SEPTEMBER 2019 CENTERS OF INFLUENCE: God’s Plan for Reaching the Lost 8 Turning Tragedy into a Testament of God’s Love 12 Remembering a Special Anniversary 19 Adventist Education in New York City insideSEPTEMBER2019 4 4 Centers of Influence: God’s Plan for Reaching the Lost On the cusp of the 20th century, Ellen White called for dedicated workers to open centers of influence in the cities, which included hygienic restaurants (now known as vegan or plant-based restaurants). 8 Turning Tragedy into a Testament of God’s Love “Having a relationship with God has never been more iStock.com/Suwaree Tangbovornpichet real than when you have lost a son,” says Dee-AH Iris. 8 12 21 Remembering a Special Anniversary 19 Adventist Heritage Ministries invites you to attend a very special anniversary weekend, October 17-19, 2019. 91 Adventist Education in New York City Adventist education is well represented in New York City with 21 schools and 211 teachers. 3 From the Executive Secretary 41 Northeastern 21 Bulletin Board 8 Bermuda 61 Northern New England 21 Obituaries 01 Greater New York 81 Southern New England 22 Classified Ads 21 New York 91 Adventist Education Cover: The image used in the cover design is from iStock.com/Dookfish. September 2019, Vol. 118, No. 8. The Atlantic Union GLEANER is published monthly by the Atlantic Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists®, 400 Main Street, Lancaster, MA 01523. Printed by L. Brown and Sons Printing, Inc., 14 Jefferson Street, Barre, VT 05641. Standard postage paid at Montpelier, VT 05602. Annual subscription price, $10.00. NEW OR RENEWAL SUBSCRIPTIONS: Mail new or renewal subscriptions to Atlantic Union GLEANER, P.O. Box 1189, South Lancaster, MA 01561. Adventist® and Seventh-day Adventist® are registered trademarks of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists®. Scripture quotations, unless otherwise noted, are from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved. 2 Atlantic Union GLEANER, September 2019 Visit the Atlantic Union Website FROM THE EXECUTIVE SECRETARY Strength in Diversity he fall is one of my favorite sea- any part of the body very much affects sons of the year. Every year, I the whole body. Likewise, joy, peace, Ttake time to go to the mountains and happiness in one part benefit the of New Hampshire to contemplate the whole. While the full impact may take breathtaking and diverse colors of the time for the rest to see and feel, one foliage. I enjoy the spring and summer can be certain that what affects one when every leaf on the trees is green; part of the body, inevitably affects the but the diversity of the fall colors in whole. The good news is that Christ is the mountain forest is amazing. The the head of the church and there is no leaves begin to turn colors in the sickness or infection that Jesus cannot northern regions of Maine and New heal. The Savior can heal any ailment Hampshire in mid-to-late September in our church family and replace pain and peak around mid-October. with joy. The rich colors of the fall foliage Christ not only heals, but also gives remind me of the very first sen- us victory. This has been demonstrat- tence of the preamble of the Atlantic ed in the growth of our membership Union Conference Constitution in the Atlantic Union over the past and Bylaws that says, “The Atlantic 10 years. We are so excited that the Union Conference of the Seventh-day church continues to grow. Adventist Church believes that the When seen as a strength, diversity biblical statements establishing equal- will foster growth. It is easy to allow ity for all races and cultures, for both the enemy to turn our focus to our genders, and for all ages shape the differences and weaknesses in order to ways in which the union conference divide us. This, of course, will result “When seen as a operates.” The second paragraph fur- in the undoing of our mission and will ther states, “As a church organization hinder our effectiveness in preaching with a multi-cultural heritage, the the gospel. The words of Ellen White strength, diversity principle of unity within diversity is in SELECTED MEssAGES remain relevant one we hold. This entails cherishing for us today: “We are coming to a the differences among us at the same time when, more than ever before, we time that we reach out to enrich the shall need to press together, to labor will foster growth. lives of all church members through unitedly. In union there is strength. those differences.” In discord and disunion there is At the May 15, 2019, executive only weakness. Oh, how many It is easy to allow committee meeting, I reported that