US Lieutenant Colonel To Speak At His Barbados High School's 60th

LTC Harewood

In celebration of the 60th Anniversary of the Barbados S.D.A. Secondary School, Pastor Dr. Andrew R. Harewood, a past student of the school and a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Army, will be the featured speaker at a commemorative service on Sabbath, August 10, 2013 at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre beginning at 9:00 a.m.

"Born on the 1st December, LTC Andrew R. Harewood first entered military service as an enlisted soldier in 1990. Following five years of service as a 71M, LTC Harewood completed both Master’s and Doctoral Degrees at Howard University, Washington, D.C. and was the Howard University 1995 recipient of the Henry G. Mayard Scholastic Award. Prior to his commission, he served with the 92nd Field Hospital, and 5th Battalion, 159th Aviation Regiment.

LTC Harewood was commissioned 1st Lieutenant, in 1996, while assigned to the 310th Theater Area Army Command. His subsequent assignments have included 323rd Military Intelligence Battalion, Fort George G. Meade, Maryland; 109th Detachment Team at Willow Grove Naval Air Station, Pennsylvania, responsible for providing Religious Area Coverage to the soldiers of the 656th ASG, Willow Grove, PA, 453rd Finance Group, New Cumberland, PA and the 413th Adjutants General Company, Bristol, Pennsylvania. LTC Harewood has deployed to Central America (1994), Operation Iraqi Freedom (2003), and to Combined Forces Command Afghanistan (2006).

After redeployment in 2007, LTC Harewood was assigned to the Pentagon in the Office of the Chief Chaplain as the Force Management Integration Action Officer, and in 2008 was assigned to the Office of the Secretary of The Army as the Deputy Pentagon Chaplain until September 2010. From October 2010 until December 2011 LTC Harewood served as Logistics, Information and Resources (4/6/8) Manger for the United States Army Reserve Command Presently, LTC Harewood is the Deputy Command Chaplain of Army Support Activity-Dix, on Joint Base McGuire Dix Lakehurst.

Chaplain (LTC) Andrew Ricardo Harewood is a graduate of the U.S. Army Non-Commissioned Officers Academy (1995), the U.S. Army Chaplain Center & School Officer’s Basis Course (2000), Resource Manager Course (2001), Advance Career Course (2003), The Army Force Management Staff College (2007), U.S. ARMY Command and General Staff College (2009). LTC holds additional certifications in Theology, Counseling Psychology and Clinical Pastoral Education (C.P.E). In addition, Trauma counselor, Crisis Management Intervention, Mental Health Counseling are components of his comprehensive training.

LTC Harewood is a certified trainer of Living Works Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST), Myers Briggs Type Indicator, trainer of The Prevention and Relationship Enhancement Program.

LTC Harewood military awards and decorations include the Joint Meritorious Unit Award, The Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the NATO Medal, the Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal and citations from The White House, Pennsylvania Senate and various other civic and denomination awards.

LTC Harewood is married to Karen Annette, a Medical Doctor, and they have four sons. His hobbies include reading, distance running, billiards, scuba diving, and devising creative and educational methods of comprehensive leadership. Andrew’s life motto is, “Don’t tell me, show me”!" (http://www.dix.army.mil/Chapel/bios/chapel_biographies.html)

LTC Harewood is an ordained SDA Minister and currently serves the Fourth Street-Friendship Church in Washington, D.C. in the Allegheny East Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.

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Seeing 60/60

Click image to enlarge

The Barbados Seventh-day Adventist Secondary School ticked off another item in its year-long celebration of the 60th anniversary of its founding when last night, July 9, 2013, sixty (60) students were graduated from the institution in a ceremony which not even Tropical Storm Chantal could curtail.  Pastor Dr. Kern Tobias, President of the Caribbean Union Conference of SDA, delivered the feature address, and the school's first Head Girl, Dolores Rudder-Pierce, distributed the certificates and tokens.  Dolores is pictured above (5th from right) along with several of her fellow schoolmates from 1953 together with the two surviving first teachers of the school - Professor Rudolph Allen who also taught at USC in the 1950s (second from right), and Ishbel Bayne, a USC alumna who was later Principal of the school for many years (third from right).  The late Lucy May Kum and B.G.O. French, who also served at USC (the latter as President) were the other founding teachers of the school.  60th anniversary celebrations will continue next month with a homecoming week of activities and in September with a Back-To-School Day and a major concert in aid of the rebuilding of the school hall featuring the famous Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir from the USA.

