UCC News Archive

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  Office Groundbreaking Announced

  A groundbreaking ceremony, scheduled for April 6,2010, at 4 p.m., will commemorate the official start of construction on the new Upper Columbia Conference headquarters.

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  Mobile Billboard Travels Across America

  The next time you head out on the highway, keep an eye out for a mobile billboard asking the important question, “Are you on the right road?”

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  Body of Lost Teen Found

  A two-day search for a lost teen who got separated from his family during a ski trip ended Monday afternoon when the boy's body was found.

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  Young Adult Holds Series

  [video]

  BJ Bower, laymember of Spokane East Central Community Adventist Church recently held a

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  BMTV Celebrates New Location

  Blue Mountain Television celebrated the grand opening of its new location with a special ribbon cutting ceremony on Sunday, February 20, 2010.

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  Racing the FCC Mic Deadline

  Churches, businesses, and other organizations that use wireless microphones operating in the 700 MHz band must stop doing so by June 12 or face fines.

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  Spokane Churches Create North American First

  Eight area Seventh-day Adventist churches joined to launch the first Adventist Russian language television channel in North America. Read the complete story at www.uccsda.org/news.

• Trees Come Down at Grove Road Office Site

  Workers cut down over 30 trees today to clear the way for construction to begin on the new Upper Columbia Conference office at the Grove Road location in Spokane, Washington.

• Members Receive Intense Training at Boot Camp

  Over 40 people attended the Share Him Boot Camp in Lewiston, Idaho, recently.  It was the fifth Boot Camp held in the Upper Columbia Conference since they began in the fall of 2008. 

• Local Doctors Help Haiti

  Local doctors from Walla Walla, Wash. travel to take aid to Haiti.

• Momentous Training Session Launches Share the Life BWC Program

  The first ever training session for Share the Life Bible worker coordinators launched the new outreach initiative.

• Journey to Bethlehem Events Impact 7,400 People

• Inspired Toward Missions

  Nov 15, 2009 All of the worship services, seminars and even the children's meetings at Go Mission Fest focused on some aspect of being a missionary, weather it is mission work in a foreign country or mission work locally.

• Bibleinfo.com Partners With Discover Bible Schools

  Nov 5, 2009 Bibleinfo.com moves from Upper Columbia regional headquarters to North American Headquarters

• Horific Weather for Five-District Pathfinder Jamboree

  October 2009 Pathfinders hold Jamboree campout.

• Share the Life Initiative Launched

  A new lifestyle evangelism initiative is launched by Upper Columbia Conference, which seeks to fulfill the overarching mission statement to create meaningful relationships with the 1.8 million people in our territory.

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  Lava Flows in Pendleton

  Jesus' love flowed like lava during the Pendleton Seventh-day Adventist church's Vacation Bible School week, August 3-8, 2009.

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  Sharing God's Love: A VBS Uses Sanctuary Theme

  News story for UCC Web News about the East Wenatchee Vacation Bible School August 20, 2009

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  Site Preparation Begins

  UCC news story about the site preparation begining on Grove Rd campus. Posted July 29, 2009.

• Call To Prayer

  UCC President, Bob Folkenberg, Jr. calls on on members and conference employees to join in daily prayer.

• Hispanic Camp Meeting 2009

  UCC News, July 19, 2009. The Hispanic Camp Meeting is held in College Place, Washington.

• 2009 Camp Meeting Ignites Hearts For Christ

  2009 Campmeeting story posted June 21, 2009

• UCC Lay Advisory Council

  The Spring 2009 meeting of the Lay Advisory Coucil met in Spokane.

• Why I Quit Church Bus Reaps Results

  [video]

  News Story of WhyIQuitChurch.com Results from the Upper Columbia Conference

• Folkenbergs: A Fireside Visit

  [video]

  Bob and Audrey Folkenberg share about their family, their decision to come to the Upper Columbia Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, and how they are looking forward to working with Adventists in the Inland Northwest.

• UCC Welcomes Folkenberg Family to the Team

  Upper Columbia Conference Welcomes Robert Folkenberg, Jr. and Family to the Team

• UCC Invites Robert Folkenberg, Jr. as President

  News of a new president invited to come to Upper Columbia Conference

• Upper Columbia Conference Locates Temporary Office Site

  News Story from January 22, 2009 about Upper Columbia Conference locating a temporary office site

• UCC Fire Stories

  Links to UCC Fire Stories from the December 28, 2008 fire of Upper Columbia Conference Headquarters

• Coping with the Aftermath of the Fire

  [video]

  A recap of the fire that destroyed the Upper Columbia Conference office and how the various ministries continue.

• Images of Upper Columbia Conference Headquarters Fire

  Images of the Upper Columbia Conference Fire that took place December 28, 2008.

• Fire Crews On Site

  Story of the fire that burned Upper Columbia Conference office on December 28, 2009. Story posted December 28, 2008.

• Fire Severely Damages Upper Columbia Conference Headquarters Update

  News Archive from December 29, 2008, UCC Office building destroyed by fire.

