Western Slope Camp Meeting

Maurice R. Valentine II for the past 25 years has been happily married to the former Sharon Livingston and together they are blessed with two sons and a daughter. Maurice III, age 24, Mausharie, age 20 and their youngest son, Maucus, age 18 all pursuing Adventist educations in Lincoln, Nebraska, Berrien Springs Michigan, and Huntsville, Alabama respectively.

Maurice has completed degrees in Communications, Theology and the Master of Divinity with which, over the course of 25 years in the Master's service, he has served 11 congregations in four states. Before accepting his current post as ministerial director of Mid-America Union Conference of SDA, he was privileged to serve as assistant to the president in the Central States Conference.

His passion is to restore mission as the base of all activities individually and corporately in today's church. Hence, he has pursued enhancing his understanding of what makes churches grow, having received three certifications in congregational health. Using this knowledge, he has been privileged to coach pastors and church leaders in strategic leadership for the purpose of making disciples. His greatest enjoyment in ministry is derived from seeing churches rediscover their place in God's plan. Hence, large and small conferences from the North American Division have requested his services to train workers in organizational systems that strengthen the discipleship process.

His greatest privilege in service has been the awesome opportunity of emphasizing Jesus' magnificent love as an evangelistic, commencement, convention, and campmeeting speaker across the US, Canada, and England, having had the opportunity of speaking for Christ to audiences from two to 2500. His love for helping God's people grow relationally with Jesus and each other is only exceeded by his love for his family with whom he enjoys skiing, and exploration of natural wonders.

Elder Gary Thurber began serving as President of the Rocky Mountain Conference in the fall of 2009, after serving in the same capacity in Indiana and North New England Conferences. Prior to serving in administrative roles, Elder Thurber pastored throughout America, including Washington state, Michigan and Florida.

Though medical staff told him he would never survive a terrible car accident just before his senior year, and if he did, he would never walk again, Elder Thurber proved to them the power of prayer and the power of God is stronger than any known science!

Gary married his Academy sweetheart, Diane, who literally walked him through hours of rehabilitation and has been beside him every step of the way since. Today, they are the proud parents of two sons, one who graduated from Southern Adventist University this spring and will be married in August, then move to Colorado to study law, and the other son who will be a sophomore at Southern this next fall.

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