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News Headlines: Denver Adventists Join MLK Interfaith Commemoration (and More!)

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Denver Adventists Join MLK Interfaith Commemoration. Park Hill’s Seventh-day Adventist Church hosted an interfaith commemoration of the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr.  With King's birthday falling just five days before the inauguration, the speakers examined his legacy in the context of the upcoming presidential transition. Mayor Michael Hancock, state Sen. Rhonda Fields, Bishop Acen Phillips, and former Denver Mayor Wellington Webb spoke of the civil rights movement in Denver and the importance of the city’s churches in that struggle. From Denver Post, “At Park Hill church, speakers address MLK’s legacy and Trump’s future.”

Michael Chamberlain Remembered as Strong, Determined Man at Memorial Service. Michael Chamberlain has been remembered at his memorial service in New South Wales, Australia, for not allowing cruel tragedy to break him. Chamberlain was  determined, during his decades-long fight, to prove nine-week-old daughter Azaria was killed by a dingo in the Northern Territory outback in 1980. Two things concerned him in the days before he died last week following complications from acute leukaemia at the age of 72. "He did want an apology from the Northern Territory, and it still hasn't been received," said his defense lawyer through the ordeal and close friend Stuart Tipple. He was also still fighting "bureaucratic challenges" to have a memorial plaque for Azaria placed at Uluru, Tipple said. The NT's acting chief minister Natasha Fyles said the government would look into a formal apology. Azaria's death began a challenging chapter in the Chamberlain family's lives, eldest son Aidan told the hundreds-strong service at Avondale College Seventh-day Adventist Church. The strength and determination his father showed was admirable, Aidan said, flanked by his siblings  Reagan and Kahlia.  Lindy Chamberlain, Michael's former wife, attended the service. Both Michael and Lindy remarried after their marriage fell apart in 1990. From News.com.au, “Michael Chamberlain still wanted closure.”

Adventist Church Sues Guam in Tax Dispute. The General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists has filed a civil case against Department of Revenue and Taxation Director John Camacho in the Superior Court of Guam over alleged non-payment of more than $12 million in back taxes. According to court documents filed in October 2016, DRT determined that the Guam Seventh-day Adventist Clinic Pharmacy owed about $12.6 million in business privilege taxes for the years 1991 through 2013. This includes about $3 million in penalties. The Guam Adventist Book and Food Center was also assessed more than $350,000 in business taxes with penalties exceeding $88,000 for the same time period. A status hearing is set for Feb.13. From the Guam Daily Post, “SDA files suit over $12M in unpaid taxes.”

Andrews University Students Help Three Michigan Families Winterize Their Homes. Andrews University’s Office of Campus Ministries and Harbor of Hope, a local Adventist church plant supported by Pioneer Memorial Church, sponsors an outreach program "Our Two Cents." Through the program, AU students helped winterize homes in Benton Harbor. Leading the project was Unique Bolden, student chaplain. “The living conditions were poor, and [one of] the home[s] was not clean. There were spiders and cobwebs in the windows we were supposed to be cleaning and covering,” said Bolden.  June Price, campus chaplain, sees the ministry of Jesus in this volunteer effort. “You could not separate Christ from His acts of caring for others,” she said. “It is who He was.” Part of Our Two Cents’ mission is based on Christ’s words: “Inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to me.” From Andrews University, “Students & Benton Harbor ministry serve local residents.”

Idaho Adventist Help Community Member Struggling with Depression. The members of the Meridian Seventh-day Adventist Church in Idaho are helping local people struggling with depression and thoughts of suicide, hosting a nine-part video series “Get Your Life Back!” Idaho and the entire Intermountain West suffer from some of the highest suicide rates in the nation. Organizers say attendees will learn to identify depression and anxiety as well as their causes, enhance their energy levels and mood, and manage stress. The videos feature Neil Nedley, a nationally-known physician who practices internal medicine with an emphasis in gastroenterology, mental health, lifestyle medicine, and the “difficult-to-diagnose” patient. From Idaho Statesman, “Meridian Seventh-day Adventist Church hosts depression-recovery series.”

 

Pam Dietrich taught English at Loma Linda Academy for 26 years and served there eight more years as the 7-12 librarian. She lives in Redlands, California.

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