solomon Collins (center, back row) gathers with fellow honor performers at Carnegie Hall.

J. Solomon Collins (’20) is selected as a finalist for the 2020 High School Honors Performance Series at Carnegie Hall.

When he arrived at TA, he was eager to perform with the chorale due to the many years of experience.

This helped his comfort level and gave him confidence to sing in front of an audience. He is now one of the lead singers in TA’s Camerata voice choir, under choir director Lulu Mupfumbu.

“Over the past three-and-a-half years, I have watched Solomon grow tremendously as a musician, leader and a young man of admirable talent and character,” says Mupfumbu. “His ability to maintain a positive and respectful attitude and to be a true team player remains evident in everything he does.”

Collins has traveled to many countries using his voice to minister. When he looks back at the years of practice and dedication, he allows that motivation to encourage him when he steps onto stage. In addition to hard work, preparation and building his musical resume, he is ready for the future and plans on majoring in Vocal Performance in his college career.

Initially, this once-in-a-lifetime, Carnegie Hall moment made Collins anxious, but later excited, as he shared his craft with fellow musicians and major vocalists.

TA Today is published in the Visitor by Takoma Academy n 8120 Carroll Ave., Takoma Park, MD 20912 Phone: (301) 434-4700 n ta.edu n Principal, Carla Thrower n Editor, Salena Featherstone

36 | VISITOR March/April 2020

KETTERING COLLEGE

Kettering College students participated in two animal stress relief events. Students had the opportunity to pet miniature horses, kittens, and a dog.

Kettering College Offers Services Focusing on Student’s Mental Health National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) on Campus recently hosted an animal stress relief day for students at Kettering College.

According to 2019 reports by the American Institute of Stress, anxiety and depression are the most common health problems that occur among college students in America. These reports say that animals such as dogs, cats, ducklings, and horses have been successfully used by health care professionals as a method of treatment for trauma, addictions, pre- and post-deployment post-traumatic stress disorder among military personnel, and mentally or physically disabled individuals of all ages. Colleges and universities across the United States are offering students opportunities for animal stress relief events, as well as creating provisions for students who have canine support partners. These support partners are animals that bring a sense of calmness and are trained under the titles of service, emotional support, or therapy animals.

“NAMI on Campus recognizes the stigma placed on mental illness,” says Mary Matese, nursing professor and the faculty advisor

for NAMI on Campus at Kettering College. “We’re dedicated to providing education, resources, and mental, emotional, and spiritual support to our students.”

NAMI on Campus surveyed current students, asking for suggestions of events and services they would like NAMI to offer.

An animal stress relief day was a popular suggestion. NAMI decided to work with the local Humane Society’s animal stress relief program, which is already in place for colleges across Southwest Ohio. The event was not only a success for the students, but also for two kittens who were adopted during the event.

The animal stress relief day inspired another event, where miniature pet therapy horses were brought on campus for students to interact with. Two animal stress relief days have been planned during the last two weeks of the winter semester.

COLLEGE KETTERING MEDICAL CENTER

KETTERING COLLEGE • 3737 SOUTHERN BLVD. • KETTERING, OH 45429 • (937) 395-8601 • KC.EDU

Putting WAU’s NEW Model U.N. On The Map

W

ashington Adventist University remains committed to preparing young people to be leaders in the world that exemplify the teachings of Christ. In alignment with this mission, I am pleased to share that the WAU Honors College continues to grow to serve high achieving students, and provide them with unique opportunities that use the resources of the nation’s capital. I want to welcome Dr. Jonathan Scriven as the new Associate Director of the Honors College. Dr. Scriven has extensive experience in Adventist Education, having worked at Spencerville Academy, Takoma Academy, and Columbia Union College (now Washington Adventist University). Prior to returning to the Washington Metropolitan area, he taught for 12 years at a French Lycee that followed the International Option of the French Baccalaureate. As the new Associate Director of the Honors College he will be responsible for developing an international center within the college to highlight study abroad options, global resources in Washington, D.C., and the Capital MUN (Model United Nations). This past spring Dr. Scriven worked with WAU student leaders to present the inaugural Capital MUN event that brought approximately one hundred students from local academies together for an energetic dialogue about international issues. We are looking forward to hosting more academy students at future Capital MUN events, and hope that the experience will help inspire them to engage in global thinking.

