NN July 2020 – Page 4 – Rocky Mountain Conference of Seventh-day Adventists

08 Jul

WYOMING CAMP MEETING 2020 STARTS NEXT WEEK

By Jon Roberts — Cody, Wyoming . . . At least one camp meeting is being planned in the Rocky Mountain Conference this summer, although it won’t take place under a big tent, or inside a gym, but virtually, in individual homes.

The Adventist church has held camp meetings, or tent revivals, since the denomination was founded. This year, with the pandemic affecting large public gatherings, many camp meetings across the country are being cancelled or members are being offered other options to bring them together.

The organizers of the Wyoming camp meeting realized in late April that the pandemic was going to force them to cancel the event usually held at Mills Spring Ranch located on Casper Mountain. However, they a needed to offer some version of a spiritual convocation.

“People are still looking for spiritual avenues to grow and to connect,” commented Steve Nelson, organizer of Wyoming camp meeting and pastor of Cody, Worland, Powell and Ten Sleep congregations. “We want to be able to provide that virtually to keep people connected”

“Portions of the camp meeting will be pre-recorded; however, most will be live streamed from various locations,” Nelson added.

Even though the 2020 virtual event will be online only, the schedule will be full. From morning worship with Wyoming pastors and RMC administrators, to a live cooking program in the afternoon, to evening worship with featured speaker Dick Stenbakken, retired Adventist Chaplaincy Ministries director, the theme of “Steps to Jesus” will be evident throughout the week. Please see the full schedule below.

Members across the conference are encouraged to attend the virtual event next week. You can view the programs on the Wyoming Camp Meeting Facebook Page or on the RMC Facebook page.

—Jon Roberts is RMC communication/media assistant; July 20, 2019 camp meeting photo by Rajmund Dabrowski.

08 Jul

GLACIER VIEW RANCH IS OPEN

By Jessyka Dooley — Ward, Colorado . . . While the ongoing pandemic has cancelled or closed most of the summer camps around the world, GVR remains open with a limited staff.

In May, a month when we would be planning, organizing, and making final plans for summer camp, the Youth department was instead busy calling the families who had pre-registered for summer camp, informing them that the pandemic had claimed another victim of normal life–GVR.

“When I got the message that summer camp was not going to operate, I was incredibly disappointed,” Nina Madrigal, GVR camp programming director commented. “I love ministry (especially summer camp ministry), so thinking about not being able to be involved this year was extremely sad.”

As the month of May drew on, the thought of GVR remaining empty like our schools over the past three months, was overwhelming. The Youth department began to look for possible funding to find a way to hire some of our summer staff.

Thanks to Mid-America Union funding, we were able to hire 16 summer camp staff and two volunteers for a 6-week experience. With funding secured, we worked with the RMC Treasury department to secure additional funding for various projects around camp.

This became a blessing for the limited staff. “God works all things for good. (My) hope for this summer is to grow together and be able to make next summer the best summer ever,” Madrigal stated.

The staff is missing the energy our campers bring to GVR and the sounds of laughter, team-building activities, and worship around the firepit. However, we are still making a difference for future campers. Our staff is currently working on many projects, including camp store renovations, advancing our programming development, building a new bike pump track, additional activities, and many other improvements to GVR!

The GVR staff knows how hard it is on the youth of RMC to miss summer camp. We are working on bringing summer camp to RMC churches this summer with pre-recorded skits, activities, and children’s stories. If you would be interested in receiving this material please email [email protected]. We want to engage our youth and young adults during the pandemic.

We are also working closely under state and county regulations as well as with our child care licensing specialist to plan day horseback rides. We are also taking reservations for Group, Tent and RV camping, and day hiking. For rates and reservations, please contact the GVR office at 303-459-0771.

GVR and Mills Spring Ranch are a vital piece in the growth and development of our youth. We can’t exist without gracious donors and supporters. Consider helping us with the RMC Summer Camp Development for 2020. To donate, please visit our website!

It is incredible to see God moving at Glacier View Ranch and Mills Spring Ranch this summer. Dreams are becoming reality and the camps you saw in 2019 will be bringing fresh new energy in 2021, thanks to the generosity, love, and prayers from our RMC constituents.

