Headlines: Ted Wilson Becomes First Adventist President to Meet With UN Secretary General
Ted Wilson Meets With Ban Ki-moon. United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon met with General Conference President Ted N. C. Wilson, associate director of the Adventist world church’s public affairs and religious liberty department, Ganoune Diop, and director of the public affairs and religious liberty department, John Graz for 45 minutes at the United Nations headquarters in New York. Ban Ki-moon “expressed concerns about growing religious intolerance worldwide, . . . and he invited the Seventh-day Adventist Church to work with the UN in helping people,” according to an Adventist Review article. The article stated, “Wilson, the first Adventist Church president to meet with a UN chief, noted that the church has long supported religious liberty and said it was willing to team up on initiatives that followed Christ’s ministry of helping people physically, mentally, socially, and spiritually.” Dean of the UN undersecretaries-general Ambassador Joseph Verner Reed, arranged the meeting. From Adventist Review, “Adventist Church President Hold First Meeting With UN Chief.”
Fatal Ghanaian Convoy Crash on Easter Saturday. Traveling in a convoy of three vehicles including a taxi the Saturday before Easter, at least eight congregants of Meduma North Seventh-day Adventist Church were confirmed dead in a collision that occurred at Tano Odumase in the Ashanti region of Ghana. The church members were returning from a conference when accident occurred. Other members were injured and treated at hospitals. From Ghana Web, “Fatal Easter Saturday: Nine SDA members die in accident.”
Adventists in Fiji Receive Education Minister’s Praise. Fiji Education Minister Mahendra Reddy praised the Seventh-day Adventist Church for its plan to provide educational opportunities to children. He spoke at the opening of a new classroom block at Vatuvonu Seventh-day Adventist College in Cakaudrove. This new classroom block is part of Ministry’s Educational Disadvantage Areas Index which upgrades schools nationwide to the required standard. From Fiji Village, “Reforms taking place within Ministry to provide the best to the children of Fiji – Reddy.”
Micronesian Adventist Clinic Recognized for Cleaning Roadway. Micronesia’s Department of Public Highways awarded a certificate of appreciation to a Seventh-day Adventist clinic for not only participating in its Adopt-a-Highway road cleaning program but for exceeding expectations. Willy Serrano, who is in charge of the project, cleans the Adventist-sponsored section of road every Friday. From Marianas Variety, “DPW Recognizes Adventist Clinic.”
UK Adventist Primary School Turnaround Is Start of Success. The Birmingham UK Harper Bell School, named after American-born Goodloe Harper Bell, co-founder of the Seventh-day Adventist school system, received a “good” rating from Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted) evaluators after having slipped in its standings. Religious elementary schools are uncommon in the United Kingdom, but the school is valued as part of a revitalization of schools in Birmingham. The school will become an academy later this year. From The Voice, “Best in the business turn school around: Future looking bright for Seventh Day Adventist School.”
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, CA.
