Nearly a decade after a landmark apology was issued at the Lake Region Conference Camp Meeting, former and current Lake Union leaders gathered at the Lake Union Conference headquarters in Berrien Springs on Feb. 26 to reflect on its significance, impact, and the ongoing journey toward racial reconciliation within the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

The panel discussion, moderated by Lake Union Communication Director Debbie Michel and Lake Union Public Affairs and Religious Liberty Director Attorney Jennifer Woods, brought together key leaders involved in the 2015 apology: former Lake Union President Don Livesay,  then-Executive Secretary Gary Thurber, Lake Union Vice President for Multicultural Ministry Carmelo Mercado and current Lake Union President Ken Denslow.

On June 20, 2015, Livesay publicly apologized for the church’s history of racial discrimination and segregation, a statement that resonated deeply with those present and sparked broader conversations across the denomination. The statement addressed long-standing injustices, including segregation in cafeterias, the exclusion of Black members from leadership roles, which culminated in the formation of regional conferences in the 1940s.

A Defining Moment in Church History

The apology was delivered during the divine worship service at the annual Lake Region Conference Camp Meeting in front of approximately 1,500 attendees. Many in the congregation had firsthand experience with racial exclusion within the Adventist Church.

“That day, healing took place,” said Gary Thurber, who now serves as president of the Mid-America Union Conference. “I saw people wiping tears from their eyes. And you think, why didn’t this happen years ago? Why did it take so long for something this simple—an acknowledgment of wrongdoing—to be said?””

Church leaders, including then-Lake Region Conference President Clifford Jones and former North American Division President Charles Bradford, were in attendance, along with the preacher for the worship service, Carlton Byrd, then speaker/director of Breath of Life ministries and pastor of the Oakwook University church.

Mercado acknowledged the profound significance of the moment.

“It was long needed,” he said. “As far as I could tell, it had never been done before like that. I looked at the older members of Lake Region, those who had been there from the early days, and I could see the emotions on their faces. They were hearing something they had never expected to hear in their lifetime. It was a moment of release, of recognition.””

What Led to the Apology?

Livesay’s journey toward making the apology was shaped by key experiences and mentors who helped him see the racial disparities in the church. One of the earliest influences was Don Schneider, a former Lake Union as well as North American Division president, who set an example of acknowledging past wrongs.

“I saw Don Schneider actually say to people, ‘I want to apologize for what happened to you in the church,’” Livesay recalled. “I recognized when he did that, that there was a power in apology—that leaders wear a mantle that amplifies whatever they do. If we make mistakes, those mistakes are amplified. But if we do the right thing, that impact is also amplified. That stayed with me.”

Schneider’s example was particularly moving when he learned of a former nursing student who had been expelled from an Adventist school decades earlier for attending a movie on Sabbath and making a purchase. Schneider had written her a letter apologizing for how she had been treated, and soon after receiving it, the woman returned to the church.

“Two weeks later, she died,” Livesay said. “Think of what that apology meant to her eternity.”

As Livesay settled into his role at the Lake Union, his interactions with the Lake Region Conference deepened his understanding of the Black Adventist experience. He credited colleagues and church members for broadening his perspective.

“[Retired Pioneer Memorial Church Pastor] Dwight Nelson was a factor,” he said. “Dwight said, ‘You know, now we have things to apologize for.’ And because of my background, that kind of lit up in my heart.”

Reading history books, such as Delbert Baker’s writings on Lucy Byard and the early struggles of Black Adventists, further shaped Livesay’s conviction. The 70th anniversary of the Lake Region Conference provided the perfect opportunity to acknowledge these past injustices.

“The thought was that, as leaders, we needed to acknowledge what had been wrong,” Livesay explained. “Because when our kids acknowledge that they are wrong, then there’s hope that they can correct. That same principle applies to our church. If we can’t recognize the mistakes of the past, how can we grow?””

Reactions: Gratitude and Skepticism

While many expressed appreciation for the apology, Livesay faced some skepticism.

“I wish it hadn’t been the same year as General Conference,” he admitted. “There were some who interpreted what we did as greasing the skids for political gain… But that became an indicator of how deep the broken trust was.”

However, the overwhelming response from Lake Region members was one of deep appreciation.

“I remember looking at the older members of the regional conference,” Mercado said. “I could see that they were just enthralled to see what they were seeing. And I couldn’t help but think that there was a real release—an understanding that someone else understood.”

Lake Union Education Director Ruth Horton spoke of the impact it had on her late husband, Michael Horton, a longtime church member who as a relatively new Adventist had once been directed away from a predominantly white Adventist church.

“He could not stop talking about the apology,” she said. “It meant so much to him.”

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