Lake Region—The Lake Region Conference was the first regional conference established in the Seventh-day Adventist Church back in 1945 with the others soon following. In keeping with the counsel of Psalm 78, the New Life Church, Black Students Christian Forum, and Black Students Association of the Seminary, sponsored "United for a Finished Work," a 60th anniversary commemorative weekend.

According to Timothy Nixon, Andrews University chaplain, the purpose of the weekend was three-fold. First, to celebrate the blessings of God in the work and ministry of regional conferences. Second, to recognize regional conferences as a Seventh-day Adventist creation and institution, not a "Black institution." And third, to inform fully to a new generation the history behind the formulation of regional conferences and to correct many of myths and the false history that presently surround the discussion of regional conferences.

The celebration was held in the Seminary Chapel at Andrews University, Dec. 2 and 3, 2005. The keynote speaker was E.E. Cleveland, world-renowned evangelist, author, and professor emeritus at Oakwood College. Friday evening, Cleveland's sermon was titled, "The Shortest Prayer of the Bible," and on Sabbath his message was, "Why Are Ye Afraid?"

On Sabbath afternoon, at Chan Shun-Garber Auditorium, a panel discussed the history of regional conferences. Panelists included E.E. Cleveland; Walter Wright, Lake Union Conference president; Mylas Martin, Layman's Leadership Conference co-founder and church historian; Gary Land, Andrews University history department chair; and Jerry Moon, Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary church history department chair.

As Cleveland and members of the panel shared their journeys throughout the weekend, there were often reactions of amazement and disbelief among the students attending. Nixon said, "Some of the history is shocking, ugly, and uncomfortable, yet the truth must be remembered and retold to the next generation. As the saying goes, 'Those who forget the past are destined to repeat it.' May this weekend serve to give us eternal object lessons for the future as we unite to finish the prophetic mission God has given us as a community of faith."

Gary Burns, Lake Union Conference communication director and Lake Union Herald editor, and Timothy Nixon, Andrews University chaplain