Story by Richard Castillo
As Hurricane Dorian ravaged the Bahama Islands last week, members of the Washington Adventist University (WAU) community prayed for family and friends on the island. Brendon Albury, Nursing Admissions and Progressions Coordinator for WAU waited to hear from his loved ones as the hurricane spent days raking his home.
Story by Tracey Jackson
On your next tour of Pennsylvania, visit sites like Hopewell Furnace, the Daniel Boone Homestead and the Pine Forge Mansion & Industrial Site. And don’t forget to visit the historic renovated North Hall, now the Pine Forge Academy (PFA) Music Conservatory, coordinated by Maranatha Volunteers International.
Story by Tamyra Horst
Pennsylvania Conference team recently said, “Goodbye” and honored pastor Lynn Gatz (pictured with his wife, Donna) and Blue Mountain Academy staff member Glenn Sutton (pictured with his wife, Kathleen) during camp meeting, as both retired and now begin new adventures.
Gatz has served in pastoral ministry for 50 years. Over the last 20 years, he pastored the Coudersport, Derrick City, Mount Jewett and Warren churches in Northern Pennsylvania. He and his wife are looking forward to time with family upon retirement—though he will continue to work as a chaplain in his community.
Story by Katie Solovey
Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center has a new leader. Dan Cochran, the hospital’s Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer, became its president effective Aug. 19. Cochran takes over for John Sackett, who is handing off duties at the hospital to focus on his role as Chief Operating Officer of the Adventist HealthCare system.
Terry Forde, the Chief Executive Officer of Adventist HealthCare, announced the changes internally in July, praising Cochran’s talents as an executive. “Dan has managed the complexities of hospital finance and been a stalwart supporter of Shady Grove’s growth and patient experience initiatives,” Forde said.
Story by Liz Anderson
Kleyton Feitosa had always been a planner. When considering decisions for himself and his family, he would envision life seven to 10 years in advance. But for Feitosa, who pastors Chesapeake Conference’s Living Word church in Glen Burnie, Md., his years-long journey with cancer seismically shifted that perspective.
The Brazilian native’s desire for mission service was sparked in high school after reading a book about a missionary who served in Papua New Guinea. Feitosa married Delma, his high school sweetheart, and continued making plans for a career in cross-cultural ministry.
Story by Anna Bartlett
Emil Dean Peeler, senior pastor of Allegheny East Conference's Capitol Hill church (DC), recently wrote Discipleship Guide: Bible Principles for Growing Disciples. Peeler holds a doctorate in ministry, and has served in various positions of leadership in the body of Christ and broader community, most notably as pastor, conference evangelist, author, associate ministerial director, college professor, and director of Church Growth and Evangelism of Southeastern California Conference.
Peeler draws not only on his personal experience growing up Adventist and growing in discipleship with God, but also his 33 years and counting ministerial experience to write his new book.
Story by Anna Bartlett
Max Forbes-Goulding, a teacher at the New Jersey Conference's Waldwick Seventh-day Adventist School, recently wrote I Love Tomatoes, a fictional story about 12-year-old Anna and her family of undocumented workers, the challenges they face and the choices she must make.
Forbes-Goulding was born in London, England to immigrant parents from Jamaica, but shortly thereafter her parents returned their family to Jamaica where she lived until she completed her education and began teaching. She spent a year teaching English in Mexico, and then immigrated to the United States when she married her husband, also the child of immigrant parents from Jamaica, and a U.S. citizen.
Story by V. Michelle Bernard
My Home, a recent album of original music and hymns arranged in a Bossa Nova style, is the result of three years of work by Felipe Paccagnella, a member of Potomac Conference’s Washington Brazilian church in Takoma Park, Md.
To find out more about his inspiration behind the album, we interviewed him:
Visitor: How long have you been involved in music, and specifically writing and arranging?
Story by Grant Leitma
Story by Patricia Maxwell
This year Christian Record Services, Inc., (CRS) celebrates 120 years of ministry to the blind. “With the Lord’s guidance, it is the members, donors, volunteers and employees who have made Christian Record impactful all of these years,” says Diane Thurber, president. “To all of you, we say a hearty ‘thank you.’ And we invite those who are just now learning about who we are and what we do to join our community.”