SWITZERLAND
Stephan Sigg Reelected as Church President of German Swiss Conference
Stephan Sigg was re-elected as president of the German Swiss Conference for another four years. Sigg was elected to this office for the first time in 2017.
The election took place on March 30 as part of the General Assembly in Zurich, which was attended by more than 140 voting representatives of the 33 local congregations in German-speaking Switzerland, according to the church’s press release. Sigg was confirmed in office with 120 votes in favor, 19 against, and seven abstentions.
In addition to the election of the president, the delegates decided to adapt the structural reform introduced in 2021 and to adopt a new mission statement for church leadership in the German Swiss Conference. Changes aim to strengthen cooperation, leaders said, and include eight measures. Among others, they include more members’ training, investment in the next generation, expansion of digital giving options, and further development of sustainable evangelism.
At the end of 2024 there were 4,853 baptized Adventist members in Switzerland.
PAPUA NEW GUINEA
New Policy Seeks to Support New Converts Amid Cultural Barriers
The Enga Province of the Western Highlands Mission, Papua New Guinea, has launched a new local membership retention policy to address the ongoing challenge of apostasy in the region. The launch took place on March 23, following three days of employee orientation.
According to Enga area supervisor David Maxwell, the province is known for its ongoing tribal conflicts and evolving cultural pressures. “Many church members in the area face difficulties in practicing their faith,” he said. The new policy is intended to provide local churches with a practical guide for nurturing members.
“This is a response to one of our biggest internal threats as a church,” Maxwell said. “During PNG for Christ 2024 we decided we needed more than just evangelistic programs. We needed a structured approach to help our members stay grounded in the faith.”
The membership retention policy includes project-based activities and a management structure designed to support ongoing discipleship. According to Maxwell, the policy is built on Jesus’ instruction to Peter in John 21:15-17 to “feed My lambs” and “tend My sheep.”
“We are making thousands of disciples, but if we don’t nurture them, they leave,” he said. “This guide helps us take membership retention seriously.”
ITALY
Adventist Retirement Home Launches “Adopt-a-Grandparent” Initiative
The Casa Mia retirement home in Forli, in Italy’s northern Emilia-Romagna region, launched the “Adopt a Grandfather” initiative, which invites all citizens to volunteer as guests of the facility. “A simple but significant gesture, such as a phone call, a visit, or a chat, can make a difference, giving smiles and creating bonds of affection and closeness,” said Giovanni Benini, director of Casa Mia.
The Forlì facility is committed to improving the lives of its residents in a family environment in which everyone can truly feel at home, Benini said. The new initiative is part of this mission, as it seeks to fight the loneliness of elderly individuals and give citizens the opportunity of rediscovering the meaning of community.
“The initiative aims to support the emotional and relational well-being of the elderly,” Benini said. “Thus, it offer opportunities for dialogue, companionship, and sharing, to enrich their days with moments full of shared meaning and care. At the same time, it wants to raise awareness of the importance of intergenerational solidarity.”
PHILIPPINES
In the Philippines Nearly 1,000 Baptized During Evangelistic Series in South Luzon
Nearly 1,000 individuals were baptized during a major evangelistic campaign jointly organized by the Pennsylvania Conference and Blue Mountain Academy from the United States, and the South-Central Luzon Conference (SCLC) of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
Held from March 23 to 30, the series was part of the ongoing Harvest 2025 evangelistic initiative of the Southern Asia-Pacific Division, which seeks to mobilize church members, institutions, and leaders for intensified outreach. The program culminated with 937 people baptized, joined by 270 others who had previously been baptized during the same series. The final Sabbath celebration drew an estimated 5,000 members and guests.
The campaign highlighted the collaborative spirit between international and local church entities, with 96 volunteers from the Pennsylvania Conference, including 37 students and staff from Blue Mountain Academy, participating in preaching, outreach, and logistical support.
“It was a blessing to witness God’s children from diverse cultures and backgrounds come together with one purpose—to share the message of hope and salvation in this part of the Philippines,” said Jasper Flores, president of the SCLC. “We are deeply grateful for this partnership and look forward to more opportunities for collaboration in the future.”
NIGERIA
Discipleship and Membership Retention Event Highlights Strategies for Growing
Earlier in 2025 more than 500 delegates, including pastors, elders, personal ministries leaders, church clerks, and Sabbath School superintendents drawn from the local missions and conferences across northern Nigeria, attended the Discipleship and Membership Retention Conference organized by the Evangelism/Sabbath School and Personal Ministries Department of the Northern Nigeria Union Conference (NNUC) with the theme: “Deepening Roots, Branching Out.”
Held at the Seventh-day Adventist Jengre Hospital Church in Jengre, Plateau State, the event sought to address critical challenges hindering effective discipleship and membership retention in the area, explained NNUC evangelism director Munaji Musa.
“We are experiencing an alarming loss of members after baptism, and many who remain in the church are idle, becoming mere benchwarmers,” Musa said. “This conference . . . is designed to equip us all to become effective disciple-makers actively engaged in the mission of the church.”
NNUC president Istifanus Ishaya said that the event “underscored our commitment to not only nurturing a strong spiritual foundation among our members but also expanding our reach and impact as a community of faith. . . . [We seek to] build a sustainable community of faith who are not just Christians but active disciple makers.”
