Attendees of the General Conference (GC) Annual Council (AC) meetings in Silver Spring, Maryland, United States, were encouraged to use media to advance mission during the Leadership, Education, and Development (LEAD) Conference held on October 8.
LEAD Conference provides professional development for global Adventist leaders and lay people who attend AC.
The program began with a devotional from Dr. Petronellah Kunzwa.
Dr. Kunzwa described using her social media for ministry. At age 17, she began using her phone to create videos about Jesus and her faith. In the last 15 years, she has built a substantial following. In August of this year, she’s had 2 million views on YouTube.
“What other platform do we have where you can reach two million people per month?” she asked attendees.
While preparing her devotional talk, Dr. Kunzwa looked back at the 1886 4th AC and discovered that a main point of discussion was effective methods for spreading the Adventist message. At that time, tents were considered the best way to attract people to the church.
“Media is our tents,” Dr. Kunzwa said, encouraging attendees to see how communication has changed.
“I don’t have formal training, but I do have this,” she stated while holding up her phone. She then described examples of lives changed by her social media influence.
In 2020, she started the social media account @biblicalbossbabe, hoping to gain 100 followers. By the end of the first week, she had 5,000 followers. Five hundred of those women signed up for a 10-part Bible study series, 90 per cent of whom were not Adventist. Of the 500 who signed up, 200-300 were connected to a local church.
Drawing on Esther 4:14, she challenged attendees. “You have been called for such a time as this. And now it’s your turn.”
Organized by the GC Communication department, presenters shared videos, case studies, keynotes, and a breakout session, all designed to demonstrate how digital media can be used to reach wider audiences.
Early in the day, Erton Köhler, GC president, spoke on the LEAD Conference’s theme “Media for Mission.”
“Behind this call is an understanding that we need to use all resources, all means possible,” he said. “We believe that media is one of the best [methods] to do that.”
Köhler noted that the Adventist church has a history of using the best media practices to spread the message, taking advantage of tents, print media, radio, and television, all of which still help spread the gospel. “Now is the time of digital media,” he said. “How can we use all kinds of media for mission?”
Quoting Ellen White, Köhler stated that we need to reach people where they are, and people are online.
“When we talk about media for mission, leaders, our goal is not likes,” he said. “Our goal is to use media to preach a biblical message to preach about Jesus and His second coming.”
One thread running through the program was the story of five individuals from different faith backgrounds: an Atheist, a former Adventist, a cultural Christian, a Buddhist, and a Muslim. Based on true stories, and presented by AI actors, the videos addressed church leaders from their perspective and what they might be looking for.
User Journey Breakouts at the LEAD Conference on Thursday, October 8, 2026.The LEAD Conference with the theme “Media for Mission”. General Conference Annual Council 2026 with the theme "Called for Mission", General Conference Headquarters, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA, October 7-14, 2026.
Participants from Southern-Asia Pacific Division discuss the user journey of Mei, a Buddhist.
Photo: George Nelson / Adventist Media Exchange (CC BY 4.0)
From above: the participants put themselves in their persona's shoes to understand their needs and what they are looking for.
Photo: Tor Tjeransen / Adventist Media Exchange (CC BY 4.0)
Rashila Askarova, laymember from Kazakhstan, participates in the small group discussion.
Photo: George Nelson / Adventist Media Exchange (CC BY 4.0)
A group from Northern-Asia Pacific Division walk through the journey of the atheist persona.
Photo: George Nelson / Adventist Media Exchange (CC BY 4.0)
Victor Marley, president of the Norwegian Union Conference, ponders the journey of Sarah, a cultural Christian.
Photo: Tor Tjeransen / Adventist Media Exchange (CC BY 4.0)
Later in the day, during a breakout session, participants were asked to form small groups and work through a user journey for these personas, with more biographical information. Samuel Gil, associate director of the GC communication department, and Jarrod Stackelroth, assistant director, walked attendees through the process, encouraging them to think about what media or personal ministry solutions the Adventist Church has that could answer the needs of the personas, what was missing, and what they could do when they returned home to reach these demographics.
