David Trim, Director of Adventist Archives and Statistics at the World Headquarters of Seventh-day Adventists, shared that during the 20th century, the Northern European Division (now TED) “sent nearly 1,000 missionaries from Europe to other parts of the world, where they adapted to local languages, cultures, and customs.” This raised a key question for Trim: “Do we still have the same ironclad determination to reach Europe that the Division’s founders and early leaders had?” He then posed another challenge for European Adventists: “To what extent is Adventist mission in Europe contextualised, and to what extent have American presumptions been applied?”<\/p>\n The Historical Role of Women in Mission in the TED<\/strong><\/p>\n “Women have been vital to the mission of the church, particularly in Europe,” said Heli Otamo-Csizmadia, who highlighted the roles of women as pastors, missionaries, educators, and spiritual leaders for over a century. Using the example of Alma Bjugg, Otamo-Csizmadia emphasised that these women represent a quiet but powerful legacy of God\u2019s call. “Their ongoing presence challenges the church to fully embrace and affirm what history has long made clear: that women have always been\u2014and continue to be\u2014essential to the life and mission of the church.”<\/p>\n In a stirring and moving reflection, Otamo-Csizmadia was later joined by Dragoslava Santrac, Managing Editor of the Encyclopedia of Seventh-day Adventists, Sven Hagen Jensen former missionary to the Middle East and Nigeria, and Catherine Anthony Boldeau, British Union Conference (BUC) Stewardship Director. Together, they shared the stories of Elsa Lukkanen<\/a>, Christian Johannes Jensen<\/a>, and Donald and Anne Layle,<\/a> each highlighting values of commitment, humility, and sacrifice. In the case of the Layle family, this sacrifice was tragically ultimate, as they lost their lives in service on 3 February 1981.<\/p>\n Building a theological foundation for mission, Santrac went on to explore the Old Testament\u2019s foundational role in mission theology\u2014often overlooked in favour of the New Testament. \u201cA missional interpretation of Scripture,\u201d suggested Santrac, \u201cviews the entire Bible as telling the story of God\u2019s mission through His people, engaging with the world for the sake of all creation.\u201d She challenged the participants: \u201cHow do the creation narrative and the Messianic hope guide our mission in the world?\u201d<\/p>\n Throughout the event, interspersed with lectures, were open forum discussions and opportunities to share personal stories in smaller groups.<\/p>\n Learning from the Past<\/strong><\/p>\n With TED\u2019s mission spanning over 96 years, time was dedicated to considering both the mindset of European missionaries who sent Adventist outreach to other parts of the world and the immigration of Adventists from around the globe into TED. A challenging and painful question was raised by Val Bernard-Allen: \u201cDid some European missionaries serve with colonial mindsets?\u201d Acknowledging that we are all products of our time, Bernard invited participants to take a deeper look and ensure that the minds of today\u2019s missionaries and leaders are free from any vestiges of colonialism. \u201cColonial mindsets,\u201d Bernard-Allen suggested, \u201cshould seek transformation.\u201d<\/p>\n Anthea Davis-Barclay shared the story of African-Caribbean immigration to Britain in the aftermath of World War II, when workers from the colonies were invited to help with national reconstruction. \u201cAmong the significant migration of Caribbean people to the UK, many identified as Adventists,\u201d said Davis-Barclay. She went on to tell the difficult and painful story of how African-Caribbean Adventists navigated connection, belonging, and participation in church life with the British Adventist community. Through extensive research, including interviews with members from both sides of the 1960s\u20131980s divide, Davis-Barclay revealed the tensions that came to a head in the mid-1970s, when the General Conference, under the leadership of Robert Pearson, was asked to intervene and offer solutions. \u201cCritical to that conversation,\u201d shared Davis-Barclay, \u201cwas black representation in leadership\u2014pastoral, conference support staff, directors, and leaders.\u201d<\/p>\n With reflective humour, humility and diplomacy, Davis-Barclay navigated this complex story, offering lessons for contemporary evangelism and church cohesion. As this session concluded, Pastor Tabitha Purple, Netherlands Union church planter, highlighted the ongoing significance of the BUC story, noting that most TED Unions are now facing “their own diversity challenges.” She appealed for lessons from the past to inform the future.<\/p>\n Christ, Consumerism, and Community in a Post-Christian Culture<\/strong><\/p>\n Shifting from historical reflection to the present, the conversation turned to the challenges of living in a post-Christian culture. Brendan Pratt, Global Mission Centre Director for Secular and Post-Christian Mission, suggested that \u201cconsumerism has become the primary ‘folk religion’ in post-Christian culture.\u201d Pratt views consumerism as \u201ca spiritual disposition, a folk religion, and institutionalised selfishness.\u201d However, he believes Adventism offers theological tools to address consumerism. \u201cIs it possible,\u201d Pratt challenged, \u201cfor consumerism to be addressed by a bigger imagination of what it means to be human? And can we, in post-Christian culture, be a counter-cultural biblical community that points people to a bigger imagination?\u201d<\/p>\n Michael Moynagh – Contextual Church Multiplication Worship, Friendship, and Sharing Together The organisers stated that they hoped Mission150 would inspire a community of dedicated leaders, pastors, and church planters to join a TED-wide effort to understand, research, and address the challenges of secular, post-Christian mission in Europe. They added that they aimed to offer support and guidance to the wider global Adventist community as similar demographic and cultural trends began to affect other regions.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n![\"David](\"https:\/\/ted.adventist.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Trim-630.jpg\")
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\nAs a visiting external lecturer, Rev Dr Michael Moynagh\u2019s presentation on his vision for Soul Space was warmly received. He advocates for Christian mission in local communities and recognises the importance of connection in today\u2019s world. With a list of verbs central to mission\u2014listen, love, community, share Jesus, church, repeat\u2014Moynagh emphasised the importance of prayer, ongoing listening, and building relationships with the wider church. \u201cSoul Space\u201d has the potential to reach those places traditional mission efforts have yet to penetrate.<\/p>\n<\/a>
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While much of the event\u2019s significance took place in the meeting rooms, what happened outside them was equally important. In a breakout room, members of a writing committee worked on a collaborative statement. Chaired by WagenerSmith, and including, Marianne Dyrud, Tabatha Purple, and David Trim, the committee produced a statement<\/a> outlining the heritage, present reality, and future direction of TED mission particularly in the post-Christian fields.<\/p>\n