It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Pastor Julio Tabuenca. He passed away Friday, January 17, 2025.
Pastor Julio Tabuenca was born in Juliaca, Peru, where his parents served as missionaries from Argentina. In 1967, he and his wife, Alicia, traveled from Argentina to the United States to pursue master's degrees at Andrews University. Pastor Julio would go on to complete his PhD from CA Graduate School of Theology and his EdD from Loma Linda University.
Over his lifetime, Pastor Julio held several leadership roles ranging from Adventist education to Public Health. His last thirty years of ministry were spent in the Southeastern California Conference where he pastored nearly a dozen churches with his trademark passion and dedication, eventually retiring as senior pastor of the Campus Hill church in 2018.
He leaves behind his wife Alicia, children Monica Huff, Arturo Tabuenca, and five granddaughters.
Southeastern California Conference expresses their gratitude for his years of service and active membership in spreading the gospel.
Please join us in keeping his family and loved ones in prayer.
We are excited to announce the appointment of Pastor Meshach Soli as the new Associate Ministerial Director for the Southeastern California Conference (SECC). He joins the Ministerial department with excitement to serve each pastor and a part of the Center for Discipleship & Evangelism.
Pastor Meshach, born and raised in Southern California, brings with him over 14 years of pastoral experience, a powerful testimony of transformation through God’s grace, and a passion for serving others. His ministry journey has been dedicated to empowering youth and young adults, and he currently serves as the Associate Youth Director for Club Ministries.
With a deep connection to his Pacific Islander roots and a heart for evangelism, Pastor Meshach is also the Board Chair for The Two Percent Ministry, serving Indigenous and Pacific Islander communities across the North American Division. Known for his dynamic leadership and love for ministry, he views his role not as a job, but as a lifestyle of service to God’s Kingdom. Beyond his ministry work, he is a loving husband to his high school sweetheart, Linda, and father of five sons, serving together with his family in their mission to 'Magnify the King and Multiply the Kingdom.'
Please join us in welcoming Pastor Meshach as he steps into his new role on September 29, 2024. We are excited about the fresh energy and vibrant leadership he will bring to our Ministerial department!
We are thrilled to announce the appointment of Taji Saleem as the new Communications and Media Director for the Southeastern California Conference (SECC). Taji has been an integral part of the SECC family since July 19, 2020, when he began his journey with us as a Media Specialist for the Youth Department. His innovative approach and creative talents have significantly contributed to the department's media outreach and engagement.
Most recently, Taji served as the Assistant Director for Media for the SECC Youth Department, a role he assumed October, 2022. His leadership and expertise in media production, graphic design, and digital communication have already made a lasting impact.
Taji holds a Bachelor of Arts in Film Production, with a minor in Graphic Design, from California Baptist University, where he graduated Magna Cum Laude. He is currently completing a master’s program in Pastoral Ministry at Andrews University. Throughout his career, Taji has demonstrated a commitment to creating empathetic and relevant content that resonates with audiences across various platforms.
As the new Communications and Media Director, Taji will lead our efforts to enhance SECC's communication and media strategies, ensuring that our message reaches and inspires our diverse community. We are confident that his creative vision and dedication will continue to uplift and expand our conference's communication and media efforts as well as our mission.
Please join us in congratulating Taji on his new role and in offering your support as he transitions into this important position. We look forward to the exciting contributions he will bring to SECC in the years ahead.
Welcome, Taji!
January 25, 2024
We are pleased to announce the Executive Committee has elected Andrea King as the Vice President of Black Ministries for Southeastern California Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. King most recently served as the Communication and Media Director for SECC. Please continue to keep her in prayer as she steps into this new role.
Celebrating Creativity: Thousands of Dollars Awarded to Conference Creatives
By Megan Jacobs
On November 12, 2023, the Southeastern California Conference (SECC) Communications and Media Department celebrated and honored the winners of the Media Mob Awards at an awards ceremony at La Sierra Alumni Center. It was a momentous occasion, praising God for the creativity that courses through our conference.
The Media Mob Awards contest was an opportunity to recognize the creative work that our pastors and media teams have accomplished this year. Participants submitted their art within six categories: social media, website design, graphic design, photography, videography for individuals, and videography for churches. Separate panels of at least three judges—consisting of various communication leaders and specialists across the North American Division—determined the winners of each category. At the awards ceremony, the audience voted for Audience Choice favorites in the graphic design and photography categories.
The awards ceremony pulled out all the stops for a night to remember. The alumni center was dressed to the nines (just like the attendees!) with a red carpet, balloons, and sparkle. “It was a gala that I continue to liken to the Grammys on an Adventist scale,” reflected Althea Jasper from 31st Street church. Creatives, pastors, and friends came together to eat, connect, and even play games!
“What I enjoyed most about the event was the opportunity to connect and learn from other communicators within our conference,” said Keturah Reed from Azure Hills church. “I was also inspired as I saw the content produced by others.”
The anticipation was tangible as Andrea King, director of SECC Communications and Media, announced the winners. Over $3,000 in prize money was awarded to our category winners, audience choice winners, and honorable mentions.
SECC is profoundly grateful for the participants of the Media Mob Awards, and we wish them all heartfelt congratulations! It is inspiring to see God continue to work through our churches through their media ministries. To view the winning submissions, please visit www.seccadventist.org/mediamobawards.
Over the past two weeks, SECC held presessions in preparation for Constituency Session in the five counties of our conference: Imperial County (at El Centro Spanish Church on April 30), San Diego County (at San Diego Fil-Am Church on May 1), Orange County (at OC Grace Church on May 2), Riverside County (at Riverside Community Church on May 4), and San Bernardino County (at Loma Linda Korean Church on May 9). These sessions are important in order to properly inform and prepare delegates for the 2023 Constituency. For constituency information, bylaws, and more, visit seccsession.org.
On June 8, 2022, the Southeastern California Conference Administration issued the following statement in the wake of several shootings:
Our hearts are heavy, and we mourn with the families and loved ones affected by the several mass shootings that have taken place in the last few weeks across our nation. We are saddened by the increased amount of violence and loss of life, and we pray for comfort for those who are hurt and suffering as a result of these senseless acts. We want to be a part of the solution to make our schools, clinics, churches, and grocery stores safe again.
The Seventh-day Adventist World Church issued a statement over 30 years ago that still rings true today. “Pursuits of peace and the preservation of life are to be the goals of Christians. Evil cannot be effectively met with evil but must be overcome with good. Seventh-day Adventists, with other people of goodwill, wish to cooperate in using every legitimate means of reducing, and eliminating where possible, the root causes of crime.”
The Southeastern California Conference of Seventh-day Adventists stands against all forms of violence and wishes to be agents of love, compassion, hope, and justice in our communities. We commit to being a persistent voice for peace. We pray the words of the Apostle Paul in 2 Thessalonians 3:16, “Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.”
- Southeastern California Conference Administration