• He's Alive Television Goes Digital

  [video]

  UCC news story about He's Alive Television, Channel 39, going digital. Posted December 22, 2008

• Wintermeyer Becomes Communication Director

  Jay Wintermeyer has accepted an invitation from Upper Columbia Conference to serve as communication director.

• UCC Schools Cooperate to Promote Christian Education

  News story for UCC Web News. UCC Schools Cooperate to Promote Christian Education

• Bethlehem Comes Alive at Spokane South Hill Church

  [video]

  An Upper Columbia Conference news story about Journey to Bethlehem at the Spokane South Hill Church December 2, 2008

• Patzer Memorial Video Now Online

  A UCC news story about the Patzer memorial service with video clips available. Story dated December 1, 2008.

• Torkelsen-Accepts

  UCC news story, November 23, 2008. The North Pacific Union Conference (NPUC) announces that Max Torkelsen, II, has accepted the invitation to become the next NPUC president.

• Ministry Helps People Live Better

  [video]

  UCC news, November 18, 2008. A story about Spokane's Better Living Center reaching thousands of people each year who are in need of food. This ministry has been a significant out reach for the Seventh-day Adventist Church for many years.

• City Bus Reaches Out to Church Quitters

  [video]

  UCC news, November 18, 2008. A story about how a city bus grabs people's attention with the words,

• Women's Retreat Celebrates 20th Anniversary

  UCC News October 27, 2008. A lot of ministry has happened in 20 years at Christian Women’s Retreats. And this year, for one lady, the theme of the weekend was planned especially for her by God. She said “the speaker had the background to help her with exactly what she needed at this time of her life.”

• Three Homes Donated to Women's Ministry

  UCC News, November 3, 2008. The Women's Healing and Empowerment Network (formerly Polly's Place Network) received a donation of three homes for use as women's shelters in Spokane...

• Former UCC President, Jere Patzer, Passes Away

  From Gleaner Online, October 27, 2008. President of the North Pacific Union Conference and former UCC President, Jere D. Patzer, Passes Away at age 61.

• Follow This Bible

  ANN Story, October of 2008. An unusual Bible begins an unusual journey.

• Caldwell Accepts General Conference Post

  UCC News, October 2008. Garrett Caldwell Accepts the position of associate director of communication and public relations director for the General Conference.

• Walla Walla University Ranks high in U.S. News & World Report

  Upper Columbia Conference News out of College Place, October 2008. US News & World Report ranks Walla Walla University 36th in the category of

• Momentum Weekend in Spokane

  Upper Columbia Conference News out of Spokane, October 27, 2008. Several hundred people turned out for the opening night of God Said ... So What?

• Coeur d'Alene Adventist Church Feeds the Hungry

  Several churches and ministries in Coeur d’Alene area partner together to provide a meal each night of the week to those who are in need.

• Women’s Empowerment Key to Church Culture Shift

  Gender may keep an estimated 70 percent of the Seventh-day Adventist world church's membership out of certain church leadership positions, but in Southern Mexico altering that tradition is transforming some congregations.

• Dr. Neal Nedley Becomes Weimar President

  Neil Nedley, M.D. has accepted the call to become president of the new Weimar Center of Health and Education (formerly called Weimar Institute). Nedley is author of Proof Positive and Depression—A Way Out,

• Outdoor School Teaches Kids to Survive in the Wilderness

  Three outdoor school sessions are held each year at Camp MiVoden. Approximately two-thirds of the K–10 Adventist schools in the UCC participated this year.

• Walla Walla University Receives Grant for Aviation Program

  Walla Walla University recently received a grant for $75,000 from the Donald and Virginia Sherwood Trust. This gift will benefit the university’s aviation program, which is currently completing a $400,000 aircraft and technology upgrade project.

• Adventist Internet Pioneers Honored at Evangelism Forum

  A group of Seventh-day Adventist Internet pioneers were honored by the Communication Department of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists during the 2008 Global Internet Evangelism Forum held here July 11. At the same time a separate award program offering as much as $67,500 in annual prizes was announced to drive further innovation in technology and ministry.

• Environment an 'Adventist' Issue?

  The Seventh-day Adventists are being urged by their top leader to develop an approach to environmental issues that is consistent with the church's historical values.

• Ray Turner, Bass in Original King's Heralds, Dies at 99

  Ray Turner, the bass in the original King's Heralds Quartet, a singing group long supported by the Seventh-day Adventist Church's Voice of Prophecy radio ministry, died May 15, 2008.

• Weimar Academy and College Get a

  The Amazing Facts and Weimar boards have voted to keep the renowned Weimar Academy and College open this coming school year.

• Auburn Seniors Learn Blessings of Tithing

  Auburn Adventist Academy’s class of 2008 decided as sophomores to tithe on all the money that was earned through fundraising.

• New Oregon Conference Office Opens for Business

  The new Oregon Conference Office opened for business July 7, 2008 at Gladstone park in Portland, Oregon.

