The children’s ministry in Area 3 held its “Meet Daniel” contest on August 22. Several churches in the area participated, and parents and teachers celebrated the children’s accomplishments. The day was full of joy knowing our children are learning the Word of God. First place winners were Illania Jagrup (Galena Park) and Angel Santos (Bethesda).

Recently, the Central Church of El Paso said goodbye to one of our youth, Jiovan Herrera, who was heading to Michigan to enroll in Spring Vale Christian School. The congregation and his parents prayed for him. We are sure that our Lord will keep him and the rest of his friends from our sister churches who also enlisted in this school: Caleb López (Tree of Life) and James Hernández (Tigua). May our God bless and keep them safe!

On Saturday, May 29, Pastor Walter Apen and family visited the CoG7 mission in Lexington, KY, to officially recognize it as a Conference church. As a district representative of Area #3, Pastor Apen performed the recognition service, as well as two baptisms, presentation of children, and a marriage blessing on Sunday, May 30. The new leader who is serving as local pastor is Emmanuel Huerta and his wife, Sendy. The two sisters in Christ who were baptized were Maria Paiz and Debora Sontay.

During an afternoon service on Saturday, July 31, Pastor Walter Apen and family, along with Superintendent Steve Krome, officially recognized the mission CoG7 in Marietta, GA, as a GC congregation. This church was originally established by the CoG7 Stone Mountain, GA church. Pastor Apen delivered the message “Committed to Testifying.” He and Superintendent Krome prayed for and blessed the newly elected church leaders. The new congregation (pictured below) is led by Hubaldo Hernandez and his wife, Julie.

The Central District has not held many inter-church events recently (camps, retreats, Super Sabbaths, etc.) because of the pandemic. However, the district superintendent arranged for various ministers to go to local churches to bless and encourage them. Here are a few highlights. 

Elder Mike Vlad and his wife, Debbie, worked hard for a full weekend assisting the church in Colorado Springs, Colorado. In North Platte, Nebraska, Elder Monico Muffley and his wife, Martha, baptized and encouraged new members. They also performed special personal prayer and counseling ministries. 

Elder David Lozano preached and taught in the Philadelphia church (Chicago). In Schuyler, Nebraska, Elder Noe Reyes spent a full weekend for a revival with the sizeable congregation there. Elder Juan Arzet and Brother Carlos Garcia (Cicero and Damen churches in Chicago) have evangelized extensively and assisted with special needs of many people in a remote area of Guatemala.

Two special evangelism projects are happening in the Central District. One is sponsored by the district board, using nine churches and many copies of our GC book This We Believe. In the second evangelism project, Elders Mike Vlad and Larry Zaragoza will travel to some of our local churches in the district to train members in effective one-on-one evangelism. Right now, they are scheduled to be at Addison (Chicago) and possibly Colorado Springs.

We hope and pray that our district ministry events, camps, retreats, and Super Sabbaths will be restored to their normal and effective pace in 2022 freed of the pandemic’s existence and effect. 

A young boy named Yassel approached one of St. Paul’s praise team musicians and asked, “Can I sit beside you and watch and learn?” Almost every Sabbath the boy sits in the spot provided for him, while Joe Carbajal plays either keyboard or grand piano. Perhaps in the future, this young man will sit where Joe sits now, thanks to his desire to learn music. Several members of the St. Paul praise team started by watching, learning, and practicing at a young age.

Local churches in Area #1 sponsored a Family Camp at Crystal Springs Camp near Medina, ND. About 85 attended on Sabbath from several area churches, including Wisconsin. A youth camp and marriage retreat activity were integrated into this event, and two special moments added flavor and joy to the weekend: the wedding of Dick Montanez and Sue Knight, performed by Elder Oscar Mata, and the baptism of a young man by Elder Steve Kyner.

The Denver church in Thornton, Colorado, has chosen Elder John Marlin and his wife, Amy, as their new pastoral team. The couple comes from Mesa, Arizona. We welcome the Marlins as they begin their work in the Central District. 

