Faith, Family, and Loss: Adventist Worker Among Dead in Washington Industrial Disaster – Adventist Today

He had so many jobs in the church. I worked with him when he was the President of the West Visayan Conference. He was a great guy.

He loved the publishing work. 

https://www.instagram.com/p/DYyoEeGj-Ix/

He was an ER doctor as well.

very dedicated person and his death is a shock to me 

https://www.voiceofprophecy.com/gordonhenderson

The vehicle was a charter bus carrying the Grande Prairie Adventist Church Pathfinder Club home from a Pathfinder Bible Experience program in Edmonton.

Of the 37 occupants, Pathfinder leader Lillian Banda was pronounced dead at the scene. Of the remaining occupants, six sustained serious injuries and were taken to a local hospital, where they were treated. All the other travellers made it safely home.

Alberta Conference president pastor Jeff Potts said the conference will send a team of pastors trained in counselling to Grande Prairie Adventist Church to provide support. Pastor Dan Wilson of Grand Prairie Adventist Church held a special prayer service on Feb. 8 at 6 pm, which included pathfinders conference wide. Youth Director Roberson Dorelus is also supporting the youth.

“Please keep the Grande Prairie Church in your prayers,” Potts said. “Pray for [pastor] Dan Wilson as he ministers to his church family.”

Written by Pastor Shawn Ellis, editor of Canadian Adventist Messenger, with contributions from Troy McQueen, communications director for the Alberta Conference, and Erika Rolling, reporter for Everything Grand Prairie! 

https://adventistmessenger.ca/news/alberta-pathfinder-club-caught-in-tragic-collision

The whole Adventist church in the Philippines is in shock. 

https://metrocdodev.com/2025/11/07/crime-watch-sda-church-treasurer-shot-dead-in-cdo-suspect-surrenders-to-cidg-as-ncmc-releases-statement/

Chosen Gem [mothers maiden name] Abesta, 37, allegedly shot Benjamin Vargas Mendez, 65, with a .45 caliber pistol [12 shots] inside the SDA North Central Mindanao Conference compound in Puntod, Cagayan de Oro City, on November 6, 2025.

This is a gated parking lot and building with guards. SOP at all conference offices. It is being reported that Abesta was banned from the area and should have been stopped by the guards. 

After the incident, Abesta initially fled but surrendered later to the CIDG-10 headquarters in Camp Evangelista [military camp] and turned over the firearm. Police said the shooting may have been fueled by a personal grudge, following prior disputes between the two. [ a familiar story in the Philippines]  This is the most accurate report on the murder. 

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Abesta was known to the guards and everyone in the building.  He was working in a district of many churches. He was pastoring as an intern for three years. An Intern in PH is someone who was hired to be a pastor, but is in a probationary period. During this time, he must prove himself. That includes providing evangelistic meetings and baptisms. It is a time of high stress for some pastors.  Although in Mindanao, the baptism rate is higher and easier. There are fewer obstacles. Interns cannot perform legal duties like marriage or baptisms.   It is the job of the intern/Pastor to collect the tithes and deposit them in the conference bank account. There may have been a problem there. It may come out in a trail if he does not plead guilty. Most likely, in situations like this, they plead guilty. He was terminated prior to this event.  Sir Mendez was scheduled to retire next month. 

The culture on the island of Mindanao is one of violence. For decades there has been a big problem there. Family feuds are common.  Many people have guns in their homes. Because of the LARGE open sea to the south, it is impossible to prevent weapons from entering by small boats. I could talk for a long time about this culture of violence. 

My wife and I met Sir Mendez and his wife 21 years ago, while we were doing an Evangelism meeting in North Eastern Mindanao. He was the treasurer of that mission at the time. He had two small children then. There was violence while we were there, and the meetings were held in a guarded college building. We were forbidden from visiting interests. 320 were baptized in that program.  On the way back to the ship to leave the island, we had to pass a military check post. They had a 50 caliber machine gun. It was VERY big. 

Often, life in the Philippines is very hard. The violence can be devastating. Often it seems senseless. 

