Adventist News
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Bethesda Temple Elevates the Community With Five Days of Faith, Giving and Fellowship
– August 25, 2026Bethesda Temple in Omaha, Nebraska, recently welcomed more than 500 visitors during its Elevate Community Event, held July 15–19, 2026. Advertised through Facebook, the five-day outreach initiative brought local residents together for spiritual encouragement, practical assistance, and family-friendly activities. Each evening, attendees registered to receive a free featured giveaway designed to meet an everyday need. Items distributed throughout the week included diapers, sneakers, food gift cards, and gas cards. Before receiving the evening’s featured giveaway, participants attended a service featuring uplifting music, a brief spiritual message, and an icebreaker giveaway. Pastor Brandon Williams delivered an energetic message each night, encouraging attendees to strengthen their faith, make positive changes, and pursue a closer relationship with God. At the conclusion of each message, Williams invited anyone moved by the Spirit to respond. Several people raised their hands each evening and joined Williams at the front of the church for prayer, publicly expressing their desire to make positive spiritual changes and become part of the body of Christ. Some visitors returned throughout the week, receiving not only practical assistance but also what church members described as nightly blessings. The event demonstrated how faith-based outreach can address both spiritual and practical needs. By combining worship with meaningful assistance, Bethesda Temple created a welcoming environment where community members could receive encouragement, fellowship, and support. The celebration concluded on a sunny Sunday afternoon with a community Fun Day. Families enjoyed a bounce house, face painting, games, music, and free massages in massage chairs. A mobile diabetes unit offered free diabetes screenings and blood pressure checks, giving residents an opportunity to learn more about their health. Representatives from the local fire station also attended to share fire safety information and give children an up-close look inside a fire truck. Children received free backpacks filled with school supplies, helping families prepare for the upcoming school year. Free food was served throughout the afternoon, with the church’s kitchen team feeding more than 200 people. The variety of activities gave children, parents, and older adults opportunities to participate in an atmosphere filled with joy and fellowship. Volunteers played an important role in the event’s success. From welcoming and registering guests to organizing giveaways, preparing meals, and assisting with activities, church members worked together to serve their neighbors. Their efforts helped ensure that visitors felt welcomed, supported, and valued. The Elevate Community Event was more than a series of giveaways. It was an opportunity for Bethesda Temple to demonstrate its commitment to faith, service, and community connection. Over five days, residents received essential items, health resources, spiritual encouragement, and memorable family experiences. Through Williams’ nightly messages and the congregation’s generosity and service, Bethesda Temple created an event that encouraged hope, connection, and positive change. The week concluded with strengthened relationships and a reminder of what can happen when a church opens its doors and intentionally serves its community. By Georgette Terrill, Bethesda Temple Seventh-day Adventist Church Communication Leader
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Central States Strengthens Pathfinder Ministry Through Leadership Training
– August 25, 2026The Pathfinder club is one of the most effective entities to teach our children principles that will stick with them for the rest of their lives. To make this a success, committed volunteers are necessary. After conducting a brief survey among Pathfinder leaders in Central States Conference, the results showed that many folks lack the necessary training needed to effectively run a Pathfinder club. It also showed some folks are interested in volunteering in the Pathfinder club, but they lack the knowledge in working with the Pathfinder curriculum and with the Pathfinders. To address those issues and concerns, an all-inclusive Pathfinder training workshop training was offered last April at the conference center in Kansas City, Kansas. Around 100 people attended the presentations on mental health wellness and identifying concerning mental health cues in Pathfinder-aged children. Presenting on that topic was Dr. Dustin Young, a licensed social worker and professor at Andrews University. From the Southern New England conference, Glorimar Teixeira presented on the Master Guide Track. Cesar and Nelly Cruz presented the training track in Spanish. The main presenter from Northeastern Conference, Judith Hill, presented the Basic Pathfinder Training Track. The 10-hour Basic Pathfinder Training course was geared toward volunteers and anyone who works or is planning to work with a Pathfinder club in any capacity. Employees from Adventsource were also present selling Pathfinder club related items. Please keep the CSC Pathfinder clubs in your prayers. There are plans in place that require seven prayer warriors and additional support for success. By the end of 2029, God willing, the plan is to have a total of 100 Master Guides throughout the conference. This will include those who have previously been invested plus those who will be invested leading up to that time. Also, during the summer of 2027 plans will be put in place to hold the first ever Central States Conference Pathfinder Fair. Ian Francis is Pathfinder director for the Central States Conference.
