News

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Story by Oakwood University Office of Marketing Communications and Media Production

The Board of Trustees of Oakwood University is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Gina Spivey-Brown, Ph.D., RN, MSA, FAAN, FNAP, FADLN, as the 12th president of Oakwood University. The announcement concludes a comprehensive and prayerful search process. Spivey-Brown will officially assume leadership on July 1, 2025, succeeding Dr. Leslie N. Pollard, who has led the institution for the past 15 years. 

Story by V. Michelle Bernard with reporting by Debra Anderson

Jacqueline Messenger, associate director for secondary education at the Columbia Union Conference, has announced her plans to retire this summer. At their meeting Thursday, the Columbia Union Conference Executive Committee voted to have Steve Laing, vice president for Education at the Potomac Conference, fill the role starting this summer.

A Pathfinder gets ready for the Columbia Union PBE to start

Story by V. Michelle Bernard

This past Sabbath, 76 Pathfinder Bible Experience (PBE) teams from across the Columbia Union Conference gathered at Takoma Academy in Takoma Park, Md., for Columbia Union’s PBE.

Before the testing portion of the event, Sherilyn O’Ffill, event coordinator, told the participants, “No matter what else happens today, you have already succeeded. You have spent at least two months studying two books, [Romans and 1 Corinthians], of the Bible.”

Thirty-four of these teams placed first and will continue to the North American Division event April 25–26 in Battle Creek, Mich.

Allegheny East Conference

Historia de Tamyra Horst

La iglesia Shalom Hispanic de la Pennsylvania Conference en Reading celebró el primer sábado del nuevo año de la mejor manera posible: con un bautismo.

Mientras estudiábamos sobre el bautismo en el pequeño grupo semanal de la familia Vázquez, una de las integrantes se sintió convencida para bautizarse. Sus dos hermanas siguieron su ejemplo y, en enero, Janel, Johanna y Juliani Sánchez (en la foto con pastor Elias Saud) se unieron oficialmente a la iglesia.

Global Youth Day 2025- A Community Transformed

“A Community Transformed” is the theme for this year’s Global Youth Day, March 15. To celebrate this event, the General Conference Youth Ministries Department is inviting youth, ages 4 to 30, to get active in their churches, schools and cities to share the three angels’ messages.

In past years, groups around the world have helped elderly community members with chores, held special prayer sessions, visited residents of nursing homes, distributed food and more.

We can’t wait to see your creative ideas and projects! Tag the Visitor on Instagram: @columbiaunionvisitor.

Members of the Williamsport Adventist church pass out Great Controversys

Story by Tamyra Horst

Pennsylvania Conference’s Williamsport church has distributed 6,000 copies of The Great Controversy in their community over the last two years.

The evangelistic initiative began when member Amy Fulmer heard General Conference President Ted N.C. Wilson challenge the Seventh-day Adventist Church to distribute the books in 2023 and 2024. “We took him seriously,” she shares. “What a blessing it has been!”