News Briefs for February 2, 2023
2 February 2023 |
Walla Walla Honors Black History Month with Full Weekend of Events
Black History Weekend Celebration is an annual tradition where Walla Walla University (WWU) experiences the rich and varied culture of African Americans. The weekend revolves around spoken word, music, and a specially prepared meal in which the WWU family, along with members of the North Pacific Union Conference, are invited to reflect and celebrate this special weekend. Special performances by the Berean Gospel Choir and Portland Academy Gospel, among others. More info can be found at Walla Walla’s website.
Association of SDA Historians Announces April Conference
The Association of SDA Historians plans to convene at Southern Adventist University on April 13-16, 2023. This year’s theme will be Rhymes of History: Disruption, Change over Time, and Repeating the Past. The call for papers is open until February 15, 2023, and some benefits might include continuing education credit for teachers and travel assistance for graduate students planning to attend. Especially encouraged to attend are library, museum/archive, and political science/social studies scholars, as well as public historians. More info can be found on the SDA Historians page.
Churches in Fiji Take Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Training
The South Pacific Division of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church is supporting the initiative to drive Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) training, partnering with ADRA Fiji to integrate climate actions within churches. This is part of the Fiji Disaster Ready Church Project, which was created to build resilient communities and churches, preparing them to respond to disasters, and equipping church members to be active in their approach to climate change. See more at FBC News.
NPR Interview Discusses New “Waco” Book and Links Between Branch Davidians and Adventists
This year will mark the 30th Anniversary of the Waco tragedy. To discuss it, NPR’s “Fresh Air” interviews Jeff Guinn, author of the new book: Waco: David Koresh, The Branch Davidians and a Legacy of Rage. The interview also discusses some of the relationship between the Branch Davidians and Adventists. “David Koresh wanted to make sure that when the final battle occurred, his followers would be able to fight the way the Book of Revelation said they must,” Guinn says. “It had to be an all-out battle. His people were going to die, but, obviously, they had to be ready to kill the the agents of Babylon.” Full interview at NPR site.
Adventist Health Allows Mid-Columbia to Retain Reproductive Services During Hospital Acquisition
Financially strapped Mid-Columbia Medical Center in The Dalles is moving ahead with its plan to be absorbed into California-based Adventist Health, a 23-hospital chain that says it will spend $100 million over the coming 10 years upgrading Mid-Columbia. Oregon legislators created the merger review program in 2021, in part because they feared the expansion of faith-based systems would curtail reproductive services. The Seventh-day Adventist Church opposes abortion in all but a few instances, such as health-threatening pregnancies and rape or incest… But Adventist said it would not require Mid-Columbia to change any of its current reproductive or other services. Full article at The Lund Report.
