News Articles

Husband-Wife Ministry Leaders of the Southwestern Union Receive Award of Distinction from NAD Family Ministries

September 10, 2019 | Columbia, Md. | NAD Family Ministries, NAD Office of Communication

Left to Right: Buford Griffith, Carmen Griffith, Pamela Consuegra, and Claudio Consuegra, pose during an award presentation of the NAD Family Ministries’ annual Family Research and Practice Conference on July 20. Photo: NAD Family Ministries

Buford Griffith, executive secretary and director of Family Ministries and Religious Liberty for the Southwestern Union Conference, and Carmen Griffith, director of Southwestern Union’s Women’s Ministries and Ministerial Spouses Ministries, received the 2019 North American Division (NAD) Family Ministries Distinguished Service Award on July 20. The award was presented by Claudio and Pamela Consuegra, co-directors for Family Ministries of the North American Division during the ministry’s annual Family Research and Practice Conference on the campus of Andrews University.

The Griffiths have been actively involved in Family Ministries for more than 30 years. Their passion and primary focus have been on marriage and parenting, which are foundational areas of Family Ministries.

“It is with great pleasure that we honor and congratulate them for being the recipients of the 2019 North American Division Family Ministries Inukshuk Distinguished Service Award,” said Pamela Consuegra.

The award represents an “Inukshuk,” which holds great symbolism in Canada – a country within the NAD. The stone, manlike figures were traditionally constructed by the Inuit along the Canadian shores with the purpose of pointing wayward travelers back home. If lost, one would only need to look along the shoreline for the Inukshuk and proceed in the direction it was pointing.

“Pastor Buford and Carmen Griffith have dedicated their life’s ministry to strengthening families. Just as the Inukshuk point wayward travelers back home, the ministry provided by them — as a husband and wife team — has consistently pointed countless families towards their heavenly home,” said Consuegra.

Buford earned his bachelor’s degree in Natural Sciences from Oakwood College (now Oakwood University) before becoming a board-certified medical technologist. He earned a master’s degree in Biblical Counseling through a joint program offered through The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio, and Trinity Theological Seminary in Newburgh, Indiana. Carmen is also a graduate of Oakwood College, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education. She went on to earn two master’s degrees – one in Counseling from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, and a second in Reading from The Ohio State University.

The Power of a Simple Tract: Transforming Lives with Messages of Hope and Wholeness

Have you ever hit rock bottom and found hope from an unexpected source? For a 16-year-old girl from California, that hope came in the form of a pocket-sized Signs of the Times given to her by a stranger on an Amtrak train. Hers is one of countless stories of a tract sparking transformation. Take advantage of the holidays, and a limited sale, to spread the love of God organically with these life-changing materials.

Report on 2024 Consolidated Enrollment

The Association of Adventist Colleges and Universities (AACU), comprised of the presidents and other top leaders from 13 Adventist colleges and universities in North America, has determined that the latest consolidated fall enrollment numbers for all 13 institutions totals 20,828 students. This increase of 256 students from the previous year marks the second consecutive year of total growth.

Charting a New Path: 2024 Administrators’ Conference Unites Leaders to Shape the Future of the Church in North America

It’s been 10 years since conference and union presidents, executive secretaries, and treasurers gathered in one room to brainstorm how best to carry out the church’s mission in North America. A long-awaited follow-up, the 2024 administrators’ conference hosted more than 200 conference and union officers at the NAD’s headquarters on Oct. 30-31.

50 Ministerial Spouses Unite for Community Service, Fellowship, and Training During the 2024 NAD Year-End Meeting

Community service, fellowship, and training sessions made up the spouses’ meetings during this year’s NAD Year-End Meetings, with roughly 50 spouses of conference leaders in attendance.

Promoting Healthy Minds at Southern Adventist University

Experts across America have gathered statistics that point to a mental health crisis for college students. Anxiety concerns have risen from 56 percent in 2013 to 65 percent in 2023, according to the Center for Collegiate Mental Health. The center also found that the number of students seeking help has steadily increased from 2009 until the pandemic. In response to the crisis, Southern Adventist University is working to ensure that students have access to various high-quality mental health resources.