News Briefs May 16, 2014
by Monte Sahlin
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.
An Adventist named Miriam Alvarez is one of two women who represent trends in religion among Hispanics in the United States in a new research report from Pew Research Center that was released last week (May 7). Alvarez, "a devout Seventh-day Adventist," is typical of the large numbers of Hispanics and Latinos who are leaving the Catholic Church and becoming evangelical Protestants. She was paired in the news release announcing the research with Gloria Muniz who represents the other major trend; those who are leaving the Catholic Church to become religiously unaffiliated, one of the so-called "nones" or those who tell interviewers when asked about their preferred religion, "none."
The first Adventist from outside the country permitted to preach publicly in Vietnam since 1975 was Pastor Ted Wilson, president of the denomination's General Conference. He preached April 24-26 at the Phu Nhuan Adventist Church in Ho Chi Minh City, a municipality of eight million, according to a bulletin from the Adventist News Network. Adventist leaders in Vietnam are in hopes that this event will result in a new era of growth for the denomination in their country. It was given official permission to resume operations in 2008.
Sunday (May 11) marked the 120th year of Southwestern Adventist University in Keene, Texas. A total of 140 students who received diplomas. The freshman class for the 2013-2014 school year was the largest since 1996 and total enrollment is up at the institution that began operations in 1893. Dr. Eric Anderson, the retiring president, was the commencement speaker. The new president is Dr. Kenneth Shaw, dean of the Panama City campus of Florida State University.
Takoma Regional Hospital in Greeneville, Tennessee, will return to the total ownership of the Adventist Health System (AHS), according to a report last weekend (May 10) in the Greeneville Sun. The 121-bed hospital had been jointly owned by AHS and Wellmont Health System since 2007. Wellmont and AHS will continue to collaborate in a number of programs, including cardiology care.
Jellico Community Hospital in Jellico, Tennessee, will leave the Adventist Health System as soon as new affiliation can be found it was announced last week in The News Journal. The 54-bed hospital is the only AHS institution in its region and that means AHS "is no longer the optimum partner … in the changed environment" in American health care, Rich Reiner, CEO of the AHS multi-state division, told the newspaper. The facility is owned by the City of Jellico and AHS will assist civic leaders in finding a new affiliation to keep the hospital operating.
Proactive employer preventive health programs are becoming widely adopted and the Adventist Hospital in Bolingbrook, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, has joined a leading national network, EHE International. "EHE members will benefit from the expertise and experience of Adventist Bolingbrook Hospital doctors who have met our high professional standards," stated Deborah McKeever, president of EHE International.
