This Month's Issue

Story by Bryant Smith

One hundred years ago, the world was much different than it is today. The Temple Emmanuel church in Youngstown, Ohio, however, remains a constant force for good. The church was organized in 1917, first meeting in homes, later at a YMCA, then at a rented facility and finally in their own church building. The members of Temple Emmanuel enjoy a rich history of God’s faithfulness and blessings.

To launch their 100th anniversary month, special guest speakers were scheduled each Sabbath in January, including William T. Cox Sr., Allegheny West Conference president, and former presidents James Lewis and Henry Wright, who concluded the series and commemorated this milestone. “One hundred years is something to be incredibly proud of,” preached Wright.

Editorial by Seán Robinson

Some years ago, I picked up a travel book titled 1,000 Places to See Before You Die. This best-seller describes a myriad of amazing places to visit around the globe far beyond the Seven Wonders of the World. While I had already been to some places, others beckoned me with the lure of the exotic and the unknown. As my “bucket list” expanded, I found myself looking forward to new adventures.

Read the April Visitor for stories about how, two years after the death of Freddie Gray, churches in Baltimore are ministering in hurting neighborhoods; how churches in Columbus are tangible touches of love to prisoner and prositutes; how Psalm 22 is a psalm for the cross, and more!

Read and share these stories from the April Visitor:

Editorial by Tiffany Brown

Why do we go to church on Saturday, and why is the Sabbath important?” 

These were the kinds of questions Joksan Cedillo-Gomez wondered about and asked. However, he never got a satisfying answer. “Because it’s in the Bible. Twice!” he was told. 

Later, as youth director of his church, he found himself repeating the same brief answers to his peers and other youth who came to him with questions. 

After enrolling in the REACH Columbia Union Urban Evangelism School last summer, he learned that the Sabbath invites us to experience a connection—in our relationship with God and each other. It’s a time where we can worship, fellowship and grow; a time of jubilee—where we are all equal, regardless of our socioeconomic status.

A Transformative Experience

Blog by Rob Vandeman

It could have had application to a person who was going through very difficult days. But it is not a psalm written out of illness or perplexing situation, it is a description of an execution. Renowned commentator Derek Kidner writes, “No incident recorded of David can begin to account for this. . . The language of the psalm defies a naturalistic explanation; the best account is in the terms used by Peter concerning another psalm of David: ‘Being therefore a prophet, . . . he foresaw and spoke of . . . the Christ’ (Acts 2:30f.).