Recorder PA C I F I C U N IO N
FEBRUARY 2024
“In Christ’s family there can be no division into Jew and non-Jew, slave and free, male and female. Among us you are all equal. That is, we are all in a common relationship with Jesus Christ.” Galatians 3:28, The Message
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We must never forget that Christ died for all.… All may alike be
What’s inside 4 The Power of Memory
the recipients of his grace. The apostle Paul declares, “The preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is
8 P.G. Rodgers: Builder of Black Adventism 14 Adventist Pioneers in the West: Beginnings: Black Ministries 18 Fundamental Belief Number 1: The Holy Scriptures
the power of God. For it
21 Finding My Purpose
is written, I will destroy
24 Newsdesk
the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the
30 Arizona Conference
understanding of the prudent.…” It is the duty of every
32 Central California Conference
soul who names the name of Christ to contend for the faith once delivered to the saints. My brethren, yoke
34 Hawaii Conference
up with Christ. He left the royal courts and clothed
36 Holbrook Indian School
his divinity with humanity, that he might make all
38 Adventist Health
humanity partakers of the divine nature, and enable
39 La Sierra University
them to escape the corruption that is in the world.
40 Loma Linda University Health
—Ellen G. White, “An Appeal,”
41 Pacific Union College
Review and Herald, Sept. 26, 1907, pp. 8-9.
42 Nevada-Utah Conference 44 Northern California Conference 46 Southeastern California Conference 48 Southern California Conference 50 Community & Marketplace
Recorder
54 Sunset Calendars
PA C I F I C U N I O N
The Recorder is a monthly publication reaching approximately 76,000 Seventh-day Adventist homes in Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, and Utah. Our mission is to inform, educate, and inspire our readers to action in all areas of ministry.
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Editorial Correspondents
Postal Regs: The Pacific Union Recorder (ISSN 0744-6381), Volume 124, Number 2, is the official journal of the Pacific Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists and is published monthly. Editorial office is at 2686 Townsgate Rd., Westlake Village, CA 91361: 805-497-9457. Periodical postage paid at Thousand Oaks, CA, and additional mailing offices. Subscription rate: No charge to Pacific Union Adventist church members; $16 per year in U.S.; $20 foreign (U.S. funds); single copy, $2. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Circulation Department, Pacific Union Recorder, Box 5005, Westlake Village, CA 91359. Info@adventistfaith.com.
February 2024 3
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4 Pacific Union Recorder
The Power
of Memory By Bradford C. Newton
T
“
hose who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” Ironically, most of us either do not know or forgot who said this. (It was the philosopher George Santayana in his book The Life of Reason. Thank you,
Google!) The importance of memory shows itself in many settings of life. “Remember where you came from!” spoken as a caution to people rising from humble beginnings. “Remember how we practiced it!” shouted by coaches before the make-or-break play at the end of the game. “Please help me remember everything I studied!” prayed by students just before the final exam. The power of memory is so important that we go to great lengths to preserve it. Some take supplements, while others play word games. As with so many other categories of wellbeing, regular exercise and a good diet positively contribute to supporting memory. Yet, the loss of memory and cognitive function from Alzheimer’s disease and dementia tragically affects over 6.7 million people today.1 With an aging population, these numbers will certainly grow. Not surprisingly, the Scriptures speak to us about remembering and the power of memory to impact how to face the future and live with challenges and trials today. In the New King James Version of the Bible, the word translated as “remember” occurs 230 times. From this large selection, Seventh-day Adventists readily recall the fourth commandment, which admonishes, “Remember the
February 2024 5
Sabbath day, to keep it holy” (Exodus 20:8).2 These 230 verses create a spiritual kaleidoscope of teaching as we hold them up to the light of daily life. The good news contained in the biblical kaleidoscope of remembering is that God sees us for who we really
It's the second point of these remembered stories in Judges that gives me hope. Unlike the gods of Canaan, Yahweh of Israel doesn’t give up on them.
are and offers grace and help. Some of the remember passages fall into the warning category. Recently, I’ve been studying the book of Judges. The writer sets the theme of the whole book in Judges 2:10: “When all [Joshua’s] generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation arose after them who did not know the Lord nor the work which He had done for Israel.” Later, verse 3:7 flatly declares, “They forgot the Lord their God.” This book forms an extended sermon with at least two important messages. The first is that nothing good happens when Israel abandons God and serves idols. Oppression, moral decline, and general unhappiness are repeated throughout the book. After each story cycle of oppressor and judge (deliverer), we exclaim, “I don’t want to be like Israel!” It's the second point of these remembered stories in Judges that gives me hope. Unlike the gods of Canaan, Yahweh of Israel doesn’t give up on them. He remembers His covenant even when His people repeatedly and brazenly break it. In Judges 2:18, we read how this God of grace works amidst evil times, “The Lord raised up judges [deliverers] for them…for the Lord was moved to pity by their groaning because of those who oppressed them and
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harassed them.” The biblical kaleidoscope of remembering also gives us positive examples of how God’s ideal can work. It reminds me of the very first time our young family went out to eat at a nice restaurant. “This is a nice place, so we need to act politely.” I was so proud of my wife and two young children as we sat at a table with a tablecloth, cloth napkins, and a waiter who poured the water into goblets. We ordered, prayed as our food arrived, placed our napkins in our laps, and enjoyed the food together. Were we
6 Pacific Union Recorder
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How can we enhance the power of our memory as followers of Jesus in 2024? We can start with the Scriptures themselves.
perfect? Hardly! But it was a great start, and I will
Bible as a whole and not merely a few topical verses
always remember that meal.
scattered here and there, you’ll see the pattern
Many of the positive aspects of the remembering
emerge of God’s love, grace, and understanding of
kaleidoscope center on passing along the picture of
us. The truth of 2 Timothy 3:16-17 will prove true for
a loving God to the next generation. Both the Old
you: “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and
and New Testament give guidance. Moses called
is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction,
upon the parents of Israel in Deuteronomy 11:19-
for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God
20: “You shall teach them to your children, speaking
may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every
of them when you sit in your house, when you walk
good work.”
by the way, when you lie down and when you rise
In 2024 you can also keep a journal of God’s
up…that your days and the days of your children
grace in your life. Keep a log of the ways you’ve seen
may be multiplied in the land.” In 2 Timothy, Paul
God answer prayer, show His presence in your daily
commends to us the intergenerational faith that
life, and intervene as you’ve called upon Him. This
came through Timothy’s grandmother and mother,
will become your own kaleidoscope of memory that
“I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in
will encourage you during those times when God
you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and
may seem further away.
your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you
As we join together to cultivate the power of
also.… And that from childhood you have known the
memory, it is my prayer for us to find the first and
Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for
last lines of Psalm 111 to be true— “I will praise
salvation through faith” (2 Timothy 1:5, 3:15).
the Lord with my whole heart.… His praise endures
How can we enhance the power of our memory
forever.”
as followers of Jesus in 2024? We can start with the
_____________________________
Scriptures themselves. It’s not too late to take up
Bradford C. Newton is the president of the
the challenge of reading the Bible through this year.
Pacific Union Conference.
Many reading guides and Bibles are designed to help you accomplish this great goal. As you read the
1. Alzheimer’s Association, “2023 Special Report,” https://www.alz.org/ media/documents/alzheimers-facts-and-figures.pdf. 2. All Scripture quotations are from the New King James Version.
February 2024 7
P.G. Rodgers:
Rodgers in front row with Black delegates and guests at the 1926 General Conference Session, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
D
r. H. Claude Hudson, president of the Los Angeles chapter of the NAACP, and Charlotta A. Bass, publisher of the California Eagle, Southern California’s leading Black newspaper, were among the guest speakers at Wadsworth Seventh-day Adventist Church in Los Angeles on Jan. 7, 1931. They were there both to celebrate
the 25th wedding anniversary of the church’s pastor, P.G. Rodgers, and his wife, Alverta Durham Rodgers, and “to congratulate the church on the rapid strides it has made under the leadership of Elder Rodgers.”1 The presence of these community leaders, reported on the front page of the Eagle, is one marker of the impact made by Rodgers’ ministry. In Los Angeles, and before that in Baltimore and Washington, D.C., Peter Gustavus Rodgers (1885-1961) proved to be one of Adventism’s
8 Pacific Union Recorder
Builder of Black Adventism most effective spokespersons in America’s Black
was the beginning of a pattern.
urban communities during the first four decades of
At the Ephesus church in Washington, D.C.,
the 20th century. He was likewise a leading voice in
Rodgers’ next assignment, he again placed a high
the struggle for Black equality within the church.
priority on the quality of the house of worship as
Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Aug.
foundational to evangelism. After a major renovation
10, 1885, Gustavus Rodgers was the sole convert
completed in 1919, Rodgers claimed that the
resulting from evangelistic meetings conducted by
Ephesus structure now ranked “among the most
Fred H. Seeney in Wilmington, Delaware, in 1908.
modern and beautiful of our houses of worship.”5
Gustavus and Alverta, married in 1906, both had
At the outset of his ministry in Washington, D.C.,
roots in the Delaware-based people of ambiguous
Rodgers used a special lecture he had originated
racial heritage known as the Moors.2 The couple’s
in Baltimore to show that he and the movement he
light complexions sometimes confused people.
represented
When, for example, they arrived in Los Angeles
had something
in 1923, their congregants reacted with surprise,
of importance
thinking that the conference had sent a White
to say about
man to be their minister.3 Yet there was nothing
the dilemmas
ambiguous about their identity as Black or about
specific to the
their dedication to racial advancement.
African American
A carpenter by training, Rodgers quickly
experience. He
demonstrated exceptional gifts for ministry and was
spoke on “The
hired by the Chesapeake Conference in 1910 and
Black Man as
assigned to Baltimore in late 1911. He arrived to a
God Sees Him,
congregation of 11, their building “in a half-wrecked
or the Inspired
condition.” When his pastorate at Baltimore Third
History of
church (later named Berea Temple) concluded six
the Negro” at
years later, the membership had grown from 11
Black America’s
to 300, a church building had been acquired and
leading cultural
renovated with over 75% of the mortgage paid, and
and intellectual
a thriving church school had been established.4 It
forum, the February 2024 9
36th Street church in Los Angeles. Organized in 1908 with the name Furlong Tract, it was the first Black Adventist church on the West Coast. Several of the young people who came of age in this fellowship would make notable contributions in both church and society. These included evangelist and church leader Owen A. Troy, pioneering public health advocate Ruth J. Temple, and educator and author Arna Bontemps, prominent in the Harlem Renaissance. When the congregation moved to a new building on East 36th Street in Bethel Literary and Historical Society, on Nov. 26,
1922, it had a relatively strong membership of
1918. W.E.B. Du Bois and A. Philip Randolph were
99. But that was about the same as it had been a
among the other lecturers during the society’s 1918-
decade before. Adventism still was barely touching
1919 season.
the booming Black population of Los Angeles.
Such presentations helped stir interest in Rodgers’
In the summer of 1924, Rodgers set up the
expositions on the Bible delivered at the “Big Gospel
1,000-seat Big Gospel Tent on Central Avenue in
Tent” on Sherman Avenue during the summers
the heart of the Black community for three months
of 1918, 1919, and 1920. Rodgers baptized more
of evangelistic meetings. This would become an
than 200 new believers while at Ephesus, including
annual, summer-long happening for most of the
three noteworthy individuals, all baptized on Dec.
next 15 years. The 1924 campaign drew near-
5, 1920: Willie Anna Dodson, on her way to a
capacity crowds on Sunday nights and 400 to 600
pathbreaking career as a public school administrator;
on weeknights, including sizable contingents of
her husband, Joseph T. Dodson, an entrepreneur
White people. The church membership doubled to
with an intellectual bent; and Eva Beatrice Dykes,
200 as a result, making it clear already that a larger
about to become the first African American female
church building would be necessary.7
to complete Ph.D. requirements. All three would
The California Eagle described the new 800-seat
become part of the lay committee that spearheaded
church, completed in the summer of 1927 on the
denomination-wide change in race relations during
corner of 35th Street and Wadsworth Avenue, as “one
the 1940s, a story told in the book Change Agents,
of the finest churches in the city.” With music also
published by Oak & Acorn in 2020.
a top priority, a “beautiful alcove” behind the pulpit
6
In 1923, Rodgers was called to pastor the East
10 Pacific Union Recorder
accommodated a Moller pipe organ along with the
church’s large choir that, according to the Eagle, was “known far and wide in the city for the artistic nature of its work.”8 Rodgers, along with other church members, joined in the construction work to help keep costs down. Less than two years later, on March 2, 1929, the 300-member church held a “noteburning service” to celebrate final payment on the debt. Rodgers honed his method of drawing crowds with “thrilling sermons” that framed Adventism’s end-time warning message in issues of current public interest. In July 1936, for example, with European dictators stirring widespread anxieties about another world war and Italian aggression in Ethiopia arousing particular concern among African Americans, a large headline in the California Eagle announced, “Elder Rogers to Discuss Ethiopian Situation.” That discussion apparently was to be part of a broader presentation under the title announced for the July 28 meeting, “Can Just Four Angels Hold in Check the Hatred of the Nations?” Rodgers now made heavy use of slides, and for this topic he promised that close to “four score marvelous and beautiful pictures will be thrown on the big screen.”9 Rodgers’ ministry was not restricted to the Black
February 2024 11
community. He served on the Southern California
could imagine for such a “regrettable action” was
Conference Executive Committee from 1927-1937
that “the spirit of a doomed world is getting into
and was frequently a featured speaker at camp
the hearts of the leaders of Israel.” Rodgers urged
meetings and other conference-wide gatherings.
a change so that nothing would be done to cause
He also lent his preaching and the music of his
Black Adventists “to wonder if the entire set-up of
renowned choir, for which he selected the name
pretended interest in them is not one grand colossal
Jubilee Singers, in support of the efforts of leading
mockery.”10
White evangelists, such as H.M.S. Richards Sr. and Philip Knox. As he had been in Baltimore and in Washington,
Rodgers’ outspokenness on racial matters apparently made some church leaders feel uneasy about his loyalty to denominational organization.
