AdventSource’s board of directors voted on April 19, 2012 to move forward with plans for constructing a new building to house the ministry resource center for the Seventh-day Adventist Church in North America.
“This represents a big step forward for the ministry of AdventSource,” said Tom Lemon, Mid-America Union president and chairperson of AdventSource’s board of directors.
Founded in 1982 as a partnership between the General Conference Youth Ministries Department and Union College, AdventSource (then NAYM) was created as a one-stop center for Pathfinder Club supplies. Because of the success of this model all North American Division ministries now distribute leadership materials through AdventSource. In addition to more than 4,000 resources, AdventSource also provides church and school website support and event registration services.
Over the past 30 years AdventSource has relocated twice to accommodate college growth. AdventSource is preparing to move once again following the college’s decision to repurpose its current location in the south end of the Don Love Building to house the college’s growing physicians assistant program.
Because AdventSource provides a significant amount of student labor, Union College has offered AdventSource the option of a long-term land lease to allow for the construction of a new facility at Prescott Avenue and 51st Street on land owned by the college.
“Union College values AdventSource’s presence on our campus and we are pleased that this partnership is going to continue,” said John Wagner, president of Union College.
The new 17,000 square foot building will house the contact center, graphic arts, resource development and website support along with operations and warehouse space. AdventSource is financing the $2 million project through cash reserves, a building loan and support from Union College, the Mid-America Union and the North American Division.
Brad Forbes, director of AdventSource, presented AdventSource’s board of directors with a schedule including plans for breaking ground in May and occupancy by the end of 2012.
Frederick Russell, senior pastor of the Atlanta Berean Seventh-day Adventist Church and AdventSource board member, said, “I’m excited about the future of AdventSource on many fronts. The addition of new facilities is part of a series of progressive steps to ensure that AdventSource continues as the premier place for ministry resources for Seventh-day Adventist churches in North America.”
~by Cassie Martsching, director of communication for AdventSource
