The headquarters of the Adventist World Church houses a number of departments and services that cater to the global needs of the denomination. The overall goal of all these entities is to make good on the Adventist promise to help everyone understand the Bible and find freedom, healing and hope in Jesus.
- Departments & Associations
- Adventist Chaplaincy Ministries
- Children’s Ministries
- Communication
- Education
- Family Ministries
- Health Ministries Department
- Ministerial Association
- Planned Giving & Trust Services
- Public Affairs and Religious Liberty
- Publishing
- Sabbath School/Personal Ministries
- Stewardship
- Women’s Ministries
- Youth
- Services
- Adventist Membership Systems
- Adventist Mission
- Adventist Professionals’ Network
- Adventist Review Ministries
- Adventist Volunteer Services
- Archives, Statistics, and Research
- Auditing (GCAS)
- Global Software and Internet, Office of
- Human Resources – Human Resources Services
- Information Technology Services
- Institute of World Mission
- International Personnel Resources and Services
- Office of General Counsel
- Seventh-day Adventist Accounting Software (SunPlus)
- VividFaith
Departments & Associations
Adventist Chaplaincy Ministries
Adventist Chaplaincy Ministries serves the large network of professional Adventist chaplains and clergy in campus, community, corrections, healthcare, military or work-place ministries. In the United States, there is an ACM chapter in the National Service Organization that caters to the spiritual needs of Seventh-day Adventists serving in the military.
Website: AdventistChaplains.org
Children’s Ministries
Children are incredibly important to the Adventist Church and the Adventist Church does everything possible to promote their wellbeing and development. The Children’s Ministries Department develops relevant age-appropriate resources to share the Bible with children from birth to the age of fourteen. As they learn from the Bible, children are often the first to embrace the love of Jesus and want to share it with others. The Children’s Ministries Department helps nurture the spiritual growth of children and trains them as young leaders.
Website: children.adventist.org
Communication
As Adventists help their friends understand the Bible, they are sharing the hope that can only be found in Jesus. The Communication Department helps provide tools for church institutions and members to share this hope. Phone apps, websites, social media channels, video programming and gaming fuse with news reporting and press releases to reach audiences inside and outside the Adventist Church. The goal is to provide effective and inviting means for people to get to know Jesus.
Education
Seventh-day Adventists believe in great schools because they know that getting a well-rounded Christian education is a wonderful way to fall in love with Jesus and prepare for a life of service. The Education Department oversees the international Adventist network of 9,489 schools, colleges and universities, with 111,360 teachers and 2,044,709 students in 115 countries. The department promotes this huge network of schools. It also provides quality control to make sure Adventist educational institutions surpass expectations and provide a great start to the lives of students.
Website: education.adventist.org
Family Ministries
Seventh-day Adventists are huge proponents of happy family living. The Family Ministries Department is dedicated to strengthening families through services like premarital guidance, marriage seminars, coaching for parents, and special Bible education tailored to families. The goal is to build up, enrich and celebrate families, helping each member understand the Bible to find hope and meaning in a personal relationship with Jesus. There is no better witness to the power of Jesus than a loving family that works as a team to share the Bible with others.
Website: family.adventist.org
Health Ministries Department
One of the reasons Seventh-day Adventists live longer than the general population is their lifestyle. The Health Ministries Department provides cutting-edge information and training on how to optimize your health and be all that God has designed you to be. Its resources help you discover what the Bible has to say about health and its importance for a rich life. Need to quit smoking or drinking? Health Ministries can help you drop bad habits and develop good ones. Don’t settle for less!
Website: healthministries.com
Ministerial Association
Pastors are busy people. They do a lot of very important work serving their local communities. The Ministerial Association helps to equip and support pastors, their families and their local church leaders as they serve the needs of their congregations. Hands-on ministry training, practical resources and support forums are all part of what the Ministerial Association provides to care for pastors as they care for their church members. In addition, the association provides resources supporting church initiatives such as 10 Days of Prayer, Revival and Reformation, Revived by His Word and other spiritually-nourishing programs.
Website: ministerial.adventist.org
Planned Giving & Trust Services
Smart financial planning can really help further good causes. The Planned Giving and Trust Services Department provides free help to church members who want to support the Church through wills, trusts, annuities, and other special gifts. If members need professional financial, estate and gift planning guidance, this department is here to help.
Website: www.willplan.org
Public Affairs and Religious Liberty
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a staunch defender of religious liberty, not just for its own members around the world but for people of every faith. The Public Affairs and Religious Liberty department advocates for this freedom around the world and at their offices at the United Nations and on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C.. It also does diplomatic work to promote religious liberty and build strong relationships.
Website: www.adventistliberty.org
Publishing
Since its beginnings in the 19th century, the Seventh-day Adventist Church has been in the publishing business. The Publishing Department supports a large network of church publishing entities that circle the globe. It also backs Adventist book stores as well as outreach teams that share printed materials with the public.
Website: publishing.adventist.org
Sabbath School/Personal Ministries
One of the best ways to study the Bible and find freedom, healing and hope in Jesus is to interact with small groups of people that are also deepening their knowledge of the Bible. The Sabbath School and Personal Ministries department provides Bible study guides and material for small groups that meet on Saturday mornings and other times of the week to study. No matter what your age, this department has resources to help you get to know God better and to share what you learn with others.
