“Ten Years After the Lake Union Apology at LRC Camp Meeting” with panelists Don Livesay, former Lake Union president; Gary Thurber, former Lake Union executive secretary; Carmelo Mercado, Lake Union vice president for multicultural ministries; Ken Denslow, Lake Union president. [Photos by Katie Fellows]
Debbie Michel
February 27, 2025Nearly 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.
Speaking before Lake Union staff nearly 10 years after that historic apology, Livesay said it was “really moving to hear the members of the Lake Region Conference who were there that day. The look in their eyes, the reality that there was actually some recognition of what has been and what is, was deeply moving.” He recalled, in particular, “one former pastor of Lake Region, who had since moved to another conference, emailed me later that day and said, ‘I wish my father could have been alive to hear that.’ That really struck me. It wasn’t just about a statement that day—it was about the generations who had lived through this reality and never heard words of recognition or regret.”
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.””
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?””
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.”
The apology sparked further dialogue within the church. Shortly after, Andrews University issued its own public apologies for the ways Adventist institutions had contributed to racial division.
The Lake Union also took steps to create ongoing initiatives for reconciliation, including cultural intelligence training for pastors, leadership summits on race relations, and intentional partnerships between regional and state conferences.
“We didn’t want it to be just words,” Mercado emphasized. “We wanted to continue the journey, and that meant bringing pastors and churches together for intentional conversations and prayer.”
One particularly powerful moment came during the 2017 Day of Healing and Understanding at the Berrien Springs Village Church. After watching a video about racial profiling, attendees were asked how many of them—or their immediate family members—had experienced similar situations.
“It was one of the most powerful moments of my life,” Livesay recalled. “About 90 to 95% of [African Americans] stood up. That was a gut check.”
As the church moves forward, leaders acknowledge the challenges of fostering a climate of unity in an increasingly polarized world.
“I think there’s coming a dividing time,” Denslow said. “The only way forward is for our hearts to be changed. We need to be spirit-filled, not just smarter.”
Denslow pointed to Philippians 2:3 as a guiding principle: “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.”
Mercado also warned of the dangers of allowing political ideologies to shape church culture.
“Too many of our people are leaning towards the media—whether it’s Fox News or MSNBC—rather than looking at what Jesus says,” he said. “Let’s go back to Scripture. Let’s follow what the Bible says about loving our neighbor.”
As the discussion continued, Janet Ledesma, an educator and associate dean at Andrews University, posed a pointed question to the panel:
“Given our current political climate and the direction of our university and local churches, I wonder—being 2025, at camp meeting 2025—would you still have the courage and conviction to share that apology?”
The room fell silent as the panelists reflected on the question.
“I would,” Livesay responded without hesitation. “I’ll be happy to repeat the apology. It would probably be different today than it was 10 years ago because I think I’ve grown in understanding. But yes, any chance we have to bring healing and recognition of what has happened must be taken.”
Denslow acknowledged the shifting social landscape.
“It’s not easier,” he admitted. “If anything, it’s harder to take a stand now than it was 10 years ago. But we’re not called to be comfortable; we’re called to do what’s right.”
Livesay added, “We need to stay focused on biblical issues instead of political issues. That’s what God called us to do.”
As the Lake Union approaches the 10th anniversary of the 2015 apology, church leaders stress the importance of keeping the conversation alive.
“We must be a peculiar people,” Livesay urged. “What is more peculiar than being countercultural? The world is polarized, but we have to be about bringing people together. The church should be a place of healing, not division.”.”
Thurber echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the power of personal relationships.
If we get to know each other, then you don’t even think about race anymore,” he concluded. “You just know the heart of the person. And if we can understand each other’s experiences—if we can really listen—we can build something better. But that takes work, and it takes commitment.”
While the apology was a milestone, leaders agree that true reconciliation is a continuous process—one that requires ongoing commitment, intentional dialogue and the courage to address difficult truths.
“If we don’t continue the conversation,” Mercado said, “we risk losing the progress we’ve made. We have to keep talking. We have to keep praying. And we have to keep working together.”
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