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RMC Announces Nathaniel Gamble as New VP for Administration
– August 25, 2026The Rocky Mountain Conference is pleased to announce that Nathaniel Gamble has accepted the call to be the new vice president for administration. Gamble presently serves as RMC’s Public Affairs and Religious Liberty director, a member of the RMC Executive Committee, and lead pastor of the Grand Junction district of churches on the Western Slope of Colorado. He will maintain his role as PARL director and begin his new administrative role for the conference on August 1. “I am excited to have Nathaniel join our administrative team here in the Rocky Mountain Conference. His love for Jesus and pastoral experience, coupled with strong administrative skills, will be a great blessing for our conference family,” said Dave VandeVere, RMC president. Gamble was born and raised in the Rocky Mountain Conference region and received his Bachelor of Arts in religion from Pacific Union College in Angwin, California, and his Master of Arts in theology from the Denver Seminary in Littleton, Colorado. He is currently finishing his Doctor of Philosophy in systematic theology from the Calvin Theological Seminary in Grand Rapids, Michigan. “We are very excited that the Lord has been preparing Nathaniel for this type of work and that he is willing to accept this position. He has the administrative skills that are essential to the role, plus a deep theological understanding. RMC is blessed to have him join the leadership of the conference,” remarked Doug Inglish, current RMC vice president for administration who is retiring. Serving RMC since 2019, Gamble has held several lead and district pastor positions, chaired the Mile High Academy Board from 2021-2025, and served as the conference’s PARL director since 2022. In his pastoral roles, he facilitated training, mediation and safety at his local churches, and created the MHA Bylaws and Constitution committee that drafted a new constitution for the academy. Gamble has also contributed to the Adventist position against Christian Nationalism and is a published author with the North American Division Ministerial Association. “It is a great honor, privilege and weighty responsibility to serve the members and workers of the Rocky Mountain Conference in the capacity of vice president of administration,” remarked Gamble. “While I did not actively seek this position, God and RMC have called me to this role, and I am heartily willing to serve according to the Lord’s grace.” He added: “I see [this] role as uniquely situated to encourage and promote compassion and listening to each other throughout the conference, so I’m looking forward to using my administrative abilities to continue building up unity and mission between the schools, churches, pastors, teachers and church members in RMC. I ask the members of RMC to keep me in their prayers so that I continually pursue humility, obedience and attentiveness to Jesus as I execute the responsibilities of this role on behalf of my brothers and sisters. Thank you for the trust you have placed in me.” Gamble is joined by his ministry partner and wife, Alex, and toy poodle puppy, Johnny. He enjoys learning Colorado and Wyoming history and exploring ghost towns. You will also find Gamble spending time reading Greek poetry, learning about Christian communities in Jerusalem, and losing at chess.
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Registration Open for the 2026 Conscience & Justice Council Convention
– August 18, 2026In considering the 250th Anniversary of America’s Independence, the Conscience & Justice Council (CJC) invites community leaders, faith leaders, advocates, educators, young adults, and all people passionate about conscience, justice, religious liberty, and the future of democracy to register for the 2026 Conscience & Justice Council Convention. The 2026 Conscience & Justice Council Convention takes place at the Crowne Plaza Philadelphia—King of Prussia, located at 260 Mall Boulevard, King of Prussia, Penn., Sept. 17-20. “This year’s convention, themed ‘Religious Freedom and Democracy: Fractured, Fragile, or Firm?,’ will bring together people from diverse backgrounds to examine the relationship between religious freedom, democracy, conscience, justice, and the realities, not the ideals, facing America today, said Edward Woods III, Conscience & Justice Council chairperson. “As a content driven and networking convention, we look forward to addressing this timely theme from a biblical perspective.” Why This Conversation Matters Questions surrounding religious liberty and democracy are not merely historical or political questions—they touch the fundamental freedoms, responsibilities, and relationships that shape communities and society. The 2026 convention will invite participants to consider critical questions: What does religious freedom mean in a diverse democracy? How can people of faith engage in public life while respecting the conscience and convictions of others? What happens when democratic ideals and lived realities collide? How can communities strengthen principles of justice, liberty, and human dignity? What role can individuals, churches, and organizations play in protecting freedom of conscience for generations to come? Rather than simply discussing these questions from a distance, this convention seeks to foster engagement, learning, connection, and action. Featured Speakers Kevin Burton, Apocalyptic Abolitionism, Author Timothy Golden, Attorney and Philosopher Orlan Johnson, Public Affairs and Religious Liberty Director, North American Division Bettina Krause, Editor, Liberty Magazine Valerie Lee, Retired Provost for Diversity and Inclusion, The Ohio State University Bishop Frank Madison Reid III, African Methodist Episcopal Church Jeanette Senecal, Chief of Civic Learning & Impact, League of Women Voters Robert Schenck, Author, Confessions of a Former Christian Nationalist W. Nick Taliaferro, Former Executive Director, Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations Pilira Zapita, President, Association of Black Adventist Religion Scholars And so many more, please click here for the agenda. Be a Part of the Conversation Registration is now open, and interested participants are encouraged to secure their place. Register now at 2026 Conscience & Justice Council Convention Registration. You can also register by phone at 1-800-732-7587. Early registration ends Friday, Sept. 4. About the Conscience & Justice Council The Conscience & Justice Council is committed to strengthening conscience and justice ministry through training, mentoring, interactive programming, and an intergenerational and interfaith national convention. Its purpose includes encouraging thriving public affairs and religious liberty ministries at the local church level, developing programs addressing the biblical basis for conscience and justice, and sustaining a national community committed to these principles.
