News Articles

Adventist Community Services Supply Spiritual and Emotional Support After El Paso, Texas, Mass Shooting

American Red Cross approves team of credentialed, bilingual Adventist emotional and spiritual care providers to provide "listening ear."

August 7, 2019 | Columbia, Md. | North American Division

Shortly after a gunman fired on crowds in a Walmart and its parking lot in El Paso, Texas, on Aug. 3, local Adventist Community Service Disaster Response (ACS DR) leader Marshall Gonzales reached out to W. Derrick Lea, North American Division (NAD) ACS DR director, to ascertain how ACS could be of help. Twenty-two people were killed and dozens injured in the Walmart shooting.

On Aug. 6, 2019, Lea met with American Red Cross and Emergency Management contacts overseeing the Family Assistance Center for the families affected by the horrific shootings in El Paso, Texas.

ACS DR is also poised to help as needed in Dayton, Ohio, following another mass shooting that transpired several hours after the El Paso shooting. In downtown Dayton, nine people were killed and 27 were injured when a gunman opened fire on a popular street early Sunday morning, Aug. 4.

After requests from the American Red Cross, a team of ACS bilingual, credentialed emotional and spiritual care providers were approved and vetted to assist and support the individuals and families experiencing trauma.

"Many of the families have lost individuals and need support, some of those receiving help were injured, and others did not even know if their family member was killed or injured at the Saturday shooting," explained Lea. "With this backdrop, some of those affected were experiencing great trauma and needed a listening ear. In addition to the Family Assistance Center, people were showing up in large numbers around the site of the shooting, where memorials were set up. Help was needed giving out water, food, and additional listening ears."

Spiritual care teams will likely be in place for seven to 10 days.

In addition, Andrew Mobley, an Adventist Community Services coordinator from the Allegheny West Conference, has reached out to the local leadership in Dayton, Ohio. And ACS DR spoke with representatives from Kettering Medical Center, which is close to Dayton. With hospital chaplains on hand to assist within the community, Mobley has a team on stand-by — if community needs deplete the chaplains.

ACS DR asks that members pray for the team as well as the families that are suffering after these sad events.

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.

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.

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.

Pacific Northwest Hosts Young Adult LIFE Tour

Who are your people? What is good news to them? Where do my people need me to show up for them? These are the questions that attendees were challenged to answer at the Spring 2024 Young Adult LIFE Tour stop at Pleasant Valley Seventh-day Adventist Church in Happy Valley, Oregon. Young adults, church leaders, mentors, and parents gathered to learn about the unique challenges emerging adults face and how churches can help meet their needs.