The development of an international center is one of several growth initiatives in the Honors College, including centers focused on innovative thinking and scholarly research. I know that Dr. Scriven will work with the Honors College Director, Professor Bradford Haas, to identify and foster these and other quality learning opportunities for our students.

Weymouth Spence, President

wau.edu

Increasing International Opportunities for Students

A

s I write this, I am sitting at the World Forum in The Hague, Netherlands, where I am attending The Hague International Model United Nations conference, one of the oldest and largest Model United Nations conferences in the world. I am here with a delegation of students from the school in France where I have been teaching for the Jonathan Scriven past twelve years, and we are representing Associate Director the Russian Federation during this week-long WAU Honors College conference. This year the conference includes more than three thousand high school students from all over the world.

2020 Alumni Weekend Events

Every year we look forward to welcoming our WAU alumni, friends and family to our campus. This year Alumni Weekend will take place April 2-5, 2020. We look forward to a full weekend of fellowship and celebration. Don’t miss our 2020 Alumni Weekend Events!

• Alumni Soccer Games • 25th Anniversary Singspiration • Dinner-Cruise: Awards Banquet • 5k Family Run/Walk • AcroAirs Homeshow 2020 ...and much more!

WAU SPRING SEMESTER CALENDAR Model U.N. Service Day Career Fair Alumni Weekend Consecration Service Baccalaureate University Commencement

March 10 Apr 1 Apr 2 Apr 2-5 May 8 May 9 May 10

Model United Nations (MUN) is an experiential learning activity based on the activities of the United Nations General Assembly and the UN Security Council. Students take on the role of diplomats from countries all over the world as they discuss and debate significant global events and crises. During a typical conference, participants work collaboratively to propose and adopt formal resolutions that attempt to solve some of the world’s most pressing problems.

MUN excites me. As an educator, I have seen first-hand how it can energize and inspire students of every level and ability. MUN students learn how to be confident, successful delegates, and this helps them also to become confident, successful students.

While MUN creates a broader and more in-depth understanding of diplomacy, international relations, and current events, it also develops essential transferable skills such as public speaking, active listening, critical thinking, creative problem solving, and teamwork.

I am very happy to share that we have brought MUN to Washington Adventist University. Last spring, the WAU Honors College hosted the inaugural CAPITALMUN, a full-day conference that brought nearly one hundred local academy and high school students to campus to debate a range of issues. Our theme was “Global Issues, Global Solutions” and we focused on such topics as human rights, global health, cyber-security, and standards for global intervention. We are pleased that the response was extremely positive, and we are currently planning for our second CAPITALMUN conference, which will be held on March 10, 2020.

CAPITALMUN is one step in a broader WAU Honors College plan to increase international opportunities for students at both the university and academy level, to prepare them to be active global citizens who aim to serve others.

For more information or to get your students involved, please visit www.capitalmun.org or contact Jonathan Scriven, Associate Director of the WAU Honors College, at jscriven@wau.edu.

7600 Flower Ave. Takoma Park, MD 20912 | wau.edu

Care.

Compassion.

Community.

Bring Me Word One of the things I learned from my parents is how important it is to begin each day with prayer. Those prayers were simple – just a few words, but they were words that mattered. And I’ve made it a part of my life.

For some, prayer may be very formal – a ritual that fulfills an obligation. For some, it is barely spoken as they silence the alarm and hit the ground running. I know someone who says he prays in the shower each morning, and someone else who says she doesn’t say anything to anyone, including God, until she has her coffee cup in hand.

What matters is not so much how or when you pray – but that you DO pray.

And I think it matters what you pray for.

That’s why I love this text, Psalm 143:8: “Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love.” [NIV] My prayer each morning is that I will learn once again that God loves me.

That somehow – during my day, on my way to work, in my interaction with my co-workers, in the things that I’m looking forward to and also in the things I’d rather not face – I’m looking for those things that “bring me word” that God loves me.

I don’t want to wait for God to be revealed in something epic. I want to know His love every day. I want to know that God is already there before I turn the alarm off. I want to find God not only in the shower but in every part of my day.

Bring me word of God’s unfailing love!

That’s always on my list of goals for the day.

