embers of a Christian youth club in Milford, New York, can meet after‑hours on public school property without violating the constitutional principle of separation of church and state, the United States Supreme Court ruled June 11. 

The decision represents a win for "fundamental fairness," says Mitchell Tyner, an associate general counsel for the Seventh‑day Adventist Church. The Adventist Church last year filed a "friend of the court" brief in support of the Good News Club. "We felt this was a case with widespread implications for Christians in the United States," explains Tyner, who says that local Adventist churches have sometimes been refused the use of public school facilities made available to other community organizations.

"The Adventist Church has been a longstanding advocate for proper boundaries between church and state," Tyner adds. "We believe the state should not endorse religious activity, either explicitly or implicitly." But the Establishment Clause of the United States Constitution, Tynert says, "does not mandate hostility toward religion. It is a basic issue of fairness that religious groups have access to public facilities on the same basis as other groups."

The Good News Club dispute began when Milford Central School authorities refused to allow a Christian youth group to use school facilities after hours, arguing that to do so would imply an unconstitutional endorsement of the club's religious activities.

In its six to three decision, the court said that by "denying the Club access . . . on the ground that the Club was religious in nature, Milford discriminated against the club because of its religious viewpoint" thus violating the Free Speech Clause of the United States Constitution.

"Not surprisingly, not everyone is pleased with the result," says James Standish, an attorney and director of legislative affairs for the Adventist Church worldwide.  He notes that one organization has gone so far as to state that the court's ruling "means aggressive fundamentalist evangelists have a new way to proselytize school kids." Standish says this is a distortion of the facts, and points out that "only children whose parents signed a consent form approving their child's involvement with the club could attend its meetings." --Adventist News Network

MinistryWatch Ranks ADRA Among Top Ten
MinistryWatch, the independent source for ministry ratings, ranks the Adventist Development and Relief Agency International (ADRA) among the top ten agencies in the relief and development sector. Organizations in this category primarily meet the food, clothing, shelter, and medical needs of people.

MinistryWatch has awarded ADRA International a five‑star rating with its overall rank of 13 out of more than 400 entities. A nonprofit online database, MinistryWatch profiles more than 400 of the largest faith‑based organizations in the United States. With a commitment to helping people become responsible donors, the database strives to provide research and ratings that can be easily understood by potential donors. According to its website, MinistryWatch does no fundraising; and it does not promote, recommend, or represent any ministry, charity, or nonprofit organization.

“We work diligently to manage the agency’s financial resources in the best possible way, says Byron Scheuneman, senior vice president of ADRA International. “We welcome the review of MinistryWatch as an independent source.”

Adventist Universities Excel in National Program
La Sierra University and Southwestern Adventist University students won regional championships in Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE). Both teams then competed nationally, and La Sierra's team was named First Runner-Up in the national competition with 150 teams representing more than 2,200 students around the United States. They won 1st place in the "AT&T Best Use of the Internet Teaching Students K-12 Award." John Thomas, dean of the La Sierra University School of Business and Management, won "Most Supportive Dean of the Year Award." Professors from the La Sierra SIFE program were featured in a National Public Radio interview.
  SIFE is a non-profit organization that encourages college students to apply their classroom learning to real-life situations through educational outreach projects.