A senior Seventh-day Adventist Church leader from South India has concluded a visit to the United Kingdom that strengthened relationships between the Church in India and the British Union Conference while encouraging congregations with a message of unity, service and Christ-centred leadership.
Part of Pastor Kalaiselvan Azariah’s visit coincided with the UK’s observance of South Asian Heritage Month 2026, providing a fitting opportunity to celebrate the rich contribution of South Asian Christians to the life and mission of the Church in Britain.
Pastor Azariah, President of the Chennai Section of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in South India, visited several churches and met with leaders from the British Union Conference and the South England Conference. Their discussions focused on mission, Christian education, leadership development and opportunities to strengthen collaboration between the Church in India and the United Kingdom.
With decades of experience in pastoral ministry, Christian education and church administration, Pastor Azariah has served as a chaplain, senior school principal, Education Director, Ministerial Secretary, and Sabbath School and Personal Ministries Director. Throughout his ministry, he has been committed to developing leaders and strengthening the Church’s mission across South India.
During his visit, Pastor Azariah preached at Holloway Seventh-day Adventist Church and Hemel Hempstead Seventh-day Adventist Church, where he delivered a sermon entitled ‘God Sees, Man Overlooks’, based on 1 Samuel 16:7.
Reflecting on God’s perspective, he reminded worshippers that while people often judge by outward appearance, God looks at the heart. His message encouraged believers to look beyond race, culture and ethnicity, recognising that every individual is created in the image of God – a message that resonated strongly with the theme of this year’s South Asian Heritage Month, ‘Unity in Diversity’.