Terry Forde President & CEO Adventist HealthCare

The Adventist HealthCare White Oak Medical Center Spiritual Care team led a special prayer at the dedication.

White Oak Medical Center Dedicates Chapel In November, Adventist HealthCare White Oak Medical Center celebrated the dedication of its new chapel. The chapel is a sacred space that will serve as a house of prayer for all of those in need of comfort, spiritual healing and wholeness.

“Because we recognize and respect the role of faith in the healing and recovery process, Adventist HealthCare White Oak Medical Center is committed to ensuring patients and family members have access to spiritual care and support through a staff of professional chaplains and community clergy,” said Ann Roda, vice president, Mission Integration and Spiritual Care for Adventist HealthCare.

The ceremony included a responsive reading delivered by Miriam Prudente, RN, Director of Cardiac Telemetry and a member of Beltsville Seventh-day Adventist Church. She was joined by Enoch Acheampong, RN, Nurse Manager of the Medical/Surgical unit. The reading was followed by a prayer led by the White Oak Medical Center chaplains and a blessing of the chaplains.

Special music included the hymns Take My Life and Let It Be and Sweet, Sweet Spirit.

Thank you to our Spiritual Care and Chaplain teams for ensuring faith is an integral part of the care we provide at White Oak Medical Center and across Adventist HealthCare.

Nursing leaders Enoch Acheampong and Miriam Prudente speak about Adventist HealthCare’s Mission to extend God’s care.

820 West Diamond Avenue, Suite 600 • Gaithersburg, MD 20878 • 301-315-3030 • AdventistHealthCare.com

We extend God’s care through the ministry of physical, mental and spiritual healing.

Adventist HealthCare Home Health Honored Again Top Performer in Nation for Nine Years For the ninth consecutive year, Adventist HealthCare Home Health has been named a top-performing home care agency in the nation

by HomeCare Elite.® Home Health is part of Adventist HealthCare Home Care Services and serves eight counties in Maryland.

“I am grateful to Adventist Home Health’s highly-skilled patient care teams who helped us again achieve this recognition from HomeCare Elite®,” said Brent Reitz, president of Adventist HealthCare Post-Acute Care Services. “We are dedicated to providing compassionate, in-home healthcare to help individuals recover from illness or manage chronic health conditions.”

An Adventist HealthCare Home Health nurse applies a new bandage for a patient.

HomeCare Elite® agencies are determined by an analysis of performance measures in quality outcomes, best practices implementation, patient experience, quality improvement and consistency and financial health. In order to be considered, an agency must be Medicare-certified and have data for at least three outcomes in Home Health Compare. Out of 8,818 agencies considered, only 2,207 are recognized on the winners list.

The ranking is developed by ABILITY® Network, a leading information technology company helping providers and payers simplify the administrative and clinical complexities of healthcare. It is sponsored

by DecisionHealth, part of the H3.Group.

“We’re pleased to recognize Adventist Home Health for exemplifying best practice in patient care,” said Christine Lang, senior director for ABILITY® Network. “Adventist Home Health’s healthcare professionals have demonstrated exceptional commitment to care quality and the patient experience.”

“Congratulations to Adventist HealthCare,” said Marci Geipe, product manager for DecisionHealth. “Leadership and staff have placed a premium on the patient care the agency provides as showcased by the quality outcome scores. The entire community benefits from the compassion that staff shows toward patients, leading to cost savings for the entire healthcare system.”

Help Loved Ones Age at Home When visiting a loved one recently, did you notice them struggling to complete routine tasks or move around their home safely?

For many seniors, previously simple tasks become more challenging and could put them at risk for injury. Additionally, those with a chronic health condition may also need assistance.

In addition to high-level nursing and rehabilitation care, Adventist HealthCare Home Care Services also provides help for aging adults with daily activities such as:  Bathing  Getting dressed  Meals  Exercise  Medication  Blood pressure checks Recognizing that your loved one needs support is an important first step in helping them live safely and independently at home.

To learn more about Adventist HealthCare’s in-home support services, call 800-610-2447.

