The Youth Department of the East-Central Africa Division (ECD) of Seventh-day Adventists held a Public Campus Ministry (PCM) Convention on December 23–26, 2023, on the grounds of the University of Dar es Salaam. The convention involved university and college youths from 11 countries in the ECD region, totaling approximately 500 attendees. The convention’s theme was “ His Commission, My Mission.”
Those who discussed a division-wide convention talked about a meeting that brings young people from colleges and universities together. The purpose of this meeting was to bring young people together to realize that God needs them to serve Him while they are still young and full of strength.
During the convention, Pastor Magulilo Mwakalonge, general secretary of the Northern Tanzania Union Conference, was recognized and appreciated for the work well done while he was the ECD Youth Department director for the past ten years. Meanwhile, Pastor Samuel Mwebaza, the new Youth Department director, was welcomed in service and encouraged to keep going and doing God’s work.
During this year’s PCM Convention, there were many discussions and workshops where youths had the opportunity to learn from a multitude of speakers with different specialties. These sessions varied from “Back to the Altar,” “Sexuality and Gender Identity” (conducted by Dr. Gagwato Sikwa), “Relationships” (Pastor David Mmbaga), and many others. Pastor Pako Mokgwane delivered the Sabbath sermon during the divine service.
After a successful convention, youths got an opportunity for tourism, where they went to either Zanzibar, Pugu, Bagamoyo, or other places for the purpose of relaxation and admiring God’s creation. It was an amazing time and a fitting conclusion to the 2023 PCM Convention.
Public Campus Ministry (PCM) was established in 2014 by Dr. Gilbert Kanji, together with Dr. Juwan Moon, where the aim was to unite students from different universities and colleges to strengthen their bond in Christ and with each other in order to become the best students of Jesus by proclaiming the Word of God Almighty.
In 2024, PCM will be celebrating its tenth anniversary. It expects to hold the convention in Nigeria on December 23–28.