May 2024 Carolina's 10,000 P5

Embracing Carolina with the Compassionate Call of Christ

The 10,000 President’s Prayer Partners is a fast-growing group of Carolina Conference constituents who take matters such as these to their knees. We invite you to join us and make this monthly list a matter of prayer. Together we seek the Lord for His answers and provisions to every need we bring before Him.

In just a few more days, people from across North and South Carolina, from our sister conferences in the South, and extending beyond to every corner of North America will come together at Lake Junaluska for our annual Camp Meeting week of spiritual renewal. This is a wonderful time of the year of fellowship and joy as we experience opportunities for praise, worship, learning, and growing.

In 1962, Doris Akers penned the lyrics and composed the accompanying music for the melodious message that resonates to each of us what I hope and pray is the real reason for which we will come together here at Lake Junaluska this year.

There’s a sweet, sweet spirit in this place And I know that it’s the Spirit of the Lord. There are sweet expressions on each face And I know that it’s the presence of the Lord. Sweet Holy Spirit; Sweet heavenly dove Stay right here with us; Filling us with your love. And for all these blessings; We lift our hearts in praise Without a doubt we’ll know; That we have been revived When we shall leave this place...

Let’s praise God for and pray for our 2024 Carolina Camp Meeting beside the still waters and the exquisite beauty of roses, amid these majestic mountains surrounding Lake Junaluska.

We have chosen as our theme for this year, “When the Spirit Comes”. There are many names for the Holy Spirit, but the one I find that is so special to me is when he is called the Helper or Comforter. In Greek, it is the word paraklētos. That simply means someone who stands in the gap for us and supports us as we learn to walk with and become more like Jesus.

May God help us to experience the Holy Spirit’s power and presence in our lives in a mighty way as we listen to what His voice has to say to us this week. In Psalm 46:10, God tells us to be still and know that He is God. Sadly, it seems that we all have such busy schedules and have limited time to listen to what the Spirit of God is saying. Our prayer is that during this year’s Camp Meeting and each day after, that those of us who come will free our minds from the cares of the day so we can commune with the Holy Spirit, experience and radiate His peace, and His joy when we leave this place.

Pray for safe travels and a rich experience with the Spirit of the Living God!

After six months of working out of our homes and a rental office space that compartmentalized and somewhat isolated us as a team of workers from the headquarters of the Carolina Conference, we praise God to be back together. Our newly renovated office has a fresh new look to it with new carpeting, new walls, new furniture and a beautiful upgrade after almost 30 years.

Finishing touches with artwork and decorations are ongoing, but every one of our almost 40 employees love the more modern and eye-appealing look. A huge debt of gratitude goes to the Renovations Committee initially headed up by Elder Chad Grundy as our chairperson and completed under Elder Rick Russell’s leadership after Chad assumed his new responsibilities at the North American Division headquarters. Also, another great debt of gratitude goes to our Renovation Sub-Committee: Becky Carpenter, Deborah Hutchinson, Angela Prieto, and Ginger Bentley. This committee worked on hundreds of details pertaining to the re-furnishing and décor of the new offices. One person deserves our greatest tribute for his constant presence and oversight and inordinate labor through this entire process. That person is Tank Brooks, our Maintenance and Facilities Coordinator.

Once again as mentioned before, none of the funds that covered this major expense of renovation came from tithe dollars. Rather, it was provided through the gifts of trusts, wills, and estate maturities that were graciously provided by our loving and dedicated members for the needs of God’s church in the Carolinas.

We extend a warm invitation and hearty welcome for you to come and take a look at your newly renovated church headquarters and the beautiful new look to our Adventist Christian Book Center.

Today we praise God that we can honor Him with the loveliness and fresh appearance of the interior of our workspaces. It is our desire to dedicate our efforts to caring for this sacred space that has been consecrated to the variety of spiritual gifts and ministries of God’s remnant church and its mission to proclaim the everlasting Gospel of Jesus and herald the good news of our soon-coming Savior.

With each issue of our President’s Prayer Partners (P5), we continue to focus specifically on one of our goals and share some of the developments that are helping us in our journey toward accomplishing that goal.

During the month of our May P5 issue I’ve asked Pastor Cris Cazarine to highlight some of the intentional initiatives underway to engage, empower, and enable our young adults in the mission of the church. The Carolina Conference loves its youth and young adults. They are a valuable, gifted, and a precious part of our church family.

I thank God for the increasing number of dedicated young adults who are now serving as pastors for several church districts across the Carolinas with Godly giftedness. This afternoon I had the privilege of having a luncheon meeting with one of those pastors who is truly a treasure to our conference family of pastors. Pastor Bryan Arvelo was telling me of a gathering of almost 20 young adults at his church at Rockingham Cornerstone this past Sabbath.

