By AdventistNews@gc.adventist.org (Communication Department, North American Division)

Don C. Schneider, former president (of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in North America (NAD), passed away this morning, May 23, 2019, in Texas, where he was living with Marti, his wife and partner in ministry. He was 76. Schneider served as NAD president for 10 years. He was elected to the office in 2000 at the General Conference Session in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Prior to this, he served as Lake Union Conference president for almost six years. Several friends and former colleagues shared…

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By AdventistNews@gc.adventist.org (Uriel Castellanos/IAD News)

More than 5,000 Seventh-day Adventists in Tuxtla Gutierrez in Chiapas, Mexico, cleaned streets in support of the city’s “Let’s Clean Tuxtla” initiative.
Thousands of children, young people and adults, from dozens of Adventist Churches in Tuxtla, woke up early Sunday, Apr. 28, to sweep, clear debris, and collect trash in four areas near the city’s main road, Belisario Dominguez Boulevard.
Wearing Pathfinder uniforms or special shirts identifying them as Seventh-day Adventists, the group…

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By AdventistNews@gc.adventist.org (Communication Department, Southern Asia-Pacific Division)

More than 1,600 Adventist young men and women within the Southern Asia-Pacific Division (SSD) were challenged to ask for wisdom so that each one of them may be fully utilized for mission.
The challenge came during the #Ask19 SSD Youth Leadership Summit held at the Central Philippine Adventist College, Bacolod City, Philippines.
“Ask 2019” is part of the SSD youth departments five-year initiative, “Pass it on.”
Saw Samuel, president of the Adventist Church in the Southern Asia-Pacific…

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By AdventistNews@gc.adventist.org (Vania Chew)

Adventist Media was acknowledged at the 2019 Christian Media & Arts Australia (CMAA) conference, winning two awards at the Excellence in Media Awards presentation on Wednesday, May 15.
Maryellen Fairfax was announced as winner of the “Emerging Talent” category, beating four other finalists from prominent media institutions. She is a panelist on Mums At The Table and also one of the hosts of I Am, both productions of Adventist Media.
“Receiving this award has been absolutely surreal! Every…

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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…

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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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