–Jessyka Dooley is RMC associate youth director for ministry and GVR Summer Camp director; photos supplied.

07 Jul

NAD Executive Committee Recommends Name for New Division President

Columbia, Maryland . . .The Executive Committee of the North American Division (NAD) of the Seventh-day Adventist Church voted on July 7, 2020, to recommend the name of G. Alexander Bryant for the position of NAD president. Bryant’s name was presented to the executive committee by the nominating committee, which met on July 6. The General Conference (GC) Executive Committee will meet virtually on July 9 to receive the recommendation and elect the new NAD president.

The division’s nominating committee is termed a standing committee appointed by the NAD Executive Committee in 2015. The nominating committee has recommended the names of individuals to the executive committee for vote during the past five years in order to fill division vacancies.

Glenward Alexander (“Alex”) Bryant has most recently served as both executive secretary of the NAD and associate secretary of the GC, a position he’s held since October 2008. Before coming to the division, Bryant served as the president of the Central States Conference in Kansas City, Kansas, for 11 years.

Bryant graduated with a dual major in Theology and Business Administration from Oakwood College (now Oakwood University) in 1982.

He began his ministry that same year in Springfield, Missouri, and Coffeyville and Independence, Kansas. In 1986, Bryant was ordained, and he continued his education by earning a Master of Divinity degree from Andrews University in 1988. The Central States Conference voted Bryant to serve as Youth/Pathfinders/National Service Organization director, Temperance director, and superintendent of Education in 1990; and he became president in 1997. In 2011, Bryant earned a Doctor of Ministry degree from Fuller Theological Seminary.

–This article originally was published on the NAD website; photo by Rajmund Dabrowski

07 Jul

Let’s listen: Students and alumni talk race and Campion

By Jill Harlow – Loveland, Colorado . . . At Campion Academy, as we seek to become more Christ-like, we want to do more than just write statements against racism, we want to listen and learn how we can do better. In my interview with Rob Pride from our last issue, he recalled that racial issues were never something discussed at Campion when he attended and he challenged us to have those conversations. So this week, I sat down with two current students and an alumnus to talk about their experience being black and attending Campion Academy.

The following is a summary of our conversation.

How has the killing of George Floyd and others we’ve seen recently, and the following protests impacted you personally?

Amira: “Mainly, it opened up my eyes that the world hasn’t changed and that it’s still so cruel and it’s just sad.”

CJ: “There’s a lot of tension. I feel like a lot of people have been tip-toeing around me, I don’t know how to explain it, it’s like they’re walking on eggshells or something because of everything that has happened.”

Emma: “I feel like it has definitely opened my eyes to how serious racism is in America, and it has me thinking about ways that we can make it better and really talk to each other and have these difficult conversations. I feel like before it was just kind of avoided and everyone knew about it, but we didn’t really talk about it. There’s a lot of tension because now we are bringing up an old issue to the surface, and it’s hard.”

Did you feel you experienced racism at Campion or at other points in your life?

CJ: “I think since I was in the Adventist system for so long, I never really thought about it until after I graduated and I came back home and was talking with my brothers about things. Some things that happened could have been seen as racism, but I think how they said it, I didn’t see it as racism. I never thought about it going through Campion. I’m pretty sure there were racist jokes, but no one didn’t like me because of the color of my skin and that was a cool thing about Campion and Adventist education in general.”

Amira: “I honestly haven’t. I’ve spent a lot of time in the Adventist school system and attended public middle school, but everyone was cool there too. Again, there are racist jokes, but I agree that no one has ever not liked me because of the color of my skin. There was a time in third grade a girl wouldn’t share with me because she said she “didn’t like black people.” That really just broke my heart to be denied something just because of something I can’t change and is not my fault. It really opened up my eyes. I haven’t experienced direct racism since then, but it really just blows my mind that you can even think that way.”

Emma: “Again, I didn’t really experience that much and I’ve been in Adventist schools since kindergarten, but people have said racist comments to other black kids at my school and it also affects me. I’ve even heard kids make racist jokes and it just shows you how much of a problem it is, how it affects everyone, and how we are teaching our kids. I haven’t experienced it a lot because I feel like I have had more privilege than other black kids that I know being raised in white family.

