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A Heartfelt Thanks

Editorial by Donovan Ross

When I was in the classroom, one of my favorite verses for morning devotion was Proverbs 3:6–7: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths” (NJKV). These verses reminded us that when we trust in God, we will be blessed by His direction. I’m still comforted by that reminder, especially as our Columbia Union Conference schools contend with the COVID-19 pandemic and its consequences.

Elected Leaders Include New Faces on Well-Established Teams

Image by Joseph Kissinger . Adventist Review

Story by Marcos Paseggi / Adventist Review

Delegates to the 61st General Conference (GC) Session in St. Louis, Missouri, United States, voted to accept the recommendations of the Nominating Committee on dozens of church leaders on June 7, 2022. The names voted include several new faces in a team of well-established GC departments, as well as GC Treasury, GC Secretariat, and GC Auditing Services. Those new to their positions are briefly featured below, starting with GC Secretariat, followed by GC Treasury and GC Auditing Service, and concluding with departmental directors.

General Conference Delegates Approve Church Manual Amendment on Ordination of Elders

General Conference Session. Image by Tor Tjeransen Adventist Media Exchange

Story by Marcos Paseggi, Adventist Review

At the 2022 General Conference Session in St. Louis, Missouri, one of the amendments proposed for the Church Manual on the June 6 evening business session resulted in an extended discussion from the floor and required the delegates to take several related votes during the space of 75 minutes. General Conference (GC) associate secretary Gerson Santos introduced Church Manual item 409-22, which, he said, sought “to clarify some aspects of the church’s business meeting.”

Late Evening Discussion Points to Clarification on Ordination of Elders and Deaconesses

Image of delegates at the 2022 General Conference Session. Image by Tor Tjeransen Adventist Media Exchange

Story by Wilona Karimabadi / Adventist Review

Tuesday’s first late-evening General Conference business session addressed two items on the clarification of election and ordination for elders who are female and deaconesses. The discussion, which lasted almost until the close of the meeting, was filled with numerous questions and comments from assembled delegates, both in person and via Zoom videoconferencing.

Willingboro Church Hosts Veteran’s Luncheon

Willingboro member Terrina Williams, Pastor Bruce A. Banner, Congressman Andy Kim and member Beulah Williams attend the veteran’s luncheon.

Story by Benia Jennings

The mission at New Jersey Conference's Willingboro church is “[to serve] the community with love and compassion.” On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, they were able to do just that.

Southeast Church Spotlights Innovative Sabbath School

Reuel White.

Story by Cecily Bryant

Barry Brooks, Sabbath School superintendent of Allegheny West Conference's Southeast church in Cleveland, and his team represent success that grew out of adversity. The COVID-19 pandemic led this group to lean on Jesus and think outside of the box. Their combined efforts and dedication produced a creative and spiritually vibrant online Sabbath School.

The team consists of Brooks, his wife, Denise, their daughter, Brittni, and fellow church members Janviere Lavender, Elva Battle, Charity White and Reuel White. Whether their efforts involve planning, teaching or enhancing the online experience or hand-delivering Sabbath School lessons, other members say the result of their teamwork is excellence.