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Pacific Press Vice President
Killed in Accident

oss Lauterbach, vice president and chief financial officer at Pacific Press Publishing Association in Nampa, Idaho, and his wife, Joyce, died in an automobile accident near their home Sabbath, July 6.

The couple was returning home from church services when a car traveling on a cross street failed to stop and hit the Lauterbachs' vehicle. Ross, Joyce, and the driver of the other vehicle were killed instantly. Three of the other vehicle's passengers were critically injured.

Prior to coming to Pacific Press, Lauterbach worked as a literature evangelist, Adventist Book Center manager, and as assistant treasurer or treasurer for several North American conferences. He served in his present position for fourteen years.

"The Lauterbachs made a rich contribution to the work of the church," said General Conference president Jan Paulsen. "Only the coming of Jesus and heaven will reveal the fruitage of their labor."

"Ross and Joyce will be greatly missed as our friends and for their dedication to the work of the church," said Bob Kyte, President of Pacific Press. "Ross has given exemplary service and has made an outstanding contribution to the success and mission of Pacific Press. Words are inadequate to express the sense of loss we feel at the passing of Ross and Joyce."

To read more on this tragic story [click here].

Colombian Kidnapping Victim Returned;
One Remains Missing
After being held for eight days by one of Colombia's largest guerilla groups, Camilo Ramirez, a student of the Adventist University in Colombia, was released July 4, report church leaders in the region. But Dionisio Galindo, an auditor for the Adventist Church who was kidnapped by another guerrilla group, has been missing since March.

Ramirez, 19, was returning by bus to Medellin when he was kidnapped along with other passengers by the ELN guerilla group. "Camilo's support for the church has been very evident since he was a boy," says Jose Rojano, Colombian Union Conference communication director. "He is a leader of the disaster rescue team Grupo Adventista de Rescate y Salvamento in Medellin."

Rojano says Ramirez is doing well: he went back to work July 8 and resumed his studies at the university. Galindo, still missing, was kidnapped in the mountains near the San Jacinto district. His wife and daughters are awaiting news of him.

This year has seen three abductions of Adventists in Colombia: Ramirez, Galindo, and Pastor Luis Narvaez, who was kidnapped earlier this year and freed five days later.

"The guerilla groups in Colombia resort to kidnapping as a form of financing their war," said Rojano. "This is why we see so many people who have low economic resources becoming victims of this persecution. Unfortunately, our church has been stung by the whip of kidnapping. We have prayer chains and are very concerned for the Galindo family."                                                 --Advnetist News Network

U.S. Church Leaders Urge Caution on School Vouchers
Seventh-day Adventist leaders in North America (NAD) say they plan to take a cautious line in response to a recent Supreme Court decision that opens the door to a new form of government aid for students at religious schools. In its 5 to 4 ruling, handed down June 27, the United States' highest court upheld the constitutionality of a state-funded school voucher plan in Ohio. The plan provides financial assistance to help low-income students attend private schools.

"We intend to wait and see what the ultimate results of this plan will be in practice," says Clarence Hodges, NAD vice president and public affairs director. The church in North America will carefully study the voucher program in Ohio and any other programs subsequently set up, he said to see if religious schools involved retain full academic and administrative independence.

According to the working policy of the church in North America, state aid should be rejected if acceptance of it would lead to "excessive control by or entanglement with the government," "dependence on the government," or in any other way would "compromise the integrity of the church or reduce its ability to design programs and curricula to fulfill its gospel commission."

The school voucher issue has sparked heated debate within the United States about how far taxpayers' money can flow, even indirectly, to religious schools without violating the constitutional prohibition against establishing religion.

Supporters of the program say that school vouchers act as a "life-raft" to low-income students trapped in substandard public schools. Under the Ohio plan considered by the Supreme Court, parents receive state assistance to send their child to a private school of their choice--whether secular or religious.

Opponents of school vouchers say these plans will drain sorely needed state money from public schools, and may, ultimately, leave religious schools vulnerable to state interference. Since the vast majority of private schools in the Unites States are faith-based, opponents also say that the scheme is, in practice, a direct advancement of religious enterprises.                                       –Adventist News Network

AU Board Deals with Financial Challenges
Members of the Andrews University board's finance committee met July 10 to consider the budget for the coming school year, along with financial concerns facing the 100-year-old Adventist school located in Berrien Springs, Michigan.

"The general financial malaise that has impacted institutions of higher education across America in the past few years has also affected Adventist universities and colleges, including Andrews," says Gerry Karst, a General Conference general vice president and chairman of the Andrews board.

The July meeting focused on trimming the university's budget and studying other means of strengthening the finances of the institution. "The good news is that applications for the next school year appear to be significantly higher than previous years," says Karst.

"Terrorism" Cited in Expulsion of Azerbaijani Pastor
A Seventh-day Adventist pastor and his family were expelled from a town in the central Asian country of Azerbaijan after local officials accused the church of contemplating "terrorist activities." Pastor Vahid Nagiev, 42, along with his wife and four children, left the city of Nahichevan on June 9 after police made two visits to their home. Police ordered the family to leave, saying they believed the church may "perform a terrorist act" during the June 10 visit to the city by the country's president.

The incident follows a string of similar episodes over the past few years in which small, mainly Protestant, religious groups have been targeted for harassment by local officials.

John Graz, public affairs and religious liberty director for the Adventist world church, says he is deeply concerned about the use of the so-called "war against terrorism" as a pretext for harassment of an Adventist pastor and his family.

"This incident demonstrates the danger of using the fear of terrorism as an excuse for unjustified infringement of an individual's rights," says Graz. "It is all too easy for authorities to use this as a veil for another, unrelated, agenda. But vague allusions to terrorist threats are simply not adequate."

"Pastor Nagiev and his family, and all those in Azerbaijan who suffer for their faith, need the prayers of the worldwide Christian community," says Graz. He says Adventist leaders will continue to monitor the situation, and will do everything they can to work with authorities to resolve the situation in Nahichevan.                           –Adventist News Network

News Notes

The Adventist Communication Network (ACN) is holding its first "SONscreen Film Festival" in Ontario, California, October 9-13 for young producers 29 years old and younger. Awards totaling up to $6,000 in cash will be given. For more details, contact www.acnsat.org or call 1-800-ACN-1119.

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