Story by Tamaria L. Kulemeka

Norman Carter, a member of Allegheny West Conference’s Temple Emmanuel in Youngstown, Ohio, is also on the frontlines of the drug crisis. 

“[The opioid crisis] is a beast that’s been unleashed. … In order to stop it, you have to stop drugs, and we know that is not going to happen. I think that all we can do is be prepared to provide services to those in need,” says Carter, who kicked his crack cocaine habit nearly eight years ago, and three years ago founded the Carter House, a transitional residential program in Youngstown. 

The not-for-profit organization operates four houses with 26 beds for alcoholics and substance abusers in recovery and who need to transition back into the community. Residents live in the Carter House anywhere from 90 days to a year.

“I had no idea the opioid epidemic was going to be what it is today; I was just providing the piece to the puzzle that was so important to helping me in my process,” he says.

Carter, who started selling drugs right out of high school and soon began using those drugs, graduating to crack cocaine at age 30, said his second lease on life came after being arrested for stealing from Wal-Mart to buy drugs. Instead of being charged with a crime, Carter was given the option to enter a drug program and have the charges dismissed, as long as he completed the program. 

Carter completed his 60-day treatment program and moved into a transitional facility like the one he now runs. He eventually returned to his Seventh-day Adventist roots and sought the church for support. Pastor Bryant Smith and the church got on board with the Carter House, supplying them with food and clothes, conducting Bible studies for residents and praying for the ministry. 

Today Carter strives to love those trying to rebuild their lives until “they can love themselves.” He says there are days when those in recovery relapse, but this just makes him work harder for those who have yet to come through the doors.

Story by Bryant Smith

Sim Fryson, an Allegheny West Conference Shiloh church member in Huntington, W.Va., recently experienced a miracle driving on a busy highway in Charleston, W.Va. He saw a woman standing on the side of the road with a baby in her arms, frantically trying to flag someone down. Fryson stopped, saw that the child was not breathing and administered CPR. Thanks to his quick action, the child survived.

The police department in Fryson’s hometown of Charleston honored him, and the local TV station ran the story, naming him a “Hometown Hero.” When presented with an award, Fryson responded, “The Lord blessed me to be at the right place at the right time, so I give Him all the credit for that.”

Fryson’s life has been filled with remarkable opportunities to help others and share the truths of the Bible and his deep faith in God. From humble beginnings, he rose to prominence in the business world, becoming the first black American to own a combined Mercedes-Honda-Nissan-Mazda dealership.

When God convinced him of the truth of the seventh-day Sabbath, he took the bold step of closing the dealership on Saturday—the busiest sales day of the week. Fryson’s subsequent success led to many occasions to witness about the Sabbath and God’s power in his life.

Fryson’s book details his colorful life and the reasons for his faith. Here Comes Sim is available through Amazon and other online bookstores.

Story by Visitor Staff

The Ohio branch of Faith in Public Life recently recognized Jason Ridley, Youth director for the Allegheny West Conference, as the Faith Leader of the Year.

“We at Faith in Public Life have been inspired by Pastor Jason Ridley’s prophetic leadership this year. He has used his gifts and calling to work for justice in the Hilltop neighborhood—where his church is—at the Statehouse, City Hall, and all the way to Washington D.C. Pastor Ridley has fought to end police violence and maintain health care. He is Ohio’s Faith in Public Life Faith Leader of the Year for his work for justice, compassion and the common good,” says Dan Clark, director of the Ohio branch of Faith in Public Life.

Ridley is passionate about this work because he says he has a moral duty and responsibility. “Ministry is not just preparing individuals for the second coming of Christ, but it’s also about helping and fighting for people to have a better quality of life while we’re living here on earth. This only happens when there’s equality for all,” he says. Ridley wants to continue educating Seventh-day Adventist members about how they can also help.

Ridley, who will soon serve as a national board member of Faith in Public Life, says that this involvement in the organization and community has opened doors for the church. “I’m now in contact with people who, when I was the pastor at Allegheny West Conference’s Hilltop Community Worship Center in Columbus, Ohio, wouldn’t even visit my church. [But] because of my involvement in this work, I now see people who didn’t believe in God or have a relationship with Him who now want to open up meetings and prayer rallies and talk about faith.”

