News Briefs January 23, 2015
Adventist Today regularly provides a summary of stories that we have decided do not require in-depth reporting, but our readers may want to be aware of.
Camporees in Australia and Uganda brought together 8,000 Pathfinder Club members and adult staff from the South Pacific and 7,000 in the central African nation for a week ending January 11 both places. It was the largest camporee ever held in Australia with half the campers coming from Pacific island nations, including a group that had a close brush with death on their way from Papua New Guinea when a bus in front of the Adventist group overturned. Several bus passengers died, but all of the Adventist youth were safe, reported the Adventist News Network. The Uganda gathering included HIV-AIDS prevention as well as training in outdoor skills and Bible study.
All religions and civic groups will be participating in the Religious Liberty Festival being hosted by the Adventist denomination in Jamaica this weekend (Jan. 24). It is the first event of its kind in the island nation, reported The Jamaica Gleaner, the largest newspaper in the country. One goal is “to thank past and present governments for their contributions in sustaining religious freedom over the years,” the newspaper quoted Pastor Glen Samuels, the Adventist minister serving as organizer. Reverend Conrad Pitkin, president of the Jamaica Umbrella Group of Churches, told the newspaper that his ecumenical organization had some reservations initially, but decided to participate.
The facilities that housed the Adventist Media Center are on the market reported the Simi Valley Acorn. It is being marketed by Charles Dunn Company, a specialized real estate firm. The asking price is $14.3 million for a “120,000-square-foot studio and production facility” described as “really state-of-the-art” on seven acres at 101 West Cochran Street in the suburb west of Los Angeles, California, in the area identified with the Hollywood movie industry. All of the Adventist media ministries have moved out of the building to a variety of locations around the United States.
The Adventist church in Hermiston, Oregon, is sponsoring a forum about the new immigration policies recently expanded by U.S. President Barak Obama. On Jan. 31 at the church school gymn three local attorneys that specialize in immigration law will answer the questions of individuals and families in the community that may benefit from the policies that extend deferrals to certain types of undocumented immigrants. This event is a community service of the Adventist congregation, reported the Hermiston Herald.
A trainer for community development programs in Vietnam is being hired by the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA). The organization has more than 200 projects in Vietnam and this individual will be based in Hanoi to train local leaders in many sectors across the country. To get more information or apply for the job, send an Email inquiry to tuyendung@adravietnam.org by Jan. 31.
Rwanda National Police are investigating the collapse of an Adventist church building which resulted in four deaths and 24 injured people. Pastor Thadee Nge and Pastor Daniel Rwabirindi were interviewed by police and may face prosecution for allowing people to gather in the unfinished structure during a wind storm, reported The New Times. The deaths included two children and a senior citizen.