The past year and a half has challenged our district psychologically, emotionally, and spiritually. We’ve endured the roller coaster ride of opening and closing the church doors; of distancing, then being near and far again; of meeting virtually or in person and then a combination of the two; of losing membership, then gaining and losing again. 

But none of these challenges were insurmountable as we waited to hold joint district gatherings again. Kudos to our local church elders and their teams for finding interesting and ingenious ways to encourage the membership to worship God while endeavoring to stay safe during the pandemic.

In conjunction with the district, Parkland CoG7 hosted its annual family campmeetings after an absence last year. A successful and well-attended campout placed our youth as the primary focus. Considering they were placed at a disadvantage during the surge of the pandemic, we learned that we need to allow youth a safe space to establish new friendships and rekindle old ones. Special classes, with a lot of free time, were organized for the FYCers and Seekers.

Thunderstorms and colder weather could not deter our youth’s enthusiasm to regain ground lost because of the need to isolate. As we continue to focus on Jesus and follow His plan, the thrust of the district is to find and fund the involvement and development of our youth.

In late July, the GC staff said goodbye to Eddie Villalba, office/facilities manager at the General Conference headquarters since 2015. Eddie’s wife, Socorro (pictured here), joined their family and staff members at a local restaurant to honor Eddie’s years of service. Loren Stacy, GC president, and Jody McCoy, executive director, were also on hand for the celebration.

We wish Eddie and Socorro God’s blessings in retirement and wish Eddie’s replacement, Allan Stroupe, blessings in his new duties.

We are grateful to announce that Brian Franks will serve as dean of Academic Affairs. He will also continue as pastor of the Tulsa, Oklahoma Church of God (Seventh Day).

Brian is a graduate of LifeSpring School of Ministry (predecessor to Artios) and has served as an instructor for Artios. He holds a master’s in Education in Online Curriculum and Instruction, and is scheduled to complete a master’s in Divinity in 2022.
Brian brings valuable experience in developing online programs and curriculum, but most importantly, he brings a passion for the gospel and ministry. 

— Loren Gjesdal, Co-Director

Artios Christian College

The fourth quarter lessons focus on God’s faithfulness to Israel in her Exodus and how her stories are examples of His faithfulness to us, in Christ. Whatever happens, the Bible has taught us to say, “But God is faithful” (1 Corinthians 10:13).

To order copies of A Faithful Savior, visit the online store at cog7.org.

You can pull up exclusive articles on the BA Online (English and Spanish) anytime on your device. Here are some features you may have missed.

Amazing Grace by Oscar Mata. This CoG7 pastor and hospital chaplain shares insights from his ministry with COVID-19 patients.

Three Keys to Enduring Suffering by Marcellus George. How can believers survive their trials?

Reconciliation in God’s Time by Abel Zaragoza. Learn the amazing ways God can heal feuds among family members. 

Visit baonline.org for more Online Exclusives.

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1933 – 2020

Allan R. Burlison (86) died peacefully at his residence in Bethany, Oklahoma, on September 15, 2020. He was born December 30, 1933, in Fairview, Oklahoma, to Howard Roy and Edith (Cole) Burlison.

Allan graduated from Cheyenne Valley High School in 1951. Following graduation, he began school at Oklahoma A&M in Stillwater and joined the US Navy in 1952. After completing his service, he returned to Oklahoma A&M, graduating in 1957. During his time as a student, he married Mary Lea Glover in 1956. They celebrated 47 years of marriage prior to her passing in 2003.

After graduation, Allan began his professional career as a high school math teacher in Duncan, Oklahoma. After teaching for three years, he began his lifelong career in Information Technology.

A lifelong member of the Church of God (Seventh Day), Allan served his church in local, state, district, and national responsibilities. He was parliamentarian for the conventions of both the General Conference and North American Ministerial Council.