Blogs
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The Teacher’s Notes–Authentic Christian Ministry, Lesson 10 Adult Bible Study Guide, 2026 3Q, "First and Second Corinthians"
– August 29, 2026Sabbath School Lesson for August 29-September 4, 2026 Introduction of Lesson 10, Authentic Christian Ministry Memory Text: “We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.” 2 Corinthians 4:8-10, ESV Especially when difficulties and seemingly insurmountable trouble assails us on every front, like they did for Paul, we tend to reach out to God for some indication that our service is Spirit-led and that God is truly behind our efforts. Everyone deserves to know whether their calling to serve God has been a true calling–an authentic one. Paul outlines what a valid life of Christian service consists of in 2 Corinthians, chapters 3-7. Are we uplifting the death and life of Jesus in a way that resembles the experience He had when He lived on earth? “The conversion of sinners and their sanctification through the truth is the strongest proof a minister can have that God has called him to the ministry.” ~Ellen G. White, The Acts of the Apostles, p. 328. This week, we’ll explore: Sunday: Fruits of an Authentic Ministry Monday: Suffering and Glory Tuesday: Christ-focused Ministry of Reconciliation Wednesday: Call to Holiness Thursday: Comfort and Joy Sunday: Fruits of an Authentic Ministry In the Greco-Roman world of Paul, evidence of someone’s value largely depended on letters of recommendation you carried with you to prove your good character. Even today, we provide references along with our resume when seeking employment. Paul, however, pointed to the faithful Corinthian church as his letter of recommendation. They were his epistle, “written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart” (2 Corinthians 3:3). Paul explained that he and his associates were, therefore, ministers of the new covenant, rather than the old. God’s glory that shone on the face of Moses when he delivered the Ten Commandments on tablets of stone was even more glorious as it shone forth in the hearts of the Corinthian believers. Verses for reflection and discussion: 2 Corinthians 3:1-3 How can we today show the authenticity of a pastor’s calling? 2 Corinthians 3:4-9 and Jeremiah 31:33 What is the difference, if any, between the old and new covenants that Paul referred to here? When does the old covenant become the new for the believers before Christ, and those living in Paul’s day? Monday: Suffering and Glory Jesus suffered here on earth and if we are to be like Him, we can expect a life of trials and suffering. Jesus confirmed this in John 16:33: “…in this world, you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” Therefore, Paul did not hesitate to mention the many times he and his fellow workers had suffered. See 2 Corinthians 4:8, 9. But, this suffering had prepared them for any hard times they might still endure. Their suffering made them stronger and able to comfort others. It had indeed brought life to the believers in Corinth. Just as the suffering and death of Jesus brought about His resurrection to life, we find life in our present, brief encounter with suffering. It will ultimately mean a glorious future of heavenly bliss that will last forever. Verses for reflection and discussion: 2 Corinthians 4:7-18 What were some of Paul’s trials and how did he endure them? What helps you most when life gets hard to bear? 2 Corinthians 5:1-10 How does our earthly house/tent (our bodies) in v. 1 sound like the earthen vessels in 2 Corinthians 4:7? What is the treasure that we store in those earthen vessels, and how and when will our earthly habitation become immortal? Tuesday: Christ-focused Ministry of Reconciliation No one has perfected a ministry of reconciliation that matches that of Jesus. He, being God in the flesh, died on a cruel cross so we can be reconciled with our Creator. No one, before or since, can bring sinners that close to God in such a dramatic and comprehensive way. Only when we focus on Christ’s mighty work of reconciliation can we have such a ministry ourselves. Nothing is more important than bringing people to the feet of Jesus–something we all can do with the Spirit’s guidance. Paul rightly called God’s children His ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:20), working on His behalf, spreading the gospel message of salvation to others. How important it is, then, to represent Him fully, with a heart overflowing with love for God and for the people He died for. Verses for reflection and discussion: 2 Corinthians 5:10-15 How did Paul demonstrate a ministry that was centered in Christ? 