General Conference

Missionaries Honored at GC Session Reception

At a July 7 gathering, church leaders acknowledged international service workers, remembered those who have passed away, and honored Ann Hamel on her retirement.

July 8, 2025

United States

Marisa Ferreira, Egypt Field, for ANN

Reception honors overseas missionaries at the Marriott St. Louis Grand hotel, St. Louis, Missouri, July 7, 2025.

Photo: Ingrid Gallardo / Adventist Media Exchange (CC BY 4.0)

A spirit of gratitude permeated Monday evening’s special reception hosted by the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists at the Marriott St. Louis Grand hotel to honor its international service employees—usually known as missionaries—during the 62nd General Conference Session.

The light reception, held in one of the hotel’s elegant ballrooms, was an opportunity for church leadership to recognize the enduring legacy of service carried out by its more than 700 men, women, and children serving across the globe. These missionaries have served in various capacities, often raising their families in challenging locations, dedicating their lives to health care, education, evangelism, and community development around the world.

Hosted by GC Secretariat, the program offered a blend of celebration and reflection, as those in attendance took time to remember individuals who had passed away in service during the past three years and to recognize those transitioning out of full-time mission service, including a tribute to Ann Hamel, who was honored upon her retirement.

Overseas missionaries greet each other at the reception hosted by GC Secretariat at the Marriott St. Louis Grand hotel on July 7, 2025. Photo: Ingrid Gallardo / Adventist Media Exchange (CC BY 4.0)

Honoring Lives of Service

Opening words were given by Claude Richli, associate secretary of the GC, setting the tone for the event. “We have here an extraordinary group of people—the salt of the earth—people who have accepted the call, first put in their hearts and then by the church, to serve their fellow human beings in foreign lands.”

Richli introduced the Institute of World Mission team that organized the event. IWM is the missionary training arm of GC Secretariat. Karen Porter, also associate secretary for the GC and veteran missionary, shared words of welcome and gratitude in the name of the newly elected president, who wasn’t able to attend.

Names of the five missionaries who passed away in the mission field in the past three years were read and recognized. Jan Roberts, the mother of mission pilot Gary Roberts, who died in 2024, herself a missionary, was present and welcomed amid compassionate applause.

Jan Roberts (center), mother of the late mission pilot Gary Roberts, is honored at the reception for overseas missionaries. Photo: Ingrid Gallardo / Adventist Media Exchange (CC BY 4.0)

Tribute to Ann Hamel

Among the evening’s most heartfelt moments was a tribute to Ann Hamel, a missionary psychologist and long-serving international service employee. For years, Hamel worked tirelessly in both field service and support of missionary mental health, including trauma care for missionaries returning from high-stress situations.

Enid Harris of IWM read a message of gratitude to Hamel, which highlighted perhaps the most difficult moment of Hamel’s work, when she was called to offer mental health support to Melissa de Paiva in Palau, after her family had been recently murdered. “ ‘I will go’ meant more than going to the mission field; it meant going to the battlefield for the Lord, to wrestle with the powers of darkness that took lives and left in its wake … immeasurable grief, pain, and loss. And yet, even from those ashes emerged beauty and forgiveness,” Harris recounted.

With tears and a smile, Hamel and her husband, Loren, received hugs and applause from her colleagues, friends, and fellow missionaries. “God has allowed me to be a part of supporting you all for the past 30 years. We are retired but not finished: we will continue to support your kids in any way we can,” Hamel promised.

Institute of World Mission director Oscar Osindo (with microphone) expresses public gratitude for Ann Hamel’s 30 years of missionary care service. Photo: Ingrid Gallardo / Adventist Media Exchange (CC BY 4.0)

Long-term Committed Service

Attendees at the reception came from all 13 world divisions of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, as well as GC attached fields. Leaders reiterated the importance of cross-cultural mission that is committed and long lasting, even in an increasingly digital and urban world.

Special pins where given to the missionary families, acknowledging the span of years they have served, from 5 to 9 years to 30 to 35 years. Elbert Kuhn, recently nominated associate secretary for the GC, showed deep gratitude for such a gathering and expressed his joy in meeting Dale Tunnell, the pastor who welcomed him decades earlier into his first mission field, to the cold of -40C Mongolia.

The reception served not only as a celebration of faithful service but also as a reminder of the global family that is the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Whether serving in urban centers or isolated villages, missionaries remain central to the church’s identity and mission.

A couple serving as overseas missionaries attend the reception at the Marriott St. Louis Grand hotel on July 7. Photo: Ingrid Gallardo / Adventist Media Exchange (CC BY 4.0)

As guests left the ballroom, conversations continued—many sharing stories of their own mission experiences, others offering encouragement to the next generation of global workers.

“What a blessing to reconnect! When we meet with our fellow missionaries and mentors, we are once again refreshed to continue our service,” said Verna Peduche, a missionary for 19 years at Mwami Adventist Hospital in Zambia. “It is here we share experiences and challenges, and even make decisions to continue serving, renewing our commitment to the Lord.”

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.