Bemidji SDA Church Homecoming Weekend and new Church School Dedication: August 8 - 9, 2025
(Highlighted Events - more details to come)
7:30 P.M. FRIDAY EVENING VESPERS:
James M. Dwyer: Born in Sayre, PA to a stay-at-home mother and truck driver/diesel mechanic father. Raised in Horseheads, NY, as the middle child in 5th generation Seventh-day Adventist family. Worked at New York Conference’s Camp Cherokee during college and became inspired to go into teaching.
Graduated from Atlantic Union College in 1991 with Bachelor of Science in Education and from hometown Elmira College in 1996 with Masters of Science in Education.
Principal/teacher at Harrisburg Adventist School 1993-1998, English Language Instructor at Universidad Adventista de Bolivia 1998-1999, Principal/teacher at Bemidji Adventist School 1999-2000 and Douglasville Adventist School 2000-2001.
Moved back to NY State in 2001 to be closer to family and began working with developmentally disabled adults at secure NY State facility near Camp Cherokee in 2008, obtained NYS Students With Disabilities certification in 2012, and took promotion to current facility in Norwich, NY in 2017 as the special education teacher. teacher.
Jim, will be the speaker for this evening Sabbath Vespers.
11 A.M. WORSHIP HOUR SPEAKER:
Pastor Marty Jackson (retired) and his lovely wife, Connie, have been most recently at the Cedar Creek and Woodland Seventh-day Adventist Churches in Woodland, WA.
Pastor Marty grew up in Illinois, graduated with a B.A. in Theology & Masters of Divinity from Andrews University in Michigan. He and Connie (who was a teaching assistant at the Bemidji SDA Church School) reside in SW Washington. He has pastored 13 Adventist churches in Minnesota, including Bemidji; as well as Baker City/Richland, Oregon, Eagle, Idaho, and most recently SW Washington.
3 P.M. SACRED CONCERT:
Born into a very musical family, The Anderson Trio will be the featured musical guests for the afternoon concert. Melissa (Clouzet), Heidi (Gonzales), and Greggory Anderson, will be returning home to bless us as they uplift our Savior in musical worship and praise!
These three Anderson youngsters were born and raised in Bemidji, and are the creation of Clinton and Leah Anderson (retired) who were our longest tenured teachers, both having taught for 18 years in the Bemidji SDA Church School.
4:30 P.M. DEDICATION and SCHOOL MEMORIES:
Lester Bentley was born and raised as a Seventh-day Adventist in Brainerd, Minnesota. His parents, Earl and Alice Bentley, were very active in their local church. As a result of their example and his being a product of Christian Education, working for the church became ingrained in Lester’s DNA. As a result, he has served in many capacities within the local churches in which they have lived, including Pathfinder Director, Head Deacon, and Children’s Sabbath School teacher in Youth, Early Teen, Juniors, Primary, and Kindergarten divisions. He has served as a Head Elder and Lay pastor before accepting a call in 2019 to full-time Pastoral Ministry in the state of Wyoming for the Rocky Mountain Conference. In October 2023, he and his wife received a call to Pastor the Bemidji District here in Minnesota. Lester and his wife, Denise, have two girls, Carol Bentley (Gulfport, Mississippi) and Laura Bentley (Anoka, Minnesota). Lester and Denise live here in Bemidji. They both enjoy sharing the gospel message with others.
Pastor Bentley will lead in the afternoon dedication event as we commit our new Bemidji SDA Church School building in the work of educating young minds for Christ, as well as other Christian ministries. A timeline history and memories will also be presented during this service.
7:30 P.M. SATURDAY EVENING VESPERS:
James C. Davis, Jr. serves as the Education Superintendent for the Minnesota Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, a role he has held since 2019. With a career in education spanning back to 1997, he has devoted his life to fostering Christ-centered learning environments and guiding schools toward excellence.
James began his career as a teacher, sharing his love for math, physics, and computer science with students. Over the years, he has served in key leadership roles—including Vice-Principal and Academy Principal—helping shape vibrant school communities. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Physics with a minor in Mathematics, a master’s degree in Architecture Studies with an emphasis in Design with Digital Media, and a graduate certificate in Educational Leadership.
Passionate about the mission of Adventist education, James partners with teachers, churches, and communities to nurture schools that prepare young people for service in this world and the world to come. He and his wife, Karon, live in Minnesota and are proud parents of three sons: James III, who serves in the U.S. Air Force and is stationed in England; Zachary, a welder in Minneapolis; and Aiden, an engineering student at Walla Walla University.
When he’s not working with educators, James enjoys creating and building—exploring projects that range from making maple syrup to experimenting with laser cutters, 3D printers, vinyl cutters, woodworking, and even tinkering with cars.
James will be the featured speaker for this Sabbath Sundown Vespers.
Sabbath lunch of "haystacks" and a lite Saturday evening meal will be served. An Ice Cream Social will follow Sundown Vespers.