2 Corinthians 5:16-21, Colossians 1:19-23, and Ephesians 2:13-16 What does it mean to have a ministry of reconciliation? Wednesday: Call to Holiness The need for God’s people to be holy couldn’t be emphasized enough by Paul. He declared the importance of our love and affection for each other, in other words, our horizontal reconciliations, as proof that we are reconciled with God. This reconciliation is needed if we are to be holy enough to be in God’s presence. Paul’s words encourage us to be holy by separating ourselves from unclean, unholy people and things, especially anything associated with idolatry. He used words like this: “Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers”, “Come out from among them”, “Be separate”, “Do not touch what is unclean”, “Let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement”, and “Make holiness perfect in the fear of God”. See 2 Corinthians 6:6:14-17 and 7:1. This call is not one-sided though. It comes with many promises that speak of God’s desire to help us in our quest for holiness. He promises to: dwell in us, walk among us, be our God, allow us to be His people, receive us, be a Father to us, and make us <a class="cat-post-excerpt-more" href="https://www.outlookmag.org/the-teachers-notes-authentic-christian-ministry-lesson-10/" title="Continue reading The Teacher’s Notes–Authentic Christian Ministry, Lesson 10 Adult Bible Study Guide, 2026 3Q, “First and Second Corinthians”“>Read more…
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Kiss Him so as Not to Wake Him Glass Children — Part 1
– August 27, 2026I was thirty-seven months old when my brother came home. That year was counted in minutes, hours, days, weeks, then months. The first thing I was taught was how to kiss him. Lightly. Barely. I would lean over him at bedtime while Mommy rocked him and put my mouth against his forehead without any weight behind it. I was to kiss but not wake him. Mommy felt it important for me to kiss him every night because he might not be there in the morning. After he was born, while they were still hospitalized Mommy and Daddy told me he might die. I was standing on a step outside Mommy’s hospital room window. The hospital was very progressive making a way for children to visit their mothers I stood there and told my parents we needed to pray to Jesus—and then I did. He came home. No one was sitting a three-year-old down to explain what was wrong with the baby. I heard conversations. I made sense of it the way small children do with incomplete information. They did not have a diagnosis until he was 9 months old. Cerebral Palsy. I worked at learning to say these new words. So I kissed him carefully, to not wake him, in case it was the last time–every night. There is a clinical name for what was happening to me in those months, and it is not the one most people expect. It wasn’t fear. A frightened child cries, clings, asks. I did none of that. What I developed instead was hypervigilance — a nervous system that never fully stands down, listens for breathing while it sleeps, that reads a room before it enters it. In a small child, hypervigilance doesn’t look like anxiety. It looks like being good at things. It looks like carefulness, and gentleness, and a little girl who always seems to know what the adults need before they ask. Families rarely worry about that child. They are grateful for her. I am a Glass Child There is a name for her now, too. Glass Child — a term popularized by Alicia Meneses Maples, who grew up between two brothers with profound needs. Glass not because we are fragile, which is the common misreading, but because we are looked through. It is meant to describe a child/adult who grew up in a home where one or more other children required a large amount of the parents’ resources and time. The family’s eyes go past us to the one who might not survive the night. Not every sibling cares for the term, and some parents find it unjust. I use it because the first time I heard it, I recognized myself, and I had been waiting a very long time to be recognized. An easy term that sums up the situation I have spent my career sitting across from the grown version of that child. She comes in at forty, at fifty, wanting to know why she can’t sleep, why her chest tightens when the phone rings at an odd hour. She describes a childhood she insists was fine — and it was fine, in the sense that no one ever hurt her. No one did. That is exactly what makes it so hard to see. But you cannot spend your first years rehearsing a death every night and expect your body to forget the rehearsal. None of this is an accusation. My parents were not careless or unkind. They were doing the only arithmetic available to them: one child needed watching in order to stay alive, and one child did not. They were right. I have raised four children of my own. I know what finite looks like. Short of a medical team living in our house, the arithmetic was going to come out the way it came out. A child, though, cannot hold both halves of that arithmetic. She only ever learns the half about herself. It surprised every adult in the family when he turned one and was still alive. And there is a great deal more of this story to tell. What I want you to see first is the small girl at the side of the rocking chair — so gentle, so quiet, so easy to raise. Loving carefully. Asking for nothing. Listening in the dark for a sound that would tell her the world was still all right. Next time: the night I could not sleep. Father, for every child who learned early to take up no room — You have never once looked past her. Help the rest of us to see what You see. Amen.