Website: sabbathschoolpersonalministries.org
Stewardship
Stewardship is all about how we as humans take care of the resources God gives us. Wise use of what we have means that God’s work can flourish and more people can understand the Bible to find freedom, healing and hope in Jesus. The Stewardship Department helps train Adventist leaders and members around the world in biblical stewardship principles.
Website: stewardship.adventist.org
Women’s Ministries
Women serve as important leaders in the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Their spiritual, emotional, physical and social needs are of huge importance. The Women’s Ministries Department supports programs that help women rise to their full potential as leaders in their homes and communities. The department backs mentorship and academic scholarship programs for young women. It also hosts events around the world opposing domestic abuse and other violence against women.
Website: women.adventist.org
Youth
The youth of the Seventh-day Adventist Church are valued not just as its future but as incredibly important current community members. The Youth Department helps develop resources and programming to support and mentor young people. The team works in close cooperation with regional youth leaders to find relevant ways to encourage and train youth as they help their communities to study the Bible to find freedom, healing and hope in Jesus.
Website: gcyouthministries.org
Services
Adventist Membership Systems
The software needs of Adventist churches and ministries are a vital priority in helping to support growing congregations and institutions. Adventist Membership Services helps with these critical digital needs of the church, facilitating effective operations and strategic planning that furthers the mission of the church. These digital heroes allow everyone else to do great work.
Website: membership.adventist.org
Adventist Mission
The Adventist Promise to help people understand the Bible and help them find freedom, healing and hope in Jesus is very tangibly expressed through the Office of Adventist Mission. The number one objective of this office is to share this hope with people who have never heard of Jesus. Adventist Mission works in the far flung corners of the world, as well as in its cities. A vital part of what Adventist Mission does is to raise the funds to support this international work of missionaries helping people understand the Bible. This department works in well over 200 countries and supports evangelistic, medical, media and development work done by Adventists everywhere.
Website: www.adventistmission.org
Adventist Professionals’ Network
This registry details the professional expertise and talents of Adventists with a college or university degree. It is an excellent resource for matching the best candidates to positions in Adventist institutions around the world. The Adventist Professionals’ Network (APN) helps ensure a good fit for everything from short term volunteer gigs to full-time employment in fields ranging from healthcare to teaching or administration.
Website: apn.adventist.org
Adventist Review Ministries
Launched by Adventist co-founders James and Ellen White in 1849, the Adventist Review is not only the longest-running publication in the Adventist Church but it is one of the oldest religious publications in North America. Nowadays, Adventist Review publishes both a monthly print magazine with a paid circulation of about 30,000 and a number of innovative digital offerings including its website, a podcast and digital TV programming. A companion magazine, Adventist World, has soared in international popularity since it kicked off in 2005. The magazine is distributed for free to over 140 countries. Digitally, Adventist World is available in 12 languages.
Website: www.adventistreview.org
Adventist Volunteer Services
Website: www.adventistvolunteers.org
Archives, Statistics, and Research
As the official records and archives center of the General Conference and the Adventist Church’s North American region, the Office of Archives, Statistics and Research provides a wealth of data about the denomination. It produces publications like the denomination’s Yearbook that contains useful facts and figures on the institutions, growth and activities of the church. This department also produces an annual statistical report in addition to conducting specific research projects. If you need info on Adventists, chances are they’ve got it.
Website: www.adventistarchives.org
Auditing (GCAS)
Transparency in financial and policy matters is a major priority for the General Conference.The Adventist Church can only operate because of the generosity of its members who give to support its work. That’s why the General Conference Auditing Service (GCAS) employs more than 200 highly-trained auditors to conduct financial statement audits. They also work on other forms of policy and contract auditing to make sure that church institutions around the world are complying with local and international industry standards.
Website: www.gcasconnect.org
Global Software and Internet, Office of
Human Resources – Human Resources Services
Information Technology Services
Institute of World Mission
International Personnel Resources and Services
Name any country and chances are there are Adventist missionaries there, helping people understand the Bible to find freedom, healing and hope in Jesus. These missionaries need support in order to do their jobs effectively. That’s where the International Personnel Resources and Services department comes in. This team serves as the human resources department for missionaries around the world from the time they are appointed until the time they return to their home country. They make sure missionaries are safe and taken care of as they serve internationally.
Website: www.adventistpersonnel.org
Office of General Counsel
The lawyers working at the Office of General Counsel offer invaluable help to both the General Conference headquarters of the Adventist Church and the North American region. The team handles legal work in areas including corporate, tax, pension, trust and estate, constitutional, religious liberty, employment and immigration law and litigation.
Website: www.adventistlawyer.com
Seventh-day Adventist Accounting Software (SunPlus)
To help promote financial and accounting transparency in the worldwide Seventh-day Adventist Church, the Treasury Department created a service called SunPlus (Seventh-day Adventist Accounting Software). This is a tailor-made service to fit the very specific not-for-profit financial reporting requirements of the Church. This commercially-produced, regularly-updated package is available to any Church organization or institution.
Website: sunplus.adventist.org
VividFaith
VividFaith is an online service of the Adventist Church that connects people with mission-focused service opportunities. Organizations can advertise their needs and recruit people to serve; and individuals can match their skills and experience with opportunities of all types—volunteer or employment, freelance or contract, part-time or full-time, etc. Currently in development are other components of VividFaith which include online communities based on shared professions and interests; access to training and resources that are related to missions and service; and the promotion and support of projects around the world.
Website: vividfaith.com