Story by V. Michelle Bernard

Starting April 1, H. Candace Nurse will serve as secretary/treasurer for the Columbia Union Revolving Fund (CURF). Nurse, currently the chief financial officer (CFO) for the Allegheny West Conference (AWC), has worked at AWC since 2008 in various roles, including assistant treasurer and Human Resources coordinator.

“Candace has demonstrated her acumen and abilities at the Allegheny West Conference and has done an excellent job,” says Dave Weigley, Columbia Union Conference president and chair of the CURF board, who notes that her love for people shows in her work.

Emmanuel Asiedu, Columbia Union treasurer and the most recent CURF secretary/treasurer, adds, “Candace is talented, mission-focused, has a great personality and will provide exceptional customer service to CURF members.”

Nurse says she is “looking forward to working with the great staff at CURF” and thanks God for placing her in a conference that provided her opportunities to learn and gave her the tools she needed to be a servant leader.

CURF helps support the Adventist church's mission by providing cost-effective financing for churches, schools, conferences and other denominational entities within the Columbia Union. During the past five years, CURF approved some 288 loans, totaling more than $127 million.

Nurse says she sees CURF "as a ministry that is able to ... provide local churches, schools and conferences the resources needed to connect with their communities and bring more souls to the love of God, which will hasten the coming of our Lord and Savior.”

Story by V. Michelle Bernard / Photo by Pieter Damsteegt, NAD Communication

This week church leaders, local pastors and institutional leaders from across the Seventh-day Adventist church in North America gathered to discuss ways to collaborate to reach, retain and reclaim the people of North America with Jesus’ message and mission.

Topics covered included church revitalization, the trend of aging churches, ministering to large people groups (such as single mothers and their families) and how to reach missing Adventist members.

Several Columbia Union Conference leaders spoke, including David Franklin, pastor of Allegheny East Conference’s Miracle City church in Baltimore; Jennifer Deans, pastor of Potomac Conference’s Living Faith church in Sterling, Va.; Paulo Macena, director of Youth Ministries at the New Jersey Conference; Rubén Ramos, vice president for Multicultural Ministries at the Columbia Union; and Ann Roda, vice president for mission integration and spiritual care at Adventist HealthCare.

See videos of the event on the NAD Evangelism Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/NADEvangelism/.

Story by Michele Joseph

Story by Philip Baptiste

Several leaders from the Columbia Union Conference recently traveled to Kenya to help the East-Central Africa Division (ECD) officially establish an Adventist-laymen’s Services and Industries (ASI) organization during the ECD’s 2nd Annual ASI convention.

More than 200 Seventh-day Adventist business owners, professionals, ministry leaders and church administrators gathered at February 22-24 event at ECD headquarters in Nairobi. Participants included the presidents, executive secretaries and treasurers from the 11 unions in ECD, as well as division departmental directors and office staff.

Event leaders focused on the program theme, “Sharing Christ in the Marketplace,” and presented topics such as Social Media Strategies for Business and Ministries, ASI in the Bible, Ellen White and ASI, Strategies for Excellence as ASI Union Chapters, Serving the Underserved, Strategic Planning for ASI Members and Leaders, Creating a Winning Team, The Mission, Power and Purpose of ASI, Strategic Communication and Branding, Crisis Management and much more.

Keynote presenters for the event included Celeste Ryan-Blyden, vice president for Strategic Communication for the Columbia Union Conference; LaTasha Hewitt, communication director of the Allegheny East Conference; Dwain Esmond, associate director of the Ellen G. White Estate based at the General Conference headquarters; Bryant Smith, communication director of the Allegheny West Conference; G. Alexander Bryant, executive secretary of the North American Division; and Emanuel Pelote, president of the Columbia Union Conference ASI Chapter.

The highlight of the event was the adoption of the Columbia Union Conference ASI Chapter Constitution by church leaders and ASI members from the ECD’s 11-country region. This was cause for celebration because it means that for the first time in ECD, ASI members and leaders would operate the ministry as an official part of the Adventist Church structure, much like in other world divisions. Led by Emanuel Pelote, president of the Columbia Union ASI Chapter, ECD union presidents and lay leaders of ASI adapted and slightly modified the constitution to meet the contextual needs of the East-Central Africa region. Lay leaders committed to collaborate with church pastors and union administrators to prioritize mission and share the gospel of Jesus. Pelote shared that he was "thrilled that the Columbia Union could play a part in what God is doing to unite the membership with the church administration and pastors in mission as they launch and inaugurate official union ASI chapters within ECD."