• New Adventist Lay Training Center Wants Spiritual Entrepreneurs

  Lay evangelist Ken Norton, who directs the newly-formed Lay Institute for Evangelism, says anyone can learn practical evangelism

• Walla Walla University Student Dies in SCUBA Outing

  Shari Booth, a Walla Walla University freshman biology major from Brush Prairie, Washington, is feared dead after she was reported missing following a dive with her Advanced SCUBA class May 19.

• Remboldt Elected as NPUC Treasurer

  In a unanimous vote, members of the North Pacific Union Conference Executive Committee recently selected Mark A. Remboldt as NPUC treasurer. Rembolt replaces Norman Klam who stepped down from the position for medical reasons.

• Iraqi President Affirms Christian Presence, Roots

  Iraqi President Jalal Talabani invited the Seventh-day Adventist and other Christian churches to a formal dinner at his residence last month to affirm their unique role in Iraq's historical and cultural heritage.

• Researcher says California Adventists are America's 'Blue Zone'

  It's seemingly simple lifestyle choices such as these that researcher and author Dan Buettner thinks can add a good 10 years to most people's lives, helping them join ranks with cardiac surgeon Ellsworth E. Wareham who, at 93, still picks up the scalpel on occasion to assist with surgeries.

• Jon Dybdahl Named General Editor of Adventist Study Bible Project

  An international editorial team of Seventh-day Adventist Bible scholars began work on a new study Bible this month, the president of Adventist-owned Andrews University announced March 4. The Andrews Study Bible, to be published by the university's press, is the first such project in Adventist publishing.

• Adventists Among Survivors of Congo Plane Crash

  A Seventh-day Adventist missionary family survived a plane crash yesterday, emerging from the wreckage just moments before it exploded.

• Adventists Recognized by Washington State Senate

  Two Seventh-day Adventist leaders -- Jere Patzer, North Pacific Union Conference president and John McVay, Walla Walla University president -- received an unexpected welcome from the Washington State Senate during a recent visit to the state’s capital, Olympia.

• Amazing Facts & Weimar Institute Join Ministries

  After two years of heartfelt prayer, study, discussion, and observing the leading of the Lord, Amazing Facts and Weimar Institute voted on April 6, 2008 to proceed with a bold new joint venture.

• The World's Best Organization Should be the Church, says new Director of Program Effectiveness

  Paul Brantley wants the Seventh-day Adventist Church to be the world's best-run organization.

• Walla Walla University Appoints Dennis Carlson as Vice President

  Dennis N. Carlson has been named vice president for university advancement at Walla Walla University.

• Jere Patzer to Begin Additional Lymphoma Treatment

  North Pacific Union Conference president, Jere D. Patzer has experienced a relapse in his battle with non-Hodgkins mantle cell lymphoma.

• Three Men Guilty of Swindling Fellow Church Members out of Millions

  A London court has found three men guilty of swindling the equivalent of millions of dollars out of fellow Seventh-day Adventist Church members.

• Electronic Billboard Messages Point to Freedom Through Jesus

  Church targets commuters with modern screen ads. Electronic billboard messages point to freedom through Jesus

• Environmentalism Listed as Another Merit of the Vegetarian Diet

  A vegetarian diet not only protects personal health, but may also help conserve the environment, world health leaders concluded at a conference on vegetarianism hosted by Seventh-day Adventist-owned Loma Linda University in California.

• Environmentalism Listed as Another Merit of the Vegetarian Diet

  A vegetarian diet not only protects personal health, but may also help conserve the environment, world health leaders concluded at a conference on vegetarianism hosted by Seventh-day Adventist-owned Loma Linda University in California.

• Portland Adventist Academy Basketball Team has Law on its Side

  Adventist basketball team has law on its side when it comes to scheduling games

• World Church Leader Weaffirms Adventist Church's Noncombatant Position

  Pastor Jan Paulsen, president of the global Seventh-day Adventist Church, has reiterated the church's long-held position on noncombatancy

• New Loma Linda CEO Pledges Alignment With Adventists

  We intend to be very deliberate and specific about our commitment to the church and to who we are as Seventh-day Adventists,

• GC President Jan Paulsen Appears on Global Cable Network

  Paulsen Appears on Global Cable Network, Bloomberg TV interview is first for world church leader

• Adventist Colleges Receive National Recognition for Service

  Union College, La Sierra University given President's Honor Roll Award; Union receives state legislature resolution

• Doors Close for Christian College at Weimar Health Institute

  Weimar board cites finances, says closure will give college a new start

• Minister's Continuing Education to Emphasize Preaching

  Seminar set for April 22 broadcast; 10th annual training available via Internet, Hope Channel

• Ministers' Continuing Education to Emphasize Preaching

  Seminar set for April 22 broadcast; 10th annual training available via Internet, Hope Channel

• Study: Adventists Score High in Membership Retention

  Forty-four percent of Americans, overall, have switched or dropped faith

• Adventist Outreach Targets Portland, Oregon

  Seventh-day Adventist television ministry is teaming up with a local Adventist Church conference to reach a major North American city for Christ.

• Say Goodbye to Postum

  Kraft Foods, the makers of coffee alternative Postum, recently announced they will no longer make the once popular beverage.

