Video courtesy Columbia Union Conference.

In a helpful document that gathers the recent motions and actions of conferences and unions across the North American Division (NAD) as well as General Conference actions, the NAD Communication Department has published the first official report on the current women's ordination discussion. While individual union and conferences have posted and published reports of their local actions, the NAD report is the first one to bring together all of the actions.

Martin Weber, D.Min. — Director of Communication, Mid-America Union Conference
 
Elder Dan Jackson has brought an unprecedented quality of leadership to North America, in my opinion: visionary, inspiring, courageous and compassionate. Thus I am saddened by his apology that accompanied the reversal of Policy E-60 related to women in leadership. To quote: “. . . We were doing so under the assumption that the North American Division had a constituency separate and distinct from the General Conference. Unfortunately, we were wrong and we sincerely apologize.”
 

Dr. Jan Paulsen, former Seventh-day Adventist world church President, has been appointed Commander of the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit by King Harald V of Norway. In the announcement released to the media February 2, the Royal Palace states that “H. M. The King has appointed Jan Paulsen Commander of the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit for meritorious work for the good of humanity.”

For Pastor Paulsen, 77, the news came as a “complete surprise.”

The following was sent to the La Sierra University community:

The Office of the Provost is pleased to announce that Dr. Carol Bradfield has accepted an appointment as the Interim Vice President for Advancement at  La Sierra University.

ATLANTA: Today the Seventh-day Adventist Church held its first press conference of the 59th General Conference Session.

On May 23, an anonymously-created website, LaSierraUniversity.net appeared attacking the school for paying biology professors who teach "naturalistic evolution." Featuring letters that have been circulating around cyberspace to church leaders as well as responses from La Sierra University President Randal Wisbey, the site documents the latest in a long series of heated clashes over the role of the academy in the mission of the church as well as the intellectual responsibilities of teachers.

From the Southern Accent:

Stephen Bauer, a professor in Southern’s School of Religion was called by the Adventist Theological Society (ATS) to be president-elect for the years 2009 and 2010.

The Loma Linda University Adventist Health Sciences Center (LLUAHSC) board voted Tuesday night (January 27, 2009) over the phone to refuse to reconsider a request from Atlantic Union College (AUC) for a merger with LLU. Lowell Cooper, chairman of the LLUAHSC board, granted an interview to Spectrum on this and the future of Adventist education which can be read here.

La Sierra University professor Kendra Haloviak gave students in her “Seven churches of the Apocalypse” graduate seminar this assignment: Interview a pastor who conducted a non-traditional Revelation seminar in the last three years.

Ministerial student Lambert Trinidad spoke to Guillermo Gucilatar, a pastor, evangelist, and administrator from the Philippines who recently retired in Southern California.