GC Session 2025

The second full day of the 62nd General Conference (GC) Session in St. Louis, Missouri, highlighted the Seventh-day Adventist Church’s continued focus on mission strategy, intergenerational discipleship, and inclusive participation through live language interpretation.

‘I Will Go’ Strategic Plan Unites Global Church in Mission

In the afternoon of July 5, leaders gathered to reignite momentum around the “I Will Go” strategic plan, which will guide the Adventist Church’s mission efforts from 2025 to 2030. Hosted by Vanesa Pizzuto, the interactive session featured video presentations, interviews, and stories of practical mission engagement.

This region, rich in culture and history, is one of the most spiritually challenging places in the world. Political conflicts, legal restrictions, and social barriers create difficult conditions for open ministry. Yet, over the past few years, the Seventh-day Adventist Church has seen the Holy Spirit working in this place through meaningful progress, steady growth, and powerful stories of transformation.

Mission during Conflict

Six countries in the MENAUM region have been engaged in active warfare over the past few years. In 2023-2024, violence escalated in the area surrounding the MENAUM headquarters building itself. Still, the work of the Seventh-day Adventist Church remains active. Over the years, countless lives have been touched through schools, Urban Centers of Influence, literature, and the compassionate outreach of local church members. These efforts are often small and quiet, but their impact is significant.

The first Sabbath of the 62nd General Conference (GC) Session closed with an evening worship service hosted by Hope Channel International highlighting the story of Alan, a young man from the Dominican Republic.

Alan’s story is a part of the series Stories of Hope, which shares powerful first-hand accounts of lives transformed by the gospel. 

Raised by a single mother alongside two brothers, Alan had a deep passion for football and showed remarkable talent from a young age. The sport quickly became his life’s focus. However, he soon faced a difficult choice between pursuing a professional football career and honoring the Sabbath.

The club owner told him, “If you can’t play on Saturday, we can’t count on you,’" Alan recalled. “They closed many doors on me. It was very difficult.”

In an effort to generate excitement among world church leaders about the General Conference’s (GC) initiative, “I Will Go,” slated for 2025 to 2030, an afternoon interview session with strategy leaders was hosted by Vanesa Pizzuto, communication and media associate director at the Trans-European Division.

Mike Ryan, GC general field secretary for global mission, joined Pizzuto on stage to offer his perspective surrounding the importance of “I Will Go.”

“We live in a world that is changing rapidly,” Ryan said. “As trends and patterns change, we find at the core there is a tremendous need for mission.”

Ryan emphasized that having a mission re-focus slogan allows the church to react to what the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy (SOP) are leading believers toward.

To mark the 125th anniversary of Friedensau in 2024, the film Echo of Faith was produced. Shot in the style of a docudrama, it tells the eventful history of Friedensau—a place that has shaped the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Germany and in Europe.

The screenplay is based on the book Wanderer, kommst du nach Friedensau (Wanderer, If You Come to Friedensau) by the late Wolfgang Hartlapp, a lecturer in church history at Friedensau, and was filmed at around 20 different locations. A team of about 60 people—including professional and amateur actors, extras, and experienced crew members—worked intensively on the project. The film has a runtime of approximately 60 minutes.

Film Content

Echo of Faith tells the story of Friedensau, a place founded in 1899 that celebrated its 125th anniversary in 2024. It is located about 35 kilometers east of Magdeburg, the capital of the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. What began as a missionary and industrial school in Friedensau, with several functional buildings, has since developed into Friedensau Adventist University, which received official state recognition in 1990.

A senior youth church service took place on July 5, 2025, offering a place for the senior youth of the Adventist Church to come and worship together during the 62nd General Conference Session in St. Louis, Missouri.

Held in the Ferrara Theater at the America’s Center Convention Complex, the worship service began with music led by two groups: Jehovah Shalom from Uganda, and the Chamber Choir of the Adventist University of Chile.

James Tham from the Chinese Union Mission presented the sermon. He preached on the urgency of Jesus' return and signs of the times, the pivotal role of young people in the church today, and how there is a need for a relational, not obligatory, faith. 

Erton Köhler, newly elected president of the General Conference (GC), delivered his first sermon in the role to thousands of listeners at the 62nd GC Session, held at the America's Center in St. Louis, Missouri.

Köhler had been scheduled to preach for months in his role as secretary of the GC and stated at the beginning of the sermon that though his position had shifted less than 24 hours earlier, his message would remain unchanged. 

