News

Story by Liz Bailey

Recently, students, staff and parents from Mountain View Conference’s (MVC) Parkersburg Academy (W.Va.), Summersville Adventist School (W.Va.) and Highland Adventist School in Elkins, W.Va., participated in a mission trip to Puerto Rico.The dual purpose of the trip was to help a local church in reaching its community and provide the students with an educational experience. 

The mission group spent most of their 10-day trip providing services in the city of Arecibo. The local church had identified three projects that needed help in the community to share God’s love.

Image by Monoar Rahman Rony from Pixabay

Since March 2016, Versacare Foundation has awarded 1050 grants totaling $5,459,367 to Seventh-day Adventist primary and secondary schools located in the North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists (NAD) and Inter-America Division of Seventh-day Adventists (IAD). Originally offered as a STEM grant program,today most needs related to classroom instruction qualify for funding.

Story by Adventist HealthCare Staff

This summer, Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center team members welcomed the first patients into the hospital’s new Horizon Tower. The enhanced emergency and critical care spaces are an investment years in the making and a powerful addition to the system’s modern, community-centered healthcare.

At a ribbon cutting on June 5, hospital leaders, physicians, nurses, community partners and donors helped dedicate the much-anticipated six-story building.

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Story by Marilyn Scott

As our nation marks its 250th anniversary, it is worth reflecting on what freedom truly means. Fireworks, parades and get-togethers are more than traditions; they reveal a deep desire in all of us to be free. National freedom is worth honoring and expressing gratitude for, yet it also invites us to consider an even greater freedom found in God’s kingdom where celebration never ends.

In this issue we cover the 29th Columbia Union Constituency Meeting and other news from around the Columbia Union Conference.

Read other articles from the July/August Visitor 2026 Issue:

Image by Mohamed Hassan from Pixabay

Story by Amanda Blake

The United States’ recent immigration crackdown has impacted hundreds of congregations across the Columbia Union Conference. Earlier this year, church administrators and legal advisors met to discuss the realities unfolding in local churches.

The Department of Homeland Security reported that in 2025, close to 3 million undocumented immigrants departed the United States, including “more than 675,000 deportations.” In a similar timeframe, more than 1.6 million immigrants lost their legal status.

Story by ADRA International Staff

The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) is on the ground in Venezuela assessing humanitarian needs after a powerful 7.5 magnitude earthquake struck the country on June 24 at 6:05 p.m. local time. The earthquake, centered near Morón in Carabobo state, affected some of the country’s most populated areas, including Carabobo and Yaracuy, with millions of people experiencing strong to severe shaking.

As emergency response efforts continue, ADRA Venezuela is working alongside local authorities, OCHA, and the Seventh-day Adventist Church network to assess the situation and identify the communities with the greatest needs. Initial assessments indicate urgent needs for food, safe water, hygiene supplies, emergency shelter, and medical assistance.

Quilia/Unsplash

Historia de V. Michelle Bernard / Traducción de Domitila Rosette

La Oficina de Educación de la Columbia Union Conference anunció recientemente a los Educadores del Año 2025-26.

Ruth Nino, directora asociada de la Oficina de Educación de la Columbia Union y organiza-dora del programa, afirma: “La labor del maestro es el cum-plimiento de la Gran Comisión a través de la enseñanza. Es ministerio en acción”.

Administradora del Año:

Miya Kim, Directora, Atholton Adventist Academy

Educadora de Primaria del Año: