News
Providing Encouragement and Assessment
NAD Administrators Affirm Work and Assess Needs During Visit to the Guam-Micronesia Mission
Beginning January 4, 2024, a North American Division administrative team visited several islands within the Guam-Micronesia Mission for two weeks. “We wanted to provide encouragement and do an assessment of needs and see how we could better support the work there,” said NAD president G. Alexander Bryant.
More than 60,000 Youth to Set Up Camp in Gillette, Wyoming, for Week-Long Event Filled with Learning, Worship, and Community Outreach
More than 60,000 young people, hailing from more than 100 countries, will set up a tent and RV city August 5-11, 2024, as they attend the Ninth International Pathfinder Camporee at the Cam-Plex Facilities in Gillette, Wyoming. Themed “Believe the Promise,” the six-day camporee, held every five years, is sponsored by the Seventh-day Adventist Church in North America, headquartered in Maryland, and the Center for Youth Evangelism, located in Berrien Springs, Michigan.
Adventist HealthCare CEO Terry Forde Will Depart to Lead Health First in Florida
Terry Forde, president and CEO of Adventist HealthCare, headquartered in Montgomery County, Maryland, will step down from his role on Aug. 2, 2024, to become president and CEO of Health First, headquartered in Brevard County, Florida.
Walla Walla University Professor Shares on NBC News About Challenges of Keeping Octopuses
During the second week of April 2024, Kirt Onthank, professor of biology at Walla Walla University, was invited to share his expertise on octopuses on NBC News. Onthank contributed to a story about an Oklahoman family that recently welcomed 50 octopus hatchlings and has been garnering attention on TikTok.
It Is Written Announces New VBS Program "Flight 3:16"
It Is Written announces a new travel-themed Vacation Bible School (VBS) program, "Flight 3:16." During Flight 3:16, children will visit five countries as they prepare for the ultimate destination, Heaven. Flight 3:16 is a complete VBS kit that includes supplies for 14 children.
2023 North American Division Year-End Meeting Sees New Appointments in Presidential and Treasury Departments
On Friday, October 27, day two of the 2023 North American Division Year-End Meeting (NAD YEM), the NAD executive committee received names for new appointments recommended by the North American Division’s standing committee with an overwhelming majority vote. Ivan Williams, Sr., current NAD ministerial director, was elected as the NAD vice president of strategic leadership; Adam Fenner, director of Adventist Learning Community (ALC), was elected to assume an additional role as NAD vice president for digital media; and Chad Grundy, Carolina Conference undertreasurer, was elected NAD undertreasurer.
AdventHealth will Lead $11 Million National Study on Exercise and Brain Health
The AdventHealth Neuroscience Institute will lead first-of-its-kind research on exercise and brain health as part of a national, multisite effort funded with $11 million from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the largest source of medical research funding worldwide. Known as Follow-up Longitudinal Analysis of Moderate-intensity Exercise (FLAME), this new effort will test the long-term effects of a previously conducted randomized exercise clinical trial initiated in 2016 called “Investigating Gains in Neurocognition in an Intervention Trial of Exercise (IGNITE),” which examined the effects of exercise on cognitive and brain health in cognitively normal older adults.
Investing in Adventist Education: New Student Information System Unique Fit for Adventist Teachers
The North American Division (NAD) has been working with a dedicated group of Adventist educators, professional programmers, and designers to create a cutting-edge student information system that will specifically meet the needs of Adventist educators. The system, called AE-Connect, includes an enrollment/registration module, a standards-based assessment module, scheduling and messaging capabilities, and options to connect with NAD financial management systems, such as the Student Treasury system and Adventist Accounting Software International.
Treasurer/CFO Judy R. Glass Highlights God’s Blessings in Inaugural Report During 2023 North American Division Year-End Meeting
On Monday, October 29, day five of the 2023 North American Division’s Year-End Meeting (NAD YEM), delegates applauded as treasurer/CFO Judy R. Glass, the first woman elected to the role, took the stage for her inaugural report. Glass began with a heartfelt testimony. “When I started this position 91 days ago, there were times when I felt like I was thrown into the deep end of the pool. [What] helped me on this journey was the reminder that I have a Friend. And my Friend walks on water,” she said.