D.C., Rodgers was a relentless and passionate
In fact, his very success as a pastor-evangelist
activist for equal opportunity in Christian education
made him suspect in an era when three of his
in Southern California. Though delayed by the
contemporaries who were likewise effective
Great Depression, a major advance took place in
became alienated from the denomination over
1936 when the Wadsworth School opened with
racial issues: Lewis C. Sheafe (1916), John W.
68 students in eight grades. Two years later, it had
Manns (1916), and James K. Humphrey (1930). As
become a junior academy with an enrollment of 112.
one General Conference administrator put it, the
In 1938, restrictions on placement opportunities
basic concern about Rodgers was that “he was a
for Black interns by the College of Medical
man who has drawn very strongly to himself.”11
Evangelists (CME) in nearby Loma Linda drew
In other words, he was perceived as exerting
vigorous protest from Rodgers. The preacher
too much personal influence over his large
thought he had mediated a solution that satisfied
congregation.
both the NAACP and the General Conference
In 1940, his pastorate in Los Angeles having
administration, but he was outraged when the CME
extended to an unheard-of length of 17 years,
board voted a change to the wording of the policy
the pressure grew on Rodgers to accept a call
in a way that, he contended, changed nothing in
elsewhere. He resisted doing so in part because
actuality. He warned that the NAACP would not let
his wife, Alverta, suffered from a respiratory
the matter go and declared that the only reason he
condition that the Southern California climate
12 Pacific Union Recorder
made more tolerable. Additionally, the 55-yearold preacher was beginning to show signs of serious health difficulties of his own. In the end, it seemed that the best solution was for Rodgers to accept a leave from full-time ministry due to disability. Alverta’s health worsened in 1941 due to “heart trouble,” and she died on June 16, 1942. Though her role went almost completely unmentioned in public reports, she had been an active and indispensable
Adapted by permission from the Encyclopedia of
partner in her husband’s ministry from the
Seventh-day Adventists, encyclopedia.adventist.org.
beginning more than 30 years before.
For full documentation and a more detailed treatment
P.G. Rodgers never returned to full-time ministry,
of Rodgers’ career, see “Rodgers, Peter Gustavus (1885–
though he did preach occasionally until 1959, when
1961),” Encyclopedia of Seventh-day Adventists,
he put up for sale his collection of “3,000 color
https://bit.ly/47de92v.
stereopticon slides,” along with a “Bausch and Lomb dissolving lens machine” that he had used in leading 1,008 individuals to baptism during his time in California.12 Despite his persistent agitation against racial injustice in the church and the disappointment surrounding his early retirement, Rodgers testified in 1960, “I have loved every phase of the Message during these years and have never doubted one line of it.”13 He died in La Mesa, California, on Sept. 24, 1961, at age 76. P. Gustavus Rodgers was both a powerful evangelist and a personable congregation-builder, a visionary promoter and a pragmatic leader skilled in bringing dreams to reality, unreserved in his dedication to the mission of the church and unrelenting in urging it toward a more Christ-like pattern of race relations. _____________________________
1. “Seventh Day Adventist Church Fetes Pastor and Wife on the Occasion of the Couple’s Silver Wedding Anniversary,” California Eagle, Jan. 9, 1931. 2. C.A. Weslager, Delaware’s Forgotten Folk: The Story of the Moors and the Nanticokes (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1943). 3. Louis B. Reynolds, We Have Tomorrow: The Story of American Seventh-day Adventists with an African Heritage (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Pub. Assn., 1984), p. 177. 4. Gustavus P. Rodgers, “The Work Among the Colored People in the Chesapeake Conference,” Review and Herald, Feb. 21, 1918, p. 17. 5. Gustavus P. Rodgers, “Work for Colored Believers in Washington, D.C.,” Review and Herald, July 17, 1919, p. 24. 6. Douglas Morgan, Change Agents: The Lay Movement that Challenged the System and Turned Adventism Toward Racial Justice (Westlake Village, CA: Oak & Acorn Publishing, 2020). 7. Mrs. A.H. Baker, “East Thirty-Sixth Street Church,” Pacific Union Recorder, Sept. 11, 1924, p. 3. 8. “Seventh Day Adventist Church Fetes Pastor and Wife,” pp. 1, 3. 9. “Elder Rogers to Discuss Ethiopian Situation,” California Eagle, July 18, 1936, p. 10. 10. P.G. Rodgers to W.E. Nelson, Jan. 6, 1939, General Conference Archives, RG 11, Box 3957. 11. H.T. Elliott to W.G. Turner, June 9, 1040, GCA, Sustentation Files, RG 33, Box 9774, P. Gustavus Rodgers. 12. Advertisements, Pacific Union Recorder, July 27, 1959, p. 14. 13. P.G. Rodgers to R.H. Adair, Feb. 5, 1960, P. Gustavus Rodgers Sustentation File, GCA.
February 2024 13
Adventist
Beginnings: A significant “first” While much of the early work among African Americans was obviously conducted in the South, the West can lay claim to some significant events. When J.N. Loughborough was invited to hold meetings in Reno, Nevada, he could not have foreseen that he would have a role in changing the life of Charles M. Kinny, sometimes referred to as the father of Black Adventism. Kinny was baptized in Reno in 1878. He had been born a slave in Richmond, Virginia, in 1855. He had gradually worked his way west, ending up in Reno. There he attended Loughborough’s evangelistic series and also heard Ellen G. White when she preached there. She wrote about the event: “We had an appointment to speak Tuesday evening in the tent in which Elder Loughborough was giving a course of lectures. I spoke with freedom to about four hundred attentive hearers, on the words of John: ‘Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God’” (Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church, vol. 4, p. 296). Charles M. Kinny
The Lord has given us light concerning all such matters. There are principles laid down in His Word that should guide us in dealing with these perplexing questions.
14 Pacific Union Recorder
Pioneers in the West By the Recorder editorial staff
Black Ministries One of those 400 “attentive hearers” was Kinny.
line.” It has been a question to some how far
He became convinced of the truth and was baptized.
to concede to the prevailing prejudice against
Kinny was then sponsored by the Reno church to
the colored people. The Lord has given us
study at Healdsburg College (now Pacific Union
light concerning all such matters. There are
College), and he became the first African American
principles laid down in His Word that should
pastor to be ordained in the Adventist church. He
guide us in dealing with these perplexing
worked initially in Kansas and then throughout the
questions. The Lord Jesus came to our world
South, with great success.
to save men and women of all nationalities. He died just as much for the colored people
Ellen White’s commitment
as for the white race. Jesus came to shed
In 1891 Ellen White delivered a historic
light over the whole world. At the beginning
presentation entitled “Our Duty to the Colored
of His ministry He declared His mission: “The
People.” In this speech to 30 church leaders at the
spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath
General Conference session, she laid out both a
anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor;
clear Biblical foundation and practice for the work
he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted,
among African Americans. The speech begins:
to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at
There has been much perplexity as to how our
liberty them that are bruised, to preach the
laborers in the south shall deal with the “color
acceptable year of the Lord” (Ellen G. White, The Southern Work, p. 9).
that led her son James Edson White to work in the South, aboard the Morning Star steamboat.
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It was this conviction
February 2024 15
In 1923 P.G. Rodgers came to Los Angeles to take over the work started by Jennie Ireland. He began a significant ministry that involved pitching a tent on Central Avenue and holding a threemonth series throughout the summer. (See story on pp. 8-13.) His ministry produced good results and the membership outgrew their Furlong church, necessitating a move to larger premises. A founding member of the Furlong church was Ruth Temple, who moved to Los Angeles in 1902. Temple started studying at the College of Medical Evangelists (later Loma Linda University) in 1913. She was the first African American to graduate from the institution when she received her M.D. in 1918. She then began an internship in 1921 at the Los Angeles City Health Department, specializing in obstetrics and gynecology. In 1928 she and her husband, Otis Banks, turned their home into a free Jennie Ireland, c. 1958. From Review and Herald, April 17, 1958.
First Black church in Los Angeles This recognition of the importance of such work led to many churches being organized, including the first African American congregation in the West. The
health clinic, serving the underprivileged in the area since there were no other clinics at that time. In 1948 Ruth was appointed director of the Division of Public Health for Los Angeles City, and she worked there in various capacities until her retirement. In the post-war years, when regional conferences were being developed elsewhere in the U.S.,
Furlong Track church organized in Los Angeles in 1908 with an initial membership of 23. This was the result of the work of Jennie Ireland, a nurse who had graduated from Battle Creek Sanitarium. She began doing medical missionary work among the African American population in Los Angeles. The first African American full-time employee was Amy Temple, a Bible instructor. Continuing evangelism In 1922 Owen Troy followed Jennie Ireland’s example of setting up clinics and arranging health and cooking classes and first-aid demonstrations. Coupled with in-depth Bible studies, Troy was an effective evangelist. He was also instrumental in establishing the Sweet Chariot Hour radio broadcast from Pasadena, California, in 1939.
16 Pacific Union Recorder
Ruth Janetta Temple from Negro Trail Blazers of California, 1919.
Owen Troy
Dr. Temple administers vaccine. Looking on is Dr. Owen A. Troy (left), president of the Community Health Association. Photo courtesy of Dr. Carmelita Troy.
as Louis B. Reynolds writes, “The Pacific Union Conference and the local conferences that it comprises have exhibited a certain awareness of social change in the sixties and seventies and put forth some effort to keep pace. In 1945 and beyond, when regional conferences became a reality in the East and Midwest, the approximately 1,500 blacks and the sixteen conference workers who made up the regional department's constituency of Pacific Union Conference felt that the two major groups could work well together and that a certain posture of integration would take hold in the West.”1 _____________________________ 1. Louis B. Reynolds, We Have Tomorrow: The Story of American Seventh-day Adventists With an African Heritage (Washington, DC: Review and Herald Pub. Assn., 1984), p. 186.
February 2024 17
Fundamental Belief Number 1:
The Holy Scriptures
By Alberto Valenzuela
W
hen I became an Adventist, I had for the first time the opportunity to read the Bible. I have been an avid reader since I learned how to read. By the time I was 15 I had
read all sorts of books, from biographies to epic poetry by Homer and Ovid to Don Quixote and Faust, as well as Hermann Hesse, Victor Hugo, Edgar Allan Poe, Robert Louis Stevenson—along with Gabriel García Marquez, Mario Vargas Llosa, Juan Rulfo, etc. So I started reading from Genesis— including the “begats”—to Revelation. Chapter by chapter, book by book. In two weeks, I had read it.
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18 Pacific Union Recorder
To be honest, I couldn’t help but compare what I had previously read with this (for me) “new” book. And then, at church, we sang “Give Me the Bible,” but how many in the congregation had actually read it? I learned that Adventists called themselves “the people of the book,” but was that true then and is it true today? These words of Jesus resonate in my mind: “You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me” (John 5:39, NKJV). It has always made me wonder if it’s really possible to be immersed in Bible study and yet miss Jesus, the central Person in its pages. Apparently so! Early Adventist writer W.W. Prescott makes our position clear: “Christ is the center of all Scripture, as he is the center of all God’s purposes and counsels.”1 So we need to make sure that our Fundamentals center on Jesus too. Not only this, we need to ensure that we base our beliefs on the Bible and the Bible alone. The Bible is our only creed. Nothing else is to be added in.2 That said, we should consider the question, “What is the Bible for?” Yes, the Bible is inspired by God (2 Timothy 3:16). Yes, as the official statement declares, the Scriptures “are the supreme, authoritative, and the infallible revelation of His will.” Yes, they “are the standard of character, the test of experience, the definitive revealer of doctrines, and the trustworthy record of God’s acts in history.”3 But the question we need to ask ourselves is, “How do the Scriptures relate to me?” I can look up all the texts that validate the Bible as the Word of God, but if it doesn’t impact me and my life, it has little meaning and purpose for me. I may give lip service to the Bible, but Jesus is looking for more than verbal assent. He wants the Bible to talk to me, and for me to respond.
February 2024 19
So how we read the Bible is vitally important.
clear that Jesus is the one who reveals God to us.
We should be looking for what God is trying to
Take a look at the way Jesus used Scripture as
communicate to us—asking, “What does this
the Word of God. He quoted the Old Testament
passage tell me about God? How does this incident
more than 20 times as recorded in the Gospels; in
fit into the wider context of the great controversy
addition, He referred to 17 Old Testament events.
over God and His character? What difference does
When I read the Bible as a teenager, I found it
it make in my life? How can I best respond to God
fascinating with its stories, commands, and details.
after reading His Word to me? How do I apply it
But, sadly, for me it was just information. It was only
today, here and now?”
literature. It took some time for the Bible to speak
Sometimes this can be quite difficult! When you’re
to me. Reading the Bible informed me, yes. But it
struggling through the book of Judges, it’s hard to
didn’t affect the way I lived my life. What was missing
see God’s character of love shining through. But this
was allowing the words on the page to talk to me.
is what happens when “all the people did whatever
To make it part of me. To make it essential and to
seemed right in their own eyes” (Judges 21:25, NLT).
model my life on its principles.
