Stories & Commentaries

This is the first of a six-part series that will introduce the officers and directors of the North American Division who have begun settling in to their newly elected positions. Bonita Joyner Shields was officially voted to serve as director of Stewardship Ministries on November 2 during the 2018 North America Division Year-End Meeting. Shields is not new to the division, she previously served Stewardship Ministries as associate director. Shields is the first woman to occupy the role of director.

While the Adult Sabbath School purposes have increased and morphed over the years, a purpose for Youth Sabbath School seems silent. This reality begs the question as to the worth of Youth Sabbath School today. Has Youth Sabbath School lost its value? If so, how can we make it valuable again?

Nearly 30 years ago Kristina “Kris” Simons arrived in Poplar, Montana, as an altruistic travel nurse looking to address the alarming health needs of the Fort Peck Indian Reservation. “It’s not the easiest place in the world to live, for sure, but it can be one of the most satisfying and gratifying places,” she said.

GW Chew has always had a passion for entrepreneurship, missionary work, and food. Starting The Veg Hub restaurant as a center of influence in Oakland, California, was a no-brainer.

From the very first camp meeting of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, held in 1868 on the farm of E. H. Root in Wright, Michigan, to the 111 camp meetings held in the North American Division (NAD) in 2018, the benefits of these gatherings are still countless.

February 7, 2019, marks 100 years since Desmond Thomas Doss’s birth in Lynchburg, Virginia. Doss, who passed away in 2006, grew up to be one of the greatest examples of love and kindness of the century as he served as an unarmed U.S. Army medic in World War II. Not many would go into the bloodiest battle of the war without a weapon. Armed only with his faith and a prayer, his faith, love, and patriotism changed the world.

God has always been active in the work of deliverance, liberation, and empowerment. ... As long as there is poverty, injustice, and oppression, the Lord still has a work for us to do. He challenges us still today, saying that whatever we do for “the least of these” (Matt. 25:40, KJV) it’s as though we did it to Him directly.

Like the passing of a torch, committed Seventh-day Adventists have passed the privilege and responsibility of working for the church’s healing ministry from generation to generation. Within the Adventist Health System, soon to be known as AdventHealth, children in countless families have followed in their parents’ footsteps, continuing the legacy of extending the healing ministry of Christ in hospitals and care sites across the country.

"No organization can survive without dreams," says Dan Jackson, NAD president. "Our dreams can, when initiated by God and blessed by the work of His Spirit, become realities. In the NAD, we continue to focus on strategic thinking and planning." Jackson shares his thoughts on dreams accomplished in the division in 2018 and hopes for 2019.

It’s a familiar story. Christ was visiting with dear friends. There was much hustle and bustle. We don’t know the size of the group that was gathered, but no doubt there was plenty of work to be done. Martha was busily serving and making everything just right for her Guest of Honor. Then comes the gentle rebuke: “You are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed” (Luke 10:41, 42, NKJV).