While the anchor report of the final day of the 2024 North American Division (NAD) Year-End Meeting was the treasurer’s report on the organization’s finances, [covered in detail here] the thematic focus was on NAD’s major evangelistic initiative for prayer and revival known as Pentecost 2025. On Nov. 4, 2024, NAD ministry departments and other church partners shared reports showing commitment to the initiative.

Welcome Book for New Members

Associate secretary Bonita J. Shields, who oversees member nurture and retention at the NAD Secretariat, reported that they often heard a version of the following statement from new members: “The theology wasn’t a problem at all but walking through the door, I wasn’t quite sure what I was supposed to do next.”

Thus, the NAD is set to release a “Welcome Book for New Members” in January 2025. “This is a book to help our new members and new believers understand the culture of Adventism and to be able to assimilate,” said Shields. It will feature various chapters that address the practical aspects of Adventist culture and will be in place to support the new members expected to join from the upcoming Pentecost 2025 evangelistic initiative.

The publication will be available in English, Spanish, and French, with an initial pre-print price of US$2 per book. The division anticipates ordering approximately 50,000 copies, with bulk ordering options available through AdventSource. Churches interested in obtaining copies can expect detailed ordering information to be sent to their conferences in the coming weeks.

Ongoing Pentecost 2025 activities

Youth Leaders Training Initiative

The North American Division has begun rolling out youth training sessions, with the first held recently in Miami. Vandeon Griffin, associate director of Youth & Young Adult Ministries, reported that the inaugural “Youth Empower for Pentecost” training session drew more than 150 participants across two nights.

The training, supported by the Southern Union both financially and with human resources, brought together youth directors from the Florida Conference and Southeastern Conference. A notable outcome was young adults expressing interest in conducting joint evangelistic meetings across conference lines. The initiative includes new evangelistic resources designed specifically for youth outreach, called Momentum Youth Bible Study Series: The Chronicles of Jeniah and Uriah,” which is a series of 28 Bible studies presented in story form. These materials, developed with assistance from Tucson Williams, are available for US$3.99 in hard copy or as a free download at https://adventistyouthministries.org/ministries .

Oakwood University president Leslie N. Pollard indicated that higher education institutions are actively participating, with 15 young adult preachers ready to conduct meetings. Division leaders are working to match these speakers with churches willing to host evangelistic series. NAD plans to extend these training sessions to eight additional unions as part of the broader Pentecost 2025 campaign.

Carolina Conference Prayer Initiative Success Story

The Carolina Conference has seen remarkable growth in evangelistic efforts, according to president Leslie Louis. A decade-old shift toward prayer-focused initiatives has yielded significant results, including consistently raising $1 million annually for evangelism over the past five years (a dramatic increase from their previous $250,000 goal) and a major prayer initiative called “President’s Prayer Partners, Petitions and Praises,” which aims to mobilize 10,000 members in concentrated prayer across the conference.

Current participation in the Pentecost 2025 initiative shows strong engagement, with 155 of the conference’s 184 churches planning proclamation events. The conference’s children’s ministry has shown particular vitality, with 180 child evangelists conducting outreach efforts in 2024—up from 123 the previous year, which resulted in 66 baptisms. Seven of the conference’s 20 schools have also committed to the initiative. G. Alexander Bryant, who attended the conference’s camp meeting, noted the enthusiasm among members for advancing the church’s mission. 

The praise team came forward to close out the morning session and led the attendees in singing, “Come, Holy Spirit.”

Ministry Reports

North American Division Evangelism Institute (NADEI) 

NADEI is based on the campus of Andrews University in Michigan and works to address the challenges faced by declining churches across the North American Division by equipping pastors and congregations through a multiplication framework that emphasizes discipleship, leadership development, and church revitalization. The leadership presented its strategic vision for partnering with the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary, also at Andrews University, and local church leadership to develop effective ministerial leaders. The institute noted that while there are currently 6,599 Seventh-day Adventist churches, more than double that number would be needed to effectively reach the current population base. 

