News Briefs for August 11, 2022
News reports from Andrews University, Europe, North American Division, South Africa, the United Kingdom, the United States.
Memorial Service for Dan Jackson
On Sabbath morning, July 23, 2022, Daniel R. Jackson, former president of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in North America, passed to his rest after several months of battling cancer. He was 73.
Condolences may be sent to the family via email to JacksonFamilyCondolences@nadadventist.org. A memorial service for Jackson will be held on Aug. 12, 2022, at 1:30 p.m. PT (4:30 p.m. ET) at the Rutland Seventh-day Adventist Church in Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada. Visit https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwkHKFjHM2u2hGlMi-5vpYA to watch the service.
South African Gospel Star Sipho Kaleni Passes Away
Sipho Kaleni, respected gospel musician, radio presenter, pastor and one of the founding members of the Crown Gospel Music Awards, passed away on Aug. 1, 2022. The news was announced by the Crown Gospel Music Awards in a Facebook statement. According to the statement, Kaleni had been unwell since May 2022, although the exact cause of his death is unknown.
Kaleni is best known for the role he has played in the development of the South African gospel genre. In addition to being the host of the music programme “Gospel Gold,” Kaleni was a director of Overeth Music Productions and Publishing.”Standing Tall On My Knees” and “Lord You Are Faithful” are two of his well-known songs.
Kaleni was the spokesperson for The World Gospel Powerhouse, the organization that runs the Crown Gospel Music Awards. The musician had also been an emcee for several gospel concerts and was the station manager at Adventist World Radio.
Parleying About Religious Liberty
PARL is hosting a hybrid event (virtual and in person) on “American Apocalypse & Religious Liberty: Where Are We Now?” Dwight Nelson along with a panel of North American Public Affairs & Religious Liberty leaders will have a discussion on current religious liberty and civil rights issues and challenges on Saturday, Aug. 13, 2022 at 4:30 p.m. CT. The event will be streamed live on Lake Union Herald Facebook page and YouTube. Those attending in person are asked to pre-register.
Happiness in Social Media
Create social media videos for your chance to win an all-expenses paid trip to Romania to attend the Global Adventist Internet Network (GAiN) conference, Oct.14-18, 2022. Adventist influencers and media content are invited to submit a TikTok, Instagram or Facebook video, up to 10 minutes long, exploring happiness from a Christian perspective. The organizers are not looking for a sermon; they want to engage with non-believers with these videos.
To participate: 1. Create a video; 2. Publish it on a social media platform (Facebook, TikTok or Instagram); and 3. Complete the online form and submit the video’s URL. The contest is open to those aged 16+. Deadline is Aug. 31, 2022. For more information, visit: https://adventcom.eu/creative-video-competition/
Andrews Just Wants a Chai Guy
Kevin Wilson is the new digital and social media coordinator for Andrews University. Beginning in September 2022, Wilson will oversee the University’s social media platforms, developing and implementing strategy and overseeing the creation of content.
Perhaps better known as the “chai guy” or “CEO of Chai” on Tiktok, Wilson began creating short videos of himself, making and sharing about chai in 2020, in the midst of the COVID-19 lockdown. Two years later, he has 355,000 355k followers.
New Life Rises from the Ashes
New Life Seventh Day Adventist Church in South Carolina, U.S., hosted its first major event since it was hit by an arsonist in November 2021. Investigators say a suspect, or suspects, used rocks to break out windows of the church—then used a rag to set a fire inside. The church did not get cleaned up and ready to go again until March 2022. The fire was investigated as a possible hate crime, but no arrests have been made.
Pastor Monte Newbill said the church is thriving, however. The sanctuary has been upgraded with new equipment to help in-person and streaming services as well as security like cameras and alarm systems for protection. ”It’s a good feeling to know that a church that’s been attacked, a church that was singled out to have destruction brought to it, is now in a place where we’re not harping on the bad that happened. We’re harping on what good can come from it,” Newbill said.
Bible Quiz
FreeBible is an evangelistic opportunity powered by the UK ADC (Adventist Discovery Centre; formerly known as the Voice of Prophecy). After completing 10 quizzes on their website, participants receive a free, premium Bible.
Participants who complete all 28 quizzes, which explore the essentials of Adventist belief, not only receive a free premium Bible but also a free illustrated copy of “The Desire of Ages.”
(Photo: A memorial service for Daniel Jackson, the former president of the North American Division, seen here in the NAD headquarter’s C. D. Brooks Chapel, will be held Aug. 12, 2022 in Canada. Photo by Pieter Damsteegt/NAD)
