Adventist Global Creator Summit Brings Digital Storytellers Together for ‘OneVoice27’

Opening day of the church’s first-ever Creator Summit brought together more than 165 participants to help shape OneVoice27.

July 20, 2026 | Silver Spring, Maryland, United States | Libna Stevens, Inter-American Division News for Adventist News Network

Nearly 200 Seventh-day Adventist content creators, influencers, designers, social media managers, and communication leaders from around the world gathered at General Conference headquarters on July 20 for the opening day of the church’s first-ever Creator Summit, where they began shaping OneVoice27, a global digital initiative designed to unite Adventists in proclaiming Jesus across every digital platform.

General Conference President Erton Köhler said the decision to hold the summit at the church’s world headquarters was intentional, despite the visa and travel challenges many participants faced. The location, he said, was meant to signal that digital creators are important partners in the church’s mission and that their experience, ideas, and talents are needed.

“You are important for the Church. Your ministry is vital for our mission, and we are counting on you,” Köhler told participants. He said God had entrusted them with unique gifts to help prepare people for Christ’s return.

Köhler emphasized that the summit was not designed primarily to teach participants how to become better creators or influencers. Instead, they were invited to share their perspectives, offer recommendations, and help shape how OneVoice27 could be adapted across different cultures and digital spaces.

“Your voice matters,” he said. “What you have to say, the suggestions and recommendations are vital for us.”

As he transitioned into the vision behind OneVoice27, Köhler removed his tie, drawing smiles from the audience and signaling a shift from a formal welcome to a more conversational discussion.

A Global Movement

He described OneVoice27 not as a General Conference project to be handed down through the church’s organizational structure, but as a global movement that divisions, unions, local fields, congregations, members, and creators can adapt to their own realities.

“You are the owner of the project,” Köhler said, encouraging participants to preserve its central purpose while expressing it through their own languages, cultures, and creative styles.

The initiative seeks to unite Adventists around a shared message while empowering individuals and organizations to use their own voices and communication platforms to proclaim the hope of Jesus in the lead-up to a coordinated worldwide emphasis in September 2027.

“Our dream is to see Jesus coming soon, so let us do everything we can to prepare many people for that day,” he said.

Köhler summarized the initiative through three guiding principles—Project, Preparation, and Purpose—describing OneVoice27 as a movement to proclaim Jesus, prepare the church spiritually, and mobilize members for mission.

Creativity Rooted in Mission

Alyssa Truman, communication director of the General Conference, reminded participants that creativity itself reflects the character of God.

“In the beginning, God created,” Truman said. “The way that God introduces himself to humanity…is as a creator. And then we are made in His image. That means you, as creatives, live out the very first way that we have come to know God.”

She encouraged attendees to recognize that their influence reaches audiences in ways traditional ministry often cannot, whether through faith-based content or other digital platforms.

Creatives also heard presentations exploring the biblical foundation of mission and practical approaches to digital evangelism.

President of Hope Channel Vyacheslav Demyan reminded creators that mission begins with God, not the church, and invited them to see themselves as participants in God’s rescue mission.

“Mission is the story of a Father who refuses to abandon His children,” Demyan said. He encouraged creators to use digital media to cross borders, build trust, and begin gospel conversations, noting that “media may be the first missionary they ever meet.”

Richard Stephenson, associate treasurer of the General Conference, encouraged participants to think intentionally about the audiences they hope to reach before creating content. “Know your audience,” he said, explaining that effective digital evangelism begins by understanding the people behind the screen and communicating the gospel in ways that resonate with them. Whatever the audience, he added, creators should “always build a pathway to Jesus.”

Spiritual messages were woven throughout the summit as well. In the morning devotional, Jochy Jamel, pastor for Digital Media for Adventist Information Ministry in the North American Division, reminded creators that meaningful influence is built through faithful, daily commitment rather than immediate success. Reflecting on the story of the woman healed by Jesus in Mark 5, he urged participants to “keep doing the work,” trusting that God would reveal the impact of their efforts “when it’s needed.”

From Inspiration to Collaboration

Organizers also emphasized collaboration through an interactive icebreaker led by Anthony Stanyer of the South Pacific Division, challenging participants to connect across cultures and languages while laying the foundation for future partnerships in digital mission.

Building on the morning’s call to proclaim Christ “with one voice,” Stanyer guided participants through an interactive strategy session that transformed the summit’s vision into practical collaboration.

