Honoring Ministry Leaders at Arizona Conference Camp Meeting
BY JEFF ROGERS
Their servant leadership and faithful ministry have inspired and equipped disciples...
During this year’s Arizona Conference Camp Meeting, held June 6–14 at Camp Yavapines, two exceptional leaders were celebrated for their dedicated service and impact on the conference’s mission.
Villamor Meriales, Assistant to the President for Multilingual Ministries, received heartfelt recognition by Arizona Conference President Ed Keyes. Under Meriales’s leadership—guided by the vision of “Many Cultures, One Message, One Savior”—the conference has nurtured vibrant multicultural congregations representing Filipino, Korean, African, Southeast Asian, and other communities.
“This guy is one of the hardest-working guys I have ever met in my life,” said Keyes when recognizing Meriales on the first Sabbath of Camp Meeting. “He has been such a blessing to this conference as he has led out in mission trips, held evangelistic meetings, and helped plant a couple of churches.”
On the second Sabbath of Camp Meeting, Keyes also recognized Dale Wolcott, Assistant to the President for Native American Ministries, for his many years of service. Wolcott’s leadership shines through his work overseeing ministry to Native peoples in Arizona and his leadership in establishing Dine’ Adventist Radio, which will have a long-reaching impact on the Navajo people. His overseeing of the annual Native American Camp Meeting at Holbrook Indian School—a gathering that provides spiritual renewal, cultural connection, and a sense of belonging for Native American Adventists across Arizona—provided a space for Navajo Adventists to gather and share their testimonies. The restarting of this event was especially important after the pandemic's impact on the Navajo families and the lockdowns that isolated the native people.
“They [Dale and his wife Nancy Wolcott] have not only worked hard and been dedicated to this ministry but have really grafted to this group of people,” said Keyes. “I was at the Native American Camp Meeting recently and Dale was singing in Navajo. It takes a team to pastor and Nancy has been a real blessing to that community. When the pastor and wife work together, God does amazing work.”
The Camp Meeting theme, “Ambassadors for Christ,” reminded attendees that both Meriales and Wolcott embody what it means to represent Christ across cultural boundaries. Their ministries exemplify how diverse communities can worship together in unity and purpose, reflecting the beauty of God’s kingdom. Their servant leadership and faithful ministry have inspired and equipped disciples throughout the Arizona Conference and beyond.
Young Adults Rebuild Wagon Camp
BY JEFF ROGERS
A dedicated team of young adults from the Arizona Conference recently volunteered to rebuild and revitalize the beloved Wagon Camp area at Camp Yavapines. This heartwarming service project brought together faith, fellowship, and hands-on stewardship in an effort filled with purpose. Beginning two years ago, the Young Adult Ministry picked the Wagon Camp as the site for their camp meeting programs. However, the site required extensive work, and soon, several volunteers, spearheaded by Young Adult Ministries Director Mike Soto and project coordinator Mason Aitken, set about rehabilitating the location.
Last year’s volunteers installed a sunshade for the area and cleaned up the site. This year was an ambitious endeavor to install new seating for the amphitheater. A project that included many hours of building cages for gabion bases, leveling and sloping the seating area, installing the gabion bench bases, and placing seating on top of the bases. The project was completed hours prior to the start of camp meeting due to the late-hour heroics of a small group of individuals who worked tirelessly to finish the project.
The Wagon Camp’s refreshed infrastructure was ready to welcome young adults arriving for the camp meeting program. However, the site is also now prepared to welcome Pathfinders, Adventurers, families, and youth for many more years of camps, retreats, and spiritual enrichment. The youth summer camp program at Camp Yavapines used the venue for programming throughout the summer.
The young adults created not just memories of labor but also the joy of serving together and being united in their calling to be “Ambassadors for Christ” through tangible acts of restoration.
Window Rock Assists Firefighters
BY STEVE PESTER
On Thursday morning, July 2, thirteen volunteers from the St. Michaels Chapter House, Window Rock SDA Church, and Diné Adventist Radio gathered at the Window Rock SDA Church to prepare lunches for the firefighters battling the Oak Ridge Fire near St. Michaels, AZ and evacuees it forced from their homes.
The blaze ignited on Sabbath, June 28, in Oak Ridge, Arizona—just four miles from St. Michaels. By Sunday, it had consumed 1,800 acres; overnight, it surged past 6,200 acres. When our team convened on Thursday, the fire had already scorched more than 10,000 acres.
Volunteers began the day by organizing donated supplies. They formed a sandwich assembly line that produced nearly 150 hearty sandwiches. Those were then funneled into a second line to create complete lunches, each featuring a sandwich, fresh fruit, a granola bar, trail mix, chips, and cookies.
Amid laughter and lively conversation, the group packed meals infused with care and purpose, ready to boost firefighters’ energy and comfort the Navajo families forced to evacuate their homes.
Once the lunches were sealed, extra snacks, cases of Gatorade, and bottled water were loaded onto two vehicles. One delivery went straight to the front-line crews: the other headed to the St. Michaels Chapter House to feed community members displaced by the fire.
Shortly after delivery, the St. Michaels Chapter sent heartfelt thanks, noting that the Seventh-day Adventist Church was the only congregation to step up during this emergency. In serving others’ needs, the volunteers found a powerful way to share hope, compassion, and solidarity—just as Jesus taught.
yá’át’éeh Bahnmiller
BY STEVE PESTER
This past May, the Arizona Conference Executive Committee extended a big yá’át’éeh (welcome in Navajo) to the Bahnmiller family: they were invited to serve as dual Pastors of the Window Rock Seventh-day Adventit Church—and for Diné Adventist Radio. Eric and Alyssa joyfully said yes, feeling called to walk alongside and minister to the Navajo Nation.
Eric and Alyssa both grew up among the evergreens of northwest Washington, but since 2015, they’ve poured their hearts into church ministry wherever they’ve landed. In 2021, God led Eric to AFCOE (Amazing Facts Center of Evangelism). After graduation, he spent a year and a half as a Bible worker in central Tennessee, followed by nearly two years serving families in the Denver metro area. Throughout all those miles, the two have leaned on each other through 20 years of marriage and cheered each other on as they raised four amazing kids—discovering anew how sweet it is to serve together. They can’t wait to see how God will use their family in this next adventure among the Navajo people.
