From the Office of the President, Seventh-day Adventist World Headquarters, Silver Spring, Maryland, United States
We have received very encouraging news and are happy to indicate that all Seventh-day Adventist detainees in Burundi have been released. Prayers have been answered. We thank the Government of Burundi for its role and specifically one of its Members of Parliament, Honorable Justin Niyobuhungiro, for facilitating the releases. Thank you to Seventh-day Adventist church members…

Source:: sda website

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

On Friday, May 17, 2019, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Equality Act (H.R. 5). The bill, if it were to become law, would extend protection to gay, lesbian, and transgender individuals across a broad spectrum of U.S. civil rights laws. This would include employment, housing, public accommodation, and social services.
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is concerned that this legislation would further erode the religious liberty of faith communities and their members. This bill makes…

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By AdventistNews@gc.adventist.org (Ganoune Diop, Ph.D., director of Public Affairs and Religious Liberty, Seventh-day Adventist World Church)

The following is a commentary on recent and concerning events in the African country of Burundi. For additional details and context to this developing story, we encourage you to also read a previously posted article available at this link. ~ Editors
The Seventh-day Adventist Church does not involve itself in the establishment or downfall of governments. Its official adherence to the principle of separation of religion and state precludes any entanglement in the affairs of any government or any…

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By AdventistNews@gc.adventist.org (Kimi-Roux James, ADRA International)

During a recent summit held in Geneva, Switzerland, Jonathan Duffy, president for the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) joined hundreds of interfaith world leaders to discuss fostering inclusivity and countering hate speech to enhance the protection of religious minorities, refugees, and migrants.
Duffy served on a panel of esteemed lawyers and executive directors, organized by the International Association for the Defense of Religious Liberty. He shared what the global trends in…

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By AdventistNews@gc.adventist.org (Victoria Turrentine, Adventist News Network)

“Education is the key for change in women’s lives to shape a better future,” says Raquel Arrais, associate director of Women’s Ministries for the Seventh-day Adventist World Church and who manages the scholarship program.
The Women’s Ministries department of the Seventh-day Adventist World Church focuses on six areas that impact women globally: health, workload, poverty, illiteracy, education and leadership opportunities, and abuse. “When we looked at these six issues, and we agreed if you…

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By AdventistNews@gc.adventist.org (Beth Thomas)

Despite urgent efforts by top Adventist leaders, lawyers, family and friends, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee will not stay the scheduled execution of Don Johnson, an Adventist inmate on death row.
Lee issued a brief statement on Tuesday evening. “After a prayerful and deliberate consideration of Don Johnson‘s request for clemency, and after a thorough review of the case, I am upholding the sentence of the State of Tennessee and will not be intervening.”
In December 1984, Donnie “Don” Johnson was…

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By AdventistNews@gc.adventist.org (Libna Stevens/IAD)

“I don’t know what impression you’re taking with you as you leave these meetings but we still have a great mission to fulfill,” said Inter-American Division (IAD) President Pastor Elie Henry, as dozens of top church administrators and leaders concluded their business meetings recently.
“There is still a great field to prepare, the message to be shared and that’s why we should leave here to motivate our church members, inspire our church board to take solid and daring decisions to do…

Source:: sda website

By AdventistNews@gc.adventist.org (Adventist News Network and Adventist World)

Seventh-day Adventist world church president Ted N.C. Wilson has issued an urgent appeal for prayer following the recent arrest and detention of 22 Adventist leaders and members in the central African nation of Burundi. The arrests were ordered by the national government and follow six months of illegal interference on the part of the Burundi government in the administration of the Adventist Church in that country.
“I call on all Seventh-day Adventists to pray for our church members in…

Source:: sda website

By AdventistNews@gc.adventist.org (Christelle Agboka)

According to a U.N. report released on May 6, one million plant and animal species are now at risk of extinction.[1] Moreover, four decades after the first Earth Day in 1970, the global population has doubled, we’re emitting 2.4 times more Co2 — causing sea levels to rise — and more than 170 animal species have been declared extinct.[2] Only a “transformative change” in how we engage with nature will stall these trends.[3]
Enter the 2019 Earth Day Summit, held on April 21, in Mississauga,…

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By AdventistNews@gc.adventist.org (Ivalina Ilieva/EUDNews/tedNEWS)

Inspired by the cross-media interaction of ideas and teams during the 2018 GAiN Europe* conference in Valencia, Spain, Communication leaders in Bulgaria committed themselves to develop similar outreach projects in their own country – a land that is traditionally Orthodox but that is today very secular.
While Bulgaria is part of the Inter-European Division [EUD], it shares common ground with many of the media challenges in the TED, resulting in Trans-European Division Communication director,…

Source:: sda website