News reports from Adventist Health, Indonesia, South Carolina, Massachusetts and Colorado:

From Adventist Health (edited for length): Roseville, California – Healthcare lost a larger-than-life figure when Frank F. Dupper passed away December 31, 2020 – 22 years to the day after he retired as president of Adventist Health – culminating a storied, three-decade career with the West Coast health system.

One of the founders of Adventist Health, Dupper left a legacy that inspires the organization today, said Adventist Health CEO Scott Reiner. “While I never had a chance to work directly with Frank, he affected me deeply. Frank had a profound impact on our organization’s culture, and the private conversations we shared were always so encouraging and centered on the focus of our work: our mission.”

From ADRA in Indonesia (edited for length): Three earthquakes rocked the west Sulawesi region of Indonesia from January 14 to 16, measuring at 5.9, 6.2 and 5.0 magnitudes on the Richter scale.

The districts of Mamuju, Majene, and Poliwali Mandar were impacted the most, where reportedly 932 people were wounded and 84 casualties occurred.

ADRA has provided shelter kits to approximately 2,000 people. Shelter kits include heavy-duty tarps used to create walls and roofs, towelettes, sheets, and bedding items. The team in Indonesia is also collecting data on additional pressing needs of survivors.

ABC 15 News reported that students at Myrtle Beach Seventh-day Adventist Church in Horry County, South Carolina, marched for Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday.

The students carried signs saying “equal,” “peace,” and “see character not color” in the march also titled ‘See Character Not Color.’

ABC 15 reported the students got support from people driving on Carolina Forest Blvd., with some honking their horns in support.

Florence, Massachusetts-based Florence Seventh-day Adventist Church has bought a former Catholic church building in town to accommodate its growing congregation. Mass Live reported the former Blessed Sacrament Church at 354 Elm St. was sold to the Adventists for $455,000. Local Catholic parishes hadn’t used the building in two years.

According to Mass Live, “The diocese sells real estate with a deed restriction prohibiting any use inconsistent with the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church, as determined by the bishop. But that restriction doesn’t prevent properties from being used as worship spaces by other faith groups.”

From the Rocky Mountain Conference (edited for length):

On Sabbath, January 9th, Pastor Oshaine Wynter came home to find someone left him a hateful message spray-painted on his home. Wynter is a resident of Aurora, Colorado, and the pastor of the New Community Seventh-day Adventist Church in Denver, as well as of the Boston Street Seventh-day Adventist church in Aurora. Both churches belong to the Central States Conference, a sister to the Rocky Mountain Conference.

Wynter said the situation has “been disappointing and sickening.” He went on to recall the fear he felt when he saw those freshly-painted words on his garage door, knowing his wife and their two young children were inside the house, just feet away.

The police were notified of the hate crime and will continue to investigate. Wynter said there is a new level of fearfulness among church members. For safety reasons, Wynter and his family moved from their home.

Rocky Mountain Conference (RMC) pastors from Littleton and Franktown helped the Wynter family relocate. The RMC youth department has also reached out to Wynter to offer assistance with any needs his family may have.

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