Union presidents, secretaries, and treasurers from the ECD’s 11 unions met with Pelote and Ryan-Blyden, along with the three executive officers of the division to discuss how to better support and collaborate with ASI union chapters and unleash lay people for ministry in their respective regions. Pastor Temesgen Bulti, president of the Ethiopia Union Mission, says, "I now understand how our union should to relate to ASI. We support them, empower them and work with them to help further the Adventist mission."

Ryan-Blyden (pictured below), who also serves as the Columbia Union’s ASI representative, gave a devotional message as well as presentations on crisis management and how to share the Adventist story. Reflecting on the event, she said, "In the Columbia Union, we want to see every member get involved and experience the Adventist mission. We’ve seen this happen effectively through ASI when church leaders and lay members team up and share their God-given gifts and resources. It’s exciting to see the ECD embrace this movement division-wide.”

Blasious Ruguri, president of ECD, where church membership now tops four million, said: "I am so excited to see our lay people mobilized and determined to use their gifts, talents, and resources to engage in sharing Christ in the marketplace. As pastors and church leaders work hand in hand with the laity, together we can finish the work and help hasten the second coming of Jesus."

Participants shared that they were mobilized for mission and left feeling more committed to getting involved in sharing the Adventist message of hope and wholeness. ASI was established in 1947 by Adventist healthcare workers and expanded in the 1970's to include business owners, ministry leaders, and other professional lay members.

Philip Baptiste serves as special assistant to the president of the East-Central Africa Division of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya.

Story by V. Michelle Bernard

The Allegheny West Conference’s (AWC) Young Adult department recently partnered with Jerome Hurst, AWC Community Service director, the Cleveland Chapter of the NAACP and the People for the United Way African American Ministers Leadership Council to host “Moving from Disparity to Equity,” a justice and community conference. 

“2018 marks the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Fifty years later, [our nation is] still struggling with many of the ills of that day,” says Charde (Hurst) Hollins, AWC Young Adult Department director. “This conference was designed to celebrate the life of Dr. King by equipping attendees to respond to the many issues we encounter in our communities and throughout this nation.”

Topics covered re-entry for prisoners, incarceration rates for nonviolent crimes, police violence and gun violence and their impact on minority communities. Speakers included James Standish, special assistant to the director of PARL at the Columbia Union Conference, representatives from the city of Cleveland an NAACP representative and others.

Speakers and organizers (pictured above) provided information, awareness, strategies and resources to better serve and educate community members on equal rights and social justice.

Hollins hopes that the event will inspire others to impact their local communities. “As a church body, we must be a voice for the voiceless and a safe haven for those who are alienated from society,” she says.

How Can You Help?

Hollins suggests a few free things churches and members can do:

• Hold voter registration drives
• Provide transportation to the polls using church vans
• Create a “church route” for your local neighborhood
• Use the church vans as community transportation for those who may need assistance in getting to work or medical appointments

Story by Bryant Smith

The Allegheny West Conference (AWC) president, administrative officials, pastors and laity recently created havoc in Satan’s camp as 450 individuals of all ages participated in a nonstop Prayer-A-Thon. Ellen White, cofounder of the Adventist church, writes, “Satan trembles and flees before the weakest soul who finds refuge in that mighty name” (The Desire of Ages, p. 130).

An average of 25 participants per hour joined the event via a teleconference call. Prayers ascended for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, the sick, the abused, for strongholds to be broken and for souls to accept the gospel of Jesus Christ. Individuals from as far away as California and Florida joined with the many in Ohio and Virginia to experience this Prayer-A-Thon. Multicultural sisters and brothers petitioned the throne of grace in their own language. One member observed, “Even though I could not speak the language, I understood the prayer! I knew the language of prayer!”