• Study to Examine Omega-3 Deficiency, Teenage Depression Link

  Whether low omega-3 levels trigger the doldrums is the focus of a new joint research project between the Sydney Adventist Hospital-based Australasian Research Institute and the University of New South Wales.

• Radio Talk Show Dedicated to Home-based Education

  The Review and Herald Publishing Association, in partnership with Griggs University (Home Study International), is launching a radio talk show dedicated to home-based education.

• Paulsen Accepts Interview on Bloomberg TV

  Jan Paulsen, president of the Seventh-day Adventist Church has accepted an invitation to be interviewed on television. The interview will take place on January 24, 2008 at the Night Talk studio in New York, New York.

• Nevada Primary Election May Leave Out Devout Sabbath Keepers

  Presidential candidates may be the only ones vying for party nomination this Saturday in Nevada, but civic duty and religious conviction are on the ballot in many voters' minds.

• Adventist Stop Smoking Campaign Clears the Air on Smoking Habbits

  The Seventh-day Adventist Church, at least in the United States, isn't alone on the anti-tobacco front anymore.

• Sixteen Arrested at Oakwood College

  Upper Columbia Conference News posts story of Oakwood College in Huntsville, Alabama

• Oregon Flood Relief Volunteers Needed

  The Red Cross is pulling out from the flooded areas in Oregon and asking other groups to get involved

• Portland Adventist Academy Students Aid Vernonia Victims

  Floods of volunteers came to the small town of Vernonia, Oregon, to aid the victims of flooding. One-hundred and twenty-five of them were Portland Adventist Academy (PAA) Juniors and Seniors.

• KACS Radio Responds to Washington Flood Victims

  In the dark hours through the crest of flooding in Chehalis and Centralia, Washington, local listener supported Adventist station 90.5 fm KACS Family Friendly Radio remained on the air.

• Adventist University'Food Supplies Dwindling

  Students at Seventh-day Adventist colleges and universities in North America are raising funds to provide immediate assistance to a fellow university in Zimbabwe that church leaders say is running out of food.

• Adventist University's Food Supplies Dwindling

  Students at Seventh-day Adventist colleges and universities in North America are raising funds to provide immediate assistance to a fellow university in Zimbabwe that church leaders say is running out of food.

• Adventist Students Average Higher Than National Norms Academically

  Academic achievement levels for students in Seventh-day Adventist schools in North America are above national norms, according to data from the first year of a three-year study.

• National Ad Campaign in Romania Declares Bible Reading a Must

  Beatrice Lospa, coordinator of the Seventh-day Adventist Bible Reading clubs in Romania, never imagined a nationwide initiative to make reading the Bible attractive and accessible to every Romanian would be so popular.

• Session Surveys Show a Snapshot of Member Trends

  The use of electronic polling devices at the Upper Columbia Conference 75th constituency session did more than facilitate delegate voting on officer elections or issues related to the conference constitution. With representation from every church in the conference, there was an opportunity to gather member information which could be helpful to church leaders.

• Activists celebrate 25 Years of Trumpeting Women Leaders

  In spite of strides made to include women in ministry within the Seventh-day Adventist Church during the last 25 years, more needs to be done to include the demographic that comprises 70 percent of membership, some church members say.

• Adventist world church president stresses personal empowerment in dialogue with young peoples

  Let's Talk Caribbean is the the 17th such program in a series of unscripted, unedited conversations between the Seventh-day Adventist Church President and its under-30 crowd.

• Healthful Living Reduces Cancer Risk

  A report on the link between cancer and diet, physical activity and weight is providing more evidence that healthful living fights disease.

• Twenty-two Adventist Families Lose Homes in California Wildfires

  At press time some 8,000 firefighters continue to battle more than 20 blazes in southern California. Beginning last weekend, the fires charred an estimated 723 square miles, devastating residents in fire-threatened neighborhoods across southern California,

• First-of-Kind Aircraft Brings Adventist Aid to Papua New Guinea

  A brand new, lightweight airplane plane made a stop at Cessnock Airport in Australia on May 24, during its maiden voyage from Auckland to Papua New Guinea (PNG) where it will be used to transport medical staff and much needed supplies to remote communities.

• Creation vs Evolution Lecture Attracts Hundreds

  Over 250 people attended a creation versus evolution lecture by Doug Newton, M.D., in Kettle Falls, Washington.

• Senator Kerry Backs Religious Freedom at IRLA Dinner

  United States Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts rallied behind a bill designed to protect the rights of people of faith, including Sabbath-keepers, in the workplace

• Church Continues to Push New Media Methods for Ministry

  Learning new methods of such subtle, or even overt, evangelism brought together about 100 Adventist Church leaders, communication professionals and technology experts from around the world for the fourth annual Global Internet Evangelism Forum at Newbold College in Bracknell, Berkshire, Britain, June 28 to July 1.

• Cruise with A Mission Sets Sails for Youth Reclaimation

  CWM is an innovative project by and for young adults ages 18–35, which combines a vacation and spiritual retreat with active and meaningful mission projects

• Hundreds Attend Memorial Service of Pastor Leonard Atkins

  There was standing room only at the memorial service for Pastor Lenard Atkins. The service, Saturday, June 30, 2007, was held at the Pine Ridge Community Church in Newport Washington.

