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.

North American Division President Responds to Shooting at Adventist Elementary School in California

This is the response by the North American Division of the Seventh-day Adventist Church President to the December 4, 2024, shooting incident at the Feather River Seventh-day Adventist School and statement of the Northern California Conference.

Northern California Conference Issues Statement After Butte County Press Conference Addressing Adventist School Shooting

The facts surrounding the Feather River Seventh-day Adventist School shooting have become more clear after today’s late afternoon press conference with the Butte County Sheriff’s Office and other local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies.

Evangelism in Focus: Highlights from 2024 NAD Year-End Meeting Breakout

At the 2024 NAD Year-End Meeting, evangelism was a recurring theme, evidenced in reports on how NAD departments and territories are leveraging their resources to spread the gospel. Evangelism took the spotlight on day three of the business meetings, Sunday, Nov. 3, with attendees tackling questions clarifying mission in the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

Southern Adventist University Celebrates Record Undergraduate Enrollment

Southern Adventist University has experienced record growth in recent years, fostering new opportunities for students and expanding their experiences and avenues for success. The largest freshman class in the university’s history enrolled in 2023, and, this year, Southern is hosting its largest undergraduate student body ever, totaling 2,929 students.

AdventHealth Gifts Painting of Charles E. Bradford, Former NAD President, at Year-End Meeting

On Sunday, November 3, 2024, AdventHealth leaders presented a portrait of Charles Bradford at the North American Division Year-End Meeting in Columbia, Maryland. The painting — Preaching the Word — was commissioned by AdventHealth in 2000. It was designed to honor Bradford’s leadership while serving on the AdventHealth board and to celebrate his treasured friendships with former CEO Mardian Blair and others.