30 Jun

THE GENERAL CONFERENCE SESSION: WHY? HOW? WHEN? WHERE?

Thomas L. Lemon – Silver Spring, Maryland … When Rachel Preston remonstrated with Frederick Wheeler over his apparent rejection of the 10 Commandments in March of 1844, neither of them knew what would result from their exchange. Preston, a Sabbath-keeping Baptist, and Pastor Wheeler, a faithful proponent of traditional Sunday observance as well as a new believer in the imminent return of Jesus, were the instruments God used as the first Sabbath-keeping Adventists in the United States.

Not long after the disappointment of Oct. 22, 1844, the conversation Preston and Wheeler began gained the attention of Joseph Bates, and then James White, Ellen Harmon, and some others. And from those conversations, the roots of what we know today as the Seventh-day Adventist Church took on new life.

GLOBAL KEY FACTORS FOR ENDURANCE

Currently, church records globally show our movement with over 23 million members. Those members are scattered throughout nearly all the inhabited world. Even as recently as late last year, the church re-established its presence in Greenland.

How does a church that social scientists describe as the one of the most diverse Christian denominations manage to stay together, stay healthy, and keep growing—over 180 years later?

Without a doubt, the blessing of God has been at work in powerful ways.  Yet built on that foundation, there are several other factors: 1) a unique but biblically powerful prophetic message; 2) an organizational structure of interdependent entities enabling fast and effective communication streams available to all members; 3) a K-graduate school system that continually educates the next generation in the message and lifestyle of the church and lifts the cultural conditions of the regions in which they operate; 4) a system of health entities that inform the lifestyle and gain the attention of the general public globally. And more.

HOW DOES THE STRUCTURE WORK?

The structure of the church works like this: a person joins a local church and becomes a member; groups of local churches band together in local conferences; local conferences join themselves in groups into what we call union conferences, or sometimes union missions. The unions are the building blocks of the General Conference (GC) itself.

Each unit or level of the church is tied to the other levels through shared beliefs, shared policies, and a shared mission. Except for the individual member and the local church, the other entities (conferences and unions) are constituency based, with delegates and leaders selected to represent the membership when those groups meet periodically in harmony with their organizing documents.

The General Conference constituents are members and local leaders selected by the union conferences around the world. Care is taken to make sure the delegates are representative of those areas of the world from which they are chosen. Those delegates will number nearly 3,000 when they gather this year in St Louis, Missouri, July 3-12.

The General Conference has divided itself into 13 divisions around the world. Joining those divisions are four attached fields, not included in the unions and divisions because of geo-political conditions. Unions are the foundations of the General Conference, but the GC itself is the foundation of the divisions and the attached fields.

When it comes to the GC Session, which meets every five years in a quinquennial session, the structure of the church is on full display. (Covid-19 delayed the 2020 session until 2022.) Each union’s delegation is built on a proportion of the whole, by a formula. Larger unions, membership-wise, have more delegates.

What Happens During Sessions?

At the session, several things will happen. A large committee made up of select delegates from all the unions (approximately 250) will serve as the group that nominates leaders to fill various positions. No elected GC leaders are on that committee. A president is recommended first for the delegates to approve, or not. Only one presidential name at a time is brought to the delegates for a Yes or No vote. Once that is done, the president then meets with the committee to serve as an advisor. However, he doesn’t have a vote, and the committee is not required to take his suggestions.

In addition to the election of leaders of the GC, divisions, and attached fields, delegates will be asked to vote on suggested changes to the Church Manual, the Constitution, and By-laws, and changes to the Fundamental Beliefs statement that codifies the doctrinal understandings of the church. This year there are no recommendations being made to adjust the 28 Fundamental Beliefs. Changes to the Constitution and Fundamental Beliefs require a two-thirds majority vote.

The GC Session days will begin with devotional preaching and the evenings will be filled with mission reports from the divisions. Interspersed throughout the business sessions will be a plethora of Adventist music from around the world. Several hundred church entities and other ministries will portray their missional endeavors and share their resources in a nearby giant hall of activities. The exhibit hall is a favorite feature of the GC Session for many attendees.

