Last Sabbath was a high Sabbath for the Rocky Mount and Roanoke Valley district as their pastor, Daniel Bran, was ordained to the Gospel ministry. Elder CD Brooks, the uncle of the head elder in Roanoke Valley, presented the ordination sermon. Daniel took his theological training in Romania his home country. He is well acquainted with the repressive government that nation was under for years and the restrictions on religious freedoms. We are thankful that God protected him through that and led him here to the Carolinas. We pray for God's continued blessing on he and his wife, Adina, as they minister for Him.

Let me mention a couple of events that are happening in just the next week. This Sabbath, March 20, we will be holding a special spiritual rally at the Fletcher church at 3:30 pm. Representative from each of the departments of the Conference will be present and sharing inspirational experiences that God has been providing. You will meet some newly baptized Seventh-day Adventists and hear the remarkable story of their conversion. You will also hear from some who had left the church but have returned and the beautiful story of what brought them back. I believe you will be inspired as you hear what God is doing throughout the Carolinas. If you are in western Carolina I hope to see you at this special event. If you are not in western Carolina we will be coming to these areas: You won't want to miss this special time together!

Columbia First Church April 3
Charlotte Sharon Church April 17
Kernersville May 8
Spartanburg May 15
(All times are 3:30 pm.)

The weekend of March 26-28 there is going to be a ChurchWorks conference held at Black Mountain, NC. We have asked each church to send representatives to this special weekend with the express purpose of developing a strategic plan to reach every person in the Carolinas.

This conference is provided by the leadership of the North America division. I would like to ask each one of you to make this upcoming meeting a special focus of your prayers this coming week. I know that the greatest desire of each of our hearts is to hasten the coming of Jesus and to see as many as possible ready for that glorious event. Let's join our prayers together that this time with ChurchWorks will be a productive catalyst for all of us see His message go forth.

As I have mentioned to you Mount Pisgah Academy involved every student in a mission activity during March. Those have just concluded and I am hearing wonderful reports of how God has used these young people. A group of 30+ students went to Mexico and preached evangelistic meetings. At last report over 50 people had been baptized with more to come. What a wonderful thing to see these youth heralding the message of God's soon return. Thank you for praying for them as they all undertook these special projects.

It's hard to imagine that campmeeting at Lake Junaluska is only a little more than 60 days away. Elder Shawn Boonstra, speaker for It is Written, is scheduled to be our weekend speaker. During the week Dr. Gordon Bietz, president of Southern Adventist University, and Elder Mike Tucker, speaker for Faith for Today will be the morning speakers. Each evening we will be blessed by Elder Karl Haffner, pastor of the Kettering Ohio SDA Church. I hope that you will make plans now to be with us at beautiful Lake Junaluska.

May God richly bless all of you as you worship together this Sabbath.

Your friend,
Jim