After the session, the groups were brought back into the auditorium, where they shared things they learned from their discussion with the wider group.
Gil and Stackelroth then played a short video that revealed the identity of the personas, five Adventist Church leaders, showing that people from those backgrounds today may become a church leader in the future.
“These people are leaders in the Seventh-day Adventist Church . . . Are we willing to get uncomfortable to reach these personas?” Stackelroth asked attendees. “The people we reach through OneVoice27 could be future leaders of our church.”
The first group of presentations encouraged church leaders to consider the needs of their audience. Vyacheslav Demyan, Hope Channel International president, emphasized the importance of understanding the people the Church is trying to reach. “People watch when we use their language. Not ours,” he said. For Adventist content to reach people, it needs to be built around their world, he stated.
He was followed by Sam Neves, Hope Channel International vice president for Advancement and Communication, said that digital media doesn't require big budgets, sound stages, or the newest cameras. “The only thing that will not work in the digital realm is spending all day talking about it, but we never press record,” he said. “Do your best with love.”
Vyacheslav Demyan, President, Hope Channel International, Inc. (HC), giving a presentation entitled Know Your Audience at the LEAD Conference.
Photo: Tor Tjeransen / Adventist Media Exchange (CC BY 4.0)
Bledi Leno, Director, Secular and Post-Christian Mission, Adventist Mission, General Conference (GC), giving a presentation entitled Media in the Post Christian Window at the LEAD Conference.
Photo: Tor Tjeransen / Adventist Media Exchange (CC BY 4.0)
Alyssa Truman, Director, Communication, General Conference (GC), giving a presentation entitled Importance of User Journeys at the LEAD Conference.
Photo: Tor Tjeransen / Adventist Media Exchange (CC BY 4.0)
Pako Mokgwane, Director, Director, Communication, Southern Africa-Indian Ocean Division (SID)giving a presentation entitled Creator Summits at the LEAD Conference.
Photo: George Nelson / Adventist Media Exchange (CC BY 4.0)
Then, the audience was asked to consider the Mission Refocus windows. A short summary from GC executive secretary, Rick McEdward introduced the idea of how media could be used for softening the ground for local workers in the 10/40 Window, large cities, and the secular world. “What plans are you making for unentered communities so that Jesus can be heard, and seen, and known for making all things new?” he challenged attendees.
Speaking about the needs of large cities, Manuel Arteaga, Center of Urban Mission director, said “Media is not the destination. It’s the pathway that gets us there.” For him, media makes connections with new people, and communities make disciples. He encouraged attendees to create content that sparks curiosity and leads them to communities.
Vladislav Mikhailov, Southern Union Mission secretary, discussed how digital media may be the only way for members to share their faith in sensitive regions where the gospel cannot be openly preached. “It is all about people and mission,” he said.
Bledi Leno, GC Center for Secular and Post-Christian Mission director, reminded attendees that the Great Commission is not to “Go therefore and increase engagement,” but to disciple people by leading them into Church communities.
Another emphasis of the day was user journeys. Alyssa Truman, GC Communication director, spoke on the five stages attendees should consider when creating content for mission.
Truman encouraged attendees to consider their audiences' thoughts and feelings, the barriers that keep people from seeing Jesus, the touchpoints that can draw them in, the content that best meets those needs, and the ways to connect individuals with local churches and help them grow as disciples.
“We must consider those whom we are trying to reach before we decide what we will do for them,” Truman stated.
Jef Nasciemento, Social Media manager for the official GC accounts, then shared the importance of remembering the person behind the numbers, “Big numbers are encouraging, but behind every number there is a real person,” he said. “How do we connect with them? Especially with those who haven’t yet heard of Jesus. That’s why we’ve moved our accounts [official Adventist Church accounts] from members-first to seeker-friendly.”
Nasciemento shared three testimonies of people who asked for prayer on social media, interacted with the social media moderators, went deeper, and were ultimately baptized.
He emphasized that being present on social media is just the first part of the journey. For him, the goal is that the content the Church shares will plant seeds that will grow with Holy Spirit.
