Contents APRIL 2006 In Every Issue 3 | Editorial 4 | Newsline 6 | Potluck 12 | Church Profile 8 14 | Visitor Blog News & Features 15 | Healing Ministry 8 | Adventists Under Fire Newsletters What Happens When Adventists are 19 Allegheny East Forced to Choose Faith or Livelihood? 21 Chesapeake Walter Carson 23 Columbia Union College 25 Highland View Academy Many Seventh-day Adventists often find themselves in situations where their jobs are in jeopardy. In the worst-case scenarios, they 27 Mountain View are forced to make a cruel choice—their faith or their livelihood. 29 Mt. Vernon Academy Find out about new legislation that can strengthen current 31 New Jersey protection against workplace discrimination. 33 Ohio 12 | Cherry Hill Church 35 Pennsylvania 37 Potomac 125 Years and Going Strong! 39 Takoma Academy Kimberly Luste Maran The Cherry Hill Seventh-day 43 | Bulletin Board Adventist Church has been in existence for over a century. 47 | Last Words Read about how this healthy and growing New Jersey Conference congregation serves and ministers to its members and the community. About the Cover: Rather than compromise his faith to work on pornography websites, James Alignay, a computer programmer, quit his job. Recently, his dilemma was shared with members of a United States House of Representatives subcommittee considering changes to existing law. Photo by Richard Herard. 2 | VISITOR Editorial J. NEVILLE HARCOMBE Transformed by Grace t the age of 18, my father, Douglas Harcombe, gave his heart and life to Jesus Christ. A few months earlier, he and five of his friends had drunken - Aly stumbled into a Seventh-day Adventist tent crusade in Lady Smith, Natal, South Africa. He was the only one of the five who was baptized by evan - gelist A. Raubenheimer. After graduating in ministry from Helderberg College, an Adventist school, he returned to his hometown for a visit. As he knocked on doors and introduced himself as “Pastor Harcombe,” he was greeted by expressions of unbelief. Standing in front of them was a man trans - formed by the power of God’s transforming grace. This miraculous transformation provides a beautiful example of God’s unconditional love for you and me. It illustrates how, when He takes over our hearts, Christ revolutionizes our lives in such amazing fashion that we are never the same again. Indeed my father’s life was never the same; God used Him for many years. He began his work for the church as a publishing director. He was also blessed to serve as a director for several missions in South Africa; a conference president of four conferences in East Africa, Central Africa, and South Africa; and a union president of the South African Union Group ll. The Grace Equation “Grace be with you, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the son of the Father, in truth and love” (2 John 3). The scriptural idea of grace is love that stoops, pardons, and communicates. The very foundation of the word “grace” is a free, undeserved, unsolicited bestowment of God through His Son to each sinner. Grace envelopes His love for us. “God loves us because He cannot help it; He loves because He is God,” wrote the Scottish scholar and preacher Alexander MacLaren. That love and grace break in mercy. As grace is love that forgives, so mercy is love that pities and helps. God’s grace softens itself into mercy, and His mercy is the outcome of His grace. In our discipling process, we share with oth - ers the power of His grace through our own experience of transformation. In 2 Peter 3:18 we read “But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.” These are the last words of an old man written down as a legacy to us. He says that our daily growth can only be a reality by our close association with Douglas Harcombe (pictured with his wife Grace), Jesus. Others then can see the dramatic transfor - transformed by the power of God’s grace at age 18, mation as a witness in our own lives. passed that legacy onto his children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. When we allow the Lord to flow to and from our very being and make heaven within our selves, we truly experience and know grace. To be heavenly, to know grace, we have to give up our reins to God. “Being vulnerable to grace can be our undoing. It makes us strangers in our own land,” wrote Leah Goodwin, a seminarian at Harvard Divinity School. “If only we let God make a home in us, if only we let Him radiate His light from the center of our souls, heaven will always prevail.” Thank God for His grace, freely given in mercy and love. J. Neville Harcombe is executive secretary of the Columbia Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. APRIL 2006 | 3 Newsline LAVERNE HENDERSON Baltimore Metro believe that Allegheny East is tion of president, executive Initiative Summit only for African-Americans and secretary, and treasurer for the Held at Union Office Chesapeake is only for next quinquennium. Current