News Articles

Charles E. Bradford, first president of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in North America (NAD), passed away on Thursday, September 9, 2021, in Huntsville, Alabama. He was 96.

War is a tragedy — the loss of life, displacement of people, destruction of the environment, disease and other aftereffects make it more than a devasting event. As we commemorate the twentieth anniversary of 9/11 and reflect on the recent withdrawal of the U.S. military forces in Afghanistan, ending the nation’s longest war, one might wonder if this could possibly have been the war to end all wars.

As we remember how life in the United States and around the world changed 20 years ago when 3,000 lost their lives in terrorist acts on September 11, 2001, I urge our members in the North American Division to pray for those who were impacted by these events and lost loved ones on that day.

Category 4 Hurricane Ida pounded much of Louisiana with strong winds and heavy rain as it made landfall on August 29, 2021. The central Gulf Coast, from southeastern Louisiana and coastal Mississippi to southwestern Alabama sustained life-threatening flash and urban flooding. W. Derrick Lea, North American Division Adventist Community Services (ACS) director reported that ACS Disaster Response (DR) is helping — or will help — in three major areas: shelter, mobile supply distribution, and debris removal assistance.

The North American Division Youth and Young Adult Ministries department held a three-day virtual youth congress from Aug. 12 to Aug. 14, 2021. This youth congress, titled “GO DO IT,” this was the first annual youth congress sponsored by the department.

Community members are invited to sign up for free counseling sessions through the Southern Center for Counseling and Emotional Wellness at Southern Adventist University. The service is provided by graduate students in the university’s Professional Counseling program, and each session is strictly supervised by licensed professionals.

Adventist Health teams are inspiring the well-being transformation movement by improving well-being and longevity in communities across the nation through Blue Zones, a nationally recognized leader in well-being that Adventist Health acquired in 2020.

The Marshall Islands got a little brighter this summer with the arrival of the first Marshallese GLOW tract. These pocket-sized pamphlets attract readers by offering information on relevant topics like health, relationships, and Biblical truths. The Marshallese tract marks the first one published in the local island language.

Wanda Acevedo became the first Hispanic Seventh-day Adventist woman to be promoted to lieutenant colonel in the United States Army Reserve during a special ceremony at Fort Buchanan, Puerto Rico, on April 28, 2021. With this rank, Acevedo becomes the deputy command chaplain overseeing all religious support and chaplaincy teams that serve more than 5,000 soldiers at the base.

​​​​​​​More than 800 individuals from 78 countries registered for the North American Division Family Ministries virtual conference on July 22-24, 2021. Themed “Forgiveness: Reaching Peace,” the conference featured two plenary session speakers, special panel discussion, and 18 different breakout sessions.