• Church Commission Examining Use of Contributions

  Ask Evelyn Fischer who vacuums the floors and polishes the pews at the Blooming Grove Seventh-day Adventist Church in Ohio, and she'll tell you without hesitation:

• Fall Trials Possible for Idaho Academy Arson Suspects

  Four young adults suspected of arson and related crimes at Lake City Junior Academy, a Seventh-day Adventist school in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, may face trial as early as the fall, a local police spokeswoman said June 26.

• Adventist Church Ordains First Jewish Pastors in Israel

  Missionaries, none of whom were Israeli, have been sharing the Seventh-day Adventist Church's message of hope in Israel since 1898. But on June 16, the first pastors of Israeli descent in Israel were ordained to continue sharing the gospel in that volatile state.

• Sabbath School Quarterly Now On Podcast

  In a world where the Internet helps people fit news, entertainment and even spiritual enrichment into their increasingly multitasked lives, the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the South Pacific now offers the Adult Bible Study Guide on podcast.

• Editor Arrais Has Increased Lay Leader Magazine Subscriptions 20-Fold

  Arrais has helped to grow subscriptions of the English version of the quarterly Elder's Digest magazine to 60,000, up from 3,000 just 15 months ago.

• The Mission of WWVA’s Acro Knights

  2007 News Story about the mission of WWVAs Acro Knights, a gymnastics team from Walla Walla Valley Academy.

• 15 Million Adventists, Who's Counting?

  Church membership records at the Phoenix Camelback Seventh-day Adventist Church in Phoenix, Arizona, United States, top out at a weighty 1,000. But weekly head counts in the pews reveal an average Sabbath worship service draws only between 350 and 400 members.

• Arson Fire Damages Lake City Junior Academy Library

  An early-morning June 19 blaze damaged much of the library at Seventh-day Adventist-owned Lake City Junior Academy in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho

• Conference Pastor Leonard Atkins Dies

  Leonard Atkins, pastor of the Newport Seventh-day Adventist Church, passed away Sunday morning, June 24, 2007.

• Pioneering Cancer Treatment Center Named After Founder

  After nearly 17 years and almost 12,000 successfully treated patients, the Proton Treatment Center at Loma Linda University Medical Center (LLUMC), has been renamed for its developer Dr. James Slater.

• Maranatha Announces Weekly Television Program

  Maranatha Volunteers International will air a new weekly television program beginning this May on Hope Channel. Maranatha Mission Stories “goes in-depth to bring the people and projects of volunteering to life,” according to its producers.

• SJA Students Proceed to National Robotics Competition

  Spokane Junior Academy students were amazed to discover they had won the North Pacific Union LEGO Robotics Tournament at Walla Walla College in April.

• Seniors Choose Mission Trip for their Class Trip

  The WWVA class of 2007 voted that their senior class trip be a mission trip.

• Clinic Delivers Health Care, Adventist Message with Grocery Store Convenience

  llness doesn’t keep “doctor’s hours”—and because of that, Juliet Santos, a nurse practitioner and Seventh-day Adventist, has found an opportunity to help people as well as bring a unique understanding of wellness to communities where such insight isn’t often easily available.

• La Sierra SIFE Members Drink Up for Kalaala, Win SIFE Nationals

  By simply drinking water,students at Seventh-day Adventist-owned La Sierra University can help build classrooms, science labs and libraries for villagers in Kalaala, Ethiopia.

• EGW Estate Launches New Web Magazine for Kids

  The Ellen G. White Estate in Silver Spring, Maryland, has posted a new electronic magazine for children ages 9-14.

• Donors Give $14 Million for Mission Projects in 2006

  The General Conference Office of Global Mission reported a record-breaking year in 2006 with some $5.3 million distributed to more than 1,800 projects around the world, said church officials. Combined with funds from other local church organizations, the projects worldwide totaled almost $14 million.

• Proclaiming God's Grace is Next GC Session Theme

  When members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church's General Conference (GC) Session Theme Committee reviewed past GC Session themes, they noticed not one mentioned grace.

• Senator Kerry Pushes for Religious Tolerance, Better Care of Environment

  On a night dedicated to recognizing and upholding religious freedom for all, key speaker and United States Senator John Kerry rallied behind a bill designed to protect the rights of people of faith, including Sabbath-keepers, in the workplace.

• New Book Series Makes Adventist Beliefs Relevant to Kids

  God is like an ... egg? The concept of the Trinity has stumped plenty of scholars and wrinkled the brow of many a Sabbath School teacher, so why would anyone try to explain how one God can be three to kids? Why not? is a question world Seventh-day Adventist Church Children's Ministry director Dr. Linda Koh is more likely to ask.

• Desmond Doss Sculpture Unveiled at Veterans Memorial Park

  First immortalized when former United States' president, Harry Truman, presented him with the prestigious Congressional Medal of Honor, the late Cpl. Desmond T. Doss' story of faith and service lives on in Collegedale, Tennessee's Veterans Memorial Park

• Moving Beyond College Program is Growing

  Each spring hundreds of students graduate from Adventist colleges throughout North America and move into cities all over the country to begin graduate schools, new jobs, and new lives.

