In 2020, the North American Division voted “Together in Mission” as its strategic focus for the next five years: a call for every entity, ministry, and department to work together to share the gospel. Five years later, at the 2025 General Conference Session in St. Louis, Mo., visitors to the NAD’s exhibit space were met with a striking visual representation of this theme.

Communal areas, including a video showcase and media wall based on the NAD’s strategic focuses — media, mentorship, and multiply, or ‘the Three Ms,’ followed the NAD branding colors. While individual ministry booths maintained their own logo and colors, many had the same curved structure, signaling their connection to one another and to the division. 

The first stop, and perhaps clearest showcase of this unity, in the NAD’s GC Session home was a first-ever combined ministries booth. 

“The purpose of the booth, as I see it,” said Kimberly Maran, NAD Communication director, “is to showcase that the North American Division ministries — and all our team in North America — are Together in Mission, that we have a collaborative spirit and are endeavoring to tear down those silos that come up unintentionally between ministries …  to spread the good news.”

Altogether, the combined ministries booth represented 20 ministry departments: 

Adventist Chaplaincy Ministries, Adventist Community Services, Children’s Ministries, Communication, Disabilities Ministries, Family Ministries, Health Ministries, Literature Ministries, Multilingual Ministries, Native Ministries, the Office of Volunteer Ministries, Philanthropic Service for Institutions, Prayer Ministries, Public Affairs and Religious Liberty, Sabbath School/Personal Ministries, Stewardship Ministries, Women’s Ministries, Youth and Young Adult Ministries, Leadership Ministries (with strategic planning), and International Service Employees/Intra-Division Missionary Services.

There, guests were warmly greeted by NAD leaders from the various departments, who shared information, answered questions, and distributed 15,000 souvenirs, including luggage tags, pens, and bags. Visitors could also learn more about the resources offered by each ministry via bookmarks with QR codes or challenge themselves with activity cards related to the ‘Three Ms.’ 

DeeAnn Bragaw, Women’s Ministries director, was one of several leaders whose enthusiasm helped visitors feel at home. “I enjoyed learning where people were from and answering questions about the NAD,” she said. “I loved connecting with people from places I’ve served. And I definitely loved praying with people!” 

“Combined ministry people put their time and energy to not only share about their ministry but also to share about other ministries in the building,” said Wendy Eberhardt, NAD vice president for ministries and lead organizer for the booth, in a post-GC Session meeting. “We were all together showing what God is doing in North America. And that was very powerful.”

Testimonies from the Team

More than a place to grab free materials, the combined ministries booth became a vehicle for deepening connections between visitors and NAD ministry leaders — and among the leaders themselves.

“Enriching our friendships was one of the highlights of our 10 days of working together,” affirmed César De León, Family Ministries director. “Everyone’s gifts and talents blended so well. We are one in mission even while we each [lead] our specific areas of ministry.” 

De León also recalled when his wife Carolann accidentally left her backpack in an Uber before their afternoon shift. Hearing this news, the morning shift leader, Washington Johnson, Adventist Chaplaincy Ministries director, gladly extended his shift while they tracked down the backpack.

“When we arrived at the booth, we learned that the whole team had been praying we’d [find] the backpack. So we had an instant prayer team. Needless to say, we recovered the backpack a couple of hours later,” said De León. 

This spirit of camaraderie was echoed by Bragaw, who shared, “It was really nice to work with the people we usually just work beside in the office. I enjoyed seeing everyone in action.” 

She added, “Sometimes being together in mission means letting other leaders lead differently than you would.”

For Andre Bill Watson-Payne, Sabbath School and Personal Ministries director since last fall, the experience brought new connections and rekindled old connections. “[My new colleagues and I] were together for several hours each day. We made jokes, laughed, and shared stories of life and family,” said Watson-Payne, continuing, “The highlight for me was meeting people from around the world, … [especially] from a small town in the hills of St. Catherine, Jamaica, known as Bellas Gate, where I grew up and was baptized nearly 50 years ago. That was epic.”

The experiences of De León, Bragaw, Watson-Payne, and the rest of the team at the GC Session unveil the beauty of the body of Christ. We have different gifts, strengths, passions, and backgrounds — but one mission: “to go and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19). 

“Together in Mission” is more than a catchphrase; it is a way of life. The NAD mission of “reach [ing] North America and the world with the distinctive, Christ-centered, Seventh-day Adventist message of hope and wholeness” is too daunting for one person, church, conference, or union. It will take all of us, serving side by side, to fulfill this sacred calling until Jesus comes again. 

Inside the NAD’s GC Session Home

The combined ministries booth was part of a much broader NAD presence and also featured: 

• A written greeting in 66 languages,
• A video wall looping four hours of content — from Revelation narratives and Adventist news stories to documentaries, ministry training segments, Sonscreen Film Festival selections, and Adventist Journey video stories,
• The education pavilion, featuring Adventist colleges and universities,
• A media ministries hub highlighting how these ministries are staying relevant in 2025,
• A podcast station enabling NAD ministries to record with special guests on-site,
• Booths representing key NAD ministries
  • Adventist Education, NAD Ministerial, Liberty Magazine, Message Magazine, Adventist Camps, Pentecost 2025, Adventist Connect, Adventist Learning Community, AdventSource, Seminars Unlimited, Adventist Laymen’s Services & Industries (ASI), Office of Volunteer Ministries, Christian Record Services; and
• An adjacent section dedicated to NAD healthcare systems.