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What Genealogies Tell Us VI The Chain Connects
– August 26, 2026We’ve already watched Noah break this genealogy’s pattern several times — five hundred years before a son is named, three sons instead of one, the wrong son listed first. But there’s another break, and it’s the one that changes what the whole chapter has been doing. Every age in Genesis 5 does the same job. It measures one generation against the next. Adam is 130 when Seth is born. Seth is 105 when Enosh is born. On and on, ten times over — each number tying one man to the man before him and the man after him. Internal bookkeeping, generation to generation, and nothing else. Then look at what happens to Noah’s age a second time. Genesis 5 tells us he’s 500 when his sons are named. But Genesis 7 tells us something Genesis 5 never told us about anyone else: “Noah was six hundred years old when the floodwaters came on the earth.” That number doesn’t link Noah—or the genealogy—to any person. It links them both to an event. A world-altering event. That’s a clear signal, telling us what the author wants us to understand. Count back through nine generations and ten ages and hundreds of years of “he lived, and he fathered, and he died,” and you won’t find another instance. No one else’s age is pinned to anything outside the family line. Adam’s isn’t linked to the fall. Enoch’s isn’t linked to any historical moment related to his walk with God. To this point, only Noah’s reaches past the genealogy’s pattern to grasp something happening in the world. Again, this signals that the chain itself was never just a family record. Ten generations, ten sets of ages, all of it internal, all of it self-referential — until the last name suddenly points outward and says: this is what it was all for. The genealogy wasn’t counting years. It was counting down. Counting down to the greatest catastrophe humankind had yet known. And the greatest deliverance.
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It’s Not Too Big For God No Problem Too Big
– August 25, 2026https://youtube.com/shorts/Vtk8aBy9tag?si=KiFI_rOTgmEx2ydi
Featured Stories
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Q&A About Constituency Sessions
– August 27, 2026WHAT IS A CONSTITUENCY SESSION? All members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church are part of a constituency, which is defined as a group of voters in a specified region who elect representatives to a legislatorial body. In this case, church members of the Mid-America Union Conference in Lincoln, Nebraska, have designated 389 regular delegates who will represent them during the tenth quinquennial constituency session on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026. Typically, unions hold their constituency sessions the year after a General Conferences Session. Once a date is set, planning begins well in advance–about 15 months before the session is held. In addition to logistical planning, important policy deadlines must be met for a session to take place. Required notifications and proposed changes to the union’s constitution and bylaws must be prepared and properly distributed within specific timeframes. WHAT HAPPENS AT SESSION? As required by our Bylaws, every five years delegates elect union leadership, receive reports from union leaders and entities, and vote on general decisions and church business. Reports on finances, church membership, audits and other statistics are also received and voted. Additionally, the delegates will vote on proposed changes to the union’s Constitution and Bylaws. Beyond a gathering to conduct church business, this meeting invites delegates and members alike to listen carefully to reports and other information and to earnestly seek God’s leading for the next chapter in our journey. WHY IS IT IMPORTANT? It’s about accountability. The union president, vice presidents and department directors will present reports and be available for questions. The president of Union Adventist University will also give a report, since UAU’s Constituency Session is joined with the Mid-America Union’s. But there’s more than business reports and votes! It’s also a celebration highlighting mission, evangelism and the blessings of the Lord in the past five years. It’s an opportunity to analyze the state of the Mid-America Union Conference—organizationally, financially and statistically—and to cast a vision for how best to advance God’s work in the heartland of America. WHO IS REPRESENTING ME? Please contact your local conference for a list of the delegates they selected from your area. HOW CAN I FIND OUT WHAT GETS VOTED? Visit OUTLOOKmag.org or follow OUTLOOK’s Facebook: facebook.com/OutlookMag/ WHY DO UNIONS EXIST? All levels of Adventist organization ultimately exist to support local churches and schools—from the General Conference with its world divisions, to the union conferences and the local conferences, to which the churches belong. The main role of the union is to strengthen its local conferences and institutions. Headquartered in Lincoln, Nebraska, the Mid-America Union Conference facilitates the work of the Seventh-day Adventist Church throughout a nine-state region in the Mid-western United States. Organized into six local conferences, our territory spans Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming and San Juan County in New Mexico. The Mid-America territory currently includes over 67,000 church members in more than 500 churches or companies, as well as 65 elementary and secondary schools, one university, nine summer camps and a number of youth and young adult programs. The union conference serves by providing assessment tools, facilitating collaboration, offering mentoring and training, and providing a layer of communication and accountability between local conferences and the global church structure. Union conferences are also shared service centers for teacher training and certification and school accreditation, regional Pathfinder camporees, ministerial conventions, religious liberty services, low-cost loans to build or renovate churches and schools, and coordination of humanitarian aid through Adventist Community Services. Each year, MAUC organizations sponsor dozens of programs and projects that address human needs, improve quality of life and introduce people to Jesus. In addition, union leaders provide counsel and support for the Board of Trustees of higher educational institutions, maintain lines of accountability with Adventist healthcare institutions, and publish the union paper that helps members be aware of and celebrate what God is doing in each territory. The Mid-America Union Conference would like to thank each member of the Executive Committee and the Constitution and Bylaws Committee for their term of service (during Sept. 2021-2026): EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Central