We are all very sad. 

He was the president of the West Visayas Conference and then the President of the then newly formed Romblon Mission.  He was an Alumni of Mountain View College in Mindanao, Philippines.   He was very popular.    His three children are all in the USA I believe. 

He was the best conference president I ever knew. 

Scholar and Apologist, Dies

Retired White Estate associate director also co-founded what became Babcock University

BY MARK A. KELLNER, News Editor

Source Adventist Review, article by Mark Kellner

Roger W. Coon, one of the Seventh-day Adventist Church’s leading apologists and exponents, passed to his rest on February 2, 2011. He was 83 years old and resided in Berkeley Springs, West Virginia.

ADVENTIST SCHOLAR: Roger W. Coon, who passed away on February 2, 2011 at age 83, was a noted scholar of Adventism and an associate director of the Ellen G. White Estate. [General Conference Archives photo]

“Roger was a dear friend, much admired and appreciated mentor, and for years an extremely effective member of the White Estate team. Roger's zest for life, his legendary work ethic, his captivating speaking and teaching style, his love for God and His church, and his attempt to share that enthusiasm with others were contagious among all who came within his orbit,” said pastor Jim Nix, director of the Ellen G. White Estate.

During 45 years of denominational service, culminating in 12 years, from 1981 to 1993, as an associate director of the Ellen G. White Estate, Coon was an exponent and defender of Seventh-day Adventist doctrines, especially in terms of the gift of prophecy, which Adventists believe is “an identifying mark of the remnant church and was manifested in the ministry of Ellen G. White,”1 a pioneering co-founder of the movement.

Coon’s 1983 book, A Gift of Light, intended as an introduction to White’s writings, also offered evidence for the oft-cited claim that White was one of the most widely translated authors of modern times. Based on his research at the Library of Congress, Coon determined that, up to that point, having her books in 117 languages (now, more than 165) made her the fourth-most translated author.

But along with unearthing historical data, Coon put White’s ministry into perspective: A Gift of Light takes readers through both biblical history and the Millerite era to establish a basis for her having exercised the gift of prophecy. It was his first book, but far from his first writing: Adventist Review, Ministry and the Journal of Adventist Education all published articles from his pen.

LIBERTY ADVOCATE: In retirement, Coon was “a grassroots activist for religious freedom,” as Liberty magazine said in honoring him with an award in 2005.

[Photo: Reger C. Smith, Jr.]

“We often hear from pastors around the globe who express their indebtedness to Roger for the thorough instruction on the gift of prophecy they received in his classes,” added Tim Poirier, vice director of the White Estate.

Before coming to the General Conference, Coon had served as senior pastor of the Takoma Park, Maryland, Seventh-day Adventist Church, and as a professor of religion at church-owned Pacific Union College in Angwin, California. He earned his undergraduate degree in religion and history at Loma Linda University; a master of arts in religion at Andrews University; and a doctorate in speech from Michigan State University.

Earlier in his career, he served 12 years as an educational missionary in West Africa, where he was a co-founder of the Adventist College of West Africa, which today is Babcock University, one of the larger Seventh-day Adventist tertiary schools in the world.

In retirement, Coon was a frequent speaker on behalf of the Church’s religious liberty work; in 2005 he was honored by church-owned Liberty magazine as “a grassroots activist for religious freedom” with an award at the publication’s annual Capitol Hill dinner.

His wife, Irene, a former assistant director of the General Conference Auditing Service; a son, Donald, and a daughter, Susan McDaniel, survive. Funeral details are pending.

https://spectrummagazine.org/news/norman-wendth-adventist-educator-obituary/

Kenneth O. Cox, whose career as a Seventh-day Adventist evangelist spanned decades, continents, and time zones, passed to his rest on July 3, 2019 at the age of 84. Cox, who lived near Loma Linda, California, succumbed following heart surgery.

https://www.nadadventist.org/news/kenneth-o-cox-adventist-evangelist-passes-his-rest-84

..... In 1997, Cox joined the Voice of Prophecy ministry, at the time led by Lonnie Melashenko, as a field evangelist, and remained with that ministry for four years, Draper said. He then began his own ministry, which continued until the time of his death.

