PARADISE, Calif. — On August 9, nearly 600 people filled the new sanctuary of the Paradise Seventh-day Adventist Church, celebrating a milestone five years in the making. The Dedication Weekend was more than a ribbon-cutting — it was a homecoming, a testament of faith, and a visible sign that Paradise continues to rise from the ashes of the 2018 Camp Fire.
When the wildfire consumed the church campus, school, and thousands of homes, members didn’t retreat — they mobilized. They expanded their freshwater well to serve anyone in need, distributed home starter kits, built storage sheds for displaced families, and launched Love Gives, a ministry providing furniture and household goods to returning residents. During the pandemic, they delivered groceries and essentials to homebound neighbors, living out a ministry of presence even without a permanent building.
Worship never stopped. First under the open sky and later in the academy gymnasium, volunteers transformed the space week after week. In May 2023, hope took physical form as ground was broken for a new sanctuary. Two years later, the congregation stepped inside a building crafted not only from timber and stone but from shared perseverance.
During the dedication service, Northern California Conference President Marc Woodson prayed over the new facility, Associate Pastor Isaac Kim lifted a prayer for the people, and Senior Pastor Zach Reiber reflected on God’s sustaining love through seasons of trial and triumph.
The recovery extends far beyond church walls. Paradise Adventist Academy, destroyed in the fire, reopened in 2021 and now educates a generation shaped by resilience. The town itself, once reduced to rubble, is slowly returning — its population now over 9,000, its streets lined with both new construction and the lingering scars of loss.
“As Hebrews 10:23–24 reminds us, ‘Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess… and let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds,’” Woodson said. “Through the ashes of tragedy, the members of Paradise have shown what it means to live on mission—creating ministries that meet unique community needs, lifting spirits with kindness, and opening hearts to the transforming power of Jesus. Their steadfast love has helped neighbors rebuild and prepared hearts for the joy of His soon return.”
As Paradise continues to rebuild, its Adventist congregation remains at the heart of the healing — a place where faith fuels service, neighbors become family, and the story of restoration is still being written.
Featured in Northern Lights, August 21, 2025
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