David Cress, president; Jim Frost, executive secretary and vice president for administration; Clayton Farwell, assistant to the president; and Jamie Arnall, director of communication, were killed, as was hired pilot and Adventist church member John Laswell. Jim Huff, volunteer copilot and member of the Standifer Gap Adventist Church, survived.
The Cessna 421 went down two miles north of Collegedale, crashing in a field at Pine Hill and McDonald roads shortly after takeoff. The group was headed from meetings at Southern Adventist University in Collegedale to Knoxville, Tennessee, where they were to hold meetings with Adventist pastors and other conference presidents.
Witnesses at the scene said the twin-engine plane crashed into a thicket of trees less than two miles north of the Collegedale Municipal Airport and then exploded. The copilot was able to escape before the explosion. Early reports suggest that the plane crashed because of engine failure, but the exact cause has yet to be determined.
"The Seventh-day Adventist Church in North America joins its offices in Georgia in mourning the loss of five of its workers," said North American Division president Don Schneider. "We would encourage all people of faith to join us in praying that the families and coworkers of the victims will find comfort. At times of great tragedy, a church family can provide great strength. We pray that we can provide that strength to those most affected by this loss."
Students and staff at Southern Adventist University are also mourning the loss of their friends and colleagues. "This is a deep blow to everyone here at Southern," said Gordon Bietz, university president. "The immensity of this tragedy goes beyond all of our personal and professional friendships with these dedicated people. We have lost a significant portion of our conference leadership."
The loss is also keenly felt by many employees in the General Conference office, who have had long associations with the Georgia-Cumberland church leaders. David Cress is the younger brother of James Cress, world church ministerial department leader.
--Southern Union Conference communication department/AR.
Maranatha Evangelistic Meetings
Draw Thousands in India
More than 22,000 people were baptized in India following two Maranatha-sponsored evangelistic events held October 11-November 12, and organized by Merlin and Joanne Fjarli and their son, Bruce, from Medford, Oregon. The meetings were the seventh and eighth mission efforts held by the Fjarli family in three years.
The Fjarlies and their team of 60 volunteers have been targeting 100 Indian villages surrounding the towns of Sangareddy and Markapur. They have been recruiting volunteers and raising funds for evangelism and church construction in India since 2001. Their collaboration with Maranatha has resulted in 400 churches being built.
"It's really overwhelming to think that we're doing this," said Bruce. "We haven't been involved in things like this before. But we accepted the call, and the doors opened up. It's a privilege to share Jesus."
To learn more about the Fjarli family and their efforts in India, go to www.maranatha.org.
--Maranatha Matters/AR
Body of Missing Pastor Found
Police in Grand Rapids, Michigan, have confirmed that a body found by
hunters on Sunday December 5 is that of a retired Adventist pastor Getulio
Rodriguez, who was missing since November 3.
Rodriguez, who had served as first elder and Bible worker for the Bethel II
Spanish Church in Lake Region Conference, was found in a wooded area in Kent
County, about six miles east of the city limits and 10 miles east of his
College Avenue apartment complex, the place where he was last seen. He
apparently died from asphyxiation, says Lt. Paul Warwick.
Rodriguez, 63, had served as a pastor in Argentina before coming to North
America to be close to his children. His family had offered a $3,500 reward
for information leading to his whereabouts. According to Pastor Osnin
Hernandez, who pastors the Bethel I and Bethel II churches in Grand Rapids,
lay members had distributed 50,000 flyers in searching for Rodriguez.
Hernandez thanked all of those who have been praying for the family and
requested continual prayers.
"The Lake Region Conference expresses its deepest condolences to the family
of Pastor Getulio Rodriguez," says President Norman Miles. "His faithful
service to the Bethel II Hispanic Adventist Church will never be forgotten.
His memory will live in the hearts and through the lives of people he
touched. Our prayer is that his family and his brothers and sisters in
Christ will continue to look Heavenward, for "earth has no sorrows that
heaven can't heal."
Fire Destroys Dean's Apartment at HVA
About 12:45 a.m. on Monday, November 30, a fire caused between $50,000 and $75,000 damage to the boys' dean's apartment at Highland View Academy (HVA) in Hagerstown, Maryland.
Washington County (Maryland) fire officials say the blaze started with a baseboard heater that may have ignited an unknown substance. No one was hurt in the fire. Dean Gary DeVore and his family, as well as the academy students, were on Thanksgiving break when the fire broke out, says Chesapeake Conference President Neville Harcombe. The fire was first discovered by the assistant boys' dean, who safely exited the building.
HVA principal Randy Nomura said the three-bedroom, 1,600-square-foot apartment would have to be completely refurbished. The blaze caused school officials to delay the opening of the boarding school until Thursday, December 2. Adventist Risk Management, based at the General Conference, also inspected the fire scene and assessed damages.
