Editorials

Editorial by Jacqueline Messenger

We are blessed to have a dedicated team of principals across the Columbia Union Conference, and they deserve our gratitude for their commitment and sacrifice.

Serving as a school principal is a tough job. It doesn’t matter what type of school it is, what classes are offered or how many students are enrolled. While attempting to provide a quality education, principals typically spend countless hours at school each day and even more hours on school committees at night; juggle the many needs, issues and requests that arise daily; and attempt to keep the students under their watch safe and happy.

Editorial by Mark Brown

After 37 years of service in the federal government, conventional wisdom said to remain for three more years to maximize my retirement income. But there was a call, a yearning for something more. To what, I was not sure, but the desire to answer was greater than my desire for greater retirement security.

So I retired, made myself available to God, and my life has not been the same since. While my response to Him has not been perfect—sometimes halting and even resistant—God took what I brought to Him, and, over the last five years, has given me incredible experiences.

Editorial by Jorge Aquero

In the context of the Great Commission given by Jesus in Matthew 28:16–20, there are very specific details of why the disciples of Jesus must now be connected to His mission. According to the biblical passage, the following points stand out:

1. Jesus’ disciples obey and go to where the Lord commands them—Galilee (Matt. 28:16). Today’s disciples must also obey and go to the mission fields where God indicates.

Editorial by Ann Reynolds

Most of us have read the book of Genesis and the story of creation many times, but have you ever “read between the lines”? Have you taken the time to pause after each verse to contemplate the magnitude of what our Creator did for us and how He did it? He spoke, and it was created—incredible!

God’s voice is heard in His creation. The first book He gave us was on nature.

Ellen White writes, “We need no fanciful teaching regarding the personality of God. What God desires us to know of Him is revealed in His word and His works. The beautiful things of nature reveal His character and His power as Creator” (Life Sketches of Ellen G. White, p. 94).

Editorial by Frank Bondurant

First Chronicles 12:32 mentions the tribe of Issachar who “understood the times and knew what Israel should do” (NIV). We need Issacharian pastors today who understand the trends and changes in our culture, and who will reach out to and engage people for Christ in relevant ways. Evangelism isn’t a set of skills you learn once and then are universally and always applicable. Evangelism isn’t static because people aren’t static. Our culture and communities aren’t static. They are constantly changing.