The Encyclopedia of Seventh-day Adventists (ESDA) report was received by delegates at the 62nd General Conference (GC) Session on July 8, 2025, emphasizing the work done to preserve the history of the global church on this comprehensive website. 

ESDA exists to share the history of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. It is a GC project aiming to complete approximately 8,500 articles with accompanying photographs, media, and original documents. It is a tool for those looking to learn more about the church, but also for those looking to witness to others.

David Trim, director of the GC Office of Archives, Statistics, and Research, and Dragoslava Santrac, managing editor of ESDA, shared their desire for ESDA to be utilized at the local church level by pastors and ministry leaders. 

“[We urge you to] share ESDA stories to inspire faith and re-spark revival,” Santrac said. 

ESDA launched in 2020 and reaches, on average, 38,000 visitors a month. The site offers an opportunity to share Adventist history from all over the globe. 

“It matters because it documents and shares our global story, especially stories overlooked beyond North America and Europe,” Trim said. 

To emphasize the importance of this, Santrac said that while she was growing up in Serbia, the Seventh-day Adventist Church was viewed as an American sect. 

“This made me feel like a stranger in my own country,” Santrac said. “I wish I had [had] ESDA then, because it was only much later that I discovered the Adventist Church has been a part of Serbian history since 1902.” 

Trim and Santrac concluded their report by giving a call for translation volunteers and for members to bring forward more stories of Adventist history from around the world.

For more coverage of the 2025 General Conference Session, including live updates, interviews, and delegate stories, visit adventist.news and follow ANN on social media.