News

120 Children’s Ministry Leaders Called to a Reckless Pursuit of God and Ministry
From January 15-18, 2025, roughly 120 participants, including leaders at the local church, conference, and union levels, met at Falls Church, Virginia, for the annual North American Division Children’s Ministries retreat. Themed “Reckless,” the event encouraged attendees to pursue God and ministry goals with bold faith. For busy leaders, “Reckless” offered spiritual renewal, equipping, and fellowship through worship, practical training, and social activities.

War Divides Their Homelands; Christ Unites Them in Cleveland
In a small Cleveland church, where worshippers from Russia and Ukraine kneel side by side, peace reigns, defying the war that divides their homelands. This unique congregation sings, prays, studies and fellowships together, with no trace of the painful divisions or hatred that mark their nations’ conflict.

North American Division Adventist Community Services Calls for Prayer Amid Tornado Recovery Efforts
A massive storm system tore through the central and southern United States the weekend of March 14, 2025, spawning roughly 66 tornadoes across seven states and claiming the lives of at least 37 individuals. Mississippi, Missouri, Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, and Louisiana experienced widespread destruction, with hundreds of buildings in ruins. The North American Division Adventist Community Services (NAD ACS) is monitoring the situation in partnership with ACS directors in affected states.

Strongest Participation of Adventist Scholars at 2025 Annual American Society of Church History Meetings
In this Pentecost 2025 year and beyond, Adventist scholars can “witness” by accurately and dispassionately sharing with other scholars who Adventists are and what they believe. Over the past 15 years, a steady uptick of Adventist historians have regularly participated in meetings of the American Society of Church History, one of the premier academic organizations in the world for the study of religious history. This year’s meeting ran from January 3-6, 2025, in Chicago, Illinois. Themed “Legends,” it featured research by eight Adventist scholars, including two panel sessions focused on Ellen White and the Adventist experience.

Strongest Participation of Adventist Scholars at 2025 Annual American Society of Church History Meetings
In this Pentecost 2025 year and beyond, Adventist scholars can “witness” by accurately and dispassionately sharing with other scholars who Adventists are and what they believe. Over the past 15 years, a steady uptick of Adventist historians have regularly participated in meetings of the American Society of Church History, one of the premier academic organizations in the world for the study of religious history. This year’s meeting ran from January 3-6, 2025, in Chicago, Illinois. Themed “Legends,” it featured research by eight Adventist scholars, including two panel sessions focused on Ellen White and the Adventist experience.

They Also Served: A Podcast Uncovers the Lost Stories of Women in Adventist History
In 1940, the Review and Herald Publishing Association published a book with a dark blue cover that you have probably never seen — They Also Served — by Ava Covington Wall. Written roughly 80 years after the founding of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, it was the first book to detail the many women who contributed to the church's founding and growth. This now-elusive book has been out of print for more than 80 years, and many stories of women in the early Adventist denomination remain largely unknown. Thus, historian Dr. Heidi Olson Campbell created the podcast They Also Served: Stories of Adventist Women, using historical research and expert interviews to reveal how American Christianity and the Seventh-day Adventist Church were shaped by these women's contributions.

Bill Payne Embraces New Challenges as North American Division’s Director of Sabbath School and Personal Ministries
The North American Division of the Seventh-day Adventist Church is thrilled to welcome Bill Payne as the new director of Sabbath School and Personal Ministries. Payne officially assumed this role last November after being elected by the NAD executive committee on September 6, 2024.

A Dream Come to Life: Pacific Union College Flight Center Builds Custom Simulator
Pacific Union College Flight Center Director Nathan Tasker had the idea to build a type-specific aircraft simulator for his students. Since flight training devices in general aviation tend to be generic, limiting their usefulness, Tasker questioned how he and the program could obtain a simulator to teach basic skills, such as visual ground reference maneuvers and landing techniques. This would allow students to progress efficiently, as these skills cannot be effectively taught in traditional simulators.