As delegates gathered each morning and evening during the British Union Conference’s (BUC) 10th Quinquennial Session, worship became far more than an introduction or conclusion to the day’s proceedings. Before reports were presented, officers elected and decisions taken, the devotional messages consistently redirected attention towards the spiritual purpose behind every item of business.
Centred on the Session theme, Walk. Love. Do., the worship experiences challenged delegates to ensure that administration remained an expression of mission rather than an end in itself.
The opening worship on Wednesday morning, 1 July 2026, invited delegates to prepare their hearts before the Session commenced. Through Scripture, prayer and personal reflection, Cathy Boldeau, BUC Stewardship Director, and Linda Asare, South England Conference (SEC) Prayer Ministries Coordinator, encouraged delegates to walk faithfully with Christ, pursue reconciliation and recommit themselves to God’s mission.
Serving as devotional speaker throughout the first four worship services, Dr Nicardo K Delahaye, Executive Secretary of the Northeastern Conference in the United States, built a series of messages around one central conviction: organisational effectiveness can never replace spiritual dependence.
Drawing from Mark 9, Micah 6, Psalm 46 and Matthew 14, Delahaye explored spiritual power, justice, humility, unity and trust in God. While each sermon focused on a different biblical passage, together they formed a consistent appeal for delegates to look beyond procedures and policies to the Church’s primary purpose.
“The primary topic on our agenda ought to be how we reach lost souls with the gospel of Jesus Christ,” he reminded delegates during the opening devotional.
Throughout the Session, Delahaye warned against replacing authentic spirituality with activity, urging delegates to lay aside pride, hidden agendas and division in favour of humility, prayer and dependence on God. He also reminded them that church leadership is ultimately about people rather than structures, describing justice as “love in action” and encouraging mercy to become a daily way of life.
“The meeting exists for the mission,” he said. “The church does not exist to protect the institution. The institution exists for the mission.”
His final message encouraged delegates to keep their eyes fixed on Christ amid uncertainty, assuring them that “the presence of the storm does not mean the absence of Jesus.”
The concluding morning worship on Friday, 3 July, was led by Pastor Anthony WagenerSmith, former Adventist Mission Director of the Trans-European Division, who challenged delegates to examine what truly holds first place in their lives. Preaching from Exodus 32, he warned that even good things can become idols when they replace wholehearted dependence on God.
Across the five worship experiences, a clear message emerged: the business of the Church has lasting value only when it advances God’s mission through people who walk faithfully with Christ, love others and serve with humility.
To watch the devotionals head to the BUC TV YouTube Channel here