On Thursday, July 10, 2025, as the General Conference Session was winding down, G. Alexander Bryant wound up his pitching arm as he chose a different dinner venue — and experience — than the rest of the week. At 6:45 p.m. CT he threw out the first pitch at the St. Louis Cardinals game. It was a rare and deeply meaningful opportunity for the president of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in North America (NAD).

Ken Sharpe stands at the bustling North American Division booth inside the General Conference Session exhibit hall, eager to share a message that’s taking hold across thousands of churches. As project manager for Pentecost 2025, Sharpe is helping steer an ambitious initiative designed to spark spiritual revival, community engagement, and ultimately, evangelistic growth.

The moment I stepped into America’s Center Convention Complex for the 62nd General Conference Session, I was swept into a current of humanity — so many people from so many places filling the facility. But this crowd felt different.

Members of Potomac Conference’s Sligo church in Takoma Park, Md., often distribute food to refugees who have been relocated within their local community near Washington, D.C.