The first Adventist Creator Summit brought together 180 influencers and content creators, many of whom were encouraged by church leaders for the first time to keep spreading the gospel online. That affirmation led the church to recognize digital creators as ministry partners. Pako Mokgwane, Southern Africa-Indian Ocean Division Communication director, spoke about how Creator Summits support departments and church members who share Christian content online after his division held a follow-up event and witnessed the multiplying impact of those who attended the GC event and then brought their knowledge home to share in the local context.
“Stop asking creators to advertise the mission. Equip them for the mission,” Mokgwane said. He sees Creator Summits as a way to give content creators the training and support they need to do just that.
Film and video were also discussed during the day. Edgar Luz, Northern Asia-Pacific Division Education director, discussed how stories shape culture, form generations, and, through film, open pathways to faith. Luz said stories aren't just something we watch but something we experience. He pointed to a study by Harvard University, Columbia University, and Lafayette University showing that media shapes people over time.
Luz showed a preview of Galapagos, a multiplatform, multidisciplinary, and interactive experience created by Adventist Education. The series, available on Prime Video in several countries, has more than one million views.
Ann Hamel, a psychologist and mental health provider with the GC, shared how stories reach the brain's emotional centers. She was a producer for the film Return to Palau, which follows Melissa DePaiva’s return to Palau after her missionary family was murdered there. The documentary has won 13 film awards and is available on Apple TV and Prime Video in several countries.
Kyle Warren, Adventist Review media manager, spoke on streaming content for mission. He believes churches are media channels first, ones that happen to have a magazine, a congregation, or a message worth following.
“It [evangelism] just starts on a screen now, not a doorstep,” he said.
He encouraged attendees to choose one platform and one question, create quality content with strong titles and thumbnails, offer viewers one clear next step, and commit to that plan for 90 days.
Karen Glassford, GC digital evangelist, spoke about hybrid evangelism amid a global loneliness epidemic. Although people are more connected than ever, she said, they also feel more alone than ever. She encouraged attendees to respond by using digital evangelism to reach out to community members. A person scrolling through social media in search of answers might come across church content and send a direct message. Trained volunteers can use that message as the starting point for a real connection.
Samuel Gil Soldevilla, Associate Director, Communication, General Conference (GC), giving a presentation entitled All Things New Identity at the LEAD Conference.
Photo: George Nelson / Adventist Media Exchange (CC BY 4.0)
Jarrod Stackelroth, Assistant Director, News and Information, Communication, General Conference (GC), giving a presentation entitled Adventist.org/allthingsnew.info at the LEAD Conference.
Photo: Tor Tjeransen / Adventist Media Exchange (CC BY 4.0)
James Howard, President and Executive Director, Adventist World Radio (AWR), giving a presentation entitled Radio is alive at the LEAD Conference.
Photo: George Nelson / Adventist Media Exchange (CC BY 4.0)
Paul H Douglas (center), Treasurer, General Conference (GC), giving a presentation entitled Investing in Media at the LEAD Conference on Thursday, October 8, 2026. He is joined by Edson Medeiros (left), Treasurer, South American Division (SAD) and Norbert G Zens, Treasurer, Inter-European Division (EUD).
Photo: Tor Tjeransen / Adventist Media Exchange (CC BY 4.0)
Robbie Berghan, Vice President, Global Media and Engagement, Hope Channel International, Inc. (HC), giving a presentation entitled The Power of Visual Media at the LEAD.
Photo: George Nelson / Adventist Media Exchange (CC BY 4.0)
Abraham Bakari, Director, Communication, West-Central Africa Division (WAD), giving a presentation entitled Media to Harvest at the LEAD Conference.
Photo: Tor Tjeransen / Adventist Media Exchange (CC BY 4.0)
ustin Kim, Director, and Editor, Adventist Review, General Conference (GC), giving a presentation entitled Where do we go from here at the LEAD Conference.
Photo: Tor Tjeransen / Adventist Media Exchange (CC BY 4.0)
Samuel Gil, GC Communication associate director, presented the branding for All Things New, the public-facing initiative of OneVoice27. He encouraged attendees to use the branding to give the initiative a cohesive look worldwide.