What can we do at Campion to be better at being anti-racist?

CJ: “I was talking to my friend the other day, and he grew up in Florida, and until he left that area he didn’t realize that racism was a big thing because where he was from everyone was cool with everyone, but once he got out of that, he realized these things actually happen. So, that might be similar to students coming out of Campion. I think we just need to educate people to let them know that it is okay to have black friends and that they are not really different, other than the color of their skin.”

Amira: “Honestly, Campion does such a great job. Maybe it’s because I’m an international ambassador, but we are so accepting. I’ve never seen so many people come together and accept different cultures, different languages–it’s beautiful. I do believe that education is important to teach everyone that we are not different, we are all people, and to be sensitive that some jokes aren’t funny because it’s inappropriate. I feel like that is something that should be also said.”

Emma: “I think educating people that we are all the same is good, but we also need to educate that we are different and to embrace the beauty that we have in different cultures. The more you learn about another culture, the more you can learn about another person. I feel that would just make people more open to talk about stuff, and it would help us not feel like we are so different if we learned about each other’s cultures. And also accountability, like if someone makes a racist comment, rather than just pushing it off, or saying it’s not a big deal, really actually attack that issue and explain why it hurt us, or why it is inappropriate.”

What about in our churches?

Emma: “I definitely think that bringing the conversation on race into our churches is also important. The Bible does talk about race, and just because we are in church, doesn’t mean that it’s not important and it can’t be addressed. Someone might be feeling a certain way about a racial issue, but because we are not talking about it, it’s just staying inside and they might feel like they have to be someone different at church. I always feel like I have to be someone else at church, and it has to do with my skin and maybe with the way I was raised too.”

What do you wish would be the biggest change in society at large as a result of this movement?

Emma: “My main biggest hope is that we increase accountability. A lot of these killings were happening before George Floyd and the reason why they were able to do that because they got off the hook and no one dealt with it. I hope we start to deal with it more, and if it happens once, we deal with it right then and there.”

Amira: “As Emma said, I want more accountability. But I really want more social awareness. I want everyone to realize there is a problem. I want everyone to stand up for what is right and when they see a problem, to help and talk about it so we can deal with it. I feel like in the past, that was not the case at all. We weren’t talking about it. It was just being swept under the rug and this really has all of us coming together and shown us what we can do as a whole.

CJ: “Well, I want Jesus to come sooner! I want people to realize with these killings that people just want justice and they’ve been waiting for that for a while. And it hasn’t happened! I want people to understand that just because people of color want justice for these killings that doesn’t mean that we want anything bad to happen to people of other races. We are not trying to overtake the country, we just want justice. We want to be treated like everyone else. I think what would help is more education and maybe more training for officers. More training in how to de-escalate situations, because there have been other times when the situation was de-escalated and no one had to die and deadly force didn’t have to be used.

To listen in to the full conversation, click here.

–Jill Harlow is communication director for Campion Academy

01 Jul

COMMENTARY: YOU ARE FREE INDEED

By Doug Inglish . . . Sometimes, enough is enough.

My first taste of dormitory life was less than ideal. The building was thoroughly worn out, practically falling down around us, and it was no longer worth fixing. During the first semester of my freshman year, the finishing touches were being applied to a new dorm, which we moved into right after Christmas break. And if you think I was ready to make the change, imagine the senior class who had lived in that dump for three and a half school years!

When enough is enough, sometimes the solution is to move. When the first non-indigenous settlers of North America were arriving–Puritans, Jews, and even Catholics who could not enjoy the freedom of religion we take for granted—had decided that enough was enough, and they came here. When the serfs and peasants from Lisbon, Krakow, and Prague, disallowed by birth from ever owning land, decided that enough was enough, they came here. When whatever monarch happenstance brought to the throne was a little too close in Peking or Constantinople, they came here.

What they found was not perfection. I can relate to that, because the new dorm had an echo, it was a lot further from the cafeteria and gym, and freshmen had to live three to a room built for two, but we were not complaining. By comparison to where we had been living, it was paradise.