This book tells us what happens when people don’t
The Bible is essential to us not because it
want to know God or follow Him. There’s plenty of
presents beautiful poems like Psalm 23 or heart-
examples in the Bible of this—think of the end of
wrenching details about the last days of Jesus but
King Saul, Jephthah and his daughter, the Levite
because it tells us about the true character of God
and his concubine, Ananias and Sapphira. There are
and how He came to save us. Without the Bible we
plenty of warnings as well as good advice.
would have a very poor, dim view of God, like looking
If you’re sharing your conviction that the Bible
through a foggy glass. But as we open the Bible, we
is the foundation of belief with someone who is
come face to face with God. Why read the Bible?
unacquainted with it, then you would want to direct
Because this is the only way to experience the God
them first to the words and actions of Jesus in the
of love as He truly is—and love Him in return.
Gospels, particularly the Gospel of John. The whole
_____________________________
of the Bible needs to be seen through the lens of
Alberto Valenzuela is associate director of
Jesus, who came to reveal God to us (John 1:18; John
communication and community engagement of the
14:9; Matthew 11:27). Jesus says of Himself, “I was
Pacific Union Conference and the Recorder editor.
born and came into the world to testify to the truth. All who love the truth recognize that what I say is true” (John 18:37, NLT). What is this truth? The truth about God: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me” (John 14:6, NLT). So the New Testament makes it
1. W.W. Prescott, The Doctrine of Christ (Washington, DC: Review and Herald Pub. Assn., 1919), p.13. 2. Ellen White writes, “But God will have a people upon the earth to maintain the Bible, and the Bible only, as the standard of all doctrines and the basis of all reforms” (The Great Controversy, p. 595). “The Bible, and the Bible alone, is to be our creed, the sole bond of union.… Let us lift up the banner on which is inscribed, ‘The Bible our rule of faith and discipline’” (Selected Messages, book 1, p. 416). 3. https://www.adventist.org/beliefs/.
If you’re sharing your conviction that the Bible is the foundation of belief with someone who is unacquainted with it, then you would want to direct them first to the words and actions of Jesus in the Gospels, particularly the Gospel of John. 20 Pacific Union Recorder
Finding My Purpose By Donna Wyman
H
e was 14 and I was 12 when our relationship began—too young for “serious stuff,” my parents said. But as the years rolled along, through academy
and college, the “serious stuff” developed. We married young—my parents finally approved— and we spent the next 60 years as partners in active ministry: evangelism, pastoral ministry, and administration. He retired at 81, and we felt it had been a “good run,” with challenges and accomplishments. The first few retirement years were well spent, and we were contented. We biked and walked and managed to complete 12 full marathons. Content and tired! Then, a visitor named Alzheimer’s knocked on our door, and for the next few years I loved him, cared for him, and sat by his side daily. And so it was we said
February 2024 21
“goodbye for now” at the end of 72 years of a fulfilling marriage packed with blessings and “serious stuff.” Soon decisions were made, and I landed in an Assisted Living facility. It is beautiful and serves me well. There were many others
You finally feel a stirring in your heart to find something that brings vitality back into your life. Again, this is a choice! You are ready when you are ready.
all around me, but I felt empty. An important half of me was gone, leaving a frayed hole in my heart. I am a Certified Bereavement Facilitator and know the steps of the grief journey—and I took most of them. Time passed and I began to feel self-absorbed—a natural response when you have been thinking and dealing with your grief and not much else. Eventually I felt the need to begin to attend to that hole in my heart by cultivating some meaning and purpose. About this time, I came across Viktor Frankl’s book, Man’s Search for Meaning, and it changed me. I highly recommend the book. It is based on his life as a three-year prisoner in Auschwitz and the life challenges he faced upon his release. How would you find meaning and purpose in life after enduring such a horrific experience? For starters, you make a choice. A critical choice. Do you sit in your chair and watch Roku most of the day? I tried that. Or do you finally realize this is getting you nowhere. You finally feel a stirring
22 Pacific Union Recorder
in your heart to find something that brings vitality
kindness in a special way. That prayer has been
back into your life. Again, this is a choice! You are
answered many days.
ready when you are ready. Joan Chittister, in her
For my remaining years, I have purposed to live
book, There Is a Season, states, “Once the tears have
a healthier lifestyle. I have always eaten well, albeit
been shed that mark the loss, then the changes can
too well! It is fun now to choose foods that I know
be made that mark the new beginning.”
are very good for me and to discard the others. I
1
You say to yourself, “Until now, I did that, and
have never eaten so many blueberries in my life!
now I’m going to do something else.” So, what will
This has brought meaning to my life, and I enjoy
become your purpose and meaning in finding that
the challenge.
“something else?” As Frankl teaches in his book and with his
I have purposed to put more meaning into my daily morning devotional. At present, I am involved in four different books plus my Bible. My devotional
patients,
time is not a rushed experience. There are three main avenues on which
How about you? It’s waiting for you. Step out
one arrives at meaning in life. The first is
of the doldrums and excite yourself with a new
by creating a work or by doing a deed. The
purpose, a new concept, a new activity, a new
second is by experiencing something or
relationship, or a new plan of action that will give
encountering someone;
your days more meaning
in other words, meaning
and purpose as you awake
can be found not only
each morning. Let’s choose together
in work but also in love.… Most important,
that, while we still have
however, is the third
breath, we will trust in
avenue to meaning in
God’s faithfulness and claim
life: even the helpless
the courage to cultivate
victim of a hopeless
meaning and purpose in
situation, facing a fate
our lives. “Forget about
he cannot change, may
what’s happened; don’t
rise above himself, may
keep going over old history.
grow beyond himself,
Be alert, be present. I’m
and by so doing, change
about to do something
himself.
brand-new. It’s bursting
2
out! Don’t you see it? There Your heavenly Father is involved in all of this. Ask
it is! I’m making a road through the desert, and
Him. Have Him help you cultivate meaning. Have
rivers in the badlands” (Isaiah 43:18-19, MSG).
Him guide you to find and feel a new purpose in
_____________________________
your life. He has it all picked out for you.
Donna Wyman, still discovering purpose and meaning
In my searching for a new purpose following the valley I had been in, I first purposed in my heart to be more kind. Every morning, I asked God to send across my path that day someone who needed
at 93 years of age, writes from Rocklin, California. 1. Joan Chittister, There Is a Season (Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 1995). 2. Viktor E. Frankl, Man’s Search for Meaning (New York: Washington Square Press, 1997), p. 170.
February 2024 23
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Phil Draper
A Song for My Friend
P
hil Draper, retired communication director for Arizona Conference, passed to his rest on Monday, Jan. 1, in Ooltewah, Tennessee. He was 78 years old. A husband, father, musician extraordinaire, and friend, Phil exuded the love of Jesus through his work, his music, and his witness. Phil was born on Nov. 13, 1945, in Bristol, Virginia. He graduated from Fletcher Academy in 1960 and later graduated with a degree in English and psychology from East Tennessee University. Phil worked as a junior high teacher and then, for 10 years, served as a musician, public relations director, and editor for the Kenneth Cox Evangelistic Association. Shortly into his tenure with Kenneth Cox, he met and married one of the ministry’s musicians, the former Joey Chapman. The two of them would unite in ministry for the next several decades, with Phil as organist and Joey as alto soloist. In 1985, Phil joined the Voice of Prophecy (VOP), where he served as development director and keyboard artist. He served with the ministry through 1988 and then again joined the ministry from 1995 to 2003. During his time at the Voice of Prophecy, he served as the primary accompanist for Del Delker and, in 2000, was asked to be one of two organists for the General Conference Session held in Toronto, Canada.
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In 2003, Phil accepted a call from the Arizona Conference to serve as the communication director. He served 18 years in Arizona until his retirement in 2021. On his last Friday night, Phil was surrounded by his family and close friends—including Arizona Conference President Ed Keyes and family and Hawaii Conference President Erik VanDenburgh and family. Elder Keyes recalled that they sang several songs around Phil’s bedside, including his requests “Side by Side We Stand” and “When We All Get to Heaven.” “We prayed and read Scripture,” Elder Keyes said, “and Phil fell into a deep, restful sleep until he passed away two days later. We will never forget Phil and what he contributed to the Arizona Conference. He was such a blessing to so many of us.”
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Voice of Prophecy team in 1997. INSET: Phil Draper with singer Del Delker.
I will never forget Phil Draper and his impact on my life. We traveled together for Voice of Prophecy events and Family Reunion concerts. He was one of the kindest, most forgiving people I have ever known. Positive and jovial, even in the midst of illness and the challenges of life, Phil inspired his family and friends with his sweet spirit and his abiding faith. While at VOP, Phil recorded a CD of piano music entitled Songs for my Friends. On the album sleeve, Phil wrote, “Music has been the center of my life for as long as I can remember. Through the years I’ve had the privilege of knowing some pretty amazing people. Their impact on my life and my music has been significant. And as I began compiling the songs
for this album, the memory of their beautiful faces reminded me of certain songs which I will always associate with them.” The memory of Phil Draper’s beautiful face reminds me of so many songs about the love of Jesus that he played over the years. I can hear his voice now saying, “When we all get to heaven,” dear friends, “what a day of rejoicing that will be!” A memorial service for Phil Draper will be held on Sabbath afternoon, March 2, 2024, in the Gospel Chapel of the Collegedale Seventh-day Adventist Church in Collegedale, Tennessee, at 2:00 p.m. ____________________ By Connie Jeffery
Patience, Generosity, and Time:
The Life of Roger Heinrich
R
oger Heinrich was born in 1933 and raised on a dairy farm in South Dakota, on land his family had acquired after immigrating to the U.S. from Ukraine in the late 1800s. He had two brothers—one 10 years his junior, another eight years his senior. “We were a happy family,” said Clayton Heinrich, Roger’s younger brother, during Roger’s memorial service in August 2023. It was always the boys’ job to feed the calves. It wasn’t a large dairy; Clayton shared that they had only 17 cows, but those 17 were more than enough
work for the family. Roger harbored a deep love for John Deere tractors, his father having purchased the first John Deere rubber tire tractor in their county. He also, according to his obituary, had a deep loathing for shoveling out the barn after milking. “He often commented,” the obit CONTINUED ON THE NEXT PAGE states, “that shoveling out the barn
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I February 2024 25
N E W S D E S K CONTINUED FROM THE PREVIOUS PAGE
was his primary motivation for going to college.” Carol Allen, a cousin who grew up on a neighboring farm to Roger’s family’s dairy, shared a bit about their childhood together. They walked to and from school together every day; Carol was usually the only girl in the one-room schoolhouse, which didn’t have electricity or water, but, she said, “I never had any bad experiences, because Roger looked after me.” In their limited free time, Carol and Roger would trap gophers together, turning them in for a penny apiece from the county. “Roger always split the money evenly with me,” she recalled, “though he did most of the work.” They often searched for Native American relics in their pastures together, collecting arrowheads Carol still has to this day, though many years and several moves have gone by. “He was my best friend,” Carol said. “May he rest in peace.” After graduating from Union College in Nebraska in 1955, Roger attended the Adventist Seminary in Washington, D.C., and became a pastor, and his first assignment sent him right back to South Dakota. “Education has always been important to our family,” stated Clayton during the memorial service.
