Student missions and response

Union Adventist University advocates and maintains a Golden Chords program, a method of education through the university that allows students to work overseas with missionary groups and gain a better understanding of missionary work overall. Students can go to the first floor of the Everett Dick Building to see all the locations around the world that fellow Union members have gone to. The experience allows for personal growth and the ability to grow in education within an entirely different culture and perspective.

Currently, there are multiple students involved in the student missions program and many students have the opportunity to go with some stipulations. If the mission call comes from the Seventh Day Adventist General Office, the student must be a baptized member of the church. Following the call, students must be mature and responsible, pass a screening by the Dean’s Council and the Student Missions committee and be willing to grow in God. The opportunities in these missions range through a multitude of job placements such as teaching, medical missions, construction and evangelism. 

The student missions use Fundraising Capacities to fund international missions, however, they also have a Task Force program allowing for mission response in the United States and Canada without the application of the fundraising program. Volunteers for missions are required to raise 4,000 dollars through the General Conference which is also variable depending on the group the student wishes to work with. 

All of this information and more can be found in the Campus Ministries office in DB - 105, where you can find the pre-application and be guided through the rest of the process. You can also speak with former Student Missionaries to get a better understanding of the experience and responsibilities of the mission. The missionaries from the 2022-2023 school year were Ella Foster (Philippines), Yonathan Suarez (Cambodia), and Anders Jeronimo (Brazil). The 2023-2024 school year consisted of Alexia Rains (Cambodia), Stuart Cuateco (Kenya) and a multitude working in Hawaii. 

Currently, we have two current students and one graduate student in student missions. Rachel Saylor and Reagan Garman are working together in Pohnpei and the other one is working in the U.S. Task Force in Hawaii. Therefore, it is helpful to see people being missionaries in international countries as it helps mold them into well-rounded individuals with a creative passion for giving the gospel message. It can also allow others to be inspired by them to follow a similar path.

by James Smartt