820 West Diamond Avenue, Suite 600 • Gaithersburg, MD 20878 • 301-315-3030 • AdventistHealthCare.com

YOUR HEALING MINISTRY K E T T E R I N G A D V E N T I S T H E A LT H C A R E N E W S L E T T E R

Hybrid Lab Brings Faster Recovery for Hearts

By Christina Keresoma

One out of every three people is affected by heart disease, making it the number one killer in the nation. Kettering Adventist HealthCare has been teaming up with physicians and investing in top-of-the-line medical technology to improve heart care.

Kettering Medical Center is now home to a hybrid lab, which combines the traditional diagnostic functions of a cath lab with the surgical functions of an operating room. Brian Schwartz, MD, medical director of the Advanced Structural Heart Program at Kettering Medical Center and director of the Heart & Vascular service line for Kettering Adventist HealthCare, says it gives cardiologists the opportunity to perform heart surgeries with a catheter instead of performing open heart surgery on a patient, creating a quicker recovery time.

Patients who are treated in a cath lab for valve repairs or repairing holes, which previously required surgery, now are treated with the less invasive procedure. Five years ago an aortic stenosis procedure could take four to six hours and include a six-day hospital stay and a six-month recovery time. Now most of the heart and vascular patients can be treated in the less invasive hybrid lab setting. “They are usually sitting in a chair four hours later, and they can go home the next day,” Dr. Schwartz says. “They have no restrictions five days after surgery.”

“The transcatheter aortic valve replacement has been FDA approved for six years now,” Dr. Schwartz says. “We started doing it about five and a half years ago.”

The hybrid lab combines diagnostic imaging equipment with surgical tools, allowing providers to perform emergency surgeries in the same room if a case requires it.

Adventist He Healt althC hCaare

“When we started, we were taking really sick and high-risk patients into the hybrid lab,” Dr. Schwartz says. “At any moment the patient could need to be put on a heart/lung machine or need open heart surgery.”

Traditional operating rooms usually do not have diagnostic equipment that are standard in catheterization labs. In an emergency, the patient then must be transferred to another room or floor.

“In the hybrid lab, patients coming in for a procedure are fully awake and alert,” Dr. Schwartz says. “Normal procedures are done with a catheter through the groin or an artery in the arm and are less invasive. But patients can quickly be put under with general [anesthesia] and the surgeon can open them up if needed.”

The lab is equipped with state-of-the-art equipment, including CAT scan machine, heart monitors and electrocardiograms, allowing physicians to take an image and immediately get a close look at what is going on with the patient. This type of facility has put Kettering Adventist HealthCare at the forefront of heart and vascular treatment.

“There are other hybrid labs out there, but ours is probably one of the top 10 in the country,” Dr. Schwartz says. “Groups come from other hospitals to look at what we are doing here in Dayton.”

Kettering Adventist HealthCare will continue to lean on the expertise of our physicians and strive to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to cardiac health care.

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KETTERING ADVENTIST HEALTHCARE • 3535 SOUTHERN BLVD • KETTERING, OH 45429 • (937) 298-3399 • KETTERINGHEALTH.ORG

THE NEWS

K E T T E R I N G A D V E N T I S T H E A LT H C A R E N E W S L E T T E R

Treating Mental Illness and Substance Abuse Disorder in One Place In response to the opioid epidemic, Kettering Behavioral Medicine Center has expanded services to include treatment of patients who have both a mental illness and a substance abuse disorder.

Patients admitted to Kettering Behavioral Medicine Center’s new, 14-bed co-occurring inpatient unit would have a primary mental health illness with a secondary substance use disorder.

“We are excited to be able to provide this much-needed service in our community and assist patients in beginning and maintaining their recovery,” says Julie Manuel, MSEd, LPCC, LICDC, NCC, clinical program manager for Kettering Behavioral Medicine Center. “The co-occurring unit is patient centered—focusing on meeting the patient where they are in their recovery process.”

The goal is to transition patients to the behavioral hospital’s next level of service—the co-occurring intensive outpatient program.

A New Level of Care with On-Demand Care Sites Kettering Adventist HealthCare has opened three OnDemand Care centers. This is an extension of Kettering Physician Network primary care, and these new clinics offer same-day care for conditions ranging from headaches and rashes to muscle pains and strains to minor wounds and infections.

president of Kettering Physician Network and executive vice president of Physician Enterprise for Kettering Adventist HealthCare. “Now patients can also use these services and can rest assured that they are being treated by top-notch quality providers that have access to the entire system of primary and specialty care available within our network.”

