When The Cranes Arrived

No, we’re not referring to the long-legged, Sandhill Cranes that come to Michigan to nest. They flew in over a month ago, and we were very glad to see those harbingers of better weather. The cranes of greatest interest this season, however, were those used in construction. These cranes arrived Monday morning, April 20, and were immediately positioned for the installation of roof trusses for the Event Center/Multipurpose Building. All four walls are standing. And the 12,000 sq. ft. building has been increasing in height. The building is now clearly visible–rising above the trees–as you travel Highway 31. (see gallery of photos plus video footage below) Installation of roof decking and the metal sheeting for the walls will follow shortly. We appreciate your continued support and prayers for the progress of this project. [embed width="250" height="200"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZJ5FUylfMg[/embed] Advent Mission Institute (AMI) and As the Needle to the Pole (AN2P) jointly hosted a Sabbath full of updates on religious liberty issues. The event drew more than 200 participants. Many quotations were shared from the 19th-century book, “The Great Controversy”–quotes which no longer sound like prophecy, rather recent news headlines. The morning program opened with a panel discussion featuring Chris DiCicco, Paula Dronen, and Charles Pates, who have been tracking developments within the Christian nationalist movement. This movement is vocally promoting a merger of church and state in the government of the United States. Video clips were shown of alarming statements recently made by leaders in favor of this change. Pr. Gerhard Erbes followed with a visual representation of Sabbath versus Sunday worship in light of their basic premises, and explained why Protestants are in the most vulnerable position to be deceived. The third presenter, Conrad Vine, shared historical accounts of individuals who defended liberty of conscience. He explained how their faithfulness has blessed us with the religious freedoms we have today and challenged all to be faithful to the truths of God’s Word. Pr. Ron Kelly’s sermon, “The Pope, President, and Prophecy,” highlighted a paradigm shift in the way citizens of the United States now view the Pope. Prophecy is literally being fulfilled before our eyes as the deadly wound of Revelation 13:3 is healed. In the afternoon, Jonathan Zirkle, Esq., shared the current push to legislate Sunday laws to “protect the family and preserve society," including statements by governmental leaders openly challenging the idea that separation of church and state should be a part of United States government. Pr. Dennis Page followed with the four stages of the Sunday Law as described in the Spirit of Prophecy, pointing out how we are counseled to respond to each phase. Lastly, Elder Ron Duffield presented Adventist history surrounding the Salamanca, New York, vision of 1890. Documentation of this vision is found in the EGW Writings app by searching “Salamanca.” He challenged listeners to be people of truth and integrity as we await the soon return of Jesus. Advent Media Connect and local volunteers recorded the event. Presentations are being released daily on the @AdventMediaConnect channel. The opening presentation by Pastor Ron Kelly has already received over 10,000 views on that channel, in addition to 8,000 views in the first twenty-four hours of being posted to his personal YouTube channel (@Pastor-RonKelly). Nearly every speaker reminded the listeners that historical lessons, prophecy, and current events are not to provoke fear or discouragement in believers. Such things are gifts from a loving God to show us the times we are living in. They should motivate us to action in spreading the Three Angels’ Messages and evoke eager expectation, because our Savior Jesus is coming soon! The Grand Opening event for AMI’s first building started out as a Religious Liberty event and has grown into a mini-campmeeting of sorts! With only newsletter announcements and the mentions in Pr. Kelly’s building report videos, over 250 people have already registered for the August 20-22 event. That figure doesn’t include well over 100 locals who have volunteered to facilitate this event nor the 20-plus speakers and their families. The Thursday–Sabbath schedule will include concurrent workshop sessions, allowing time between sessions to visit with interesting attendees from around North America, to pursue the exhibit booths, and to practice in an AMI event choir. There are only 200 prime seats left, but we will definitely be pitching a tent for overflow (likely several tents). Register soon if you plan to attend. Registration is free, but we need to know how many parking spaces to create! Grand Opening registration information: /events/ami-religious-liberty-celebration/ The AMI Travel tour: “Martin Luther’s Germany” is also nearing capacity. If you or someone you know is hoping to attend, please contact the office soon. Participation is limited to 40 individuals and accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. A one-page, informational flyer is available upon request. Email: [email protected] Information about the trip can be found on our website at: /events/transformational-trip-luthers-germany/