{"id":25532,"date":"2026-03-16T11:42:14","date_gmt":"2026-03-16T11:42:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ted.adventist.org\/news\/?p=25532"},"modified":"2026-03-16T11:42:14","modified_gmt":"2026-03-16T11:42:14","slug":"adventist-church-president-calls-for-integrated-mission-amid-a-disintegrating-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ted.adventist.org\/news\/adventist-church-president-calls-for-integrated-mission-amid-a-disintegrating-world\/","title":{"rendered":"Adventist Church President Calls for Integrated Mission Amid a Disintegrating World"},"content":{"rendered":"

2 March 2026 | Riviera Maya, Mexico [Libna Stevens]<\/p>\n

\u201cTo a world that is disintegrating, God calls His church to move in the opposite direction.\u201d<\/p>\n

Against that sobering contrast, Pastor Erton C. K\u00f6hler, president of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, delivered a devotional message on integration on the second day of the \u201cI Will Go\u2014Living the Mission\u201d Leadership Summit in Riviera Maya, Mexico, on 2 March.<\/p>\n

Addressing Inter-American Division (IAD) presidents, executive secretaries, treasurers, and department leaders, K\u00f6hler framed integration not as an administrative strategy but as a spiritual necessity for the 21st-century church.<\/p>\n

A World Disintegrating<\/h2>\n

Referencing ongoing global conflicts\u2014including war in the Middle East and four years of war in Ukraine\u2014K\u00f6hler described a planet \u201closing control.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe world is disintegrating before our eyes,\u201d he said. \u201cTo a world that is disintegrating, the Lord calls His church to work in the opposite direction\u2014integrated.\u201d<\/p>\n

If the church wants to remain salt and light, he warned, it must demonstrate something the world cannot produce on its own.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf we live and work as they live and work,\u201d he said, \u201cthey will tell us they do not need us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"From
From the stage, Pastor Erton C K\u00f6hler addresses nearly 600 union, conference, and local field leaders during the morning devotional session of the IAD Leadership Summit<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Grounded in the Bible, Focused on Mission<\/h2>\n

K\u00f6hler connected his appeal for integration with the church\u2019s global emphasis: being grounded in Scripture and focused on mission.<\/p>\n

That expression, he explained, summarises the Inter-American Division\u2019s four emphases: communion with God, identity in Christ, unity through the Holy Spirit, and mission for all people,\u00a0which fall under the General Conference\u2019s overarching focus of being grounded in the Bible and focused on the mission.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is no Bible without communion,\u201d he said. \u201cThe Bible generates identity. And when we unite the Bible and mission, unity becomes the consequence. Mission is the best medicine for unity in the church.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Pattern of Pentecost<\/h2>\n

Turning to Acts 2, K\u00f6hler highlighted the sequence of the early church: First\u2014unity. Then\u2014the Holy Spirit. Then\u2014a revolution in mission.\u201cWhen the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place,\u201d he quoted. \u201cUnity opened the door. The Spirit descended. And three thousand were baptised.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEverything begins with unity,\u201d he emphasised. \u201cIf there is no unity, there is no Spirit. If there is no Spirit, there is no revolution in mission.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Gladiola
Gladiola de Bouchot, from the Chiapas Mexican Union, listens attentively during the devotional message on integration<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

K\u00f6hler cautioned leaders against functioning like \u201can archipelago\u201d\u2014islands sharing the same name but disconnected.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe church is not an archipelago,\u201d he said. \u201cIt is a body.\u201d Different departments remain distinct, personal ministries, Sabbath school, education, and communication, but integration means alignment.<\/p>\n

Integration does not mean uniformity, he clarified. \u201cIt means everyone moving in the same direction with shared purpose and common commitment.\u201d<\/p>\n

When that happens, he added, \u201cUnited we are stronger. We go further. We arrive faster. And we open the door for the Holy Spirit to work among us.\u201d<\/p>\n

A Vision from the Spirit of Prophecy<\/h2>\n

Quoting Ellen G. White, co-founder of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, K\u00f6hler reminded leaders of the promise attached to united action, as written in The Acts of the Apostles, p. 90: \u201cAs they continued to labor unitedly, heavenly messengers would go before them, opening the way; hearts would be prepared for the reception of truth, and many would be won to Christ.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Linda
Linda Tobias of the Caribbean Union listens intently during the devotional segment<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cIs this not why we are working?\u201d he asked. \u201cTo see angels opening closed countries, resolving challenges we cannot overcome, and preparing hearts for truth?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut that only happens,\u201d he emphasised, \u201cif we work unitedly.\u201d<\/p>\n

Leaders Who Integrate<\/h2>\n

K\u00f6hler outlined several qualities of leaders who foster integration, noting that they prioritise unity over personal territory and function more like conductors than soloists. Such leaders intentionally promote participation, regularly evaluate their effectiveness, simplify initiatives to maintain focus, and communicate consistently to keep everyone aligned in purpose and direction.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople will help accomplish what they help plan,\u201d he said, urging leaders to involve others in strategic processes. He also warned against what he called \u201celectric failure,\u201d continuing methods that once worked but no longer produce results.<\/p>\n

\"General
General Conference President Pastor Erton C K\u00f6hler and his wife, Adrienne, smile as IAD President Pastor Abner De los Santos (right) raises his hand in appreciation following K\u00f6hler\u2019s devotional message. The couple received a token of gratitude before departing for their next engagement<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cWe must evaluate,\u201d he said. \u201cIf we want to move together, we must focus on what is essential.\u201d<\/p>\n

Simple. Bold. Relevant.<\/h2>\n

Any major initiative, he said, must meet three criteria: it must be simple, bold, and relevant.<\/p>\n

He pointed to the upcoming global initiative OneVoice2027, calling Adventists worldwide to proclaim Christ in September 2027.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf we want to preach with a loud voice,\u201d he said, \u201cwe must preach with one voice.\u201d<\/p>\n

K\u00f6hler closed by underscoring three essentials for integrated mission: prayer, clear direction grounded in Scripture and focused on mission, and intentional movement forward together.<\/p>\n

\"Pastor
Pastor Uriel Castellanos (right), president of the Soconusco Mexican Conference, listens during the devotional service alongside his wife, Mary Torres (left)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cWhen we work, we achieve the results of our effort,\u201d he said. \u201cWhen we pray, we achieve the results of God\u2019s work.\u201d<\/p>\n

He then asked the leaders directly: \u201cAre you in?\u201d<\/p>\n

As hands rose across the auditorium, K\u00f6hler prayed that integration, though difficult, would become a miracle worked by the Holy Spirit across the 42 countries of the Inter-American Division.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is easy to talk about,\u201d he prayed, \u201cbut difficult to accomplish. May the Lord perform this miracle among us.\u201d<\/p>\n

As the summit continues, leaders are expected to explore practical ways to strengthen alignment, simplify priorities, and mobilise members across Inter-America\u2014moving forward not as islands, but as one body, grounded in the Bible and focused on fulfilling the mission, organisers said.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

[Photos: Daniel Gallardo]<\/em><\/p>\n

The original version<\/a> of this article was posted on the Inter-American Division<\/a>\u00a0website.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Strengthening unity, prayer and strategic alignment across the global Church<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":43,"featured_media":25533,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-25532","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ted.adventist.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25532","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ted.adventist.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ted.adventist.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ted.adventist.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/43"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ted.adventist.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25532"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/ted.adventist.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25532\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25539,"href":"https:\/\/ted.adventist.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25532\/revisions\/25539"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ted.adventist.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/25533"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ted.adventist.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25532"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ted.adventist.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25532"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ted.adventist.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=25532"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}