STORY
Ohio Conference Announces Esther Gordon as New HR Generalist
August 27, 2025
Francis Tuffour
The Ohio Conference is pleased to announce that Esther Gordon, who has faithfully served as Treasury Administrative Assistant, has transitioned into the role of Human Resources Generalist. With a strong background in administration and a deep commitment to supporting the mission of the Conference, Esther looks forward to continuing her service in a new capacity.
Born and raised in Nassau, Bahamas, Esther grew up in a family deeply committed to service. As a pastor’s kid and the youngest of five children, she witnessed firsthand her parents’ lifelong dedication to church ministry. Today, Esther continues that legacy alongside her husband, Pastor Delthony Gordon, and together they are blessed with two children.
Esther joined the Ohio Conference on September 1, 2021, serving as Administrative Assistant in the Treasury Department. In this role, she carried a wide range of responsibilities, including receipting, remittances, accounts payable, and service as a treasurer for the Ohio Conference Church. She also managed check processing, departmental correspondence, and assisted with calls and inquiries, ensuring that the Treasury office operated efficiently and with care.
When reflecting on her work, Esther shared that her greatest passion lies in connecting with people and offering help wherever it is needed. She sees these moments of service as opportunities to make a meaningful impact and to live out her calling in a practical way.
Outside of her professional role, Esther enjoys singing, reading, traveling, and spending time playing games with her family.
In her new role as Human Resources Generalist, Esther will oversee key responsibilities, including employee onboarding and offboarding, open enrollment and benefits administration, maintaining service records, and processing vacation requests. She will also manage employee communications and assist in developing and implementing HR policies to support the Ohio Conference team.
When reflecting on her most rewarding experience at the Ohio Conference, Esther shared a touching memory: “There was an Ohio constituent who would often reach out to me for help. She would send little notes tucked inside her tithe envelope. One of those notes read, ‘Thank you, Esther. Looking forward to meeting you in Heaven someday.’ That simple message brought me such joy! I taped the note to my calculator as a daily reminder of why I do what I do—and I still have it to this day.”
Esther finds encouragement in Isaiah 41:10, which reminds her of God’s constant presence and strength: “Fear thou not; for I am with you: be not dismayed; for I am your God. I will strengthen you; yes, I will help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” When it comes to her work, however, the verse that guides her most is Deuteronomy 28:8: “Blessings on all that you set your hand to do!” She includes this verse at the end of her emails as a way to share encouragement with others.
As she steps into this new chapter, Esther shared a simple yet meaningful message: “I count it a privilege to serve the members of the Ohio Conference.”
share this
Related Stories
Camp Mohaven Summer Camp Report 2026 By the Numbers… Staff Training Dates: June 1 – June 13, 2026 Weeks of Camp: June 14 – July 13, 2026 Camps Offered: Cub, Junior, Tween, Teen, & Family Total Staff: 30 03 - Paid Leadership 04 - Volunteers 23 - Paid Staff (Counselors) Total Campers: 287 242 = Youth Campers (Cub, Junior, Tween, Teen) 45 = Family Campers For the Kingdom… Out of 77 Junior Campers… 35 Wrote Prayer Requests 52 Chose to Follow Jesus 70 Chose Bible Studies 16 Been Baptized 57 of the 61 Possible Baptisms Chose Baptism 25 Wanted Home Baptism 32 Wanted Baptism at Mohaven (not all had parental permission) Out of 62 Tween Campers… 12 Wrote Prayer Requests 33 Chose to Follow Jesus 45 Chose Bible Studies 30 Already Baptized 26 of the 32 Possible Baptisms Chose Baptism 16 Wanted Home Baptism 10 Wanted Baptism at Mohaven (not all had parental permission) Out of 59 Teen Campers… 28 Wrote Prayer Requests 51 Chose to Follow Jesus 50 Chose Bible Studies 35 Already Baptized 22 of the 24 Possible Baptisms Chose Baptism 19 Wanted Home Baptism 3 Wanted Baptism at Mohaven (not all had parental permission). The Story … Even with the enemy’s challenges from without and within, once again, God overwhelmed us with His blessings each week of Mohaven’s Summer Camp! Our Staff persevered through various hardships to see God’s work accomplished. From the beginning to the end, the Staff kept their focus on the ministry at hand, rather than being sidetracked by