The Current provides a quick survey of news and media relevant to the Adventist conversation. It displays the latest three posts on the homepage. Click “The Current” to scroll through everything on a separate page.
In an April 22 news release, Adventist Healthcare announced that after 13 years leading the Gaithersburg, Maryland-based not-for profit health care system, President and CEO Terry Forde will leave in August to become president and CEO of Health First in Florida.
Adventist Healthcare board chair Emmanuel Asiedu called Forde a “tireless advocate” for the organization’s mission and said praised Forde for expanding Adventist Healthcare’s services. “We wish Terry and Health First the very best in their efforts to serve the heath needs of Florida community members,” Asiedu said.
Adventist Healthcare has served the greater Washington, D.C. area since 1907. Today it comprises six owned and managed hospitals and over 50 medical facilities.
Founded some 88 years later, Health First became a not-for-profit healthcare system when Cape Canaveral Hospital, Holmes Regional Medical Center, and Palm Bay Hospital joined forces in 1995.
Health First board chair Kent Smith described Forde as “an experienced and sympathetic leader.”
“The Space Coast welcomes Terry,” Smith said, “and looks forward to his guidance to further Health First’s legacy of providing exceptional quality and compassionate care.”
According to Florida Today, Smith will continue serving as Health First interim CEO until Forde takes over in August.
“I am so glad to have been part of an organization dedicated to being the best choice for both patients and team members,” Forde said, “and look forward to joining Health First to promote vibrant wellbeing in Florida.”
Jared Wright |The Southern California Conference has canceled its 2024 summer camp program, stating that camp facilities—the playing field, sports courts, restrooms, and cabins—”require attention.” The conference also indicated that recent leadership changes in the conference youth department set back camp readiness in programming and staffing.
SCC holds summer camp at Camp Cedar Falls in the San Bernardino Mountains east of Los Angeles. After assessing the camp facilities, conference leaders determined they could not “run an excellent and safe camp for our children.”
The conference has experienced high turnover in the youth department (which oversees summer camp operations), previously split into senior youth and young adult ministries and youth ministries.
After Camp Cedar Falls was closed a year and a quarter because of the 2020 pandemic, the camp reopened its weekend family camp in 2021 under interim youth ministries director Kevin Morris. Salvador Garcia became youth ministries director in December, 2022, but only remained in the position until November 2023, according to his LinkedIn page. He was not replaced.
In May 2022, Iki Taimi left the role of SCC senior youth and young adult ministries director to join La Sierra University Church as lead pastor. One year later, Geoffrey Sewell, a former physician, moved from Hawaii to Southern California to serve as director of youth and senior youth/young adult ministries.
SCC anticipates reopening summer camp in 2025, and for parents who had planned on sending their children to camp this year, the conference recommends vacation Bible school programs at local churches and the international Pathfinder camporee in Gillette, Wyoming in August.
—Southern California Conference
Jared Wright |Oregon Conference’s 2024 camp meeting is the latest casualty of financial readjustments dating back to October, 2023, when the conference announced 20 percent staff cuts.
On April 19, the Oregon Conference executive committee disclosed plans to suspend this year’s English and Spanish camp meetings, stating that holding the events “would have required the conference to borrow approximately $380,000.”
In March, Oregon Conference president Dan Linrud survived a no confidence vote stemming from the conference’s budget shortfall that required dramatic belt-tightening measures. Historically low church attendance and inflation were blamed for the conference’s inability to meet its budget. The conference has offered pastors early retirement buyouts.
Now, with camp meeting suspended, Linrud says preliminary talks have begun to provide “regional convocations” to fill the summer programming gap. “More prayer and conversation will need to take place in this regard,” the conference said.
“Spinning at Spectrum,” a playlist of the latest music in and around our community. Curated by Maxwell Aka.
Some 2,000 years have passed since the first followers of Jesus began looking for his return. We’re not talking here about an extremist fringe that merely speculated that Jesus might come back in their lifetime or soon thereafter. No, we’re talking about such spiritual luminaries as the apostles Paul, Peter, and John.
A crisis of faith leads pastor and theologian Tony Jones to a life more focused on paddling a canoe, hunting with his dog, and butchering deer. Can the merging with the untamed environment lead to spiritual rebirth?
The vivid values Valen Næss employs make her images easy to recognize. Some have described her as one of Norway’s foremost colorists. She thinks that’s an overstatement. “Perhaps I’m one of the boldest,” she offers.
The most attention-grabbing item, a plan to exert more control over Adventist educators, came on day two, but other business included financial reports, more presentations from a sexuality taskforce, and new leaders elected.
An important, recurring, theme in Fortin’s book is Butler’s relationship with other leaders, and in particular with the White family, which often proved to be quite problematic. In the earlier part of his career Butler had to deal with James White, his predecessor as General Conference president.
If we recognize that there is fallibility to knowing, and are suspicious of certainty, doubt can be a welcome relief. But we sacrifice our innate curiosity when we cling to comfortable beliefs, and with it, lose the freedom to think beyond current orthodoxy.
Is it ok to question our faith? This week’s Sabbath school lesson opens a conversation about idolizing church policy and doubting our faith. (Commentary on the Adult Bible Study Guide for April 13–19.)
In many ways Jesus answered what it means to be truly pro-life in the gospels. “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, pray for those who use you badly,” he said.
We have two goals: first, sharing information about current research in the United States—including Berrien County—surrounding informed care for LGBTQ+ individuals. Second, we’d like to invite community comments.
Don Barton reviews a film about a man possessed by a demon on death row. A psychologist must figure out if this man is sane or not.
