The Office of Archives, Statistics, and Research (ASTR) of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, in partnership with Adventist Review and the Adventist World Church Communication department, recently launched a new podcast series to review and celebrate 150 years of Adventist mission to the world. On Friday, March 31, 2023, the Mission 150 podcast officially premiered with the goal of educating and inspiring Adventists worldwide to become active participants in mission.
Through weekly episodes, co-hosts David Trim, ASTR director, and Sam Neves, associate director of communication for the World Church, talk with various special guests to explore past and present Adventist mission milestones to inspire a future of greater mission work worldwide.
Reluctant Church
In 1863, a group of believers united in their pursuit of truth and faith, which led them to found the Seventh-day Adventist Church. This year, the Adventist Church will be celebrating its 160th anniversary as a denomination. In the series’ first episode, Trim states, “Even before the Seventh-day Adventist denomination was founded … Seventh-day Sabbath-keeping Adventists had begun to ask whether they should be conducting missions outside North America.”
2024 marks 150 years since the Adventist Church sent its first official missionary, J. N. Andrews, overseas from North America to Europe in 1874. Though this missional legacy has continued, the Church was not always cross-culturally mission-driven.
In the series’ first episode, “Mission Reluctance”, Neves and Trim explore early discussions about overseas missions and reveal surprising facts about how early Adventist leaders had very limited ideas about mission.
“Mission is going beyond where the church is well founded, working in or for unreached or under-reached territories and people groups,” states Trim.
He adds, “The 150th anniversary provides an unequaled opportunity to promote this kind of mission to Adventists, getting them to enthusiastically embrace giving for mission and missionaries, praying for missionaries, and considering missionary service themselves or encouraging family members to consider missionary service.”
Adventist Church’s 160th Anniversary
On May 21, 2023, the Adventist Church will celebrate its 160th anniversary. Despite challenges, this movement that began with a small group of believers has now reached communities worldwide with the Gospel message—all due to its missionary efforts.
Adventist leaders have themed the milestone “Chosen for Mission” as an invitation for the World Church to become committed to mission and actively participate in Total Member Involvement (TMI).
TMI is an Adventist World Church evangelistic initiative that involves every member, every church, every administrative entity, and every ministry in sharing the Gospel and reaching the World for Christ.
Listen to the Mission 150 podcast on ARtv and Podbean. Stay tuned for more news on the Adventists Church's 160th anniversary to come.