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Roger’s sons remember him saying many times that after faith and family, education was the most important thing in life. In 1954, Roger married Evelyn Marie Preston, and over their years together they had two sons, Harley and Kerry, and nine grandchildren and great-grandchildren. “Dad and I didn’t always see eye to eye,” shared Harley Heinrich, Roger’s son, during the memorial service. “We were two strong-willed Germans who were always sure their way was not only the best but the only way.” Harley shared a story about a time he and his father installed a garage door opener together—neither having read the instructions, both positive they knew how to do it. “Words got heated, tempers flared, and Mom came to the rescue by reading the instructions for us,” Harley recalled with a laugh. Spending time together was important, Harley emphasized, sharing that he would return home every year to visit his parents—camping, riding motorcycles and ATVs, exploring old mines, and spending evenings playing Hand and Foot. “It became a special tradition I looked forward to every year,” he said. Over the years, Roger and his family pastored in various places across the country: South Dakota,
N E W S D E S K
Texas, Oregon, Idaho, and Washington. He later transitioned from pastoral work into administrative work at Upper Columbia Conference in Spokane, Washington, where he eventually served as director of the Trust Services Department. In 1988 Roger and Evelyn moved to Loma Linda, California, where he served as director of trust services for Southeastern California Conference until his retirement in 2012. He worked for the Adventist Church a total of 55 years. Roger was known for his generosity, using his incredible woodworking skills to benefit others on a regular basis. He built kitchen cabinets, desks, pinewood derby cars, and more in his workshop. He was also generous with his time and attention, deeply respected for his ability to listen and offer well-chosen quality advice. In a letter he read during the memorial service, Roger’s grandson and namesake, Roger Heinrich, reiterated this important trait. “You listened and asked questions, sometimes offering advice,” Roger said, “but mostly you just let me work through my thoughts and feelings and come to my own conclusions. I appreciated those conversations more than can be expressed.” Roger also shared memories of time spent in the everyday with his Grandpa Roger, riding in Grandpa’s big red “hiccup” truck, tagging along as he worked in the house or workshop, or just watching football together. “You were never too busy to let me tag along,” Roger recalled, “even though I’m pretty sure you got significantly less accomplished when you did. You always made time for all of us.” After Evelyn passed away due to illness in 2005,
Roger began corresponding with a former academy classmate, Jeanne Anderson. Jeanne’s husband had also passed away due to illness, and the two were able to support each other through their grief and into the next chapter of their lives. Jeanne and Roger were married in July 2005, and they spent their years together traveling the U.S. in their motorhome and exploring Alaska multiple times via cruise. Together they served as “wagon masters” for the Loma Linda Motor Home Camping Club. People and togetherness were highly valued in the Heinrich family, and Roger led by example. Harley read a message to his dad during the service, saying, “Dad, I’ll miss you. I admire your godliness, strength of character, and commitment to Mom. You’ve had a beautiful life, which has made a significant impact on me, your grandkids, and your great-grandkids, and I will miss your deep love for me and the jewels of time we spent together.” Kerry Heinrich, Roger’s elder son, shared during the memorial service that no matter what challenges he faced in life, his dad always had one message for him. Whether it was arguing with his brother, finishing difficult chores, marriage, or challenges at work, Kerry said his dad always came back to one statement: “You just gotta keep working at it.” “I can still hear my dad saying that,” Kerry said. “And as I think about it, in the end perhaps his greatest legacy to me is that he just kept working on me.” The younger Roger closed his letter to his grandfather, the elder Roger, with the following: “Grandpa, you are tremendously missed. I look forward to the day when we’ll meet again with Jesus. In the meantime, I pray I’ll take your legacy, apply it to my own life and family, and live up to being your namesake.” ____________________ By Becky St. Clair
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N E W S D E S K
Adventist Charities Receive Nearly $9M in 2023 Through Charitable Trusts
I
n 2023, Western Adventist Foundation (WAF) distributed $8,751,694.51 to Adventist charities. Nearly $4M of that was through charitable gift annuities. Another $600K was from estates, $3.6M from trusts, and the remaining half million from charitable remainder and other trusts. Organizations that often benefit from the trusts WAF manages include Adventist conferences, unions, and educational institutions, as well as church ministries such as Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA), Adventist World Radio, Amazing Facts, It Is Written, and Maranatha Volunteers International, among many others. “Today we serve over 80% of the entire church,” said Jim Brown, president of WAF. WAF is a non-profit trust management and estate planning organization, founded by the Pacific Union in 1997. “The president at the time wanted to build a foundation with technical experts in planned giving and trust management,” Brown explained. “He wanted to help the church do a better job, with a vision of excellence. He wanted to fill the foundation with people who knew what they were doing and were doing it well.” Which is exactly what happened. Today, nearly 30 years later, WAF’s employees are highly educated and experienced in finance, wealth management, business administration, and other related fields. And they use that education and experience to help church members support their favorite church ministries and organizations. The challenge, Brown said, is reaching the
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under-50 crowd. “Most people under 50 don’t understand how the trust department can benefit them,” he said. “The older generation knows it benefits them and benefits the church, and it’s a slam dunk. What I’m trying to do is educate younger people on how charitable remainder trusts can help them manage their wealth much more effectively.” The word “wealth” may be part of the issue, Brown admitted. Often there is a misconception that in order to invest or manage your money you have to have a lot of it. But Brown said that isn’t true. “I can work with anyone,” he said. “Let’s talk about where you’re at, what your resources are, and what you want to do to provide a better income source for yourself now and give a gift to the church and your family in the end.” Brown said his clients select their trust’s beneficiaries based on their own personal interests and because they believe in the mission of an organization. This is an approach younger generations—specifically millennials, who are known for their altruism—can support fully. “A major portion of the money we distribute is going toward making the world a better place,” Brown said. “What better way to invest could there be?” WAF has seen a 15% growth in maturity annually for the past several years, as they continue to increase their client base, which also increases their reach as far as which organizations receive funds and the amount they receive. At some point, though, Brown points out, that average will decline as the majority of trustors age and pass away. “We are focusing intently on education and raising awareness of who we are and how we serve the church, its ministries, and its members,” he said, “particularly amongst the younger generations.”
N E W S D E S K
Brown travels regularly to present seminars and lead workshops on charitable trusts and wealth management. He has been interviewed on TV and mentors young people in financial literacy. The foundation’s efforts seem to be successful—at the most recent seminars the median age of attendees was in their 30s, which was encouraging to Brown and his team. “WAF was organized and designed to support the church in its entirety,” he said. “We receive no benefit from the documents we manage; we are simply here to serve the church. People don’t need to know a lot to start a charitable trust, they just need to have a desire to support the church in whatever capacity sparks their interest. WAF makes it easy to improve personal finances, the church, and the world.” Nearly $9 million distributed to church entities in 2023 says it all.
PACIFIC UNION COLLEGE
Learn more at wafsda.org
To invite Brown to offer a seminar at your church or organization, or to learn more about how you can support the church or a ministry through a charitable trust, contact the foundation at 866-356-5595 or info@ wafsda.org. ____________________ By Becky St. Clair
2024
APRIL 19-20
We hope to see you!
60 year, 50 year, 40 year, 30 year, 25 year, 20 year, and 10 year. We are also celebrating the class before and after the honored class: ’55–’54–’56, ’63–’64–’65, ’73–’74–’75, ’83–’84–’85, ’93–’94–’95, ’98–’99–’00, ’03–’04–’05, ’13–’14–’15
REGISTER TODAY! puc.edu/homecoming
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I February 2024 29
Arizona Conference Appoints New Directors Jonathan Smith, Assistant to the President for Black Ministries
Melanie Cruz, Summer Camp Ministries and Community Services Director
“I view my role as a resource and advocate for Black Ministries on behalf of the president,” said Pastor Jonathan Smith. Smith was recently appointed to become the assistant to the president for Black Ministries for the Arizona Conference. He will continue in his role as senior pastor of the Tucson Sharon church in Tucson. Included in his vision for the Black Ministries Department is growing the membership and number of churches and increasing member participation in ministry and mission. He also sees his role as “providing the resources and support necessary for said growth to transpire in Black Ministries.” This includes being a voice on the Arizona Conference Executive Committee and being an advocate for Black Ministries in Arizona on the West Coast Black Administrative Caucus at the Pacific Union Conference. Pastor Smith’s personal ministry is driven by a singular focus “on seeing men, women, boys, and girls give their hearts to Jesus Christ. That is my greatest joy in ministry.”
Pastor Melanie Cruz has been appointed to become the Summer Camp Ministries director and the Community Services director for the Arizona Conference. Her responsibilities began officially Jan. 1, and with summer camp duties a handful of months away, she has a lot of work to get done in a short amount of time. Cruz has a long history of working with children and youth. Most recently serving as the children and youth associate pastor for the Phoenix Camelback church, she has served at the conference and division level in Children’s Ministries. In addition, she has supported her husband throughout his years of service in youth work. But her strongest foundation is not to be discovered in the deeds of people. “The foundation of my ministry is Christ,” Cruz said. “He is my good Shepherd. I look to Him for companionship, guidance, and direction. In Him I live, move, and have my being.” Throughout her ministry she has seen the hand of God opening doors and showing direction in her life. After much prayer and consideration, she is stepping through this next door.
Mike Soto, Young Adult Director Pastor Mike Soto is a bit of an enigma. Quiet and understated, with a wry laugh, he is filled with ambition and ideas for spreading God’s message. His work in the gaming community has received accolades and awards. This nontraditional evangelism has been a big part of how Soto has reached into the young adult community in the past. His role as pastor of the Tempe church near the heart of the Arizona State University campus provides another avenue to reach young adults. At the 2023 Arizona Conference camp meeting at Camp Yavapines, Soto spearheaded the Young Adult meetings. Recognizing this unique opportunity, the Arizona Conference Executive Committee appointed Soto to be the next Young Adult director beginning January 1. He will continue to pastor at the Tempe church along with his new responsibility, and he is already making plans for a year of social and spiritual activity.
30 Pacific Union Recorder
Arizona Conference
Parade of Lights Evangelism
O
n Dec. 9, 2023, nearly 50 people representing the Yuma Spanish church participated in the city’s Parade of Lights. “We had children, babies, adolescents, young people, adults—most of them members, but we also had a couple of visitors participating,” said Pastor Antulio Espinoza. The Yuma Parade of Lights features marching bands, floats, dancers, and live animals. Spectators line the sidewalk along the mile and a half parade route. As the members of the Yuma Spanish church walked along the route, they passed out candy and tracts featuring information about their church and Seventh-day Adventist beliefs. “We distributed almost 2,000 candies along with a mini publication,” said Espinoza. Before they participated in the parade, members visited a Seniors Home to bring music and gifts. ____________________ By Jeff Rogers
Arizona Conference
February 2024 31
Camp Wawona Road Construction Is an Answer to Prayer
C
amp Wawona’s project of updating their road has been a long process, but it is now nearing its completion—and it has been an answer to prayer from the start. This project involves a new road running from the entrance of camp all the way to the top, a little over a half mile. The original road was on National Park Services (NPS) property in two locations, which was one of the reasons for updating the road. The new road was moved off NPS property. Money began being raised for this project years ago, but it took two and a half years to have the plans approved by the county. Once approved, two bids were completed, but both were about $3 million higher than could be afforded. Pat Denis, a road building contractor who is also a Christian, offered to put in a third bid. This bid came in about $3 million under the initial bids, which was an answer to prayer. This was approved through the building committee, and the construction was begun. The project is now nearing completion. Most of the road is open, and the rest will be completed before camp begins. Jackie Phillips, who has been overseeing this project since its beginning, said, “If you were there when this began, you’d wonder how they could figure out this is a road. I looked at Pat and said, ‘Can you see this done?’ He said, ‘I could see this road done the day I came to bid it. I could not wait to get started.’ He’s a visionary. He loves camp Wawona.” When Phillips first met Denis, she asked if she could bring his team something to thank them. She met Pat and said, “First of all thank you for doing this, and thank you from the donors. We couldn't do this without you.” He looked at her with tears streaming down his face and said, “I just want to be used by God.” “It’s more than a job,” added Phillips. “It's now a mission: it’s been an answer to prayer.” ____________________ By Brennan Hallock
32 Pacific Union Recorder
Central California Conference
Empowering Faith Leaders: A Look Back at the Successful November Training and What's Next
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he Sabbath School leadership training event held on Nov. 12, 2023, at the Clovis church was a resounding success. As the director of Children's Ministries and Sabbath School for the Central California Conference, it was truly inspiring to see the enthusiastic participation and engagement of leaders and teachers from various churches. The event began with a general session on the foundations of Sabbath School and transitioned into a series of enriching sessions. The workshops, specifically designed for different age groups, provided attendees with valuable insights into teaching methodologies, curriculum planning, and the spiritual development of children. A crucial element was the introduction and discussion of the new Live Scan System for volunteer background checks, ensuring the safety and security of our church environments. One of the key takeaways from the event was the emphasis on adapting to the evolving needs of today's children and youth. Leaders and teachers were encouraged to think creatively, embracing innovative approaches to engage young minds effectively. The shared experiences fostered a strong sense of community among participants, highlighting the importance of collaborative efforts in ministry. Looking ahead, we are already gearing up for our next training event scheduled for Oct. 5, 2024. In an exciting new development, we are partnering with the youth
department to expand our scope to include workshops specifically for youth pastors and leaders. The upcoming session promises to be even more impactful, with special speakers Sherri Uhrig, NAD director of Children’s Ministries, and Pastor Gerry Lopez, NAD associate director of Children’s Ministries, among many others. The 2024 event will delve deeper into essential topics such as the new General Conference Sabbath School curriculum "Alive in Jesus," children’s church, engaging this generation, child safety, and additional content tailored for youth leadership. These topics are not only timely but also crucial in equipping our leaders and teachers with the skills and knowledge to navigate the challenges and opportunities in today’s Sabbath School and youth ministry environments. As we reflect on the success of the Nov. 12 event, it's evident that continuous learning and adaptation are key to effective leadership and teaching in our Sabbath Schools. The enthusiasm and commitment shown by all participants are a testament to our collective dedication to nurturing the faith and well-being of our younger generations. Join us on Oct. 5, 2024, for another day of learning, inspiration, and spiritual growth. Together, we can continue to make a profound impact on the lives of the children and youth in our church communities. ____________________ By Lisa Plasencia
Central California Conference
February 2024 33
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Embrace Grace: A Powerful New Ministry at Kaneohe Church
n Sept. 7, 2023, the Embrace Grace Ministry was born at Kaneohe church. Under the leadership of Mandy Bourne, Embrace Grace became a safe space for two single "Brave Girls" experiencing unplanned pregnancies to receive support spiritually, emotionally, and physically. During the 12-week in-person classes, the biblically based curriculum taught the Brave Girls their true identity, value, and worth as daughters of God and that there is nothing that could ever disqualify them from God's love and His plans for their life. "Their dreams and goals are not unattainable because they became single moms,” said Mandy. “We want to make sure that every Brave Girl that comes through Embrace Grace will leave knowing who she is in Christ and experiencing the love and grace of her Heavenly Father.” At the end of the 12 weeks with Embrace Grace, the two Brave Girls received a visual picture of what grace really is and how it feels for love and grace to be poured upon them. They started their day by being pampered and celebrated—getting their hair, makeup, and nails
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done for a maternity photoshoot. At a baby shower, they got to see total strangers bring them gifts and sit around them as they opened up the gifts for their babies. "Wow, you don't have to worry about buying anything for your baby girl!" said the mother of one of the Brave Girls. "The message we want to send through this shower is how God celebrates with them,” said Mandy. “He wants to throw them a party for the life they carry, and He wants to not only meet their needs but also go above and beyond for them. I think Kaneohe church did just that today." The Embrace Grace spring session is starting up in February. If you or someone you know is experiencing an unplanned pregnancy, we would love to walk alongside you on this journey. Sometimes the hardest part is going through this alone. Register today at www.embracegrace. com, or for more information, contact Mandy at embracegracekaneohe@gmail.com. Let us show others the impact of grace together! ____________________ By Mandy Bourne
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Cakes for the Community: Waipahu Church’s Baking Outreach
he Waipahu church bake night/bake marathon was a joint activity between the Pathfinders, youth, women's ministries, and personal ministries. The goal initially was to connect the generational gap in the church. What better way to do that than cooking and eating together? Food brings people closer together, and Waipahu church is blessed with good cooks and bakers. The members got together and made 18 pineapple pies, along with handmade Thanksgiving cards, and distributed them to neighbors surrounding the church. The Pathfinder troop helped distribute the pies after their canvassing the following morning. It was a wonderful experience for everyone. The bake night not only gave the church family a chance to connect with one another, it also allowed them to connect with their community. It was a great feeling to give something to our neighbors with no strings attached. Sometimes we only go out to our neighborhood when we want to
invite them to our church events, and it shouldn't be that way. We were able to tell stories and exchange names and telephone numbers with some of our neighbors. This Thanksgiving was extra special because of this experience, and we hope to do more things like it in the future. ____________________ By Lyma Rose Acosta
Hawaii Conference
February 2024 35
PHOTOS: ALBERTO VALENZUELA
A Seventh-day Adventist Boarding Academy Serving Native American Youth Since 1946
No Greater Love Our counselors’ go above and beyond to work with our students who struggle in areas of trauma, interpersonal relationships, insecurities, family turmoil, developmental and emotional delays, and so much more.
