ADRA (Humanitarian Aid)
The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) is a humanitarian agency that rehabilitates communities and enhances the quality of life and well-being of individuals through its financial, material and technical resources. ADRA is active in many developing countries and provides aid to the extremely deprived.
Adventist Chaplaincy Ministries
Adventist Chaplaincy Ministries (ACM) is the denomination’s liaison office with organizations using professional chaplains in church-related or public institutions. ACM supports qualified Adventist clergy who are called to campus, community, corrections, healthcare, military or work-place chaplaincy ministries. The National Service Organization chapter of ACM provides pastoral care and religious resources to enhance the spiritual well-being of Seventh-day Adventists in military-related service.
Adventist Mission
The Office of Adventist Mission was formed in 2005, bringing Global Mission and the Office of Mission Awareness together in one office. Its purpose is to further the Global Mission objectives of carrying the gospel to unreached areas, promoting the importance of mission and raising vital financial support. Currently active in more than 204 countries, Adventist Mission supports the worldwide Seventh-day Adventist evangelistic, medical, media and development fields.
Adventist Professionals’ Network
The Adventist Professionals’ Network (APN) is an electronic global registry of Adventists who hold a college or university degree in any field. APN assists participating institutions in locating consultants with expertise, volunteers for short mission assignments, and candidates for positions in teaching, administration and research.
Auditing (GCAS)
The General Conference Auditing Service (GCAS) audits church entities worldwide. More than 200 auditors around the globe conduct financial statement audits and perform tests for compliance with policies, contracts and regulations in accordance with local or international auditing standards. GCAS is a professionally independent function which employs individuals with the highest professional qualifications and work experience possible.
Biblical Research Institute
The Biblical Research Institute is a doctrinal and theological resource center that produces informative papers on specific topics, presents programs for ministers’ meetings, provides specialized short courses for ministerial education programs, and publishes major book-length studies on specific subjects.
Children’s Ministries
The Children’s Ministries Department seeks to develop the faith of children from birth through age fourteen, leading them into a loving, serving relationship with Jesus and a commitment to the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Resources are produced regularly to nurture the spiritual growth of children, and ongoing leadership training is conducted to equip children’s leaders and teachers to minister effectively to children.
Communications
“Building bridges of hope” is the mission statement of the Seventh-day Adventist Church’s Communication Department. We work toward this goal by reaching out to diverse church audiences — both internally and externally — through many avenues of communication. Creating informative and intuitive web sites, updating social media sites, and writing news stories and press releases are some of the ways we share our message. Through our work, we foster a clearer image of the church, its mission, activities and witness, so that many will become followers of Christ and members of His church.
Education
The Education Department is responsible for the supervision, coordination, promotion and quality control of the global Seventh-day Adventist educational system. This includes 7,883 schools, colleges and universities, with 89,481 teachers and 1,758,737 students in 115 countries. In addition to curricular materials and textbooks, the department publishes “The Journal of Adventist Education” and “College and University Dialogue” in four language editions.
Family Ministries
Family Ministries is a ministry to relationships: husband and wife, parent and child. Relational dynamics are in view rather than the needs of individuals per se. Primary areas of emphasis include premarital guidance, strengthening marriage, parent education, and family evangelism. The primary methodologies of the department are education and enrichment. While the target audience is families at home, the ministry is invaluable to the church as the wider family of God.
Health Ministries Department
The Health Ministries Department serves as a resource for information and counsel on health and temperance affairs and advises the Church and its departments and related agencies on health and/or temperance related policies and programs. The Health department promotes a healthful lifestyle among church members through literature, programs and Sabbath services, and provides publications, services and programs to aid outreach to the world concerning the physical, mental and soul-destroying effects of tobacco, alcohol and other substances.
Ministerial Association
The Ministerial Association serves pastors, pastors’ families, local church elders/company leaders, and Ministerial Association Secretaries. There are seven entities in the Ministerial Association which are as follows: Continuing Education, Elder’s Training, Evangelism and Church Growth, Ministry Magazine, PREACH Program, Resource Center and Shepherdess International.
Public Affairs and Religious Liberty
Public Affairs and Religious Liberty supports religious liberty internationally as one of the fundamental principles of the Seventh-day Adventist Church and as a God-given right. PARL represents the world headquarters of the Church on government issues, has an office at the United Nations, and hosts many diplomatic meetings to reinforce relations between the Church and different countries.
Publishing
The Publishing Department of the General Conference gives leadership to the work of the publishing departments worldwide, Home/Family Health Education Service offices, Adventist Book Centers, literature ministry seminaries, and literature evangelists.
Sabbath School/ Personal Ministries
The Sabbath School/Personal Ministries Department provides full religious education for church members of all ages, including Sabbath School bible study guides and material for programming on Saturday mornings and other activities during the rest of the week. The department also supplies training and resources to local teachers of religious education and other members, promotes personal and world missions, and designs programs and resources to equip and train members to minister to and serve their communities.
Seventh-day Adventist Accounting Software (SUNPLUS)
SunPlus (Seventh-day Adventist Accounting Software) is a service of the General Conference Treasury Department. A commercially-produced financial and accounting software package parameterized to meet the Church’s unique not-for-profit requirements, SunPlus is available to any Church organization or institution. Close cooperation with the program’s parent company keeps the system technologically current through regular upgrades.
Stewardship
The Stewardship Department provides leadership training and education in stewardship principles for church members.
Women Ministries
The Women’s Ministries Department ministers to the spiritual, emotional, physical and social needs of women around the world. It encourages women to improve their potential and participation in the mission of the church. It provides a support system for hurting women, and a forum to address topics and issues as they affect women in and out of the church. It promotes programs to mentor young women and encourages young women academically through a scholarship program.
Youth
The Youth Department of the Seventh-day Adventist Church coordinates youth ministry planning and resources between world church regions, and helps youth leaders evaluate and monitor the results of their programming. The department conducts training seminars, workshops, and congresses for both department and specialized ministries in church regions around the world.
