The Seventh-day Adventist Church in the East-Central Africa Division (ECD) is extending its outreach to influential leaders and high-level professionals, demonstrating how faith and leadership can intersect for greater impact.

From February 17–22, 2025, the ECD, in partnership with the East Kenya Union Conference and two of Nairobi’s largest Adventist congregations, Nairobi Central and Karengata churches, hosted the first-ever Executive Leadership Summit.

This initiative was designed to support ECD Evangelistic Impact 2025, the division-wide mission to transform members from spectators to disciple-makers. While all church members are encouraged to share Christ with their friends, relatives, and colleagues, there have been few evangelistic efforts tailored to reach high-ranking professionals.

This summit, themed "God’s Purpose for Executives," was designed to equip Adventists to disciple influential members of society effectively.

The event follows the April 2024 Family Impact Campaigns, which brought together high-profile families across the ECD region.

Those meetings—organized and funded by ECD ASI (Adventist Laymen’s Services & Industries) members and other influential Adventist professionals—led to the formation of new congregations targeting that community. Building on that success, the Executive Leadership Summit provided a deeper opportunity for professionals to explore faith in their daily leadership roles.

The five-day gathering provided a unique space for executives to discuss the intersection of faith, leadership, family, health, and ethical governance. Many professionals face spiritual isolation in their careers, with little access to faith-based mentorship relevant to their leadership roles. This summit addressed that need, emphasizing ethical leadership, personal well-being, and strong family values as essential components of holistic success.

Dr. Blasious Ruguri, president of ECD, commended the initiative, stating:

"The ECD ASI ministry is designed to nurture our high-profile members so they can effectively use Christ’s method to reach their peers. We are grateful for the leadership of GC and ECD Public Affairs & Religious Liberty (PARL) in supporting this noble effort, and we look forward to many more events like this in the future."

Ellen G. White, a founder of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, highlighted the importance of reaching influential leaders:

"We are to present the truth to those in the highways. This work has been neglected. We have a work to do for the higher classes, and this work needs all our capabilities. … We must work for the higher class of people. Then we shall have strength and ability with which to carry forward in the lines which God has pointed out." (Letter 164, 1901; Manuscript Releases, 4:420, 421).

Speakers Deliver Transformational Insights

Keynote speaker Dr. Ganoune Diop, director of the General Conference Public Affairs & Religious Liberty (PARL) Department, emphasized that faith should be a guiding principle in leadership, not an isolated aspect of life.

"Faith must be the foundation for ethical leadership, sound decision-making, and personal well-being," Diop stated.

He also underscored the power of forgiveness, warning that unresolved conflicts contribute to stress, health issues, and broken relationships.

Dr. Chidi Ngwaba, a UK-based Adventist healthcare business owner and disease prevention expert, introduced the "Dr. Chidi Method," showing how gradual improvements in diet, exercise, and mental health can reverse conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease—common challenges among high-pressure executives.

Kenya’s Chief Justice Emeritus David Maraga, an Adventist elder with a strong national reputation for integrity in leadership, tackled work-life balance and family stability. He emphasized the need for faith, trust, and open communication in strengthening relationships, warning that unresolved disputes in marriage and parenting can escalate into crises.

Attendees found the event of great value. Prof. Sam K. Ongeri, a longtime government official, shared, "Most executives have nobody to consult on their faith journey. Evangelistic efforts have often overlooked this group, leaving them without a spiritual support system."

Similarly, Hon. Richard Nyagaka Tong’i, a Kenyan Member of Parliament, praised the summit as “a transformational outreach that reaches professionals who may not find traditional church settings accessible.”

By integrating faith into leadership, this initiative has the potential to reshape workplaces, strengthen families, and build societies where leaders are not only competent but also compassionate, ethical, and guided by divine purpose.

This article was provided by the East-Central Africa Division.