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s we draw closer to the return of Jesus, we can see prophecy being fulfilled all around us. Scripture tells us in Matthew 24:12, “And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold” (NKJV). All we have to do is look around at what is happening in our society to see that this is true today. However, those of us who remain vigilant know that we have a duty to fulfill for the kingdom of heaven. Beyond that, God’s love compels us to take action and be the light for His glory. To find love on the HIS campus, we need look no further than to our faculty, staff, and administration. Witnessing our beloved teachers in action is to see true love in the form of passion for their subject of specialty, patience with students when they struggle to understand something or when their traumas get in the way of their progress, and enthusiasm when understanding dawns on a student’s face. We also have the privilege of watching our counselors’ dedication to the mental health and healing of students. They go above and beyond to work with our students who struggle in areas of trauma, interpersonal relationships, insecurities, family turmoil, developmental and emotional delays, and so much more. Our counselors show their love by advocating for students who make an effort but still have a difficult time regulating their emotions.
Holbrook Indian School
Holbrook Indian School (HIS) is a first- through twelfth-grade boarding academy operated by the Pacific Union Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. HIS also manages a firstthrough eighth-grade day school on the Navajo reservation in Chinle, Arizona. Eighty-seven percent of funding comes from individuals who have a desire to support Native American ministries and Christian education. Your generosity makes a difference in the lives of our students, their families, and the communities they serve. Thank you for your support.
DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT P.O. Box 910 • Holbrook, Arizona 86025-0910
(928) 524-6845 (Ext. 109) • Development@hissda.org HolbrookIndianSchool.org
Our boys’ and girls’ deans express their love in that they take on parental duties. Many of our students experience adverse living conditions, so the dorm becomes their home on campus, and deans become their surrogate mom or dad figure while here. This means that our deans are heavily involved in behavior management, discipline, conflict resolution, spiritual guidance, and working diligently with our students to teach them self-respect, respect for others, how to play age-appropriate games, and how to engage in healthy friendships. Our deans also step in when a student needs to go to urgent care or doctor appointments. Many of our administration and support staff show love toward our students through other roles—such as our principal, who makes sure to stand in the foyer in the morning as often as he can to greet our elementary students as they enter the building for class. Our development and content personnel take up mentoring roles. Our maintenance staff ensures that our campus is a safe space for our students, staff, and horses. Our custodian is dedicated to ensuring that our buildings and all student learning areas are clean and ready when students return to school. Our business
manager works tirelessly to ensure that our campus runs smoothly and that funds are allocated to the proper areas. Last but not least, our food services personnel go the extra mile to see that our students have the healthiest food and the best nutrition available to fuel their growing bodies. So, while it is easy to focus on how society is losing the understanding of what real Christ-like love is, there are pockets of small groups dedicated to keeping the love of Jesus front and center. All of this is made possible by the influence our loving Father has on the hearts and minds of our friends who so generously support our mission to provide a safe place for our students to learn, grow, and thrive. _____________ By Kimberly Cruz
Holbrook Indian School
February 2024 37
Adventist Health Glendale Helps Lead Clinical Trial for World’s Smallest Heart Pump
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n October 2023, Adventist Health Glendale became the first Los Angeles-area hospital to treat high-risk patients with coronary artery disease with the world’s smallest heart pump, the Impella ECP. “Patients affected by coronary artery disease, stroke, heart failure, and other major adverse cardiovascular events often require procedures to restore blood flow to areas of the heart receiving inadequate blood supply,” said Dr. Hambik Tankazyan, interventional cardiologist at AHGL. “This trial gives us the opportunity to perform complex procedures with greater safety and less risk to our patients.” The Impella ECP is an investigational device in the Continuing Access Program (CAP) phase of clinical trial. The AHGL Participants include (from left): Sarkis Bodozian, RN special procedures, AHGL Cath Lab; Carlos Biaggi, cardiovascular tech, Office of Integrated AHGL Cath Lab; Dr. Seth Bilazarian, vice president, Interventional Research helped Cardiology Programs, ABIOMED (device maker); Dr. Tigran facilitate this historic Khachatryan, interventional cardiologist; Dr. Hambik Tankazyan, trial, underscoring the interventional cardiologist; Maggie Kozik, ABIOMED advanced organization’s top tier trainer; Tishanda Sparks, ABIOMED area manager; Bryan Herring, standing among leading ABIOMED clinical consultant; Javier Valeriano, senior clinical Southern California research coordinator, AHGL Office of Integrated Research; and cardiology programs. Evelyn Lopez, senior clinical research coordinator, AHGL Office of The Impella ECP Integrated Research. provides critical hemodynamic support during high-risk percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) procedures by delivering similar or higher flow The Adventist Health compared to other options through a smaller vascular access Glendale Heart & sheath. Once in the body, it expands and supports the heart’s pumping function, providing peak flows up to 5 L/min. Vascular Institute is Dr. Tahnkazyan and Dr. Tigran Khachatryan, interventional recognized among the cardiologist at AHGL, help anchor Adventist Health Glendale’s Heart top 10% in the nation & Vascular Institute, which is recognized among the top 10% in the for cardiac surgery. nation for cardiac surgery according to Healthgrades 2024 rankings. ____________________ By Kim Strobel
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To read more, go to lasierra.edu/news
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Divinity School Theologian Wins National Hispanic Book Prize
or practical theology assistant professor Marlene Ferreras, the goal of the dissertation research trip to Yucatán, Mexico, in November 2016 was straightforward: collect data utilizing scientific research methods toward shedding light on the struggles of indigenous female Mayan workers at multinational maquila manufacturing plants. But through immersion into the daily life of a welcoming village family and numerous conversations with Maya mexicana assembly line seamstresses, the scope and purpose of her analysis deepened and ultimately re-shaped the paradigm of how the profession of pastoral care can function in the support of marginalized peoples who are suffering. The eye-opening and often disturbing stories of the 11 working-class mexicanas Ferreras interviewed—and their methods of fighting back against exploitation, injury, loss, and abuse—begged to be told to a broader audience. The women wanted their voices to be heard. Ferreras’ research journey morphed into a book, which then served as her dissertation for a doctorate in practical theology earned from the Claremont School of Theology in 2019. In October 2022, Lexington Books published her work titled Insurrectionist Wisdoms: Toward a North American Indigenized Pastoral Theology. On Nov. 18, 2023, the book won the Hispanic Theological Initiative Prize during the annual meeting of the American Academy of Religion and Society of Biblical Literature. The prize includes a monetary award and an invitation to lecture at Princeton Theological Seminary this June. Ferreras, who is also a 2003 alumnus of La Sierra University, is the first Seventhday Adventist scholar to win the prestigious recognition, which has been offered by the Hispanic Theological Initiative since 2002. The organization supports the development and promotion of Latine and Hispanic religion scholars and leaders. “The H.M.S. Richards Divinity School faculty celebrate, with pride, the Hispanic Theological Initiative’s book of the year award to Professor Ferreras,” said Maury Jackson, chair of the school’s pastoral studies department. “[The work] reflects the formation Dr. Ferreras received as an undergraduate student here at La Sierra University. Furthermore, it embodies the ethos of the divinity school's faculty, in that it investigates the theological dimensions of social activist movements. Her
work in this book highlights the Adventist question of where to find traces of eschatological hope in this world. Our undergraduate and graduates will benefit greatly from this work beyond their time in the classroom.” “I wrote the book to equip pastoral theologians with more adequate forms of care that are informed by working-class Latinx women's experiences,” said Ferreras. “Some pastoral theologians tend to increase the power dynamic by making the pastoral caregiver the agent of hope. What I’m attempting to do in my book is to say [that] the divinity of spiritual care is relational. I want to equip the next generation of caregivers and pastors to journey with people through their suffering and find the surprising ways God lives among and between us.” ____________________ By Darla Martin Tucker
Dr. Marlene Ferreras poses with a copy of her book on the steps of La Sierra Hall, which houses the H.M.S. Richards Divinity School where she teaches.
La Sierra University
February 2024 39
VEJAA / ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS VIA GETTY IMAGES
Loma Linda University Health Welcomes First Babies of 2024
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very New Year’s Day rings in with all sorts of hopes and dreams offering endless possibilities for the year ahead. It’s a chance to start fresh, refocus, and celebrate the joys in life. And for some, there is even a new bundle of joy. Some cultures feel that babies born on the New Year are a guarantee of good luck for the newborns as well as for their families. It may just be a superstition, but no amount of luck in a distant future can supersede the joy of having a healthy, happy baby. The Loma Linda community was blessed during the early hours of the New Year with the arrival of bundles of joy in two of our facilities. In the early hours of New Year's Day 2024, Loma Linda University Children's Hospital witnessed a special arrival. Baby girl Dove marked her entry into the world at 2:09 a.m., becoming the first newborn of the year at the hospital's San Manuel Maternity Pavilion. She weighed in at 6 pounds 12 ounces. Dove's parents, Lauren Nguyen and Omid Zebarjadi of Menifee, expressed their excitement and gratitude to the hospital staff for their care and support. Dove is welcomed into the family by her older sister, Ocean, who is thrilled to have a new sibling. At Loma Linda University Medical Center–Murrieta, another family shared in the joy on the same day. Baby Jesse was born at 10:11 a.m. to parents Jerilynn Bloom and Julian Frijas, weighing 9 pounds. Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital and Loma Linda University Medical Center–Murrieta have been recognized as part of the U.S. News & World Report’s 2024 High Performing Hospitals for Maternity Care. To learn more about our maternity care, visit https://lluch. org/mother-baby/our-services/labor-delivery. ____________________ By Linda Ha
See the latest news and Health & Wellness stories from Loma Linda University Health at news.llu.edu.
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Loma Linda University Health
PUC Expands Successful PacificQuest and PQ Rise Programs to Inspire Next Generation of Students
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tudents set things on fire. They studied cadavers. They explored marine life on the Pacific Coast. And they came away with an experience and friends that will last a lifetime. Pacific Union College continues to host its annual PacificQuest and PQ Rise summer camp series, which offers pre-collegiate students a hands-on introduction to the sciences. The programs have long been one-week summer sessions for curious and dedicated students who have a passion for STEM subjects and seek academic challenges while earning college credit. But now, PUC is expanding the successful program into new areas, including aviation, film, and music. Last year, PUC hosted 30 students representing 19 schools from across the U.S. Aimee Wyrick, dean of PUC’s School of Sciences, said these programs are centered on the students— challenging them academically and allowing them to meet like-minded students. “We offer students an immersive experience, propelling students far beyond the encounters in the typical elementary or secondary classrooms,” Wyrick said. The 2023 series marked the 28th year of PacificQuest for grades 6-8 students and the fifth year of PQ Rise for grades 9-11. The programs aim to inspire students to pursue college and careers in these fields. It facilitates connections among students even after they age out of PacificQuest. Educators also benefit from the experience. Brian Snarr has been teaching high school math and science classes at Central Valley Christian Academy (CVCA) for nearly 25 years. He has been taking students
June 23-28, 2024: Pacific Union College Campus • PQSeek: Engineering, Zoology, Creative Writing (Grades 6-8) • PQSoar: Aviation Camp (Grades 9-12) • PQFlix: Film Camp—exploring documentary style filmmaking (Grades 9-12) • PQTune: Music Camp (Grades 8-12) June 30-July 5, 2024: Albion Field Station • PQRise: Marine Science and Art (Grades 9-11) Space is limited and admission requirements do apply. For more information about PacificQuest and PQ Rise 2024, visit puc.edu/pacificquest. to the camps for years and urges other educators to take part in PacificQuest and PQ Rise. “Do it!” said Snarr, who had three of his own children take part in the program. “The experience is amazing for students.” In keeping with PUC’s emphasis on wholistic experiences, both camps offer many recreational, spiritual, and social activities in addition to the planned courses. For Zvi Weber, a junior at Mountain View Academy who has been attending PQ Rise for the past three years, one of the best aspects of the program is making lifelong friends. “My favorite part of PQ Rise,” he said, “was definitely bonding with all of the people I had never even met before, who I now think of as really close friends.” PUC is revamping and expanding its PacificQuest program for students who want to explore college and careers early while earning one unit of college credit. ____________________ By Laura Gang
Pacific Union College
February 2024 41
LEFT: Carlos Camacho (NUC president) dedicates the Johnsons to ministry as the pastors and administrators who were present lay their hands on the couple in agreement. RIGHT: Ryan Johnson (right) joins his brother, Rodney Johnson, as they sing the familiar hymn “Great is Thy Faithfulness.”
