3 June, 2016

In Venezuela, hundreds of Adventists take part in a 7-day prayer marathon

Hundreds of students, children, teachers, staff and leaders at Venezuela Adventist University (Instituto Universitario Adventista de Venezuela) engaged in a historic prayer marathon that lasted more than 186 hours during a spiritual emphasis week, May 13-21, 2016. University leaders wanted this year to be different during the week of prayer. Instead of holding a prayer marathon for the first 24 hours of the week like they have done the last three years, they, along with theology students, organized a seven-day prayer marathon on campus.

3 June, 2016

In Central America, church leaders gear up to fully implement the Lord Transform Me initiative

Church leaders in Central America have a big task before them: To inspire nearly one million Seventh-day Adventists in six countries to seek a spiritual transformation through a life of prayer and bible study. Leaders met for a special summit in Nicaragua led by the Inter-American Division (IAD) this week to review strategies and activities to accomplish this work, which is called the “Lord Transform Me” evangelism initiative.

1 June, 2016

When a Rwandan woman asked to go home with me

Hurrying down the rocky path toward the Mudende Seventh-day Adventist Church, my interpreter and I called out our usual greetings and invitations to gawking residents to attend ongoing evangelistic meetings. Many people replied, “See you there!” with bright smiles. Few of them had ever seen a white person up close in this mountainous corner of Rwanda overlooking the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo.

31 May, 2016

Paul Ratsara steps aside as SID president

Paul Ratsara has resigned as president of the Southern Africa-Indian Ocean Division of Seventh-day Adventists in what he described as an effort “to refocus the church that I love, back to its God-given mission.” The General Conference Executive Committee, voting Tuesday, accepted a request from Ratsara to step aside for possible reassignment as a local church district pastor in his home Indian Ocean Union, which includes Madagascar, Mauritius, and Seychelles.

30 May, 2016

Record 95,890 baptized as evangelistic meetings end in Rwanda

A Belgian citizen visiting relatives in a corner of Rwanda. A 19-year-old woman who will lose her job. A police officer assigned to protect Seventh-day Adventist Church president Ted N.C. Wilson. These are among the record-breaking 95,890 people who accepted Christ in baptism during a two-week evangelistic series that wrapped up this weekend, church leaders said Sunday.

30 May, 2016

Adventist leaders in Central America are called on to seek a transformation in Jesus

More than 250 administrators, department directors, and district pastors from unions, conferences, missions and institutions across Central America convened in Montelimar, Nicaragua, for the next two days to pray, reflect, and study strategies and activities to join in Inter-America’s Lord Transform Me evangelism initiative. “We all need to be transformed in the image of Christ Jesus,” said Pastor Israel Leito, president of the church in Inter-America, as he addressed the leadership.

29 May, 2016

Adventist Church highlights declining religious freedom at major conference

As religious freedom deteriorates around the world, the Seventh-day Adventist Church has brought together a broad range of advocacy organizations and public leaders to consider ways to drive the issue higher on the public agenda. The 2016 International Religious Liberty Summit, held at the Newseum’s Religious Freedom Center in downtown Washington, focused on what has become a key concern for religious freedom advocates — the relatively scarce media and political attention given to rising rates of religious discrimination and persecution.

27 May, 2016

Jamaican Adventist entrepreneurs create mosquito repellent and places 6th in international competition

Inspired by the need to have individuals protected after a 2014 outbreak of the Mosquito-borne Chikungunya virus (Chik-V) in Jamaica, which claimed scores of lives both locally and regionally, two Northern Caribbean University (NCU) students created an organic repellent, Guardana, which placed sixth in the annual International Business Model Competition (IBMC).

26 May, 2016

President of ADRA highlights development work of the agency at historic United Nations summit

The world is witnessing the highest level of human suffering since World War II, according to the United Nations. In response to this fact, Ban Ki-moon, UN secretary-general, convened the World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul, Turkey from May 23 – 24. Jonathan Duffy, president of the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) International represented the agency’s global network of humanitarians and highlighted the priorities of the organization in development and emergency work around the world.

26 May, 2016

Loma Linda breaks ground on state-of-the-art hospital

With more than 3,000 people looking on, Loma Linda University Health leaders broke ground on a new hospital complex that they promised would be the tallest building in San Bernardino County in southern California and, more important, a beacon of hope for all. The new 16-floor Loma Linda University Medical Center and expanded Children’s Hospital is to stand 267 feet (81 meters) tall and contain 693 beds once its opens in 2020.

24 May, 2016

In Rwanda, Adventists say ‘I Love You’ with a cow

A husband who truly loves his wife will give her a cow. A man who wants to marry a woman will often follow the old tradition of providing a cow dowry to her family. A cow offers nutritious milk to children, a source of income, and a steady supply of natural fertilizer for gardens. Seventh-day Adventist church members presented 25 cows to impoverished families at a festive outdoor ceremony over the weekend.

23 May, 2016

Church financial leaders from the Dominican Republic complete doctoral degree

Seven Seventh-day Adventist workers from the Dominican Republic were granted doctoral degrees in business administration during the last day of graduation ceremonies held for hundreds of graduates at Inter-American Division’s (IAD) Montemorelos University in Montemorelos, in North Mexico, on May 22, 2016.