About Seventh-day Adventists
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a mainstream Protestant denomination with approximately 19 million members worldwide. Adventists believe in a Triune God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) and that salvation came through Jesus’ sinless life, crucifixion, and resurrection. The Holy Spirit remains as our Comforter until Jesus returns to complete His plan of salvation. Adventists are encouraged to root themselves in daily Bible study and prayer, recognizing these as vital to a growing relationship with God, believing that God cares about every dimension of human life—how we eat, live, speak, relate to others, and steward our time, talents, and resources.
About Our Local Leadership
Pictured here are our elders, a humble group who would have happily skipped the camera. At the urging of our webmaster, they agreed to show their faces so you could put a name to a smile. They genuinely hope seeing them makes this place feel a little more welcoming, and a lot less like a stranger’s door. (Left to Right: Brandon Kullhem, Barry Toews, and Burt Carlson)
Brandon Kullhem has served this congregation as an elder for several years, a role that fits a lifelong farmer who knows what it means to be patient, consistent, and present through every season, trusting that the work is never wasted. He grew up in the Lutheran church, where a desire to understand Scripture more deeply led him to a Bible study that started in a neighbor’s barn and, in time (since that neighbor is a lifelong member of our church), to our congregation. Brandon has now been a faithful member of the Aitkin Adventist Church for nearly two decades. His interest in God’s Word is not surprising given his heritage, his grandfather was a graduate of the Arizona Bible Institute, with a Baptist background who was a pastor in the Palisade community for many years.
Today Brandon stewards his family’s century farm, his faith, and the church with the same patient commitment. He leads a weekly Bible study himself, and enjoys diving deep to answer hard questions about faith. He believes faith is something each person must find for themselves. He will not push. He will simply be here to answer questions for anyone looking to find their way.
Barry Toews has faithfully served this congregation for many years. He’s currently caring for patients on the night shift in the emergency room, so his full story will have to wait. Check back soon.
Burt Carlson is a lifelong member of the Aitkin Seventh-day Adventist church and has served in many roles in the church, including becoming an elder several years ago. His desire is to share God and his church with a personal mission to grow in Christ and will help point others to Jesus as well. Burt loves studying the Bible and enjoy deep biblical discussions. He feels blessed to live in this community, to be part of this church family, to be able to farm with his brother and to be married to his wonderful wife, Mindy. While life on earth is short and this world is not our home, Burt prays he will live to bring God all the glory.
