The Secretariat Department of the Southern Asia-Pacific Division (SSD) continues to uphold its mission of strengthening organizational systems, refining policies, and advancing gospel initiatives under the theme “Integrated for Mission.”
The Secretariat Team plays a vital role in the mission of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the Southern Asia-Pacific Division (SSD). With diligence and commitment, the team gathers, manages, and safeguards the information that guides leadership decisions and mission strategy. Each data point collected and record preserved contributes to a greater story—one that testifies to God’s faithfulness and the growth of His Church across the division.
Reorganization and Expansion
In its continuing efforts to enhance administrative efficiency and mission effectiveness, the Secretariat finalizes the reorganization of two unions and the establishment of a new region, effective January 1, 2026. The Northeastern Thailand Region (NTR) encompasses 20 provinces and is created to facilitate more focused pastoral care and evangelistic work in this field.
The Central Philippine Union Conference undergoes restructuring to form the East Central Philippine Union Conference (ECPUC) and the West Central Philippine Union Mission (WCPUM). Likewise, the West Indonesia Union Mission completes its reorganization with emphasis on growth areas in Jakarta City for the Central Indonesia Union Mission and Pekanbaru City for the new West Indoensia Union Mission. These transitions form part of a broader, five-year momentum that has resulted in five union reorganizations, twelve new local missions, and two newly established regions in Thailand.
Seven Priorities of the Secretariat
The Secretariat continues to operate based on seven strategic priorities that serve as its operational pillars: mission, membership, meetings and minutes, manuals and policies, metrics, manuscripts and materials, and ministry maturity. These priorities ensure that every activity and policy remains grounded in Scripture and in harmony with the global church’s objectives. The department’s focus on mission emphasizes total dependence on God’s Word and the call to reach the world for Christ. Its work on membership continues to reinforce accession, retention, and reclamation initiatives, while meetings and minutes are managed with precision through efficient agenda preparation, documentation, and archiving. The Secretariat also ensures that all administrative and employment practices conform with the Church Manual, Working Policy, and Employee Handbook. Through careful data management, the Secretariat monitors church growth, demographic shifts, and ministry trends, while manuscript and resource development encourage recordkeeping, research, and information-sharing across all levels of the organization. Finally, ministry maturity remains a key focus, nurturing professional growth, personal well-being, and dedicated service among church leaders and workers.
Adventist Mission Progress
Significant progress is also recorded in missionary engagement across the Division. The number of SSD missionaries rises from 279 in 2023 to 553 in 2025, reflecting a notable expansion of the Church’s missionary workforce. This total includes Interdivision Service Employees (ISEs), Division Interdivision Service Employees (DISEs), Adventist Volunteer Service (AVS) missionaries, and Global Mission Pioneers (GMPs), representing a 48 percent increase in deployment compared to the previous year. These missionaries serve in key territories such as Thailand, Timor Leste, Cambodia, Vietnam, Singapore, and Indonesia, fulfilling the Division’s commitment to the “I Will Go” initiative and advancing the goals of the Mission Refocus program.
Mission Refocus: Global Integration
The Mission Refocus continues to expand beyond the SSD territory to include participation in the 10/40 Window, Urban Window, and Post-Christian Window—the three most spiritually challenging and unreached areas of the world. During 2025, 55 missionaries are deployed across seven world divisions, namely the Middle East and North Africa Union Mission, Euro-Asia Division, Northern Asia-Pacific Division, Southern Africa-Indian Ocean Division, West-Central Africa Division, East-Central Africa Division, and within SSD itself. Through these global appointments, the Southern Asia-Pacific Division demonstrates its dual role as both a sending and receiving division, highlighting the spirit of cooperation that characterizes the Adventist world mission movement.
Missionary Care and International Collaboration
Missionary care continues to be a key component of the Secretariat’s agenda. The department successfully holds the first Spiritual Retreat for ISE families from SSD and AIIAS, providing a venue for spiritual renewal, fellowship, and encouragement for those serving in cross-cultural and high-risk environments. Collaboration with other world divisions also strengthens, particularly with the South American Division (SAD). Of the six SAD missionaries assigned to SSD, three are already serving in the field—specifically in the territories of TLM, SEUM, and SAC—while the remaining three are in process for deployment in the upcoming cycle.
Challenges and Future Goals
Despite these advancements, the Secretariat continues to address challenges that accompany cross-border and high-impact mission work. These include delays in visa processing, the need for improved field readiness through orientation and training, and logistical difficulties in securing placement in certain restricted areas . The 2026 action plan provides a clear roadmap to address these concerns by ensuring the timely deployment of 35 missionaries, enhancing coordination with receiving fields, and maintaining a system of continuous care, monitoring, and evaluation throughout the year.
