President Receives Notable Person of Honor Award

Spence, in his response, said he was surprised to be named an honoree. “This goes to the entire learning community,” he said.

The Notable Persons of Honor Award is a new recognition designed to spotlight conference members for their contribution to the cause of Christ. Other 2012 honorees were: Joyce Newmyer, president of Washington Adventist Hospital in Takoma Park, Md.; Larry Boggess, president of the Mountain View Conference; José H. Cortés, president of the New Jersey Conference; and Josephine Benton, a retired pastor.

“People who have grasped the legacy of hope speak up and make a difference in their communities,” said Ken Denslow, assistant to the president of the North American Division in his devotional. “So why not take the opportunity to thank people during their living years for the work they did to advance the legacy of hope in the Seventh-day Adventist Church?”

“Thank you for your contribution to the cause of Christ,” Dave Weigley, president of the Columbia Union, told the honorees. “You’ve made a difference.”