The title of his message was “Boldness in Mission” and touched on the identity of being a Seventh-day Adventist firmly rooted in the Bible. 

“We preach the book, we teach the book, and by God’s grace, we live according to the book,” Köhler said. 

If you thought the General Conference Session was just about church business and long reports, think again. This year’s GC Session in St. Louis flipped the script, with each world division turning their exhibit booths into immersive experiences bursting with culture, creativity, and cutting-edge mission innovation.

Picture this: a walk-through tour of global Adventism, where every stop unveils something unexpected—from AI-driven evangelism tools and virtual Bible studies to indigenous music, handcrafted mission stories, and digital discipleship hubs.

We’ll take you on a journey through 13 division booths and those of four attached organizations that prove mission today is more than programs—it’s passion, purpose, and people. Each booth tells a story, not just with numbers or charts, but with rhythm, food, technology, and testimonies. Whether you’re a delegate or a guest, these booths make one thing clear: the global Adventist Church is alive, adaptive, and dreaming big for Jesus.

East-Central Africa Division (ECD)

Sabbath School took center stage on July 5 during the 2025 General Conference (GC) Session, as children participated in hands-on activities, songs, and interactive Bible stories found within the Seventh-day Adventist Church’s new Sabbath School curriculum, Alive in Jesus.

The first part of the curriculum debuted at the beginning of 2025, offering resources for babies (0–12 months) and beginners (1–3 years), and will continue to roll out content for Kindergarten, Primary, Junior, Teen, and Youth. Designed for ages 0–18, Alive in Jesus equips parents, caregivers, and Sabbath School teachers to nurture faith at every stage of a child’s development. 

“Whether a small child or a teenager, [Jesus] invites them to come to know Him, to love Him, to serve Him, and to be part of His mission to reach the world,” said Nina Atcheson, curriculum manager for Alive in Jesus.

The multiple languages represented in the global Seventh-day Adventist Church pose a challenge, but they also offer a unique opportunity to share the message that Jesus is coming soon.

Part of this process relies on the work of translators who engage with specific content—from publications to sermons—and make it accessible in other languages, thus expanding the reach of the Adventist Church’s vision and mission. That’s also what happens during the 62nd General Conference Session.

The church’s quinquennial gathering, which in 2025 includes 2,809 delegates representing members from more than 200 countries, has a built-in system to provide translation of the meetings into eight languages for those attending in person. These languages are French, Russian, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, Chinese, Romanian, and German.

Having these languages available at such an event not only facilitates understanding but ensures that the outcome of the discussions reaches local churches. That’s the point emphasized by César Efren Gonzalez from Cuernavaca, Mexico, about 75 kilometers (45 miles) south of Mexico City.

On July 4, 2025, the first full day of the 62nd General Conference (GC) Session brought significant developments, including the election of a new GC president, updates on global mission progress, and a comprehensive financial report on the church’s operations over the past five years.

Erton Köhler Elected as New GC President

GC secretary Erton C. Köhler was elected president of the GC during the afternoon business session on July 4. Köhler’s election marks the beginning of his first term as leader of a global movement that spans more than 200 countries and includes more than 23 million members.

During the Friday evening program in the Dome at America’s Center, leaders of the Seventh-day Adventist Church underscored a continued commitment to Total Member Involvement (TMI). TMI is a global initiative launched in 2015 under the leadership of outgoing General Conference president Ted N. C. Wilson.

Introduced as a rallying call for every member of the church to participate in the mission of making disciples, TMI has become a defining feature of the Adventist Church’s global outreach strategy. The initiative was founded on the conviction that the work of evangelism does not rest solely on pastors or other church workers but on each believer, called to share the faith that has transformed their own life.

James Howard, GC director of Sabbath School and Personal Ministries and an assistant to the GC president for Global TMI, reminded delegates that the church is not merely a source of doctrinal truth but a community called to cultivate a culture of disciple-making. He made the point that success in the church is not just about baptisms or growing membership; it’s also about how many of those members are actively working to make new disciples out of love and reverence for God.

The first official evening worship of the 62nd General Conference (GC) Session began on July 4, 2025, with a focus on Total Member Involvement by Mark Finley, assistant to the GC president.

“You may not be able to change the world, but you can make a difference for God in your world,” Finley said.

Total Member Involvement, or TMI, is a Seventh-day Adventist initiative that calls upon every member to participate in disciple-making and evangelism.

