FIJI
First Missionaries to Indonesia and Timor Leste Step Out in Faith
Regional Seventh-day Adventist leaders held a commissioning service on April 15 for the first group of missionaries from Fiji who will serve in Indonesia and Timor Leste. The ceremony marked a significant milestone in regional mission outreach, they said
During the service Fiji Mission president Nasoni Lutunaliwa reminded the missionaries of their divine calling to serve the Lord faithfully in the work He has entrusted to them.
Trans Pacific Union Mission (TPUM) general secretary Jane Opetaia also encouraged the missionaries with a message of assurance, expressing how their courage and dedication has inspired many.
Some of the missionaries departed April 16 for their year of service, with more set to join them in the coming months.
The initiative is part of Mission Refocus—a General Conference strategy aimed at reviving the Seventh-day Adventist Church’s commitment to global evangelism. The South Pacific Division has partnered with the Southern Asia-Pacific Division to support and strengthen mission efforts in the region. As part of the collaboration, the TPUM has formed a partnership with the West Indonesia Union Mission.
UNITED STATES
Local Korean Church in the U.S. Reinforces Community, Health, and Inclusion
A local Korean Seventh-day Adventist church in the U.S. recently organized a 5K run to promote missionary outreach and enhance the health of its church family. Orlando Central Korean church in Apopka, Florida, hosted a 5K event after extensive advertising weeks in advance. Participants ranged from young children to seniors aged 90, with a total of 50 attendees.
The event provided an opportunity for community engagement and physical activity, reflecting the church’s dual focus on spiritual outreach and health, organizers said. The event catered to a diverse age group, emphasizing inclusion and fellowship among the church members, they explained.
“The church community showed immense encouragement and love, cheering enthusiastically for the last participant to cross the finish line just as loudly as for the first,” they shared. “Overall, the 5K was not only a physical challenge but also a spiritual and community-building activity. It allowed the church family to engage together in a healthy pursuit, while supporting each other across different age groups and physical capabilities.”
According to organizers, the success of the event demonstrates “the church’s commitment to nurturing both the physical and spiritual well-being of its members.”
AUSTRIA
Bogenhofen Seminary Secures New Cosponsor and Board Member
Bogenhofen Seminary in Austria has recently gained another school sponsor: the Baden-Württemberg Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
The church region thus joins the existing school sponsors, which are the Austrian Union Conference and the German Swiss Conference in Switzerland. This partnership, which officially came into effect on January 1, marks the conclusion of a nearly two-year process and strengthens the seminary’s future-oriented orientation, school leaders said.
The connection between Bogenhofen Seminary and the Baden-Württemberg Conference goes back a long way, according to the press release. Generations of students from Baden-Württemberg have received their education in Bogenhofen, and many pastors from the Baden-Württemberg Conference have studied there. This long-standing and close relationship now receives a new solid framework through the official cosponsorship, regional church leaders said. The collaboration has intensified, particularly since the founding of the School of Education in 2017. “The Baden-Württemberg Conference . . . and the Bogenhofen Seminary share the common goal of training qualified teachers and pastors,” they said.
Together the two conferences and union conference represent almost 13,000 baptized members of the Adventist Church in German-speaking countries.
ECUADOR
Adventist Members Deliver More Than 145,000 Books on Mental Health
In a nationwide effort to share a message of hope and awareness about emotional health, the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Ecuador recently held a free distribution of The Key to Change, delivering 148,000 mission books across the country. The initiative focused on areas where there is no organized Adventist presence, regional church leaders said.
Thousands of church members, from children to elderly individuals, joined the project. Adventist institutions such as Quito Adventist Clinic and Adventist Education Ecuador participated in the initiative, as the Nuevo Tiempo Ecuador TV network broadcast the event live.
“This message illuminated lives, and it showed the church as a missionary movement,” said Christian Álvares, an evangelist in the Ecuador Union Mission of the Adventist Church.
In addition to delivering books on streets, in public squares, and in homes, volunteers traveled to rural areas and remote communities to distribute the book as a seed of hope, as they greeted and prayed with people.
This project is part of a wider initiative that seeks to mobilize Adventists to share their faith practically and regularly, leaders explained. “The goal is to open new opportunities for preaching the gospel in unentered towns and areas across the country,” they said.
BANGLADESH
Mission-wide Convention Empowers Women
A recent mission-wide Women’s Convention in Bangladesh empowered women to serve God and the Seventh-day Adventist Church better, regional church leaders said. The event took place at the Adventist Maranatha Seminary from March 20 to 22.
Under the theme “Women . . . Glory to Him With a Loud Voice,” the convention highlighted the significance of women boldly raising their voices in faith and worship. Approximately 120 women from various districts and local churches attended the three-day event, which, according to organizers, served as a dynamic platform for spiritual enrichment, fellowship, and personal development.
“The program featured various sessions centered on biblical teachings, women’s roles in ministry, empowerment, and wholistic growth,” they reported. Keynote speaker Mahuya Roy, Women’s Ministries director of the Bangladesh Union Mission, encouraged participants to deepen their spiritual walk and embrace their calling with courage and conviction.
In addition to the spiritual sessions, the convention included interactive activities, games, fun nights, and group discussions, organizers shared. “The event concluded with a heartfelt prayer session, leaving the participants uplifted, inspired, and motivated to glorify God with a loud voice in their daily lives and ministries,” they said.