Seventh-day Adventist

Larry Beneke, a member of Ohio Conference’s Kettering church, has announced his retirement as chair of Kettering College’s Department of Radiologic Sciences and Imaging, a position he has held since 1996. His retirement becomes final in April as he finishes his 25th year at the school, and more than 36 years with Kettering Adventist HealthCare, the college’s governing organization.

Members of the Allegheny East Conference’s Emmanuel-Brinklow church in Ashton, Md., recently stood witness as a former member of the Klu Klux Klan embraced a man who he beat some 50 years ago. Back then that man was a Freedom Rider participating in the Civil Rights Movement. Today that man who was beaten is better known as U.S. Congressman John Lewis. Rep. Lewis was one of four people that the Emmanuel-Brinklow church recently honored during the church’s sixth annual Living Legends Awards for Service to Humanity. The honorees included Frazier and Virginia Mathis, Emmanuel-Brinklow members and founders of Global Vessels—a missionary organization; Ella Jenkins, a Grammy-award-winning children’s musician; and Congressman Lewis.

Ophelia M. Barizo, chairperson of the Science department at Highland View Academy (HVA) in Hagerstown, Md., was recently named the high school level winner of the Making a Difference Award.

Sleeping bags were everywhere at Chesapeake Conference’s Pathfinder Winter Classoree held at Mount Aetna Camp and Retreat Center in Hagerstown, Md. There were 410 Pathfinders registered for the event—a record turnout that far exceeded the center’s lodging

Dwain Esmond, editor of the youth magazine Insight, had an idea: What if everyone who came to the Super Bowl had an opportunity to meet Jesus? It was a big dream and he had no idea how it could happen, but he took the first step—he began planning an issue of his magazine that would tie in with the biggest sports event in North America.

Ester Bacud, RN, a member of Potomac Conference’s Filipino Capitol church in Beltsville, Md., was recently awarded Washington Adventist Hospital’s (WAH) first Compassionate Care Award. The new annual honor is presented to a member of the hospital community (staff, physicians, contract employees, volunteers, etc.) who best embodies the hospital’s mission to “demonstrate God’s care.”

Adventist HealthCare (AHC) earned accolades for its work with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) Green Power Partnership through its purchase of more than 5 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of green power annually. AHC’s purchase is the largest by a healthcare services provider in the state of Maryland, and the fourth largest nationwide.

Grace Outlet began with prayer. Jeanne Hartwell, Pennsylvania Conference Family Ministries director, and Pastor Kris Eckenroth began praying in June 2008, for a way to reach the more than 300 young adults living in the Berks County area who had at one time been connected to a Seventh-day Adventist church or school and were no longer regularly attending church.
 

Marty Chappell is embarking on a second relief mission to Haiti with members from Chesapeake Conference’s New Hope church in Fulton, Md. Chappell will go armed with supplies donated by his fifth-grade students from the Fallsmead Elementary School in Rockville, Md. A reporter from the Washington, D.C.-based television station WUSA, Channel 9, recently met with Chappell to highlight his plans to return to Haiti in early March with the funds and supplies being collected and donated by his students.