News Articles

Office of Volunteer Ministries Reinstates International Mission Deployments

The ministry declares that, for the safety of those involved, listed prerequisites must be met for deployment outside the North American Division.

April 28, 2021 | Columbia, Md. | Kimberly Luste Maran

On April 15, 2021, the North American Division administration voted to reinstate mission deployments through the NAD Office of Volunteer Ministries (OVM). This reinstatement includes long-term missionary volunteers (two months or longer) from North America who serve around the world. Last October OVM was able to deploy volunteers inside the U.S., and to virtual teaching assignments in the Guam-Micronesia Mission.

“It’s been a year since the impact of COVID-19 has made it necessary for our office to suspend deployments into the foreign mission field,” said Ernest Hernandez, director of OVM, in a letter to church leaders and volunteers in the division. “Much has changed since then with the development of vaccines, airline travel policies and other safety protocols, and we are pleased that the NAD administration has voted to reinstate deployments into AVS-approved mission locations worldwide.”*

Hernandez shared that with the reinstatement comes increased caution in the midst of the pandemic. “The safety of our volunteers remains the highest priority, this approval is contingent on satisfying the conditions as stated by NAD Secretariat,” he said, adding that an additional risk awareness form will need to be signed by volunteers before they are able to go to their assignments.

The 10 prerequisites identified for providing clearance for a volunteer to travel follow the recommended guidelines and COVID-19 risk ratings by International SOS, a logistical company focused on global health and security situations. Some of these conditions include making sure the host country is able to treat COVID-19 or medevac the volunteer to an alternate treatment facility; the host country organization will pay expenses for quarantine, if necessary; volunteer must be fully vaccinated before deployment; and the volunteer complies with COVID-19 testing requirements for each country.

“There are still many places around the world that are not open for travel,” said Elden Ramirez, NAD undersecretary, in a letter to volunteers and church leaders. “Please know that our prayers are with you and we continue to partner with you to find ways to serve the mission field during these uncertain times. May God bless you and keep you.”

Click here for the prerequisites list.

*AVS stands for Adventist Volunteer Service, a General Conference entity.

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.

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.

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.

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.