So, it was in America. Even after independence, freedom from kings just meant that someone else was in charge, and even when that someone was, We the People, it can be gotten wrong a lot of the time. Before our establishment as a nation and for a century afterward, a portion of the population was dragged here in chains against their will, whatever freedom they previously had, stripped away. When, finally, a war was fought and won to establish that enough was enough when it came to slavery, equality was still an uneven mix of concept and reality.

At least the principles we espouse, though not fully realized, are worthy of aspiration. Many of the nations that we once fled have embraced our ideals and even, to some extent, our form of government. I’ll take this not only over what was left behind, but over pretty much any other version of self-rule, to say nothing of the majority of the globe where the phrase “freedom” is a joke, but nobody’s laughing.

My senior year I found myself in the minority. Most of the residents had never lived in the old dorm, and they failed to appreciate what we had. Minor vandalism began to occur. It didn’t take long for some of us older students to decide enough was enough of that, and though our methods could have used some refinement, our message was clear enough.

It’s happening in our society as well. People are openly questioning whether we should have the right to say what we believe, own property, or even earn a living. Worst of all, the question is no longer whether you can worship as you believe, but if your choice to worship at all is even legitimate. The old concepts of freedom seem quaint to many who never grew up under the oppression of a genuine despot.

Why? Same problem as always. Sinful people in a sinful world.

Monarchy, republic, socialism, dictatorship, anarchy, all suffer from the same fatal disease of being subject to the decisions of flawed humans. As slaves to our own humanity, how can we ever expect to create a free society? It’s not that freedom can’t be achieved; it’s that we can’t be trusted to be in charge of it.

Don’t despair; I suspect you know where I am going with this.

“So, if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed,” (John 8:36 NIV).

Because of that truth, the slave girl in Naaman’s household was free. The prisoners with Paul and Silas were free. Starving peasants in Soviet collective farms, tortured academics in Cambodia’s killing fields, and slaves sold in markets in Atlanta–if the Son set them free, they were free indeed.

I’m not peddling pablum here, as is so often done. If Marx referred to religion as “the opioid of the masses” it’s at least in part because that is how it has so often been used. You can’t just see injustice and shrug it off by saying “Well, the Son can make him free.” If that’s my response, I am no better than the person committing the injustice.

So yes, we should do all we can to support freedom, from establishing a nation on the principles of freedom to working against the unjust laws of that very nation. In all of it though, even when you feel the appropriate gratitude of whatever level of freedom you enjoy, keep in mind that it is only the real thing if the Son has made you free. And by all means, let others know about it, too.

—Doug Inglish, is RMC director for planned giving and trust services; photo by UnSplash

01 Jul

ADOPTION

By Dick Stenbakken . . . I knew from as far back as I can remember that I was adopted. My parents made it clear that they chose me to be their own. To me, it always seemed somewhat special —an honor— to have been adopted. It didn’t make me any better than anyone, but it created a special bond with my parents.

Paul mentions adoption in his epistles (Romans 8:15, 23; 9:4; Galatians 4:5; Ephesians 1:5). The churches to which he wrote, mentioning adoption, were all Gentile-Roman groups. While there was no practice of adoption among the Jews, the concept of adoption had very special meaning in Roman culture. Romans adopted others as adults, not as children. Adoptions were done to pass on inheritance and continue the family line. It also carried with it the responsibility of the adoptee to not only inherit, but to correctly manage the estate inherited and to bring honor to the new father and family name.

Roman adoption process was a very formalized ritual. On completion, before witnesses, the son now became officially a new person with an entirely new identity.

The new identity was more than a change of name. The adopted son now had full legal rights of inheritance as if he were a natural-born son. All past debits were gone. He was officially related to the new, not the old, family. In Roman law, and in many states today, once someone is adopted, he cannot be disowned by the adopting father. While the Roman father could disinherit a natural-born son, he could never disinherit his adopted son. Adoption was forever. The adoptee could walk away from his new father, but the father could never walk away from his adopted son.

Read that last line again. Let it sink in. No wonder Paul says, “…We wait eagerly for our adoption as sons….” (Romans 8:23 NIV). Our adoption as children of God differs from Roman adoption in that we make the choice to allow our adoption. It isn’t something done to us, it is something in which we actively participate. When we do, we are His—forever. He will not walk away from us. He invites us to be full inheritors of His name and His kingdom. We can leave the past and be a totally new person.