States Conference Gary Collins Joseph Ikner Cryston Josiah Natalie Swift Dwayne Williams Dakota Conference Darla Anderson Vernon Herholdt Darren Purdy Lynnette Struntz Iowa-Missouri Conference Steve Bascom Matt Cook Kent Dunwoody Lee Rochholz Tim Saxton Kansas-Nebraska Conference Jeff Bovee Ron Carlson Larinda Fandrich Simon Liversidge Minnesota Conference Marilyn Carlson Sharon Erickson Eric Mokua Jeff Scoggins Rocky Mountain Conference Darin Gottfried Sam Miller Wayne Morrison Carol Turk David VendeVere Mid-America Union Conference Donna Brown Darrel Huenergardt Hubert Morel, Jr. Gary Thurber Roy Simpson Union Adventist University Yami Bazan AdventHealth Sam Huenergardt Brett Spenst Other Institutions in our Territory Brad Forbes (AdventSource) Dexter Thomas (Christian Record Services for the Blind) CONSTITUTION AND BYLAWS COMMITTEE Hubert Morel, Jr. (chair) Darrel Hunergardt (secretary) Joseph Ikner Don Krassin Robert Decker Kent Dunwoody Eric Mokua Mary Lynn Green Tyson Shaw Kyoshin Ahn (NAD invitee)
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Investing in People MAUC Presidential 5-Year Report 2026
– August 26, 2026The first constituency session I ever attended was when I entered ministry in 1984 as a pastoral intern in the Washington Conference. I remember sitting in awe as I watched church leaders prayerfully conduct the business of God’s work. Now, more than 40 years later, I still believe these meetings matter because they remind us that we are accountable to one another, and united in mission. That is why the theme for this constituency session, United in Service—Living the Gospel, resonates so deeply with me. Being united in service is essential if we want to accomplish the work God has called us to do in Mid-America. We will not always agree on every issue, but that should never keep us from loving one another or working together for His mission. The apostle Paul reminds us, “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit…regard one another as more important than yourselves…do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others” (Phil. 2:3–4, NASB). In the Mid-America Union, we have sought to live out that biblical principle through our core values of collaboration, responsibility and diversity. Together, these values help guide our desire to spread hope and wholeness to every person who lives within our territory. One exciting opportunity to do that is through the Seventh-day Adventist Church’s OneVoice2027 initiative. As churches around the world unite in evangelistic outreach over the coming year, I look forward to seeing how God will work through His people. A FOCUS ON FAITHFULNESS As you read the reports in this publication, you will see evidence of God’s blessings on the tremendous ministries taking place across Mid-America during the past five years. Our territory had the privilege of hosting two General Conference Sessions and the International Pathfinder Camporee, but the ongoing story is found in the faithful ministry happening every day throughout our churches, schools, healthcare ministries, camps and local conferences. Our deeply committed educators shape young lives both academically and spiritually. Equally committed Community Services and Disaster Response volunteers bring hope during times of crisis. Camps create places where lifelong friendships are formed and young people encounter their Savior. AdventHealth continues Christ’s healing ministry, while Union Adventist University prepares students for lives of faithful service. Perhaps what encourages me most is what happens every Sabbath in our local churches led by our devoted pastors. Members gather to worship, study God’s Word, encourage one another, and share Christ with their communities. Those quiet acts of faithfulness are the foundation of everything we do. STRONGER TOGETHER Looking back on my years as president, one lesson stands above the rest: ministry is always stronger when we work together. No single office or individual can accomplish God’s mission alone. Some of the accomplishments I am most grateful for are not buildings completed or events hosted, but partnerships strengthened, leaders encouraged, and ministries supported across our nine-state territory. Having served as a teacher, pastor and youth ministries leader, I have always believed that investing in people is one of the church’s greatest responsibilities. It has been a joy to watch God raise up faithful leaders across Mid-America who serve with humility, compassion and a heart for mission. BLESSING UPON BLESSING Looking back, I am most thankful not for milestones reached but for lives changed. Every baptism, every student who chose to follow Christ, every family that found hope reminds us why we do this work. Changed lives are the true measure of success. Time and again, I have watched the Lord provide exactly what His church needed. He has opened doors, raised up leaders, and blessed ministries beyond what we could have imagined. One of my greatest blessings has been serving alongside an exceptional group of conference presidents. I would not trade our leadership team for any other in the North American Division. I am equally grateful for Dr. Yami Bazan, the dedicated faculty and staff at Union Adventist University, and the remarkable employees of the Mid-America Union office. Their servant hearts, professionalism and commitment to God’s mission have blessed me beyond measure. I would also be remiss if I did not thank my wife, Diane. Her faithful partnership, encouragement, and unwavering support have strengthened me throughout our years in ministry. Whatever good has been accomplished during my service has been possible because we have served together. OUR ETERNAL HOPE This session is especially meaningful because it will be my last as president. At its close, a new leader will be chosen for the Mid-America Union. While I will miss serving in this role, I believe God blesses His church through new leadership and fresh perspectives. My heartfelt request is simple: pray for and support the person He calls to serve. I cannot express how thankful I am for the privilege of serving the wonderful people of Mid-America. Your faithfulness, generosity, and commitment to God’s mission have been a constant encouragement to me and gives me great hope for Mid-America’s future. If we truly embrace the call to be United in Service—Living the Gospel, while remaining grounded in our values of collaboration, responsibility, and diversity, I believe the years ahead will be among the most fruitful in the history of the Mid-America Union. May God continue to use us to provide something good and eternal in a very broken world as we spread hope and wholeness throughout our territory until the day we are all united in His eternal kingdom. Gary Thurber is president of the Mid-America Union.
