Steve Matthews: July 15 (Sabbath School)
Steve Matthews is a Professional Engineer, Project Management Professional and LEED Green Associate who worked in the in the building industry from 2002 to 2018.
Originally from Newfoundland, he attended the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton, NB where he completed a Bachelor of Science followed by a degree in Environmental Engineering from Dalhousie University in Halifax, NS.
In March 2018, Steve joined ADRA Canada as their Executive Director in the Newcastle, ON office. Steve’s wife Amanda is a teacher in the Durham District School Board in Ajax and a dedicated Pathfinder Director for the Bowmanville SDA Archers club. They live with their three children, Ryan, Liam, and Madison in Courtice, ON.
Reema Sukumaran: July 17 (Monday) to July 21 (Friday) at 9:15-10:30
Reema Sukumaran has overcome some insurmountable obstacles throughout her life. A victim of severe child abuse at the hands of a torturous parent, and raped by her pastor, she has experienced a nightmare that no one can imagine.
The people she trusted the most failed her, including her Adventist church community.
Despite the pain she has experienced, she continues to share her personal story in order to teach others how to minister to individuals who have experienced personal trauma, and been betrayed by the church and those they trusted.
Reema is a speaker, author, and trainer who shares a riveting story from her heart.
Her goal is to bring the topic of clergy abuse; often thought to be taboo, out of the darkness, and speak openly so others can recognize symptoms of unhealthy boundaries, burnout, and focus on self-care and respect.
Sukumaran is a product of Seventh-day Adventist education.
She completed a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from Andrews University. She is the proud mother of six growing boys, and works alongside her husband, an audiologist. She resides in Ontario, Canada. She has recently published her powerful memoir, Beautifully Broken, available in her website www.reematalks.com
Dr. Michael Campbell: July 17 (Monday) to July 19 (Wednesday) at 10:45-12:00
Dr. Michael W. Campbell, Ph.D., is director of the North American Division department of Archives, Statistics, and Research.
He is ordained minister who previously spent a decade in higher education in the Philippines and Texas. He is the co-editor of the Oxford Handbook of Seventh-day Adventism and is under contract with Eerdmans to write a forthcoming textbook about Adventist history. He recently organized academic paper sessions at the American Society of Church History and the Conference on Faith and History.
He has contributed over one thousand articles in popular, peer-reviewed, and reference works. Some of his research interests include a history and theology of the Lord’s Supper, the Taiping movement, and the history of missions.
He is the author of twelve books including 1922: The Rise of Fundamentalism (Pacific Press, 2022). He contributes regularly to the “Sabbath School Rescue” and “Adventist Pilgrimage” podcasts. He enjoys bird watching, racquetball, and Pathfinders.
He and his wife, Heidi, who is a Ph.D. candidate at Baylor University in Early Modern History, have two teenage children, Emma and David.
Pastor René & Mike Lemon with Doreen & Marlon Cliffe: July 20 (Thursday) to July 21 (Friday) at 10:45-12:00
Mike and René Lemon are the hosts for It Is Written Canada, a worldwide media ministry that spotlights stories of lives transformed by the power of God. They are both 100% organic, non-GMO, sweet and sour lemons. René is the sweet one.
Mike and René have been married since 1995 and have counselled married couples and those preparing for marriage while serving in ministry and education positions in Canada and South Africa. They are passionate about faith, family, friends, fitness, and finishing the work of preparing souls for our Lord’s soon return, to “turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers” (Malachi 4:6). They have two wonderful daughters and one magnificent grandson.