I was a newborn when adopted. I had no say in the process. God gives us a choice, an invitation to be adopted and be fully, freely, finally and forever His. It’s an honor to be adopted— twice.

–Dick Stenbakken, Ed. D. Chaplain (Colonel) U.S. Army, Retired

01 Jul

MOUNTAIN VIEWS NEW EDITION COVERS NEW NORMAL AND ADVENTISM; GOES ONLINE.

By Rajmund Dabrowski — Denver, Colorado … Now into its sixth year, Mountain Views is available online. After the Rocky Mountain Conference’ distribution of communication became Web-based, it was obvious that both publications, NewsNuggets, and Mountain Views needed to be more accessible to a wider church audience beyond RMC borders.

As the latest edition, Summer 2020, is being printed and mailed to all members of the church, the online edition provides readers with searchable archives of the magazine.

The current issue is dealing with a “contemporary mega” issue facing the world, including the religious milieu. We ask ourselves, what will be the new normal for our church, for each church member, for the church’s mission and ministry?

Not that the MV history is significant at this stage, but it should be noted that prior to 2015, there was only one edition of the magazine edited by Mark Bond. Today, the content has expanded, presenting a mosaic of subjects written by some of the best authors and thinkers in contemporary Adventism.

The challenge for the magazine was expressed by Ed Barnett, RMC president, who envisioned providing quality reading for church members. “We must go beyond in the way we do church. We must be a thinking church,” he said.

Last week, Barnett commented on this new stage for Mountain Views. “Our editors have done a marvelous job putting out the magazine for several years. Over time, we have had readers, even out of our conference, asking for a subscription. It is a magazine that really makes you think about some of the latest challenges we are facing as Seventh-day Adventists. We are now bringing out archives of previous issues, making the magazine available to many more readers,” he commented.

Ron Johnson, a member of Grand Junction Church sent a request: “This Authentic Adventism issue with multiple articles on being real is excellent and I would like to share the entire issue with folks outside of RMC. Can I purchase additional copies, perhaps as many as a dozen?” Another church member from Delta Church wrote that a group of members at her church is discussing Mountain Views articles in a church group. Can you send us a few extra copies? she requested.

This is exactly why we are serious about providing our fellow believers with additional reading, besides other denominational literature. We are not only about affirmation of our beliefs, but also taking us beyond into what the church pioneers challenged the fledgling denomination through present truth. Our contemporary world is challenging us, and we need to display a “thinking” faith.

“This is such a fun magazine to work on. The articles deal with current issues in the real world, inviting a fresh, contemporary design that I hope I manage to achieve!” commented Becky De Oliveira, designer and writer. “I can’t think of another conference-sponsored magazine that makes such an effort to engage thinking Christians in faith-centered discussions,” she added.

Often, the work of those who are busy behind the scenes is not thought about. It takes creativity, imagination, and boldness to put each issue together. Prayer is essential, as well as receiving critiques and affirmation.

The editorial credit goes to church leaders and you – the readers! We are grateful to Carol Bolden, who continues to assist us with editing, and to Jon Roberts, who is making sure we are online, as well as to our expert professional printers, Seminars Unlimited.

Above all, our gratitude goes to the Master Communicator whose inspiration leads us to take life seriously and make our faith, hope and life rich with meaning.

–Rajmund Dabrowski is editor of Mountain Views; in a selfie photo pictured are Becky De Oliveira and Rajmund Dabrowski

To view the Summer 2020 issue please click here.

01 Jul

North American Division Bids Farewell to Its President and First Lady

By Kimberly Maran — Columbia, Maryland . . .On July 1, 2020, under a big white tent on the grounds of the North American Division (NAD) headquarters, more than 200 in-person and online guests bid a fond farewell to Daniel R. and Donna Jackson during a two-hour celebration of their ministry and leadership. Each ministry, service, and entity of the division had the opportunity to share memories and messages for the Jacksons, who officially retired on July 1.* Vice presidents of the division, union presidents, and special guests General Conference (GC) president Ted N.C. Wilson and his wife, Nancy, also spoke at the event, which concluded with final thoughts from the Jacksons and a closing prayer by Ivan Williams, Sr. NAD Ministerial Association director.