• Ten Year Dream Comes True for San Pedro Church Members

  The man recounted how for the past 10 years he and his fellow church members had been collecting funds and praying for a group who would be willing to come build a church for them.

• New Magazine Launched for Adventists Over Fifty

  A new magazine called Renewed & Ready is being published for Adventists 50 years and older. It will be a 64-page monthly magazine designed to celebrate the best of mature Adventist living.

• Cross Training: Closing in on the Finish Line

  The Upper Columbia Conference will hold it’s annual Camp Meeting Friday and Sabbath, June 15 and 16, on the Campus of Walla Walla College. This year’s theme is “Cross Training: Closing in on the Finish Line”.

• Saying Goodbye to Paradise Valley Hospital

  In 1904 when founders established the sanitarium that would eventually become Paradise Valley Hospital, life was dramatically different compared to today.

• Walla Walla College Holds First International Steel Drumb Band Tour

  Between March 15 and 22, the Walla Walla College Steel Drumb Band performed seven times on the tiny islands of Bermuda, some days playing multiple concerts.

• Adventists Call for Elimination of Violence Against Women and Children

  Five Seventh-day Adventists were among thousands of women who voiced their concerns in deploring violence against women and the girl child at the United Nations’ fifty-first session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), held February 26–March 9.

• Amazing Facts and 3ABN to Merge Ministries

  Amazing Facts and Three Angels Broadcasting Network (3ABN) announced on April 19 plans to unite the two international Christian media ministries.

• The United Nations Wakes up to Religion

  The United Nations (UN) is waking up to the role that religious organizations can play in meeting its goals--particularly in the area of social, development and peace issues.

• Church's Membership Surges by the Thousands

  God is able. Ask Seventh-day Adventist pastor Reginald Sibanda and he will tell you that God is truly able. Sibanda knows this because he has watched God transform the hearts and minds of thousands of people living in the district of Mwenezi, Zimbabwe in just the past two years.

• Evangelist Anchors Outreach in Russian Culture, Connects With Secularists

  It wasn't your typical church outreach effort. You were as likely to learn about Russian author Fyodor Dostoyevsky as you were the Old Testament prophet Daniel. And if you missed a meeting at your church, you could catch it on a colossal screen in the city square, on local television after work, or even as a cell phone video clip.

• Adventist Robotics League Winner Picks Mission Trip Over Competition

  When Donesky thought about what's really going to matter in a hundred years? The Adventist Robotics League or leading someone to Jesus he decided to skip the Adventist Lego League national championship exhibition.

• Treading New Paths in the Middle East

  Nearly 50 youth leaders and pastors from across the Middle East pledged to launch about a dozen new Pathfinder and Adventurer clubs within the next few months during a week-long training seminar in Cairo, Egypt, in mid-February.

• PUC Raises Almost $19,000 for Work in Africa

  Following a presentation on March 15 concerning the human rights violations of prisoners in Guinea-Conakry, West Africa, Pacific Union College (PUC) students, faculty, and staff donated $18,745 to aid a prisoner advocacy program.

• Adventist Heritage Ministry Turns 25

  Adventist Heritage Ministry (AHM), the heritage evangelism arm of the Advent movement, is celebrating its twenty-fifth anniversary.

• Adventists, Jews Run Two Oceans 'Friday Race' Marathon

  More than 50 Seventh-day Adventists and Jews participated in the 'Friday Race' on April 6. The race, an alternative to the annual Two Oceans Marathon held in Cape Town, South Africa, has been offered ever since Adventist athlete Kevin Rochford in 1970 asked marathon organizers to hold a race for those who would rather not run on Sabbath for religious reasons.

• Evangelism Must Be 'Way of Life, Not Event,' Says Finley

  If your concept of evangelism involves a big event, think again!

• Adventist University Plans Transformation with Donation

  Andrews University, a Seventh-day Adventist institution of higher education in Berrien Spring, Michigan, announced April 12 plans to transform the campus through the use of funds from private donor. The gift of U.S. $8.5 million is the largest gift from a private donor in Andrews University history, said President Niels-Erik Andreasen.

• Treasurer Reports Financial Pulse of Church is Strong and Steady

  Put a finger on the financial pulse of the world Seventh-day Adventist Church, and you'll find it strong and steady.

• Esperanza TV Launches Hispanic Outreach

  More than 300 Hispanic church members filled a production studio at the Adventist Media Center on March 24 to be part of the official kick-off of Esperanza TV (ETV). The one-day event, coordinated by the North American Division, highlighted the official beginning of a dedicated satellite channel, broadcasting 24/7 from North America to Spanish-speaking people throughout the Western Hemisphere.

• Seminary Professor Assaulted at Andrews University

  A student at Adventist-owned Andrews University threatened and assaulted Seminary professor Russell Burrill in his office at the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary on campus.