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Stewarding God’s Resources MAUC Treasury 5-Year Report
– August 26, 2026Over the past five years God has worked through the faithfulness of our constituents who generously have given funds to further His mission throughout our territory. I want to thank each of you for your faithfulness and generosity. Today, we can praise God for what He has done. God has provided not only the funds but also brought committed and faithful individuals to our treasury department. David VandeVere led as vice president for finance for the majority of this quinquennium. Last August he accepted a call from the Rocky Mountain Conference to serve as president. We are grateful for his leadership. We are also grateful for the service of Garrett Holmes as undertreasurer. In June 2024 he took a call to be the vice president for finance for the Alaska Conference. I want to thank both of them for their service to MAUC. The results we see today in Treasury are largely due to their hard work and leadership during this quinquennium. I had the privilege to be called to fill the undertreasurer position in September 2024, and then in August 2025 I became the vice president for finance. This left the undertreasurer position vacant once again, but we have been blessed with the addition of Karen Senecal to the treasury team. At the same time, we are thankful for the dedicated members of the team who have continued: Pennie Yesilcimen and Abisai Arreguin working on the day-to-day tasks and being instrumental during the transitions; and Roy Schaecher who maintains our office building and grounds. Supporting Conferences Five years ago, it was reported that part of the 2020 working capital was allocated for events such as the International Pathfinder Camporee and the General Conference Session that happened in our territory, along with the North American Division teachers’ convention and the MAUC ministerial convention. We are pleased to report that Mid-America Union was able to support our conferences in each of these gatherings and others as well. We are committed to continue using these set-aside funds to support our conferences. The end of the previous quinquennium (2016 – 2020) and beginning of the current one (2021 – 2025) were particularly difficult due to the financial uncertainty surrounding the Covid-19 pandemic. Because this was a unique event in history it was hard to predict what would really happen, but the general expectation in the economic world was that there could be a significant financial impact and therefore a reduction in church giving. As He has done many times in the past, God showed up in a powerful way. Far from ending the year with a reduction in tithe giving, the year 2020 ended with a slight increase. Then, in 2021, our union had one of highest tithe increases seen in many years (11.17%). In 2023 we reached a significant financial milestone—surpassing for the first time the $ 70 million threshold in tithe. In 2024 we experienced a slight decrease, but in 2025 MAUC reached more than $ 71 million in tithe. At the end of 2025, Mid-America Union had the second highest (out of nine unions in the NAD) per capita tithe increase (0.83%). Praise the Lord for His continued mercies and the faithfulness of our constituents! Mid-America Union total net assets have been stable during the last five years. At the end of 2025 total net assets are almost $ 6 million (from the unaudited 2025 financial statements). The working capital is one of the most important indicators to help us understand an entity’s financial health. This indicates the ability of the institution to cover expenses in case of not receiving any income. During this quinquennium the NAD made a significant change to this policy. Originally, three months of operating income in savings would represent 100% of the working capital required. Now 100% of working capital would be six months of operating expenses. By the grace of God we ended 2025 just above the NAD requirement. The purpose of the Mid-America Union is to support the conferences and institutions. Nine cents out of every dollar given in local churches as tithe is sent to MAUC. The use and distribution of those funds reflect its purpose. About 49% is used for union operations. Most of these funds are used for departments whose primary function is to work closely with the conferences to provide the support needed. About 25% of the tithe received is sent back to conferences in appropriations, while 15% is used to fund the Defined Retirement Plan. Per current policy, 10% is sent to the NAD. MAUC received “unmodified” or clean opinions from the auditors during the years 2021 to 2024. This is the best result that can be given when financial statements are audited. At the time this report is being written, the 2025 audit is not officially finished, but we expect to have the same result. Trusting The Spirit As we look to the future, the rising cost of doing mission and the constant uncertainty of the world we live in may lead us to think that the challenges are impossible to overcome. Yet regardless of the situation, God calls us to trust in Him because He has already shown us what He can do. Even though we work diligently to be good stewards, we cannot depend on professional capacity to do this work. We need the Holy Spirit who sees beyond any good financial strategy to guide our everyday decisions. We invite you to join us in asking for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, as we continue to wait for God’s returning. Roy Simpson is vice president for finance for the Mid-America Union.