After opening prayer by Office of Volunteer Ministries processing and communication coordinator Andrea Keele, humor — one hallmark of Dan Jackson’s presidential tenure — was on display as employees read clever poems, and a modern-day parable on a scroll. Others presented posters, personalized teddy bears including COVID-19 face masks, an individualized working policy book, a special Canadian law book, and two bobble-head dolls of the Jacksons. Many shared funny stories; and several groups performed musical parodies to several of Jackson’s favorite songs.

G. Alexander Bryant, NAD executive secretary, opened the occasion by sharing the process that went into planning the retirement event. “When we were thinking about this celebration we thought about Elder Jackson and Sister Jackson and their spirit, and the spirit that he has exemplified has always been accompanied with laughter,” said Bryant, who then quoted Proverbs 17:22: “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones” (KJV).

“The Lord has given him (and Donna) a tremendous sense of humor that he has utilized in his ministry and administration in a very effective way; this event is intended to be a ‘thank you’ and appreciation, but done in the spirit of Elder Jackson,” Bryant explained. “So you will see some parts that are funny, some parts that will make us laugh, and hopefully some parts that will lift our spirits as we say goodbye to our leader and first lady.”

Not only did the Jacksons bring laughter, song, and encouraging smiles and support to employees personally as they made special effort to spend time with coworkers, Jackson grew the mission and ministry of the division. And added to the moments designed to cheer the honorees were poignant parts of the program as appreciation was shared for the many contributions Jackson made during his 10 years of service at the division, including the building up of the NAD Ministerial Association, Multilingual Ministries, and Stewardship department; the creation of a missional strategic plan; and the addition of the Guam-Micronesia Mission, Oakwood University, Pacific Press Publishing Association, AdventSource, and Christian Record Services for the Blind.

In addition to the division moving to its own headquarters in Columbia, Maryland, in 2017, record tithe came in annually during Jackson’s tenure, almost 1,000 churches were planted; more than 300,000 people were baptized; the legacy Adventist media ministries (Breath of Life, Faith For Today, It Is Written and Escrito Está, Jesus 101, La Voz de la Esperanza, Lifetalk Radio, and the Voice of Prophecy) found their own homes and identities; the number of women working as pastors and chaplains doubled; the Adventist Learning Community, a robust digital ministry resource, was created; both the Young Adult Life initiative and Big Data + Social Media department came to fruition; and the division started the magazine Adventist Journey.

In a special presentation, Donna Jackson was thanked for her tireless work for and with the Ministerial Spouses program. During her tenure as an associate director of the NAD Ministerial Association, she developed resources and programming for ministerial spouses across the division. She also brought joy with her thoughtfulness around the building, shared Desiree Bryant, Adventist Education assistant director and projects coordinator, as she represented the NAD’s ministerial spouses. “Love is who you are as a person. It was a foundation to everything you did and we want you to know that we have appreciated so much all the love, the genuine care and concern that you’ve had for us over these past 10 years,” she said. “You’ve given us a voice, you’ve cared about not just us, but our families as well, the entire ministerial family.”

After this presentation, the couple was presented with a gift vacation from donations across the division’s field. Earlier in the program they received a leather-bound photo memory “yearbook,” notebooks of Jackson’s published articles, plaques, gift baskets, monetary gifts, and a Maranatha One-Day Church donation, located in the Dominican Republic, in their name from Seminars Unlimited.

Near the close of the celebratory event, union presidents, NAD officers, and others who worked especially close to the Jacksons shared their sentiments of appreciation via video.

Bryant thanked Jackson for being a Christian role model. “You’ve modeled leadership, but not only that, you have modeled Christianity and what it means to be a part of the body of Christ and to feel like a brother and a sister. You and Donna have always felt and will always feel like a part of my family,” he said. “We wish you Godspeed and God’s blessings as you move to another phase of your life. You will be missed and never forgotten. God bless you.”

Randy Robinson, NAD treasurer, said, “Dan and Donna, It’s been my privilege to serve with you in the North American Division. I know I haven’t been here too terribly long, but it’s really clear to me that your leadership will leave an indelible mark on this division for many years to come. I will miss your leadership and wish you God’s blessings as you make this transition.”

