May 15, 2009

This past week has been a shuttle run between meetings at the Columbia Union, and spending time at Blue Mountain Academy. At the Columbia Union, I attend the President’s Council, which consists of all the Conference Presidents in the Union along with the Union Officers. Then I also attended the Columbia Union College Board of Trustees meeting. One of the significant issues at the CUC BOT meeting was to vote to recommend to the CUC Constituency meeting that the name of CUC be changed to Columbia Adventist University.

Tuesday night, the BMA Board interviewed 2 candidates for BMA Principal. I also had 2 faculty/staff appointments that night to listen to campus concerns and hopes for the future.

Thursday I met with the BMA Principal Search Committee as they interviewed each of the 2 Principal candidates for about 2 hours each.

Tamyra Horst, our communications Director also filmed me giving the closing appeal for this years Evangelism offering DVD to be shown in each church. Also on Thursday I met with each of the Principal candidates one-on-one. I also met with another member of the BMA faculty to listen to concerns and hopes for the future. Then in the evening on Thursday, the Principal Search Committee met again to carefully consider what recommendation to make to the BMA Board on Friday, based on the interviews. On Friday, the Search Committee recommended to the BMA Board that we not make a final decision on a candidate at this time, but prayerfully consider an additional person before making a recommendation.

While at BMA on Thursday, I got to see the finishing work on the first bathrooms in the East wing of the Boy’s Dorm. Brian Butler and his daughter Monica are doing a great job with the tile.

Dean David Ringer showed me an example of the new windows that will shortly be installed.

Please encourage all those you know to give generously for BMA to make this wonderful necessary upgrades.

May 10, 2009

On Sabbath, May 9, the Shekinah Haitian Seventh-day Adventist Church in Manheim, PA, celebrated the beginning of its ministry in its new location. This church was recently voted by the PA Conference Executive Committee to be recognized as an official, organized SDA Church in the PA Conference. For a number of years, this church group had met in the Lancaster SDA Church, first as a Sabbath School class, then as a mission group, then a Company, and finally a few weeks ago being voted as a church.

Pastor Jody Swart was a huge support to this group as they formed and worked through many issues to get to church status. Bill Peterson, the Assistant to the President for Mission worked closely with this group and coached them on a number of items. Floyd Dare spent many, many hours working with them on possible building opportunities and especially guiding them through the process of purchasing this building after they located it and decided they would like to make this their church home.

At the Sabbath Celebration, I specifically affirmed the valuable ministry these men had provided to Shekinah Haitian to assist them in becoming a church.

The Church family gave a token of appreciation for all the support the Conference had given to enable them to become a church and to get into this building that they have recently purchased.

At the Sabbath Celebration, I specifically affirmed the valuable ministry these men had provided to Shekinah Haitian to assist them in becoming a church.

The Church family gave a token of appreciation for all the support the Conference had given to enable them to become a church and to get into this building that they have recently purchased.

During the service, the youth choir sang.

During the service, the youth choir sang.

The Church expressed it’s appreciation to Brian Yingst and the Lancaster SDA Church for all their support. Brian and his wife attended the whole service and stayed as guests of honor at the fellowship meal.

Pastor Darnel Marius is giving leadership under a unique stipend program Bill Peterson designed here in the PA Conference for Church Plants that are a unique ethnic work.

The church was full for the occasion, and except for a few visitors, most of those in attendance were either members or regular attendees.

March 28, 2009

On Sabbath, March 21, we officially organized the Bethlehem Spanish Church in the Pennsylvania Conference. Brother Juan Tavarez has been the lay leader of this group for a number of years. Bill Peterson has worked extensively with this group and provide a coach to guide the lay leader along. After inviting the baptized members to come forward and sign as charter members, in answer to an appeal 5 others came forward to sign, who were being baptized that Sabbath afternoon. Then with a 3^rd appeal, a lady came forward to sign the book, who had joined the Lehigh Valley Church a number of years ago, but when she moved to New Jersey, had slipped away from church. Now she wanted to be an active Adventist again.

March 21, 2009

I was invited to conduct a reaping series of meetings with the Lehigh Valley Spanish church March 14-21. The opening message was on the Great Controversy theme, and my heart was once again stirred as I had the privilege of presenting this wonderful and comprehensive message of the plan of salvation and the soon return of Christ. Other topics through the week covered the gospel, signs of the second coming, the resurrection, the Sabbath, baptism, the millennium and the new earth, etc. On the last Sabbath afternoon, after 12 or more baptismal candidates from the Lehigh Valley Spanish Church and the Easton Spanish Church plant were baptized by Pastor Montalvo, he gave an appeal from the baptistery. I estimated 18 people came forward in answer to the invitation to plan on baptism in the future, including family and friends of those baptized that day. Elias Saud did a good job conducting meetings in Easton at the same time of the meetings at Lehigh Valley Spanish.