Every GC Session is planned to be an event of highly spiritual engagement. For those who are familiar with what we call camp meeting, the meeting in St. Louis will be, in a real sense, a global camp meeting. On Sabbaths, the crowd is expected to number upward of 30,000, largely filling the convention center arena in downtown St. Louis.

The General Conference in Session is something special to behold. Plans are being finalized now, and you may expect this to be a spiritual feast. The fellowship with like-minded believers is designed to encourage every attendee.

—Thomas L. Lemon is a vice president of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists and a former president of the Mid-America Union Conference. Republished with permission from the July/August OUTLOOK magazine feature article. Photo supplied and by iStock.

30 Jun

ADVENTHEALTH ROCKY MOUNTAIN REGION SENDS FIRST CLINICAL TEAM TO NEW PARTNER HOSPITAL IN LESOTHO

AdventHealth – Denver, Colorado … Global Health Initiatives (GHI), the Rocky Mountain Region branch of AdventHealth Global Missions, recently launched a new partnership with Maluti Adventist Hospital in Lesotho, a small mountainous country in southern Africa. This past March, the GHI team led its first clinical mission trip to Lesotho, focusing on collaborative projects with the hospital and outreach efforts in the surrounding communities.

“The first AdventHealth Rocky Mountain Region team to serve at Maluti Adventist Hospital in Lesotho was very successful,” shared Greg Hodgson, director of GHI. “The partnership with the hospital was outstanding with full support of Maluti staff and logistics.”

The team from AdventHealth was made up of several specialized groups, including community health, Helping Mothers and Babies Survive (HMBS), a hospital-based team, and a clean water team. During the mission week, the community health team served 1,164 patients, providing screenings for HIV, tuberculosis, and cervical cancer. They also offered well-being consultations to support overall patient health.

The HMBS team led a weeklong master class for nursing leaders from Maluti Adventist Hospital and the affiliated College of Nursing at Maluti Adventist College. During the training, AdventHealth’s team identified local champions from both the hospital and nursing school to help lead future training for local nurses and midwives across the region.

The hospital-based team collaborated closely with local medical staff to address a variety of needs. Their work ranged from assisting in two surgeries to leading suturing workshops for hospital and nursing school personnel. The team focused on meeting the Maluti Adventist Hospital team where they are while also encouraging a shared vision for advancing the quality of care moving forward.

The clean water team, led by GHI partner Rob Miller with Global Access 2030—a Colorado-based nonprofit organization and longtime partner of GHI— distributed nearly 400 clean water filtration systems across four villages. To help ensure the long-term sustainability and effective use of the filters, a representative from Maluti Adventist Hospital was designated to provide ongoing support and follow-up within the communities, mirroring the sustainability model used in the HMBS program.

These initial steps mark the beginning of a meaningful and lasting journey with our new partners at Maluti Adventist Hospital.

“As in any first project, some areas for improvement were acknowledged, yet everyone was impressed with the overall success of the partnership,” expressed Hodgson. “As we prepare for the next visit in October, we will continue to build on the foundation laid during this important visit.”

To learn more about this and other AdventHealth Rocky Mountain Region Global Mission sites, please reach out to Courtney Haas, a development officer at AdventHealth Rocky Mountain Region, at [email protected]

—AdventHealth. Republished with permission from the OUTLOOK magazine News website, June 9, 2025, article. Photo supplied.

30 Jun

COMMENTARY: RESURRECTION POWER

By Godfrey Miranda

My aim is to know Him, to experience the power of His resurrection …
– Philippians 3:10, NET

Do you know the power of Jesus’ resurrection?

Just a couple weeks ago, I had a chance to study with a group of young people about the hope of Jesus’ second coming and the power of the resurrection. As I looked across the circle at one of the participants, I saw tears welling up in her eyes, tears of humble gratitude over what Jesus offers to us.

A little more recently, I was able to enjoy some time with a more “seasoned” friend who has been coming to grips with his increasing age. As he reflected on this awareness, his voice trailed off for a bit, and after a long pause he shared with a twinkle in his eye that the hope of the resurrection has been taking on new significance for him.