• Adventist Donors Give Global Mission A Record Year

  2006 was a record-breaking year for the world Seventh-day Adventist Church's office of Global Mission with some U.S.$5.3 million distributed to more than 1,800 projects around the world according to year-end totals

• Keep Counting Your Sheep Church Leaders Say

  Delegates of the Seventh-day Adventist Church’s annual Council on Evangelism and Witness met April 5, to discuss recent studies about church membership retention. Church member retention statistics indicate that close to 28 Adventists leave the church for every 100 who join.

• Adventist Radio Station opens soon in Burundi

  The capital city of a central African nation of 8 million people will soon hear the Seventh-day Adventist message via a new FM radio station.

• New Vice President for Finance at Walla Walla College

  Walla Walla College (WWC) is pleased to announce that Steve Rose has accepted the position of vice president for financial administration.

• Tsunami Kills Adventists, Destroys Schools in Solomon Islands

  A tsunami that hit Western Solomon Islands on April 2, killed at least 30 people and left thousands homeless. The death toll is expected to rise. The Tsunami was triggered by a magnitude 8.0 earthquake.

• Jesus-Tomb

  Sensational allegations about Jesus and so-called discoveries of religious artifacts never fail to raise a ruckus. Critics still squabble over the Da Vinci Code's claims, and there are more devotees who believe they've got a chunk of Noah's Ark on their coffee table than there are books in the Bible.

• Statement on Islam to Provide

  Adventists in the region recently adopted an official Statement on Islam to help foster a more constructive relationship between Muslims and Christians.

• Big Apple Next Stop in Let's Talk Series

  Seventh-day Adventist world church president, Pastor Jan Paulsen, will meet with 30 students and young professionals in New York City on March 29 for another broadcast in the

• Nearly 45,000 Join Adventist Church in One Day

  More than 44,700 new Seventh-day Adventist believers made history in the Inter-American region (IAD) of the Adventist Church on Saturday, March 24 when they joined the Adventist faith community. Their decisions marked the largest number of baptisms in a single day in that region since the Adventist church was established there in 1921.

• ADRA/UK Team Robbed at Gunpoint in Papua New Guinea

  ADRA/UK director Bert Smit, program officer Pansi Katenga, and three other ADRA team members were held at gunpoint by armed robbers on March 1 while on a visit to monitor adult literacy education in Port Moresby, capital of Papua New Guinea (PNG).

• College Students Aid Kids in Calcutta's Red Light District

  Rachel Davies, a senior theology major, served as a student missionary in Calcutta, where she was able to interact with the children of prostitutes in the city’s infamous red light district. There she met Urmi Basu, who had started an organization called New Light to help these children find a better life.

• Adventist Health Study Nears Completion

  The Adventist Health Study hopes to receive it’s final 10,000 health questionnaires by the end of March 2007. Currently they have received 95,000 of the 105,000 questionnaires needed to complete the study.

• New Television Series to Air on PBS

  The Seventh-day Adventist Church in North America recently had the opportunity to participate in the taping of a new weekly PBS series entitled I Believe.

• Women Lead First Hope for Big Cities Meetings in Indonesia

  Seventh-day Adventist women in the Southern Asia Pacific region led the first major outreach effort in the church's campaign to connect with residents in large cities. With the theme of

• Hundreds of Small Groups Forming in Non-Christian City

  In a city where 16 million people live with radical fundamentalists who have blown up the meeting places of those whose beliefs differ from theirs, 700 people recently gathered to learn how to Tell the World about Jesus.

• Iraq: Eighth Explosion Damages Baghdad Church

  “It is horrible and dreadful to live in such an atmosphere unless we have an aim or a purpose to do so,” said Fargo.

• Mattawa and Yakima Pathfinder Clubs Win Northwest Bible Bowl

  The Mattawa Lions and Yakima Wildcats Pathfinder clubs both got first place in the northwest regional Bible Bowl in Portland, Oregon on March 10, 2007. Both teams are eligible to advance to the national finals at Andrews University in Michigan.

• Blue Mountain Television Receives Award for News Coverage

  Blue MountainTelevision recently won two international awards for news coverage of last year’s Columbia Complex Fire.

• Norm-Klam-Stroke

  Norman Klam, North Pacific Union Conference treasurer, suffered a serious stroke while attending the Meadow Glade Adventist Church in Battle Ground, Washington, Sabbath morning, March 10.

• Terrorism Prompts More Adventists to Join the Military

  The Global War on Terrorism has prompted increasing numbers of Adventists to join the Armed Forces and over 100 ministers to serve as military chaplains. What motivates Adventists to voluntarily perform public service during times that could possibly place them in personal danger?

• Wayne-Hooper

  The man who composed the song synonymous with the Seventh-day Adventist Church's belief in Jesus Christ's second coming, Wayne Hooper, died February 28 at his home in Thousand Oaks, California. He was 86. The song, We Have this Hope, was his best-known song and was created as the theme song for the 1962 Adventist church's General Conference Session in San Francisco.

• Strings Added to Upper Columbia Academy Music Program

  Upper Columbia Academy (UCA) has added a strings program through the Spokane Youth Orchestra (SYO) to UCA’s music options. Private string lessons have been offered at UCA for many years, but this is the first year credit has been given for participating in the SYO.