“As we continue to prioritize access for patients and locate services close to where they live, it was apparent an OnDemand level of primary care services was necessary for people who choose Kettering Adventist HealthCare and Kettering Physician Network as their health care providers,” says Dan Haibach, executive director of the Primary Care service line.

The clinics, staffed by advanced practice providers, are open seven days a week with extended hours. Patients can walk in or save their spot online, and the visit will be billed as a primary care visit.

“Patients treated in our On-Demand Care clinics will experience care coordination between the clinic and their established primary care provider,“ explains George Lewis,

Adventist He Healt althC hCa are

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KETTERING ADVENTIST HEALTHCARE • 3535 SOUTHERN BLVD • KETTERING, OH 45429 • (937) 298-3399 • KETTERINGHEALTH.ORG

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EMPLOYMENT ELEMENTARY AFTERCARE POSITION: Frederick Adventist Academy seeks an energetic and reliable aftercare individual who enjoys being around children, 11 to 15 hours per week, after school Monday through Friday. Qualifications: High school diploma or GED; experience working with children; willing to obtain training for first aid/CPR certification; and be a member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Hourly rate commensurate with experience.

Please submit résumé to faaschoolboard@gmail.com.

TEACHER’S AIDE POSITION: Frederick Adventist Academy seeks a friendly and reliable individual to assist a classroom teacher with instructional and clerical tasks, 15 to 20 hours per week, Monday through Friday mornings. Qualifications: High school diploma or GED; experience working with children; and be a member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Hourly rate commensurate with experience.

Please submit résumé to faaschoolboard@gmail.com.

UNION COLLEGE seeks committed Adventist candidate for tenure track faculty position in instrumental music, beginning June 2020. Responsibilities include overseeing instrumental program, directing instrumental groups, advising undergraduate music majors and teaching undergraduate courses and instrumental lessons. Master in Music required, doctoral degree preferred. Complete application at ucollege.edu/employment, upload cover letter and résumé/ CV and provide three references.

For further information, email Bruce Forbes, chair, Division of Fine Arts, bruce.forbes@ ucollege.edu.

SOUTHERN ADVENTIST UNIVERSITY seeks a full-time faculty member for the School of Computing. The ideal candidate will have an earned doctorate in computer science, information technology, information systems or a related area. Qualified candidate would teach graduate and undergraduate courses, develop course materials, advise students academically, serve on university committees and perform other duties expected of full-time faculty. For a full job description and desired qualifications, please visit: southern.edu/jobs.

ANDREWS UNIVERSITY SEEKS FACULTY – BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE. The successful candidate will champion the cross-cultural perspective of anthropology in the general education program of the university, in our graduate program in community and international development and to students and fellow faculty in a multidisciplinary department offering programs and courses in psychology, sociology, geography, criminal justice, emergency preparedness, anthropology and community & international development. Areas of instruction and advising will include general anthropology, development anthropology and research methods and community & international development. Candidates with Ph.D. in cultural anthropology (preferred) or a related field are especially encouraged to apply at andrews.edu/admres/jobs/ show/faculty#job_3.

MARYLAND ADVENTIST DENTIST, DAVID LEE, DDS, FAGD, AFAAID, FICOI, FAACP, has practices located in Silver Spring and Columbia, Md. He is extensively trained in implant, cosmetic, TMD/TMJ, sleep apnea treatment, sedation and laser dentistry. Dr. Lee is an Associate Fellow of the American Academy of Implant Dentistry, as well as having many other certifications.

For appointments, call (301) 649-5001 or (410) 461-6655.

Mention this ad and receive a 10 percent discount on all services, excluding third-party payers. We welcome new patients!

MOVE with an award-winning agency. Apex Moving & Storage partners with the General Conference to provide quality moves at a discounted rate.

Call us for your relocation needs. Adventist beliefs uncompromised. Call Marcy Danté at (800) 766-1902 for a free estimate. Visit us at apexmoving.com/adventist.

TENNESSEE/GEORGIA REALTOR: Specializing in buying or selling affordable homes in the Collegedale, Chattanooga, N. Georgia or surrounding areas.