Ryan W. Johnson Ordained to the Gospel Ministry
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yan Johnson was ordained to the gospel ministry on Sept. 2, 2023, during the annual Nevada-Utah Conference (NUC) African American Convocation in Las Vegas, Nevada. Johnson and his wife, Anissa (White), and children, Jalen and Carson, serve the Centennial Hills/Pahrump district in the Las Vegas area. Johnson’s ordination sermon was given by mentor and family friend Ezra Mendinghall, pastor for the South Atlantic Conference and former Regional Ministries director for the Pacific Union Conference. The ordination prayer was given by NUC President Carlos A. Camacho and the pastoral charge by NUC Executive Secretary/Ministerial Director Chanda M. Nunes-Henry. Johnson began his ministry as a young lay evangelist in North Carolina, preaching at evangelistic series and revivals. He was informed in various ways that God RIGHT: Ezra Mendinghall (guest speaker) reminded the congregation that “what God requires of the preacher He requires of every single member.” FAR RIGHT: Ryan Johnson shares his journey and the story of how God called him and his family to fulltime pastoral ministry.
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was calling him into pastoral ministry. One messenger, whom Johnson and his family believed to be an angel, was a young man who approached him while in a restaurant and told him that one day he would be a preacher. After delivering this message, the young man exited the restaurant and vanished. Despite knowing God’s intentions, Johnson pursued a career in medicine, believing that his calling to be a pastor was a thing of the past. However, a major health crisis brought everything to a halt. It was at this point that Johnson and Anissa made a covenant with God to follow wherever He would lead. Through it all, God has given them strength, and they hold to God being our Refuge and our Fortress. Johnson has served the Nevada-Utah Conference since 2016. ____________________ By Chanda M. Nunes–Henry
Sang Ho Choi Ordained in Las Vegas, Nevada
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ang Ho Choi was ordained to the gospel ministry on Dec. 2, 2023, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Choi and his wife and ministry partner, Pyoungsook, and their three children—Jina, Sooa, and Nakhee— currently serve the Las Vegas Korean church. It was a beautiful day of celebration as the local church congregation came in full support of their newly ordained pastor, presenting an array of flowers and a special meal after the service. The ordination sermon was given by James Lim, Asian/Pacific ministries director for the Northern California Conference. The prayer of ordination was offered by NUC President Carlos A. Camacho, and the pastoral charge was given by NUC Executive Secretary/ Ministerial Director Chanda M. Nunes-Henry. Choi, who grew up in Korea, shared that, “In elementary school, I was treated as a ‘problematic’ child. However, I was moved by the love of the pastor and members who accepted and treated me without prejudice while attending church. I had never experienced such compassion; it was then that I felt God calling me to serve and to love His people regardless of who they are.” Choi is passionate about evangelism and sharing the love of God with those whom he encounters. As a result, 21 precious souls have been added to the kingdom of God. Choi began his pastoral ministry in 2000, serving in South Korea and throughout the United States, and
(From left to right) Carlos Camacho (NUC president) dedicates the Chois to ministry as James Lim (Northern California Conference Asian/Pacific ministries director) and Chanda Nunes-Henry (NUC executive secretary) lay their hands on the couple in agreement.
has served the Nevada-Utah Conference since 2021. In his spare time, he enjoys playing soccer, playing the clarinet, and spending time with his family. ____________________ By Chanda M. Nunes–Henry
LEFT: Sang Ho Choi responds to the affirmation of his call to full-time pastoral ministry. RIGHT: (From left to right) Karen Schneider (NUC treasurer), Chanda Nunes-Henry (NUC executive secretary), Sang Ho Choi and his wife, Pyoungsook, Carlos Camacho (NUC president), and James Lim (Northern California Conference Asian/ Pacific ministries director) pose to commemorate this special event.
Nevada-Utah Conference
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Medical Service Crosses Barriers
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hrough a generous planned gift, the Northern California Conference (NCC) Health Ministries Department has partnered with local churches to host free dental and medical clinics. The Sacramento Central church members recently invited their surrounding community to their clinic. Weeks in advance, members distributed flyers written in English and Farsi throughout neighborhoods. The dual advertising achieved its goal. Pastor Rob Benardo said, "About 25 percent of the 234 attendees were Muslim." One Egyptian businessman who was served said, "This is fantastic. Please let me know what we need to do to continue to make this a success. Inshallah (God willing)." A refugee from Afghanistan exclaimed, "Thank you for doing this. We need this. People want to give us food, but we have food already. This is something I cannot provide for my family." Through a translator, another said, "Efforts like this shed a light of hope on the state of humanity. May Allah bless you all."
Benardo continued, "Sacramento Central is committed to reaching the refugees in the Sacramento area with the gospel. With all the anti-Islamic sentiment out there, we are happy that we can do something positive and highly needed for these children of God. We are convinced that God is doing something big here." One of the patients identified himself as a "secular Persian" and commented, "Your team is making a difference, which gives me hope for humanity, despite the pain we all are going through." James Lim, NCC Asian Pacific Ministries coordinator and Health Ministries director, concluded, "The members' dedication to creating a warm and welcoming environment while providing essential medical, dental, and vision services was met with sincere gratitude. Their selfless actions had a significant impact on those they served." ____________________ By Communication Staff
Facing Your Giants
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he NCC African American and Urban Ministries Department sponsored “Facing Your Giants,” a two-week evangelistic series hosted by the Stockton Mayfair and Valley Community churches. The combined effort was a strategic reach into the underserved African American neighborhoods of South Stockton. Invited speaker Calvin Watkins, vice president at the North American Division, supplied a team of experienced Bible workers who canvassed the area leading up to the two-week event. These workers went
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door to door in the roughest areas of town, inviting individuals and families to the meetings. They reported instances of the Holy Spirit leading them to many people grateful for the invitation. Several hundred people attended the series, and 56 souls accepted Christ as their Savior. A highlight was an unmarried couple who were baptized and subsequently asked to be married. Gregory Johnson, the pastor of Valley Community church, reported, "Many are coming to church since the meetings were finished, and we are in constant communication with those who are not attending. This communication with each has opened several more avenues to serve." Rudy Peters, NCC African American Ministries coordinator, stated, "It was amazing to see the pastors and members of the two African American churches united and working together to connect people to an abundant life in Christ. Many new church members and the city of Stockton will never be the same." ____________________ By Communication Staff
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Good Things Come in Sevens
ecently, Pleasant Hill Academy had an impactful fall week of prayer. Leif Cano, Placerville church associate pastor, spent the week with students, sharing a themed message of God's acceptance. The daily messages resonated with seven students who committed to be baptized. As Jea, one of the seven, told of her experience, "During the week, I hadn't considered being baptized, but as the sermons continued, I began praying, asking the Lord to talk to me. And He did. I was on the edge of my seat, not knowing what to do when pastor Cano called for baptism." The Holy Spirit was urging Jea to join the six others already standing. Yet she could not bring herself to do so. Cano looked out at the six standing students and exclaimed, "There is a seventh person who wishes to be baptized today." Jea's tears began to flow because, as she explained, "I knew I was the seventh person."
Before Christmas break, two students were baptized at the Vallejo Central church and two at Pleasant Hill church. The other three have scheduled their dates for the new year. A proud and grateful parent commented, "We praise God for the decisions these seven made and the role that our schools play in the salvation of young people." ____________________ By Ken Miller
Northern California Conference
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LEFT: Wade Forde presents an award to Councilperson Kimberly Calvin. RIGHT: Annaiah Green worships through dance.
Sixteenth Street Church Celebrates 95 Years
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ast October, the San Bernardino 16th Street highlighting the church's close ties with its neighbors. church commemorated its 95th anniversary with This community-oriented approach has kept the church a four-day celebration. This celebration honored relevant and meaningful in the lives of its neighbors for the profound influence of God in shaping the nearly a century. lives of its members and the surrounding community. Beyond its extensive community outreach, the Wade Forde, the lead pastor for the past two years, church thrives in its ministries, catering to children, emphasized the church's longstanding commitment youth, young adults, and older generations. Notably, the as a community partner, consistently striving to church has been a spiritual home for several prominent improve the local area. Throughout its illustrious 95individuals, including four NFL players. year history, the church has been integral in fostering Forde explained that the vision for the 95th healing and positive impact within the community. anniversary was to celebrate the church's Notable initiatives by 16th Street include establishing achievements and remain prepared for its future peace treaties among rival gangs, serving as a neutral contributions. The celebration included both former territory during the 1990s and 2000s, annual toy and present pastors preaching during a revival at the and turkey donations, back-to-school and holiday church. The event culminated in an inspiring Sabbath events with giveaways, hosting service that featured a plethora health fairs, and collaborating of talent from the church drum with medical organizations for corps, an original poem from one health screenings and assistance. of the charter members, praise A significant contribution involves dances, and even a puppet show. running a weekly testing and The church also took the time vaccine clinic for the past three to recognize both community years, earning recognition and a and congregational leaders. visit from Governor Gavin Newsom Saturday afternoon also featured to acknowledge their substantial a preaching and praise fest. community involvement. Moving forward, the church "Our church is not just catering remains committed to discovering to the community, but we are innovative ways to bring hope members of the community," and healing to the community by Forde emphasized. He explained spreading the love of Jesus. that some members walk to the ____________________ A congregant sings her praise. church or drive a few minutes, By Ezrica Bennett
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Ministry at the Table
ast October, the Azure Hills church family came together at the table to celebrate the dedication and refurbishing of the long-awaited kitchen and fellowship hall. The dedication service for these remodeled facilities was celebrated with music, reflection, gratitude, words of congratulation, a scriptural blessing, and prayers of dedication. Special guests included Christian Edition; Bill Hussey, Grand Terrace mayor; and Patty Marruffo, executive secretary of the Southeastern California Conference. Those who came to celebrate were reminded by Tara VinCross, Azure Hills senior pastor, “Fellowship at the table—enjoying a meal together—is a core part of Christian worship.” This project closes the first phase of the Vision Capital campaign, which was envisioned in 2017 as a $1.8 million capital development program for the Azure Hills campus to better meet the ministry needs of our congregation and community. Phase one included the creation of the Elias Community Center and the long-awaited expansion and renovation of the original kitchen into a 1,400-square-foot modern stainless-steel kitchen to support ministries and community events. Phase two is now underway with the completion of the new cool roof system over the main campus buildings. The fellowship hall has been fully remodeled with new ceiling tiles, energy efficient LED recessed lighting, new flooring, new banquet seating, a new audiovisual system, and new window coverings to provide a modern design for over 700 guests. The ten classrooms, powerhouse, and hallways are being
Guests celebrate in the new fellowship hall.
remodeled with new ceilings, LED lighting, and new flooring to provide a fresh modern design for Sabbath School and other ministries. The Lord has led throughout the peaks, valleys, and delays of the Vision Capital project. The church is grateful to the many people who made it possible by giving their time, energy, and ongoing financial gifts to support the Vision Capital fund. Azure Hills is also excited to come to the table and put these new expanded and remodeled spaces into action, providing thriving ministries for all who come onto the Azure Hills campus. ____________________ By Arthur F. Blinci
LEFT: The congregation and leaders gather to cut the ribbon for the renovated facilities. RIGHT: The newly renovated kitchen.
Southeastern California Conference
February 2024 47
PHOTOS: UNIVERSITY CHURCH FACEBOOK
A community health fair in July kicked off the “Live Longer, Live Better” series.
Six New Members, Including Pastor’s Brother, Baptized After Inspirational Series
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n the midst of the “Live Longer, Live Better” series at University church last October, an unexpected and deeply moving transformation unfolded that was close to home for University church Pastor Lawrence Dorsey Sr. His brother, Brandt, after watching the streamed series nightly from New York, embraced a pivotal moment in his faith journey by choosing to be baptized in the Adventist faith. “My brother was one of many who watched the spiritual messages online,” Dorsey shared. “I was not aware of his participation until he called me and said, ‘If I was in Los Angeles, I would be in that baptism on Sabbath.’ I asked if he was serious, since my brother has never been baptized into any church. When he responded enthusiastically ‘yes,’ I told him, ‘There will be a plane ticket for you to fly to L.A. on Friday.’ The rest is history. All praise and honor to God.” Brandt’s baptism marks the conclusion of a spiritual odyssey, making him the last among Dorsey’s siblings to join the Adventist church. The journey was not without its challenges, but it stands as a testament to the transformative power of faith, love, and the prayers made on Brandt’s behalf by Pastor Dorsey’s wife and his late mother. “The messages delivered during this period were not only compelling but deeply resonant, sparking a sense of introspection and a desire for spiritual renewal,” Dorsey said. “The warm embrace of the church community, both physically and virtually, played a crucial role in guiding him toward this profound decision.” “It’s not only to live better and live longer, but it’s to live forever with Jesus!” Brandt said reflecting on his baptism. Delving into the themes of health and longevity, the
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Southern California Conference
“Live Longer, Live Better” series took place in three parts over a six-month period. First, there was a health fair last summer, which serviced more than 225 people in the community, followed by a week of health seminars. Second, Dorsey preached the titular sermon series in September. Third, mental health presentations in December focused on depression, addiction, and grief. Little did the participants know that the ripple effect of their collective efforts would lead to a profound spiritual journey. For the church family, this development is not just a personal victory but a testament to the potent impact of their communal dedication to evangelism. Five more new members were baptized with Brandt that Sabbath. “Reflecting on the outcomes of the ‘Live Longer, Live Better’ series, a broader narrative emerges—one that extends beyond physical health and into the realms of spiritual well-being,” Dorsey added. “The mission, it seems, goes far beyond the walls of the church and into the hearts of those yearning for spiritual restoration.” ____________________ By Lawrence Dorsey Sr. and Araya Moss Dorsey (left) prepares to baptize his brother, Brandt (right).
