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RMCNews – Denver, Colorado … Rocky Mountain Conference (RMC) president Mic Thurber announced at the RMC Executive Committee meeting on February 18 that he will be retiring from his role on March 1 of this year. Coinciding with Mic’s retirement, Jana Thurber, RMC Women’s, Prayer, and Ministerial Spouse Support coordinator and Mic’s life and ministry partner will be retiring as well.

“It is never easy leaving a place you have grown to love, so it is hard for us to say goodbye to the many wonderful people we’ve met in the Rocky Mountain Conference over our years here,” remarked Mic on his impending retirement. “We have enjoyed our travels to all the beautiful parts of our Conference, and loved every minute of our times when we could worship and join in fellowship with you.”

“I have appreciated working with Mic for the last several years. In particular, his support of women in ministry and restructuring the Ministerial Department to give greater support to churches from cultures other than Anglo communities. That last initiative is just starting to take root, and I look forward to seeing it blossom,” commented Doug Inglish, RMC vice president for administration.

Darin Gottfried, RMC vice president for finance, remarked, “I am very excited for Mic and Jana as they are able to move into a new stage of life. I wish them the best as they continue to pursue ministry in retirement.”

Mic Thurber joined RMC in September of 2021 when the former RMC president, Ed Barnett, retired from the position. He was officially voted in for the role at the 2022 RMC Constituency Meeting.

Mic Thurber holds a long family legacy in the Adventist community as son of John and Patsy Thurber. John sang in the King’s Heralds Quartet during the 1960s and served two decades leading innovative youth programs. Patsy was an integral part in assisting with implementation in their shared ministry.

Mic graduated from Keene Adventist Elementary School in Keene, Texas, Mount Pisgah Academy in Candler, North Carolina, and Southern Adventist University in Collegedale, Tennessee. He began his time as an Adventist professional as the music and Bible teacher at Sunnydale Academy in Centralia, Missouri, then later at his alma matter, Mt. Pisgah Academy.

In 1981, Mic was called to be Youth pastor in San Diego, later taking over that church when the lead pastor left. After two years pastoring the Calimesa Seventh-day Adventist Church near Loma Linda, California, he served as Ministerial director for the Southeastern California Conference, and then later moving to pastor the Pacific Union College Seventh-day Adventist Church in Angwin, California. Mic was then lead pastor at the Keene Seventh-day Adventist Church, following as the Ministerial director for Mid-America Union Conference before becoming the RMC president.

Jana Thurber, also with an Adventist family legacy, is the daughter of Howard and Wilma Boling where Howard was a pastor and singing evangelist and Wilma was a professional musician. “Jana was raised in a spiritual home where love for Jesus took deep root,” reflected Mic. “Even from her earliest years, her desire to follow and live for Jesus was evident to all who knew her.”

Graduating from the Georgia-Cumberland Academy in Calhoun, Georgia, and Southern Adventist University, and currently enrolled in the Andrews University Masters in Pastoral Ministry program, Jana’s professional history ranged from ministry assistance, paralegal at the Loma Linda University Office of Legal Counsel, trust officer for Pacific Union College, associate pastor at the Keene Church, and to her current role at with Rocky Mountain Conference.

“As Jana and I prepare to leave, we want to encourage each of you to draw together in a spirit of unity, the kind of unshakable unity that Jesus Himself pled for in John 17, so that you might all be united in your commitment to the mission of spreading the Good News about Jesus and His soon return” urges Mic. “It’s all too easy to allow things to divide us—and our plea is that you just say ‘NO!’ to the enemy’s attempts. Always remember that Jesus has already won, and that soon He will return for His children. Our prayer is that no precious moments will be wasted on things that will separate us in mission.”

“Jana and I leave here enriched by knowing you, and we will forever be grateful for the opportunity to have served you in the Rocky Mountain Conference,” closes Mic with a final statement and Bible verse. “May God grant us all peace and grace until He appears in glory where we will forever be together! Here is our prayer for all of you …”

… That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love,  may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God (Ephesians 3:16-19, NKJV).

—RMCNews

RMCNews with Ted Williams – Rocky Ford, Colorado … “I’ve always loved the Lord, and he’s always been in my life. I’ve seen miracle after miracle happen through prayer. I pray for everyone, and they call me. I have a list that I pray for, and I’ve seen things happen that are just awesome,” commented Glenna Walter in a recent conversation with RMCNews.