times, when I have seemed to be in the Atlantic Union Conference has the presence of God and holy angels, 124,847 members in the states of New I have heard the angel voice saying, the enemy to turn York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, ‘Press together, press together, press Massachusetts, New Hampshire, together. Do not let Satan cast his hell- Maine, Vermont, and the islands of ish shadow between brethren. Press Bermuda. Our membership is so together; in unity there is strength’ ” our focus to our diverse, that on any given Sabbath, we —SELECTED MEssAGES, vol. 2, pp. 373, worship God in more than 12 differ- 374. Pressing together in unity will ent languages, in 601 churches and facilitate the accomplishment of our differences and 79 companies. There are six different mission to preach the gospel and to conferences, but we are one union. experience the joy of service. The strengths, privileges, challenges, The colors of the fall are beau- and responsibilities inherent to such tiful to behold, but the beauty of weaknesses in order a diverse church can be managed God’s diverse and unified children, only with the power of the Holy Spirit including those in the Atlantic Union working in every heart. Conference, far surpasses the breath- to divide us.” In Romans 12:4, 5 Paul wrote, “For less beauty of colorful autumn leaves. just as each of us has one body with May God help us to appreciate the many members, and these members beauty, power, and strength of our do not all have the same function, so diversity. in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all Pierre Omeler is the executive secretary the others.” Weakness and sickness in for the Atlantic Union Conference. at www.atlantic-union.org Atlantic Union GLEANER, September 2019 3 COVER FEATURE Centers of Influence: God’s Plan for Reaching the Lost n the cusp of the 20th century, of flavors, from Jamaican cuisine to Indian By Sandra Ellen White called for dedicated food, from down-home, old-fashioned fare Dombrowski Oworkers to open centers of like mac-n-cheese and pot pie, to trendy influence in the cities, which included kale salad and BBQ jackfruit grilled cheese. hygienic restaurants (now known as vegan But one flavor is central to all—each or plant-based restaurants), where they restaurant exudes the savor of Christ and could teach and model health reform, “the His passion for the lost. And as diverse as Lord’s means for lessening suffering in our the menus are, the stories demonstrate how world and for purifying His church,” and God is bringing a 100-year-old vision for where workers could “act as God’s helping centers of influence into reality. hand by co-operating with the Master God transformed Hulando Shaw’s catering Worker in restoring physical and spiritual health ministry, Real Veggie Café, into health.”—TESTIMONIES, vol. 9, pp. 112. a center of influence when his tasty and These centers, most of them plant-based creative plantain dish failed to secure first restaurants, are popping up in the Atlantic place in a cooking competition. One of the Union, with the number—though still organizers, who thought Shaw should have small—more than doubling in the last won, offered him a small restaurant to rent five years. If you were to tour the Atlantic in Island Park, New York, with all food Union from New York to Maine, sampling service equipment included. “It was Divine your way from one tasty vegan enclave to intervention, because we started up with another, you would find a diverse palette absolutely no money down,” says Shaw. The Pulse Café is located in Hadley, Massachusetts. Peggy Schauffler is the owner of County Life Restaurant in Keene, New Hampshire. 4 Atlantic Union GLEANER, September 2019 Visit the Atlantic Union Website COVER FEATURE Centers of Influence in the Atlantic Union Real Veggie Café, Island Park, N.Y. Jamaican-style food and catering services. Contact Hulando Shaw at (516) 608-2070. www. realveggiecafe.com. Heidi’s Health Kitchen, Babylon, N.Y. Once a month pop-up restaurant, catering services, and Carubies—carob truffles— and other food products for sale online. Contact Ivan Raj and Heidi Tompkins at (631) 663-3128. www.heidishealthkitchen.com. Eden Life Market and Café, Pleasant Valley, N.Y. The St. Juste family serves soups, sandwiches, salads, and more, and sells Michael and Sonya Tardif operate the Taste of Eden Café in Norway, Maine. many of their own products in their store and online. (845) 635-2986. www.edenlifemarket.com. God also blessed Victor and Nicole Broushet of The Vegan Nest, a catering Rays of Health and Happiness, New Haven, Conn.