distractions. The most critical part of summer camp is the heart of the camper – helping them know they are important and loved by God and each of our Staff. No one has lived in the cabins since the fire destroyed the water system on March 13th. So, we spent the first couple of weeks pushing nature back into the woods. Ranger Russell, along with some professional help, did an outstanding job of sending honeybees, mice, and snakes back to their natural habitats. We could not be more thankful for the Health Department’s Report (Knox County Health report on Cabins attached below). Except for the Staff Cabins, Gazelle & Horse, the rest of the boy’s village cabins mentioned in the report, where campers are housed, had minimal pest activity at the initial KCH inspection. During a follow-up inspection, the KCH inspectors repeatedly commented on how well Camp Mohaven is being maintained. Summer Camp Staff began their ministry by training during the day and then leading the evening programs for Children’s & Youth divisions at the Ohio Conference’s Camp Meeting. Once the summer campers arrived, the Staff ministry was in full stride. Each Staff member assists in programming and activities as well as being a Counselor. They are in the trenches of ministry with our weekly pastors (this summer we welcomed: Pastor Joel Greve, Pastor Clay Koh, Evelyn Goodman, and Pastor Jeff Akenberger) Two areas speak to the success of a Summer Camp: the heart decisions of the camper and the retention of Staff. As you can see in the “By the Numbers…” we were blessed to have an overwhelming number of campers choose to accept Jesus, want to be baptized, and desire continued Bible Studies. We match the campers’ request for Baptism with the parents’ permission for them to be baptized at Mohaven. We are excited that nearly all Staff plan to return next summer. Once again, God continues to overwhelm us with His blessings for Mohaven’s Summer Camp! The Knox County Health inspection report referenced above is provided below for review.
The Slavic Seventh-day Adventist Church in Cleveland, “Heaven for All!,” recently joined churches worldwide in celebrating World Adventurer Day. Although the church’s “Little Stars” Adventurer Club is less than a year old, the children led a special Adventurer Sabbath during the worship service. They participated in the opening of the service, presented a musical selection, recited Scripture-based poems, assisted with the collection of tithes and offerings, offered the prayer for the offering, and introduced the congregational hymn. The celebration also marked an important milestone for the club. Adventurers completed the Little Lamb and Busy Bee levels and advanced to the Early Bird and Sunbeam levels. Each child received a Bible storybook and a pin recognizing the completion of their level. Following the worship service, club members completed the “My Church” Adventurer Award by meeting church leaders, asking questions about their roles, and learning more about how the church serves its congregation. The children also received commemorative gifts. The special Sabbath highlighted the involvement of the church’s youngest members in worship while encouraging their continued spiritual growth and engagement in the life of the congregation.
The Greater Cleveland Seventh-day Adventist Church concluded its 10-day evangelistic series, “A Better Tomorrow,” with a baptismal service celebrating individuals who publicly committed their lives to Jesus Christ. The series was presented by Pastor Israel Okyere and hosted by Pastor Michael Opuni. Throughout the 10-day event, community members gathered in person and online to study the Bible, strengthen their faith, and learn about God’s plan for their lives. Each evening featured messages centered on practical and biblical themes, including spiritual awakening, transformation, assurance, commitment, and decision. Through preaching, prayer, and fellowship, attendees were encouraged to deepen their relationship with Christ. The series concluded with a baptismal service in which several individuals publicly professed their faith through baptism. Family members, friends, and church members gathered to witness and celebrate the occasion as the candidates entered the waters of baptism, symbolizing their new life in Christ. Following the series, the Greater Cleveland Seventh-day Adventist Church affirmed its commitment to supporting the newly baptized members in their spiritual growth while continuing its mission of sharing the gospel throughout the community.
STAY UP TO DATE
GET CONFERENCE'S LATEST
Receive monthly updates from the conference, and get a heads up on upcoming events.
Contact Us
