News Articles

Adventist Education Shines at the 2024 International Pathfinder Camporee

Camporee attendees learn and have fun at the North American Division Office of Education’s Creation Station, located in Energy Hall at CAM-PLEX.

August 21, 2024 | Gillette, Wyo. | Martha Ban

The 2024 International Pathfinder Camporee in Gillette, Wyoming, was a vibrant event, drawing approximately 33,000 Pathfinders, young and old, with a passion for learning, to the North American Division Office of Education’s Creation Station, located in Energy Hall at CAM-PLEX. The station was a hub of activity, offering patches, prizes, and scholarships that added to the fun.

Artie the Dinosaur, Southwestern Adventist University’s animated model T-Rex, and the highly sought-after NAD pins attracted a great deal of attention. The NAD Education booth, formed by back-lit panels depicting the seven days of creation, was a popular spot where visitors could receive one of the five NAD pins (Bermuda, Canada, Guam-Micronesia, NextGen Leader, or United States) and an Adventist Education Believe the Promise patch.

NAD Education also introduced a Guinness World Record attempt. The camporee made history on Wednesday, August 7, 2024, by setting a world record for the most people simultaneously filling backpacks with school supplies.

Dino in Energy Hall at CAM-PLEX during 2024 camporee — *A replica dinosaur skeleton is one of the standouts among the education exhibits in Energy Hall at the Believe the Promise International Pathfinder Camporee in Gillette, Wyoming. Photo: Cerron Pollard*

According to Hannah Ortman, an adjudicator for Guinness World Records, the goal was to surpass 250 participants, each of whom had to pack at least one backpack with five items independently. Camporee attendees packed a total of 255 Pathfinders backpacks. After breaking the record the packers continued until 6,200 bags were stuffed with supplies.

The colorful backpacks, filled with a variety of school supplies and outreach materials tailored to different grade levels, will be distributed within the Gillette community through the city’s Blessings in a Backpack program and the Salvation Army. The remaining backpacks will be distributed by Pathfinder clubs in their local communities.

Key supporters of this initiative, including ADRA, Adventist Community Services, NAD vice president for evangelism's office, the NAD’s union education departments, and renewable energy company Circuit Electric Solar, were excited to participate in a project that would set a new record and benefit students on their educational journey.

Guinness World Record attempt at 2024 International Pathfinder Camporee — Left to right: Ruth Horton, Lake Union Conference director of education, Nicole Mattson, Lake Union Conference associate director of education, and Ruth Nino, Columbia Union Conference assistant director for elementary education, pose at the NAD Office of Education’s successful world record attempt for most backpacks stuffed simultaneously. This record was set on Wednesday, August 7, during the 2024 “Believe the Promise” International Pathfinder Camporee. Photo provided by NAD Office of Education

The Association of Adventist Colleges and Universities (NAD Higher Education) also played a significant role at the camporee, collaborating to recruit, engage with Pathfinders, and plant seeds of interest in Adventist education. The following AACU institutions took part:

AdventHealth University
Andrews University
Burman University
Kettering College
La Sierra University
Loma Linda University
Oakwood University
Pacific Union College
Southern Adventist University
Southwestern Adventist University
Union Adventist University
Walla Walla University
Washington Adventist University

Two international universities also joined the effort: Antillean Adventist University (Puerto Rico) and Sagunto Adventist University (Spain).

Through our AACU institutions, union education departments, and several of our academies, NAD Education provided more than 30 honors and activities at the Creation Station in Energy Hall. Honors were as wide-ranging as African-American Seventh-day Adventist history, Bible markings, blacksmithing, photography, and dinosaurs/fossils. Activities included the art of film-making, a climbing wall, basic rescue obstacle course, coding for kids using robots, a photo booth, doodling with Ms. De, first aid and fire safety, and of course, the backpack challenge.

Throughout the week, the energy generated by all the Pathfinders was palpable and made for an incredibly fun experience!

Backpack stuffing event to earn a world record at camporee in Gillette, Wyoming, group of Pathfinders with bags — *Pathfinders get ready to attempt world record for most backpacks stuffed simultaneously at the Believe the Promise International Pathfinder Camporee in Gillette, Wyoming.*
*Photo by Dawin Rodriguez*

Numbers Matter

A Look at the NAD Office of Education Camporee Offerings and Accomplishments

21 honors
33,000 Pathfinders
13 Adventist academies
13 NAD colleges/universities
2 international universities
1 Guinness World Record
39 booths
22 volunteers
9,200 NAD pins distributed
500+ NextGen Teacher patches taken

On Day Three of the North American Division Year-End Meeting, Ministries Share Reports, World Church Leadership Present Initiatives

The North American Division Year-End Meeting resumed for the second day of general business sessions (and third day of YEM) on a clear and crisp Sunday morning after attendees and guests took a day for Sabbath rest and worship. The November 3 morning session primarily focused on the report of NAD executive secretary Kyoshin Ahn, who shared statistics about the current state of church growth and the make-up of its membership.

2024 NAD Year-End Meeting Video and News Coverage

Welcome to the video stream and news coverage from the 2024 North American Division Year-End Meeting! Once the NAD Year-End Meeting begins on Nov. 1, 2024, you can watch below — and check out links to written news coverage and YEM reports as they become available.

To the West, the North, the East, and the South: A Report on the Early Mission Work in the North American Division

Kyoshin Ahn, secretary for the North American Division, presented his report during the third day of the 2024 year-end meeting (YEM). The first part of his report was summarized in a separate article. The second part of Ahn’s report was focused on missions within the NAD, in honor of the 150th anniversary of Adventist missions.

Seeing the Mission Field as It Actually Is

Kyoshin Ahn, executive secretary for the North American Division, presented his report to kick off day three of the division’s 2024 year-end meeting. To begin, he read the list of everyone in the departments of the secretariat, thanking the team for their service and their contributions to the report.

Preparing for Pentecost: NAD President G. Alexander Bryant’s 2024 NAD Year-End Meeting Report is a Call to Higher Service

The 2024 North American Division Year-End Meeting began at 9 a.m. on November 1 at the NAD headquarters in Columbia, Maryland, following a two-day administrators’ conference — the first in 10 years — at the same location. One hundred and fifty executive committee members (of 302) gathered for day one of business meetings where, until Monday, November 3, they will receive reports, vote on business items, strategize, and fellowship with fellow Adventist church leaders and friends.