Adventist Headlines From Around the World—February 20, 2025

AUSTRALIA

More Than 700 Young People Attend Youth Annual Gathering

A total of 732 young people from across Australia gathered at Converge—an annual Adventist youth conference held this year from February 7 to 10—to worship, connect, and grow in their faith.

Held at Yarra Holiday Park (formerly Stuart’s Point Convention Centre) in New South Wales, the event included worship programs, presentations, and water sports, as well as time to mingle and go to the beach.

Converge began nine years ago with the theme “Hang Out With Jesus and Your Mates,” designed for young people to connect with others, an aspect that Australian Union Conference Youth Ministries director Jeff Parker said is just as important as the worship services. He explained that the event is also the place where young adults can lead. “You’ll notice it’s all been young adults up-front. We step back and want them to step up and lead their fellow young adults. That’s really what it’s all about.”

Attendees described the event as “enriching.” According to Avondale theology student Keanu Hodges, Converge was a place to “share in an experience of knowing Jesus more and learn different ways to live a life of a disciple.”

SWITZERLAND

French-speaking Young People Host Special Worship Night

About 50 young people recently gathered in Neuchâtel for the third worship night of the Adventist youth in French-speaking Switzerland. In a warm and friendly atmosphere, participants praised God through songs and live music, led by the music group Arc Jurassien.

Jonatan Contero presented the message of the second angel from Revelation, drawing on many current examples and personal experiences. He highlighted the importance of recognizing the influence of today’s society and committing to freeing ourselves from its grip. “Consumerism has invaded our lives so much that it even influences our way of living the gospel,” he said. Contero’s invitation was clear: to make ourselves available to live a true, surprising relationship with God.

“This youth evening was an opportunity to meet young people from different churches in the French-Italian Swiss Conference,” shared Elena Melzi-Zagara, one of the organizers of the event. “We sang together, shared a delicious light dinner, and laughed out loud during the games organized for the evening. . . . Each team collaborated transforming this moment into an opportunity to laugh and rejoice in the Lord.”

ARGENTINA

GC President Attends Inauguration of Expanded Adventist Church Headquarters

In an event that attendees described as full of meaning and gratitude, the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Argentina celebrated the reopening of the administrative headquarters of the Argentina Union Conference (AUC), located in a prime location in Vicente López, Buenos Aires. General Conference president Ted N. C. Wilson and other regional church leaders, as well as government officials, attended the ceremony.

AUC president Dario Caviglione shared his joy at the renovation of this space, which coordinates the work of the Adventist Church across the country. “We had the joy of welcoming our leaders to our headquarters,” he said. “This is the place where the vision and the actions of the church for the whole country are generated.”

Wilson highlighted the importance of the renovated facilities as an instrument to strengthen the work of the Adventist Church in Argentina. “This building must be a tool to better serve the whole church and, therefore, the community. We thank God for allowing this expansion to carry our mission forward. We hope that each space here will contribute to better serve people and to expand the reach of the Adventist message,” he said.

GERMANY

Adventist Boarding School Celebrates Its Centennial

Schulzentrum Marienhöhe, or Marienhöhe College, is celebrating 100 years during the school year 2024-2025. The Seventh-day Adventist educational institution is a private K-12 coeducational Christian boarding school in Darmstadt, Germany.

In 1924 the German Association for Health Care bought the site on behalf of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Local officials approved the establishment of a mission school at the site.

The school centennial celebrations began in September 2024 with a special thanksgiving service at the Darmstadt-Marienhöhe Seventh-day Adventist Church. As part of the program, children led the service geared to young and old. The program also included a special message and a food collection drive for the local food bank.

During 2025, celebrations will continue under the theme “Living Wholistically” and will include music concerts and lectures on topics connected to the history of the institution and emotional well-being, such as “Inner Happiness Through Emotional Regulation” and “Wholistic Education in a Digital World.” Celebrations will also include a Jubilee Anniversary Service on June 7 and a Centennial Summer Festival on July 3.

PHILIPPINES

Church Region Mobilizes Members in Support of Division-wide Evangelism

In central Philippines local church administrators from the Adventist Church in Negros Occidental province (NOC) convened from January 31 to February 1 for their third annual conference. With the theme “Called to Be Faithful,” the gathering focused on the goals and objectives of Harvest 2025, a yearlong evangelistic initiative of the Southern Asia-Pacific Division.

Harvest 2025 follows the Global Total Member Involvement (TMI) strategy, which mobilizes every Adventist—regardless of age or background—to actively engage in evangelism. Nearly 1,000 delegates from 41 districts, including district pastors, district leaders, and local church administrators, attended the conference to prepare for the upcoming evangelistic thrust.

NOC president Jophone Galanza presented a detailed timeline for the preparation and implementation of Harvest 2025, urging all church members to actively participate. “May we all be united in the work of God to finish it,” he said.

The first quarter of the year is focused on training, groundwork preparation, and motivating church members to engage. “Collective involvement is crucial for its success,” regional church leaders emphasized. “[This training] sets the stage for a year of transformational evangelism and spiritual revival.”