Carolina Conference Camp Meeting

Tony LaPorte is the men’s ministries coordinator for the Carolina Conference and pastor of the Charleston Adventist Church. A 20-year veteran retired from the U.S. Army,he received his degree in theology from Southwestern Adventist University and a master’s degree in counseling from Amberton University. LaPorte and his wife, Nereida, previously served as family ministries coordinators for the Iowa-Missouri Conference, and are parents to four boys.

Gordon Bietz began his career in Northern California, and has since served as teacher, pastor, and president of the Georgia-Cumberland Conference, recently retiring after 19 years as president of Southern Adventist University. He now serves as part-time director for higher education for the Association of Adventist Colleges and Universities (AACU), a consortium of 13 institutions that collaborate on marketing and enrollment projects. He and his wife, Cynthia, have adult twin daughters and six grandchildren.

Melissa McCoy-Weisner and Eric Vaughn Weisnerhave been married 12 years. They were married to each other previously before divorcing, at which point they both individually sought God and, in the process, found one another in a new light, giving them a passion for marriage and family ministry focused on prayer. Eric is a middle school computer science teacher; Melissa is an English teacher and assistant girls’ dean at Highland Academy.

Dick Duerksen is a storyteller from the Oregon Conference and a self-proclaimed "Itinerant Pollinator of Grace." During 48 years as an Adventist preacher, pastor, and administrator, he has carried the good news of grace around the world, using narrative-style presentations that bring hope to your heart. Duerksen and his wife, Brenda, have three married children. He is also a professional photographer whose photos help bring calm, peace, and healing into many hospitals and clinical offices.

Roger Hernandez is the ministerial and evangelism director for the Southern Union. He has written over 14 books, including the Discipleship Book of the Year, Everyone Welcome. A practical and engaging internationalspeaker, Hernandez presents on leadership, evangelism,accountability, and diversity. Kathy Hernandez is the Southern Union ministerial and evangelism coordinator. She has a degree in elementary education and a master’s in youth ministry, following her life’s calling to nurture those who need the love of a family.

Jim Davidson pastored several churches in the Floridaand Kentucky-Tennessee conferences before being called to serve in the Carolina Conference as ministerial director, thenexecutive secretary and finally, president. He has servedas executive secretary for the Southern Union Conference since 2011. The joys of Davidson’s life are his wife, Bonnie, and their two adult children, Sarah and Jonathan.

Dennis Millburn holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business management. He has served as treasurer in the Iowa, Florida, Southern New England, Gulf States, and Southern Union Conferences, and recently retired after 44 years. Millburn is married to Bobbie, a nurse, who enjoys traveling with him to various churches to preachon stewardship and provide weekend seminars filled with practical training in personal finance, emphasizing strategies for living onone income in ministry.  

Daniel R. Jackson has been president of the North American Division (NAD) since 2010. With the exception of five years of service in the Southern Asia Division, Jackson, a native Canadian, has lived and ministered in the NAD. He holds a M.A. in religion in systematic theology, and has served the church as a pastor, teacher, and in administration. Jackson and his wife, Donna, enjoy the three children and four grandchildren the Lord has given them. Foremost, Jackson says he is a fellow traveler on the same path as every Christian headed toward the Kingdom.

Henry Johnson is currently serving Carolina Conference as Youth and Young Adult director.  As this journey continues, his passion is in proclaiming the true God of Scripture through  his true personality--especially to young people and those of non-Adventist perspectives. He longs to see the development of restorative community through discipleship. His motto is: Founded on Scripture and Focused on Jesus. 

Gary Swanson, MAAssociate Director Sabbath School & Personal Ministries Department                                    General Conference of Seventh-day AdventistsElder Gary B. Swanson has served for nine years as associate director of the Department of Sabbath School and Personal Ministries of the General Conference. Prior to this he worked 15 years as editor of CQ, formerly Collegiate Quarterly, the official Sabbath School publication for Seventh-day Adventist young adults worldwide.In the past 25 years, Swanson has conducted workshops around the world in creative writing and techniques to improve Sabbath School learning. With nine years’ classroom experience as a high school teacher, he has a master’s degree in education. He has had more than 1,300 articles, stories, and poems published in 150 Christian periodicals. A winner of 12 international writing awards, he has authored six books.

