At SeLD, Adventist Leaders Urged to Lead Churchwide Mobilization for OneVoice27

Leaders prepare churches for a united evangelistic movement beginning Sept. 5.

July 29, 2026 | Panama City, Panama | Libna Stevens, Inter-American Division News

Hundreds of Seventh-day Adventist administrators, department directors, pastors, educators and lay leaders from across the Inter-American Division (IAD) were challenged to mobilize their territories for OneVoice27, a global evangelistic initiative uniting media outreach, Bible study and local church evangelism to share the message of Jesus Christ.

The initiative was presented to nearly 700 leaders attending the Inter-American Division’s Segment Leader Development (SeLD) Conference in Panama City on July 28, with hundreds more participating online. Leaders were urged to prepare churches and institutions for the official Sept. 5 launch of OneVoice27, leading to a worldwide evangelistic emphasis culminating in September 2027.

One Church, One Evangelistic Focus

Pastor Jim Howard, president of Adventist World Radio and a member of the OneVoice27 steering committee, said the initiative allows each division, union and local territory to develop strategies suited to its context while uniting the world church around common evangelistic priorities.

“I want to talk to you about leading OneVoice27,” Howard said, urging administrators to move the initiative beyond committees and institutions to pastors, local church leaders and members. He encouraged territories to use the coming months to prepare congregations, mobilize members and expand media outreach through Adventist media organizations, local churches and individual members.

The initiative will use radio, television, publishing, websites and social media to reach spiritually interested people through both church media ministries and local congregations.

“We have the privilege of meeting people where they are through media and technology like never before,” Howard said.

Preparing Churches for Follow-up

For public audiences, the evangelistic emphasis will center on the Messiah under the message “All Things New—Hope Starts Here.” Howard explained that 2027 marks 2,000 years since A.D. 27, the year Adventists understand from Daniel 9 as the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for us to connect the church’s prophetic understanding while pointing people to Jesus Christ, who is the heart and core of our message,” he said.

Howard said media can identify spiritually interested people on an unprecedented scale, but disciple-making ultimately depends on personal relationships.

“There are two parts to OneVoice27,” he said. “The first is to find and develop spiritually interested people. The second is personal follow-up. Only in-person disciple making will truly make disciples.”

He urged administrators to prepare churches for growing Bible study interest by training members and strengthening local Bible study ministries.

“If OneVoice27 is just about media, then we will do more harm than good,” Howard said. “It’s the in-person Bible studies and campaigns that will bring us face to face with those interested people.”

Howard said the church is developing Global Bible School, a digital platform that will guide people through Bible studies via WhatsApp before connecting interested participants with nearby Adventist congregations for personal follow-up. OneVoice27 will also emphasize 40 days of prayer, reading The Desire of Ages, studying Daniel and Revelation, and new evangelistic resources centered on Christ.

Ultimately, Howard reminded leaders that OneVoice27 cannot remain an institutional initiative.

“OneVoice27, at its heart, must be owned by members,” he said.

Territories Begin Mobilizing

For several SeLD delegates, Howard’s call to move OneVoice27 from strategy to local action is already taking shape across the Inter-American Division.

Pastor Balvin Braham, Public Affairs and Religious Liberty director for the Inter-American Division, said OneVoice27 is designed to engage every church member. Leaders received QR-coded digital toolkits, promotional materials and commitment cards during SeLD, while every IAD ministry is preparing resources for the Sept. 5 launch to help churches focus on leading people to Christ.

At the South Colombia Union, President Henry Beltrán said leaders are treating OneVoice27 as more than a future campaign.

“OneVoice27 doesn’t begin in 2027—it begins today, preparing a church that lives the mission every day,” he said. The union is aligning pastors, departments and members while strengthening digital initiatives such as Chat Esperanza, a spiritual call center and communication strategies that connect people with Bible study and Christ. The Sept. 5 launch will invite every church, ministry and member to join the movement toward the 2027 evangelistic emphasis.

“More than preparing an event, we are preparing a spiritual movement that will allow thousands of people to know Jesus,” Beltrán said.

Building Momentum Across the Territory

In Jamaica, Kimarley Walker Medley, communication director of the Central Jamaica Conference, said the conference is organizing a communication hub of videographers, news writers, podcasters, social media influencers and other volunteers while integrating OneVoice27 into youth events, evangelistic meetings, community service projects and conference-wide initiatives throughout 2027.

“Everything will fall under that umbrella as we continue to build,” she said.

Rodwell Anderson, associate communication director for the Guyana Conference, said leaders are building a digital ecosystem to connect online Bible study interests with nearby churches while expanding social media outreach, online evangelistic campaigns and follow-up systems. With only 49 pastors serving more than 240 congregations, he said the initiative will depend heavily on active lay members.

“It’s an avenue that is there, and if fully utilized, it will greatly benefit the church,” Anderson said.

Inter-Oceanic Mexican Union President Abraham Sandoval said the union has introduced OneVoice27 to church leaders and is encouraging every conference and district to develop strategies suited to their territories while engaging Communication, personal ministries and youth ministries in expanding digital evangelism.

“We believe we need to do much more evangelism through social media,” Sandoval said, noting that the union’s large youth population will play a vital role in sharing Christ online.

That vision is taking practical shape through “Esto es Jesús” (“This is Jesus”), a year-long digital evangelism strategy developed by the Inter-Oceanic Mexican Union, explained Armando Lagunes communication director. Launching alongside OneVoice27 on Sept. 5, the initiative combines Christ-centered media, paid digital outreach, a mobile app and chatbot that allow trained “digital evangelists” to respond to requests for prayer, Bible studies and church information before connecting individuals with nearby congregations.

“We don’t want people simply to click ‘like,'” Lagunes said. “We want to connect them with the church.”

Howard reminded delegates that OneVoice27, at its heart, “must be owned by members.”

“We’re asking you to do these things in your own way,” he said. “But let’s do these things together.”