News Articles

As we draw to the end of the Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebrations of 2021 and reflect on the state of things in the United States, North America, and our world, one can’t help but be perplexed by the paradox of our times. In one of Dr. King’s most famous speeches he said, "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." Some want to say that we have arrived at that place, but have we really?

Imagine coming home from church one evening and to find hateful words sprayed-painted on your house. This is exactly what Pastor Oshaine Wynter discovered this past Sabbath, January 9, 2021. Wynter, a resident of Aurora, Colorado, is the pastor of New Community Church in Denver and Boston Street church in Aurora. Both are within the Central States Conference, a sister region to Rocky Mountain Conference.

It wasn’t long after Kenosha, Wisconsin, was thrust into the international spotlight after a police officer shot Jacob Blake in the back, triggering protests which sometimes turned violent and destructive, that local church leaders began looking for ways to help.

When 20-year-old China Williams attended an evangelistic meeting in May 2020, she had no idea she would end up leaving her home in Auckland, New Zealand, to live in the United States three months later. During the session, Williams heard about Southern Adventist University’s Soul-winning And Leadership Training (SALT) program from Douglas Na’a, SALT director, who is also from New Zealand.

In Matthew 28:19, 20 are the words of Jesus in the passage called “The Great Commission.” Notice that Jesus gave three commands in this Great Commission, after exhorting us to go make disciples, baptize, and teach them to observe all things as Jesus taught/commanded. When He spoke, Jesus didn’t “wing it.” He gave thought to what He was saying, how He was saying it, and in what order He was saying it. We should not take these imperatives lightly, nor should we ignore the order in which they were given.

For the second time in 10 months, members of the Executive Committee of the global Seventh-day Adventist Church have voted to postpone the quinquennial session of the denomination, originally scheduled for late June of 2020, due to challenges arising from the COVID-19 pandemic.

This past fall, as Mamawi Atosketan Native School grade 5 teacher Suzann Self thought about Orange Shirt Day, she got an idea that’s now become part of every school day. After reading the short book I Am Not a Number with her class, Self proposed an experiment: the class would simulate a word-banning experience on a small scale for an extended time. Few of Self’s students spoke any Cree; what if they banned two English words a week and “forced” everyone to use the Cree words?

​​​​​​​The events in Washington, D.C., during the past few days have been traumatic for most Americans, and shocking for those around the world. The leadership of the North American Division affirms the rights of people to respectfully protest, but strongly condemns the reprehensible actions of rioters that show a clear disrespect for the safety of others, the institution of democracy, and the diplomatic and orderly process of the transition of government.

Every summer Jared Wood, director of the Dinosaur Science Museum at Southwestern Adventist University and Arthur Chadwick, director of the Dinosaur Excavation Project at SWAU, along with Keith Snyder, chair of Biology at Southern Adventist University lead a dinosaur dig at the Hanson Ranch in Wyoming. This is an ongoing collaborative research project, and they have gathered a large amount of data over the years.

I really don’t like Christmas. I hate to say it, but through the years I have gotten grumpy once Thanksgiving ends. But before you cast me away as a holiday hater, let me explain a few things.