Finley utilized various names found through the Bible, including Phillip, Peter, Mary, and the Samaritan woman, to reinforce to delegates that anyone can be used by God.

Day two of business sessions for the 2025 General Conference (GC) Session has wrapped up with the election of a new GC president, Erton Köhler. He spoke with internal and external media sources at a press conference upon election. 

“My two priorities are unity and mission,” Köhler said. “If we have unity we will be stronger in mission, and the Holy Spirit will come and live among us.” 

Watch the entire press conference at ANN News. The interview with Köhler begins at 37.30.

Evening worship takes place inside the arena at 7 p.m. with a special focus on Total Member Involvement.

Erton C. Köhler was elected to the office of the president of the General Conference (GC) on July 4, 2025, during the 62nd GC Session in St. Louis, Missouri.

Köhler’s election marks the beginning of his first term as the spiritual and administrative leader of a worldwide movement that spans more than 200 countries and includes more than 23 million members.

"Before any other word, I'd like to tell you that I move forward renewed in my confidence in the Lord and in the church," Köhler said.

On Thursday, July 3, 2025, at the 62nd General Conference Session, a motion to add to the agenda a review and discussion of the GC’s 2015 statement on immunization was voted down by delegates.

On the morning of Friday, July 4, 2025, however, GC president Ted Wilson issued a corrective statement clarifying remarks he had made to delegates the day before while reading directly from that statement, as it was revealed to church officers that the posted version of the statement had been inaccurate for 10 years.

This revelation prompted the following motion:

“Motion to reconsider the failed motion to amend the General Conference Session agenda to include a review and discussion of the 2015 General Conference Administrative Committee statement on immunization, specifically its claim regarding peer-reviewed scientific literature, in addition to the Bible and the writings of Ellen G. White.”

The Secretary’s Report presented at the 62nd General Conference (GC) Session on July 4, 2025, highlighted a renewed focus on global mission, even as data revealed a slight decline in church membership driven by rising secularization in society.

“In every corner of the world, we are integrated by one purpose,” said Erton Köhler, secretary of the GC. “To bring hope, healing, and a message of love to all nations.” 

Before the report began, he clarified that the secretariat department focuses on re-strategizing and overseeing the church’s outreach mission to the challenging regions of the world. 

General Conference president Ted Wilson issued a corrective statement on Friday, July 4, 2025, clarifying remarks he made to delegates the day before, when he read from a 2015 General Conference Administrative Committee (ADCOM) statement about immunization. 

Following Wilson’s speech on July 3, church officers were made aware that the immunization statement posted on the official Seventh-day Adventist Church website for the past 10 years was not the version actually voted in 2015.

In his speech on July 3, Wilson had read directly from the 2015 immunization statement voted by ADCOM, following a motion to add a review of the statement to the 2025 GC Session agenda.

The following wording of the correct, voted statement shown to delegates and updated on the church’s website reads as follows:

The first morning worship of the 2025 General Conference (GC) Session in St. Louis, Missouri was led by John Bradshaw, director and speaker of It Is Written, a Seventh-day Adventist media ministry operating under the North American Division (NAD). 

Bradshaw opened by highlighting the logo of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, which features a cross and an open Bible with a flame emerging from its pages. He spoke on the intentional choice of using a flame as a representative of the Holy Spirit in the logo. 

“Our message is so vital, vibrant, and alive that we would best depict it with flames,” Bradshaw said. “This message is going to set the world ablaze.” 

Entitled “The Book,” his devotional aimed to remind delegates and attendees that the Seventh-day Adventist Church is rooted in the doctrines of the Bible. Referencing biblical prophecies found in the books of Daniel, Isaiah, and Revelation, Bradshaw urged delegates to recognize the central role of the Bible in the development of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

Every five years, the Seventh-day Adventist Church gathers its global family for an event known as the General Conference Session. This year, from July 3 to 12, 2025, more than 100,000 people are expected to convene in St. Louis, Missouri, United States, for the 62nd Session. Beyond the worship services, mission reports, and business meetings, a key highlight of this gathering is the prayerful election of global church leaders.

How the Church Chooses Its Leaders

Step 1: Delegates Assemble and Organize

The process begins with the gathering of official delegates from all 13 world divisions of the Adventist Church. These individuals are selected ahead of time to represent their local regions and play a vital role in the Session’s decision-making. Their initial responsibility is to elect members of the Nominating Committee.

