By AdventistNews@gc.adventist.org (General Conference and North American Division Leadership)

The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision today in Bostock v. Clayton, County, Georgia is a landmark decision with far-reaching consequences in the area of civil rights, including religious liberty. In a 6-3 decision, the Supreme Court held that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects individuals from sexual orientation or gender identity discrimination.
The Seventh-day Adventist Church supports protections for LGBT individuals in the workplace that include robust religious liberty…

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By AdventistNews@gc.adventist.org (Jamie Jean Schneider Domm, North American Division)

Only 20 percent of Americans regularly attend church, and only 2 in 10 millennials consider regular church attendance important. The church no longer has the option of embracing change or leaving it to the next generation. The time is now; otherwise, we will become irrelevant. Change is never easy, but with the Lord, anything is possible (see Matt. 19:26).
At the same time—and particularly during the nationwide lockdowns of the past few months—people search online for answers to life’s big…

Source:: sda website

By AdventistNews@gc.adventist.org (Khamsay Phetchareun, Asia-Pacific International University)

There are approximately 1,443 Seventh-day Adventists in the southeast Asian nation of Laos, out of a population of 7,123,205. While very small in numbers, the dedication of church members in the country—where the first Adventist missionary arrived in 1957—is a remarkable story of miracles under difficult circumstances.
A case in point is the Jiang Say church, the first Seventh-day Adventist church for the Ya Hern or Nyahon tribe of southern Laos. Now called the Muen Luang Village Church, this…

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By AdventistNews@gc.adventist.org (Valentin Zagreb)

For millions around the world, the quarantines imposed by the spread of COVID-19 have meant new and different ways of doing things, from remote working to “virtual” church services via video conferencing.
Young Seventh-day Adventists in the church’s East Dnieper Conference, headquartered in Dnipro, Ukraine, a city formerly known as Dnipropetrovsk, experienced this recently as a Bible competition normally held in person went online instead. The virtual event took place on May 30, 2020.
The…

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By AdventistNews@gc.adventist.org (Janelle Ringer)

Most people think post-traumatic stress disorder affects soldiers home from war or people who have suffered horrifically abusive situations. The reality is that PTSD can overwhelm almost any person who has lived through times of severe stress. In fact, the major international events of 2020 have likely caused you a number of stressful moments.
Understanding the diagnosis of PTSD is important, and experts say taking care of your mental health during a crisis is the best way to minimize more…

Source:: sda website

By AdventistNews@gc.adventist.org (Briana Pastorino)

COVID-19 brought much of the world to a screeching halt, isolating people in their homes, taking kids out of school and closing the doors to many businesses. Despite this, hospitals across the country have remained open and operational, dedicated to providing lifesaving care to patients. Because of this, the need for blood donation still exists, according to Tait Stevens, MD, a pathologist and president of medical staff at Loma Linda University Health.
“Modern medicine depends on blood…

Source:: sda website

By AdventistNews@gc.adventist.org (Byron Buckley, NCU/IAD News Staff)

The Northern Caribbean University’s Alumni Federation recently organized its most ambitious fundraiser event to help hundreds of students affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The media-thon raised US$350,000 in pledges and donations on May 24, 2020.
The event, held on the Mandeville, Jamaica, campus, marked the official launch of a fundraising drive to raise US$1 million by July 31, 2020. This is the first time that the university has been able to raise so much money in a single fundraising…

Source:: sda website

By AdventistNews@gc.adventist.org (Mauren FernandesJune)

Since the COVID-19 pandemic was officially announced, thousands of people have been affected financially. During this difficult time, small acts of compassion bring relief and help to minimize the effects of the virus on society. It was for this purpose that the Seventh-day Adventist Church’s South American Division promoted the Easter Mutirão, (coordinated work project) as conducted by Adventist Solidarity Action (ASA). The project brought several departments together in initiatives spread…

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By AdventistNews@gc.adventist.org (Maquisha Ford Mullins, Oakwood University and Adventist Review)

Oakwood University answered the challenge issued by Scott Hagen, president of North Central University in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in the U.S. to establish a George Floyd Memorial Scholarship to support students. During the funeral service for Floyd held on June 4, 2020, Hagen was quoted by Forbes.com as saying, “I am now challenging every university president in the United States to establish your own George Floyd Memorial Scholarship Fund.”
Leslie Pollard, Oakwood University president, said,…

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By AdventistNews@gc.adventist.org (Bangwato Sikwa, Health Ministries Director, Southern Africa-Indian Ocean Division)

Nowadays, everywhere one turns, many signs are encouraging various strategies to prevent Corona Virus Disease of 2019 (COVID-19). But we all need to appreciate that like everything else in life, these initiatives have good and not so good effects. Let us analyze the most common strategies, namely: washing of hands regularly with soap or sanitizer; using a mask to cover the nose and mouth whenever in public; and social distancing.
Regular hand-washing with clean water and soap or sanitizer
The…

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