“This is not just a graphic design,” Gil added. “It’s a decision about how we want the world to see the gospel.”
Jarrod Stackelroth, GC Communication assistant director, addressed the changing ways people use the internet. He noted that websites are shifting away from Search Engine Optimization toward Answer Engine Optimization, also called Artificial Intelligence Optimization.
“The battle was all to have the first result [on Google],” he said. “But the game has changed.”
He offered three reasons to rethink how Adventist websites are optimized: to ensure AI agents provide accurate answers based on what the websites say, to serve the people who still visit the sites directly, and to create content that reaches people.
Stackelroth then announced the All Things New website, which will serve as a resource for inspiration and sharing. A form on the site will invite visitors to tell how Jesus has made all things new in their lives. The website will launch in January 2027.
Michael Eckert, Adventist World Radio vice president, urged attendees to follow up when people reach out. He cited a study showing that many people who contact companies by phone, email, or online form never hear back. The Church, Eckert said, faces the same problem. To help close that gap, he presented Global Bible School, an independent Adventist ministry whose interactive, chat-based Bible course is designed to follow up with people who reach out.
With Global Bible School handling follow-up, content creators can stay focused on reaching new people while those who respond are guided toward connection with a local church, Eckert said.
In the afternoon, Paul Douglas, GC treasurer, led a panel discussion on the financial costs and benefits of investing in digital media with Norbert Zens, Inter-European Division treasurer, and Edson Medeiros, South American Division treasurer.
Medeiros explained that the South American Division uses real-time data to measure the effectiveness of its investment in digital evangelism. That system helps the division decide how much to spend on each digital campaign.
Zens emphasized that investment in digital evangelism must go hand in hand with investment in collaboration.
Jim Howard, Adventist World Radio president, reminded attendees that digital evangelism cannot be the Church’s only means of outreach. He highlighted radio as an inexpensive, accessible, and locally produced medium that works much like digital evangelism. Local stations, he said, can meet people where they are and offer listeners ways to learn more through regular calls to action.
Robbie Berghan, Hope Channel International vice president of Global Media and Engagement, encouraged attendees to stop thinking in terms of programs and start thinking in terms of pathways. Drawing on Christ’s method, Berghan said effective digital ministry studies its audience, understands their needs, engages with them, offers a call to action, and connects with people personally.
He also urged attendees to audit their digital media to ensure it is relevant and complete, to add a clear next step, and to measure success by the number of connections their content generates.
Abraham Bakari, West-Central Africa Division Communication director, reminded attendees that digital ministry succeeds only when it leads people to follow Christ and be baptized. The Africa for Christ initiative, he said, proved that media works as an invitation. Through the initiative’s media ministry, 58,404 people were baptized across the West-Central Africa and East-Central Africa divisions. The ministry succeeded, Bakari explained, because “media and members worked together” to invite people in.
Justin Kim, Adventist Review editor, outlined three sources of tension the Adventist Church faces with digital media.
The first is a tension in how time is perceived. Some Adventists struggle to innovate because they know what worked in the past, Kim said, while others look to the future but dream in ways that fail to build bridges. Rather than leaning toward memory or dreams, Kim proposed, “we must be Mission-Leaning.”
The second tension involves structure. Some view the Adventist Church as an institution that risks becoming focused on operating like a corporation. Others see it as a movement, an approach that can be short-lived and lead to burnout. Kim suggested a middle ground, which he called "Mission-Inclusive."
The final tension lies in emphasis. Some are perception-oriented, concerned with how the church appears to the community, while others are performance-oriented, focused on the bottom line. Kim said these two mindsets must come together in what he called Mission-Dialogue.
Köhler closed the LEAD Conference by reminding attendees that the Adventist Church is a global church.
“Sometimes, I think if we have this global coordination,” Köhler said, “why not have the same global coordination for the mission?”
He encouraged attendees to bring the coordination already seen in other areas of the church to mission, so the church can better reach the world.
“OneVoice27 is opening a new window of opportunity for us,” Köhler said, calling it an opportunity for “media for mission on a global scale.”
“Are you in?” he asked attendees.
Köhler ended the LEAD Conference with a final prayer.