St. Louis, Missouri, Mayor Cara Spencer will welcome thousands of delegates and attendees on Monday, July 7, at 9 a.m. at the Dome at America’s Center for a major international gathering of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

Spencer will greet delegates to the 62nd General Conference Session of the church, a 23 million-member Protestant denomination with more than 100,000 congregations in nearly 200 countries. She will also receive a major contribution from world church leaders to support tornado recovery efforts in St. Louis following the May 16 EF3 tornado that damaged thousands of buildings and caused more than $1.7 billion in damage to city neighborhoods.

The General Conference Session runs July 3–12 at the America’s Center. Weekend attendance is expected to exceed 50,000, with programming from early morning until late evening each day. Held every five years, the global gathering elects new leadership, sets policy, and organizes new regions for the fast-growing denomination.

Business sessions occupy the weekday daytime hours, while worship services, inspirational programming, and global reports are featured on Saturdays and in the evenings in the Dome. Hundreds of ministries and supporting organizations are showcasing ministry tools and resources in exhibit booths in the Convention Center.

In his report during the 62nd General Conference Session on July 3, 2025, General Conference (GC) president Ted N. C. Wilson presented a global overview of Seventh-day Adventist mission during the 2022–2025 period. His remarks focused on Total Member Involvement (TMI), evangelistic campaigns, education, health outreach, and church growth around the world.

“We give God all the glory for what He has done through you, members and leaders of His remnant church,” Wilson said.

Wilson opened by acknowledging global crises such as wars, disasters, and division, then reaffirmed the church’s mission amid these challenges. Referencing Revelation 12:17 and a statement by Ellen G. White, he emphasized the faithfulness and global reach of God’s people in these final days.

“God will have a people,” Wilson said. “A chosen people from all nations, all tongues, in all parts of the habitable world.”

Day one of the 2025 General Conference (GC) Session in St. Louis, Missouri, has concluded with the approval of the originally proposed agenda.

Sam Neves, associate director of Communications for the GC, shared a summary of this afternoon’s key moments during the evening press conference: 

• 277 names for the nominating committee have been voted and approved; they will begin meeting tomorrow, July 4, after morning worship.

• A motion to make an amendment regarding the 2015 immunization statement was brought forward but was turned down by delegates.

• A motion to add a report on public affairs and religious liberty to the agenda was also brought forward but was turned down by the delegates.

Churches across St. Louis, Missouri, United States, are reaching out to their communities through health and Bible prophecy events. Following the Pathway to Health event, 14 churches from the Iowa-Missouri, Central States, and Lake Region conferences began offering free health information courses (HICs). These efforts are part of a larger evangelistic push supported by the Mid-America Union Conference and North American Division through the General Conference.

At the same time, Bible presentations from well-known speakers have been drawing crowds. Earlier in May, Mark Finley, retired evangelist, shared discoveries from Bible lands—Egypt, Greece, and Turkey—that support the truth of Scripture. Now, Ted N. C. Wilson, General Conference president, is leading a Revelation series at the St. Louis Central Seventh-day Adventist Church, helping listeners understand the Bible’s final prophecies.

Jeremy Clark, Bible worker director for the Iowa-Missouri Conference and pastor of the Mid-Rivers Seventh-day Adventist Church, shared how each part of the initiative is connecting with people across the city. “We’re seeing people we never would’ve reached without this effort,” he said. “Pathway to Health gave us about 1,000 names of people who asked for Bible studies, health programs, or just a visit.”

During the afternoon business session on July 3, 2025, at the 2025 General Conference (GC) Session in St. Louis, Missouri, a delegate made a motion to add to the agenda a review and discussion relating to the GC’s 2015 statement on immunization. The delegates voted against the motion.

The motion, brought by delegate Yuliyan Filipov from the North American Division’s Ohio Conference, read:

“To add to the agenda a review and discussion of the 2015 General Conference Administrative Committee statement on immunization, specifically its claim about peer-reviewed scientific literature in addition to the Bible and writings of Ellen G. White.”

Filipov shared his concern that the church was pivoting toward human tradition over biblical doctrine.

