Columbia Union News

Story by Tompaul Wheeler

For half a century, nowhere has embodied the phrase “so near, and yet so far” for Americans more than Cuba.

Cuba is only 93 miles from Key West, Fla., but for the average American, for decades it may as well have been on Mars. Home to 11 million people, the Caribbean island nation is the size of Virginia. Due to the travel and trade embargo imposed by the United States since the early 1960s, Cuba’s colorful and dynamic culture, and its turbulent political scene have been shut out from much of the world.

Cover Photo by Richard J. Gordon

More than a 1,000 Seventh-day Adventists gathered in Washington, D.C., last weekend to pray, mourn and acknowledge the killing of two black American men and five Dallas police officers. Watch the video Allegheny East Conference's Emmanuel-Brinklow church shared here.

Read the entire story here.

Story by V. Michelle Bernard / Photos by David Turner, Richard J. Gordon

Addressing the Silence

More than a 1,000 Seventh-day Adventists gathered in Washington, D.C.(watch the entire video here), last weekend to pray, mourn and acknowledge the killing of two black American men and five Dallas police officers. 

Robert Smith, pastor of the Allegheny East Conference’s First Church in Teaneck N.J., has assisted in recovery efforts for the last five major hurricanes over the last 30 years. And, he’s again helping victims, this time in West Virginia, where floodwaters killed at least 25 and left thousands homeless.

On Monday Smith (pictured above with members of the National Guard) and Lee Kimani (pictured below), pastor of the Angaza Sharon church in Newark, Del., arrived in Lefthand, W.Va., an area northwest of Charleston. Smith reports that they’ve knocked on doors, visited 20 churches of all faiths and have counseled 50 families, provided prayer and connected victims to FEMA and Red Cross resources.