While each day of the Seventh-day Adventist Church’s Annual Council (AC) begins in much the same way, after Monday morning’s worship and devotional opening (October 12), the business session began with a special prayer and welcome.
General Conference (GC) president Erton Köhler paid tribute to church leaders who have brought the church to where it is today, as he was joined by his wife, Adriene, and former GC president Ted NC Wilson and his wife, Nancy.
“We are not able to do anything by ourselves; we are always building together,” said Köhler.
Köhler explained that former GC president Jan Paulsen was back in Norway, having some health issues, and invited Wilson to pray for him. Köhler, Wilson, and Paulsen are the only living GC presidents.
Newly elected GC general vice president Rick Remmers was then welcomed to the stage with his wife, Shayne. “We are not only welcoming one person; we are welcoming a family, because the work always calls the family to serve together,” said Köhler.
GC general vice president Tom Lemon, who has announced his upcoming retirement, then prayed for Remmers and his family.
The Messenger of Hope was 12-year-old Pathfinder Ondieki Braham Ondinya from Nairobi, Kenya, who attends Advent Hope Community Church.
Other significant events on day six of AC included the treasurer's report and a celebration of 100 years of Working Policy, which ANN will cover in separate stories.
Freedom and liberty
The International Religious Liberty Association (IRLA) Constituency meeting was held during the afternoon session.
The report highlighted challenging conditions in many countries worldwide, with varying levels of religious freedom and restrictions. Since last year’s annual council, the team has spoken to religious liberty representatives from 120 countries.
“In some countries, people face discrimination,” said Nelu Burcea, director of the department of Public Affairs and Religious Liberty (PARL). “In others, persecution; other countries are under different conflicts, while in others religious liberty is respected and people live together peacefully. In all these situations we have met people who demonstrate dignity, courage, and spiritual maturity.”
Another issue the PARL department will focus on is technological advancements and their impact.
“We are living in a world of growing religious diversity,” said Dr. Elie Henry, PARL associate director. “People are crossing borders, cultures are meeting, religions are interacting, and technology, including artificial intelligence, is transforming how we worship, communicate, and build communities. These changes raise new questions about freedom, identity, and human dignity. The church cannot meet tomorrow’s challenges with yesterday’s vocabulary.”
In November, PARL will hold two events at Newbold College of Higher Education, England, United Kingdom, where experts will discuss opportunities and challenges emerging technology poses to religious freedom.
According to their report, IRLA seeks to accomplish change in policy and practice through dialogue and engagement with the international community.
“We believe protecting religious freedom is not only a matter of law and policy but also a reflection of God’s desire for humanity to have the freedom to think, believe, and worship with freedom of conscience,” said Tabitha Osindo, senior editorial assistant of the PARL department.
According to Burcea, a major highlight of 2026 was a worldwide religious liberty advisory, followed by regional advisories in the months that followed.
“Religious liberty today faces many challenges, but as Seventh-day Adventists, we are called not only to defend our own freedom but the freedom of conscience of every person,” said Burcea.
The report was received unanimously.
Health care in a broken world
Cardiologist Anthony Hilliard, who has been president and CEO of Loma Linda University Health (LLUH) for the past year, presented a report for that organization. He shared the concept of Weltschmerz, a German word meaning the ache of a broken world.
“In healthcare, we are reminded every day that the world is not as it should be,” said Dr. Hilliard. “It literally means world pain. It is more than sadness or pessimism. It is the anguish that arises when our deepest ideals collide with a world that feels unjust, unfair, or spiritually deeply broken.
"I believe health care and education provide an opportunity for us to be a beacon, where hope starts here with us, within each of our respective organizations; between the world as it is and the world as it ought to be.”
He then told the story of the man at the pool of Bethesda. “Hope began when Jesus crossed the distance,” he said. “That is healthcare’s calling, not merely speaking together, but moving toward each other.”
According to the report, LLUH has 10 corporations, more than 21,000 employees, six hospitals, 100 programs, 4,500 students, and treats more than one million patients per year.
In the past 18 months, more than 1,600 staff and students have also been involved in mission trips.
After sharing more of the institution's strategic vision, Hilliard concluded by referencing the story of the Good Samaritan. “It’s in the staying power of what we do that delivers impact.”
Gary Krause, director of Adventist Mission, then prayed for Hilliard and LLUH.
Creating Christ-centered leaders
GC general vice president and chair of the Adventist University of Africa (AUA) board, Dr. Robert Osei-Bonsu, introduced the institution's vice-chancellor (VC), Professor Ademola S. Tayo.
“AUA is dedicated to developing Christ-centered leaders across three divisions of Africa and beyond,” said Tayo.
Located in Nairobi, Kenya, AUA, established in 2006, is a postgraduate institution offering programs in theology, business, health, IT, and leadership.
According to the report: “This is where lives are shaped, purpose discovered, and leaders are refined.”
“In doing this, we teach them to respond dynamically, thoughtfully, and compassionately to the urgent needs of the world,” said Tayo. “We train our students to be academically competent, equipping them spiritually, ethically, and contextually, to meet the changing realities of our time.”
With more than 10 million Adventist church members in Africa, AUA was established to train leaders for the church on that continent and beyond.
“AUA has a strong focus on ethical leadership, which becomes very important in the environment that we live in,” said Jeremiah Rogito, AUA PhD alumnus.
The report highlighted that faculty and staff have been involved in church planting and contributed to a Maasai water project, raising funds to dig boreholes and provide a community with water.
“Our faculty and staff are engaged in different activities outside the curriculum," said deputy VC of finance, Sheron Ndhlovu. “[They] are actively involved outside the classroom and supporting the I Will Go global initiative of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.”
“AUA was established to train leaders who go out and enhance the mission God has entrusted in the hands of the church,” said Osei-Bonsu. “Everywhere you go, you see AUA products serving in various capacities within the whole continent and not just here.”
Pierre Omelier, GC general vice president, prayed for Tayo and the institution after the report.
Mobilizing for OneVoice27
Throughout AC, short videos have been shown that address OneVoice27's strategic objectives and provide important information, such as frequently asked questions. Each day, a short OneVoice27 highlight report has been delivered by selected divisions and attached fields.
With members and leaders around the world being called to create projects for OneVoice27, there is a need for content creators, project managers, and support workers to help move the initiative forward.
“Who is going to do the work?” asked Fylvia Kline, manager of VividFaith, about the OneVoice27 initiative. “It takes a lot of people to plan, prepare, and implement projects. Thousands of very specific people across the world field all at once.”
Her answer is VividFaith, an online Seventh-day Adventist platform that connects people with mission service opportunities worldwide.
“One global workforce, working together to saturate the world with a message of hope,” she said.
She announced that VividFaith will be bringing on two full-time coordinators to help identify and connect people for projects.
If church entities need contractors for projects, they can provide VividFaith with a job description, and people will be found to complete the work.
One long-term benefit is that a pool of skilled, mission-minded people will be identified and connected for projects beyond OneVoice27, according to Kline.
The system will also have a geolocation feature, allowing church entities to connect with people in their own territory.
“Together we can bring more hands to God’s mission,” said Kline.
The day finished with a celebration of 100 years of GC Working Policy.