Creators, designers, social media managers, and communication leaders worked together to generate ideas for mobilizing church members, adapting content for different cultures and audiences, and helping ensure that the OneVoice27 initiative points people not merely to a campaign, but to Jesus. “How do we frame that for different language groups, with different cultures, in a way that…projects who Jesus Christ is for everyone?” Stanyer challenged the group.

Working in mixed teams, participants brainstormed ways to turn “every smartphone, tablet, and computer screen into a digital pulpit” on Sept. 5, when the global church plans to launch OneVoice27. They explored practical strategies for helping everyone—from children and university students to local church elders—participate in sharing Christ’s message online.

The session also invited creators and church communicators to bridge the gap between institutional communication and independent digital creators, laying the groundwork for regional creator summits and ongoing collaboration beyond the event.

Truman said church leaders believe the creators gathered at the summit have a unique opportunity to inspire others to proclaim the gospel.

“The church needs you. We can’t do this alone,” she said. “The General Conference will not bring about the end of the world…it is the members.”

She urged participants to collaborate, network, and use their God-given creativity in helping mobilize the church for mission.

She challenged creators to help mobilize one million Seventh-day Adventists to share their faith online during the global launch of OneVoice27 on Sept. 5, 2026.

“We want every church channel to post. We want every creator to post…because everybody has been changed by Jesus,” Truman added.

She reminded participants that the initiative will succeed through local voices. “You know what works,” Truman said. “You also know what works in the online space. That’s why you are here.”

Creators Inspired to Take the Mission Home

For many participants, the summit’s greatest value extended beyond the presentations. Conversations in hallways, collaborative activities, and shared meals quickly turned strangers into partners in ministry.

For Diana Cedano of Bogotá, Colombia, the summit reinforced a decision she and her husband made a year ago—to dedicate their creativity fully to God’s mission. The couple operates a successful beauty salon business one day a week and spends the rest of their time producing digital content that offers hope to people struggling with anxiety, depression, and life’s challenges. Together, they have built an online community of more than 55,200 followers across TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook.

Inspired by the summit, Cedano said they are determined to become even more intentional about proclaiming Christ’s soon return through creative, Bible-based storytelling.

“We have to speak about Christ and His soon coming as one voice,” she said. “People’s testimonies have tremendous power. When ordinary people share how God has changed their lives, it often speaks louder than a sermon.”

Within hours of the summit’s opening, she was already exchanging ideas and collaborating with creators from around the world.

That same sense of purpose resonated with Geraldo Ailan, 29, a Chilean content creator living in Brazil and affiliated with Nuevo Tiempo.

With more than 220,000 followers across his social media platforms, more than 14 million views per month, and an average of 200 million views on his reels, Ailan said he was moved to happy tears within minutes of the opening session. Surrounded by creators from dozens of countries united by a common mission, he is determined to make Scripture an even greater focus of his videos.

“What matters is not the number of followers,” he said. “What matters is the mission.”

Within hours of the summit’s opening, Ailan was already collaborating with creators from Ukraine, Korea, China, and Mexico on additional videos highlighting how digital evangelism is taking place across different cultures. He said he hopes the content will inspire more young people to boldly share Christ online.

Lydia Ajide, 25, a social media manager for her church and content creator from Nigeria, said one of the most encouraging aspects of the summit has been rubbing shoulders with fellow creators from around the world who share the same passion for digital mission. Combined with seeing the Adventist Church intentionally invest in digital creators, the experience is inspiring her to be bolder in sharing her faith online.

“You’re either going to get the message out or you’re not,” she said. “You really can’t give what you don’t have. If you’re not connected to the Creator, you’re going to dry up eventually.”

Although she has often tried to avoid appearing “too churchy” online, Ajide said the first day of the summit challenged her to be more intentional about using her creativity to point others to Christ.

For Asahela Taharla, a 21-year-old marketing student representing the French Polynesia Mission, the summit reshaped the way he views filmmaking. Passionate about creating cinematic videos, he said the presentations challenged him to create with a greater purpose.

“I want to use films to share a message, not just create for the sake of creating,” he said.

Returning home, he hopes to inspire more young people to use social media intentionally for Christ’s mission.

The Creator Summit continues through July 23, with participants taking part in workshops, collaborative sessions, and content creation activities designed to strengthen digital evangelism. To support those efforts, organizers have set up 25 dedicated content creation spaces throughout the General Conference headquarters, where participants can produce reels, videos, photographs, and other social media content during the week.

Organizers hope the relationships, ideas, and content developed during the summit will continue to inspire digital collaboration and build momentum toward the global launch of OneVoice27 on Sept. 5, 2026.