One 10-year-old Hispanic boy poured out his heart to God during the 9-9:30 p.m. half-hour prayer session, petitioning for the sick and for family members. William T. Cox Sr., conference president, stayed connected with the Prayer-A-Thon from 7:30 a.m. to midnight. Violet Cox, AWC’s prayer coordinator, says, “This is just the beginning of the many Prayer-A-Thon experiences in AWC until Jesus returns!”

Story by Ricardo Bacchus

Members from the Allegheny West Conference (AWC) Executive Committee recently elected Jermaine Jackson as the new chief financial officer (CFO), effective June 1. Prior to joining AWC, Jackson worked for Adventist Risk Management, Inc. (ARM), starting in 2009 as senior accountant, and, shortly after, was promoted to controller. In 2014 he was elected vice president and CFO for ARM and Gencon Insurance Company of Vermont (GICV). In that role, Jackson oversaw the financial operations of ARM, GICV and its subsidiaries in Brazil and Gibraltar.

"I am extremely delighted to join the Allegheny West family. It has always been my desire to be on purpose and in purpose for God,” Jackson states. “We are pleased and excited to have Jermaine join our team,” says William T. Cox Sr., president.

Jackson has a Bachelor of Science in Finance from Oakwood University (Ala.), a Master of Business Administration from Baker University (Kan.) and a graduate certification of accounting from DeVry University (Va.).

Local conference work isn’t new to Jackson, as he served from 2003-09 as an accountant in the Central States Conference (Kan.). His passion is to empower families in their quest for financial freedom. He has presented various financial seminars, including “Establishing Family Budgets” and “How to Manage the King’s Money: Strength, Security and Stability.”

Jackson adds, “My career has allowed me to marry my passion for God and mission with my overall desire to ensure that church organizations and families in general are financially secure. I’m pleased to continue my passion here.”

Jackson’s wife, D’Andria, is a licensed clinical psychologist. They have a 6-year-old son and a 3-year-old daughter. 

Story by Edwin Manuel Garcia/ Images by Brian Tagalog, Kristi Rutt, Marving Alegria, Goodness Mcfiberesima/Beth Villanueva and Tracey Brown

In her book, Walking the Pathway of Prayer, Violet Cox, Prayer Ministries director for the Allegheny West Conference, invites readers to journey with her and discover a more meaningful prayer life.

Cox writes about how she grew in her understanding of what prayer is (and isn't) and shares a story about the first time she prayed her own prayer as child. After seeing a pair of pretty green shoes, and praying that 'If God really heard her, He'd let her have the shoes.' A day or so later, her mother came home with the exact shoes she had prayed about.

"Prayer is as essential to the Christian's spiritual life, as air is to the physical body," she writes. "You cannot exist a moment without it! Prayer is much more than asking God for a pair of green shoes! It is a conscious awarness of being in HIs presence every waking moment of life!"

Through chapters on "the instantneous prayer,""the secret prayer,""the wordless prayer,""prayer of praise" and more, Cox explores how prayer can impact every area of our lives.

To purchase the book, visit Amazon.

Read these stories from the June 2018 Visitor:

• Feature: Growth Spurt
• Editorial: Master, Don't You Care?
• Book Release: Praying God's Heart
• Book Release: Walk the Pathway of Prayer

Story by Bryant Smith

Jerome M. Hurst, senior pastor of the Southeast church in Cleveland, Ohio, and the Allegheny West Conference’s Adventist Community Services and public affairs and religious liberty leader, was recently inducted into the 33rd Martin Luther King Jr. Board of Preachers of Morehouse College, based in Atlanta.

The Board of Preachers is comprised of ordained clergy from the Christian tradition, as well as faith leaders, such as rabbis, imams, priests and ministers. This wide array of leaders from diverse global, spiritual and ethical traditions exhibit a commitment and promise of using their religious positions of leadership to promote peace, tolerance, interfaith understanding, healing, reconciliation, nonviolence, moral cosmopolitan social progress, agapic justice and care for the ecosystem.

Hurst shared about the event with his congregation, acknowledging he did not get there by himself. “A wise man once said, if you ever see a turtle sitting on top of a fence post, you know somebody picked it up and placed it there. Turtles belong on the ground. I’m just a turtle,” he explained.

He went on to say, “I thank you, my church, for allowing me to get involved and open up the church doors to the community. It’s because of you that I was able to receive this award.”