Glenna Walter has been a life-long member of the local community in southeastern Colorado near Rocky Ford. Raised in an Adventist family, she also attended Adventist schools all the way through college where she received a bachelor’s degree in education and communication.

Reflecting on her upbringing in these faith communities, Glenna remarked, “My mother was a beautiful Seventh-day Adventist and taught us from the time we were young. And our [Adventist] schools that we went to were incredible. They weren’t jam-packed and it was a nice place to go because of the gentleness. You become a friend of Christ, and that is the thing that has kept me going—I am pushing on 100 years old now.”

“I love school,” she continued. “I did teach at a school for a while, but I decided I would be a foster parent. My husband and I took in 22 babies.”

Glenna and her husband were married 65 years before he passed away. Along with being foster parents, they raised five children of their own on their farm and cattle ranch. “I’m a cattle person, and we’ve always had cattle and the farm. So, your whole life is wrapped around horses and cattle and ground and gardens. It’s a ‘get up early in the morning and feed the animals and then you eat’ lifestyle.”

But Glenna and her husband made time to be actively involved and serve in their local church, the Arkansas Valley Seventh-day Adventist Church in Rocky Ford, Colorado. In 1985, Glenna was ordained by Rocky Mountain Conference (RMC) officials as an elder of the church:

“After I got out of college, they made me an elder. I have a special feeling for people, I love people, and I would love to see every church just lined up with cars. It would be such a wonderful thing for them to get acquainted with Christ. He is so important and keeps you safe and keeps you well. [Knowing Christ] enhances your life to the point that every little thing you are going through doesn’t bother you.”

“And our church is always so sweet,” praised Glenna. “Our church is kind and gentle; it’s working in the community and trying to get things done with people that need help.”

The Arkansas Valley Church regularly participates in community outreach as members of the local Chamber of Commerce, hosting a prayer and literature booth at the community festival, a 60-second radio prayer every morning, and involvement with a ministerial alliance.

“Covid kind of hurt us—so many family members were lost. I looked through town and saw these beautiful churches that are around, and, for a while, there were no cars anywhere. I really had a deep feeling that, ‘oh my, you’ve got to find the Lord.’ You’ve got to go to church and talk to Christ, because he’s the thing that really inspires your life here and is your hope and keeps you healthy,” she reflected.

When asked if she could remember a particular time when she saw God moving powerfully through the congregation, Glenna remarked, “You see it every Sabbath day when you go to church. There’s a special feeling of love among all the members and you get it. The love grows.”

“You get to where you know people from the time they are young. You watch them growing older and watch their love for Christ getting stronger and stronger. It’s a loving community that is a true love. And we do love this community. We have lived here all our lives, and it has been everything that we needed.”

Of special note, Glenna still serves as organist at the church for Sabbath services. Ted Williams, lead regional pastor at the Arkansas Valley Church, commented that her musical contributions to the worship service were greatly missed while she recovered from a recent fall.

“I am surrounded by stars, and Glenna Walter is a star!” remarked Williams. “She is a confidant and friend to everyone and tries to bring peace to those who have left the Church for one reason or another. She is constantly and consistently lifting up Jesus.”

“My whole life has been with Christ. I’ve never been alone without him. I’m so pleased because miracle after miracle has happened to my family, and the lives that have been saved through prayer are just amazing. He’s here. He’s in your life. He really is.”

—Ted Williams is lead pastor at the Arkansas Valley, Lamar, and Trinidad Seventh-day Adventist Churches. Photo by Ted Williams.

Jose Briones – Denver, Colorado … What makes Adventist education truly valuable? In the latest episode of the Rocky Mountain Conference’s (RMC) Living Generously podcast, guest host Melissa Briones dives into this question with Paul Negrete, the RMC Education associate superintendent.

Melissa Briones, an educator with deep roots in Adventist schooling, shares her experience within the system. Growing up near Glendale, California, she attended Crescenta Valley Adventist School and Glendale Adventist Academy before moving on to Southern Adventist University in Collegedale, Tennessee, to become a teacher. Throughout her time as a teacher in Adventist schools, Melissa noticed that parents and church members often focused on the financial aspects and the cost of private education.