Hispanic Women’s Ministries Commits to Making an Impact With the Mission
H
The Hispanic Women’s Ministry committee members are pictured at the event. From left to right: Julissa Rocha, Flor Zelaya, Miriam Hernandez, Montse HuertaRivera, Rocío Santos, Ericka Cornejo, Gladys Alfaro, Marlene Quintanilla, Nuris Barriga, Elizabeth Negrete, and Karla Cota.
and I urge you to continue the ministry.” This convocation could not have taken place without the support and leadership of each director who actively collaborates in meetings and area programs. Their work, like that of each committee member, is greatly appreciated. Hispanic Women’s Ministries began the new year with a spiritual retreat, “Guiding Generations,” at Baldwin Park Spanish church. Learn more online at scc.adventist.org/hispanicwomens-ministries-facebook. ____________________ By Montse Huerta-Rivera
PHOTOS: KARY CAMACHO
ispanic Women’s Ministries held its fourth annual convocation at Forest Lawn Glendale last December with the theme “From Woman to Woman: Impacting the Mission.” More than 400 women gathered to hear God’s plan for their lives and reaffirm their commitment to themselves and the mission of the church. In the morning, Cesia Alvarado Zemleduch shared her inspiring testimony with early attendees. During this meeting, the Spirit of God manifested with great power during the call, and two precious souls decided to be baptized. “I want to change my lifestyle,” expressed Diana, who decided to be baptized at the event, “and the only way to do it is by committing my life to the Lord.” In this solemn moment, each of the attendees surrounded the baptismal pool while joining their voices in a beautiful hymn. This is the first time baptisms have taken place during a Hispanic Women’s Ministries convocation. The afternoon unfolded with songs performed by TRIO AMA and a powerful message by Johanna Amaya Dominguez, assistant in pastoral care at Kalēo church. The presence of God in that place was palpable. The ladies stood up to reaffirm their commitment to continue spreading the gospel around them. Juan Osorio, Southern California Conference Hispanic Region director, joined the women for the event and encouraged them in ministry. “It is very inspiring to see the work that each of you does,” Osorio said. “The support of women in the church is of vital importance,
LEFT: Attendees express excitement and joy as two women make decisions for baptism. RIGHT: Attendees gather as Dominguez (left) baptizes one of the candidates.
Southern California Conference
February 2024 49
Calendar La Sierra University
The La Sierra University Orchestra will perform on Thursday, March 14. The concert begins at 7:30 p.m. and
Advertising Advertising is accepted as a service to Seventh-day Adventist church members in the Pacific Union. The Recorder management reserves the right to refuse any advertisement, especially ads not related to the needs and practices of the church membership. Acceptance of any advertising shall be considered a matter of accommodation and not a matter of right, nor shall it be construed to constitute approval of the product or service advertised. Payment in advance must accompany all classified advertisements or they will not be published. Display ads for known advertisers will be billed. To pay by credit card, please go to recorder@adventistfaith.com. How to Submit Advertising Classified ads must be sent with payment to the Recorder office. Display ads should be arranged with the editor (recorder@adventistfaith.com). Classified Rates $70 for 50 words; 75 cents each additional word. Display rates (full color only): back cover, $4,200; full page, $3,800; 1/2-pg., $2,200; 1/4-pg., $1,200; 1/8-pg., $700; $160 per column inch. Information The Pacific Union Recorder is published 12 times per year with a circulation of approximately 75,000. For more information about advertising, please email to recorder@ adventistfaith.com. Upcoming Deadlines These are the advertising deadlines for the Recorder. Your local conference news deadlines will be earlier. March: February 6 • April: March 4 Contributions The Recorder pages are assigned to the local conferences, colleges, and healthcare institutions, and all content comes through the communication departments in those organizations. If you have a news story/idea, calendar announcement, etc., please contact your local communication department. See the masthead for contact information. Want tips for writing for us? See www.dailywritingtips.com/the-art-of-writing-news.
Recorder Membership The Pacific Union Recorder is provided as a free service to members of the conferences that are part of the Pacific Union Conference (Arizona, Hawaii, Northern California, Central California, Southern California, Southeastern California, and Nevada-Utah). Each conference maintains the list of members, based on the reports from their churches. If you would like to make a change to your subscription (name, address, cancellation), please contact your local conference. The staff of the Recorder does not have access to the circulation lists, other than the paid subscriptions.
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will be held at Hole Memorial Auditorium. Admission is free. For further information, call 951-785-2036 or email music@lasierra.edu. For a season calendar, visit musicevents.lasierra.edu. The La Sierra University Wind Ensemble will perform Saturday, March 9, at 7 p.m. at Hole Memorial Auditorium. For further information, call 951-785-2036 or email music@lasierra.edu. For a season calendar, visit music-events.lasierra.edu. The La Sierra Report. Stay in the know and sign up to receive The La Sierra Report, an e-newsletter of the university’s interesting news and events. To subscribe, send your email address and subscription request to pr@lasierra.edu.
Northern California Conference
Southgate Annual Women’s Spiritual Retreat (April 5-7, 2024). Dr. Ella Holman is the featured speaker, with several afternoon workshops and fellowship opportunities. The event will be hosted at Leoni Meadows Camps and Retreat Center. More info and online registration available at southgatesda.org.
Pacific Union College
PUC Homecoming (April 19-20). Homecoming is a wonderful opportunity for our alumni, family, and friends to reconnect, reminisce about their days at PUC, and share experiences together. To PUC alumni, we hope to see you and celebrate over 140 years of the college. Angwin to Angwish (May 5). Set in the richly forested trails of Napa Valley’s Pacific Union College, Angwin to Angwish is a trail run offering incredible natural scenery and challenging courses. The trail run, taking place on Sunday, May 5th, offers three different distances: 1-mile kids run, 10k, and 26k. All distances are challenging, but it’s a fun event for runners of all ages. The cost for the 26k is $95, $70 for the 10k, and $20 for the 1-mile kids run with no price change. The proceeds from this event will go to benefit PUC Athletics. For more information, visit angwintoangwish.com. PacificQuest (June 23-28). PUC will host a weeklong college early summer program held on the campus for students who are interested in STEM, aviation, film, and music. These four camps give students the opportunity to explore college and careers early. Students who complete the program earn one unit of college credit. PQ Rise (June 30 - July 5). This weeklong college early summer program will be held at PUC’s Albion Field Station for students who want to explore marine science and art while experiencing college and careers early. Students will participate in daily academic programming, recreational opportunities, and evening
activities. Students who complete the program earn one unit of college credit. Connect Ministries is a group of Pacific Union College students passionate about Jesus and sharing through music and worship. The bilingual team leads worship services, retreats, youth events, and any programs where they can inspire other young people to become worship leaders. Any school or church interested in having them visit, please visit puc.edu/connect. Subscribe to PUC Now Newsletter. Stay up to date with Pacific Union College by subscribing to their monthly newsletter at puc.edu/subscribe. From campus stories and alumni features to student interviews, you’ll be in the know with PUC Now.
Southeastern California Conference
100th Anniversary. El Cajon SDA Christian School will be celebrating their 100th anniversary on Sabbath, April 6, 2024. All alumni, staff, and students are invited to attend this special event. There will be a very special church service starting at 11 a.m., with a catered lunch following the church service. The church address is 1640 E. Madison Ave., El Cajon, CA 92019. Then the school will be open for alumni to look at old annuals and visit with old friends and make new ones. For more information, please call Wilma Standley at the school at 619-442-6544 or email Carol Benton, school board chair, at Carol.Benton42@gmail.com. We look forward to seeing you there!
at the Eagle's Nest. If you or someone you know are mission-minded and would like to serve Native American children, please see or share our jobs page at HolbrookIndianSchool.org/jobs. Pacific Union College is seeking faculty positions for the 2023-2024 academic year in the area of History. Major duties include the responsibilities of assessment, planning, development, and implementation of classroom experiences and course objectives. We desire those who will be committed to a collaborative working environment, as well as those who possess dedication
SAVE THE DATE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY SUMMIT MARCH 1-3, 2024 Held on the Pacific Union College campus
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
DWIGHT K. NELSON Pastor Dwight K. Nelson will present “American Apocalypse: House by the Side of the Road.” In an America that is running out of time, how can the friends of Jesus rewrite the playbook to heal this land? Or does apocalyptic prophecy neutralize radical compassion and action?
Southern California Conference
Vacation Bible School Workshop (Feb. 11) 8 a.m.3 p.m. VBS directors, bring your staff and team of volunteers for a day of fun and learning. Two VBS programs from NAD and Group. Brunch provided. Childcare not available. Temple City church, 9664 Broadway, Temple City, CA 91780. Registration: scc. adventist.org/vbsworkshop2024.
Christian Nationalism I Religious Liberty in the Workplace Effecting Social Change As a Government Employee Christians and Social Justice
Los Angeles Adventist Academy 16th Annual Homecoming (March 8-10). Save the date for Los Angeles Adventist Academy Alumni Association’s 16th annual homecoming event. Los Angeles Adventist Academy, 846 E. El Segundo Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90059.
Hon. Marla Anderson
Aaron Brieno
Alan Reinach
Daniel Rodella
Hon. Allison Williams
Marc Woodson
Classified
WORKSHOP TOPICS
Employment
Holbrook Indian School is currently in need of a Maintenance Associate and an Assistant Girls' Dean. These are paid positions. In addition, there is an opening for a volunteer married couple to fill the role of House Deans in an off-campus housing capacity
Scan the QR code for more information
SPONSORED BY
Seventh-day Adventist Church Northern California Conference
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in furthering the goals of excellence in student success and critical thinking skills. Most importantly, we desire those interested in bringing students closer to Christ by nurturing the whole person and embracing concepts for lifelong learning. If you are interested, please contact Human Resources at HR@puc.edu or call 707-965-6231. Located in the Napa Valley, Pacific Union College is one of the most beautiful campuses in the United States, with views of mountains, vast forests, sunshine, and temperate summers and winters. The college's mission is to learn with purpose, rise in faith, and serve with love. Employees work in a tight-knit and faithcentered community that supports and encourages one another. If you enjoy working in a collaborative and caring atmosphere, you belong at PUC. We offer generous employee benefits, including tuition subsidies, housing assistance, medical, dental, vision, moving expenses, and retirement contributions. Room/Work Exchange offer in SoCal for female. Busy professional needs your help with 15 hours of housekeeping/week in exchange for rent. Located 2 hrs drive from LLU. Must be able-bodied, English speaking, SDA, and not allergic to my cat. Background check and interview. More info: www.room. theexceptionalprofessionalyou.com. Evangelism Projects Coordinator needed at Quiet Hour Ministries to assist in developing and implementing and reporting for various mission projects. This is a full-time (32 hours per week) in-office
position located in Redlands, CA, with potential for international travel. For more info or to apply, visit: qhministries.org/jobs Marketing Director needed at Quiet Hour Ministries to plan and direct successful fundraising and marketing through a variety of methods. This is a full-time (38 hours per week) in-office position located in Redlands, CA, and includes some national and international travel. For more info or to apply, visit: qhministries.org/jobs Andrews University seeks candidates for a full-time, tenure-track Ph.D. biochemistry faculty position for our ACS-approved program, starting July 2024. Duties: mentor undergraduate students to excellence in faithreflective professionalism; teach biochemistry and chemistry courses and labs; champion undergraduate research; promote an all-inclusive, equitable learning environment. For more information, email: chemistry@ andrews.edu Jesus 101 is looking for a Production Department Assistant to assist with editing, production, and media department needs. This is a full-time (38 hours per week), in-office position located in Riverside, CA. Position includes generous employee benefits. For more information or to apply, visit: https://www. adventistmediaministries.com/available-positions/
Real Estate
PUC Commercial Space for Rent. Pacific Union College has commercial real estate space available for lease. The spaces are in various sizes and functionality and are available for inquiries. For additional information, please email Sam Heier at sheier@puc.edu.
For Sale
Retiring SDA optometrist in NW CA selling a very profitable practice. There are no other optometry, ophthalmology, or optician practices in this city or county. Local Adventist church and K-8 school. The office is 5 blocks from an amazing coastline with surrounding beautiful forests, beaches, and rivers. 1250 sq. ft. office with a wonderful staff. If interested, please contact sinouye7@gmail.com. Outpatient Physical Therapy and Aquatic Therapy in the foothills above Sacramento, CA. Turn-key practice, in business for over 30 years. Great referral base and solid practice. Lots of potential for growth. Great opportunity for someone wanting to establish a medical mission outpost or wellness center as well. 5400-sq-ft facility. $450,000. Flexible options to the right party. Contact levi2000@sbcglobal.net or leave message at 209-304-7455. Dental practice for sale in Siskiyou County, CA. Profitable practice, 4 ops, practice refers out ortho, endo, and some oral surgery. Great study club and
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specialists to refer to. Get out of the city and come to God's country, a 4-season area filled with hiking, mt. biking, skiing, and water sports. If interested, please contact blaster42@hotmail.com.
