Shiloh Cincinnati Revamps Food Distribution Program

When members of the Shiloh (Ohio) Cincinnati church started their Adventist Outreach Ministries Community Service program in 1952, they wanted to address the immediate food and clothing needs of their community. Some 70 years later, that community service program has blossomed into a respected institution that is well-known in Avondale for its food pantry.

Under the leadership of former director Barbara Lungelow, the Shiloh pantry came into prominence as a staple in the Avondale community. Her 28-year tenure saw the cultivation of several partnerships with businesses in Hamilton County, including Trader Joe’s, The Kroger Company, Panera Bread, and the Freestore Foodbank. These continuing partnerships allow Shiloh’s food pantry to be stocked with enough inventory to feed thousands of individuals on a yearly basis.

Adventist Outreach Ministries Board

Jesse Connor: Board Chair

Richard Foster: Pantry Director

Isaac Johnson: Director of Operations

Harriet Martin-Grace: Head Clerk

Semue Chapman: Treasurer

Doug Jones: Operations Committee

Volunteers

Sally Barringer

Pat Campbell

Elaine Fannon

Joe Harrison

Paula Harrison

Eric Scott

Jackie Scott

Justine Scott

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Shiloh pantry removed the requirement of proving Avondale residency; individuals were simply able to drive or walk up to the pantry, state the amount of people in their households, and receive parcels of fresh produce, frozen foods, beverages and canned goods.

In 2023, the Shiloh pantry adopted the “Pantry Choice” model. This allows customers to “shop” just like they would at a local grocery store or supermarket; they select their own items instead of having boxes pre-packed for them. In addition to fresh produce, frozen meats, frozen foods and packaged/canned goods, the pantry also offers a variety of baby formula, vitamins, nutritional supplements, select over-the-counter medicines and household cleaning supplies.

Shiloh also has a schedule unlike other Cincinnati-area food pantry programs. On Mondays and Wednesdays on the second and third weeks of the month, clients can visit two times a week and up to four times a month from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

In addition to Shiloh church support, three other Cincinnati area churches also partner in this endeavor: Blessed Hope church; New St. Paul Baptist Church; and First Unitarian Church.

To learn more about this mission, visit shilohsda513.org/giving.

The Shiloh pantry offers fresh produce, frozen meats, frozen foods, packaged/canned goods and more, with enough inventory to feed thousands of individuals annually.

Conference Welcomes New Treasury Staff Member

Jack Manongi joined Allegheny West Conference (AWC) late last year as an assistant treasurer. He previously worked at the Lake Region Conference (Ill.) where he was employed as an auditor and Plant Fund accountant.

“I’ve always wanted to work for the church!” says Manongi. “My dad served as an accountant for the church for many years, and I believe his faithful service inspired me to want to do the same.”

Manongi believes that no job is complete until the paperwork is done. “Although I’m not directly involved in preaching or holding evangelistic series, which I also love to do, that’s not directly my calling. My calling is to financially support those who do that,” he says.

“Mr. Manongi has extensive experience, fulfilling roles in organizations as a former chief financial officer (CFO), financial advisor, tax accountant and business manager. We welcome him as the newest member of our team!” says Keisha Bone, CFO for AWC.

“My desire is to see the Lord return during my lifetime,” says Manongi. “This motivates me to prayerfully play my part in His service as He would have me do for His glory.”

The Allegheny West Conference welcomes Jack Manongi, along with his wife, Grace, and children, Nathaniel and Naelijwa, as a new assistant treasurer.

Ethan Temple To Celebrate 100 Years of Ministry

This year, the Ethan Temple church in Clayton, Ohio, is celebrating the gift of longevity—marking the 100th year in ministry to the Lord.

Church members are also celebrating their pastoral team: John and Caren Trusty, lead pastor and first lady; Daniel Golovenko, associate pastor; and Michael Boddie, II, chaplain. Members say their messages inspire, empower, encourage, uplift and impress hearers with the hope, help and healing the love of Christ brings to seeking souls.

Along with their brothers and sisters around the world, members also praise God for triumphs over adversity and divine strength to overcome losses during the global pandemic.

The church is also blessed that they can be a blessing to others by providing food, clothing and material assistance to families in their community. Just this past year, they served hundreds of neighbors.

“As Christians, we believe that God blesses us to bless others. This is true for us as individuals and as the body of Christ,” says Trusty.

Ethan Temple will commemorate its 100th milestone during its anniversary celebration, July 28–30, themed “100 Years Strong, and Almost Home!”

Determination and Resolve

“And if it seems evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Josh. 24:15, KJV).

As a German immigrant to Canada over a century ago, my paternal grandfather was determined to make a life for himself as a wheat farmer on the Interior Plains of Saskatchewan. It was not easy starting from scratch to establish a homestead and rear a family in a place where supplies were hard to come by and temperatures fluctuated, sometimes dramatically. Between the scorching, hot summers and bitterly cold, snowy winters, life was difficult, and it cost the life of his 14-year-old son. But over time, my grandfather’s faith in God and sheer determination to succeed were rewarded, as his crops flourished and his livestock thrived and multiplied.

A devout Lutheran like his father, and his father’s father, my grandfather was a student of the Bible, a man of simple faith. If the Bible said it, that was good enough for him. The test of his longstanding resolve to follow the teachings of Scripture came one day when a Seventh-day Adventist colporteur stopped at the farm while on his way to canvas the tiny town of Leader some 15 miles to the north. After an exchange of introductions and pleasantries, a discussion ensued that would last for the next two days. The topics varied, but all were from the Bible: the state of the dead, the seventh-day Sabbath, the second coming of Jesus, the three angels’ messages, the gift of prophecy, and the doctrine of healthful living and diet. All were thoroughly covered by the colporteur, verse by verse.

After hours of discussion and many questions answered from the Bible, my grandfather and grandmother accepted the newfound truth and decided to join the Seventh-day Adventist movement. Overjoyed and convinced of what they had learned, my grandfather dug a deep hole near the barn and ceremoniously deposited ham from their smokehouse, along with his pipe and tobacco.

From that day forward, my grandfather’s household would serve the Lord as Adventists and never look back. Nine of his surviving children and many of their children (including me) would become Adventists, all because of one man’s determination and resolve. The influence we have on others cannot be overestimated and often comes with profound, eternal consequences for many generations.

Youth Department Launches ‘The Peake’

In an effort to better engage with teenagers throughout the year, the Chesapeake Conference Youth Department has rebranded itself. Recently debuting a new name and logo, the department has taken on the moniker of “The Peake” and has also launched a new Instagram account.

As Kenia Reyes, the director of Youth and Young Adult Ministries for Chesapeake Conference, explains, this rebrand is part of the department’s broader mission to connect with young people more regularly, beyond the conference-level events. “If you want to get to them, it has to be through social media,” she notes.

The department chose the name “The Peake” to appeal specifically to the ministry’s younger demographic while still maintaining a connection to Chesapeake Conference. As Reyes described, the department wanted a name that was recognizably

Jerry Lutz President