In a majority vote, delegates at the 2025 General Conference Session approved the addition of 11 new union conferences and union missions to the sisterhood of unions within the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

The new unions represent the following countries or regions: 

• North-East Cameroon Union Mission

• West-Central Cameroon Union Mission

• Costa Rica Union Mission

• Nicaragua Union Mission

• South Sudan Union Mission

• Northern Luzon Philippine Union Mission

• Southern Luzon Philippine Union Mission

• Southwestern Philippine Union Mission

• Southeastern Philippine Union Mission

• Mid-Ghana Union Conference 

• North-Central Ghana Union Mission

The term union mission refers to a region where the Seventh-day Adventist Church has a presence but limited resources to support outreach initiatives. These territories are assigned to another large organization to temporarily assist with oversight, finances, and leadership. 

At the heart of the General Conference (GC) Session’s bustling floor, a small table on the stage holds the people responsible for guiding the world church through its most important business.

Audrey Andersson, a general vice president of the Seventh-day Adventist Church since her election in 2022, has had a front-row seat to this process.

Andersson gave us a primer on who sits in the four seats under the glare of klieg lights, explaining their roles from left to right, as seen by the audience.

In the first chair, “assuming that everything is as normal, it will be Elder Todd McFarland, who is deputy legal counsel for the General Conference. He is our most experienced parliamentarian, and he really does help keep us on the straight and narrow. So his job is to give advice to the chairs and make sure that we follow right, good processes. If we've got a question on rules of order, he's the man.”

On July 3, 2025, the 2025 General Conference (GC) Session of the Seventh-day Adventist Church officially began in St. Louis, Missouri, with a welcome from current church officers and a devotional by Mark Finley, assistant to the president of the GC.  

Finley opened his devotional encouraging delegates and attendees to “go make disciples of all nations,” referencing the Great Commission given to the disciples by Jesus in Matthew 28 before He returned to heaven. 

Finley described the world Jesus was in as being “filled with paganism and military might. A nation of millions that would eagerly watch a fight to the death for sport and believed in the power of man-made gods.” 

According to research quoted by Finley, there was an estimated one Christian for every 500,000 people within the first-century Roman Empire, and an estimated 120 Christian disciples.

There were exclamations of joy and a deep sense of fulfillment as the iwillgoride cyclist team arrived in the Kiener Plaza Park in downtown St. Louis, Missouri, United States, on the morning of July 2. The team of riders, which included church leaders from the General Conference (GC) and the South Pacific Division (SPD) of Seventh-day Adventists, completed a grueling 2,535-mile (4,080-kilometer) ride from May 30 to make it to St. Louis, venue of the sixty-second General Conference Session from July 3 to 12.

From California to Missouri

The journey took cyclists from Elmshaven, the last home of Adventist Church cofounder Ellen G. White, in St. Helena, California, to San Francisco, and across the states of Nevada, Utah, Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, and Missouri. The team included GC associate Ministerial secretary Anthony Kent, SPD president Glenn Townend, and other pastors based in Australia. It also included 16-year-old Leland Gray from Chattanooga, Tennessee.

“Praise be to God for all of them being so healthy!” said GC president Ted N. C. Wilson as he and other world church leaders welcomed the team to the square at the end of their journey. Wilson highlighted not only the physical aspect of the team’s adventure but also its strong missionary component. “I want you to see their pouches,” Wilson told the Adventist leaders, family, and sympathizers who welcomed the cyclists at the square. “They carried books and flyers there, which they shared with people along the road. Despite being focused on the ride and making it to St. Louis on time, they didn’t hesitate to stop to share this wonderful message from God with people along the way.”

With solemn prayers, passionate hymns, and a compelling charge to “finish the course with joy,” the 4th Adventist Chaplaincy World Congress officially opened on Monday, June 30 under the theme, “A Chaplain’s Response in a World of Crises.” Held in Saint Louis, Missouri, the global gathering brought together 482 registered Seventh-day Adventist chaplains and 125 spouses to reflect on four decades of chaplaincy ministry and to address the urgent spiritual needs of a world in turmoil.

Inspiration from a Heartfelt Vision

In his opening presentation, Ivan Omaña, director of Adventist Chaplaincy Ministries at the General Conference, established the event’s deep spiritual tone, calling the attendees’ attention to growth and steadfastness. “I want you to hear me say this to you, my dear leaders,” he began. “Your leadership, your dedication, your tirelessness, and your advocacy as chaplains and ministers have made this global gathering possible. The growth of this ministry over the past four decades is because of your mentoring and your belief in our chaplain ministry. Your partnerships have been the backbone of our collective mission.”