Do you know the power of Jesus’ resurrection? Like my friends, we can view the fact that Jesus rose from the dead as our guarantee that those who sleep in Jesus will someday soon be raised from the dead (1 Thessalonians 4:14) and that death itself will be swallowed up in victory (1 Corinthians 15:54) when Jesus returns. What a blessed hope we have to look forward to! But is it possible that we can “experience the power of His resurrection” (Philippians 3:10) not only someday in the future but also in the present?

A New Life Today

Absolutely. Listen to the apostle Paul describing what Jesus’ resurrection means today for the believer who has been baptized into Christ:

We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life (Romans 6:4, NIV).

When we say YES to Jesus and identify our story with His, two miracles happen: 1) our old self is put to death just like Jesus was put to death, and 2) we can now live a new life just as Jesus was raised to new life! That’s not only a future hope; that’s a present reality! Experiencing Jesus’ resurrection today means living a transformed life today—one that is no longer enslaved to sin (v. 6) but instead has been freed from sin (v. 7).

Friends, this is good news, and, maybe for some, it’s familiar news. But as we’ve been thinking on Paul’s message in Philippians through our recent sermon series, I’m discovering something new about this new life.

A New Look at Our New Life

In Philippians 3, Paul shares a bit of his personal testimony. He describes his former life of placing confidence in the flesh (vv. 4-6) in stark contrast to the things he now values (vv. 7-11) and the one thing he prioritizes above all:

… But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I PRESS ON toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:13-14, NIV).

Interestingly, the term translated here as “press on” (also in v. 12) is actually the very same Greek word Paul uses to describe his former life of “persecuting the church” (v. 6). The verbal idea is that of chasing, hunting, pursuing with great fervor. Apparently, the old Paul was fixated on the feverish pursuit of Christ-followers, but the Paul who has experienced the power of Jesus’ resurrection feverishly pursues something else … or rather Someone else. Instead of chasing down all that’s wrong in others, his eye is single toward chasing relationship with the Righteous One and being found in Him.

And here’s the beauty of this testimony: God transforms our old self not just by replacing it, but by redeeming it.

I tend to think of walking in newness of life (Romans 6:4, NKJV) as a miracle that can only be accomplished when the old life has been removed entirely out of the way, but Paul’s experience seems to indicate that our old identity isn’t something God obliterates but instead resuscitates.

Consider this: When we read about Jesus appearing to His disciples after His resurrection, it’s evident that He was recognized by His friends, whether through physical features or customary habits that were familiar (cf. John 21:7; Luke 24:35). All this indicates that our hope of physical, bodily resurrection in the future still allows for some recognition of our former selves in our glorified state.

Paul’s testimony in Philippians points to the reality that the same can be true when we experience spiritual resurrection in the present.

Even in the new life we live, there may be some familiar vibes that hark back to our old selves—unique qualities and traits from our former lives that have been sanctified and even restored into the image of God.

Just ask the former fishermen on the Sea of Galilee whom Jesus turned into fishers of men. Just track the transformation of the sons of thunder (James and John) whose former strength of personality and even violent defense of Jesus were converted into a martyr’s loyalty and model of agape love. Or even follow the story of John Mark, whose penchant to abandon ministry and return to the comforts of home (Acts 13:13) was eventually transformed into a useful availability that Paul could lean on when others had forsaken him (2 Timothy 4:9-11). All this underscores a beautiful truth about God: He loves us for who we uniquely are and does all in His power to recreate us into who He has uniquely called us to be.

Again, do you know the power of Jesus’ resurrection? As you take time to reflect on your own story of grace, let God show you traits of your former life that He has transformed (and still is transforming!) in your new life. Let God bring awareness to former pursuits that He wants to convert with new and holy focus. Be real with those former weaknesses—and even boast in them (2 Corinthians 12:9)—so that God can reclaim them and make His strength perfect through them.

—Godfrey Miranda is lead pastor at the Littleton Seventh-day Adventist Church. Republished with permission from Littleton Adventist Church Pastor’s Blog. Photo by Aziz Acharki from Unsplash.