Cecily Bryant, the communication director of the Southeast church, says, “He gave honor and glory to the Lord and gratitude to individuals who have supported him.”

Story by Yvette Peterson

Jeffrey Baskin, former pastor of Allegheny West Conference's Hillcrest church in Pittsburgh, made a life-changing decision to leave the safety of full-time conference employment to respond to the needs of those languishing on the highways and byways of life.

While driving one morning, he witnessed a homeless man buried beneath snow. Two very simple, but profound questions were audibly voiced from within. “What are you going to do about it?” and “How compassionate are you as a Christian?” This was the defining moment of truth that challenged the genuineness and authenticity of his relationship with God. 

Through this experience, Bridges Community Outreach Ministries was birthed, “Bridges” referring to the challenges and obstacles of community-based ministry that must be transcended if the church is successful in building collaborative relationships with other community organizations. Bridges is a ministry of compassion to those Jesus referred to as the “least of these.” 

Baskin, director, along with members of the Hillcrest and Ethnan Temple churches and other volunteers have been working for the past six years in Homeless Ministries, Prison Ministries, Code Blue—which focuses on those impacted by tragedy in the Pittsburgh area—and “Come Up,” a pilot program that addresses the trauma needs of young men ages 13–17.

Their approach to Prison Ministries extends far beyond conducting religious services within the correctional institutions. Building positive relationships with administrators, and especially with the inmates, is imperative. Upon release, Bridges invites some ex-offenders to minister to homeless people, conducting Prison Ministries workshops and serving as mentors to at-risk youth through the “Come Up” program. 

Evan Stanton is the perfect example. He was an inmate at SCI-Pittsburgh when he met members from Bridges. Upon release, Stanton became a part of the ministry. He obtained employment and made monthly donations to Bridges. Stanton is now married with two sons and a mentor in the “Come Up” program. 

As a result of conducting Bible studies and preaching Christ to inmates, Baskin has baptized more than 100 prisoners. Bridges is looking to increase its impact in the areas of employment and housing referrals through funding and other resources to make this a reality. For more information, visit bcom.com.

Story by Allegheny West Conference Staff

William R. Wright, Sr. (pictured center with Henry M. Wright and daughter-in-law, Carol) was born September 17, 1918, the second child of seven born to Nathan and Willa Wright in Dayton, Ohio. His parents were two of the first four African-American Adventists in Dayton and co-founders of the Ethnan Temple church in Clayton.

The family moved to the country after the recession and there founded the Berea Chapel church, now the Dale Wright Memorial church in Germantown, Ohio. Wright served as an elder in the church for more than 60 years and served on the Columbia Union Conference Executive Committee from 1980–85.

For much of his life, he sang with his family, traveling extensively, singing in churches and recording music for radio. “He still has a beautiful tenor voice,” says Henry M. Wright, son and retired pastor.

A commercial artist by trade, Wright was art director for the Sucher Packing company in Dayton, Ohio. He then served as art director for WHIO-TV in Dayton until his retirement in 1986.

William was married to Zoe for 48 years. They had four biological sons and reared four foster children. Three are still living and active members of the Adventist church. Zoe passed away in 1987. William later married Flonzie Brown whom he brought into the Adventist church. Together they became very active in community service, especially in the area of drug rehabilitation ministry.

In the known history of the Wright family, William is the first to live a century.

Story by Bryant Smith

Harmony is a gospel quartet, known for their a cappella harmonious sound. Their goal is to captivate audiences by singing the message of Jesus Christ. “Saving souls one note at a time,” is Harmony’s motto, made up of singers (pictured clockwise) Haven James, Tirzah Hawley, Chris Upchurch and Samara Orr.

As toddlers, and later in youth choir and praise team, these four formed a special bond at Allegheny West Conference's (AWC) Ephesus church in Columbus, Ohio. One Friday evening, they realized that this bond knew no musical bounds.

“The lead musician, Reyguel Nious, was playing the song ‘Silver and Gold’ after praise team rehearsal,” says Samara Orr. “We joined in singing, and that was the first time the four of us heard ourselves outside of other groups and choirs and instantly noticed we had an unique sound! That’s how the group got started!”

