Story by Liz Bailey
The Romney (W.Va.) church took a step of faith this summer. The church invited Pastor Michael Carder, a speaker for Amazing Facts, to lead a three-week evangelistic series. At first, some wondered if it was even possible for a small congregation to host such an event with so many other programs and commitments already taking place across the district. Yet, the members of Romney believed that if God was opening the door, no obstacle was too great.
The Elyria church concluded its Pentecost 2025 evangelistic series earlier this year, adding 161 new individuals to its membership—surpassing the congregation’s previous membership and worship attendance before the campaign.
Before the series began, Elyria had a membership of 100. Andrew Sutton, treasurer of the Ohio Conference, emphasized that in God’s eyes every soul is precious and that even a small number of baptisms makes an evangelistic effort worthwhile.
Editorial by Carl Rodriguez
Many gift-giving traditions occur during Christmas in North America. Each family that celebrates the event has their own historical and cultural basis for the exchange of presents.
Even the Magi in the time of Christ’s birth gave gifts to show appreciation for the bountiful blessings God had bestowed on them. Matthew 2:11 records this event: “On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh” (NIV).
Editorial by Jerry Lutz
With all the evangelistic meetings and prophecy seminars that have been going on in our conference this year, such as our twin outreach initiatives, Pentecost 2025 and Reach Baltimore 2025, there are likely some unfamiliar faces and new members in your church. For this, we praise God and welcome them with open arms into the fellowship of believers. How wonderful it is to see how the Lord is blessing Chesapeake churches with hundreds of baptisms and many more who are preparing to join God’s great advent movement.
While we rejoice with the saved and celebrate every new soul who enters the kingdom, we who are more mature in our walk with Jesus and better grounded in the faith must be mindful of the special care and needs of our newborn brothers and sisters in Christ.
Story by Cinthia Portanova, Children’s Ministries Director and Youth Ministries Administrative Assistant
The 2025 New Jersey Conference (NJC) Pathfinder Camporee recently lived up to its theme, “Faith on Fire,” as more than 1,800 Pathfinders, staff and families gathered for a weekend of faith, fun and fellowship.
Attendees participated in hands-on activities, such as log pulling, backpacking, furniture building, orienteering, drilling and marching, and earning honors. Each day featured high-energy worship with glowing giant foam sticks and powerful speakers.
Story by Ken Flemmer
Last Friday, the "Food 4 Families" campaign, hosted by NBC4 Washington and Telemundo 44 Washington, granted Adventist Community Services of Greater Washington (ACSGW) in Silver Spring, Md., 50 Thanksgiving turkeys, including sides. Allegheny East Conference's Metropolitan church in Hyattsville, Md., also received 50 baskets. These donations were facilitated by the Capital Area Food Bank. Additional support was provided by Montgomery County government and the City of Takoma Park.
Washington Adventist University (WAU) is proud to announce that its accelerated online Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) program has been named one of Forbes Advisor’s Top 10 Best Online Accelerated M.B.A. Programs of 2025. The recognition places WAU among the nation’s leading institutions offering flexible, high-impact, and career-focused graduate business education.
Adventist HealthCare has been named to Newsweek’s 2025 list of Most Trustworthy Companies in America. The rankings were determined by examining three main public pillars of trust – customer trust, potential investor trust, and potential employee trust – as well as evaluating online remarks.
Of the thousands of companies that met the initial analysis threshold across all industries, only 700 companies were named most trustworthy nationwide, including only 16 Maryland-based companies.
In the Healthcare and Life Sciences category, which included a broad range of health systems, pharmaceutical companies, online wellness firms and other health services, Adventist HealthCare ranked 17th out of the 33 organizations named.
Story by V. Michelle Bernard
Today, the Evangelism directors from the various conferences within the Columbia Union are convening at the Chesapeake Conference headquarters in Columbia, Md., to engage with Columbia Union leadership and fellow colleagues.
José D. Espósito, the union’s assistant to the president for Evangelism, organized the gathering for participants to exchange updates on their respective territories, gain insights into the activities within the North American Division and foster collaboration.
Story by Janel Haas Ware
This year, the new school year at Shenandoah Valley Academy (SVA) began as expected: registration, orientation, dorm move-in, first classes, greeting new and old friends and teachers—and, most importantly, sacred time was set aside for worship and prayer to dedicate everything that happens on campus to God. Students, faculty and staff committed to a year with Jesus as the center of campus life.