Vacation Opportunities
Travel on a faith-based tour to Israel, Egypt, Turkey, Rome, or Vietnam on a special cultural discovery tour with Dr. Carl Cosaert, New Testament Professor at Walla Walla University. To learn more about these inspirational tours that renew your faith, visit www. adventtours.org or email info@adventtours.org. Sunriver, Central Oregon. Four-bedroom vacation home on the North Woodlands golf course. Two master king suites, two queens, one bunk set, hot tub, loft, Jacuzzi bath, gas log fireplace, BBQ, W/D, bikes, all resort amenities, sleeps 10, no smoking, no pets. For rates, photos, and reservations, call: 541-279-9553, or email: schultz@crestviewcable.com Angwin home. Five-bedroom, three-bathroom vacation home 2 miles from PUC. Fully furnished, large kitchen, dining room, living room, family room, piano, highspeed internet, vineyard views, WiFi, washer and dryer, BBQ, sleeps 10. Call for rates, photos, and reservations: 415-539-7980 or email nroger1955@gmail.com.
Bulletin Board
Help the Lord’s ministry of healing in Micronesia by donating your car, boat, bike, RV, or truck. All proceeds help provide free medical services to the island peoples of Micronesia. Canvasback Missions, a 501 (c) (3) charitable organization, has been serving since 1986. For more info: www. canvasback.org 707-7467828. San Fernando Valley Academy (preschool-12th grade), located in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Northridge in the San Fernando Valley, is still accepting students for the 2023-2024 school year. The over 100 students and their teachers are a large family who care about each other and want each other to succeed. In the high school, teachers have also been professionals in their credentialed teaching fields. The elementary teachers are highly experienced with years of childhood development training, so you know
that you are getting qualified instruction from top to bottom. Please visit our website: www.sfvahuskies.org or give us a call at 818-349-1373 to schedule a visit. We look forward to meeting you. Partner with ASAP Ministries in serving the marginalized and reaching the unreached in Southeast Asia with the wholistic gospel. What you do today can change a life for eternity! To learn more visit asapministries.org. Subscribe to our weekly Mission Matters videos. Facebook: asapministries; Instagram: asapministries; YouTube: asapministries. Shop for new/used Adventist books. TEACH Services offers used Adventist books at www. LNFBOOKS.com or new book releases at your local ABC or www.TEACHServices.com. Authors, let us help publish your book with editing, design, marketing, and worldwide distribution. Call 800-367-1844 for a free evaluation. Raise smarter kids. Kids grow better with radio! LifeTalkKids.net offers stellar educational and captivating programs 24/7. Building character for now and for eternity is what LifeTalk Kids is all about. Listen online or download our free app at LifeTalk.net.
At Rest Blazen, Ivan – b. Sept. 17, 1934, Buffalo, NY; d. Dec. 4, 2023, Loma Linda, CA. Survivors: spouse, Deanna; daughters, Lynel, Yvonne, Jean; five grandchildren; two great-grandchildren. Boggs, Kevin – b. Oct. 31, 1964, Newport Beach, CA; d. Dec. 13, 2023, Fontana, CA. Survivors: wife, Sharon; daughter, Haley; siblings, Heather, Jonathan, Dana; parent, Lola Ham.
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Cochran (Galbraith), Dorothy Jean – b. Sept. 15, 1943; d. Oct. 17, 2023, Vallejo, CA. Survivors: husband, Earnest; bonus sons, Hykeem, Jamal, Daniel, Armon, Clarence Jordon; sisters, Minnie Dillahunty, Annie Pearl Thompson, Shirley Archie, Marilyn Galbraith, Deanna Owens; brothers, Robert Galbraith, John Galbraith, James Galbraith Sr.; a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, friends, and loved ones. Dunbar, John Frederick – b. Sept. 5, 1934, Inglewood, CA; d. Oct. 12, 2023, Bakersfield, CA. Survivors: wife, Gail; stepson, George Bronson; daughters, Kathleen Ramono, Janette Newberry; stepdaughters, Susan Cole, Elizabeth Duncan; nine grandchildren; eight greatgrandchildren. Gilbert, Anita Claire – b. Oct. 29, 1932, Stoneham, MA; d. Aug. 4, 2023, Arcadia, CA. Survivors: nephew, Christopher Gilbert; cousin, Donna Wolfe. Worked as a school nurse in Los Angeles, missionary nurse at Hong Kong Adventist Sanitarium Hospital, and registered nurse at White Memorial Hospital. Greatgranddaughter of Albert F Vuilleumier (1835-1923) who was one of the first Adventists in Europe (Switzerland) and who worked with John Nevins Andrews and Ellen G. White.
Greer II, Lee – b. March 27, 1934, Harlingen, TX; d. Nov. 30, 2023, Loma Linda, CA. Survivors: son, Lee Greer III; daughter, Ruth Qualls; sibling, Virginia Brunks-Coley; three grandchildren; one great-grandchild. Grino, Ruth Moreno – b. March 30, 1930, Romblon, Philippines; d. Dec. 20, 2023, Arlington, TX. Survivors: sons, Carl, Charlie; daughter, Loselie Grino Weber; sibling, Betty Moreno Schlunt; seven grandchildren; five great-grandchildren. Lukens, Martha – b. March 29, 1930, Oshawa, Ontario, Canada; d. Sept. 26, 2023, Dinuba, CA. Survivors: children, Richard Lukens, Debra Lukens King, Lynn Lukens Badger, Diane Lukens Findley, Carla Rae Lukens; eight grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren. Martha’s ministry was welcoming everyone to church on Sabbath mornings. Pangan, Ofelia – b. April 2, 1931, Paranaque, Metro Manila, Philippines; d. Oct. 16, 2023, Clovis, CA. Survivors: husband, Abel; son, Dale; daughters, Lynda Scales, May Cuenca; 10 grandchildren; two greatgrandchildren. Served as a pioneer missionary educator in Laos and Thailand and ESL teacher in Canada. Contributor to women's devotional books since 1996.
February 2024 Sunset Calendar
March 2024 Sunset Calendar
City/Location
City/Location
5:25 5:32 5:24 5:15 5:27 5:14 5:34 5:41 5:25 5:56 5:22 6:13 5:50 6:22 5:16 5:22 5:08 5:28 5:20 5:24 5:06 5:40 5:34 5:21 5:32 5:57 5:33 5:26 6:00 6:16 5:20 5:20 5:28 5:45 5:22 5:34 5:32 5:33 5:33 5:26 5:57
FEB 9 5:34 5:40 5:32 5:21 5:36 5:21 5:43 5:49 5:32 6:03 5:30 6:16 5:57 6:26 5:23 5:30 5:15 5:36 5:26 5:30 5:15 5:49 5:41 5:27 5:40 6:04 5:41 5:35 6:07 6:19 5:28 5:27 5:36 5:54 5:28 5:41 5:40 5:41 5:40 5:33 6:04
FEB 16 5:43 5:48 5:38 5:28 5:44 5:28 5:52 5:56 5:40 6:10 5:37 6:20 6:04 6:29 5:29 5:38 5:22 5:44 5:33 5:37 5:24 5:56 5:48 5:34 5:48 6:10 5:48 5:43 6:13 6:23 5:36 5:34 5:44 6:03 5:34 5:49 5:47 5:49 5:48 5:39 6:10
FEB 23 5:51 5:56 5:45 5:34 5:52 5:35 6:00 6:04 5:47 6:17 5:45 6:23 6:11 6:33 5:36 5:45 5:29 5:51 5:39 5:43 5:33 6:04 5:55 5:40 5:55 6:16 5:56 5:51 6:19 6:26 5:44 5:40 5:52 6:11 5:40 5:56 5:55 5:57 5:55 5:46 6:16
[N]=Northernmost [S]=Southernmost [E]=Easternmost [W]=Westernmost point in the Pacific Union
“So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God.” Hebrews 4:9
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!
Alturas (Mt. Shasta) Angwin Bakersfield Calexico Chico Death Valley (Furnace Ck) Eureka Four Corners [E] Fresno Grand Canyon (South Rim) Half Dome Hilo Holbrook (Joseph City) Honolulu Joshua Tree Lake Tahoe Las Vegas Lodi-Stockton Loma Linda Los Angeles McDermitt [N] Moab Monterey Mt. Whitney Napa Nogales [S] (Los) Oakland Paradise, CA Phoenix Pu‘uwaiau, Ni’ihau [W] Reno Riverside Sacramento Salt Lake City San Diego San Francisco San Jose Santa Rosa Sunset Beach Thousand Oaks Tucson
FEB 2
Alturas (Modoc Cty.) Angwin Bakersfield Calexico Chico Death Valley (Furnace Ck) Eureka Four Corners [E] Fresno Grand Canyon (South Rim) Half Dome Hilo Holbrook (Navajo City) Honolulu Joshua Tree Lake Tahoe Las Vegas Lodi-Stockton Loma Linda Los Angeles McDermitt [N] Moab Monterey Bay Mt. Whitney Napa Nogales [S] (Los) Oakland Paradise, CA Phoenix Pu‘uwaiau, Ni’ihau [W] Reno Riverside Sacramento Salt Lake City San Diego San Francisco San Jose Santa Rosa Sunset Beach Thousand Oaks Tucson
MAR 1 MAR 8 MAR 15 MAR 22 MAR 29 5:54 6:03 5:52 5:39 6:00 5:42 6:08 6:10 5:54 6:24 5:52 6:25 6:34 6:36 5:42 5:53 5:36 5:59 5:45 5:49 5:41 6:11 6:02 5:46 6:03 5:55 6:03 5:59 6:25 6:27 5:52 5:46 5:59 6:19 5:46 6:03 6:02 6:04 6:02 5:52 6:21
6:02 6:10 5:58 5:45 6:07 5:49 6:16 6:17 6:00 6:30 5:59 6:28 6:40 6:38 5:47 6:00 5:42 6:06 5:51 5:55 5:50 6:18 6:09 5:51 6:10 6:03 6:10 6:06 6:31 6:29 5:59 5:52 6:06 6:27 5:51 6:10 6:08 6:11 6:08 5:58 6:27
7:10 7:17 7:04 6:50 7:14 6:55 7:24 7:24 7:07 6:36 7:05 6:30 6:46 6:41 6:53 7:07 6:48 7:12 6:57 7:01 6:58 7:25 7:15 6:57 7:16 7:10 7:16 7:14 6:36 6:31 7:06 6:57 7:13 7:35 6:57 7:17 7:15 7:18 7:15 7:03 6:32
7:18 7:24 7:10 6:55 7:22 7:01 7:30 7:31 7:13 6:42 7:12 6:32 6:52 6:43 6:58 7:14 6:54 7:19 7:02 7:06 7:06 7:32 7:21 7:02 7:23 7:17 7:23 7:21 6:41 6:33 7:13 7:03 7:20 7:42 7:02 7:24 7:21 7:25 7:21 7:09 6:37
7:25 7:30 7:15 7:00 7:29 7:07 7:36 7:39 7:19 6:48 7:18 6:33 6:57 6:45 7:04 7:21 7:00 7:26 7:08 7:12 7:13 7:39 7:27 7:07 7:30 7:24 7:30 7:28 6:47 6:35 7:20 7:08 7:27 7:49 7:07 7:30 7:28 7:31 7:27 7:14 6:41
[N]=Northernmost [S]=Southernmost [E]=Easternmost [W]=Westernmost point in the Pacific Union
“So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God.” Hebrews 4:9
Peterson, Beulah – b. Sept. 2, 1933, Jewell Ridge, VA; d. Oct. 30, 2023, Kennewick, WA. Survivors: sons, Robert, Richard; two granddaughters. Beulah served the InterAmerican Division as under treasurer for many years in Miami, FL. She was active at the Miami Temple church and was known for her warm hospitality to many traveling through Miami. Rosales, Estela – b. April 1, 1949, San Salvador, El Salvador; d. Dec. 20, 2023, San Francisco, CA. Survivors: son, Jose; daughters, Claudia, Coralla.
Sherman, Paul – b. April 7, 1934, Wickenburg, AZ.; d. Dec. 13, 2023, Riverside, CA. Survivors: wife, Patricia; daughters, Cindy, Debra, Pamela. West, Jonita Gail – b. May 11, 1945, Bend, OR; d. Nov. 14, 2023, Poway, CA. Survivors: husband, Richard James; son, Rick; daughters, Julie Judd, Jenifer Heberger; seven grandchildren; three stepgrandsons; one great-granddaughter. Joni worked at Adventist Risk Management in Riverside, CA, for 28 years.
H
ow and when did racial discrimination become embedded in Adventist institutions? Is it possible to change patterns of injustice when they become deeply ingrained in the
corporate life of the church? Is it appropriate to organize in opposition to the voted policies of duly elected church leaders? May Christians use protest and pressure to bring about change in the church? Were Black conferences a step forward or backward? In Change Agents, Douglas Morgan sheds light on such questions by telling the story of a movement of Black Adventist lay members who, with women at the forefront, brought the denomination to a racial reckoning in the 1940s. Their story, told in the context of the church’s racial history in America as it unfolded during the first half of the 20th century, illumines the often difficult but necessary conversations about race that challenge the church today. And it offers inspiration and insight to Adventists today whose love for their church drives a dedication to
AVAILABLE FROM AMAZON
changing it.
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