Research and Adventist Mission Are Not Mutually Exclusive, Expert Says

The General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists (GC) is increasingly integrating human-subject research into its programming and strategic planning. Many major initiatives and decisions are now made based on research data to ensure the church meets the needs of this exponentially increasing religious organization more effectively and efficiently.

Research and Adventist mission are not mutually exclusive; they exist in a complementary relationship. Research helps uncover and address the current issues in mission work; the mission guides Adventist researchers toward the most pressing needs of the church and fosters ethical and Christian research practices.

The pressing need to inform church decision-making with research data led Adventist researchers to meet for a conference for the first time at Andrews University in the United States in 2012. The following year, the Adventist Human-Subject Research Association (AHSRA) was created under the vision of David Trim, GC director of Archives, Statistics, and Research (ASTR). He worked with Monte Sahlin, Roger L. Dudley, and Bailey Gillespie, three renowned Adventist expert researchers, to establish ASHRA.

AHSRA is a body of Adventist researchers around the world committed to supporting the Adventist Church by bringing together social research resources, empowering one another with new research skills and supporting the mission of the church directly with cutting-edge research studies that are essential in addressing contemporary challenges. AHSRA’s main headquarters is at Andrews University, with Petr Cincala as the president. However, AHSRA, now known by some as AHSRA International, is going global.

In January 2021, some researchers on the African continent took the initiative to request an AHSRA chapter to help spread AHSRA’s vision over the continent. In April 2021, AHSRA-Africa began with Daniel Ganu, a professor of public health at the Adventist University of Africa (Kenya), as the first (and current) president. In June 2024, AHSRA-Africa held its third research conference at Helderberg College of Higher Education in South Africa.

In June 2021, AHSRA-Asia was launched with Arceli Rosario as its first (and current) president. Rosario is also the president of the Adventist University of the Philippines. AHSRA-Asia held its first conference in July 2024, with more than 60 delegates physically present on the campus of this university and many others who attended virtually.

There is groundwork currently ongoing for a possible AHSRA-Europe.

The three AHSRA leaders all firmly believe in the support of research to the Adventist mission. From the AHSRA International perspective, Cincala stated, “AHSRA connects Adventist researchers globally, equipping and encouraging them to conduct practical, applied research, bridging seasoned experts with emerging researchers, shaping ministry and mission worldwide.” Collaboration among scholars around the world creates a synergy that will significantly support the Adventist mission.

Rosario believes that “AHSRA-Asia is a research hub for the Adventist research community … where researchers and scholars from across Asia engage in meaningful dialogues about human-subject research.” For her, AHSRA-Asia “is a community that embodies our shared commitment to support Adventist researchers and advance the cause of the church through research.”

As for ASHRA-Africa, Ganu stated that “the association advances the Adventist mission by integrating research values into the mission ensuring that research projects align with the values of the Adventist mission, such as compassion, integrity, and service to humanity. Also, the mission of the church is advanced when AHSRA research projects address health, education, and social issues consistent with Adventist beliefs.”

The partnership between AHSRA and the GC continues to grow through the collaboration between the GC’s ASTR and Adventist research teams around the world. Through these partnerships, the church is able to conduct global research surveys that are informing the development and improvement of the church’s initiatives, programs, services, and policies. Global church strategic plans such as I Will Go and other initiatives are now based on research data.

Local churches, conferences, unions, and divisions are therefore encouraged to integrate research in their work. With the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the partnership between Adventist researchers and church pastors, various church leaders and entities is needed to further God’s work in today’s ever-challenging world. With the complex issues the church institutions and church communities are faced with today, research is strongly needed to help us understand the problems and generate and implement solutions.

Safary Wa-Mbaleka is manager of Research and Evaluation at the Office of Archives, Statistics, and Research at the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.