“I’ve been so thankful to be able to work with the two of you the past 10 years, [Dan] as my boss, the both of you being my mentors, and especially the both of you being my friends,” said Janet Aldea, Jackson’s administrative assistant. “You and Donna have taught me so much about prayer in the workplace, and especially in my personal life. I know if you didn’t have that kind of a relationship in your own lives, the close relationship to the Lord, that you could not share that with all of us. My prayer is that you both do not lose that relationship with the Lord, and that it becomes even stronger as you enter the next phase of your life together.”

Ken Denslow, NAD assistant to the president, shared a special memory: “I will always remember that day when the Jacksons and the Denslows were riding together to an appointment in Florida and you were talking to me about your needs for a new assistant and you kept asking questions and kind of nibbling around the edges, when finally Donna said, ‘Just ask him, Danny!’ and you asked me to come and be your assistant. That changed my life. Thank you for the opportunity; thank you for the great memories of serving together. God bless you both as you enter into retirement.”

Before the Jacksons shared their final thoughts and closing prayer was offered, GC president Wilson spoke. “I want to bring very special greetings on behalf of the world church family, the General Conference. And we thank both of you, Donna and Dan, for your willingness to serve God in Canada, in Sri Lanka, in India, in the United States, and around the world as a vice president of the General Conference. … We want to thank you for your commitment to God’s message and the proclamation of the three angels’ messages and Christ’s soon coming. And thank you, Dan, for your consistent effort to lift up Jesus in all that you do when you’re speaking to people in sermons and encouraging people. The salvation of Christ is absolutely the rock foundation of our message and the soon coming of Christ, what He has done on the cross and equally what He is doing for us as our High Priest in heaven interceding for us.”

Wilson proceeded to share Hebrews 10:19-24. He concluded by saying, “What a privilege to be part of the great Advent Movement, and on behalf of the world church family of Seventh-day Adventists, we wish you, Donna and Dan, a wonderful retirement and continued work for the Lord until He comes.”

Nancy Wilson presented the Jacksons with a decorative gift basket that included fresh fruits, homemade crackers, roasted nuts and other healthful snacks for the couple’s long road trip to Canada, where the Jacksons will be retiring. She said, “Wherever God puts you, you will be ministering. But this we thought can be a picnic basket so … please do take time to just relax.”

With emotion she added, “In particular, Donna, I want to thank you for your prayer ministry for our family. You have been so faithful in reaching out. … You have written beautiful emails to reach out and have promised us your prayers, and we thank you so much for that. God bless as you continue serving God in the wonderful ‘Land of the North.’”

As the celebration drew to its conclusion, the Jacksons spent a few moments giving their remarks. “I woke up this morning, in the first day of my retirement, and the first thing I did was asked Elder Bryant if I could have permission to go into the NAD building because, you see, today I’m a layperson,” Jackson laughed. “God has blessed. We started our ministry 280 miles north of the city of Edmonton, and the first winter we thought we would freeze to death.”

“You know, the Lord has bourn with me so many years and I just can only praise His name. I just praise God for the privilege to serve in ministry,” he continued. “What I said yesterday [during worship] I want to repeat today: for me the greatest blessing of leadership is the blessing of being with people; to dream, to pray, to cry, to laugh, to work in the name of Jesus is a wonderful, wonderful blessing. It has been such a tremendous opportunity.

“We had, when we went to Atlanta in 2010, absolutely zero idea that we would wind up here, and to get to know each of you, to get to work beside you, to be able to move through the building and talk with you and sometimes share your dreams and your pain and to rejoice together. This has been such a marvelous blessing. … Thank you and God bless you. We will never, ever, ever forget our privilege here and the time that we shared.”

In laughter Donna said, “Dan and I will have all these gifts representing you, and we will treasure them — and we’ll just have to get a U-Haul truck.”

She echoed her husband’s words: “I have had this great privilege of being here with you and you worked very hard. I know that what we do, we do in love for Jesus Christ. And I can see it in everything, in every department and in every worker. Thank you for sharing your lives, … and to each one of you: God bless you. It’s not going to be long until we see Jesus.”

