The North American Division (NAD) convened its 2026 Annual Council on October 29, 2026. It’s the executive committee’s second annual gathering since the 2025 General Conference Session, but the first with a new executive committee — and the first using the name annual council instead of year-end meeting. With more than 100 new members joining the committee for the new quinquennium, NAD president G. Alexander Bryant used his opening report to outline the division’s organizational responsibilities, its relationship to the global Seventh-day Adventist Church, and its role in supporting ministry across North America.

In a presentation titled “Who Are We?” Bryant drew on Matthew 28:19–20 to emphasize the church’s responsibility to reach communities both locally and globally.

“We have an equal responsibility to our neighbors across the street as we do to our neighbors across the globe. The distance does not diminish our responsibility,” Bryant said.

He outlined the division’s role in supporting that mission through resource development, centralized services, assistance to union and conference leaders, and the exchange of effective ministry practices.

Bryant also addressed the challenges of reaching urban populations and increasingly secular communities across the region. He identified media, multiplication, and mentorship as three continuing focuses for the division and linked them to preparations for the NAD’s contextualization of the OneVoice27/All Things New initiative. Scheduled for September 2027, the worldwide evangelistic effort aims to mobilize Seventh-day Adventists to share the message of Jesus through media and locally organized outreach.

During the business meeting, the executive committee received an update on Pentecost 2025, an evangelistic initiative that involved more than 5,200 churches and schools across the division. According to figures presented during a video report, the initiative recorded more than 43,000 baptisms and professions of faith.

Michael W. Campbell, director of the NAD’s Archives, Statistics, and Research department, presented preliminary findings from a study of participating congregations. The research identified several factors associated with evangelistic activity, including community engagement, Bible studies, and continued follow-up. 

The research also found that smaller congregations reported more baptisms per member than larger churches, while higher spending did not consistently correspond to higher baptismal totals.

Campbell also noted that 70 percent of surveyed congregations reported greater cooperation and unity around mission. “When we do outreach, it begins to change us,” he said.

Bryant said lessons from Pentecost 2025 would inform the division’s approach to future initiatives, including All Things New.

In a separate report, Adventist Learning Community (ALC), the North American Division’s online training and professional development platform, reported nearly 230,000 visitors over the past year. This result marked an increase of approximately 60 percent from the previous year. The platform also recorded more than 1.3 million page views.

ALC offers more than 100 Adventist-specific courses for pastors, more than 100 for educators, and more than 300 supporting local church ministries. Through partnerships, educators can also access approximately 3,000 additional professional development courses.

The report highlighted how the shared platform enables churches, schools, and conferences to access training resources without having to develop and maintain them independently.

The first business session also included approval of the meeting agenda and standing committees, the appointment of a parliamentarian, and recognition of new executive committee members.

Delegates also remembered those who have died during the past year, including three former committee members: Sam Green, former president of the Southwestern Conference; Louann Howard, former education director for the Mid-America Union Conference; and Gordon Pifher, former president of the British Columbia Conference and NAD vice president for media ministries. Committee members were invited to pray for their families and for unity within the church.

The division annual council (DAC) will resume its second day of business on Oct. 30, after worship. Follow the livestream HERE, on the NAD Facebook page, or on the NAD YouTube channel.

Executive Committee members gather for the 2026 North American Division Annual Council in Columbia, Maryland, on October 29, 2026. Photo: Art Brondo

Caption: Michael W. Campbell, director of the NAD’s Archives, Statistics, and Research department, presents statistics from a study of participating congregations across North America. Photo: Art Brondo