@USCBarbados Tops Twitter #barbados

It probably doesn't mean much and it certainly will not last too long, but two of our recent @USCBarbados images currently top the #barbados Twitter hashtag.  One photo is of our dearly departed USC alumna and veteran BSDASS teacher- Ferris Scott, and the other associated with the upcoming concert  in aid of rebuilding the BSDASS school hall featuring the world-famous Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir.  If you are a Twitter user, follow @USCBarbados for all the latest news, information and inspiration for the Barbados USC/SDA community and friends.

Sweet Sights & Sounds From Sugar Hill

Sweet Sights & Sounds From Sugar Hill from USC Barbados on Vimeo.
Barbados SDA Secondary School Alumni Association's Sabbath Celebration at the Sugar Hill SDA Church on June 29, 2013.

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Hegelianism 101

Pastor Roosevelt Daniels, Divinitatis Doctor

Dr. Clinton Valley (President of USC - left) and Dr. Kern Tobias
 (Chairman of the Board of USC and President of the Caribbean Union
Of SDA - right) hooding PR. Dr. Roosevelt Daniels, DD

At its most recent Commencement just over two weeks ago held on the campus of the University of Trinidad & Tobago, the University of the Southern Caribbean conferred upon Pastor Roosevelt Daniels the honourary degree Doctor of Divinity.  Pastor Daniels (now retired) was cited for his outstanding service as an Evangelist in the Caribbean Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists and abroad.  With the anointing of the Holy Spirit Pastor Daniels led more than 20,000 souls to Christ and the Church through baptism.

President Valley noted that the conferral ceremony was particularly emotional for himself as he and Pastor Daniels were not only classmates (USC [then CUC] Class of 1976), but together with David Williams and Gosnell Yorke graduated with honours.  The other three went on to gain graduate degrees but although Pastor Daniels was accepted into graduate school he decided instead to forgo it for the mission field.  Dr. Gosnell Yorke serves with distinction in Africa and Dr. David Williams is a tenured professor at the prestigious Harvard University.

Pastor Daniels is no stranger to Barbados having conducted several successful evangelistic series here including the final one of his evangelism career which was held last year under a large tent pitched on the grounds of the MAQ SDA Church at Hopeland, St. Peter.  

Dream With Eyes Open

"In the five weeks since the Boston Marathon bombings, graduating seniors have witnessed the cruelties of the world even as they dreamed of their impending future in it. That weaving of sorrow and hope shows the need for “dreaming with eyes open,” BU’s Baccalaureate speaker told Sunday morning worshippers at Marsh Chapel.

Bishop Peter Weaver (STH’75), former leader of New England Methodists and a former University trustee, borrowed that quote as the theme of his address from Elie Wiesel (Hon.’74), a Nobel laureate and BU’s Andrew W. Mellon Professor in the Humanities. Weaver interpreted Wiesel’s phrase to mean that wishing for justice and peace must be accompanied by hard work and honest recognition of worldly impediments to them.

“To dream with eyes open,” Weaver told graduating seniors and others in the audience, means that “dreams without deeds are simply daydreaming—and deeds unrooted in dreams can simply be a way of sleepwalking through life.”"

Read more: http://www.bu.edu/today/2013/dream-with-eyes-open-baccalaureate-speaker-tells-graduates/

After 150 Years

"Our 150th anniversary is not a time for parties or celebration — those who founded the General Conference in May 1863 would have undoubtedly been deeply disappointed to know that their descendants would still be on earth in 2013. This important anniversary is rather a time for reflection; for repentance; for thanksgiving; and for renewed commitment to the purpose for which God called this movement into being.

