By Edward Dankwah
Accra, Oct. 20, GNA – Two Ghanaian Seventh-day Adventist Church leaders have participated in the 2026 Annual Council of the denomination’s General Conference in the United States, where global leaders deliberated on mission priorities, leadership, administration and digital evangelism.
The eight-day meeting, held at the Church’s world headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland, brought together more than 440 church leaders and representatives from across the world on the theme: “Called for Mission.”
A press statement issued to the Ghana News Agency by Pastor Dr Samuel K. Dorgbetor, the Director of the Communication Department of the South East Ghana Union Mission (SEGUM), said the gathering provided a platform for leaders to discuss strategies to advance the Church’s worldwide mission.
It said the Ghanaian participants were Pastor Col. (Rtd.) Peter Nyarko Duodu, the President of SEGUM and Pastor Kwakye Adeefe, the President of the Southwest Ghana Union Conference.
The statement said they joined the leadership of the West-Central Africa Division and other administrators to deliberate on issues relating to evangelism, communication, organisational development and mission priorities.
“A major focus of the Council was the global OneVoice27 initiative, which seeks to mobilise church members, pastors, communicators and digital content creators to share the gospel through coordinated evangelistic activities and strategic communication,” it added.
It said the initiative featured prominently in the Council’s programmes, including the presentation of mission activities from various world divisions and the OneVoice27 Messengers of Hope programme, which provided young people with opportunities to share messages of faith and hope.
The statement said the General Conference also announced two digital applications on October 13, Adventist Knowledge is Adventist Intelligence and Adventist+, to support access to Adventist beliefs, biblical resources and Christian content.
It said Pastor Abraham Bakari, Communication Director of the West-Central Africa Division, was among the presenters, delivering a session titled “Media to Harvest,” which examined the relationship between communication and evangelistic outcomes.
The statement said the conference emphasised the need for church communicators to develop media initiatives that foster meaningful engagement with the gospel and connect people with the Church’s mission.
On church administration, the Annual Council approved a proposal to undertake a comprehensive review of the Church Manual, with a revised edition intended for consideration at the 2030 General Conference Session.
Delegates also received a document explaining the Seventh-day Adventist understanding of the dating and significance of Jesus Christ’s baptism and anointing in AD 27, ahead of a planned commemoration in 2027.
The statement said the General Conference Treasurer reported that worldwide mission offerings had reached 72.8 million dollars by August 2026, representing an increase of nearly 10 per cent over the same period in 2025.
It said the Council also marked 100 years of the General Conference Working Policy, which provided administrative guidance for the operation of the global Church.
Other reports covered Hope Channel International, Adventist World Radio, educational and healthcare institutions, religious liberty and other areas of the denomination’s worldwide ministry.
The statement said leadership changes were also recorded during the meeting, including the election of Kim SunHwan as President of the Northern Asia-Pacific Division, and Rick Remmers as a General Conference Vice President following the acceptance of the previous President’s resignation.
Pastor Dorgbetor said the participation of the two Ghanaian Union presidents highlighted the country’s representation in global Adventist deliberations and strengthened the connection between local mission priorities and the wider Church’s strategic direction.
He said the emphasis on digital evangelism and coordinated communication was particularly relevant to SEGUM’s efforts to strengthen its communication ministry and equip content creators across its six constituent fields.
GNA
Edited by Benjamin Mensah