Faithful Service Honored: Ohio Conference Celebrates Retirement of Janice and Harold Straub

The Elyria Seventh-day Adventist Church in Ohio concluded its Pentecost 2025 evangelistic series, held August 2–9, with the addition of 161 new members—surpassing the congregation’s previous membership and worship attendance before the campaign. Before the series began, Elyria Church had a membership of 100. Andrew Sutton, Treasurer of the Ohio Conference, emphasized that in God’s eyes every soul is precious and that even a small number of baptisms makes an evangelistic effort worthwhile. However, he noted that what took place in Elyria was unprecedented in the Ohio Conference’s history, at least as far as he could remember. “We praise God for such a great harvest,” Sutton said, reflecting on the remarkable growth. Pastor Marius Marton, who leads the Elyria congregation, recalled telling the church board that he was praying for 150 new souls. “One board member said, ‘150-plus,’” Marton shared with excitement. “God blessed us with 161 precious souls. Imagine if we had bigger faith—God would have given us more.” He credited the remarkable results to the church’s wholehearted participation in Total Member Involvement (TMI), which united the congregation in harmony and mission. “Now the praises are being shouted from the rooftops, and the church is eager to do it again! Soli Deo Gloria!” The guest speaker for the series was Pastor Kojo Twumasi, who preached under the theme Summer BLAST—Building Lives Around Solid Truth. This innovative evangelism model blends acts of service with the Gospel by meeting the community’s basic needs while sharing a Bible-centered message. Pastor Kojo commended the Elyria members for being filled with the Holy Spirit, noting their passion for soul winning and their determination to do even more for the Lord. He emphasized that members bathed the series in prayer from start to finish, and he underscored the importance of the congregation’s retention program, which began immediately after the campaign concluded. “Last Sabbath morning, the church was filled with both old and new members,” he said with joy. Pastor Twumasi currently serves as senior pastor of the Toledo First and Northwood Seventh-day Adventist churches in Ohio. This summer alone, he has spoken for five evangelistic campaigns—Elyria being the fifth—which together have resulted in 400 baptisms. He continually gives glory to God for leading in each effort and for touching the hearts of those who choose to follow Him. Elyria’s Summer BLAST was part of Pentecost 2025, a North American Division initiative designed to launch more than 3,000 proclamation events across the division’s territory throughout the year. The initiative seeks to fulfill the mandate of Jesus Christ in Matthew 24:14: “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all nations, and then the end will come.” Through its prayer-filled preparation, Spirit-led preaching, and united service, the Elyria Church stands as a powerful example of how local congregations can join a continent-wide movement to share the hope of the Gospel and hasten the soon return of Christ.

Today, the Ohio Conference Education Department hosted its annual in-service to launch the 2025–2026 school year. Held at the Conference’s Integrity Hall in Dayton, the gathering brought together educators from all 11 Ohio Conference schools for a day of professional growth, inspiration, and collaboration. Guest presenters included Adam Brown, Dean of Student Success, Enrollment Management, and Student Affairs, and Lynal A. Ingham, Associate Director for Elementary Education at the Pacific Union Conference. The program began with a devotional led by Zoe Alvarez, a recent graduate and former Student Chaplain of Spring Valley Academy. Richard Bianco, Education Superintendent, and Esther Barton, Education Administrative Assistant, organized the event to prepare teachers for the 2025–2026 school year and reinforce the mission of nurturing students in faith and learning.