News Briefs for January 18, 2019
News reports from Poland, Oklahoma City, Loma Linda University Health, Northern Caribbean University and Southern Adventist University
From APD (the Adventist news agency in parts of Europe) – On the evening of January 13, Pawel Adamowicz, the mayor of Gdansk, Poland, was attacked at a charity event by a 27-year-old man with a knife. The injuries were so severe that Pawel Adamowicz succumbed to them the next day. The crime has not only shaken Gdansk, but also the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Poland, wrote Pastor Marek Rakowski, Executive Secretary for the denomination in Poland.
In a letter written on behalf of the Adventist Church family in Poland, church leadership expressed solidarity in sorrow and grief with all the inhabitants of Gdansk, the team of the mayor, and especially with the friends and family of Pawel Adamowicz.
The Adventist Church leadership Poland urged members to keep the family of the mayor in their prayers. The denomination urged the Polish people to refrain from any violence, including verbal violence and to keep the peace.
Adventist pastor and Adventist Today contributor T.J. Sands is the focus of a recent article in Oklahoma City news site, newsok.com. Asked what was wrong with religion today, Sands responded: “A lack of love and acceptance.” Sands said that self-centeredness evolves into legalism where people attempt to get to heaven by “following all of the rules.” Sands described this as a focus on sanctification that is self-focused instead of being centered in Christ. Sands said that all humans are on the same journey and encouraged those that are strong in faith to help those that are struggling.
According to an article on the Loma Linda University Health website, the LLUH Behavioral Medicine Center (BMC) has expanded its outpatient services with the addition of the BMC Outpatient Therapy Services program. The new addition will provide treatment for the full range of mental health needs and will make available more therapy resources for the Inland Empire community of Southern California.
“This expansion addresses the lack of mental healthcare providers available and touches on the impact we are hoping to make by continuing to expand our services,” said the administrator of the Redlands-based Behavioral Medicine Center, Edward Field, MBA, “Mental healthcare is no different from any other aspect of healthcare, and by working together, we can help reduce the stigma associated with seeking mental healthcare.”
Adventist News Network (ANN) reported that Adventist-owned and operated Northern Caribbean University (NCU) was recently awarded institutional accreditation status from the University Council of Jamaica. The status takes effect on February 17, 2019, and is valid for a period of seven years.
“The major significance of gaining institutional accreditation status is that NCU now has the authority, ability and capacity to develop and offer degree programs without the need for approval from the University Council of Jamaica,” said Dr. Edwards, president of the institution.
Southern Adventist University announced that one of the institution’s students, Bryan Arvelo, who had been diagnosed with Guillain-Barré Syndrome, has made a near-complete recovery and is back on campus this semester.
“I didn’t think I was gonna come back this semester…I always kind of assumed I’d still be sitting in a hospital bed. Being back is just a big blessing…I think the support I received from my friends and family and the prayer helped my recovery process,” said Arvelo.
