A collaborative effort between Beacon Light’s Health Department and Spanish Congregation Outreach Department, the event served more than 120 families. Children received free backpacks and school supplies, while families also had access to groceries, haircuts, health screenings, refreshments, and a bounce house for some back-to-school fun.

For parents, the practical help meant fewer items on an already long back-to-school list. For Beacon Light, it was another opportunity to build relationships with families in the surrounding community.

Much of what was given that day came through the generosity of church members and individual donors who contributed supplies, resources, time, and financial support.

The larger goal went beyond what could fit inside a backpack. It was an opportunity to show families that Beacon Light is a church in their community ready to welcome them, serve them, and build relationships that last beyond a single event.

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The Immanuel Temple Seventh-day Adventist Church welcomed James Willis as their new pastor during a special installation service in June, celebrating the beginning of a new season of ministry together.

Church members, family, friends, and Northern California Conference leaders gathered for worship and prayer as they affirmed God’s calling on Willis’ life and committed to partnering with him in ministry.

Rudy Peters, African American Ministries coordinator, emphasized the importance of unity between pastor and congregation. “There is a spirit of hope and expectation at Immanuel Temple,” Peters said. “I believe God has brought Pastor Willis to this congregation for such a time as this, and I look forward to seeing how God will use this partnership to strengthen the church and expand its ministry.”

We invite members throughout the conference to pray for Willis, his family, and the Immanuel Temple church family as they begin this new chapter of ministry together.

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The Northern California Conference is truly blessed, and my wife, Marlene, and I have been grateful for the opportunity to serve and minister here. We have seen firsthand this conference’s deep commitment to connecting people to an abundant life in Jesus Christ and preparing them for His Second Coming.

With my recent election to serve as the president of the Pacific Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, the time has come to say farewell. I will deeply miss the pastors, principals, teachers, and support staff who faithfully give their best each day to advance God’s kingdom. I will also miss serving alongside my fellow officers, ministry department directors, and office staff, whose tireless commitment strengthens and supports our churches, schools, and ministries across the Northern California Conference.

It has been an incredible journey, and by God’s grace and power, we have accomplished much. Looking back, several moments stand out to me:

I am grateful that we have expanded opportunities for women in pastoral ministry, with more women serving as pastors than ever before in our history. I am thankful that our Conference headquarters moved to the greater Sacramento area, helping us serve our territory from a more central location. I have also deeply valued our journey toward organizational health, which has brought greater clarity, alignment, and a rich perspective as we advance God’s mission.

And I am especially encouraged by the launch of our Ending Homelessness Initiative to significantly decrease the number of those experiencing homelessness throughout our territory.

We could not have accomplished any of these things without Divine providence. So I say, “To God be the glory, great things He has done!”

Thank you, 91´óÉń family, for granting me the opportunity to help lead this great conference. It has been a privilege and a joy. Let’s together remain faithful until our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ comes to take us home!

Marc. K Woodson

Momanga brings more than 15 years of experience in pastoral ministry, church planting, and evangelism. She has served congregations in the United States and Australia, planting churches, strengthening congregations, developing leaders, and creating initiatives that help churches connect with their communities.

José Marín, president, shared, “I believe Lizeth’s experience and passion for mission and mentorship will be a tremendous resource to our pastors and churches. She understands that healthy church growth begins with making disciples, equipping leaders, and helping our churches connect meaningfully with their communities.”

A graduate of Pacific Union College with a degree in theology, Momanga is currently completing dual Master of Divinity and Master of Social Work degrees at Andrews University. Her graduate studies have further shaped an approach to ministry that integrates evangelism, pastoral care, church health, and a deeper understanding of the people and communities churches are called to serve.

Throughout her ministry, Momanga has planted and pastored congregations, served on church planting and evangelism task forces, trained pastors and lay leaders, led international evangelistic efforts, and presented on church planting, leadership, and ministry.

Most recently, Momanga has served as senior pastor of the Tracy Seventh-day Adventist Church and as a member of the 91´óÉń Evangelism Task Force.
Momanga and her husband, Richard Ogeto Momanga, have shared much of their ministry journey together. During their years in Australia, they served the Wallsend church for four years before returning to the United States in 2022.

In her new role, Momanga will work with pastors, churches, and lay leaders throughout the conference to strengthen congregations, support church planting, develop leaders, and advance creative, community-focused approaches to sharing the gospel across Northern California.

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More than 70 members, friends, and visitors headed to Lost Creek Group Campground near Lassen, Aug. 28–30, for the church’s “Growing in Jesus” campout. Tents replaced pews, the surrounding forest became the backdrop for worship, and three days together offered plenty of time for people to reconnect.

The weekend included Sabbath worship, music, prayer, activities, shared meals, and messages centered on the campout theme. Even the setting played a part. Surrounded by trees, campers were reminded that growth takes nourishment and time—and that a growing relationship with Jesus is much the same.

Some of the best parts of the weekend were less formal. There was laughter, time to talk without rushing off to the next thing, meals together, music, and the work of volunteers who kept everything moving. Families, longtime members, visitors, and friends simply had time to be together.

By Sunday, the tents were packed, the campfires were out, and everyone headed home. After three days of worship, meals, conversations, and plenty of time together, the Anderson church family left Lost Creek knowing each other a little better than when they arrived. And that fit the weekend’s theme, “Growing in Jesus,” pretty well.

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Brown brings decades of pastoral experience to Vallejo Berea. Friends, family, church members, and Northern California Conference leaders gathered to celebrate God’s leading, honor his years of ministry, and pray for the work that lies ahead as he joins the Vallejo church family.

Rudolph Peters, African American Ministries director, described an atmosphere of excitement and appreciation within the congregation and expressed confidence in the ministry God will accomplish through Brown’s assignment.