• Walla Walla Principal Receives Excellence in Leadership Award

  John Deming, principal of Walla Walla Valley Academy (WWVA), received the Excellence in Leadership Award at the Alumni Awards Celebration, Feb. 24, in Scottsdale, Arizona. The award recognized his dedication and leadership in Christian education.

• He's Alive Television Celebrates Studio Completion

  He’s Alive Television celebrated the construction of its new television studio in Spokane, Washington in February. Over 50 people attended a dedication ceremony lead by Pastor Colin and Mable Dunbar.

• Adventists and Others Receive Criticism for Community Service, Respond with Love

  Seventh-day Adventist volunteers in Jamacia were among a group of 10,000 Christian volunteers mobilized to beautify their capital city and other sections of the island in preparation for the ICC Cricket World Cup, which starts next month. Their efforts however were greeted by some with criticism and a “tongue-lashing” according to the Jamaica Observer. But the volunteer’s leader responded with love and forgiveness.

• Evangelist Baptized After His Own Meetings

  When Jeremy Moore came to visit his Grandpa, Stan Moore, he did not know where it would lead. His two-week stay turned into three months and during this time 19-year-old Jeremy attended church each week with his Grandpa.

• Pacific Union College Faces Delimma Over Growth

  Pacific Union College is wrestling with a proposed development of 591 homes and a sizable commercial complex that could increase the population of the local town by 50 percent to 4,500 reports the San Francisco Chronicle.

• Sewing Ministry Reaches Over 1,000 Orphans in Bangladesh

  Ginger Brockman, retired teacher and member of the Newport church, is “sewing for the Lord.”

• Conference President and Treasurer Survive Car Wreck

  An accident on the way to Walla Walla in which no one was hurt.

• Grand Opening Scheduled for the New WWC Ad Building

  Walla Walla College will celebrate the grand opening its new Administration building during Homecoming weekend this year. The ceremonies are scheduled for 5:00 p.m. April 28, 2007, at the administration building.

• Premature Babies Get Healthier with Musical Pacifier Therapy

  The musical pacifier is used as a therapy device that teaches infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) how to suck, swallow, and breathe in a healthy rhythm.

• Bike Tour Challenges Adults to Connect With Young People

  UCC News Story, February 20, 2007. New Zealand bike tour addresses at-risk behavior amoung youth. They want to give 23 towns in New Zealand a strategy to build resilience and self-esteem in young people.

• Blue Mountain Television Named Second Most Watched Christian Television Station in its market

  UCC News story, February 20, 2007. A television station that started out 17 years ago in the attic of a local Seventh-day Adventist Church has become the second most-watched Christian television station in the local television market.

• New President Appointed for Walla Walla General Hospital

  UCC news story, February 20, 2007. Monty E. Knittel named president and CEO of Walla Walla General Hospital.

• Media Convergence and Higher Adventist Profile Top Communication Agenda

  UCC news story, February 6, 2007 from Adventist News Network about effective public presence and deployment of Internet technology by local churches in the church's South Pacific region.

• Church Connects with Young Adventists on Public Campuses

  UCC news story, January 23, 2007. Adventist Church Connects with Young Adventists on Public Campuses

• Free Market Groups Bring Members Together at Walla Walla Eastgate Church

  UCC news story, February 12, 2007. The Eastgate Seventh-day Adventist Church in Walla Walla starts a program called

• iPod

  UCC news story, February 12, 2007. The inventor of the Macintosh II computer and one of the “co-inventors” of the original iPod speaks in Walla Walla, Washington, during National Engineers Week.

• Adventists Give the Largest Third Quarter Thirteenth Sabbath Offering

  UCC news, February 12, 2007. A story from the Adventist Review about the largest ever Thirteenth Sabbath Offering.

• NPUC Churches Get Free Web Sites with netAdventist.org

  UCC news, February 12, 2007. NPUC Offers Free Web Sites to Northwest Churches

• Upper Columbia Academy Students Host Evangelistic Series

  UCC news story, February 7, 2007, about Upper Columbia Academy students holding an evangelistic series.

• Musical Talent bridges community churches

  UCC news story, February 7, 2007, about Anchor Point Church in Hermiston holding a concert in the park.

• Pomegranate Juice May Thwart Alzheimer's

  UCC news story, December 19, 2006 about pomegranate juice and its health benefits.

• New Journal on Lifestyle Medicine Begins Publishing this Month

  Feb 7, 2007. An article in the Upper Columbia Conference news section on the internet about lifestyle medicine, the branch of medicine [that] explores how daily habits and actions impact both short- and long-term health and quality of life.

• Adventist was Record Keeper for Bush's State of the Union Address

  UCC published this story from Adventist News Network about the first Seventh-day Adventist to take the official record for the State of the Union Address given by President George W. Bush.

• Academy Choir to Perform at Carnegie Hall in New York

  June 2007: An Upper Columbia Conference news story about the Upper Columbia Academy choir invited to perform at Carnegie hall in New York.