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Recording the Data MAUC Secretariat 5-Year Report
– August 26, 2026It has been my privilege and honor to serve as executive secretary. Though these past five years have not been without their challenges, I am grateful to God for His sustaining power. The office of secretariat had a unique and distinctive responsibility to gather and chronicle with accuracy the figures and data from each conference within the Mid-America Union Conference. These records emphasize the successes and gains—along with the opportunities afforded God’s people during these last five years—thereby making this office a vital component to the effectiveness and growth of this great union. MEMBERSHIP NUMBERS In this report will give a snapshot of the growth of the union based on the data received from the six conferences. The account will show both gains and losses. In spite of the challenges and pitfalls of the economy, we can still offer our praises and gratitude to God, who has been very good to the Mid-America Union Conference. At the beginning of this quinquennium the membership of the union stood at 64,787. At the end of 2025, total membership was 67,512. During the quinquennium 5,720 were baptized, while 1,746 joined by profession of faith and 3,601 transferred in by letter. However, 3,442 transferred out by letter, there were 2,808 deaths, 746 were removed, 1,218 missing, and 128 adjustments totaled 67,512. Hence an increase of 2,725. We also record data regarding local churches. The MAUC is growing in diversity. The number of languages and ethnicities we have now is nearly 20. Churches & Companies by Language/Ethnicity English 393 Spanish 78 Gussi/Swahili 15 Koren 9 Indonesian 8 French/Creole 4 Karen 2 Kinyarwanda 2 Ethiopian/Oromo 2 Portuguese 2 Russian 2 Akan 1 Ghanaian 1 Ganda 1 Hmong 1 Kpelle 1 Mizoram 1 Nuer 1 Zambia 1 Total 525 Membership Totals by Year This report has been made possible through the concerted efforts of the committed conference vp’s for administration/executive secretaries and the conference clerks, who are responsible for sending the data and statistics to our office on a quarterly basis. These facts and figures reflect the commitment and dedication of our pastors, teachers, Bible instructors, church leaders and members whose daily work is filled with the Spirit of God. Through various mechanisms such as evangelism, reclaiming strategies and other ministries, these individuals took to heart the mission of Jesus Christ and went out and did battle with the enemy of God and grew the kingdom of God in the process. They have courageously made an impact in their communities, churches and conferences across the Mid-America territory. Membership Totals from 2021 – 2025 2021: 65,011 2022: 65,243. 2023: 65,975 2024: 66,727 2025: 67512 WORDS OF APPRECIATION Nothing that has been accomplishment during this past quinquennium would be possible without the inspiration, guidance and direction of Jesus Christ. I am therefore, honored to express my gratitude to Him for all He has done. I am also reminded that none of the progress that has been made would have been possible without the faithful efforts of the conference clerks and executive secretaries. To them I express my sincere appreciation. To the NAD representatives, I thank you for being a reliable and good resource. To my fellow union officers, Dr. Gary Thurber and Elder Roy Simpson, I express my deep and sincere appreciation for having had the privilege of working with you. I thank the members of the MAUC executive committee for their work and for representing the union well. To the union’s Constitution and Bylaws committee, thank you for your dedication and for accomplishing the work assigned. The efficiency of the day-to-day operation of my office is largely due to the coordinated services of my executive assistant, Mrs. Michelle Swanson. I want to thank her for her commitment and dedication in making the office of secretariat run with top-notch performance. I would be remiss if I did not say a word of appreciation to my former executive assistant, Mrs. Paula Correa. I thank her as well for her excellent work over the time we worked together. To my wife, Raquel, I express heartfelt appreciation for the support, encouragement, patience, understanding and honesty shared with me regarding my work in this office. I am eternally grateful. Finally, to the constituents of the Mid-America Union Conference, I thank you from the depth of my heart for the privilege and opportunity you gave to me to serve you in this capacity. LOOKING TO THE FUTURE In Luke 19:13, we are reminded to occupy till He returns. My prayer and hope are that when He does return, He will say to each of us, “Well done thou good and faithful servant…enter thou into the joy of thy Lord” (Matt. 25:21). May we remain United in Service—Living the Gospel as we continue to grow in the grace of God and keep our minds and hearts focused on Jesus Christ and His soon return. Maranatha! Hubert J. Morel, Jr. is vice president for administration for the Mid-America Union.