In addition to his parents, Allan was preceded in death by his wife, Mary Lea (Glover) Burlison. He is survived by his three children, Michael Allan and his wife, Esperanza (Cervantes); Jana Kaye (Burlison) Dolton and her husband, Cliff; and Keith Eric Burlison and his wife, Tammie (Nickel); six grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; one brother, Charles William Burlison, and his wife, Waynetta (Gosney); and one sister, Ida Lea Coulter, and her husband, Robert; and many nieces, nephews, and cousins.

1937 – 2021

Homer Rodolfo Posada (83) fell asleep in Jesus on May 29. He was born on September 3, 1937, to Amalia Orta and Tiburcio Posadas. Brother Posada was a professional welder, working for Pemex for 20 years. He then came to the US, where he incorporated his fence business and worked on it until he was 80 years old.

In his youth, Brother Posada liked to play baseball. He came to know the Lord at age 17, with the help of Sister Corona in Monterrey. From that day on, the gospel became his heartfelt profession of faith.

Brother Posada was a member of the choir in the Church of God (Seventh Day) in Monterrey. He was also a member of and pastor in many of the churches located in cities where he lived in Mexico (Reynosa, Coatzacoalcos, and Montemorelos), always working with passion and love. Later in the US, he pastored churches in Houston, Texas (Floral, Denver Harbor), and the mission in Galveston and Freeport. He helped, evangelized, and worked wherever he went and wherever he was called.

Brother Posada was the pillar of his family, considering them his pride and always providing for them materially and spiritually. He has left an example of perseverance and faith. Although he will be missed, we have hope that we will see Brother Posada again.

Brother Posada was preceded in death by his mother, father, daughter Ruth Imelda Leal; daughter-in-law Raquel; and his brothers Ernesto, Ambrosio, Arturo, and Ismael. He is survived by his wife, Virginia, and their children Rodolfo, Rubén, Rogelio, Rahuel, Rolando, and their families; 18 grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and his sisters María de la Luz, Lilia, and Armandina.

“Our individual congregations are the heart of our church. They are where we have the greatest influence for Christ, both on our communities and on one another. Yet our congregations may accomplish things working together that they cannot accomplish working individually.

“Therefore, the General Conference as a whole is responsible for ministries that individual congregations can’t do themselves. In addition to the three General Conference Ministries (Publications, Missions, and Artios Christian College), the Conference provides unifying identity, vision, and focus for our church. This creates the Christ-centered environment in which all of us may thrive.

“While the General Conference provides the environment, it doesn’t attempt to direct local ministries by creating one-size-fits-all solutions. It recognizes that local congregations are the experts in their local ministries. Therefore, our congregations own the responsibility to provide ministries that address their local needs.

“Our districts provide the critical link between our shared vision and our congregational ministries. This link consists of the superintendents and their district boards, ministry teams, pastors, and leaders. As the members of this critical link connect us all, our entire church functions as a single team.”

These words written by Jody McCoy, executive director of the General Conference, are lifted from a small booklet published in 2016 at the beginning of our Transforming Vision into Reality (TVR) campaign. They remain correct concerning our organizational structure, and they reflect the call to unity within the body of Christ we find repeatedly in the Epistles.

Regarding those passages, Joni Eareckson Tada has said, “Believers are never told to become one; we already are one and are expected to act like it.” Paul in Ephesians 4:3 agrees: “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace” (NIV). He doesn’t say, “Make every effort to create the unity of the Spirit.” 

That’s what we all are called to do. None of us can do it alone.

— Loren Stacy

Our newest staff member, Damaris Morales, replaces Linda Michalak as customer service clerk. A member of the Aurora congregation, Damaris brings a cheerful attitude to the office. Make her feel welcomed when you phone in an order or send an email.

Replacing Eddie Villalba as facilities manager is Allan Stroupe, former pressman for the BAP.  He assumed his new duties on July 1.