It took over five years of planning and fourteen major subcommittees. There are 1,100 exhibit booth spaces, more than 500 staff, and preparations for 50,000 worshipers. At its center is a small group of three sleep-deprived planners juggling room diagrams, vegetarian menus, and last-minute visa hiccups. Welcome to the invisible engine of the Seventh-day Adventist Church’s 2025 General Conference (GC) Session. 

Behind the headline numbers sits a small control room. George Egwakhe, an associate treasurer at the GC, doubles as Session Manager; Silvia Sicalo, the GC’s lead meeting planner, serves as Associate Session Manager; and Sabrina De Souza, an associate treasurer who will assume the role of Session Manager in 2030, rounds out the trio. 

“In the end,” Sicalo says with a laugh, “it’s basically just the three of us everyone defaults to.”

In the heart of downtown St. Louis, Missouri, the America’s Center Convention Complex is rapidly transforming in preparation for the 2025 General Conference (GC) Session of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

With just days to go before the official start on July 3, 2025, setup crews are working to prepare the 500,000-square-foot venue for an estimated 100,000 delegates, staff, and attendees. 

The arena, which will serve as the main meeting hall, is being fitted with advanced audiovisual equipment to support multilingual programming and international livestreams. 

Jim Hobbs, who has worked with the North American Division in the Central California Conference for approximately eight years, will be one of the audio engineers working during the 10-day event. 

Dr. Mark Finley recently led a five-night series titled "Astonishing Discoveries and Prophecies" at the St. Louis Central Seventh-day Adventist Church, in St. Louis, Missouri, where Mark Tagaloa, Adventist pastor from the Iowa-Missouri Conference, serves as the lead pastor. The meetings were held on June 12, 14, 15, 17, and 18, and focused on how history and archaeology support the Bible.

“There was a welcoming spirit in the room as people visited with one another before and after the meeting,” said Craig Carr, Ministerial and Evangelism director for the Mid-America Union Conference.

Each night began with a friendly greeting from Finley, who introduced the evening’s topic. His wife, Ernestine “Teeny” Finley, also gave short talks about living a healthy and happy life using natural foods and remedies.

The 2025 General Conference (GC) Session app is now available for delegates and attendees to download in preparation for the 62nd GC Session scheduled for July 3–12, 2025, in St. Louis, Missouri.

“This is truly the inaugural digital-first GC Session and the app is central to that experience,” said Sam Neves, GC associate director of Communication.

The previous session, held in 2022, was a hybrid event that introduced the first version of a GC Session app. However, that version was built on a third-party event platform, resulting in a limited user experience.

“For this year’s session, we wanted the best possible experience,” said Neves. “That meant investing the time to develop our own application.”

For sisters Lychel Lee Gabuco and Cheard Lyzz Gabuco, ministry has never been about the spotlight. It’s about showing up, often behind the scenes, often in silence, and building a space where Deaf individuals can see, feel, and live the love of Jesus.

Now, after more than 15 years of full-time service in Deaf ministry, the two are heading to the 62nd General Conference Session as representatives of the Adventist Possibility Ministries (APM) and Adventist Deaf Ministries International–Philippines. For them, it’s more than an event. It’s a milestone in a journey defined by prayer, perseverance, and purpose.

“We never imagined we’d be part of something this global,” Lychel shared. “Most of our work happens in small churches, local communities, and Deaf spaces that people don’t always see.”

The sisters have spent years seeking the Deaf in various regions of the Philippines, establishing Deaf ministries in churches, training volunteer interpreters, and empowering Deaf leaders. Although the number of Deaf members is still small, approximately 200 members and 20 interpreters across seven churches, their impact continues to grow.

Over 2,000 volunteers and healthcare professionals were recently in downtown St. Louis, Missouri, United States, offering free medical, dental, and vision services to the public as part of the Pathway to Health mega clinic. From May 5–8, 2025, the event was held at the America’s Center Convention Complex and was open to all, with no insurance, documentation, or ID required.

People lined up early on May 5 to receive services ranging from cardiology and dermatology to pediatrics, women’s health, minor surgeries, and dental work. Vision care includes eye exams and free prescription glasses. Volunteers are also offering physical therapy, massages, clothing, and haircuts.

Pathway to Health is a nonprofit humanitarian service of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. This is the ninth mega clinic they have operated since 2014, and many of the volunteers come from around the country to be Jesus' hands and feet in St. Louis.