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I remember the first time I heard of him.  30 years ago, I went into a small church in rural Michigan, one Sabbath morning. They had no one to preach the sermon. Only about 12 of us there. They rolled out a big screen TV and plugged in a VHS tape of Kenneth Cox.  He was very good. 

Sahlin, who retired in 2014, served more than 40 years in denominational ministry, spending a significant portion of that time in the Columbia Union territory. Most recently he served as the director of research and special projects for the Ohio Conference.   

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I remember him as a pioneer in Adventist forums. He was in charge of the Adventist forum on CompuServe.  Whoa, that was a long time ago.  25 years ago? 

https://adventistreview.org/news/obituary/jack-blanco-author-of-the-clear-word-bible-paraphrase-passes-to-his-rest/

Jack Blanco, Author of 'The Clear Word' Bible Paraphrase, Passes to His Rest

https://adventist.news/news/jack-blanco-author-of-the-clear-word-bible-paraphrase-passes-to-his-rest

His username was donaldridge. For quite a while I wasn’t sure if he was Don Aldridge or Donald Ridge.

But I enjoyed many chats with him. I took part in a free book giveaway that he (and I think his son Richard) sourced. They weren’t SDA books but we found homes for many. They were uplifting 

He shared info about his fruit tree collection. I think he had one of everything in his yard.

Fondly remembered 

Sheila Jackson Lee, the longtime U.S. representative from Texas who helped lead federal efforts to protect women from domestic violence and recognize Juneteenth as a national holiday, has died. She was 74.

• The Democrat had represented Houston since 1995. She had previously had breast cancer and announced a pancreatic cancer diagnosis on June 2, AP reports.

Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.) called her "a tenacious advocate for civil rights and a tireless fighter, improving the lives of her constituents."

• Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) said he had never known a harder-working lawmaker than Jackson Lee: She "studied every bill and every amendment with exactitude and then told Texas and America exactly where she stood."

Words from Jackson Lee's family.

La Sierra University is saddened to announce the recent death of the business school’s namesake and key donor, Tom Zapara. Zapara died on June 16 at the age of 100, just one month before his 101st birthday.

https://adventistreview.org/obituary/la-sierra-university-mourns-the-death-of-tom-zapara/

Arne P. Nielsen, vice president for the Office of Education for the North American Division (NADOE) of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, passed to his rest on June 3 after several days in the intensive care unit dealing with complications from an acute illness. He was 64.

https://adventistreview.org/obituary/church-leaders-remember-arne-nielsen-after-his-sudden-death/

(also from an email I received from AUC) Dean is someone I've known for over 50 yrs. I was sadden by this email!!

(an email I received from AUC Church in South Lancaster, Massachusetts)

https://adventistreview.org/obituary/herman-l-kibble-pioneer-seventh-day-adventist-chaplain-dies-at-92/#comment-6370045220

Dale Ratzlaff, a prominent figure known for his critical examination of Seventh-day Adventism and his dedication to teaching the biblical gospel, passed away on January 5, 2024. Born to Mennonite/Adventist parents in Shafter, California, on September 14, 1936, Ratzlaff’s journey was shaped by personal challenges and a relentless pursuit of religious truth.

https://atoday.org/dale-ratzlaff-founder-of-proclamation-magazine-dies-at-88-years-old/

https://atoday.org/gc-womens-ministries-director-heather-dawn-small-dies-at-66-years-old/

Kit Watts, a trailblazing figure in the Seventh-day Adventist Church and a tireless advocate for gender equality in ministry, died on November 15, 2023, in Walla Walla, Washington. Watts leaves behind a legacy of significant achievements and resolute dedication to her cause.

https://atoday.org/in-memoriam-of-kit-watts-december-5-1943-november-15-2023/

Read more at: https://adventistreview.org/news/breaking/breaking-news-maurice-valentine-dies/