The North Pacific Union Conference (NPUC) executive committee has formally voted to invite Byron Dulan to become the NPUC vice president for regional affairs, pending his response. He currently serves as the outreach director for the Washington Conference. If Dulan accepts the new role, he will fill an updated NPUC job description which also adds the responsibilities of directing human relations, community services, prison ministry, and disaster preparedness and response. A more in depth article will follow in the event of Dulan’s acceptance.
The committee’s action came during the regular fall meeting of the group held Nov. 8, 2017, in Ridgefield, Wash. A recommended person to replace John Loor Jr. as the NPUC executive secretary, will likely be brought to the first executive committee meeting of 2018, on Feb. 28. Loor will be retiring at the end of 2017.
Among other agenda items, Ben Lundquist, young adult director for the Oregon Conference, presented an update on the relatively new Growing Young Cohort initiative which began in October. Representatives from 11 churches throughout the NPUC have received intensive training from the Fuller Youth Institute. The institute has done extensive research on the topic of young adult engagement with church mission and has produced training material focused on six essential strategies to help young people love their church. The cohort process means these 11 churches will be working together and learning from each other how to adapt these principles to the Adventist mission in their own congregation and community outreach. More information will be shared through the Gleaner in the months ahead.
The NPUC has been asked to provide professional mentoring and ministry partnership for the Adventist mission on the island of Palau. It is the western most island in the Guam-Micronesia Mission, which is part of the North American Division (NAD). The other eight union conferences within the NAD have been partnered with the remaining island groups within that remote territory. Dennis Plubell, NPUC vice president for education, explained to executive committee members that while initial support will be focused on the educational work there, other areas of ministry and community outreach may follow. The NAD is covering the cost for three NPUC leaders to make the first trip to Palau in early 2018 to assess the need.
Watch this short video that shows the scope of the Guam-Micronesia Mission project.
Committee members approved the request by Oregon Conference to ordain Keith Bowman II to gospel ministry. Bowman has worked in a number of ministry endeavors within the conference and has been instrumental in the independent outreach of a young-adult-friendly website, thehaystack.org.
The committee also dealt with a less joyful item in voting to remove ordination credentials from Stephen Vicaro, who most recently has been a pastor in the Alaska Conference. Vicaro has acknowledged his inability to remain with the Seventh-day Adventist Church, is no longer in Alaska, and is involved in other pursuits. The committee offered special prayer for him and his family.
Tithe giving for Northwest members has increased in 2017 year-to-date, according to Mark Remboldt, NPUC vice president for finance. Income is over budget and expenses are under budget — a positive trend reflective of careful management of ministry resources and the mission-minded members.
Chuck Simpson, director of the NPUC association, noted that some annuities issued through the union trust department run into deficits when the respective recipients outlive the average life span. While the trust department will, in each case, continue to honor the annuity contract, it will work with local conferences connected with those annuities to initiate an appropriate manner to erase any deficit amounts.
Members with any questions or comments about executive committee actions may email talk@gleanernow.com, or contact the executive secretary’s office at 360-857-7013.
Ben Lundquist, Oregon Conference young adult director, shares an update with the North Pacific Union Conference executive committee on the Growing Young Cohort initiative.
