RMCNews – Denver, Colorado … The April session of the Rocky Mountain Conference (RMC) Executive Committee held at the RMC Denver office, April 21, had a mission focus with highlights spanning both geographically and ministerially within the conference.
Andrew Abbott, who recently joined RMC as the lead pastor for the Loveland and Windsor Elm Haven Seventh-day Adventist Churches, led the session’s opening devotional. He started with the story of Tammie Jo Schultz, a former U.S. Navy fighter pilot, who gained acclaim for safely landing a commercial airline flight in 2018 after catastrophic engine failure, remarking on her ability to stay focused on the ultimate mission even under extreme stress.
Abbott then transitioned to the story of the biblical character Simon in Acts 8:9-24, reflecting on how Simon had tried to purchase receiving the Holy Spirit, presumably wanting power for his own glory and not for God’s mission. Abbott closed exploring how distraction and busyness is the enemy of discipleship where it is easy to lose sight of the greater Christian mission while still asking God for the power behind it.
President’s Report
Dave VandeVere, RMC president, did a short overview of spiritual retreats available for RMC staff including pastors, teachers, and office staff, thanking the staff at Glacier View Ranch in Ward, Colorado—where the retreats have been held—for their exceptional hospitality. He also reviewed the recent RMC Ministerial Meetings providing practical leadership training, pastoral ministry information exchange, and praise time remarking that it felt as much of a spiritual gathering as a professional development session.
VandeVere is also continuing to meet with RMC pastors and teachers that he has not already convened with since he began his leadership post in August of 2025, and gave updates on activities of some of the Conference’s committees. He also shared inspiring stories of what is happening in the communities from outreach by local churches he has recently visited.
Vice President for Administration’s Report
Doug Inglish, RMC vice president for Administration, reported on pastoral changes detailing the status of replacing the few vacant positions and filling the new associate and intern positions available. He remarked on the promising number of applicants for a few of the positions. Inglish also announced the Bylaw Committee’s plan to present suggested changes at RMC town hall meetings prior to RMC Constituency Meeting being held in August of 2027.
Mission and Vision
The RMC Executive Committee meeting then transitioned into mission highlights from the Conference’s three segments: church, school, and administrative ministries
Phil Mills, lead pastor of the Franktown Seventh-day Adventist Church in Franktown, Colorado, begin his highlight with the church’s intentional focus on prayer, organically leading to the formation of 26 prayer groups. “Prayer has been the foundation of where we have seen God moving in our church, and it is all member led,” he remarked.
Mills also shared about some of the programs focused on relationships at the church, including service teams and cooking classes, that have led to people of a wide array of backgrounds coming back to their faith or finding their faith for the first time.
Marsha Bartulec, principal at Vista Ridge Academy (VRA), illustrated the school’s philosophy with metaphor of a tree, beginning with roots for a strong foundation, the trunk being the school, the branches being highly effective teachers, and the leaves being the experiences when students are meeting Jesus and feeling loved.
Bartulec continued the metaphor with God as the sun providing the Holy Spirit energy, water coming from RMC’s CHERISH core values and the VRA Eagle Way, and apples representing the students who will go into the world to minister and spread the “seeds” of faith. She closed her time with a powerful testimony from a family of their children thriving in their new school environment at VRA.
The final highlight came from Mary Lynn Green, director for the RMC Planned Giving and Trust Services (PG&TS). She brought awareness to attendees of the unique ministry opportunities that occur through the department’s work while sharing the story of 14-month journey the PG&TS staff has had with an individual that is under their services.
From everyday banking to life care services, Green expressed the challenges and blessings of being able to help vulnerable members of the community, fulfilling Gods ministry who always provided what was needed at that time, and being witness to small acts of kindness along the way.
Financial Report
Darin Gotfried, RMC vice president for Finance, gave a very brief financial report for the first quarter of the year to accommodate the packed business meeting agenda. The Conference has seen a modest but notable 0.75% increase in tithe as related to this point last year, and income is above budget for the first quarter. It is a promising start financially for the year.
A consistent theme arose from the April 2026 RMC Executive Committee Meeting that the mission of the Rocky Mountain Conference is not confined to programs, positions, and places, but is lived out through people. From prayer groups and classrooms to pastoral care and administrative services, each report shared the commitment to keep Christ at the center and keep the Gospel in motion. United in purpose and empowered by the Spirit, the conference continues to move forward—intentionally, prayerfully, and mission-first—seeking to make a lasting impact in every community it serves.
—RMCNews. Photo by Liz Kirkland.