23 Jun

LITERATURE EVANGELISTS DO MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Rich Klebba – Trinidad, Colorado … A group of literature evangelists (LE’s) came to Trinidad for a few weeks in July of 2021. At one residence during their canvasing, they spoke with a woman who was dog sitting while the resident was out of town.

On the questionnaire the LE’s fill out for each contact, she had told them that she would be interested in Bible studies, so, several months later, two members from our church called on the home to make a follow up visit. The dog sitter was no longer there, but the resident was.

“The resident introduced himself as Greg and invited us in,” reflected one the Trinidad Church member visitors. “During the course of our conversation, Greg mentioned that he had been studying his Bible quite a bit recently and was excited to tell us he had discovered that Christians were attending church on the wrong day—the true Sabbath is really Saturday.”

He had asked several pastors of the local churches he had recently attended why they worshipped on Sunday when Saturday was the true Sabbath. They couldn’t give him a satisfactory answer other than “It’s tradition” or “We worship on Sunday to honor our Lord’s resurrection.”

One of the Trinidad Church member visitors asked him if he would like to attend a church that worshiped on Saturday: “He seemed surprised to hear that there may be a church in Trinidad that actually worshiped on the true Sabbath. We told him that we were from the Trinidad Seventh-day Adventist Church and worshiped on Sabbath, Saturday, and invited him to attend our church.” He Attended the Trinidad Church the following Saturday.

But Gerg still had a lot of questions, and he wasn’t sure about getting involved with this religion he’d never even heard of before. “So, he prayed, asking the Lord if attending this church was really what He wanted Greg to do. The Lord replied to his spirit saying, ‘I sent you my two messengers, didn’t I?’” remarked Rich Klebba, head deacon at the Trinidad Church.

Greg was baptized into the Trinidad Seventh-day Adventist Church in 2023. “We know that God was leading during the entire process of helping Greg discover the true Sabbath on his own and arranging for us to meet him because of an LE contact several months earlier,” continued Klebba. “Greg continues to study his Bible and is actively involved in our church and in telling others about Jesus and His soon return. Praise the Lord for the work the LE’s did in Trinidad and that they continue to go wherever the Lord leads them.”

—Rich Klebba is the head deacon, clerk, and treasurer for the Trinidad Seventh-day Adventist Church. Photos supplied.

23 Jun

BALCONY BIBLE STUDY: HOW A SIMPLE INVITATION GREW INTO GLOBAL DISCIPLESHIP

Jose Briones – Denver, Colorado … Faith isn’t bound by geography. At Denver South Hispanic Seventh-day Adventist Church in Denver, Colorado, members don’t just preach the Word, they live it. Gilberto Ruedas, elder at Denver South Hispanic Church, has seen firsthand how small acts of generosity can ripple across borders, connecting believers in ways that only God could orchestrate.

For years, Ruedas and his friend and fellow church member, Carlos, have made it their mission to create a welcoming space for newcomers. Carlos, in particular, has a gift for conversation—always inviting visitors to talk, ask questions, and grow in faith. That openness led to something unexpected when he met Patty while driving for Uber. A simple conversation turned into a connection, and soon, Patty expressed interest in Bible study.

When they arrived at her apartment for the first meeting, she wasn’t there. But instead of leaving, they waited. Eventually, she welcomed them up to her balcony, where they dove into an impromptu Bible study—no formal structure, just genuine discussion about faith. Then, Patty took it a step further. As they talked, she suggested bringing in others—neighbors, strangers passing by—because, in her words, “I want them to get to know Jesus.”

But the mission didn’t stop there. Her daughter, living in Cuernavaca, Mexico, wanted to join too. With the help of technology, the small group study stretched across borders—Denver and Mexico, together in faith. And in a remarkable turn, Patty’s daughter happened to live just five minutes away from a local pastor. Within days, she was attending church in Mexico, surrounded by a new community that welcomed her with open arms.

For Ruedas, moments like this are more than coincidence. They are evidence that God is building His team worldwide. “When we share the Word of God, we revive ourselves and encourage others,” he said.

The story of Patty, her daughter, and a simple Uber ride reminds us: God doesn’t work within borders, buildings, or limitations. He connects hearts across the world. And when we choose to step into His plan, we become part of His global team. Watch Gilberto’s story below.