As Vallejo Berea enters this new season, the congregation looks forward to growing in faith, strengthening its ministry, and continuing to share the hope of Christ with the community.

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Dana Van Hook decided in grade 3 that she wanted to become a teacher. More than 17 years later, it appears her third-grade self chose wisely.

Van Hook brings experience teaching every grade from kindergarten through grade 8 in both public and private schools. She has worked in single-grade and multigrade classrooms, served as a school administrator, and helped schools implement programs to strengthen their curriculum. She holds a bachelor’s degree in speech-language pathology and audiology and has training in differentiated instruction, advanced instructional strategies, assessment tools, and kindergarten-readiness evaluations.

She also had the privilege of team-teaching with her mother, adding a special family connection to the profession she chose so many years ago.

Hands-on learning is central to Van Hook’s approach. Her classroom projects have included starting seeds beneath grow lights and hatching salmon eggs. Yes, every educator talks about helping young minds grow—but Van Hook occasionally has the seedlings to prove it.

These experiences reflect her desire to create a safe, engaging environment where children can explore, ask questions, and reach their full potential. Above all, Van Hook’s greatest desire is for the students of Chico Oaks Adventist School to know and personally experience the love Jesus has for them.

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Karen Wiechmann’s connection to El Dorado Adventist School is deeply personal. She first knew EAS as a student, and after years away, God led her back to the school that helped shape her. Since returning, Karen has served in nearly every corner of school life—from teaching kindergarten, a year she remembers with great joy, to coaching, recruitment, marketing, enrollment, and development. Whether she is in a classroom, welcoming a family, solving a problem, or stepping in wherever needed, Karen leads by being present, engaged, and willing to work alongside others.

For Karen, Adventist education is ministry. She believes Jesus belongs at the center of the school experience and that every child should be known, loved, challenged, and encouraged to discover their God-given purpose. She is passionate about meaningful excellence—strong academics rooted in faith, high expectations paired with compassionate support, and a culture of shared accountability.

Karen wants students to leave EAS well educated, able to think critically, grounded in character, and confident in who God created them to be. She wants them to recognize the gifts God has placed within them, discover their purpose, take responsibility for their choices, build healthy relationships, and learn to live, lead, and love like Jesus.

Those who know Karen often notice her warmth first. She is quick to smile, quick to find humor, and quick to make people feel welcomed, valued, and cared for. Her leadership style is hands-on. She believes encouragement often means getting beside people, working with them, and helping create the confidence that together, hard things can be accomplished.

Karen believes El Dorado Adventist School is more than a place where students attend classes. It is a community where children should experience belonging, purpose, challenge, opportunity, and the love of Jesus. She wants EAS to be known for academic strength, authentic faith, meaningful relationships, character, service, and a willingness to pursue excellence in ways that truly matter.

Outside of school, Karen’s natural curiosity often takes her down the scenic route. She enjoys road trips, discovering new places, noticing God’s beauty, capturing meaningful moments with her phone, sharing experiences and laughter with friends and family, and going on adventures with Juni, her rescue dog.

Karen rests her hope in God and considers it a privilege to serve a school she has loved for much of her life. Her prayer is that El Dorado’s Eagles will grow into young people who know who they are in Christ, understand the gifts God has given them, and are prepared to use their lives with purpose, courage, faith, and a heart for service.

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Kimberly Baumbach had everything ready.

A bottle with vinegar. A balloon filled with baking soda. A classroom of students eager to see a simple science experiment demonstrate how carbon dioxide can inflate a balloon.

She carefully stretched the balloon over the bottle and waited for the reaction.

Instead of slowly filling with air, the balloon suddenly ripped wide open.
In an instant, baking soda and vinegar sprayed across the classroom.

For one silent moment, everyone simply stared.

Then the room erupted in laughter.

“It was definitely not the science experiment I had planned,” Kimberly recalled. “But it became one of those moments none of us ever forgot.”
After cleaning up the mess, the class tried the experiment again. This time, everything worked exactly as the textbook promised. Ironically, it was the successful demonstration that students barely remembered. The unexpected one became the lesson they talked about long afterward.
For Kimberly, that’s one of the beautiful realities of education. Some of the most meaningful learning happens in the moments you could never have planned.

Now, as Teaching Principal at Paradise Adventist Elementary, Kimberly brings that same perspective into every school day.
With 26 years in education, she still lights up when students discover something new for themselves. She believes learning should spark curiosity, encourage creativity, and help children see the gifts God has placed within them. “One of my favorite parts of teaching is watching students experience the joy of learning,” she said. “Just as important is helping them discover ways to serve others, show kindness, and reflect Jesus in their everyday lives.”

That philosophy extends well beyond academics. At Paradise Adventist Elementary, Kimberly hopes every student experiences a school where faith, kindness, respect, curiosity, and a love of learning grow together. She believes each child has been uniquely created by God with purpose and incredible potential, and every day offers a new opportunity to help students discover both.

Outside the classroom, Kimberly enjoys hiking, backpacking, reading, and spending time with her family. She and her husband, Chris, recently celebrated 26 years of marriage. Their two sons continue to make them proud—Jackson is entering his senior year of high school, while Nicolaus is beginning his senior year of college.

As a new school year begins, Kimberly is looking forward to partnering with students, families, faculty, and staff as they build a Christ-centered community where learning is joyful, relationships are meaningful, and every child is encouraged to grow academically, spiritually, and personally.

And if another science experiment decides to erupt unexpectedly? She’ll probably laugh right along with the students. After all, some of the best lessons have a way of surprising everyone.

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What if your child’s principal had spent 13 years as a missionary teacher on a tiny Pacific island… and later served students on the Navajo Reservation?