Connecting Columbia Union Seventh-day Adventists

Seventh-day Adventist

Takoma Park, MD — The Trustees of Washington Adventist University (WAU) today voted a Memorandum of Understanding with Atlantic Union College (AUC). This MOU calls for the two institutions to work toward an agreement to establish a branch campus of Washington Adventist University at Atlantic Union College in South Lancaster, Massachusetts. WAU would lease the facilities of AUC, and become the sole provider of higher education at the New England location. All provisions are dependent upon approval from the required accrediting and regulatory agencies.

Larry Beneke, a member of Ohio Conference’s Kettering church, has announced his retirement as chair of Kettering College’s Department of Radiologic Sciences and Imaging, a position he has held since 1996. His retirement becomes final in April as he finishes his 25th year at the school, and more than 36 years with Kettering Adventist HealthCare, the college’s governing organization.

Members of the Allegheny East Conference’s Emmanuel-Brinklow church in Ashton, Md., recently stood witness as a former member of the Klu Klux Klan embraced a man who he beat some 50 years ago. Back then that man was a Freedom Rider participating in the Civil Rights Movement. Today that man who was beaten is better known as U.S. Congressman John Lewis. Rep. Lewis was one of four people that the Emmanuel-Brinklow church recently honored during the church’s sixth annual Living Legends Awards for Service to Humanity. The honorees included Frazier and Virginia Mathis, Emmanuel-Brinklow members and founders of Global Vessels—a missionary organization; Ella Jenkins, a Grammy-award-winning children’s musician; and Congressman Lewis.

Dwain Esmond, editor of the youth magazine Insight, had an idea: What if everyone who came to the Super Bowl had an opportunity to meet Jesus? It was a big dream and he had no idea how it could happen, but he took the first step—he began planning an issue of his magazine that would tie in with the biggest sports event in North America.

Ester Bacud, RN, a member of Potomac Conference’s Filipino Capitol church in Beltsville, Md., was recently awarded Washington Adventist Hospital’s (WAH) first Compassionate Care Award. The new annual honor is presented to a member of the hospital community (staff, physicians, contract employees, volunteers, etc.) who best embodies the hospital’s mission to “demonstrate God’s care.”