—Jose Briones is the RMC Stewardship Promotion and Content creator. Photo capture from RMC’s “Always Faithful” video series.

23 Jun

DELTA CHURCH CELEBRATES A CENTENARIAN’S BIRTHDAY

Rajmund Dabrowski – Delta, Colorado … When members of the Delta Seventh-day Adventist Church in Delta, Colorado, opened their Sabbath’s bulletin, they could not miss a triple title welcoming them to their worship service. There it was: Happy Sabbath, Happy Father’s Day, and Happy Birthday, Thelma!

Thelma Hufman was to become the Delta’s Adventist centenarian on June 15. The church joined several members of her 44-member family in a special lunch in her honor.

When asked how she got to be 100, Thelma’s daughter Murleen Goodrich shared her straight answer: “One day at a time.”

Surrounded by several of her children, she reflected on her special day, wondering, “how is it possible. I never dreamed that. I love my family.”

Thelma maintains a sense of humor. Looking at a group of her family members, she said, “Look at what I am responsible for.”

She was born in a two-room cabin in Del Norte, Colorado, to an Adventist family and lived together with her six siblings. Today she is the oldest of 44-member Adventist family, with a great great grand-son, being the youngest.

After her wedding, she became a farm wife. Reminiscing about her young life, Murleen commented, “we always had work to do on the farm.”

“We had to listen to mom,” she added.

Dale Goodrich, elder of the Delta Adventist congregation and married to Thelma’s daughter Murleen, said plainly, “She is my mother-in-law. It’s been a long, hard journey for both of us. But she’s been a really good mother-in-law.”

“I really appreciated her. She is a Seventh-day Adventist forever,” he added.

Answering simply to a question what’s it like to have a 100-year-old grandmother, Jerry Goodrich, Thelma’s grandson, said, “She keeps me in line.”

—Rajmund Dabrowski is a member of Seventh-day Adventist Church in Delta, Colorado. Photos supplied and by Rajmund Dabrowski.

23 Jun

NEW CHEYENNE DISTRICT PASTOR GETS “POUNDED”

Paulette Yaple – Cheyenne, Wyoming … The four churches in the Cheyenne Church District—Cheyenne, Laramie, Torrington, and Wheatland Seventh-day Adventist Churches in their respective cities in Wyoming—had a welcome celebration for their new lead pastor, Kevin McDaniel, his wife Susie, and their daughter Andrea after the Sabbath fellowship lunch, June 14.

They had an “Old Fashioned Pounding” of their new pastor with each person giving them a gift of a pound of useful household items or food items. The Christian tradition of welcoming someone with a “Pounding” began in the 1800s. The Cheyenne Church started that tradition four and a half years ago with the last new pastor under the direction of interim pastor Al Williams.

Cheyenne head elder Tom Cowan commented, “I look forward to working with Pastor Kevin, especially on ideas he has for expanding recognition of the church in Cheyenne in our community. We are so happy he and his family are here.”

After a challenging journey to Cheyenne from Spokane, Washington, the McDaniels were happy to be in their new home and spend time with their new church family. “We were greatly honored by the outpouring of love and welcome that we received by all of the churches. We look forward to working with God’s people here to engage our communities for the cause of Jesus Christ,” remarked Kevin.

“Our district is excited that our new pastor, Kevin McDaniel and his family, have safely arrived in Wyoming. We look forward to working with them,” commented Paulette Yaple, the communication secretary at the Cheyenne Church.

—Paulette Yaple is the communication secretary at the Cheyenne Seventh-day Adventist Church. Photos supplied.

Pastor Kevin McDaniel and family with the Cheyenne District elders.
23 Jun

A MID-CENTURY MODERN CHURCH BUILDING ADDRESSED MID-CENTURY PROBLEMS

The Colorado Springs Central Seventh-day Adventist Church was built to serve the community.

Sabrina Riley – Colorado Springs, Colorado … Drive past the Colorado Springs Central Seventh-day Adventist Church at 1305 North Union Boulevard in Colorado Springs, Colorado, on any day of the week, and all you see is an aging mid-century modern house of worship, not all that different from thousands of others of a similar vintage across the nation. However, hidden in the basement of the Colorado Springs Central Church is a largely forgotten history shaped by world events.