At Nosoca Pines Ranch, nestled amidst the tranquil beauty of nature, a special moment unfolded within the vibrant tapestry of our young adults’ department. It was a moment of empowerment, of mentorship, and of genuine connection as the torchbearers of tomorrow took center stage, leading with passion and purpose.

At the recent Welcome to the Family retreat, the youth were guided by the capable hands and voices of young adults from various churches across the region. From uplifting praise songs to heartfelt preaching, these young leaders embodied the essence of guidance and inspiration. Under the careful mentorship of Pastor Cris Cazarine and Pastor Hector Gonzalez, they not only led but also blossomed.

“We strongly believe that we should allow our young adults to lead, while the older adults mentor and guide in the background,” remarked Pastor Cris, encapsulating the ethos of the department.

On May 11th, a pivotal event known as “Let’s Talk” unfolded at the Rockingham Cornerstone Church. Conference officers, Gary Moyer and Rick Russell, alongside Pastor Cris, engaged in an open dialogue with young adults. Here, amidst candid conversations and shared insights, joys, and concerns, a bridge of understanding was built. It was a moment where voices were heard, perspectives were shared, and bonds were strengthened.

Through such dialogues, a deeper relationship between young adults, churches, and the conference was forged—a testament to the power of communication and community-building.

Looking ahead, June heralds the inaugural “Growing Together” event at the Spartanburg Spanish Church. This event stands as a beacon of unity and growth, offering invaluable information and training for churches to navigate the diverse landscape of generations. As we prepare for this transformative gathering, let us unite in prayer, seeking guidance and blessing for all involved.

In closing, our journey as a department is one of continuous progression, fueled by the passion and dedication of our young leaders. Together, let us embrace this journey, nurturing a community where every voice is heard, every perspective valued, and every individual empowered to shine.

Stay tuned for more updates and join us as we embark on this exciting adventure of growth and empowerment!

​01 Protection from Satan Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8	02 Protection from Our Sinful Heart But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. James 1:14-15	​03 Deep Spiritual Encouragement For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you—that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine. Romans 1:11-12
​04 Wisdom If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. James 1:5	​05 Doctrinal Faithfulness By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you. 2 Timothy 1:14	​06 A Healthy Body But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others, I myself should be disqualified. 1 Corinthians 9:27	​07 A Strong Marriage & Family He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church. 1 Timothy 3:2-6

Beginning with our April 2019 issue of P5, we started highlighting a department of the conference each month. Our aim is not to provide a comprehensive report of all their accomplishments but to uplift our leaders and their faithful service in their respective ministries through our prayers. In September 2021, we began the second full cycle of highlighting all the ministry departments of the Carolina Conference.

Last month we completed highlighting the Church Ministries Branch of the Carolina Conference and now we will turn our focus to the Children to Young Adult ministry branch which is divided into the following departmental subdivisions of service:

-Children’s Ministries -Education

-Young Adult & Public Campus Ministries

-Youth Ministries

In our April issue of P5, we invited you to lift up our Children’s Ministries Department in your prayers.

During this May issue, we ask you to uplift in prayer our Education Department under the dedicated leadership of our Superintendent of Education, Rick Anderson, and our Associate Superintendent of Education, Cara Simonds, and our gifted secretary to this department, Courtnie Hodgins.

The Office of Education oversees all the Carolina Conference schools from early childhood through grade 12. They strive to ensure that each one of our schools is providing the highest quality of education possible that is in harmony with the standards of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. They accomplish this through the following:

• School and teacher evaluations

• Working with the Southern Union Adventist EDGE Initiative

• Annual teacher conventions

• Study groups that meet throughout the year.

The goal of this department is to empower teachers as they in turn empower our young people to share Christ with the world.

As we close the pages of another academic school year this month, let’s remember to pray earnestly for the leadership of our education department and the ministry that they guide for God’s children in our church schools. Here’s a “map snapshot” of where we currently have our church schools across the Carolinas:

As a President’s Prayer Partner, we invite

you once again to be truly a people of the

Word. As Seventh-day Adventists, we adhere to

28 Fundamental Beliefs that are based solely on

the Bible. We began our third cycle of focusing on

these vital beliefs, which are centered in Christ as

both our Savior and Lord, in December of 2021.

Let’s continue to thoughtfully place His Word

in our hearts every day this month. I personally

carry a set of these passages in my car and recite

them aloud as I drive from one place to another.

My aim is to say one verse prayerfully at least

five times a day for a week, thus internalizing the

promise of God’s Word: “Thy word have I hid in

mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.”

(Psalm 119:11)

I encourage you to repeat these passages until

they become a part of your very being. Of course,

you’re always free to do more. Please consider, in

a prayerful manner, how you can saturate your

soul with His Word and make it a part of your

heart every day.

Be part of God’s praying church across North America by uplifting these leaders of our church who guide God’s work in these territories of God’s vineyard: