Trans-European Division Joint Report Seeks to End ‘Silo Mentality’

Attendees and delegates to the Seventh-day Adventist Church’s 2024 Trans-European Division Year-end Meetings (YEM) in Budva, Montenegro, in early November were surprised with a different type of report than they usually receive.

Typically, these business meetings towards the end of the year are a time when division departmental directors deliver reports to union conference leaders on the targets met and work done in the years prior. It is considered an important exercise that promotes transparency and accountability.

But in 2024, rather than individual reports on the work done by each department over the last triennium, departmental directors delivered a joint report focusing on the region’s main strategic values, which are Extending Love, Growing Life-Long Disciples, and Multiplying Communities.

End of the Silo Mentality

According to TED president Daniel Duda, the point of the joint report was “to model working together and end the silo mentality.” Additionally, Duda highlighted that while Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and programs are important and necessary, “values are what truly mobilize community transformations.”

Standing side by side, departmental directors shared the main stories and inspiring moments from the past three years and the strategies used to live out these values and expand God’s kingdom. In addition to the oral report and audiovisual support, union directors received detailed written reports from all departments.

Main Initiatives

Some of the main initiatives and stories from this section of the report included caregiving seminars, training for the deaf community in Poland, and family ministries training.

In the area of growing disciples, the region continues developing Bible correspondence school resources. It also recently launched a Pastors’ Discipleship Network, among other initiatives.

Finally, in the area of multiplying communities, leaders reported that between 2022 and 2024, the TED Mission Board has allocated approximately US$3.15 million for mission work, including US$2.4 million through Global Mission and £560,000 GBP (about US$726,000) for local church projects.

The Mission Department also reported that it has partnered with unions to support pastors and church planters, establishing regional cohorts called ACTS. These cohorts bring volunteers together in a structured church-planting process. The report also included updates about Pathfinders and Public Affairs and Religious Liberty.

Committee Members’ Response

Several committee members commented on this new approach and expressed their appreciation for it. Frieda Souhuwat-Tomasoa, Netherlands Union Conference lay member, said she liked the reporting because “it made sense to me as the combined reports followed a certain line, each report linking with the other — the red thread of the TED!”

Jani Virolainen, secretary of the Finnish Union of Churches Conference, thought it was good and energetic without being long and boring, even though it took some time. What helped was “presenters changing frequently, topics moving on quickly, and a logical flow in terms of the three values.”

Lidija Maletić, Adriatic Union Conference lay member, described the presentation as brilliant. “It was vivid, with all of us watching and listening very carefully. It was interdisciplinary, with an invitation to give feedback. This has to be the best approach, and I hope it can stay this way in the future.”

Jimmy Botha, president of the Scottish Mission, shared that he “really appreciated how the directors put their reports together, and a good example of doing away with silos. I think we will report for our session like this from now on.”

The original version of this story was posted on the Trans-European Division news site.