15 December 2025 | St Albans, UK [Joe Philpott]
A Newbold College of Higher Education (NCHE) MA Theology student has received international recognition for a sermon exploring compassion as a core response to end-time prophecy. Mia Orgla was awarded Second Place in the Haddon W. Robinson Biblical Preaching Award, organised by the Evangelical Homiletics Society, for her sermon A Case for Compassion, based on Revelation 7:9. The award attracts entries from theology students and emerging preachers from around the world.
Orgla delivered the sermon on 29 March 2025 at Wimbledon International Seventh-day Adventist Church in London, UK, during a youth-focused worship service. She said the passage was chosen to present Revelation through a hopeful lens, particularly for younger audiences often unsettled by fear-based interpretations of prophecy. “Because Jesus has shown compassion towards us, there will be people from all backgrounds in heaven, and that reality should inspire us to live with compassion towards one another already today,” Orgla said.
Her sermon emphasises Christ’s saving work as the central focus of biblical prophecy, encouraging listeners to see Revelation as relevant to daily Christian living rather than a source of anxiety or speculation. Orgla said she wanted to show that end-time themes can be understood in a way that points believers towards hope, responsibility and care for others.
NCHE principal, Dr Dan Serb, said the recognition reflects both Orgla’s personal courage and the wider responsibility of faith communities in today’s world. “We at Newbold are extremely proud of Mia, not only for her achievement, but also for her courage in giving voice to the beautiful truth of compassion at a time when so many voices call for division and hatred,” Serb reflected. “Through her thoughtful engagement with Scripture, particularly the often-misunderstood book of Revelation, she invites us to consider a vision of reality that many regard as naïve or beyond reach.”
Orgla credits her theological training at NCHE with shaping both her biblical interpretation and approach to preaching. She highlighted the value of engaging Scripture through academic tools while remaining grounded in faith and practice. “Newbold helped me learn how to look at the Bible for myself, using tools like historical context, biblical languages and different methods of interpretation, rather than relying only on how texts are commonly presented,” she said.
Serb added that the award also affirms the wider educational work and theological training taking place at Newbold. “This recognition is a statement to her faith that is honest and hope-filled, to the lecturers who have nurtured it, and to the enduring responsibility of religion to speak meaningfully to the harsh realities of today’s world,” he said.
Orgla also identified authenticity as a defining lesson from her homiletics studies, noting that effective preaching begins with personal conviction and honesty. “You cannot preach honestly about things you do not truly believe, and learning that has shaped both my faith and my preaching,” Orgla added.
Orgla’s sermon A Case for Compassion can be viewed on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgGjUQGyw90
[Photo: Courtesy of Newbold College of Higher Education, Asun Oliver]
