Communication and Public Affairs and Religious Liberty

2020 

Herald and other digital communication

 

The Lake Union Conference hosted several online forums on topics such as disparity in healthcare  and the Church’s role in bearing witness against racism, which received  over  13,000  views. The Communication  and  PARL  departments, with Debbie Michel and Nick Miller respectively, working together have scratched an itch that has attracted views globally relative to current events while  addressing this critical felt need of members within and without our territory as well. Since the original online events, more than 50,000 views were recorded for part or all of these readily reproducible boiler plate events that can be replicated across our division by other unions and conferences but, for now, the Lake Union, understanding its role as progenitor of the Advent movement, is glad to be first in providing an outlet for people to grow in grace and understanding of differing viewpoints on ethnicity and culture. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NEXT: Education

Spirit of Our Pioneers

Plans for the Future

That said, while supporting our local conferences, hospitals and schools and university through the COVID-19 crisis, the Lake Union officers are exploring new ways to address the needs of the underserved of every people group who cannot afford technology necessary for distance learning and also currently prayerfully entering into the early planning stages of hosting a Diversity Summit.

2021
Moving forward, as the official birthplace of the Seventh-day Adventist Church and stewards of the ministry of reconciliation that Jesus Christ has committed into our hands to reconcile man to both God and each other, we are committed to be conduits of Christ-like behavior and catalysts for change as we pray regularly and take actions to undergird three Lake Union executive committee strategies of leadership development, discipleship training and starting a movement of the Holy Spirit in our churches and communities in this quinquennium. We will continue to engage the Adventist faith community by continuing to resource our local conferences and schools, and engaging and encouraging our health systems to continue to hire employees of diverse backgrounds, especially those persons of African descent who are sparsely represented at the leadership level of our multiple health systems.
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Conclusion

Thank God for the not-so-little boat that could — and did because, at our inception as the movement of God,  the people of God reflected the heart of God by taking risks, even as Jesus did to save mankind because of God’s love for all people.  My prayer is, “Please, come, Holy Spirit, help us lay aside every weight especially avarice, division and confusion and revive us again.”  Then, as the quote above expresses, do bring about a reformation of our practices relative to the way we treat one another that is as sustained  and as everlasting as the gospel, because it began, not in our heads, but rather, within our hearts. (Eph 1:9-10) 


Maurice R. Valentine 
President
Lake Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventist 

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