“Then the king will say to those on His right hand, “Come ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me” (Matt. 25:34-36).
The first line of the current Central States Conference mission statement that was developed over 10 years ago states that we “exist to LIVE and proclaim the Three Angels Message…” Something that I have realized in my 26 years of full-time gospel ministry and 50+ years of my Seventh-day Adventist existence is that as a church we have done a pretty good job preaching the everlasting gospel, but have been lacking in living the gospel. Therefore, without realizing it, we didn’t truly recognize that being like Jesus is the prerequisite to being with Jesus eternally. Thus, it follows that if we want to be like Jesus, we should do what He did, live as He lived, and be obedient to what He says.
Of course, we are aware that the overall vision of the Godhead was to save humanity from the penalty of sin. But when Jesus, the Son of God, arrived in the flesh, He read His mission statement that would give us all a glimpse into what His ministry would entail. He would preach the gospel to the poor; heal the brokenhearted; proclaim liberty to the captives; recover the sight of the blind (physically and spiritually) and set at liberty those who are oppressed (Luke 4:18).
In other words, Jesus did not just come to correct our theology; He came to be a blessing to humanity. Jesus came and modeled what true Christianity was supposed to look like. What a blessing that He didn’t just leave us with words and concepts, but with a practical ministry that demonstrated everything He spoke about in His mission statement. We must love God and love our neighbor as ourselves. This passion that our conference embodies, I sincerely believe, comes from the Spirit of Christ Himself. Jesus did not only begin His ministry with this passion but then tells us at the end of His ministry that for His followers to inherit the kingdom of heaven, they too must do what He did.
With this essence in our conference DNA, the Central States Conference Executive Committee members came together in person for the first time since before the COVID-19 pandemic to pray and develop a strategic plan so we can effectively accomplish our mission. Dr. Freddie Russell of the True North Leadership Group led us through this process, and we realized that we had a solid goal, but we needed to focus on some growth areas that would help us to fulfill the mission. Our SWOT analysis led us to develop the following four SMART Goals. (SMART = specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-bound)
- Develop innovative ministry approaches to reach and sustain youth and young adults in our local churches. Our youth and young adult director and leadership team are already training churches in this area, with more to come.
- Create a non-pastor dependent ministry model—which means Total Member Involvement (TMI) for maximum mission impact.
- Create a standardized and unified form of bi-directional communication between the conference and the local church. This will allow us to remain on the same page and be in one accord.
- Implement a debt reduction program to pay off the CSC debt by 2028. This will free up more resources to fund the mission.
In closing, I am convicted that the internal theme of the North American Division in 2026, Pentecost and Beyond, is not coincidental but providential. A true Pentecostal experience is needed because it is the Holy Spirit who gives the Laodicean church better eyesight to see its spiritual malnourishment and nakedness. It is the Holy Spirit, who gives the 5 wise virgins the extra strength needed to be ready to meet the Bridegroom after they too had fallen asleep. And it is also the Holy Spirit who gives those on His right the passion to be a blessing to the least of these in Matthew 25.
May we not become cynical and dismayed by those even within Christendom who might be blinded or confused by those amongst us who have a form of godliness but demonstrate no Holy Ghost power. Consequently, may we be more driven to spend time every day being filled with the Spirit, so that we can be more like Jesus, and ultimately spend eternity with Jesus. Maranatha!
