The highlights for October are:
Northern District Sabbath was a special blessing this year. We enjoyed the largest attendance after COVID-19, the involvement of a group of students and staff from Wisconsin Academy, and the abundance of delicious food accompanied the inspirational presentations of Dr. Fernando Ortiz, the Director of the Master of Divinity Program at Andrews University. We look forward to next year’s meeting with Dr. Joseph Kidder from Andrews University on Oct 5, 2024.
The retired president of the Lake Union Conference, Elder Don Livesay, was the guest speaker for the Leadership Cohort. His seminar, “Conflict Resolution Strategies,” provided practical and insightful principles for interested pastors in this area of life and ministry.
On a personal note, my father, 91, went to sleep in Jesus on Oct 12th. My family and I participated in his funeral in Romania.
I attended meetings at Andrews University, being part of the Student Experience & Faith Development Committee and the Board of Trustees. Andrews University is the No. 1 Campus for Ethnic Diversity, No. 1 Private University in Michigan, and No. 11 Christian University in America. The university reports 2,972 students, 710 being new this year. The Master of Divinity program reports 428 students for 2023. Out of 16 Wisconsin Academy graduates this past Spring, four are enrolled at Andrews University. Significant capital improvements are planned for the near future – major dormitory renovations, new buildings for different schools and programs, and other developments on the university campus.
I joined the Adventist Risk Management Presidents’ Symposium while attending the North American Division (NAD) Year-end meetings. Health plans, various legal requirements, and regulations to minimize the risk and loss control in our institutions were the main topics of the presentations. Special attention was given to maintaining our properties, the hiring process, and the healthcare possibilities to minimize the costs. Adventist Risk Management Inc. is the official insurance and risk management company of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
I serve on the NAD PreK-12 Education Committee, which meets yearly during the NAD Year-end meetings. For 2022-2023, the NAD is operating 152 Early Childhood Programs with 4,193 children, 721 PK-12 Schools with 50,895 students, and 13 Colleges/Universities with 20,953 students. Trends in education include the impact of artificial intelligence on learning, hybrid educational programs, decreased small colleges and university enrolment, and virtual and augmented reality.
Among other notable responsibilities, the NAD PreK-12 Education Committee regulates, oversees, and assists the Education System in the Division, authorizing research, developing a comprehensive long-range master plan, adopting academic, administrative, and financial—guidelines, and supporting the Professional Development Plan (PDP) for teachers.
With Rodney Hahn, Wisconsin member, I participated in the NAD Year-end Meeting. The administration and the directors of various departments and ministries presented reports and initiatives for the future.
At the Year-end Meeting of the North American Division Committee, members consider budget requests, make appropriations, adopt policies necessary in the operation of the Division, and transact other business as necessary.
Video and news coverage from the business sessions can be viewed at this link:
https://www.nadadventist.org/news/2023-nad-year-end-meeting-video-and-news-coverage
As all our conference departments and ministries continue to be actively involved in numerous projects and initiatives, we pray that the Holy Spirit will empower us to be faithful to our call and ministry.
Titus Naftanaila, President