The North American Division of the Seventh-day Adventist Church is thrilled to introduce Bill Payne as the new director of Sabbath School and Personal Ministries. Payne officially assumed this role last November after being elected by the NAD executive committee on September 6, 2024.

Most recently, Payne served as director of the Voice of Prophecy Bible School, helping churches organize Bible schools across North America and internationally. He also assisted conference and union directors doing big city evangelism, laying the groundwork for campaigns led by Voice of Prophecy speaker/director Shawn Boonstra. 

Payne’s immediate focus is revitalizing a department that was without a director for several years. He has observed that, at churches division-wide, “Sabbath School seems to be on life support” and “without vision,” and is keen to “reinvigorate leadership at all levels to make Sabbath School more dynamic.” He is also motivated to educate and promote personal ministries, encouraging members to study the Word more deeply and share their faith.

Foundational to Payne’s work is his passion for small group ministry. For more than 25 years, he has practiced, studied, and taught workshops on small groups. In 2022, he earned a Doctor of Ministry from Liberty University, completing a thesis on church revitalization, emphasizing Sabbath School and small groups. At the NAD, he will continue advocating for small group Sabbath school classes as the discipleship arm of the church.

“Sabbath School is not just 45 minutes on Sabbath mornings. It encompasses home Bible study, social connection, and community [service]. My prayer is to incorporate the five pillars of small group ministry — community, evangelism, leadership, accountability, and equipping —  into the Sabbath School environment.” He is presently writing a curriculum integrating the four objectives of Sabbath School – study the word, fellowship, community outreach, and world mission outreach – with these five pillars. 

He cited as his inspiration a quote from Ellen G. White’s Sabbath School Worker, “If properly conducted, the influence growing out of the Sabbath School will improve and enlarge the church” (October 1, 1886, par. 1).

“It’s a tremendous honor to welcome Elder Bill Payne, who fills the position vacated by Elder Al Johnson. Payne brings a wealth of experience, but his passion and work with small groups will be extremely helpful in creating small group resources and training for our local churches. This focus will be a special blessing to our entire territory,” said G. Alexander Bryant, NAD president.

Responding to God’s Call at a Young Age

Payne’s ministerial journey began in his native Jamaica, where he first sensed God’s call at age 10, shortly before moving to the U.S. He was raised in the church and fondly remembers his grandmother, a Sabbath School teacher, daily waking him and other family members early in the morning for worship. “No one in my family is in the work, no pastors, no Bible workers. But my grandmother gave me the spiritual foundation that I needed.” 

After a brief stint in electronics following high school, Payne completed a B.A. in theology from Southwestern Adventist University. He began his ministry career in the Southwest Region before moving to Hawaii, where his wife, Audrey, then in the military, was posted. After five years as a district pastor, he served the Hawaii Conference as director of six departments, including small group ministries, Sabbath School, and youth ministries. 

By then, he held a master's in organizational management but felt called to the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary, so they sold everything and moved to Berrien Springs, Michigan. Armed with a Master of Divinity, he returned to pastoral ministry, first in the Indiana Conference for six years, then at Honolulu Central, the mother church in Hawaii, for two-and-a-half years before accepting the Voice of Prophecy position. A people person, he is grateful for the rich personal and professional experiences that have helped him connect with people across cultures.

Beyond ministry, Payne is grateful for his wife, who now works for Voice of Prophecy and helped him run a successful young professional small group throughout the pandemic, as well as for their adult daughter, a fourth-grade teacher in Texas. He enjoys spending time with his family and engaging in outdoor activities, including camping, boating, jet skiing, bicycling, and snorkeling. He noted, “I appreciate God’s beauty, and a boat gives you a beautiful perspective.”

Ultimately, Payne is driven by a passion for soul-winning. “I want to see as many people [as I can] realize the love of Christ and be saved.” He added that wherever he preaches, he concludes, “If we don’t meet again on earth, meet me at the Middle East Gate going into the New Jerusalem.”