News

Adventist Community Services Prepares to Help After Tornadoes Strike Missouri, Kentucky, and Wisconsin

Yesterday afternoon, a devastating tornado struck Kentucky and St. Louis, Missouri. In Kentucky, 14 are reported dead. In St. Louis, five deaths have been reported, along with widespread damage. At least 20 blocks of the city sustained damage. More than 5,000 properties are without power, and local emergency services are actively responding. As ACS begins to respond, they urge members to pray for those impacted and those providing assistance.

Union Adventist University Receives Grant for Culinary Medicine Teaching Kitchen

The Ardmore Institute of Health has awarded Union Adventist University’s Master of Public Health Program a grant to establish a culinary medicine teaching kitchen (CMTK). The $35,000 will purchase six commercial-grade mobile workstations, each including the culinary tools and appliances to support two students at a time, enabling the university to host classes of up to 12 students in the teaching kitchen. Any remaining funds will support a student garden that was established by the university’s first public health cohort last year.

Mid-America Union Conference Executive Committee Appoints New Communication Director

During its regular spring meeting, the Mid-America Union Executive Committee voted to approve a recommendation by MAUC’s administrative team outlining a leadership transition for the union’s communication department. Following the vote, then-director Brenda Dickerson became the associate director, and then-associate director/digital media manager Hugh Davis became the new director, effective May 1, 2025. This transition of titles, initially proposed by Dickerson, serves as a model for succession planning and smooth leadership transitions in appointed positions.

James P. Willis II Elected as New Vice President for Education for the Pacific Union Conference

The Pacific Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists has elected James P. Willis II as its new vice president for education, effective July 1, 2025. He will succeed Dr. Berit von Pohle, who is retiring after a distinguished career spanning 46 years in Adventist education

John McVay, Longest Serving Walla Walla University President, Announces Plans to Retire

Walla Walla University president John McVay announced on Jan. 11, 2024, that he will retire at the end of this academic year, after completing 44 years of service to the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Eighteen of those years were spent at WWU.

In Addition to Celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. Day With Its Community, the W.C. Atkinson Community Center Provides Care in Coatesville, Pennsylvania

In honor of the 60th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act, the Coatesville community leadership, with strong support from the community, banded together to carry on the legacy of King by not only speaking about change, justice and advocacy, but also by emphasizing the day of service and providing ample opportunities to serve. As a tribute to King’s housing initiative that he began in November of 1967, the W.C. Atkinson Memorial Community Service Center, an Adventist Center of Influence in partnership with many other organizations including Good Works and Adventist Community Services, started a home renovation project on Jan. 2, 2024, with a goal of completion by MLK Jr. Day.

Southwestern Union Announces Initiatives to Support Southwestern Adventist University Theology and Education Majors

In a bold step toward fostering the next generation of church leaders, the Southwestern Union, under the leadership of president Carlos Craig, and in collaboration with Southwestern Adventist University (SWAU), has announced two groundbreaking initiatives to support students following a call to ministry through the study of theology and education. The strategies provide financial incentives, up to $15,000 per student, in response to the increasing need to recruit and retain teachers and pastors who choose to serve the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the Southwestern Union.

A Tapestry of Faiths: North American Division’s Fifth Prayer Breakfast Sparks Unity in Mission

On January 18, 2024, roughly 110 local faith and civic leaders attended the fifth Religious Freedom Prayer Breakfast hosted by the North American Division (NAD) and organized by its Public Affairs and Religious Liberty (PARL) department. The event commemorated Religious Freedom Day (Jan. 16) and coincided with Martin Luther King Jr. Day (Jan. 15). Attendees experienced a religious freedom-themed keynote, special musical selections, and prayers focusing on religious freedom, peace, unity of spirit, and personal responsibility.