The worldwide church has designated Sabbath May 18, 2013, as a day of prayer, remembrance, and recommitment to mission. Each local congregation is encouraged to find appropriate ways to mark the "sesquicentennial" of Seventh-day Adventists being united for mission, including a focus on their local church history. Throughout our 150th year, individual Seventh-day Adventists can also be inspired by our history.

This important anniversary should prompt us to reflect on how God has led His remnant church "and His teaching in our past history" (Life Sketches , 196). We should both thank Him for miraculous leading — and reflect on what we have done, and not done, that grieves our God, and repent. It is a good time to commit ourselves, both individually and corporately, not just to "a revival but [to] a reformation", as Ellen White urged (R&H, July 15, 1902, p. 7). It is time to pledge ourselves anew to preaching "the everlasting gospel … to everynation, tribe, tongue and people" (Rev. 14:6).

As we reflect on 150 years of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, it is time to recommit ourselves to the prophetic destiny of the Great Second Advent Movement."

Source: http://www.adventist.org/150/

2013 also marks the 120th anniversary of the SDA Church in Central America and the Caribbean.

Annual report highlights worsening freedom of belief worldwide

"This year’s report by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has Seventh-day Adventist human rights experts concerned over growing state-sponsored or condoned intolerance toward minority faith groups worldwide.

“We are again reminded that for religious minorities, of which Seventh-day Adventists are in many regions, things can actually be very difficult and, in many places, are getting worse,” said Dwayne Leslie, director of Legislative Affairs for the Seventh-day Adventist world church.

The report from the independent commission categorizes offenders as tier 1, tier 2 or “watch list” countries. “Tier 1” nations are designated as “countries of particular concern” (CPCs), where religious liberty violations are defined as “systemic, ongoing and egregious,” and include torture, prolonged detention without charges, disappearances and “other flagrant denial[s] of life, liberty or the security of persons.” Countries re-designated as CPCs this year are Burma, China, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Uzbekistan.

Newly categorized this year as “tier 1” nations are Egypt, Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Vietnam. While not yet officially CPCs, these countries do “meet the threshold” for “tier 1” designation, the report states.

Countries designated as “tier 2” by the report are so listed for displaying “negative trends that could develop into severe violations of religious freedom.” These countries are Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Cuba, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Laos and Russia.

A small third group of nations comprise a watch list, and the commission is “monitoring” them for violations. Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Ethiopia, Turkey, Venezuela and Western Europe are on this list.

Western Europe has drawn criticism in recent years for curbing religious expression among minority faiths. Laws in France and Belgium now ban the burqa and other full-face veils. Switzerland has barred the construction of new minarets, or prayer towers atop Muslim mosques. And so-called defamation of religion laws—which religious freedom experts say could restrict religious speech worldwide—continue to emerge in the region.

In Iran, Leslie said, the government continues its oppression, arrest and, in some cases, torture of Christians, most recently American pastor Saeed Abedini, who was imprisoned in Iran in September ostensibly for his religious beliefs.

Pakistan, too, has made headlines in recent months for violence against Christians. In March, a mob torched the homes and businesses of a Christian community in response to alleged insults against Muhammad.

Nigeria is another increasingly troubling area, Leslie said. There, the extremist group Boko Haram has unleashed sectarian violence on Christian communities in recent years, regularly bombing churches and leaving hundreds of worshippers dead. Since January, Adventists in the country have reported declining church attendance and some church closures amid the country’s worsening religious conflict.

Countries such as Iran, Pakistan and Nigeria, Leslie said, are deeply entrenched in intolerance, and the report is unlikely to change their behavior. But for newly watch-listed countries, “dialogue can hopefully lead to greater freedom of belief,” he said.

After reviewing religious freedom violations, USCIRF makes policy recommendations to the U.S. president, secretary of state and Congress. These recommendations can include arms embargos, restrictions on exports and, Leslie added, further talks with some offending nations.

Beyond that, Leslie said, the report “constantly keeps religious liberty in the public eye, reminding people why it’s important for us to continue to fight for freedom for all people of faith.”"

Source: http://news.adventist.org/archive/articles/2013/05/13/annual-report-highlights-worsening-freedom-of-belief-worldwide