Negrete addresses the perceived financial burden of Adventist education, highlighting its true worth beyond monetary terms. He emphasizes the integral role it plays in society and personal development. “Education has high value because what would we do without it?” he asks, underlining how Adventist education uniquely fosters spiritual growth through an integrated approach.

Discussing parents’ dual ambitions for their children—spirituality and academic excellence—Negrete argues that Adventist education can indeed facilitate “earthly success” by cultivating character through belief and relational development. He points out that Adventist schools offer unique advantages like mentorship and a connected community, often proving more beneficial than traditional public education systems.

The conversation also delves into the importance of financial generosity and sustainable support for Adventist schools. Negrete stresses that creating stronger connections between churches and schools requires viewing investment in education as a long-term strategy rather than a mere expense. He passionately advocates for church members to take ownership and invest both financially and personally in Adventist education to ensure its future success.

As the episode concludes, Negrete challenges listeners to view Adventist education as a powerful evangelistic tool with “180 days of evangelism per year.” This episode encapsulates the myriad ways Adventist education nurtures academic and spiritual growth, fostering a lifelong commitment to generosity and service.

We invite you to explore the full discussion on RMC’s Living Generously podcast for an in-depth understanding of these perspectives. Don’t forget to share the podcast and leave a review to support ongoing conversations about living a generous life.

CLICK HERE to listen to the full episode, and CLICK HERE to see the full list of previous and future series episodes. To listen to the full podcasts on YouTube, CLICK HERE.

—Jose Briones is the RMC Stewardship Promotion and Content creator. Photo by CDC of Unsplash.

By Mickey Mallory

As the Ministerial director for the Rocky Mountain Conference, it’s my joy, honor, and thrill to be able to serve over 50 pastors in our conference.

As I get around to the churches in our region and visit folks, I’m always impressed to hear the stories, the stories of how pastors impact people’s lives. Sometimes it’s a visit when you need a visit. They were there for you. Sometimes it’s a call or a text. Sometimes it’s a sermon. Pastors are always good about being on the giving end.

But the reality is that sometimes pastors need to be on the receiving end. And so, it wasn’t too long ago when I was pastor at a church and one of my members came up to me and said, “hey, pastor, I’m praying for you.” And I thought to myself, wow, how did they know that I needed prayer?

I thanked the member for that, and, shortly after, the Lord gave me a vision, a vision of heaven. That vision was of when I get to heaven, and He shows me the trophies of my work. And I’ll praise Him for all of that, because I know it’s only through His power that I was able to do it.

But then Lord says, “Mickey, I want to show you something else.” He shows me people that were praying for me, the church members that were praying for me. And I realized that the major reason I had success on earth was because I had people praying for me.

As I thought about that, I thought, “wow, isn’t that cool?” Pastors are always on the giving end, but church members can be on the giving end, too. And that means you can have an opportunity to impact your pastor.

So, I want to invite you, if you haven’t already, to make sure every day that you pray for your pastor. Because someday, when we all get to heaven, Jesus is going to show us all the great things that happen because of all the prayers that went out.

Thank you for all that you do, and may God bless you.

—Mickey Mallory is RMC Ministerial director. Photo capture from RMC’s Ministerial video series.

Alexandra Cordoba – Denver, Colorado … The Koinonia select choir at Campion Academy (CA) in Loveland, Colorado, kicked off the Denver Nuggets NBA game, performing the national anthem to an audience of nearly 20,000 in the Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado, February 5.

CA athletic director Caleb Jahn and CA music director Naomi Fernandez had looked into having Koinonia sing the anthem for the Nuggets game the night that Campion played in the Ball Arena, but scheduling prohibited that. Instead, the choir focused on preparing to sing for the Mile High vs. Campion Ball Arena games.

During that performance, Lindsey, a coordinator at Ball Arena, heard Koinonia’s rendition of the “Star Spangled Banner” and described it as one of her favorite versions. A few weeks later, a cancellation created an open slot and Lindsey reached out to Fernandez to see if they would sing for a real NBA game remembering the Koinonia’s performance.

Reflecting on the experience, Fernandez shared, “I think that it was exciting, and it was an honor. I thought the students handled themselves really well, going from a stadium of 300 to 20,000, and they performed at a really high level.”

CLICK HERE to watch the performance.

—Alexandra Cordoba, Campion Academy Student News Team. Photo capture from Campion Academy performance recording.