Annual Council 2025 Concludes With Gratitude and Final Call to Mission

After a week of business sessions, devotional messages, and strategic focus, Annual Council 2025 came to an end on October 15, with gratitude and a call for Seventh-day Adventists to remain “grounded in the Bible and focused on the mission.”

In a visual demonstration of this principle, Bibles that General Conference (GC) president Erton Köhler has collected from around the world were displayed on the stage. The 117 Bibles had been given to Köhler as gifts from regions of the world he has visited, and represent different languages and translations.

Köhler highlighted two special Bibles he had received: one from Ukraine that is given to soldiers currently fighting on the front lines in the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian conflict, and another, the most recent in his collection, from Ethiopia, with a unique wood cover.

“Do you know why these Bibles are here?” Köhler asked. “Just to highlight to you that the best image of our international church is the Word of God. We are united by the Word of God.”

He reaffirmed the strategic pillars emphasized during the week. “We are a church. When we gather together from around the world, we need to leave saying, I understand my role in the church family; I understand my priorities—where I need to go, how the Lord can go with me. We need to inspire people to live as a church family, ready to pursue integration, to keep the focus on the mission. [Meetings must contain] business and inspiration,” he said.

He encouraged the delegates to keep that principle in mind when they run meetings in their own church territories. Köhler also acknowledged that meetings like this can be tiring, but thanked each delegate for attending and participating. He shared, “It’s nice when people come to the mic and say, ‘I have a different opinion.’ But what I loved is that we did that in a positive way, in a balanced way.”

Köhler also thanked God for His guidance throughout the week, thanked his fellow officers, the technical people, the interpreters, the prayer team, those who distributed materials during the week, and finally, his wife, for her ongoing support in ministry.

The secretary and treasurer were also given a time to express their gratitude before Köhler gave special thanks to the speaker of the week, Shane Anderson, senior pastor of Pioneer Memorial Church at Andrews University, and former GC presidents, Ted N. C. Wilson and Jan Paulsen, who attended and had both participated in the proceedings.

The theme of gratitude continued when three people were asked to come to the microphones and share what they had gratitude for. Kern Tobis, a delegate from the Inter American Division, made a comment from the floor that after 15 years this would be his last Annual Council, as he was heading into retirement.

Lyne Liva Dilag, a delegate from the Southern Asia-Pacific Division, said she didn’t want to miss the time to pay tribute to the smooth transition of leadership and “how the Lord is really using this church to bring the good news to people who have not heard it.”

Thomas Ocran, from the West-Central Africa Division, suggested acknowledging those who would be retiring. Köhler asked all those who would be attending Annual Council for the last time to stand.

“You are totally right. . . . We need to honor those who served the Lord for many years and will continue serving as volunteers after retirement,” said Köhler.

Those who stood were prayed for by Mario Brito, former president of the Inter-European Division.

“This is my first Annual Council and . . . last Sabbath was one of the best Sabbaths of my life. . . . I’m so thankful to God for our leadership and that God is at the center of our church,” said Lidija Djordjevic Runic, from the Trans-European Division.

In conclusion Köhler encouraged attendees, “Let us return home focused on integration for mission. Let us return depending on the Lord and in the Holy Spirit. This church belongs to the Lord.”

The original version of this story was posted on ANN.