The first Seventh-day Adventist congregation in Colorado Springs was admitted to the Colorado Conference in 1890. It was a group of about twenty people organized into a church by Elder Smith Sharp (1847-1931), a Seventh-day Adventist minister who worked in Kansas, New Mexico, and Colorado before spending his later years in Tennessee.

Throughout the first half of the twentieth century, the Colorado Springs Church relocated frequently, moving ever eastward from downtown. By 1963 the congregation had grown to 277 members, and they were no longer all able to fit in the building on North Wahsatch Avenue at the same time. This property was sold, the congregation started meeting in a rented Baptist church, and plans were begun for the construction of a new church on North Union Boulevard. The congregation broke ground for the new church in 1965.

World at Risk

As the design of the new church building took shape, it became more than just a place for the local congregation to worship. On October 20, 1963, the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists voted to contribute $7,500 to the new church building Colorado Springs. (The Central Union Reaper later reported that the General Conference contributed $6,000. The discrepancy between the magazine report and the General Conference meeting minutes has yet to be resolved.) Local churches are the property of the local conference—the Colorado Conference at that point—so this unusual grant indicated that something different was happening in Colorado Springs.

Since the United States had ended World War II by dropping the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, the world had come to feel increasingly unsafe. Americans lived, if not in fear, at least in anxiety that the Soviet Union might attack with nuclear weapons. In the 1950s, civil defense (what we now call emergency management and homeland security) focused on evacuation and mass casualty plans. In September 1961, President John F. Kennedy’s administration began a campaign to designate fallout shelters in which people could safely live for a period of weeks until radioactivity following a nuclear blast decayed to safer levels.

Throughout the 1950’s, Seventh-day Adventists worked with civil defense in their communities in a number of ways. Dorcas societies (now Adventist Community Services) collaborated with local authorities and the Red Cross in disaster response. Both Union College (Lincoln, Nebraska) and Walla Walla College (College Place, Washington) hosted civil defense drills in which Medical Cadet Corps, nursing, and home economics departments demonstrated how to manage mass casualties and feed crowds of displaced people.

In 1961, Adventists began designating buildings as fallout shelters as part of a national campaign for building such facilities under President John F. Kennedy’s administration. A community fallout shelter, capable of 460 people for two weeks, became part of the plan for the new church in Colorado Springs. This space (now the Adventist Community Services room) was not all that big. Church member Ron Baptist was about twelve years old when the room was completed. He remembers how crowded it was during a test run of the shelter. It was the first church building in Colorado Springs to qualify as a public fallout shelter. However, this was not the reason the General Conference used its own funds to support the project.

World at War

In April 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson increased American troop strength in Vietnam to over 60,000. While most Adventist soldiers in the 1960s trained as medics at the Medical Replacement Training Center at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas, once trained they could be sent anywhere, including one of Colorado Springs’ several military installations.

These installations encompassed both Army and Air Force. Camp Carson was constructed in 1942 as an Army training site for World War II. In 1954, it became Fort Carson. While Camp Carson was under construction, Colorado Spring’s municipal airport was converted to an army airfield, named Peterson Field in 1942 (the airport moved to adjacent land on the south side of the army airfield).

Although Peterson Field was deactivated for several years after World War II, when Ent Airforce Base (AFB) was opened in 1951 at the corner of East Boulder Street and North Union Boulevard, Peterson Field became an ancillary installation to Ent AFB (two years after the Army closed Ent AFB, it became the United States Olympic Training Center). In 1961 construction began on the Cheyenne Mountain Complex, which was completed in 1965, and over the next several years its capabilities were expanded. Meanwhile, the Air Force acquired land in northern Colorado Springs on which to establish a service academy. Classes moved from their temporary location in Denver to Colorado Springs in 1958.

While the academy’s mission was officer education, the Air Force installations focused on national defense through early warning detection systems for incoming missiles. Fort Carson was processing and mobilizing soldiers for deployment to Southeast Asia. Because Adventist men were encouraged to wait for draft selection rather than volunteer and due to an informal understanding between the Seventh-day Adventist National Service Organization and the United States Army in which Adventist were assigned to the Army Medical Corps, it is probable that most, if not all, Adventist servicemen coming through Colorado Springs were soldiers at Fort Carson.