In 2008, at the age of 17, they started the group Harmony, and have had the opportunity to sing in area churches and travel outside Ohio to minister to other denominations.

“We want people to know that we are a group bonded by our love of music and our love for Christ, which empowers us to share the gospel through music. ‘Harmony’ stands for the parts that we sing and the type of unity we have for each other,” says Chris Upchurch. Haven James adds, “We are all different people in personalities and sing different parts, but we blend together to make one cohesive sound and group!”

John Boston, former pastor of the Central church in Ohio, and Noah Washington, pastor of the Ephesus church, opened their doors for Harmony’s first and second concerts. Since then they’ve performed many concerts and have been featured on stages with eight-time Grammy winner Joel Kibble of Take 6, five-time Grammy winner Larnelle Harris of the Gaither Homecoming group and 3ABN singer and director of world evangelism John Lomacang.

Harmony gives credit to many people who have helped and encouraged them along their path, such as music coordinator Elaine Arthur and Pastor Bron Jacobs of the Community Praise Church in Alexandria, Va., as well as Charde Hollins, the director of Young Adult Ministries for AWC.

Also instrumental in their development, Grammy-nominated and Dove Winner Yvonne Lewis-Shelton; general manager of Dare to Dream Network and Grammy nominated singer Wintley Phipps; and four-time Grammy nominated David Phelps have served as mentors to this 10-year-old group.

Many churches, conferences and schools are recognizing Harmony’s talents. Recently the Oakwood Alumni Association (Ala.) asked Harmony to sing their signature song, “These Are They,” at the 2018 alumni weekend. A couple months later, Allegheny East Conference organizers invited them to sing at the main pavilion during camp meeting and opened for Michael Kelly, senior pastor of the Mt. Rubidoux church (Calif.).

Harmony’s influence has stretched beyond the Adventist Church into other denominations. WVKO 1580, a local praise radio station in Columbus, has interviewed Harmony and has played their music numerous times. Harmony participated in the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Celebration event in Columbus. Also, the Jerusalem Second Baptist church in Urbana, Ohio, led by pastor Michael Freeman and his wife, Tishia, have been a great and supportive influence through the years.

“Harmony is on a mission to be the millennials who help the Seventh-day Adventist Church finish spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ to a lost, struggling, hurting and forgotten world by our singing and sharing Him through music,” says Tirzah Hawley.

For more information about Harmony, email HarmonySingers2016@gmail.com, call (614) 484-2712 or find them on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

Story by Sergio Romero

A group of young adults from across the Allegheny West Conference recently traveled to Lesotho, South Africa. Their challenge was clear: to bring Jesus to the people of Lesotho.

Ten young people, along with Jason Ridley, Youth Ministries director; Jerome Hurst, Community Services director; and Sergio Romero, Multicultural Ministries director, spent two weeks sharing their time, lives and experiences with people they’d never met before, but loved instantly.

Using ShareHim materials, the group preached every day and night at different locations—churches, schools, tents and even on a mountainside. Many of the places didn’t even have light or a sound system, so the young people spoke the Word of God by candlelight or cellphone flashlights. Adversity didn’t stop them from being bold in sharing God’s love and making daily altar calls.

Every morning after the devotional time, group members shared testimonies, providing further confirmation that God was moving, bringing people to the hope of Jesus’ Second Coming and seeing the need of giving their lives to Jesus as their personal Savior.

At the end of the week, everyone met at the Maluti church inside the Maluti Adventist Hospital. With sincere celebration, members and guests sang praises to God. The highlight of the weekend was when Ridley baptized 24 people. Then Hurst, inspired by the Holy Spirit, stood and began appealing for people to give their lives to Jesus and be baptized. “Amens” and “Hallelujahs” followed as 32 more people came to the waters and sealed their covenant with Jesus. At the end of the day, 56 people joined the church through baptism. 

“This is an absolute record for our country; we’ve never baptized this many people. This is a miracle,” says Chete Amos Bohale, president of the Lesotho Conference.

“This was a life-changing experience. I didn’t expect this,” says young adult Aaron Wimberly, with tears in his eyes. “I praise God for His love and mercies; I’m so happy I was able to come and be part of this great faith adventure.”