Knowles Steps in as Montana President
The Montana Conference executive committee, met Monday, Oct. 18, in Bozeman, Mont., and elected Merlin L. Knowles as conference president. Knowles comes to the position from his role as executive secretary for the Northern New England Conference. He fills the administrative role left open by president John Loor Jr. who assumed the position of North Pacific Union Conference executive secretary earlier this year.
Knowles has a rich Northwest history, attending schools in Washington, Oregon and Idaho. He obtained a bachelor's degree in Theology from Walla Walla College (Wash.) in 1979 and a Master of Divinity degree from Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Mich., where he also hopes to complete a Doctor of Ministry degree in family ministry by the end of this year.
After beginning pastoral work in Mountain Home, Idaho, in 1979, Knowles went on to minister within Idaho in the Gooding, Jerome and Caldwell churches through the mid-1980s. He has spent the last two decades in New England, leading churches in both Maine and New Hampshire. He began his role in the Northern New England Conference as executive secretary and trust services director in January 2005. He and his wife, Cheryl, have co-directed conference family ministries.
His new responsibility brings Knowles back to the roots of his original calling in the Northwest where he first felt the call of gospel ministry in primary division of the Oregon camp meeting. The Knowles have two grown sons and are expecting their second grandchild in February.
Society of Adventist Communicators Highlights Northwest Personnel
The Society of Adventist Communicators' annual convention was held Oct. 14–16 in Rochester, N.Y., and highlighted several Northwest communication professionals among nearly 150 attendees. The SAC board members include: Steve Vistaunet, GLEANER editor; Heidi Martella, Washington Conference communication director; and Kevin Krueger, Positive Life Radio general manager. Jay Wintermeyer, Upper Columbia Conference communication director, gave a presentation on the conference's "Share the Life" initiative. Becky St. Clair, Walla Walla University news and information coordinator, accepted the annual SAC Award of Excellence on behalf of the university's project Called: Our Journey into Faith and Discovery. Jason Satterlund, Spokane, Wash.-based freelance filmmaker, also helped present a workshop on Adventist Health's training film, God's Fingerprints. Photos of the convention and other SAC information are available at www.adventistcommunicator.org. Next year's SAC convention will be held Oct. 20–22 in Chicago, Ill.
Oops!
The October Adventist Health feature noted how nearly $3 million was provided in free and low-cost services to communities in 2009. While this is commendable, unfortunately two zeros were left off the equation. The actual figure is much, much higher ... and even more commendable — $300 million.
Additionally in the November issue, the Oregon Conference story "Baptisms Follow The Dalles Youth Park Evangelism," in both the text and photo caption, Bruce Schmidt is identified as a teacher with the Mid-Columbia Adventist School. Schmidt is the head teacher at The Dalles Adventist School.
Also in the November issue, the Upper Columbia Conference story "WWVA Graduate Accepted into West Point," mislabeled and misspelled Kathy McMorris Rogers. Her first name is Cathy, and she is a Washington State representative for the fifth district, not a state senator.
We encourage all story authors and submitters to please double check names and places for accuracy.
Letter
I think we are all about to "lose our marbles" as Steve Vistaunet wrote about (Let's Talk, Nov. 2010), as we are bombarded with all the political garbage out there. Oh, that they might follow Max Torkelsen's admonition to "be transparent as sunlight." The only way to accomplish both of those (not losing our marbles and being transparent) is to keep getting closer to Jesus as by beholding we become changed. Thank you both for those challenges. Steve, I just wondered, if you weren't one of the "miscreants" who placed the marbles in the hymnals ... were you?
Also, I enjoyed the article on the history of the Heritage Singers.
Mary Rockwell, Coupeland, Wash.
GLEANER responds: Glad you are an avid reader, Mary. The editor does wish to be "transparent as the sunlight," and, in so doing, has uncovered no recollection of being a "miscreant," — at least in this particular instance.
Merlin L. Knowles is elected Montana Conference president.
Nearly 150 gather for the 2010 Society of Adventist Communicators' convention in Rochester, N.Y. (Gerry Chudleigh)