Between 1965 and 1967, just when the Central Church was under construction, 29,000 soldiers were mobilized through Fort Carson for service in Southeast Asia. In October 1965 Fort Carson was home to 9,658 soldiers; in March 1967 it housed 24,735 soldiers. How many of those were Seventh-day Adventist is impossible to know, but it was enough for the General Conference to decide to create an Adventist servicemen’s center in the new building, a space for soldiers to get away from the hubbub of Army life from sundown Friday night to sundown Saturday night.

Thus, the General Conference gave the Colorado Springs Central Church a grant to furnish rooms in the new building for use by Adventist servicemen over the Sabbath hours. Two rooms with bunks for fifteen men, a lounge area, and men’s bathroom located off the east end of the fellowship hall were designated for the men. Presumably they were allowed to use the church kitchen and dine in the fellowship hall.

Servicemen’s Centers

The concept of Adventist servicemen’s centers dates back to World War II, when returning missionaries, usually fleeing the Japanese invasion in Asia, were designated camp pastors and assigned to locations near Army training camps where they could offer spiritual support and counseling to Adventist soldiers in training. Only a few servicemen’s centers from that era are known to have been acquired. Returned missionary H. A. Hansen and his wife bought a house in Salt Lake City, Utah,  to which soldiers were invited. A center was also set up in Neosho, Missouri, near Camp Crowder.

In the 1950’s, more centers were set up, which were typically hosted by a pastor and his wife. There is much yet to be learned about these facilities, including the precise location of many of them. Some were as simple as the arrangement in Colorado Springs, but in other locations houses were purchased. In the case of Takoma Park, Maryland, a purpose-built building was constructed for those stationed around Washington D.C., and participants in Operation Whitecoat, the Army’s medical research program in which Adventists volunteered to be test subjects, at Fort Detrick. In 1962 there were six centers: Anchorage, Alaska; Biloxi, Mississippi; Fort Ord, California; Frankfurt, Germany; Honolulu, Hawaii; and San Antonio, Texas. By 1970 there were eight: Colorado Springs, Colorado; Frankfurt, Germany; Fort Lewis, Washington; Okinawa, Japan; Saigon, Vietnam; San Antonio, Texas; Seoul, Korea; and Takoma Park, Maryland.

As the war in Vietnam wound to its controversial end, Adventist servicemen’s centers in the United States started closing, although those in Germany, Korea, and Japan would serve American soldiers assigned to overseas installations well into the 2000s. When Ron Baptist came home from academy in 1973, the two rooms designated for servicemen in the Colorado Springs Central Seventh-day Adventist Church had already been converted to the local church’s use.

—Sabrina Riley is an independent researcher and consultant in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Her current research interests include the Seventh-day Adventist military experience and her family’s genealogy. She may be reached at The Family Archivist: https://www.familyarchivist.net. Republished with permission from OUTLOOK Adventist News June 8, 2025, article. Photo supplied.

16 Jun

GLACIER VIEW RANCH TRANSFORMED WITH MARANATHA MISSION TEAM

RMCNews – Ward Colorado … Thirty-two volunteers participated in a service mission trip at Glacier View Ranch (GVR) in Ward, Colorado, sponsored by Maranatha Volunteers International (MVI), May 20-June 4. Each participant was provided with free lodging, meals, project materials, and morning and evening worship services in exchange for their efforts.

The team successfully completed a range of significant projects, most notably adding ADA-compliant access and making extensive interior upgrades to GVR’s medical office. This improvement will enable the camp to serve all its guests’ medical needs more effectively and safely. Additionally, crews cleared debris and cleaned up the area surrounding the stables, improving both functionality and appearance.

There were a number of painting tasks during the project including the girls’ bathhouse and the horse stables. Also, a number of small gazebos were constructed in a few locations throughout the camp to provide gathering and worship areas for anyone visiting GVR.