March 13

This week I was serving the Pennsylvania Conference by participating in the Columbia Union functions.

On Monday and Tuesday all the president’s from the Conferences in the Columbia Union meet in the President’s Council with the Columbia Union Officers. On Tuesday afternoon, we had the Columbia Union Board of Education, chaired by Ham Canossa. Dave Morgan, our PA Vice President for Education is also a member of that committee, and we spent about an hour together after the CUBOE meeting discussing PA Conference education items.

Wednesday, I served on the Columbia Union College Board of Trustees Committee meeting. While there I also interfaced with two dedicated Adventist business professionals in regards to some things that may help Blue Mountain Academy over the future. I was also asked to serve on a subcommittee to suggest potential names for re-naming Columbia Union College as it moves toward University status.

On Thursday I served on the Columbia Union Executive Committee, where there are an additional 3 members of this committee from the Pennsylvania Conference. Pictured here, you will see Pastor Dennis Austin, from the Pittsburgh and New Brighton district.

Also a young adult, Christina Ivankina, who joined her father in being one of the church planters of the Lewisburg SDA Church. She is about to begin evangelistic meetings with a couple of other young adults.

At this Union Committee, the Pennsylvania Conference Executive Committee had nominated Erin Clark to fill the position on the Union Committee that was vacated when Cheryl Schaffer moved to Collegedale, TN.

Elder Dave Weigely, Neville Harcombe and Seth Bardu lead our Union and are dedicated to the ministry and effectiveness of God’s work here in the Columbia Union

March 9

Sabbath, March 7 I was invited to the Stroudsburg Church for a special Sabbath of dedicating the new Church Officers and Ministry leaders for the coming year. My sermon for the worship hour message focused on the Leadership examples for a Christian leader found from the life of Moses.

In Patriarchs and Prophets I read:
“Moses was fitted to take pre-eminence among the great of the earth, to shine in the courts of its most glorious kingdom, and to sway the scepter of its power. His intellectual greatness distinguishes him above the great men of all ages. As historian, poet, philosopher, general of armies, and legislator, he stands without a peer.” p. 246.

After the worship hour message, we had an ordination service for two new church elders and a new church deacon.

In the afternoon I met briefly with the elders.

Then later, I introduced Pastor James Clark as the new district pastor for the Stroudsburg, Easton, Poconos Grace and Hope Fellowship churches and church plant. Pastor Clark’s primary responsibilities will be spiritual leadership for the Stroudsburg and Easton Churches, and directing and coordinating the work of the lay leaders who are responsible for the Poconos Grace church and the Hope Fellowship Church plant. Pastor Clark has a wealth of experience. He taught Bible and religion for 14 years in Greater New York Academy and had the privilege of seeing 36 of his students later enter the full time gospel ministry. He has been the pastor/leader of churches with a wide range of multi ethnic memberships, and he has led in several successful church building and fund-raising projects. He is a committed evangelist and mission leader. And we are blessed to have him join our Pennsylvania Conference Ministry Team. Pastor Clark comes to us from the Northeastern Conference.

February 21

Sabbath, February 21 was Pathfinder Sabbath at the Hampden Heights Church.

Pathfinders conducted the entire worship service. Two young ladies gave the Sabbath morning worship hour message.

In the afternoon the PA Conference Bible Achievement was conducted. Pam Schieb, one of the Pathfinder coordinators for the PA Conference does a magnificent job coordinating these each year.

Clubs this year at the Bible Achievement represented the Gettysburg SDA Church, Hamburg SDA Church, Hampden Heights SDA Church, and a club from the Hillside SDA Church in the Allegheny East Conference.

It was inspiring to watch each club work diligently to get the answer to the pretty tough bible questions.

Barry Tryon and Karen Schneider were invited to join me as judges for the event.

I am impressed with the dedicated leaders all across the Conference that we have who volunteer their time, energy and travel to support our young people in the great organization of Pathfinders.

Mark Sorensen, who has served as the Executive Director for the Pathfinder Council of the PA Conference is just one of many dozens who give their efforts to help our young people grow and develop through Pathfindering.