Headlines: Blackberry Adventist K-8 School Reopens after 19 Years (And More)
Blackberry Seventh-day Adventist School Reopens After 19 Years. The Minnesota Blackberry Seventh-day Adventist School in will reopen in August for the 2015-2016 school year after19 years. The one-room, K-8 school will have one teacher, a recent Elementary Education graduate of Union College in Lincoln, Nebraska. The school will be housed at the Blackberry Seventh-day Adventist church building. From VirginiaMN.com, “Grand Rapids’ Blackberry Adventist school reopening after 19 years.”
Adventist Health CEO Receives Father of the Year Award. Lars Houmann, president/CEO of Florida Hospital and the Florida Division of Adventist Health System, was one three men chosen as 2015 Father of the Year by the American Diabetes Association. The men were honored at an event in Orlando, Florida, that served as a fundraiser for the organization. ADA’s Father’s Day Council gave the award in recognition for “making family a priority while balancing demanding careers and community involvement.” From Adventist Health, “Adventist Health System Executive Named Father of the Year.”
Arizona Sonshine Offers Free Medical Services for Underserved. The Arizona Conference of Seventh-day Adventists with several other sponsors provided free health care to homeless people, students, and people without insurance during Arizona Sonshine. At the two-day event in Prescott, Arizona, volunteer medical providers offered primary care services, vision services, dental services, and a variety of other health-care services. From The Prescott Daily Courier, “Arizona Sonshine hopes to provide free medical help for as many as 1,000 clients.”
Seventh-day Adventist Woman Files Suit Over Sabbath Observance. Stacia Smith, a Jamaican Seventh-day Adventist, has filed a religious discrimination suit against her Philadelphia skilled care facility employer. Her suit claims the company acted in discriminatory and demeaning manor toward her in regard to her race, religion, and national origin and fired her unlawfully. From Pennsylvania Record, “Jamaican Seventh-Day Adventist says employer didn’t let her observe sabbath.”
Glendale Adventist Officials Conduct Goodwill Visit to Armenia. Glendale Adventist Medical Center (GAMC) executives took a trip to Armenia to to facilitate connections between GAMC and Noyemberian hospital, using “telemedicine” technology, for medical personnel in Armenia to connect and converse with specialized staff at GAMC. Since almost 100,000 Armenians live in the Glendale area and with several hundred providers of Armenian descent at GAMC, an Armenian hospital became an appropriate partner for GAMC. From Asbarez, “Glendale Adventist Medical Center Leaders Visit Armenia.”
Arsonist Damages Knoxville Adventist Church and Van. Purposely-set fires damaged the Knoxville College Hill Seventh-day Adventist Church and its community-outreach van. Bales of hay were used to start fires at church door entrances. While members of the College Hill Church are mostly African American, Knoxville police are not investigating the incident as a hate crime. From WVLT Knoxville News Channel 8, “Vandals set fire to local church, church’s van.”
Pitcairn Island, Population 48, Legalizes Same-Sex Marriage. The tiny Pacific Pitcairn Island (a chain of four islands), which was largely converted to Seventh-day Adventist Christianity by Adventist missionaries in the 1890s, passed a law legalizing same-sex marriage. Pitcairn has 48 residents and only one pastor, a Seventh-day Adventist. There are no same-sex couples currently on the island, and it is unclear whether the Adventist pastor would perform same-sex weddings. From Huffington Post, “Pitcairn Island Passes Gay Marriage But Has No Wedding Plans.”
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.