But the generosity of the volunteers extended well beyond their scheduled projects. Some volunteered to purchase much-needed equipment for GVR with their personal money, including seven vacuum cleaners and additional bags. There was even one volunteer offering to assist with the purchase of a generator that would power the entire camp’s facilities during interruptions of power service.

Looking forward, MVI plans to sponsor another service trip in 2026, with the aim of enlisting 60 service-oriented volunteers to further contribute to the ongoing transformation of Glacier View Ranch.

“The volunteers from Maranatha went above and beyond! Not only did they construct some much-needed improvements to our facilities, but they did it with a positive attitude and left behind an indelible impression at our camp,” commented Brandon Westgate, Rocky Mountain Conference Youth director. “We are incredibly grateful and well blessed with their support.”

—RMCNews. Photos courtesy of Maranatha Volunteers International and by Liz Kirkland.

Photo courtesy of Maranatha Volunteers International.
Photo courtesy of Maranatha Volunteers International.
Photo courtesy of Maranatha Volunteers International.
16 Jun

MISSION WORK REVIVED: NEWDAY PASTOR JOINS LIFE-CHANGING SERVICE TRIP TO PERU

Liz Kirkland – Denver, Colorado … A recent mission trip to Peru saw the revival of a longstanding church tradition at Newday Adventist Church in Parker, Colorado, as Kenneth Martinez, Newday associate pastor, and a dedicated team of volunteers partnered with AdventHealth’s Global Health Initiatives (GHI) to bring critical medical and community support to underserved Amazonian regions. The multi-team effort resulted in a remarkable impact across health, sanitation, and spiritual connection.

The mission, lasting a little more than a week of intensive service, was organized through GHI, an AdventHealth initiative that facilitates several international service trips annually to various locations throughout the world. Three specialized teams—medical, water sanitation, and mobile clinics—served hundreds of residents in remote towns outside of Iquitos, Peru.

The medical team served at the Ana Stahl Adventist Clinic in Iquitos that is known to be one of the best medical providers in the region. Due to financial and other resource limitations, however, the clinic will sometimes have to postpone treating patients until one of the mission groups is available. During this particular mission visit, the medical team completed around 18 surgeries at the clinic.

Meanwhile, the water sanitation team delivered and installed approximately 80–100 water filters, a vital solution in villages lacking clean water, sewage systems, and consistent electricity. These locally maintainable filters were life-changing for communities without many resources that were drawing unsafe water.

The mobile clinic team included doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and Martinez assisted as one of a handful of interpreters being fluent in Spanish and English to assist in their efforts. In the five days the mobile clinics operated, 571 individuals were treated, averaging over 100 patients per day. Many cases were basic yet crucial—malnutrition, stomach issues from unclean water, and chronic conditions like hypertension and diabetes. One particularly urgent case involved a man facing blindness from tree resin exposure; the team personally transported him by boat to the Ana Stahl Clinic, ultimately saving his sight.

Beyond physical aid, the trip stirred spiritual renewal and outreach. “The value of serving is definitely part of the Gospel, to alleviate pain, extending the healing mission of Christ,” remarked Martinez.

He noted several spiritual conversations emerged naturally during the trip with other volunteers outside of the Adventist denomination or organized faith. “I was praying that I could be able to also help in a spiritual manner. As a pastor, this was a great evangelistic and ministry opportunity. There were three volunteers in particular with a spiritual interest. One of them said, ‘I would like to go to your church,’ and I hope that this person comes with their family. For me, it was very fulfilling and meaningful to be able to provide some spiritual guidance and counseling and be able to help them in their spiritual journey to connect with Jesus.”

Martinez expressed deep appreciation for the opportunity: “Global Health Initiatives provides this framework for people to serve.” Looking ahead, he hopes to mobilize more church members, broadening the impact of the mission of hope, health, and healing, commenting, “I wish more pastors and members would serve because it’s a very intimate experience; you get to know people at a more personal level. It is the perfect environment to bring up spiritual conversations.”

—Interview conducted by Liz Kirkland, Rocky Mountain Conference Communication director. Initial article draft curated by ChatGPT based on the interview; revisions and editing by Liz Kirkland. Photos courtesy of Kenneth Martinez.