Australia Sees Record Number of Literature Evangelist Recruits

More than 75 people recently gathered at the Watson Park Convention Centre in Dakabin, Queensland, Australia for the annual Literature Ministry Summit. The 2023 summit attracted 17 attendees under 30 years old and a record number of 22 new literature evangelists (LEs), recruits, and interests.

“The theme of this year’s summit was Messengers of Hope, and it really reminded us of what working in literature ministry is about,” Brenton Lowe, literature ministry coordinator for the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Australia and New Zealand, said. “It was a great opportunity to fellowship, listen to inspiring speakers, and share encouraging testimonies.”

Two of the key speakers this year were Stephen Apola, associate publishing director for the church’s General Conference, and Terry Johnson, president of the Australian Union Conference. Other speakers included authors Sukeshinie Goonatilleke, Sue Radd, and Nicu Dumbrava. 

“The LEs’ enthusiasm for people was infectious and inspiring,” Johnson said. “LEs are serious about sharing their faith and put themselves out there daily. Ministry can be emotionally, physically, and spiritually draining, yet the passion that they demonstrate is lovely to see!”

Three innovative initiatives were launched at the summit: the 409 Bible Adventure Challenge, which encourages children of primary school age to read The Bible Story series by Arthur Maxwell; the Lift and ELIA project; and a new customer relationship management database called Salesforce.

“We’re looking forward to using these innovations and tools to modernize literature ministry and make sure that we keep up to date with sales techniques and technology,” Lowe said. “This is the first time that LEs will have access to online courses that they can retail to their customers.”

An awards night on the Thursday evening was an opportunity to acknowledge the service of LEs and leaders, including Tony Wall and Kevin Geelan with 50 years of service for literature ministry. Other specific achievements included Sue Wilson’s award for the highest number of sales; the Western Australian Conference’s award for Youth Rush team of the year; and Joshua Fawcett’s award for best new starting LE. On another evening, organizers dedicated two new literature ministry conference leaders.

Attendees expressed thankfulness for the opportunity to attend this year’s summit and for all the hard work put into organizing it. “What a positively inspirational summit, LE Sue Wilson said. “Thank you so much to Brenton, Gayle, and Sandy, as well as all the other volunteers, for your hard work and commitment. Unforgettable!”

The 2024 summit will be held October 2-5 in Victoria and will include a tour of Signs Publishing, the South Pacific Division’s publishing company.

The original version of this story was posted by Adventist Record.