* The NAD nominating committee will meet on July 6 to select a name to be presented and voted on by the NAD Executive Committee on July 7 and sent as a recommendation to the GC Executive Committee. Both of these committees will be chaired by Ted N.C. Wilson, GC president. The meetings will be held virtually via Zoom and a previously used electronic voting process will be utilized. On July 9, the General Conference Executive Committee will meet virtually to receive the recommendation and elect the new NAD president. During the interval, G. Alexander Bryant, NAD executive secretary, will serve as interim president, according to NAD policy. Click here to read more.

—Kimberly Luste Maran is an associate director for the North American Division Office of Communication; photos supplied

This article was originally published on the NAD website.

01 Jul

Mountain Road Christian Academy Backyard Graduation Ceremony

By Traci Pike – Casper, Wyoming . . . Casper church members and families from Mountain Road Christian Academy (MRCA) gathered on a cold and windy June 30 to celebrate five students who graduated from different levels in May. Traci Pike, school principal and head teacher shared a report about the event with NewsNuggets.

The celebration included a grill out, hosted by the Pikes at their home. Braving the strong winds and cool temperatures for June, 60 participants gathered to recognize the accomplishments of these students.

Pike wanted to be able to celebrate the graduates in person instead of virtually, so she postponed the date for graduation until an in-person gathering was possible. Following the guidelines released by Wyoming’s governor and the Wyoming Health Department allowing gatherings of up to 250 people outside as of June 15, Pike began to plan the graduation ceremony.

MRCA had five students graduate this year: Lexi Alexander and Drexol Williams graduated from the 8th grade and Isabelle Huber, Olivia McDonald, and R. J. Pankonin graduated from Kindergarten. The 8th graders preferred to stay low profile and were relieved that they didn’t have to do any public speaking. The Kindergarteners wore light blue caps and gowns with beaming smiles as they descended the back-deck steps while attendees hummed “Pomp and Circumstance.” The new first graders then received their diplomas and posed for pictures with their teachers, Traci Pike and Lynnette Huber.

It was an evening of fun in spite of the less-than-ideal weather. Casper church members and school families showed once again that they are a hearty bunch and won’t let a little wind keep them from having fun and supporting their school. Students and families were happy to gather to celebrate the end of this bizarre school year.

Mountain Road Christian Academy is looking forward to opening for the new school year on August 31 with at least 15 students planning to attend.

—Traci Pike is principal and head teacher at Mountain Road Christian Academy; photos by Gabriela Vincent

01 Jul

La Vida Mission Covid-19 Relief Operation Moves On

By Dorie Panganiban – Farmington, New Mexico . . . Through donations by an online community, La Vida Mission continues to bless the Navajo community with much-needed propane gas used for basic cooking.

COVID-19 is severely impacting the Navajo Nation and its surrounding community. While other communities were able to ease restrictions, the Navajo community in Farmington recently reintroduced their week-end lockdowns. La Vida continues to bless this community in need through the ongoing, seemingly never-ending, pandemic.

In April, generous donors made it possible to give food baskets to the community on three different occasions. On one occasion, the mission delivered food to individual homes, and the last two food distributions were staged out of the church parking lot. Since April, La Vida has helped 375 families with much-needed food and bottled water.

After talking with families in the community, La Vida discovered that one of the greatest needs was propane gas for cooking. Knowing this was a major cost, La Vida wondered how they could afford to help them obtain propane gas. La Vida members took this urgent need to God in prayer.

Claire James, La Vida’s schoolteacher thought about doing a Facebook fundraiser to obtain the funds. She created the fundraiser and shared it with her Facebook friends who answered the need by donating enough to provide the propane gas.

It was a bit of a challenge finding a gas company who could do propane servicing to the mission, but praise God for Nations Gas, a Navajo-Pueblo-owned gas company, who happily agreed to partner with us and deliver the propane.

On Monday, June 29, this latest COVID-19 relief operation took place in the church parking lot. As many as 110 families were provided with free propane bottles to refill (100-lb, 40-lb, 30-lb and two 20-lb bottles per family) along with food, water, bags of flour, and instant noodles.

This has been an opportunity to make friends with everyone who made this possible as we served together and prayed with our new Native friends before the operation began.

-– Dorie Panganiban is community outreach director, La Vida Mission; photo supplied

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