--Columbia Union Conference
Gap Widens on American Giving to Children Overseas
Amid terrorism threats and world conflict, Americans wanting to help poor children appear more prone to spend their charity dollars within the United States than overseas, according to a recent survey released by Compassion International, a children's advocate organization headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The survey, conducted by the Barna Research Group, found that by nearly an 8-to-1 margin, Americans indicated they would prefer to give money to alleviate poverty in the U.S. rather than overseas-77 percent to 10 percent, respectively.
This giving gap increased from last year, when 15 percent said they would prefer to give money overseas. In 2003 Americans supported domestic poverty relief over international relief by a 5-to-1 margin. "It appears that Americans often don't understand the scope of the problem in developing countries," said Wess Stafford, president of Compassion International. "People lack the resources that we enjoy . . . and there's no government safety net to help them." --Compassion International
EGYPT: New Church Dedicated in Dahasa
A new Adventist church in Dahasa, Upper Egypt, was dedicated on Sabbath, October 16, by Kjell Aune, president of the Adventist Church in Egypt, replacing the former church, which collapsed about three years ago while a mosque was being built next to it. Some 60 members will worship in the new facility.
About 600 of the 4,000 villagers of Dahasa are Christians, with 10 percent of them being Adventists. Adventists have the only Christian church in Dahasa, with a history that goes back about 50 years.
--Trans-European Division communication department/AR
SLOVENIA: Religious Freedom Violations
Must Be Combated, Say Adventist Leaders
During a series of meetings in Rogaska Slatina, Slovenia, November 7-9, Adventist Church leaders from 21 countries in the Trans-Europe region discussed issues of concern, including the rise of religious extremism, the problems of intolerance and discrimination, and the need to defend freedom of conscience and belief. According to church leaders in Europe, the increasing violations of religious freedom must be combated.
"Today religious freedom is more important than ever," said Miroslav Pujic, public affairs and religious liberty director of the Trans-European Division, and event organizer. "Conflicts over religion are increasing, and intolerance is on the rise. Even though Europe has a good record in promoting freedom of conscience during recent years, both religious extremism and greater state regulations are worrying trends. We're calling for support and defense of religious freedom for all."
In a declaration issued November 9, the participants spoke of the increasing violations of religious freedom around the world, the rise of religious extremism, especially in its violent expression, the restriction of religious belief and practice, and the problem of the use of the death penalty for changing one's religion.
The Adventist leaders committed themselves to the "defense and promotion of religious liberty at the local, national, and international levels, and to work in international forums, national legislatures, and in the public arena to strive for the full implementation of religious freedom, both legally and practically."
--Trans-European Division communication department/AR
Georgia Adventist Receives Teacher of Promise Award
Dawna Stubbert, a fourth-grade teacher at the Crooked River Elementary School in St. Mary's, Georgia, was the recipient of the Teacher of Promise Award, presented by the Georgia Council of Teachers of Mathematics during the Rock Eagle Math Conference on October 14, 2004, in Eatonton, Georgia. This award is given to teachers within the state who have taught no more than three years and have shown excellence in teaching mathematics.
Stubbert |
The award presentation was originally scheduled to be held on a Saturday, but when Stubbert explained that she wouldn't be able to attend the event because it would conflict with her observance of the Sabbath, the date was changed to Thursday to accommodate Stubbert's beliefs.
"I am very honored to have received this award," said Stubbert. "God has blessed me in my teaching career in many ways. Even though I am not teaching in an Adventist school, God has proven over and over that He can use me as a witness in any situation."
Stubbert is a graduate of Mount Pisgah Academy in Candler, North Carolina, and Southern Adventist University in Collegedale, Tennessee.
Cancer Survivor Cycles 900 Miles in Tour of Hope
Cancer survivor Kristen Adelman, a member of the Emmanuel Brinklow Adventist Church in Ashton, Maryland, was one of 20 people ranging in age from 29-57 years old who cycled across the United States October 1-9 to help inspire and inform the public about the importance of cancer research. Adelman, who was featured in an article entitled "The Presence" in the May 27, 2004, issue of the Adventist Review, as well as the other cyclists were chosen from among some 1,200 applicants from the cancer community to participate in the weeklong Bristol-Meyers Squibb Tour of Hope. Traveling about 3,200 miles, each rider took two shifts on the road every 24 hours, each shift being only nine hours apart. They were joined at rendezvous points along the way by six-time Tour de France winner and cancer survivor Lance Armstrong. The cyclists rode from Los Angeles to Washington, D.C.
"One highlight of my journey was the way my team united in prayer before each and every ride," said Adelman. "We asked God to give us His strength to keep us going, to keep us safe, and to help us reach those who needed our message of hope."
