Pressing On Toward the Blessed Hope

A view of the stage from the back of the delegate area. The 62nd General Conference Session of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, America’s Center Convention Complex, St. Louis, Missouri, USA, July 3-12, 2025. Camera date: Thursday, July 3, 2025 17:11.

Seth Shaffer

Pressing On Toward the Blessed Hope

Heshbon Buscato

As we launch the first issue of the SSD Newsletter for the 62nd General Conference Session, we are filled with gratitude and anticipation. The journey of God’s remnant people in the Southern Asia-Pacific Division is not merely marked by programs, reports, and events—but by divine purpose and an urgent mission that transcends borders and time.

A Movement, Not Just a Moment

The church is not a monument to the past but a movement propelled by a mission—to proclaim the three angels’ messages to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people (Revelation 14:6–12). This General Conference Session reminds us that we are part of a divine storyline that began in Eden, was sealed at Calvary, and will culminate in the clouds of glory.

This gathering is not just a global reunion. It is a sacred alignment—a convergence of hearts, minds, and voices resounding the same anthem: “Even so, come, Lord Jesus” (Revelation 22:20).

The Mission Remains: Go and Tell

Jesus’ final command—“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19)—was not a suggestion. It was a marching order for a church filled with the Spirit and ignited by the hope of His soon return. As the signs of the times intensify, our response must not be passivity but passion. Not retreat, but revival.

Each union, mission, conference, and local church across SSD is a light on a hill (Matthew 5:14), entrusted with the mission of reaching the unreached, reviving the discouraged, and restoring the broken—all in the name of Jesus.

“Finish the Work” in the Power of the Spirit

This Session’s theme—“Jesus Is Coming! Get Involved!”—echoes the cry of the apostles after Pentecost: urgency, action, and dependence on the Holy Spirit. It is a call to move beyond complacency, to break free from spiritual apathy, and to allow the flame of mission to burn brighter than ever before.

In this edition, you will read stories of God’s movement across Myanmar, Mindoro, and many corners of our division. These are not just reports—they are testimonies of grace, miracles in motion, and faith put into action.

Until He Comes

As we await the trumpet sound, let us recommit ourselves—heart, soul, and strength—to the mission that matters most: leading people to Jesus. The world may be filled with confusion, but the church must be filled with conviction.

Let this newsletter be both a chronicle and a compass: a record of what God is doing and a guide for where He is leading.

May every article stir you, every story inspire you, and every update move you to say, “Here am I, Lord, send me” (Isaiah 6:8).

Jesus is coming soon. Let us rise together and finish the work.

Heshbon Buscato

SSD Strategic Slogans: SSD REAPS

Grounded for Mission: The Southern Asia-Pacific Division’s Journey of Renewal and Reaping

It’s All About Jesus: The Mark of Adventist Mission

Grounded in the Bible, Focused on the Mission

Adventist Leaders Vote to Implement Ordination Road Map for Chaplains

“Affirming” Devotional to Inspire Daily Commitment to Adventist Faith and Mission

SSD Encourages Seminar and Review on Updated Church Manual and Working Policy

Beyond Numbers: Stewardship and Faith Drive Mission Forward in Southern Asia-Pacific Division

Stewardship Over Status: Dr. G. T. Ng Calls Leaders to Serve with Humility

General Conference "I Will Go" Priorities

Stewarding Mission through Records, Data, and Direction

Newly Elected Leaders Poised to Advance Mission in Southern Asia-Pacific Division

SSD Elects New Union Mission Officers Across the Southern Asia-Pacific Region

Douglas Calls for Compassion and Urgent Action in Mission

The Significance of "Integrated for Mission"

SSD Launches Mission REAPS

McEdward Calls Church to Embrace Integration for Global Mission

Southern Asia-Pacific Division Annual Council Opens, Emphasizing Unity and Mission Integration

Köhler: ‘No More Delay—The Mission Must Move Forward’

Division Annual Council Gathers Leaders to Chart Mission Path Forward

Adventists Mobilize Aid as Typhoon Tino Devastates Central Philippines

Why Annual Meetings of the Church Matter?

New Leaders to Lead the Adventist Church in East Indonesia Toward Mission Growth in the Next Five Years

“Finding Hope” Launches Division-wide Digital Evangelism Initiative

When the Rocks Refuse to Cry: The Story of Cheard, a Deaf Woman Who Heeded God’s Call