It Is Written

It is Written is a television and evangelism ministry of NAD and is implementing major initiatives to support Pentecost 2025. These include training events, such as an upcoming campaign in Baltimore, and resources available for pastors and churches across the division which can be found at https://blog.itiswritten.com/resources-for-pentecost-2025/. “We can be planning on and praying for and expecting big things from God, because this a key component of what He has called us to,” said director John Bradshaw. 

enditnow

“enditnow” is an initiative of the NAD administration that provides resources and training on Abuse Prevention and Response. In a video presentation, Women’s Ministries assistant director Erica Smith shared that for the past decade, the yearly enditnow seminar on abuse has been widely viewed and continues to be housed on the Adventist Learning Community platform. In the last two years they have expanded to offer in-person trainings that provide participants with both knowledge and practical skills for effectively and appropriately supporting victims of domestic violence in our churches and communities. Participants who passed both an oral and written assessment are given certification as “enditnow advocates.” Thus far, nearly 100 advocates against abuse have been certified. Women’s Ministries urged attendees to promote and encourage attendance at the “End It Now” in-person training event on February 9-11, 2025 at the North American Division headquarters. 

The Safeguarding Peace Manual is the first of its kind, and was a collaborative project with Adventist Risk Management, the church’s insurance agency, and legal counsel. The manual provides administrators, ministry leaders, and laypersons with best practices for preventing abuse of all kinds and how to respond appropriately by using included policies and procedures. All of these resources can be found at https://www.enditnownorthamerica.org/. There was also a suggestion from the floor to integrate enditnow training for church leadership at all levels (local, conference, union) as part of continuing education. NAD president G. Alexander Bryant voiced his support saying, “there are no boundaries in this area. It is rampant everywhere. We need to do more to include it.” 

Guam-Micronesia Mission (GMM) Territory

The unique culture and systems in Guam and Micronesia can make operations challenging. However, the church has found success in focusing its efforts on education, which has been universally embraced and allows it to cross traditional boundaries. The church has also prioritized aligning its various initiatives, such as the mission, clinics, and pastors, with the vision of the local congregations. increase in student missionary participation. GMM president Matthew Kirk shared about a recent successful medical trip to a remote island, which led to significant community engagement and conversions. 

In the past year, the church has seen its number of student missionary participants more than double from the previous year, growing from under 30 to more than 60, with anticipated further growth in the coming year. As the church looks ahead to its Pentecost 2025 initiative, the Guam-Micronesia Mission is excited to see what God will do through its holistic efforts in the region.

Primary and Secondary Adventist Education

The NAD Adventist Education department shared a promotional video explaining the fundamental principles that guide the work in the church’s extensive network of primary and secondary school across the division. In it they explained that Adventist education is rooted in a holistic approach that develops the whole child — spiritually, mentally, physically, and socially. “Guided by the powerful triad of ‘why, how, and what,’ Adventist educators work diligently to create Christ-centered learning environments that instill in students a love for Jesus, reflective thinking, effective communication, and a caring spirit,” said secondary education and accreditation director Stephen Bralley in the voiceover. 

From early childhood through high school and beyond, Adventist schools partner closely with families and churches to raise up students who are well-equipped, not just for academic success, but for lives of service and eternal joy. Through faith-based curriculum, engaging instruction, personalized support, and a strong spiritual foundation, Adventist education is focusing on a “journey to excellence,” and preparing the next generation to thrive in this world and the next.

Disabilities Ministries

“Everyone needs a hero,” shared Disabilities Ministries coordinator Charlotte LV Thoms in her video report, noting that over 25 percent of North Americans have disabilities. To meet this need, the Disabilities Ministries has been actively expanding its reach and impact in recent years. In the past year alone, the ministries team has grown to include new board directors and coordinators, allowing them to launch innovative new programs and partnerships such the ministry’s advocacy work, which included securing an Adventist representative to attend the prestigious African American Faith Leaders Summit at the U.S. Senate. The Mobility Task Force played a key role in providing legal training and resources to help local churches better understand their responsibilities around accommodating people with disabilities and properly distinguishing between service animals and pets. More than 950 attendees participating in disabilities-focused workshops, webinars, and small group trainings over the past year. This pastoral engagement has helped drive a surge of new disabilities-focused initiatives at the local church level. Looking ahead, there are plans to focus on inclusion for the estimated 65,000 people with dwarfism in the United States. 