Roy Gane is Professor of Hebrew Bible and Ancient Near Eastern Languages at the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary of Andrews University.Dr. Gane is particularly interested in exploring ways that principles from biblical laws and sanctuary worship can guide and empower modern people who choose to accept transformation by Christ through the Holy Spirit in preparation for Christ’s Second Coming. He has given presentations on six continents at events such as camp meetings, pastors’ meetings, and Bible conferences.Roy is married to Constance Gane, Ph.D. (University of California, Berkeley, 2012), Associate Professor of Archaeology and Old Testament and Curator of the  Siegfried H. Horn Archaeological Museum at Andrews University, and Co-Director of the Tall Jalul and Khirbet Safra archaeological excavations.

Roy Gane is Professor of Hebrew Bible and Ancient Near Eastern Languages at the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary of Andrews University.Dr. Gane is particularly interested in exploring ways that principles from biblical laws and sanctuary worship can guide and empower modern people who choose to accept transformation by Christ through the Holy Spirit in preparation for Christ’s Second Coming. He has given presentations on six continents at events such as camp meetings, pastors’ meetings, and Bible conferences.Roy is married to Constance Gane, Ph.D. (University of California, Berkeley, 2012), Associate Professor of Archaeology and Old Testament and Curator of the  Siegfried H. Horn Archaeological Museum at Andrews University, and Co-Director of the Tall Jalul and Khirbet Safra archaeological excavations.

Sabbath, June 2, 2018Sabbath School.

Shawn Boonstra is the speaker/director for Voice of Prophecy (VOP). Each week he co-hosts the VOP broadcast with his wife, Jean, and looks at current events in the light of the Bible’s perspective on today’s issues. He travels the world to hold live meetings, and these events have been presented on every continent except Antarctica. Shawn’s presentations on the Great Controversy this weekend will inspire confidence in God’s overarching plan and ultimately point to the hope we have in Jesus.

Shawn Boonstra is the speaker/director for Voice of Prophecy (VOP). Each week he co-hosts the VOP broadcast with his wife, Jean, and looks at current events in the light of the Bible’s perspective on today’s issues. He travels the world to hold live meetings, and these events have been presented on every continent except Antarctica. Shawn’s presentations on the Great Controversy this weekend will inspire confidence in God’s overarching plan and ultimately point to the hope we have in Jesus.

Shawn Boonstra is the speaker/director for Voice of Prophecy (VOP). Each week he co-hosts the VOP broadcast with his wife, Jean, and looks at current events in the light of the Bible’s perspective on today’s issues. He travels the world to hold live meetings, and these events have been presented on every continent except Antarctica. Shawn’s presentations on the Great Controversy this weekend will inspire confidence in God’s overarching plan and ultimately point to the hope we have in Jesus.

Hans Diehl, DrHSc, is the founder of the Lifestyle Medicine Institute and the Complete Health Improvement Program (CHIP). His morning and afternoon sessions will highlight the therapeutic value of a plantstrong, whole-food-centered dietary lifestyle combined with a daily program of exercise and adequate sleep. As we prepare for the final phase of the Great Controversy, we need clear minds, spiritual strength, and resilient health.

Eric Flickinger, associate speaker for It Is Written, provides well-researched training on how to keep new members in the church and actively involve them in the church family. The points he covers are applicable to retaining established members as well and include caring for new children, growing faith-affirming relationships, and making your church home a place no one will want to leave.

Ken Mathews, a physician who also holds a bachelor’s degree in classical archaeology, explores the topic of the Great Controversy as played out in the religious liberty arena. He will begin with a brief history of religious freedom and then delve into the end-time prophecies of Revelation. Ken is also the author of an exhaustive commentary on Revelation, Revelation Reveals Jesus.