Caucasians. The reality is that officers are Harold Lee, Neville Nearly 100 attendees, includ - professional and non-profes - Harcombe, and Seth Bardu, ing pastors, conference presi - sional blacks, Anglos, and other respectively. Please refer to the dents, Adventist Community cultures reside in many inner- May special constituency issue Services staff, and key lay lead - city areas. We need to find a of the Visitor for more informa - ers gathered over a two-day way to unite our urban ministry tion. Preceding the Union will period recently at the Columbia efforts. This is a great opportu - be Columbia Union College’s Union Conference headquarters nity to form a bond between constituency session on May for a Baltimore Metropolitan both conferences.” 19, at Sligo church in Takoma Initiative Summit. Vandeman also had com - Park, Md. Constituents will ments: “I found it most encour - hear reports and vote on crucial aging that administrators, pas - college matters. tors, and lay leaders could sit down and dialogue about the Chesapeake Elects collaboration of two conferences New Secretary in reaching the masses in this Last month, the Chesapeake area. It was refreshing to grapple Conference Executive Committee with the reality that our mission Anthony Hackett, a Columbia Union elected Charles Griffin to serve College student and intern with BACS, must include faith-based com - as executive secretary. Griffin, shares his ideas with Monte Sahlin and munity action as well as tradi - trust services summit attendees. tional methods of evangelism. director, The Baltimore Initiative gives us Monte Sahlin, vice president replaces Rob the opportunity to build a cohe - for creative ministries at the Vandeman sive, inclusive, and comprehen - union, chaired the meeting. “It who was sive mission strategy.” was exciting to see the collabo - recently Attendees heard a report from ration on the part of conference elected as Hoy about significant accom - presidents, pastors, and lay lead - conference president. “As we plishments, brainstormed 24 ers,” said Sahlin. “They look to the future, Charles’ recommendations, and expressed real support for the extensive background in church approved a permanent evangel - ministry of Pastor Darriel Hoy work—including pastoral, depart - ism coordinating committee. and Baltimore Adventist mental, and administrative They also voted to support a Community Services (BACS)— areas—will be an invaluable BACS care center, which will our metro mission agency.” asset,” Vandeman says. offer job training and resources With Allegheny East and for local churches, that Hoy Chesapeake conference churches Columbia Union ASI plans to open by June 1. located throughout the five Elects New President counties in the Baltimore area, The Columbia Union chapter conference presidents Charles Union and College to of ASI (Adventist-laymen’s Cheatham and Rob Vandeman Hold Constituency Services and Industries) recently left the meeting optimistic Sessions elected Gayle Clark , president about joining forces to evangel - The Columbia Union and CEO of ize this vast metropolis. Conference will hold its 25th Miracle “Some of our challenges are Constituency Session May 20-21 Meadows learning to collaborate better at the Seventh-day Adventist School as its between regional and local con - World Headquarters in Silver new presi - ferences,” said Cheatham. Spring, Md. Among the main dent. ASI, “Some people still erroneously business items will be the elec - composed of 4 | VISITOR Newsline laypersons involved in profes - Alumnus of the Year by April 30. Those who do so will sions, industry, education, and Oakwood College. Williams will receive a free copy services, exists to facilitate be honored at the Huntsville, of the booklet. “Sharing Christ in the Ala., institution during its 39th To date, church - Marketplace” and support the Homecoming service April 15 es and individuals global mission of the Adventist where an anticipated 8,000 to have purchased Church. “We want to build on 12,000 alumni and friends will more than 95,000 the momentum of the previous gather. “I feel highly honored,” copies in prepara - leadership in making ASI more says Williams. “Oakwood tion for this his - visible and double the current College holds a special place in toric event—with membership,” says Clark. She my heart.” another 15,000 on replaces Denise Thomas-Ellis, back order and of Finelines Services, who Adventists Participate 100,000 being printed. To order, served for the past five years. in National Ten call (800) 765-6955 or visit Commandments Day www.adventistbookcenter.com . —Nicole Batten Allegheny East and A nationwide movement by New Jersey Youth prominent Christian leaders and Win Awards religious broadcasters has led to Two Columbia Union youth the commemoration of the first- were winners of the 2006 North ever Ten Commandments Day From the Pulpit American Division’s Distinguish- May 7.