Multilingual Ministries

The Multilingual Ministries department of the NAD shared an extensive report highlighting their growing impact on diverse communities across the region. These include:

Refugee and Immigrant Ministries: The refugee and immigrant ministries continue to expand, with the number of language groups, congregations, and members all seeing significant growth. Despite financial challenges for new arrivals, the ministries have seen a remarkable 800 percent increase in tithe contributions as these communities express gratitude through their generosity, shared coordinator Terri Saelee.

Adventist Muslim Relations: Led by coordinator Gabriela Phillips, this advisory focuses on mobilizing and training Adventists to effectively reach out to Muslim communities, whether they are recent Afghan refugees, former Adventists, or international students. The principle guiding this work is that simple acts like prayer, sharing meals, and telling faith stories can facilitate meaningful understanding.

Asian Pacific Ministries: This rapidly growing area of the NAD’s work saw several milestones in 2024, including the first ever Indonesian youth and young adult gathering, as well as the formation of an Asian Pacific Ministry Advisory Committee in the Mid-America Union. These developments signal increasing momentum and organization within this community.

South Asian Adventist Ministries: This ministry, led by a team of 20 volunteers, works to reach the diverse South Asian immigrant populations, encompassing more than 30 languages from countries like Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, and Sri Lanka. The coordinator shared the joy of connecting with these communities and building friendships that open doors to their hearts and families.

Hispanic Ministries: The Hispanic ministry continues to be a remarkable story of faith and growth, with 978 dedicated pastors serving 1,834 congregations. In 2023, they celebrated 17,193 baptisms, bringing the total membership to 253,075, which now represents 23 percent of the total membership in North America. Their faithfulness is also evident in their $187 million in tithe contributions. 

Esperanza TV: The resurgence of Esperanza TV, the official Hispanic home channel of the NAD, has been a particular highlight. Led by a dynamic team, the channel has produced an impressive array of content, including 210 episodes across 21 different TV series, 70 evangelistic messages, and 35 music videos. Their digital evangelism strategy has resulted in significant growth across social media platforms, including 37,852 YouTube subscribers and more than 4.5 million views.

Hope Channel International

Hope Channel International is a Seventh-day Adventist television media ministry based at the General Conference. President Vyacheslav Demyan thanked the NAD saying, “Everything I will share today happened because of the tremendous support, financial support, mutual support, commitment and hard work of people from this territory.” 

Demyan reported significant growth and impact of Hope Channel across multiple platforms, including unprecedented success with their Arabic language channel reaching over 100,000 subscribers despite having fewer than 6,000 church members in the region. Their recent film release ‘The Hopeful’ achieved notable success, ranking eighth at U.S. box offices and performing strongly internationally, including a number two ranking in New Zealand where it extended its theatrical run to three weeks due to popular demand. 

The channel has also seen remarkable engagement on social media, with some programs garnering 1.4 million views on non-Adventist platforms. In satellite rankings, Hope Channel achieved the number two position among religious channels in the United States. Demyan concluded by announcing an ambitious vision to reach one billion people globally by 2030, emphasizing their commitment to creating content focused on reaching new audiences rather than serving existing members.

Closing Items

The meeting drew towards a close with a look at remaining policy items in the consent agenda and a promo for the next CALLED pastors’ family convention, which will be June 21-24, 2027, in Lexington, Kentucky. 

Bryant closed the program with a statement about the U.S. presidential elections that would occur the next day, Nov. 5. “No matter how you cut it, half of this nation tomorrow night, or maybe the next night, are going to be deeply sad, and the other half will be elated,” he said. “We’re in a deeply divided nation and I believe the Lord wants to use us to be messengers of peace, unity, and harmony. And I believe that after tomorrow night, our nation will deeply need peacemakers. I believe God has called us at this moment, in this time, to be that — and it is my prayer and my hope that in this moment, that’s how the Seventh-day Adventist church will be viewed and seen. I [pray] that the politics that divide our nation will not come into our church and bring the same division. And so I’m asking you to join me and so many others to pray for our nation.”