One Voice for This Time

In the coming months the Seventh-day Adventist Church will unite in OneVoice27, a global missionary initiative commemorating 2,000 years since the baptism of Jesus and the beginning of His ministry, with a special emphasis in September 2027. We will use every available media platform to encourage Bible study while proclaiming Christ’s second coming. This movement is driven by a broader vision. It is connected to the mission God has entrusted to His church and to the way we must live out mission in our time in line with the prophetic identity we have received from Scripture.

Project, Preparation, and Purpose

OneVoice27 is organized around three complementary emphases. The first is the project. Through OneVoice27 Adventist media, publishing ministries, local churches, schools, health institutions, and members will work together to present the biblical message of Christ to an even greater number of people. The focus is not on technology. The focus is on using every available opportunity to bring people closer to the Word of God.

The second emphasis is preparation. Before communicating the church must seek God’s direction. For this reason prayer, Bible study, personal consecration, and deeper study of prophecy, with priority given to the books of Daniel and Revelation, hold a central place in this process. Reading The Desire of Ages will also be essential for learning more about Christ’s earthly ministry and allowing its message to transform our lives. In other words, preparation for OneVoice27 does not begin in front of a screen or camera. It begins on bended knees and with a life that is shaped by truth.

The third emphasis is purpose. Each activity within this worldwide effort must lead people to Scripture and to a deeper relationship with Jesus. The main purpose of the project is to encourage people to study the Bible more and to request further Bible studies. Communication is important, but it is not the destination. It is the bridge. The objective remains the same one that inspired the church from the beginning: to lead men and women to a personal encounter with Christ.

If these three emphases help us understand the structure of the movement, something even more important remains. While they answer the question of “how,” the next question is “why?”

The Mission We Have Received

The answer begins with the identity of the church itself. From its beginning the Adventist movement understood that it had the responsibility of proclaiming the prophetic messages of Revelation 14. This understanding is not based on a sense of spiritual superiority. It is accepting the responsibility that the message must be shared. When Jesus declared that the gospel of the kingdom would be preached throughout the world before the end, He was not merely describing a future event. He was also indicating the role His people would play in that process (Matt. 24:14). For this reason, missionary initiatives cannot be regarded as optional activities in the life of the church. They are part of the reason for its existence.

Ellen G. White reinforced this understanding when she wrote: “In a special sense Seventh-day Adventists have been set in the world as watchmen and light bearers.”[1] This statement remains relevant. The resources and methods available today are different from those used when the Adventist movement began, but the mission remains unchanged. The challenge is still to make Christ known and lead people to discover the truths in Scripture.

This conviction is the driving force behind OneVoice27. The church is not seeking a new mission. It is seeking to fulfill more intentionally its present mission by integrating the efforts that are part of its structure and expanding its reach before the world.

A Time That Demands a Response

A sense of urgency accompanies the mission of the church. As we observe the contemporary world we see rapid changes in virtually every area of life. Technology has shortened distances and profoundly altered the way people live and relate to one another. At the same time there is a growing awareness that the world is facing increasingly serious tensions. For Christians who await the return of Jesus, this context does not produce paralysis. It strengthens the responsibility to witness.

The strength of Adventist proclamation is not found in technology or in our capacity for mobilization. It is found in the content of the message.

Our church was not called to watch the events of history as a mere spectator. It was called to proclaim hope. When Christ sent His disciples, He promised: “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me” (Acts 1:8). This promise remains essential to the mission. The Holy Spirit was not given only to strengthen the individual experience of the Christian. His ministry is directly connected to witness.

When we consider this setting, OneVoice27 should not be understood merely as a communication effort. It represents a call for the church to participate more intentionally in the task God has entrusted to it. Today many of these opportunities are found in online and printed media. Millions of people spend a large part of their lives connected and searching for content. Ignoring this reality would mean failing to reach people who may never spontaneously walk through the doors of a church. If we want to reach them where they are, we must be present in those spaces with wisdom and urgency, remaining faithful to the Bible and guided by a clear sense of mission.

Unity and Identity

There is another reason behind OneVoice27: the unity of the church. When a church unites to proclaim the message of Christ’s return, greater collaboration will naturally follow, strengthening the Adventist family as a united eschatological movement. In the prayer recorded in John 17, Christ asked that His followers might be one. This unity does not mean cultural uniformity or the mechanical repetition of methods. It grows from a shared conviction about who we are and the message we have received.

The purpose of OneVoice27 is not to create uniformity, but to help the worldwide church proclaim the same hope in different cultural contexts.

This is precisely where our identity as a church becomes essential. We are called to remain grounded in the Bible and focused on the mission. Before speaking to the world, we must know what we are proclaiming. The strength of Adventist proclamation is not found in technology or in our capacity for mobilization. It is found in the content of the message.

Before any other definition, our identity is centered in the person of Christ. Jesus is at the heart of our beliefs. He is the source of our identity. This is why the second coming of Christ is so central to what Adventists believe and proclaim before the world.

Within this understanding, the study of Daniel and Revelation holds an important place in preparation for OneVoice27. Ellen G. White wrote: “When the books of Daniel and Revelation are better understood, believers will have an entirely different religious experience.”[2] Our prophetic identity does not arise from circumstances. It comes from the Word of God. A church grounded in Scripture understands its mission more fully and recognizes its role in this moment of history with greater clarity.

A Church in Motion

As OneVoice27 moves forward, regions around the world are already beginning to prepare materials and initiatives for this global effort. In South America more than 100 digital influencers are being organized to proclaim the return of Jesus. New missionary resources are being produced, including a film on the theme, prophetic materials from Novo Tempo Network, and a collection of books devoted to the life of Christ. In Central America the movement has encouraged young people to take a leading role in mission and has strengthened expansion plans intended to increase the presence of the church significantly in the coming years. In Europe a Bible distribution initiative in Austria generated approximately 500 interests in only two weeks, exceeding the local church’s immediate capacity for follow-up.

Although each field is preparing according to its own abilities, all share the same conviction: The message entrusted to the church must reach more people.

These experiences reveal something important. OneVoice27 does not belong to one specific institution. It belongs to the worldwide church and to the local church. There is room for children and young people. There is room for adults and older members. There is room for those who teach the Bible. There is room for those who support the mission through prayer. Others will contribute by sharing content or opening the doors of their homes. Every member can find a way to participate. What will yours be?

More than an initiative marked on the calendar, what is at stake is an urgent opportunity for the church to renew its understanding of the evangelistic calling it has received and to participate with even greater courage. God continues to lead His people. An invitation is extended to every member to become personally involved in God’s worldwide mission. Heaven continues to open doors so that the message of Christ can reach people everywhere. OneVoice27 is an invitation for us to walk together. Can God, the church, and the mission count on you?

Maranatha.

[1] Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church, vol. 9 (Mountain View, Calif.: Pacific Press Pub. Assn., 1948), p. 19.

[2] Ellen G. White, Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers (Mountain View, Calif.: Pacific Press Pub. Assn., 1923), p. 114.