Evangelism through Secretariat Ministry
Inspired by Acts 2:47—“And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved”—the Secretariat views every figure not as a statistic but as a story of transformation. Each report reflects lives changed, churches planted, and ministries growing. Through accurate documentation, the Secretariat ensures that data supports the Church’s direction in making disciples and expanding mission opportunities across SSD.
Turning Numbers into Mission Stories
The past five years have shown God’s hand in both growth and renewal. After the pandemic, the Church experienced a strong rebound, followed by a necessary season of record cleaning that refined membership accuracy. This honest work prepared the Church for genuine growth, with current trends pointing upward once again.
Most unions have faithfully maintained their records through the Adventist Church Management System (ACMS), allowing real-time updates across 14 countries. A few territories are still improving, but overall, SSD is becoming one of the most accurate reporting divisions in the world. These records empower leaders to plan wisely—determining where to send missionaries, build schools, or strengthen ministries.
Evangelism remains strong. Baptisms have risen steadily since 2024, showing that mission is alive across the field. Each number represents a soul who has chosen to follow Jesus. With improved ACMS synchronization, baptisms from even the most remote areas are now recorded promptly, connecting local victories to the global mission narrative.
Membership data is also becoming more reliable. In one year, SSD improved from 86 percent to 97 percent alignment between ACMS and official reports—a remarkable leap in data integrity. The membership drop in 2023 was not a decline in faith, but an act of stewardship, ensuring that every name represents an active believer cared for by the Church. Today, we see a Church that is honest, healthy, and ready for mission.
Local congregations are now more active in outreach, as seen in the rising accession rate. Evangelism happens not only through large public meetings but also through personal witnessing, homes, schools, and digital spaces. At the same time, member losses continue to decline—a sign that stronger discipleship and pastoral care are keeping believers engaged and growing spiritually.
These numbers remind us that Secretariat work is not about counting members—it is about telling the story of God’s mission through people who love and serve Him.
Developing Capacity for Mission
The Secretariat Development Program continues to strengthen the field:
• 2022: 9 local missions and conferences completed the program
• 2023: 2 unions and 5 local missions/conferences
• 2024: 2 unions and 9 local missions/conferences
• 2025: 8 more local missions/conferences on track for completion
This steady growth reflects SSD’s commitment to building capable, mission-driven Secretariat offices that combine administrative excellence with spiritual purpose.
Preserving the Church’s Legacy
SSD became the third division worldwide to have its Archives and Records Center accredited to Level 3 by the General Conference’s ASTR office in 2022.
By 2024, two unions—EIUC and WIUM—achieved Level 2 accreditation, and by 2025, the Central Philippine Union Conference (CPUC) reached Level 1.
Between 2022 and 2025, over 30 archives and records centers were established or audited, ensuring that the Church’s history and mission stories are preserved for future generations.
These milestones affirm SSD’s commitment to transparency, accountability, and the stewardship of the Church’s collective memory.
Looking Forward
As the world Church prepares to transition from the “I Will Go” Strategic Plan (2020–2025) to the new direction for 2026–2030, the Secretariat Team stands ready to serve with renewed purpose. The next five years will demand deeper integration of data, discipleship, and mission—turning every number into a testimony of God’s leading.
Aligned with SSD’s Mission REAPS Campaign—Reach, Equip, Align, Plant, and Send—the Secretariat will provide the data foundation to measure and celebrate mission growth. Accurate records will help identify where the gospel is thriving and where more laborers are needed. Through continuous training and data harmonization, the team will help ensure that every church leader has the information necessary to make mission-driven decisions.
In harmony with the General Conference’s OneVoice27 initiative, which calls the global Church to unity in message and mission, the Secretariat Team will serve as the voice behind the records—ensuring that the Southern Asia-Pacific Division’s story becomes part of the worldwide testimony of faith, growth, and grace.
A Legacy of Faithful Stewardship
The ministry of the Secretariat is more than administrative—it is spiritual. Every report, every certification, and every update gives glory to God for His sustaining grace. As SSD moves forward, the Secretariat remains steadfast in ensuring that the Church’s mission is guided by truth, strengthened by accountability, and inspired by faith.
In every figure, the Secretariat sees the fingerprints of God—a faithful record of His people answering the call of mission, from the early Church of Acts to the growing movement today.
As the Secretariat closes this reporting period, it acknowledges that the mission continues to advance—not by human power, but by the Spirit of God. Remaining grounded in the Bible and centered on the gospel commission, the Secretariat reaffirms its calling to mobilize workers, equip leaders, and inspire members to reach the world for Christ.
As Gospel Workers reminds us, “The work of God on this earth can never be finished until the men and women comprising our church membership rally to the work.” With this conviction, the Southern Asia-Pacific Division Secretariat presses forward in faith—until every nation, tribe, tongue, and people have heard the everlasting gospel