Let's Talk Begins Worldwide Youth Dialogue
Adventist teens and young adults around the world have discovered the Let's Talk Web site, an initiative from the office of General Conference (GC) president Jan Paulsen that promotes communication between young Adventists and their church leaders. So far, the Let's Talk team has responded to more than 300 e-mails from nearly 40 countries.
Visitors to the site can ask questions directly of the GC president's office in Silver Spring, Maryland, and participate in discussions regarding topics such as how church leaders can help teens and young adults feel more involved, and whether Adventists should carry weapons or be involved in the military.
A new feature of the site is called "Express Yourself," which allows the teens and young adults to submit poetry, short stories, drawings, and artwork, along with a photo of themselves, to be posted on the site. The Let's Talk Web site can be found at www.letstalk.adventist.org.
--NAD communication department/AR
Retired LLU Professor Dies at Age 84
Jack Provonsha, emeritus professor of philosophy of religion and Christian ethics in the Faculty of Religion at Loma Linda University (LLU), died on August 11 in Loma Linda, California, at the age of 84. Provonsha taught religion and ethics at LLU from 1958 until his retirement in 1985. His vision for integrating religion, ethics, and medicine led to the establishment of the Center for Christian Bioethics at LLU, for which he was the founding director. He also authored numerous books.
Provonsha is predeceased by his wife, Margaret, and survived by two daughters, two grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.
Holocaust Database Launched
Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Martyrs' and Heroes' Remembrance Authority in Jerusalem, Israel, uploaded its Central Database of Shoah Victims' Names to the Internet at a news conference in Jerusalem on November 22. Available at www.yadvashem.org, the names' database, an international undertaking led by Yad Vashem, is an attempt to reconstruct the names and life stories of all the Jews who perished in the Holocaust. The database currently contains some 3 million victims' names.
"We are reaching a crucial historical hour. This is a race against time-we must record as many names as possible before the generation that best remembers them is no longer with us," said chairman of the Yad Vashem directorate, Avner Shalev.
The sophisticated technology allows Internet users worldwide to access millions of personal and historical documents archived in 14 languages using cutting-edge Web search systems. Through interactive features, users can perform comprehensive searches, submit information, and take part in educational programs. --Religion News Service
News Note
Rosa Banks, associate secretary of the North American Division and director of the NAD Office of Human Relations, received the Governor's Citation for her work as elder in charge of the community services program at the Bladensburg, Maryland, Adventist Church. Banks was honored for her dedication to the church's Computer Training Center, which has provided classes to the community for nine years; her volunteer work in the community; and assistance in coordinating and participating in annual fund-raising goals. The Governor's Volunteer Service Certificate was also presented to the nearly 20 volunteers of the Computer Training Center. --Communiqué Digest/AR
NEWS COMMENTARY
Was Darwin Wrong?
BY TIMOTHY G. STANDISH, a research scientist at the Geoscience Research Institute
he November National Geographic Magazine cover article is entitled "Was Darwin Wrong?" Regular readers will not be surprised to discover National Geographic emphatically answers this question with "No, the evidence for evolution is overwhelming." This article also depicts Bible-believing creationists as religious fanatics, confused, or ignorant.
Unhappily for dedicated Darwinists, informed scientists reject much of the "overwhelming evidence" presented in this National Geographic issue. For example, developing embryos do not go through a fast-forward replay of evolutionary history. If true, this would mean humans pass through stages resembling fish, amphibians, and reptiles before becoming human babies. Soon after the nineteenth century Darwinist Ernst Haeckel first proposed it, the fallacy of this idea was recognized. Moreover, "vestigial" organs, in which ignorance of function is presented as evidence of evolution, constitutes another outdated and largely rejected "evidence" of Darwinism. Perhaps most unfortunate, theories such as Darwinian evolution are said to be "accepted as fact."
What is an appropriate Christian response to misinformation attacking creation and supporting Darwinism? One might request that National Geographic present the biblical creation account with the same respect as the ghoulish Mayan creation myth recounted in an article immediately following "Was Darwin Wrong?" Refamiliarizing ourselves with the scriptural Creator God is also important.
Scientific awareness and knowledge of reliable information sources can greatly assist those eager to share the biblical six-day Creation with loved ones and neighbors-showing that Christians believe because we are well-informed, not because of confusion, ignorance, or "blind" faith. Adventist college and high school teachers expert in science and Scripture may be reliable resources. Another dependable information source is the Adventist Church's Geoscience Research Institute, which is dedicated to careful study of the evidence of God's hand in the creation as well as evidence presented in support of theistic and Darwinian evolution.
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small-plane crash took the lives of three administrators and a director of the Georgia-Cumberland Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, based in Calhoun, Georgia, as well as their pilot, just north of Collegedale, Tennessee, on Thursday, December 2, at approximately 1:15 p.m. A sixth person, the copilot, escaped with minor injuries.
