News Articles

Between April 18-25, 2020, Robert Costa, speaker/director for the It Is Written Spanish language ministry Escrito Está, shared hope with people in Mexico. Under quarantine orders himself, Pastor Costa conducted an online evangelistic series for the North Mexican Union entitled “El poder de la Esperanza” (“The Power of Hope”) from his home. The event was live streamed through Facebook and YouTube. Due to the online platform, other conferences and churches throughout the North America, Central America, and South America, and Western Europe, joined the event. The attendance peaked with 247,000 views opening weekend. 

COVID-19 has affected the number of volunteers, hours of operation, food distribution hours, and other programs at most Adventist Community Services (ACS) locations in North America. This is the reality at the Northeastern Conference (NEC) ACS Center. The food distribution style was changed from “clients choice” to grab-to-go grocery bags (pre-packed bags), and on just one day, April 29, 2020, the NECACS center served 375 families.

Ron felt impressed to hand the woman at the gas pump a GLOW tract. He did and the woman recommitted her life to Jesus, and she joined the Adventist church. But how can we share the message of hope during these uncertain times? What can we do when we are all staying at home and personal contacts with others aren’t as available or encouraged while we navigate through the COVID-19 pandemic?

The It Is Written TV program features John Bradshaw, speaker/director of It Is Written, along with the co-authors of the current Adult Sabbath School Bible Study, “How to Interpret Scripture,” Michael Hasel, professor of Near Eastern Studies and Archaeology at Southern Adventist University, and Frank Hasel, associate director of the Biblical Research Institute.

On Monday, April 20, 2020, the Oakwood University Board of Trustees spring meeting was held virtually due to coronavirus restrictions. The spring meeting covered a number of topics relevant to the virtual and remote operation of the university during this time of disruption. Two key outcomes emerged from the meeting. The first was the unanimous vote on the Oakwood C.A.R.E (Career Advancement and Readiness Education) proposal. The second was the vote to transition the chair of the Oakwood University Board of Trustees from Daniel R. Jackson, president of the North American Division (NAD) to G. Alexander Bryant, executive secretary of the NAD.

Congregational care during this coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic is essential, however, traditional congregational care is, at best, now very strained. Ministry is quite different than it was a few weeks ago. We cannot meet or gather as congregations. Caregiving for bereaving families unable to attend funeral services, members who may not be digitally connected, and those losing employment while working from home are just some examples of how ministry has shifted. The congregational need for dedicated pastoral care is self-evident.       

Emergency departments across the United States are seeing an influx of patients with symptoms associated with the virus, creating compounded high-stress situations for health care providers. Meanwhile, there are still patients with other conditions, illnesses, and injuries who also need medical attention.

Doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists, and more are just some of the countless workers in health care on the front line fighting against time to help severely-ill patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. As the battle wages on to aid numerous patients, so does the need for personal protective equipment (PPE).

The April 17, 2020, opening night of It Is Written’s virtual, online evangelist series, got off to a rocky start as the media ministry’s main platform was disrupted by a targeted and malicious cyberattack. This attack comes on the heels of a close call when tornadoes touched down just feet from the It Is Written headquarters in Collegedale, Tennessee, on April 13.

Although the current COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted our campuses, temporarily transitioning us to remote education, the mission of Seventh-day Adventist higher education remains the same. Driven by passionate care for our students, our faculty and staff are innovating to sustain a quality, whole-person education for the duration of this crisis.