Howard Karst, Realty Specialists

Farmable rolling hills, private, secluded and quiet; surrounded by forest and the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Large, spring-fed pond; sub-dividable land; perfect horse property.

4 BR, 3 BA, remodeled home with 3-story barn (new roof).

Second building site on property with all utilities.

Growing Adventist church and 8-grade school nearby.

Price: $559,999.00 Contact G. Ehlert (304) 822-7703 or (304) 279-3100

TRAVEL

MARYLAND ADVENTIST OPHTHALMOLOGIST, PAMELA D’SOUZA-DAVID, MD, is a board-certified eye surgeon with additional fellowship training in glaucoma. She offers routine eye exams, as well as cataract and glaucoma evaluations and surgery. Her office is located in Laurel, Md., and she is accepting new patients. Call (240) 917-2770 for appointments.

REAL ESTATE

FOR SALE: 84 ACRES IN WEST VIRGINIA W/HOUSE AND BARN

15 minutes from Route 522 between Winchester and Berkley Springs.

Close to shopping and Wal-Mart Store, hospital and medical facilities.

MARYLAND ADVENTIST PODIATRIST: Dr. Scott Nutter, highly trained, experienced and board certified, is available in several locations to help your foot/ankle problems, including arthritis, heel pain, spurs, diabetes, callouses, ingrown nails, sprains, fractures, warts, bunions, etc. Surgery, if needed, at Adventist hospitals. Offices in Laurel and Maple Lawn/Fulton.

Call (301) 317-6800.

TEACH SERVICES: Helping authors make their book a reality. Call (800) 367-1844 for your free manuscript evaluation. We publish all book formats and provide worldwide distribution. View new books at TEACHServices. com or ask your local ABC. View used Adventist books at LNFbooks.com.

of Ooltewah (423) 238-7325, is your best partner for experienced professional service.

Phone: (301) 332-8471, or email tsrak@msn.com.

MY FATHER’S HOUSE, a unique alternative to commercial accommodations in a private Adventist home, just three miles off Interstate 81, at New Market, Va. Nightly, weekend or weekly accommodations with vegetarian or vegan breakfasts included. For details, phone (301) 606-0236, or email sjoseph730@hotmail. com. This is not a commercial or Airbnb business.

MISCELLANEOUS 50TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION Triadelphia Adventist Church 12950 Brighton Dam Rd. Clarksville, MD 21029 April 11, 2020 Fifty years ago, members purchased the land where our church sits today.

All former members and friends are invited to celebrate with us God’s blessings through these years.

Visit our website for details: triadelphiachurch.com

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Bulletin Board BERKELEY SPRINGS CHURCH AND SCHOOL 50TH ANNIVERSARY HOMECOMING 3606 Valley Rd., Berkeley Springs, WV 25411 April 25, 2020 Calling all former pastors, teachers, members and students!

Guest speaker: Frank Bondurant Fellowship, potluck, pictures and memories.

years from 1940–2015. Light refreshments, vespers, church service and business meeting to discuss constitution. For more information, contact Alumni Affairs, (484) 662-7011 or kcollins@bma.us.

Jason Joy in

“YE OLDE” CEDAR LAKE ACADEMY REUNION to be held June 5–7 for alumni and schoolmates of 1970 and earlier at Great Lakes Adventist Academy (GLAA), Cedar Lake, Mich. Honor classes: 1940, 1950, 1960 and 1970. Details will be sent by mail. You may contact GLAA Alumni office at (989) 427-5181 or glaa.net.

For further details, contact: Jim Hoffer (304) 258-6184 or (706) 301-8897 kw8tjim@catt.com

ANNOUNCEMENTS BLUE MOUNTAIN ACADEMY (BMA) ALUMNI WEEKEND: BMA, Lake Ariel Academy and Philadelphia Academy alumni, friends and former faculty are invited on April 24–26. Honor classes include every five

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Sunset Calendar

Baltimore

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Parkersburg 6:23

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Philadelphia 5:58

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Pittsburgh 6:16 7:24 7:32 7:39 7:46 7:53 8:01 8:08 Reading

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Richmond 6:08 7:15 7:21 7:28 7:34 7:40 7:47 7:53 Roanoke 6:18 7:25 7:31 7:38 7:44 7:50 7:56 8:03 Toledo

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Trenton

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Wash., D.C.

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