Annual Council Opens With a Call to Be Passionate About God and His Mission

Adventist leaders from around the world meet for business and inspiration.

October 9, 2025 | Silver Spring, Maryland, United States \ Marcos Paseggi, Adventist Review

Hundreds of members of the Executive Committee of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists (GCEXCOM) convened at the denomination headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland, United States, for the opening of the Annual Council 2025 on October 8. The business meeting will see representatives from around the world vote on department reports, mission initiatives, and appointments to vacant positions. It will also serve as a forum for congregational worship, training, and inspiration.

“When you arrive here representing the beauty of our worldwide church family, our building comes to life,” said Erton Köhler, General Conference (GC) president, in his opening remarks. “Now we are ready to start a [series] of meetings together.” Köhler highlighted the presence of Ted N. C. Wilson, former GC president, who led the GC for 15 years, and announced Wilson’s predecessor Jan Paulsen will also attend the meetings. “Both leaders [made] a great contribution to the church,” Köhler emphasized.

The purpose for Annual Council meetings is to conduct the business of the church and to inspire those attending, Köhler shared, and added, “We are here to renew our commitment to the Lord . . . to His Word . . . to His mission, [and] to pray together for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.”

Integrated for Mission 

The theme for the 2025 meetings is “Integrated for Mission,” Köhler reminded GCEXCOM members. “Integration is unity,” he said. “United we are stronger, we can go further, and we can arrive faster. . . . And we can open the door for the Holy Spirit to work on us.”

Köhler emphasized that as a church, “our mission, our priority, is to prepare the world [for] the second coming of Jesus, preaching in a loud voice.” And all of that under the focus “grounded in the Bible, focused on the mission,” he said.

Köhler was flanked by Rick McEdward, GC secretary, and Paul H. Douglas, GC treasurer. McEdward welcomed the EXCOM members who are attending the business session for the first time. “May God be with you and give you wisdom and insight while you serve on this committee.”

A Passion for God and His Mission

After McEdward declared the Annual Council officially opened, devotional speaker Shane Anderson, senior pastor of the Pioneer Memorial Church at Andrews University, Michigan, United States, announced he would talk about passion and specifically about “Christian passion,” which he defined as more than just excitement and enthusiasm. “Jesus came to this world because He loves us with a passionate love,” Anderson said. This means “a love that is willing to suffer,” as Jesus demonstrated on the cross, Anderson said. “So now the question is: ‘How passionate are we for the people of the world to know Jesus Christ?’ ”

Anderson added a few more questions for reflection, including how passionate we are for the mission of the church and for knowing Jesus personally and helping Him to be known. He invited EXCOM members to reflect on the biblical example of Nehemiah, “a passionate follower of God.”

Prayer and Passion

From Nehemiah’s story, Anderson highlighted two connections between prayer and passion. “Our level of passion for Christ is more often revealed when we pray,” he stated, defining prayer as “unrelenting honesty” with God.

As a second point, Anderson shared, “Honest prayer is often where passion is reborn and strengthened.” He added, “If your passion for Jesus is running low, then pray.” Anderson then shared some questions for attendees to reflect on. “What if we refuse to attend a committee meeting until we have first attended a prayer meeting with Jesus? What if we spend less time pushing papers and more time pushing our petitions for revival and reformation for God?” he asked. “If your passion is lacking, then pray. Pray with passion. God will answer with passion, and change will begin.”

Taking Risks for God

Following Nehemiah’s example once more, Anderson explained that the result of passionate prayer is that then we are ready to “passionately put God-sized plans into action.” Nehemiah took godly risks for God, and we can do the same, he stated. “When is the last time you did something risky for God?” he asked. “When we are passionate for God, wisely taking risks for His kingdom, great things will happen.”

Anderson closed with a question: “What if everyone in this room would say, ‘I’ll do what it takes to become once again a passionate follower of Jesus Christ?’ ” He invited everyone to do “whatever it takes to be passionate about Jesus Christ,” committing to “pray honestly,” “live for Christ,” and “take risks so that the kingdom of God [advances],” so that the Lord can bless us “with His passion, His strength, and His love.”