From 18 to 22 September the South England Conference (SEC) Evangelism department had the privilege of hosting Pastor Daniel Ebenezer, General Conference Sabbath School and Personal Ministries Director, who led a strategic training initiative for the OneVoice27 worldwide evangelistic initiative of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
Pastor Ebenezer’s visit focused on repositioning Global Bible School (GBS) as the main vehicle to reach the world, with a renewed concentration on Discipleship to Reach, Maintain and Care for the newly baptised. GBS is an AI-powered platform that offers free Bible studies through WhatsApp and Messenger. With local affiliates around the world, we share the truths of the Bible in a simple format and connect seekers with faith communities near them.
The training was delivered in three phases and was marked by strong administrative support from the British Union Conference (BUC). Dr Augustus Lawrence, Personal Ministries and Sabbath School Director, Pastor Christian Salcianu, Principal, Adventist Discovery Centre, and Catherine Anthony Boldeau, Communication Director, as well as the BUC President, Dr Kirk Thomas, alongside other Conference directors and dignitaries in attendance. Their presence underlined the importance of this initiative for the entire Union and not just the SEC.
On Sabbath 19 September, at Croydon Seventh-day Adventist Church, Pastor Ebenezer met with leaders and laity from across the SEC. The sanctuary was filled with Sabbath School teachers, Personal Ministries leaders, and enthusiastic members. On Sunday 20 September, at Balham Adventist Church, he conducted a similar intensive, hands-on training for the South London churches and beyond.
In both places, his message was clear and compelling: OneVoice27 will only be fulfilled if every member becomes a disciple-maker, and GBS provides the simplest, most effective tool to achieve this. He demonstrated how an ordinary member can reach a friend not through the exploration of a full doctrine, but by simply enrolling them in the Bible School and walking with them in friendship.
The climax of the visit was on Tuesday 22 September, when he trained the workers of the South England Conference at Stanborough Secondary School in Watford. He challenged pastors and Bible workers to shift from event-driven evangelism to process-driven discipleship and outlined a recommended model:
1. Reach: Use GBS to penetrate homes, campuses, and communities. Every enrolment is an evangelistic contact.
2. Maintain: Through systematic lessons and consistent visitation, we maintain interest and consolidate faith before baptism, reducing losses.
3. Care: Most importantly, the same GBS teacher continues after baptism with advanced lessons, ensuring the new believer is cared for, integrated into a small group and a ministry, and not lost.
“The Lord has been good to me that I have lived to see this day,” said Pastor George Asiamah, Senior Pastor, London Ghana Seventh-day Adventist Church... “I have been a minister for over 30 years, but I have now realised that I need to better support my members to help them properly understand the essence of our calling to make disciples of all nations and that is everyone’s business.”