CENTRAL STATES CONFERENCE
Courtesy Kory Douglas
Farewell from Kory Douglas
I
praise God for the Central States Conference who took a shot on me years ago. From the moment I set foot in the territory, I have been shown nothing but love.
Thank you to my administrators for allowing me to be me, for supporting my ideas and for giving me the mentorship that allowed me to grow. Thank you to my fellow pastors for the camaraderie, laughs and even difficult talks. Thank you to my youth and young adults for the great moments, for helping me grow and for forcing me to push the envelope each year. I believe there is nowhere in the Adventist Church like Central States—where we are truly family.
I also want to thank the Mid-America Union Conference for their support. Not only was I supported as a pastor, but also in my role as youth director. I want to especially thank Elder Gil Webb for the words of wisdom and Elder Roger Wade, who in a short time was a great resource and support for youth ministry. To all of my fellow youth directors, I will miss working with you, but I am confident you will do great things together. This is a bittersweet moment,
for Freeport, Grand Bahama, worshipers, many of whom our brothers and sisters on from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. survived the storm but had these islands. lost everything. It was incredClaval Hunter is pastor of TabIncredible miracles and ible to hear the miraculous of Praise Church in St. a long road ahead stories, the songs of rejoicing, ernacle Louis, Missouri, and director of the prayers of hope and the Adventist Community Services We traveled to the NBC and Disaster Response for Cenwords of life. tral States Conference. grounds where we helped at Before leaving the serthe Adventist Community vice that evening, the Services Center. At this center, Central States Conference hundreds of people from the Community Services If you would like to community came to receive hot Department was able to give financially support meals, water, clothes, food and the NBC president Eric D. cleaning supplies. For the next Clarke the check for $10,000. the Bahamas two days, we volunteered at a In the weeks afterward, the mission, visit www. disaster distribution center that conference received an addicentral-states.org, provided 144 churches with tional $2,500. click the online supplies to distribute daily to The residents of the giving tab and put the people in their community. Bahamas would like to thank your donations in We wanted to do more everyone who is praying for “Bahamas Disaster for the people, so we packed the recovery work, those who Relief.” over 200 boxes with food have donated supplies and and household products and those who have financially Cashapp option: delivered them to those living supported the relief efforts. The in a local community. That people living on the islands of $CSC3301 (state evening we led out in a prayer Abaco and Freeport still have that it is for the and worship service at the a long recovery road ahead. Bahamas Disaster Freeport Adventist Church. My prayer is we continue to Relief). The church was filled with do what we can to support
as my family loves and will miss our CSC and MAUC family. But we look forward to seeing what God has in store for us moving forward. Continue to pray for us as we continue to pray for you. God Bless. Kory Douglas is former youth director for the Central States Conference. He is transitioning to serve at Oakwood University as senior associate chaplain.
Thank you! A big thank you to the following for making the mission to the Bahamas possible: • Central States Conference • Mid-America Union Church Ministries department for the funding • Southeastern Conference Youth and Young Adult department for their funding and allowing Central States Conference to be a part of this amazing mission • Central States Conference members, pastors and administration for raising $12,500 for the Bahamas
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JAN 2020 13
